Ch.10536. The Beginning of the Struggle (2)

The hunters wore extremely tense expressions.

Because of their position. Pyo Sung-hoon tried to maintain a calm face, but he was just as nervous as the others.

He had been in the hunter world for 20 years. Currently, he was an S-rank hunter and the guild master of a guild called Red Breakers.

In front of the hunters gathered here in alliance with his guild, he absolutely could not show any sign of wavering.

‘Still, Dead Arms… we have a bitter history with them.’

They were the guild that had been at odds with Red Breakers the longest in Busan. Over time, hunters from both sides had been caught in fights, occasionally resulting in casualties.

They were on the verge of beginning a struggle for supremacy in Busan against that guild.

Dead Arms was cruel and reckless. If they were to lose to them, who knows what might happen to the hunters gathered here who trusted him.

This wasn’t just about him alone. As guild master and leader of the alliance, the weight of responsibility in this position made Pyo Sung-hoon’s heart tremble even more.

It was at that moment. A young man standing beside Pyo Sung-hoon whispered in a quiet voice, as if he knew exactly what was on his mind.

“You don’t need to worry so much. After today, Busan will be in our hands.”

Pyo Sung-hoon was startled. He felt embarrassed that his inner thoughts had been exposed. The man standing next to him was just 22 years old.

In terms of hunter rank and experience, Pyo Sung-hoon was far more senior. But what surprised him was that this man had clearly read his mind.

‘He really is an extraordinary man. Lee Min-soo.’

Although Pyo Sung-hoon was known in Busan as more reasonable and mild-mannered as a hunter compared to Sung Tae-seok, the guild master of Dead Arms.

Still, as an S-rank hunter and a disciple of the Cheonma Divine Sect, he was a man with high self-esteem.

Yet now, this Pyo Sung-hoon had handed over full authority for all Red Breakers operations in Busan to Lee Min-soo.

‘There was a lot of pushback against that decision.’

Of course, it was an absurd situation. Guild Flame, where Lee Min-soo belonged. A guild where two daughters of the Five Great Heavenly Sages were members.

And especially Yeon So-so, the heir to the Cheonma Divine Sect, who had significant influence over them. If they were to take direct orders from Yeon So-so, it would be understandable since she was also an S-rank hunter.

But in reality, it was Lee Min-soo who had declared cooperation between Flame and Red Breakers and had been directing all operations.

‘My subordinates’ reactions were natural. I didn’t fully trust him from the beginning either.’

Moreover, local regions have strong territorial tendencies. The support from the Association and government cannot compare to what’s available in the capital region, where Korea’s current infrastructure is concentrated.

As a result, Busan’s hunters, who had experienced discrimination, harbored strong resentment toward those who weren’t from Busan or the southeastern region.

While Pyo Sung-hoon had come to cooperate with Flame because of Yeon So-so, the daughter of Cheonma, and nominally followed Lee Min-soo’s instructions, it wasn’t strange that he didn’t trust him from the start.

Pyo Sung-hoon addressed the hunters.

“I’m sure everyone has understood the instructions from the Vice President.”

Through the earpiece, a quiet voice resonated. Everyone nodded. Though they all looked tense, no one was losing their composure.

Vice President. That was what the Red Breakers hunters called Lee Min-soo. Officially, Lee Min-soo was an attendant to Yeon So-so, the leader of Flame’s raid team.

But already, everyone recognized him as Flame’s Busan Vice President.

‘Just like everything he’s done so far, I’m sure the Vice President has devised a perfect operation plan for this mission as well.’

The reason these hunters had come to acknowledge Lee Min-soo, to never question his instructions, and why Pyo Sung-hoon himself had declared full cooperation with him—

It was all because Lee Min-soo had proven his abilities in Busan. Although they were awakened and well-known hunters in Busan,

Their battles and struggles as mere regional cartels were nothing more than thugs using mana. Nothing beyond that.

‘But under the Vice President’s direction, we’ve completely transformed.’

Red Breakers was just a B+ rank guild. But the dungeon conquests and villain suppressions they had achieved under Lee Min-soo’s direction had produced results worthy of an S-rank guild.

That’s why, although Pyo Sung-hoon was tense like his subordinates, he didn’t doubt the outcome of this mission.

‘Even though Lee Seon-woo, that dangerous villain, has come to Busan, the Vice President said victory in this struggle will definitely be ours.’

