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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 27
Chapter Title: It’s Easy, Right?
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In a remote corner, deep within a back alley of Jongno, stood a pawnshop that had weathered the ages.
It was the very picture of what one might call an ‘old-timer,’ a place that fit the musty description to a tee…
[Pawn & Loan]
Had it not been for the four-character business name carelessly scrawled in red on a white sign, no one would have ever guessed what the place was.
Inside the pawnshop.
Two old men with long hair sat facing each other across a Go board, seemingly engrossed in their silent game.
Black and white.
The two men were a study in contrasts, from their attire to their hair color.
One was dressed head to toe in black, the other in white.
The Black and White Twin Fiends.
These two were members of the ‘Twelve Executives,’ the core group of twelve who formed the backbone of the Anti-Bureau Alliance.
*Clack–.*
The ‘Black Fiend,’ who had just placed a black stone on the board with a crisp sound, was the first to speak.
“According to a directive from above, the ‘Target Abduction Operation’ has failed.”
This time, the ‘White Fiend’ responded as he placed a white stone.
“Wasn’t that an operation involving two of the Twelve Executives?”
“It was,” the Black Fiend answered curtly, then added.
“But it wasn’t just a failure. It seems the entire deployed force was wiped out.”
“Wiped out…” the White Fiend muttered, perplexed by the news, and tried to sort through the jumble of thoughts in his head.
It was true that the Illusionist and the Torturer, who had led the operation, held the lowest ranks among the Twelve Executives, but…
Even so, they were executives in name and in deed. He was certain they weren't so incompetent as to be thwarted so helplessly.
“Just what kind of talent could turn a team of two executives and dozens of elite agents into corpses without a single trace…?”
He then asked again.
“Brother, what is the directive that has been handed down to us?”
“They want us brothers to step in and abduct the target ourselves.”
“Brother, why does ‘he’ covet the target so much?”
“I imagine it’s because he’s a ‘symbolic figure.’”
The rookie hunter ‘Hyoja Kim Bong-gu,’ who had become the Alliance’s target, was a man the media was tirelessly packaging as a new hero.
If they could persuade such a symbolic figure to join their Alliance, or if they were to execute him in a public place for all to see…
It would naturally lead the public to question the very necessity and effectiveness of the organization known as the Bureau.
“Furthermore, we’ve lost two executive-level assets because of the target. He must be even more keen on acquiring him now…”
At his words, his younger brother, the White Fiend, kept his gaze fixed on the Go board and asked in a low, calm voice.
“Brother, when do you plan to make a move?”
The Black Fiend fiddled with a few black stones in his hand and added.
“Brother, why dally over catching a single minnow?”
Then, he placed another black stone on the board with a sharp “*Clack!*” and added.
“How about we watch for an opportunity and handle it swiftly, as soon as possible.”
“Huh, my ear is strangely itchy today…”
Bong-gu remarked offhandedly, scratching his ear as he walked slowly up the steep mountain trail.
A few steps ahead, Kang-jun replied in a nonchalant tone, as if it were nothing.
“Someone’s probably talking smack about you behind your back.”
“I haven’t done anything to deserve that…”
“There are probably a few who are dying to kill you, though.”
“Geez, why do you keep making jokes like that?”
Kang-jun considered telling him it wasn't a joke, but he swallowed the words that had formed in his mouth.
‘Telling him would only make him anxious, wouldn’t it?’
While it was all due to Bong-gu’s unfortunate lot in life, it was an undeniable fact that he himself would be the most inconvenienced if something were to happen to the kid.
Not only would he lose someone to run errands, but even something as simple as booking a Gate was impossible without Bong-gu.
Therefore, Kang-jun had decided to put the kid through some intense, practical training for the time being.
“Are there any restrictions on booking Gates? Like a limit on how many one person can reserve?”
“I don’t think there are any limits like that.”
“Then isn’t there a possibility that a powerful individual or a few groups could just monopolize all the Gates in the country?”
Bong-gu tilted his head slightly and asked back.
“Hmm, I think that would be absolutely impossible.”
He then began to lay out his thoughts.
“Several new Gates appear every single day, but the number of Hunters available to clear them is limited, right?”
“Is that so?”
“Also, it’s an unspoken rule that a party takes at least a few days off to rest after clearing a Gate.”
When Kang-jun looked at him as if asking why, Bong-gu rolled his eyes and shrugged.
“Clearing a Gate is no ordinary task. It’s not an exaggeration to say your life is on the line, is it?”
“I suppose.”
“No matter how much you love wealth and fame, you have to be alive to enjoy them. Everyone is especially careful about their safety to protect their own necks.”
