Chapter 31 : A Trick of Fate
Chapter 31: A Trick of Fate
I blinked my eyes at the sunlight streaming in through the window.
Dust floated in the air.
My mind felt hazy, as if fog had settled over my head.
‘……Where is this?’
Someone shook me.
“Daejjang. Daejjang?”
It was Kkalkki.
I slowly looked around.
I was lying on a bed made by laying cardboard boxes over styrofoam.
It was a warehouse inside the factory.
I checked the clock hanging on the wall.
3:48 PM.
‘……How many hours did I sleep?’
As I tried to sit up, an intense pain swept through my entire body.
“Ugh!”
My whole body screamed as if I had been beaten all night.
“Daejjang! Gwaenchana?”
“…….”
I couldn’t remember how I got here.
All that vaguely came to mind was…….
In the middle of a torrential downpour.
‘Kkalkki put me in the back seat of the car and drove like mad.’
Kkalkki supported me.
“I tried to go to the hospital, but Daejjang said absolutely no, so we came here!”
My body was in tatters.
If I had gone to the hospital wearing the Purple Devil suit, my identity would have been exposed for sure.
“How did you find me?”
“I saw the signal getting weaker and ran straight over!”
Kkalkki pointed to a device near my chest.
It seemed he could check my heart rate with that and monitor my condition remotely.
“I was so shocked when I saw you collapsed in the alley, getting rained on!”
I somehow managed to walk out of the Dio Guild building, but after that, I lost consciousness almost immediately.
I blankly checked the numbers floating in midair.
[ Awakener’s Balance ]
: ￦985,231,157.
The amount had decreased compared to last night.
It seemed <Regeneration> had activated even while I was unconscious.
Kkalkki made a tearful face full of worry.
“Daejjang! You almost died!”
That was true.
If it hadn’t been for my hero ability, I might have already ended my second life.
“What about your work? Aren’t you going to work?”
“Is work important right now! Look at the state you’re in! Just stay lying down!”
Kkalkki ran off somewhere and came back with a bottle of water.
“Daejjang! Drink this!”
I gulped the water down my parched throat.
As the cold sensation slid down my esophagus, it felt like the cells throughout my body were waking up one by one.
“Ha. I feel like I’m alive.”
Facing an S-rank Hunter head-on had truly been reckless.
It was only thanks to sheer luck.
‘I survived by a miracle.’
I leaned against the wall and looked at Kkalkki chattering away.
“Ki Yeong-cheol’s guys buried all the Dio Guild guys’ bodies in the back mountain. Now I’m too scared of ghosts to go back there.”
I see. Ki Yeong-cheol had cleaned up the mess Purple Devil made.
“How’s the factory?”
“Well…….”
Kkalkki scratched his head.
“The dormitory burned completely down!”
The factory had suffered considerable damage from the Dio Guild’s attack.
Most of the Yeong-cheol Guardian Squad members who fought them were seriously injured.
The foreign workers’ living quarters were burned to nothing in an instant.
A deep sigh escaped me.
“……Damn it.”
Comic book heroes appear in moments of crisis and wield omnipotent power.
But reality wasn’t a comic.
I couldn’t save everyone perfectly.
When I lowered my gaze with a dark expression, Kkalkki spoke up.
“Daejjang. Don’t blame yourself. Thanks to Purple Devil, not a single person died! If it were normal, at least dozens would’ve died.”
Thanks to his comfort, my heart felt much lighter.
The Twins hired by the Dio Guild had headed for the Seventh Factory with killing intent.
If I hadn’t stopped them, a horrific tragedy would have unfolded.
“Daejjang. Look at this.”
Kkalkki held out his phone.
On the screen was an article with a bold headline.
<<Dio Guild CEO Go Ju-hoon dead…… presumed fall>>
: Last night, it was revealed that CEO Go Ju-hoon, who also served as chairman of the Dio Guild, made an extreme choice.
While the exact cause has yet to be determined, the cause of death is presumed to be a fall…….
More than anyone, I knew this best.
This article was false.
‘Why are they scheming something like this?’
Holding the phone, I searched for ‘Go Ju-hoon’.
Countless articles and posts poured out.
<<Questions surrounding CEO Go’s death>>
On a stormy night last night.
Go Ju-hoon, an S-rank Hunter and CEO of the Dio Guild, ended his life.
Why did a man who possessed both wealth and fame at such a young age make such a tragic choice?
According to close associates, Go Ju-hoon had been suffering from severe depression……(omitted).
<<A shining star sets>>
A line of mourners continued at the funeral hall of 00 Hospital, where the memorial for the late CEO Go Ju-hoon was set up.
Assemblyman Kim, who visited as a representative of the ruling political party, expressed deep regret, saying, “A shining star of the Hunter world has set.” Meanwhile, Go Ju-hoon’s fan café also posted content mourning him……(omitted).
“Daejjang.”
At Kkalkki’s voice, I raised my head.
He stared straight at me.
“You killed him, right?”
I nodded without a word.
