NOVEL NEXT Chapter 48
Chapter 48. Hostile Guild
Until their new equipment was completed, Yoo Ji-han and Kim Si-hu couldn’t operate in the field.
Kim Si-hu, who had been living too busily lately, decided to properly rest at home.
Meanwhile, Yoo Ji-han lay sprawled out in his living room, deep in thought.
‘My body feels restless.’
Lucky Whisker and White Umbrella were immersed in water, boiling vigorously on the gas stove before cooling down.
He had already completed his daily exercise and the remaining house chores.
It was truly a time for genuine rest.
Yet, he found it hard to remain still, his body continuously fidgeting.
A compulsive urge to do something was creeping up on him.
‘This won’t do.’
Unable to bear it any longer, Yoo Ji-han grabbed his mobile phone from the bedside.
Just a while ago, he had read an article stating that over 90% of modern people are addicted to their phones.
But he felt that if he could at least get some fresh news, it might alleviate the restlessness in his body.
As soon as he turned on the screen, the first thing he launched was the MA Map.
He wasn’t looking at the map itself; there was a bulletin board where news related to heroes was posted.
“Looks like there’s an intruder in Hwaseong.”
The post with the most comments today was about the appearance of an intruder.
Upon examining the details, it stated that a beastman (獸人) had appeared in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi-do.
They were a hybrid race that possessed characteristics of both humans and specific animals from birth.
Many of them were hostile towards humans.
[… Although all the intruders have been eliminated, a total of 3 have fallen. I hear two of them were in a relationship, which is quite unfortunate.]
[I participated in their joint funeral. They were a couple for about a month. One was taken hostage, and the other had to kill them…]
Death had occurred on-site due to a fierce fight with the beastmen.
News that they were lovers made that post gain significant attention.
‘Tsk, that’s unfortunate.’
Inwardly offering a brief consolation to them, Yoo Ji-han recalled his past experiences.
He had encountered intruders several times.
Typically, the encounters occurred deep inside the MA, and he could say it was fortunate that about half of them were moderate faction members wanting to settle on Earth.
The reason he had shown an open attitude towards hybrid races during the interview with Kim Si-hu was due to those experiences.
But conversely, the other half could also be described as hostile.
And the Kim Hyun-tae Party had always emerged victorious in battles against them.
This was a result achieved without a single ordinary citizen falling victim in the midst of the conflicts.
“Seems like someone new has joined the Kim Hyun-tae Party.”
Since the unofficial member had left, a new hero named Kim Kang-woo had officially joined the Kim Hyun-tae Party.
Not wanting to cling to the past, Yoo Ji-han hadn’t intentionally looked into them after leaving Keroes, so this was news to him.
‘Should I contact Mi-a later?’
Among the members of the Kim Hyun-tae Party, Lee Mi-a was the one person with whom he had some communication.
While the other party members might feel awkward, he was willing to reach out to her first.
Doo-ruloo—
While casually scrolling through other posts, a call came in.
It was Kim Si-hu’s call, who was resting at home.
“Hey, what’s up?”
—Hyung… Do you have a moment?
“I’m pretty free.”
—You need to accompany me somewhere today.
“You said you were resting at home. Where do you want to go?”
—To the Hero Department’s Seoul Branch.
Yoo Ji-han cocked his head in confusion.
“Of all places, why there?”
—Remember the party that had a run-in with us at the apartment where the Giant Cat Monster appeared?
“I remember.”
—That party’s guild has contacted us to strongly protest to the Hero Department.
“I expected they’d take some action. …But what did they protest about?”
—They claimed all the damage incurred at the apartment is our responsibility.
“What?”
Are they out of their minds?
*
Yoo Ji-han entered the main entrance of the Hero Department’s Seoul Branch.
Muttering to himself as he walked quickly, he said, “It’s absurd just thinking about it again.”
“Exactly.”
“What kind of confidence leads them to say such things?”
Kim Si-hu agreed with his sentiment from the side.
What’s the point of playing the victim if you’re the perpetrator?
“I heard that the party leader and guild master were both present at that time?”
“Yes.”
“Let me see that face today.”
Yoo Ji-han fiddled with the hilt of the sword tied to his waist.
