Ch.241241. Guild (2)

Han Seong-geun summoned the three major guilds of Seorabeol in the name of the police immediately after receiving orders from the Seorabeol Cabinet.

It might have appeared that his plan was to gather the three major guilds in one place to take them all down at once, but Han Seong-geun had no genuine intention of declaring them traitors and subjugating them.

“So, guild leaders. I’m giving you the opportunity to make a voluntary choice.”

Whether they liked it or not, these guilds were the current representatives of Seorabeol’s Awakened.

Even if the police were granted unlimited tyrannical power and arrest warrants, physically destroying the three major guilds would require a certain level of determination.

“W-what do you mean by that?”

“Here. The Seorabeol Cabinet is seriously considering treating your WWE as UFC. You wouldn’t want to take UFC punches instead of WWE ones, would you?”

However, from the perspective of the three major guilds who had just heard Han Seong-geun’s blatant death threat:

“””A-are you insane!”””

They could only react with horror.

Even though the three major guilds were massive organizations with thousands of Awakened members, their opponent was a crazy nation aiming to awaken its entire population.

What made it even more terrifying was that this country had proven it was actually capable of doing so. Once placed on their kill list, the choices for the three major guilds were painfully simple.

Either resist and die, or quietly accept death.

In this situation with no survival options, the minds of all the guild leaders summoned here were going blank, but…

“So. I’m thinking of showing you mercy just this once. If you don’t shut down immediately, consider yourselves naturally deceased next time.”

Thankfully, even Seorabeol had a god and showed mercy.

Although Han Seong-geun made the ominous prediction that he would make them “naturally deceased” if caught again, it meant he was giving them one chance.

“Do you think we’re pushovers?”

Baek Jong-hwi, the Hwacheon Sword Tower guild leader, seemed offended and protested to Han Seong-geun, asking if he thought they were pushovers.

The other two guild leaders gave him looks that said “are you crazy,” but they couldn’t help it.

They couldn’t just say, “Thank you so much, respected Police Commissioner Han Seong-geun,” and back down!

‘The brave win the beauty! Even if it’s a small step. Someday, surely…! A person’s dream never ends!’

If they backed down weakly here, their dreams would become unattainable fantasies for the rest of their lives!

A person’s dream never ends! The brave are the ones who achieve their dreams!

“If this doesn’t end with me… the Dragon Priestess herself might step in next.”

“””…What?”””

Of course, Han Seong-geun dropped a nuclear bomb on the three major guilds, making it clear they had no chance.

He was saying that if it didn’t end with him, the Dragon Priestess might step in, which meant Seorabeol was prepared not for WWE or UFC, but for WW2.

From the three major guilds’ perspective, the Seorabeol Cabinet was already a formidable opponent, but bringing in the Dragon Priestess meant they were willing to fight with a world champion.

“Excuse me, Mr. Han Seong-geun. Honestly, is this an issue that warrants the Priestess’s involvement?”

It was utterly disheartening for those who had just made their debut.

It would be somewhat entertaining to compete at the same level, but this was completely like a newbie-slicing machine.

“It’s not an issue that requires her involvement. As long as you all stay quiet.”

“But we need to make a living too! Is the state allowed to suppress the private economy like this? Shouldn’t there be economic freedom?”

The three major guilds seemed unable to tolerate this and began protesting loudly.

While they had been prepared for deteriorating relations with the Seorabeol Cabinet since they got involved in politics, they had neither anticipated nor prepared for the possibility of the Dragon Priestess stepping in.

The three major guilds had also received grace from the Dragon Priestess during this apocalypse, and not only the guild members but also the guild leaders themselves were followers of the Balhut Cult.

Even if they weren’t devout believers, the Dragon Priestess’s involvement meant the Dragon God might also get involved, which made them protest even more, emphasizing that this was merely a power struggle with the Seorabeol Cabinet.

“Ah. About that private economy. It’s not something for the police to be concerned with. We’re simply acting according to these arrest warrants.”

“But you’re in a position to voice your opinions to the minister, aren’t you?”

“Haha. I can’t deny that.”

In response to their protests, Han Seong-geun replied that he was merely following orders.