Bong-gu believed that even for the most exceptional high-rank Hunters, the situation wouldn't be much different in this regard.
They typically selected Gates that matched their rank before setting out to clear them…
Therefore, the rest periods for high-rank Hunters, who often tackled perilous Gates, could be considered even longer.
“For these reasons and others, I’d say it’s physically impossible for an individual or a few groups to monopolize the Gates.”
Just then, Kang-jun nodded a few times as if satisfied and asked in a flat tone.
“Anyway, as long as you have the ability, it doesn’t matter how many Gates one person books, right?”
“That’s right.”
“Then starting tomorrow, we should be able to do two or three runs a day, don’t you think? One is just not enough.”
*Could he be serious?*
“Why aren’t you answering?”
*Ah, he’s serious.*
‘Still, maybe his opinion will change a little after we clear the Gate today.’
After all, the unresolved Gate on Bukhansan Mountain they were about to enter had been designated by the Bureau as a formidable ‘B-rank’ in terms of danger.
Furthermore, considering the minimum recommended party size was over five or six people, the number of monsters was bound to be substantial.
‘No matter how much power he has, rivaling an S-rank Hunter, clearing a Gate like this every single day has to be impossible, right…?’
He assumed that after experiencing a B-rank Gate for himself, Kang-jun’s opinion would naturally change.
And…
Unfortunately for Bong-gu, it didn't take long for him to realize that this assumption was a complete miscalculation.
Their entry was significantly delayed because a Bureau employee guarding the Gate entrance desperately tried to stop them.
The reason was that it was far too dangerous for a party consisting of a single C-rank Awakener and a porter.
The two were only able to get past the employee and set foot inside the Gate after submitting a ‘liability waiver.’
Only after signing the unsettling document, which stated they would not hold the Bureau responsible in the event of their deaths, were they permitted to enter.
[You have entered the Dimensional Gate ‘Lizardman Forest’!]
That was the moment Kang-jun and Bong-gu, after some difficulty(?), took their first step into the Gate.
‘Now, the seasoned instructor will give a demonstration, so watch carefully.’
Kang-jun said in a low, utterly nonchalant tone as he stretched his arms wide.
With those brief words, a scene so unbelievable it was hard to trust one's own eyes began to unfold.
Lizardmen.
Creatures whose massive torsos, covered in hard scales, exuded an overwhelming sense of intimidation, were flicking their long tongues.
They were typical beast-kin monsters with human bodies and lizard heads…
Equipped with enough intelligence to employ tactics and skilled in wielding weapons, they were considerably tricky opponents to face.
“Kirrrrrk…!”
“Kireuk…!”
“Kirrrrrk…!”
The creatures were closing in, each brandishing a sword with a chilling, blue gleam, but…
“If you really think about it, a ‘sword’ is a weapon that, by its very nature, can never inflict a fatal wound on an opponent who is right in your face.”
After finishing his relaxed explanation, Kang-jun’s form blurred, and in an instant, he shot toward the Lizardman at the front.
*SPLAT—!*
Suddenly, a massive impact echoed, and the Lizardman’s head burst like a leather ball.
“Whoa…”
As Bong-gu was struck with awe, Kang-jun casually flicked the blood from his hand as if nothing had happened and continued his explanation.
“For the time being, let’s work on raising your proficiency to the point where you can freely use any part of your body that can be used for an attack.”
“Sir, but I’m a magic-type Awakener.”
“The reason mages are called ‘glass cannons’ is that they become incredibly vulnerable once the distance is closed and a close-quarters fight breaks out, right?”
Even as he continued his explanation, Kang-jun moved like a flash of light, felling the group of Lizardmen surrounding him with single blows.
*THWACK-CRUNCH-BAM-!*
It was a sublime level of martial arts, utilizing everything from his hands and feet to his joints like elbows and knees, his forehead, shoulders, and even his broad back.
“If you learn a little martial arts, you won’t lose the initiative even when an opponent closes in. And it’ll be even more helpful if you increase the number of weapons you can handle.”
“Wow…”
“Besides, when you need to achieve great results in a short period like now, it’s much more efficient to compensate for existing weaknesses than to develop new strengths.”
Bong-gu could only stare, dumbfounded, as he watched the movements that were so wondrous they were almost beautiful.
Having turned dozens of Lizardmen into corpses in an instant, Kang-jun glanced back at the stunned Bong-gu…
“There.”
At Kang-jun’s word, Bong-gu tilted his head.
“It’s easy, right?”
“Huh?”
“Give it a try.”
*Is this guy for real?*