He had brought his weapon just in case something unexpected happened during the encounter with the Knife Guild guys.
“Yang Ji-cheol!”
“Oh, you’ve arrived.”
Yoo Ji-han spotted Yang Ji-cheol, who was standing near the entrance, and spoke to him.
He was the one who had informed Kim Si-hu about the Knife Guild’s protests.
“I apologize for conveying it in such a rush. I was originally expecting it in three days…”
“It’s alright. More importantly, where are those brazen bastards now?”
“…”
His voice was a bit low, his expression slightly frowning. And with the weapon he brought, Yoo Ji-han was already displaying a very uncomfortable attitude before even meeting the other side.
‘Seems different from what Knife said.’
Although they hadn’t had a proper conversation yet.
Yang Ji-cheol could tell from his demeanor that the positions of Knife and Lucky Whisker were opposing.
“They have already arrived. Please, go inside.”
Yoo Ji-han and Kim Si-hu followed Yang Ji-cheol to a small meeting room.
As they opened the closed door, their eyes fell upon the tank that had been present during their previous encounter.
He pointed at Yoo Ji-han with his decently intact right arm and shouted.
“Hey, hyung! They’re the ones!”
“Really? So these are the guys?”
The Knife Guild Master, Moon Kyung-gu, had a small scar on his right cheek.
As soon as he spotted Yoo Ji-han and Kim Si-hu, he unleashed his magic towards them.
Sssssssss—
There was no physical impact at all; it was merely intended to pressure the other side.
Starting something is always crucial!
He intended to create the meeting’s atmosphere to his liking by applying pressure on the enemy during their first encounter.
‘What the…’
Rather than feeling pressured, Yoo Ji-han smirked.
The momentum was quite convincing, but he recognized it as simple prankery.
Compared to the genuine malice displayed by intruders from another world ripping flesh and blood, this was nothing.
However, Yang Ji-cheol was gradually faltering under the influence of their magic.
Seeing this, Kim Si-hu snapped his fingers with his thumb and index finger.
Bang!
The shockwave of magic that burst from Kim Si-hu disrupted the flow of the magic that the opponent had released.
The phenomenon they had just witnessed was too crude to be called magic.
“Ugh…”
Moon Kyung-gu clicked his tongue at the agile responses from the two, considering them a Rank 4 Party.
It was clear that today’s conversation wouldn’t unfold smoothly.
Yoo Ji-han noticed Yang Ji-cheol, who had escaped from the pressure, letting out a sigh and spoke to Moon Kyung-gu.
“What’s all this from the start?”
“This? It’s just a greeting.”
“Quite an aggressive greeting for a first meeting.”
“It can’t be helped. My brother got hurt because of you all.”
The tank who had claimed a spot in the apartment was Moon Kyung-jin, Moon Kyung-gu’s brother.
Yoo Ji-han glared at Moon Kyung-jin, who was in a wheelchair, and said, “Isn’t it the opposite? We suffered there because of you.”
“You little bastard!!”
“Wait! Don’t start fighting right away!”
Moon Kyung-jin yelled, getting worked up.
Then Yang Ji-cheol intervened as a mediator between the two guilds.
“I understand that both sides have differing positions. However, in order to make a judgment, we must hear from both sides. Is that understood?”
“…”
“Everyone, please take your seats. Let’s first hear Knife’s side of the story.”
“No, those bastards from the apartment…”
Moon Kyung-jin, his face flushed red, couldn’t conceal his agitation as he began to speak.
His claim was that Yoo Ji-han had first provoked him over a minor trouble.
He especially emphasized the death of a party member.
“That sword-wielding punk pushed him away, and Min-hyun got bit and killed by the Giant Cat Monster!”
“Ji-han, is that true?”
“The most critical part has been omitted from that person’s statement.”
“What’s that?”
“The warrior named Min-hyun attacked us first under the order of this Moon Kyung-jin. Moreover, despite the appearance of a monster, he charged at Si-hu with his sword without even assessing the surrounding situation. I merely responded to that, and the fate he faced after that was the responsibility of that warrior.”
“That’s a lie!”
“There’s not a shred of falsehood in my statement. Isn’t there CCTV in the hallway stairs? You can see if you check the recordings.”
