Chapter 134: The Rebel

“Summary execution.”

-Drip
-Drip

After speaking coldly, Yoo Han-beom simply stared at his own dripping blood.

He didn’t want to kill him. But he had to.

As the Guildmaster of Artemis Guild, any attempt to murder his flesh and blood warranted death without question. If he let Choi Sung-jun live, others might think lightly of him, possibly sparking a chain of rebellions. And if that happened, Yoo Han-beom feared he would eventually lose both his daughter and his wife.

So, he raised his hand.

To protect his family.

-Squelch!

Yoo Han-beom’s magic was swift. The pure white ice spear he summoned struck Choi Sung-jun squarely, piercing through him. Choi Sung-jun crumpled to the ground, grimacing in pain.

Yoo Han-beom shouted to the others nearby.

“Locate the rest of the rebels. I will kill them myself.”

The remaining rebels had supposedly gone after Kim Hee-ra. Choi Sung-jun was the only one who had stayed behind.

-Step
-Step
-Step

Yoo Han-beom walked forward slowly and lowered his gaze. He asked Choi Sung-jun,

“Was there really no other way? What crime did a newborn baby commit to deserve this?”

His firstborn. Even for someone like Yoo Han-beom, who seemed too cold to bleed, his daughter was precious. She was the first child connected to him by blood.

A newborn baby. A man who tried to drive a blade into a child who couldn’t even speak—how could such a man not be killed? Even without the justification of rebellion, Yoo Han-beom would have had no choice but to draw his sword.

Choi Sung-jun looked up at Yoo Han-beom’s lonely gaze and chuckled bitterly.

“Why do you look at me like that? Don’t pity me. This is all I ever learned. I couldn’t think of any other way.”

Raised without anyone to care for him, Choi Sung-jun had come to believe that taking—rather than effort—was the only way to obtain anything. Effort brought no rewards. But taking by force let him steal from those who had worked hard, and it was far easier. And to take, all you needed was strength. Choi Sung-jun had enough of it. So it was only natural that he’d grow twisted.

He raised his trembling hand and placed it on Yoo Han-beom’s shoulder.

“You don’t know this, Guildmaster, but to me, the successor’s seat wasn’t just some empty title. I didn’t want power. I didn’t want wealth. I just… wanted to be closer to you.”

Choi Sung-jun’s arms shook violently as he continued in a faint voice.

“Be on your guard. Many inside Artemis Guild despise you. They’ve yet to show their true colors, but behind the scenes, they’re hiding their blackened hearts. This purge will make them more cautious, but when their anger explodes again, you may lose the people you care about. The ones who sided with me this time—most of them craved the successor’s seat. But there are others who are after your head.”

Choi Sung-jun turned toward Yoo Hee-yeon.

“There are still insurgents in Artemis Guild. They haven’t bared their fangs yet, but those b*stards are out there, gunning for your life. I found some who were plotting recently and took care of them. But that was only a few. Pretend you don’t know. But be ready. You must raise that child… to be strong. If not, she’ll just become prey for many. I’ve bought you enough time. Please, don’t lose what’s precious to you…”

With those final words, Choi Sung-jun closed his eyes.

-Drip…

Tears, rare and silent, fell from Yoo Han-beom’s eyes.

Yes. He understood now. He understood what Choi Sung-jun had done.

His actions had drawn out all those who desired the successor’s seat—those willing to betray the guild, even kill the guildmaster’s child. Choi Sung-jun had gathered them all together so that Yoo Han-beom could wipe them out at once.

Even if those rebels had once been his loyal followers.

The tragedy was that Choi Sung-jun himself had also genuinely longed for the successor’s position—even if it meant killing the guildmaster’s daughter.

Yoo Han-beom wiped away his tears and stepped into Artemis Guild. Inside, Choi Sung-jun’s faction—dressed in black for night combat—was already closing in on Kim Hee-ra.

-Whooom!

Yoo Han-beom surged with mana, slaying and slaying again, without pause.

By the time the massacre ended, all that remained were pools of blood and the skin of the fallen.

Standing in the center, Yoo Han-beom shouted,

“In Artemis Guild, rebellion is punishable by immediate execution. And if anyone dares to try again—”

-Fwoooosh!

His entire body surged with mana. His voice was cold and cutting.

“—next time, death will be the least of your concerns.”

The Choi Sung-jun Rebellion had come to an end. Yoo Han-beom’s enemies, shocked by his ruthless judgment and power, grew silent once more. And thus, Yoo Han-beom earned time to rebuild his foundations.

With time on his side again, Yoo Han-beom began training Yoo Hee-yeon.

“Haeyeon, you must always be the best. You have to become someone worthy of Artemis Guild.”

She was his beloved daughter. That’s exactly why he had to push her. He wouldn’t always be around to protect her.