If Lee Min-soo said so, it would surely happen. In the past three months, his words had never been wrong.

At that moment, Lee Min-soo spoke.

“The special detachment that was supposed to move to Dead Arms’ office in Yeongdo—I’m canceling that plan immediately.”

To this, Pyo Sung-hoon replied.

“But as you know, if it’s Sung Tae-seok of Dead Arms, he’ll surely send his subordinates to Busan Port while hiding in Yeongdo himself. We need to capture him…”

“No. The information that our alliance’s elite forces would head directly to Yeongdo has likely been leaked to them. We’ll secure Busan Port first, then head to Yeongdo.”

“Wait, our plan to move the special detachment was… definitely confidential, so how did that information…”

And at that moment, Pyo Sung-hoon realized. Lee Min-soo had once again moved one step ahead. Lee Min-soo said.

“For today’s gathering, Seo Hun-cheol, the guild master of Climber, is absent. Do you know why?”

“Don’t tell me! He was Dead Arms’ informant?”

“Yes, Guild Master.”

“Since when… have you known this?”

“I’ve known for over a month already. If we split our forces in two like this, we’d likely be at risk of being defeated separately.”

At his calm words, Pyo Sung-hoon felt a chill down his spine. He already knew Seo Hun-cheol was an informant but had left him be.

‘Does that mean he did it for today’s counter-operation?’

And Lee Min-soo continued as if it were nothing.

“Ah, and I gave disguised information to the Climber guild. So it should cause confusion among the Dead Arms members gathered at Busan Port.”

“As expected, you see several moves ahead, Vice President.”

He was probably wearing a genuinely impressed expression. But Lee Min-soo responded with a calm face, as if Pyo Sung-hoon’s words weren’t a big deal.

“If not, we’d be the ones dying. Now, let’s move. From now on, follow the designated routes.”

And at Lee Min-soo’s words, the hunters responded in unison.

***

Rain was falling at Busan Port.

Although it was the beginning of summer, the atmosphere at Busan Port was filled with a desolate mood, unbecoming of what was once a massive port representing East Asia.

Jung Yu-ha, a hunter from Red Breakers, was also holding her breath, waiting for the next instructions through her earpiece.

‘We’ve clashed with Dead Arms time and again, but today is a life-or-death struggle.’

It had been five years since she joined Red Breakers. And her connection with the Red Breakers hunters went back to when she trained at the Cheonma Divine Sect’s dojo before graduating from the academy.

Jung Yu-ha was an A-rank hunter. Though she was a local hunter and a graduate of an unknown, non-prestigious academy, she had made quite a name for herself in Busan.

Perhaps if she had graduated from a famous academy like Aince, she would have surely joined a major corporate guild like Mansong or Sigurd.

But she was satisfied with her current life. The Cheonma Divine Sect dojo in Busan had taken her in after she lost her parents to a monster attack.

Jung Yu-ha was proud and content with her life as a guild member of Red Breakers and a sword instructor at the dojo. Having grown up in Busan, she had worked as a hunter for Busan.

‘That’s why we must dismantle Dead Arms today. If those guys take over Busan…’

Behind them was Sigurd. And the Udillant Group, a joint American-Japanese conglomerate. Udillant’s notoriety in Busan was well-known.

The so-called corporate bullying. Udillant had a tight grip on the distribution rights of dungeon by-products from Busan hunters.

In reality, Busan didn’t generate as much profit compared to the capital region. So for Udillant, there wasn’t much left to profit from.

That’s why they were even more vicious, not only exploiting Busan hunters but also squeezing the lifeblood out of ordinary Busan citizens through guilds like Dead Arms, which were under Sigurd’s influence.

‘Filthy gangsters.’

Their actions were similar to, or even worse than, those of once-notorious drug cartels.

But Busan citizens had no choice but to turn to Dead Arms.

For their livelihood. And for survival, they had to rely on even the devil’s hand to survive against monsters and villains.

Jung Yu-ha gripped the handle of her hunter sword tightly. And from a distance, she observed the backs of the two people who were directly commanding the platoon she belonged to.

‘Lady Yeon So-so…’

When Flame’s people came down to Busan, the person who undoubtedly became the center of attention was Yeon So-so.

The only daughter of Cheonma Yeon Se-hwi. And an S-rank hunter. Even for hunters affiliated with Red Breakers, who were heavily influenced by the Cheonma Divine Sect,

The difference between Yeon So-so and those hunters was like heaven and earth. It was similar to the gap between the daughter of a conglomerate’s chairman and an employee of a third-tier subcontractor.