“Unfortunately, they said there isn’t one on the stairs.”
Every time Moon Kyung-gu and Moon Kyung-jin presented their claims, Yoo Ji-han and Kim Si-hu promptly rebutted them.
And when it came time for Lucky Whisker to state their position, Yoo Ji-han looked at Moon Kyung-jin and said, “You claimed the spot with us, didn’t you?”
“No, that’s…”
“Cut the nonsense. We won’t burden you with lengthy explanations. You claimed the spot, right? Isn’t that so?”
“…”
Moon Kyung-jin couldn’t give an answer.
But his silence was akin to a confirmation.
“Look at this.”
“This is…”
Yoo Ji-han turned on the screen of his mobile phone and showed everyone a screenshot he had captured in advance.
It was a post from the Knife Guild claiming the spot on the MA Map bulletin board.
With undeniable evidence, Yoo Ji-han addressed Yang Ji-cheol.
“Ji-cheol, you know I asked about the spot, right?”
“I’m aware.”
“It’s because of that person. Even during our second meeting, he insisted on claiming the spot, so I merely recited the advice from the Hero Department that you transmitted. Then they threatened me, saying it seemed like we’d be responsible for your lives if anything happened.”
“…”
Yang Ji-cheol’s expression turned cold.
Moon Kyung-jin’s behavior had essentially disregarded the Hero Department’s counsel.
“Moon Kyung-jin, is this true?”
“It’s a lie! It’s all a lie!”
“If that’s the case, then what about that post?”
“…”
“Just because the Hero Department doesn’t monitor every little thing doesn’t mean such matters are permitted.”
“What? You’re getting worked up over something trivial.”
“Absolutely not. Moon Kyung-gu.”
Now both positions had been thoroughly laid out.
And still, the differences in opinions were not closing in at all.
‘It seems like Knife is at fault…’
To Yang Ji-cheol’s eyes, this situation appeared to lean towards Knife’s culpability.
Yet, making judgments as a third party isn’t an easy task.
*
The meeting lasted about an hour.
And the conclusion of the meeting was leaning towards the Hero Department re-investigating the apartment where the fight had occurred.
“That’s absurd!!”
Moon Kyung-jin protested furiously.
It was essentially stating they wouldn’t be taking any action since that apartment likely wouldn’t have left any significant evidence.
“Let’s accept it.”
“No, hyung! What do you mean by that?”
Moon Kyung-gu, the Knife Guild Master, was leaning towards accepting the meeting’s outcome.
Despite the fact that one of his guild’s heroes had died, and his own brother had lost parts of his left leg and several fingers.
‘That’s too surprising.’
Yoo Ji-han found himself questioning Moon Kyung-gu’s demeanor, which was a bit different from his first impression.
Still, it turned out that today’s session favored Lucky Whisker.
Given the circumstances, it was completely justifiable.
“If we’re done here, I’ll be on my way.”
“Where do you think you’re going? You killed him! You killed Min-hyun!”
“It wasn’t me who killed him; it was that warrior who followed your orders that ‘died due to recklessness.’ You should be clear with your words.”
“…!”
In response to Yoo Ji-han’s counterargument, Moon Kyung-jin glared at him with fiery eyes.
He had been hyped up and ready to launch at any moment during the back-and-forth.
‘So Lucky Whisker has now made an enemy guild.’
Moon Kyung-gu’s demeanor was surprising, but now, it seemed Knife could be seen as a guild opposing Lucky Whisker from now on.
If they encounter a party belonging to Knife on-site, they would need to be on guard.
“Let’s head back.”
“Looks like we just wasted time.”
Yoo Ji-han and Kim Si-hu, having achieved a small victory, exited the meeting room.
It was time to return home and enjoy the rest of their well-deserved rest.
“Hyung. Don’t forget to visit the bank today.”
“Got it.”
Just as they were walking to the first-floor main entrance.
“Ah, look who it is.”
“…?!”
Someone on the first floor recognized Yoo Ji-han.
Yoo Ji-han recognized him at a glance as well.
They had only met once in his lifetime, but it was a face one could never forget.
“Kazimir.”
“It’s been a long time.”
It was the vampire, Kazimir, whom he had encountered when he was part of the Kim Hyun-tae Party.