If Yoo Hee-yeon ever appeared weak or inadequate, people would target her again. Choi Sung-jun couldn’t bring himself to kill her, but others wouldn’t hesitate. There was no telling when someone might try to take her life.

Still, it wasn’t like they could revoke her successor status now. If they removed her just because a rebellion occurred, what would people think? They might believe that starting another riot would be the way to get what they wanted next time. It was a trap. The only option was to make Hee-yeon stronger and ensure everyone acknowledged that she was worthy.

From then on, Yoo Han-beom granted even greater authority to Kim Heera. He had no choice.

If he showed weakness, the entire foundation of Artemis Guild could collapse, and they might all die in the next uprising. That’s why they couldn’t skip training. Hee-yeon had to become stronger than even the rapidly growing guild members—and especially stronger than the rebels still hiding in the shadows.

To ensure Kim Heera could protect Hee-yeon in his absence, he had to give her power. She was the only one he could trust.

The guild’s current authority wasn’t enough—Kim Heera alone couldn’t protect Hee-yeon. So, Yoo Han-beom created a stronger position for her.

[The Five Elders of Artemis Guild are hereby established.]
The five strongest individuals in Artemis Guild were declared as Elders. Kim Heera was granted command over them.

No one in the guild could stand against Kim Heera after that. As these decisions piled up, even when Yoo Han-beom left the guild for external matters, no one dared make a move.

But then—

“Why aren’t you doing your job properly? People like you are useless in Artemis Guild.”

Yoo Hee-yeon… began to go astray. She developed an authoritarian attitude, looking down on others and treating them with contempt.

“Hee-yeon…”

Each time, Yoo Han-beom wanted to speak up, but held his tongue.

She had nearly died as a newborn. She needed to stay strong and unshaken. In order to avoid being looked down on and to grow stronger, it was better she embraced that bitterness. He misjudged. Even he had climbed to his current position from nothing with sheer grit—surely she could too.

But his prediction had been wrong. Hee-yeon became increasingly warped. Kim Heera, whom he thought would protect her, began treating Hee-yeon more like a trophy. Worse, she even enabled her behavior.

To make matters worse, as Artemis Guild grew in power, Yoo Han-beom became busier than ever. Time passed relentlessly, and their rift deepened.

Time moved on—until the present moment.

“So that’s what happened.”

As Yoo Han-beom finished, Lee Hyun-seung bowed his head.

“I see…”

He had believed Yoo Han-beom was a cold man—someone who treated people as tools, even his daughter. Strict and unyielding.

But in the end, Yoo Han-beom was still a father and a human being. He had people he cherished and cared deeply for. Yet he always made rational decisions.

He killed his beloved because they rebelled. He punished his daughter because she had done wrong.

Even though he killed them with his own hands, he couldn’t forget them—so he preserved their bodies in capsules. Behind that hardened exterior lay a rotting core. He had borne too much alone.

People relied on Yoo Han-beom’s strength. But he never relied on anyone. That pressure not to collapse—he had carried it all alone.

“Lee Hyun-seung, I owe you a great deal. Honestly… I’ve thought countless times that Hee-yeon wasn’t suited to be Artemis Guild’s heir. But thanks to you, I was able to remove her from that position naturally. All I ever wanted was to raise an ordinary daughter. A kind, simple girl who didn’t know about power, money, or sordid affairs. That dream is shattered now… She must bear the consequences of her mistakes. But I don’t want her to die. If she strayed, it’s partly my fault for not guiding her properly.”

Yoo Han-beom paused, then added,

“I have a request. Artemis Guild is rotten from the inside. Everyone under me only obeys because they fear my overwhelming strength. The moment I weaken, they’ll turn on me without hesitation. But you’re different. If you become weak, the people around you would risk their lives to protect you. This is a difficult favor, but I believe you can do it. Can you guide the people of Artemis Guild to act based on character, not power? With your abilities, your leadership, your insight and determination, I believe you might be able to complete the version of Artemis Guild that I never could…”

He fell silent. Then spoke quietly again.

“I understand, to some extent. But to grant your request, there’s something I must do first.”

Yoo Han-beom gave him a puzzled look.

Lee Hyun-seung raised his gun.

“According to former Vice Guild Master Choi Sung-jun, there are still rebel remnants within Artemis Guild, right?”

“Yes. But I’ve never been able to find them.”

“I think I found one.”

Lee Hyun-seung turned swiftly and fired.

[Anti-magic bullet has been fired.]

–BANG!–

“Aaaargh!”

A man screamed. His previously invisible form suddenly materialized.

Yoo Han-beom’s pupils dilated.

‘Even I didn’t notice him… since when has he been there?’

–Step
–Step
–Step

Lee Hyun-seung walked over coldly and spoke.

“What kind of bastard hides and eavesdrops like that?”