‘I was shocked. Even as a woman, she’s unbelievably beautiful.’

And beyond her skills, which had made her an S-rank hunter at the age of 22, what was naturally mentioned among the predominantly male hunters was Yeon So-so’s appearance and figure.

‘She was as beautiful as a celebrity. No, even more beautiful than a celebrity.’

Now, having gone on missions with Yeon So-so, she could naturally converse with her, but at first, just seeing her made her whole body tense up.

Jet-black, elegant long hair. A well-maintained body without an ounce of excess fat. A voluptuous chest that matched her slender height.

In fact, Jung Yu-ha, who had secretly prided herself on being quite popular among Busan hunters, felt like a squid when standing next to Yeon So-so.

‘And to think she can pull off such traditional attire so well…’

Yeon So-so’s outfit today was different from usual. Normally, she would dress down in training clothes, almost a waste considering her beautiful appearance.

But today, she wore the traditional martial attire befitting her position as the Little Cheonma. Like the female protagonist of an Oriental romance fantasy.

It was an outfit that gave off a pure, elegant feeling, different from her usual impressive aura.

‘Wait. What am I thinking about? Before such an important mission.’

In fact, the reason she had unconsciously thought about Yeon So-so’s appearance and attire was because of the young man standing next to her.

Lee Min-soo. A man with a neat appearance but a somewhat vague impression.

So when Flame’s people came down to Busan, no one paid attention to him. But Jung Yu-ha was familiar with his name.

Two years ago, at an exchange competition she had happened to watch. That Aince student who had paired with Yuri Tarkovskaya, the daughter of Chairman Andrei.

The academy in Busan that Jung Yu-ha had graduated from always got eliminated in the lower rounds of the exchange competition. But during her academy days, Jung Yu-ha, who had been a competitor in the exchange competition, still kept up with it even now at 24.

Most of the spotlight had been on Yuri Tarkovskaya, but Jung Yu-ha remembered the unique tactics shown by the man named Lee Min-soo.

Although that Lee Min-soo had been completely forgotten after graduating from Aince, she saw him again in Busan, which she had never expected.

‘Surely, once the takeover of Busan is complete, he’ll become a much more famous hunter than he is now.’

Even in Busan, all initial attention had been on Yeon So-so, but soon the recognition of the two had reversed. Lee Min-soo’s amazing operating skills. His operations had changed the landscape of Busan.

‘Not a single hunter who participated in missions with the Vice President has died.’

And among those operations, Lee Min-soo had also shown outstanding performance as a dealer, taking on the most dangerous roles.

So, no one from the Red Breakers affiliated alliance guilds, or simply the alliance guilds, found the current scene strange.

The sight of Yeon So-so, the only daughter of the Five Great Heavenly Sages, always gazing at Lee Min-soo’s face, completely smitten with him.

‘Being the daughter of the Five Great Heavenly Sages, she must be one of the most valuable ladies in the world.’

In reality, Yeon So-so received treatment akin to a princess in the martial world.

Anyway, Jung Yu-ha didn’t know much about the relationship between those two.

A romance between a lady of very high status and a man of ordinary status. So it was a story that greatly piqued the curiosity of Jung Yu-ha, who appeared to be a cold swordswoman on the outside but was soft on the inside.

‘With such a difference in status… what will happen to those two… But since the Little Sect Master likes the Vice President so much… a marriage that transcends the difference in status… No, what am I thinking…’

Looking at that very well-matched couple, she kept having strange fantasies.

Maybe it was because she was still single at 24, but her tendency to daydream had only grown. Jung Yu-ha shook her head vigorously.

‘This is a battlefield where lives are at stake. Focus. And Lee Seon-woo might be at Busan Port too.’

The voice of Lee Min-soo, the young hunter who seemed accustomed to receiving the favor, no, the love of the perfect woman that was Yeon So-so, came through the earpiece.

“Let’s set off the fireworks to start the battle. Please follow as instructed. Then there will be no casualties today as well.”

Simultaneously, a blue flame pierced through the heavy rain and flew toward the door of a container warehouse. A small fire about the size of a tennis ball. But soon that flame created a massive explosion.

BOOM-BOOM-BOOM-BOOM-BOOM!

It was the blue flame explosion that had led the alliance guild members to refer to Lee Min-soo as the Flame Master with reverence.