While it was true that the police were responsible for public safety, not the economy, which was handled by other agencies, Han Seong-geun’s position meant he could directly express his opinions to the minister, and when the three major guilds pointed this out, he nodded in agreement.

“And honestly, with your economic scale, isn’t the economy running sufficiently well with just the Seorabeol Mage Association and the Craftsmen’s Guild?”

“W-what about magic stones?”

But from the police’s perspective, the economic benefits of the three major guilds weren’t that significant.

The guilds with the largest economic activities in the private sector were, due to economies of scale, the Seorabeol Mage Association and the Craftsmen’s Guild. As long as these two guilds functioned properly, Seorabeol’s economy could operate without issues.

At this, the three major guilds desperately mentioned the magic stones obtained from hunting monsters, but…

“There are Bahamut coins.”

“That’s the problem! Those Bahamut coins are killing our country’s magic stone economy.”

The issue was that while these coins were sold at high prices and valued in other countries, they were being sold cheaply in Seorabeol.

For the main customers—Seorabeol craftsmen and mages—they were affordable substitutes for coins, and for the general public, they were nice to have but not necessary.

After all, with Bahamut coins being the superior option, there was no reason to use magic stones, and the quality difference was incomparable.

The only advantage of magic stones was that they could compete in quantity, but even that would be lost if Bahamut himself started mass production, causing the Seorabeol magic stone economy to plummet rather than grow.

“They’re still being used in the energy sector, right? As efficient energy sources. Though the price is terrible compared to other countries.”

The one advantage of magic stones was that they were prioritized over Bahamut coins in the energy sector due to price considerations.

Even then, they couldn’t raise the price of magic stones compared to overseas markets.

If they weren’t even consumed as energy resources, magic stones would be virtually worthless in Seorabeol.

‘Overseas, they’re in such high demand they can’t keep up.’

‘Based on that, we could negotiate as equals with the government.’

‘That’s also why so many guilds could proliferate.’

However, overseas, magic stones were used not just in the energy sector but for various purposes like weapon crafting, enchantment technology, and magical tool production—essentially functioning as a kind of rare earth element in this apocalypse.

They were important strategic resources for advanced magical engineering industries in the current apocalypse, but unfortunately, Seorabeol had the Dragon God Bahamut, a coin tycoon who could produce substitutes for magic stones.

“Lord Han Seong-geun. You know why we’re throwing WWE at various institutions, don’t you? Let’s not do this when we all know what’s going on.”

“True, I’m an Awakened like you all. I understand your circumstances. But the timing is terrible. You acted right after the Ulsan disaster, making yourselves the perfect first target.”

Finally abandoning their pride and essentially begging for mercy, Han Seong-geun, seemingly sympathetic, acknowledged the three major guilds’ predicament.

The problem was that the three major guilds had moved at an unfortunate time.

They had caused trouble right after the Ulsan disaster, and Han Seong-geun wore an expression of extreme inconvenience, but…

“We won’t act up again! Please let us off just this once! We’ll crawl between your legs right now if that’s what it takes!”

“Ah. You’re making me look like the bad guy. Well then…”

This too was essentially a staged WWE match.

As the three major guilds began to prostrate themselves, Han Seong-geun grumbled, “Ah, you’re making me look bad,” but…

“I’ll provide you with a legal ladder kick. Spill everything you know about villain organizations. If you’ve been secretly cooperating with any villains, that’s even better.”

He still offered them a way out.

He said he’d help them with a legal ladder kick if they spilled everything about the shady characters they’d been involved with.

“We’ll tell you quickly. We know a lot about overseas ones too.”

Without any hesitation, the three major guilds stabbed in the back all those they had been dealing with.

This was Seorabeol, a place rife with intrigue. The weak don’t survive.

“Wow. There are more villains infiltrating Seorabeol than I thought.”

The police special forces headquarters was filled with documents sent by the three major guilds, and Jin A-yeon tossed the papers onto the desk.

The documents contained the faces and records of numerous villains, including their residences, bounties, and detailed information about what crimes they had committed where—almost uncomfortably thorough.

“Yes. Thanks to the cooperation of the three major guilds, we’ve obtained better quality information than expected. All of these people are destined to become our achievements.”