“Hmm. As expected. I knew it.”
Kkalkki furrowed his brow with a serious expression.
Suddenly, I was curious.
I had annihilated the Dio Guild that raided the industrial complex.
I had boldly stormed into enemy territory, taken the leader’s head, and returned.
In short, I killed a person.
And Kkalkki was now facing that killer.
What would Kkalkki say to me?
‘Even if he’s afraid of me. Even if he condemns me, I deserve it.’
In my previous life, we were nothing more than coworkers who were a bit closer than others. But in this life, because of me rampaging about trying to become a hero, he had suddenly become an accomplice to murder.
Tens of thousands of possible lines that might come out of Kkalkki’s mouth tore through my head.
“You did great! Trash like that deserves to be killed!”
Kkalkki gave a thumbs-up.
“That bastard! That son of a bitch! Didn’t he get arrested last year on bribery charges and then get acquitted? Leaving scum like that alive is why the country’s in this state!”
Somehow, it felt like Kkalkki, a Nepali, was more worried about the country’s future than I was as a Korean.
A chuckle escaped me.
When I talked with him, I relaxed without even realizing it.
“By the way.”
Kkalkki patted my back.
“What the hell happened? You beat an S-rank Hunter. Are you really that strong?”
I put on a show of bravado and raised one arm.
“Crazy strong.”
As I tried to flex, my side twinged, so I quietly lowered it again.
“I almost crossed the river of no return.”
I fought Go Ju-hoon in a typhoon and drew in lightning, taking it into my entire body.
All those unbelievable situations felt like a dream.
“Hoo.”
Cold sweat poured down, and a yawn escaped.
Even though I had slept that much, drowsiness washed over me.
The backlash on my body remained clearly.
‘Now I know for sure.’
My hero ability was powerful enough not to lose even to an S-rank Hunter.
However, my body still couldn’t fully support that power.
I needed to broaden my vessel.
‘Training was necessary. I had to push myself with everything I had and try harder.’
I fell back as if collapsing.
A gurgling sound echoed from my stomach.
“……I’m hungry.”
“Daejjang! Just rest! I’ll go buy something to eat!”
Kkalkki stopped short as he opened the door.
“But Daejjang. What if those Dio Guild bastards come here again?”
No matter how strong a monster was, once it lost its head, it lost its ability to act.
The Dio Guild had lost its brain.
“Who knows. I don’t think that’ll happen right away.”
“Then what are you gonna do from now on?”
At Kkalkki’s question, something I had put off suddenly came to mind.
There was a rite of passage that every Awakener had to go through.
Staring at the ceiling, I muttered.
“I should start by registering as a Hunter.”
One week later.
Go Ju-hoon’s death hit the Dio Guild like a nuclear bomb.
Within the guild, an emergency board meeting was convened.
“CEO Go committed suicide? Does that make any sense at all!”
“Shouldn’t we get to the bottom of this first!”
“Good grief! In all my years, this is the first time I’ve heard of an S-rank Hunter killing himself! Say something, will you!”
All arrows were directed at Lee Yu-seol, who was seated at the center of the U-shaped table arrangement.
Lee Yu-seol lowered her head and kept her mouth shut.
She still hadn’t recovered from the shock.
Whenever she closed her eyes, the nightmare of that day vividly resurfaced.
Lee Yu-seol knew it well herself.
CEO Go Ju-hoon was not a man who would commit suicide.
Would the great man she admired ever treat his own life so lightly?
After Go Ju-hoon’s death.
Lee Yu-seol reconstructed all the circumstances and manipulated public opinion.
Under her direction, all CCTV footage held by the information team was deleted.
The horrific corpse, badly damaged by lightning with its head nowhere to be found, was hastily cremated as well.
Lee Yu-seol joined hands with the police, whom she had bribed in advance, and rushed to close the case.
“Hey! Team Leader Lee! Are you even listening to us right now?”
“Are you ignoring us or what!”
“If you keep this up, you won’t keep your position either!”
As Lee Yu-seol clenched her teeth—
Knock knock knock.
Someone knocked on the conference room door.
“What is it! Who is it!”
“What is the security team doing! I told you not to let anyone in because this is an important meeting!”
Regardless of the shouting.
The door burst open.
At the appearance of the newcomer, the board meeting—no different from a marketplace—fell silent, as if doused with cold water.
“Oh my. Sorry I’m late.”
It was a man with his hair slicked back with pomade, dressed in a neat suit.
At a glance, he looked somewhat similar to Go Ju-hoon.
But with a long beard and sunglasses, he gave off an oddly free-spirited impression.
His name was Go Pil-hoon.
He was the executive director of the Dio Guild, and Go Ju-hoon’s younger brother.
“My seat. Let’s see…….”
Go Pil-hoon naturally sat down at the seat of honor in the conference room.
Since the top-ranked seat was vacant.
The de facto number one right now was Go Pil-hoon.
Go Pil-hoon ran a hand through his hair with a sly motion.