“What about the three major guilds?”

In response to Jin A-yeon’s question, Han Seong-geun shook his head.

It meant he had essentially abandoned the purge of the three major guilds.

“They’re still guilds representing Seorabeol. Unless they fall to an enemy guild, we can’t directly bring them down ourselves. We need to consider the public’s perception.”

“That’s annoying. But it seems the warning worked well.”

Like it or not, the three major guilds were the face of Seorabeol’s Awakened, and the moment the police brought them down, they would face public suspicion.

So they needed to subdue the three major guilds in the gentlest way possible, and in exchange, they needed criminals they could claim as achievements. Han Seong-geun had managed to resolve this by appropriately selling Yu-na’s name.

“The three major guilds also know that the Seorabeol Cabinet is their limit. They want to avoid the Dragon Priestess getting involved at all costs.”

“Did you really sell Yu-na’s name?”

“Well, it’s the best name for intimidation, isn’t it?”

Indeed, it couldn’t be better for intimidation.

The Priestess’s name carried such weight in Seorabeol, and the Dragon Priestess’s involvement meant Bahamut also considered it important. From the three major guilds’ perspective, the moment her name came up, they could only recoil in fear.

So occasionally, at appropriate moments, that name had to be used to make things proceed smoothly.

“That’s not wrong, but is it okay?”

“I already got permission. She’s not the type to care about such things anyway.”

“True.”

Moreover, if things went well, Yu-na wouldn’t mind her subordinates using her name.

What mattered to her was the prosperity of Seorabeol and the Balhut Cult, and she would do anything for that.

In fact, having the Dragon Priestess step in and resolve issues would be a more extreme approach, and Han Seong-geun could be seen as having found an appropriate compromise before the situation became serious.

Having appropriately resolved the guild situation, it was now time to hunt down the villains established in Seorabeol based on the information provided by the guilds.

“By the way, there are more high-bounty villains than I expected. Did they all come here to smuggle coins?”

Jin A-yeon cross-referenced the information in the documents, noting that more high-profile villains than expected had come to Seorabeol, and asked if they had all come for Bahamut coins.

“That shows how valuable the coins are overseas. Enough to risk their lives crossing the Pacific.”

Han Seong-geun confirmed this, explaining that they had come all this way just for the coins.

The overseas private and underground economies were so desperate for Bahamut coins that some were willing to risk their lives for a fortune, even crossing the Pacific from America to Seorabeol.

Of course, not everyone was crossing the Pacific.

“There are also people from the Yamato Union and the South China Sea.”

There were people from the Yamato Union and Southeast Asians coming through the South China Sea.

Due to proximity, most came from the Yamato Union.

“Those guys are low-quality yakuza. Be careful.”

“What? They’re yakuza?”

The people listed in the documents weren’t officially visiting Awakened from allied countries.

Just as Seorabeol had internal dissenters, the Yamato Union also had those who opposed the Yamato Union regime. These individuals had infiltrated Seorabeol’s underground economy and were smuggling Bahamut coins to fund efforts to overthrow the Yamato Union.

“Yes. They’re closest geographically, and it’s an enormous profit if successful. Yakuza would risk their lives for smuggling. What’s more, this one is infiltrating through North Ulsan rather than Pohang, making it even harder to manage.”

They were even exploiting the chaos in Ulsan, which hadn’t fully established order yet.

This meant they were well-informed about internal Seorabeol news. Moreover, North Ulsan had been under military rule until the Ulsan disaster, so the newly established police weren’t fully in control of public safety yet.

The yakuza had precisely targeted this chaotic gap and had been paying tribute to the three major guilds of Seorabeol to seek stability, but they seemed to have terrible luck as their information had been passed to Jin A-yeon.

“Is that so? Then I’ll leave Pohang to you, Uncle Han Seong-geun. I’ll head down to Ulsan.”

“Alright, let’s do that.”

It was a scene that would naturally evoke complaints about the game operator’s inability to balance the game—a super Godzilla bringing along subordinate Godzillas to deliver serious punches against a yakuza organization with a combat power of 5. But in reality, the relationship between the state and organized crime on the Korean peninsula was exactly this kind of imbalanced game.