“Wow. I don’t even know how many years it’s been since I was last in Korea. The traffic on the way here was insane! Gangnam traffic really never changes, huh?”
The board members glanced at one another before speaking.
“Director Go. Is this really a time to be smiling?”
“Chairman Go is dead!”
“It’s only just been…… since the funeral.”
Bang.
Go Pil-hoon slammed the table.
The room fell silent in an instant.
A sinister aura rose from his body.
Unlike his older brother, Go Pil-hoon was not a capable Hunter.
At best, he was B+-rank.
However, the manic nature he possessed was not much different from his brother’s.
“My words aren’t finished yet.”
With a trembling hand, Go Pil-hoon pulled out a cigar from his chest and lit it.
The conference room was non-smoking, but no one dared to stop him.
“……Fuck. This is fucking bullshit. What do you people even know.”
Go Pil-hoon was crying.
Tears streamed down his face as his body trembled, yet the corners of his mouth were twisted into a smile—a grotesque sight.
“I was the closest to my brother. We shared the same blood! So shut up, all of you!”
Go Pil-hoon snorted angrily and set the cigar down.
He rose from his seat and walked over to Lee Yu-seol.
Then he stopped in front of her and looked down at her.
“Team Leader Lee.”
“Yes, Director.”
“My brother. Did he really commit suicide?”
“Yes. That is…….”
“There’ve been some strange rumors going around, you know?”
Go Pil-hoon stroked Lee Yu-seol’s shoulder and slowly circled around her.
“They say my brother was murdered.”
Lee Yu-seol thought.
‘They say blood is thicker than water. To not even blink an eye…….’
Go Pil-hoon continued.
“There’s a rumor spreading in the Hunter world. That Purple Devil killed Go Ju-hoon!”
At his shout, silence filled the room.
The one who had concealed Go Ju-hoon’s death and had Lee Yu-seol fabricate the incident was none other than…….
“Really? For real?”
It was Go Pil-hoon, acting innocently right in front of Lee Yu-seol.
Go Pil-hoon was Go Ju-hoon’s half-brother.
They shared the same father, but Go Pil-hoon was the child of a concubine.
Raised in a collateral branch of the family, Go Pil-hoon had suffered all kinds of discrimination and contempt since childhood.
As a result, anger toward the direct family had taken root deep in his heart.
Moreover, his relationship with Go Ju-hoon hadn’t been good either.
His brother was a man who cared about nothing but his own superiority and success.
Go Pil-hoon saw this incident as an opportunity.
The time had come to prove himself as a bastard son.
Lee Yu-seol opened her mouth.
“They’re just groundless rumors.”
There were two reasons she followed Go Pil-hoon’s instructions.
First, it was a kind of mourning.
Go Ju-hoon was a man with strong pride.
For someone like him to be known as having been murdered by some lunatic—
Lee Yu-seol bit her lip.
‘It’s no different from desecrating the dead.’
Second, the intuition within Lee Yu-seol’s [Sense] screamed fiercely.
She must not touch Purple Devil anymore.
If she were to clash with him again……
‘The Dio Guild might disappear into history.’
Lee Yu-seol had harbored special feelings for Go Ju-hoon during his lifetime.
To call it infatuation was too abstract and too direct.
It was closer to reverence.
The Dio Guild was the kingdom of Go Ju-hoon, whom she revered endlessly.
Watching his world collapse so helplessly—
‘I can’t just stand by and watch.’
Lee Yu-seol straightened her back.
“The CEO did commit suicide.”
Go Pil-hoon pretended to glare at her, then secretly winked when no one was looking.
Unaware of that fact, the board members gestured toward Go Pil-hoon.
“Director Go. Please calm down and take a seat.”
“That’s right. It’s understandable to be upset, but you must also think about the guild’s future.”
In truth, none of them genuinely mourned Go Ju-hoon’s death.
What they truly cared about was money.
They needed to choose the next leader quickly.
Only then could they stop the stock price from continuing to plummet all week.
Go Pil-hoon let out a sigh.
“Hoo. Fine. Then let’s do it this way.”
He returned to his original seat.
“From now on, I’ll be in charge of the Dio Guild.”
The board dared not oppose Go Pil-hoon.
If they irritated him for no reason, it was obvious they’d disappear without a trace.
“Team Leader Lee.”
At Go Pil-hoon’s call, Lee Yu-seol raised her head.
“What was my brother’s dying wish regarding the Dio Guild?”
After a brief pause, Lee Yu-seol carefully spoke.
“Meritocracy. Selecting and nurturing talent solely based on ability, regardless of personal character or background.”
Go Pil-hoon nodded.
“Heh. Just like my brother.”
Crossing his legs, he picked up the half-smoked cigar.
“Okay! Recruit new Hunters immediately. Forget personality or anything else—only strong rookies!”
Go Pil-hoon exhaled thick smoke as he swept his gaze over the board.
“If someone stronger than my brother appears, I’ll step down as CEO and hand the position over to that guy. Any objections?”
A second silence descended upon the conference room.