Chapter 39 : A Trick of Fate. (9)
Chapter 39: A Trick of Fate. (9)
Lee Yu-seol, who was inside the elevator, was seized by a strange sensation.
‘……That man?’
The Dio Guild’s rookie initiation test had just ended.
Out of more than a hundred participants, only about ten remained.
Among them, there was one man who stood out in particular.
He was a man who willingly sacrificed himself to save his comrades in that chaos, and who passed the test even after attacking an S-rank Hunter.
Was he bold? Or reckless?
‘That’s not what’s important.’
As someone who possessed the talent [Sense], Lee Yu-seol was confused.
Not only her five senses, but even her sixth sense.
Lee Yu-seol had experienced the current situation before.
So-called Dejavu.
However, this was the first time the Dio Guild had added such a strict rookie selection process.
And it was also the first time she had seen such a ridiculous and childish game called chair snatching.
And yet.
‘I’ve seen him somewhere before.’
A man of average build, slanted eyes, and a sharp impression.
His face was unfamiliar, but the moment their eyes met, Lee Yu-seol had no choice but to hold her breath.
‘It’s the Purple Devil!’
A mask or something like that couldn’t fool Lee Yu-seol.
‘It’s not just a feeling of familiarity. I’m sure of it.’
There was no doubt.
That man was the very culprit who had worn a purple mask and turned the Dio Guild upside down.
Her hair stood on end, and a chill climbed up her spine, sending a shiver down her back.
Goosebumps rose rough and bumpy along one cheek.
‘What is he trying to do? No, why on earth is he here……?’
Questions led to more questions.
Her mind grew so complicated that she even forgot to press the open button.
Just as the doors were about to close.
Bang.
Go Pil-hoon, who was beside her, caught the door with his hand.
Only then did Lee Yu-seol come to her senses.
“……I’m sorry, sir.”
“Hey. Team Leader Lee.”
Go Pil-hoon’s gaze as he called out to Lee Yu-seol lingered in one place.
Just like hers, it was fixed on the man sitting in the chair.
“Who’s that bastard? Someone you know?”
“…….”
Lee Yu-seol hesitated.
That man was the one who had killed Go Ju-hoon.
Her sworn enemy was right in front of her eyes.
‘Would it be better to say it right now?’
At that moment, what had happened on the rooftop flashed through Lee Yu-seol’s mind.
That night when the rain poured down relentlessly.
The Purple Devil had thrown Go Ju-hoon’s corpse.
At the sight of the man she had respected falling, Lee Yu-seol had collapsed.
Go Ju-hoon’s final moments replayed endlessly in her head.
Perhaps the reason he had come back this time was simpler than she thought.
‘……To bring down the entire Dio Guild?’
Lee Yu-seol swallowed hard.
‘Is that a stretch?’
It wasn’t an unreasonable imagination at all.
The Purple Devil had charged alone into enemy territory, killed Go Ju-hoon, and walked away proudly.
Lee Yu-seol could only react sensitively to external stimuli; she couldn’t see the future.
How was she supposed to accept this unpredictable situation?
At that moment, faint mana spread out from the body of the man sitting on the chair.
Energy enveloped his entire body like a thin protective barrier.
‘Th, that’s impossible.’
Others didn’t notice, but Lee Yu-seol was shocked.
That wasn’t a level of skill an F-rank could use.
‘It could easily block even an S-rank’s attack.’
When the man clenched his fist tightly, Lee Yu-seol swallowed her breath once again.
Even hitting the examiner had been him holding back.
‘If he really put his mind to it…….’
The man turned his head and stared straight at Lee Yu-seol.
She shrank her shoulders like prey placed before a carnivorous beast.
Under the punch of the enraged Purple Devil, Seo Gwang-pal’s skull had been crushed like tofu.
Lee Yu-seol realized the man’s intention.
‘He’s warning me. Telling me not to wag my tongue carelessly.’
Overwhelmed by extreme fear, Lee Yu-seol trembled violently.
‘I must not provoke him.’
Just like how the heads of the Dio Guild agents who had stormed the Ilsan Hunter Industrial Complex had fallen to the ground one by one.
She had to prevent the same tragedy from happening here.
“Team Leader Lee?”
When she kept her mouth shut, Go Pil-hoon urged her again.
Lee Yu-seol made up her mind.
She couldn’t bring back Go Ju-hoon, who was already dead.
Rather than acting hastily, she resolved to be cautious.
‘Stay calm. If we make a wrong move, we could be wiped out.’
Therefore.
‘I’ll postpone my revenge.’
Lee Yu-seol hoped that the kingdom Go Ju-hoon had built would remain standing.
And she desperately wanted to survive as well.
“I don’t know much about the applicant either.”
“…….”
Lee Yu-seol chose to lie.
Go Pil-hoon shot her a suspicious look, but soon withdrew his gaze.
“Hm. Fine.”
Go Pil-hoon swept his hair back with one hand.
“With that level, he’s skilled, gutsy, and above all, he looks like a bad guy, which I like. A perfect trio befitting the Dio Guild.”
Go Pil-hoon stepped out of the elevator.
“He’s the kind of talent I’ve been looking for.”
To show favor toward the man who had killed his older brother.
There was no way to know what direction this choice would lead fate toward.
“Let’s go and meet him in person.”
“Yes, sir.”
Lee Yu-seol simply followed behind without saying a word.
I sat down on a chair and let out rough breaths.
Thanks to mana running through marathon training, my stamina had improved.
My heart, which had been pounding as if it would burst, gradually calmed down.
I wiped the blood stuck near my eyes.
I moved my wrist to check my physical condition.
‘Nothing seems broken.’
Aside from my ear being torn, I wasn’t seriously injured.
“Hoo.”
Bang Su-hwan, who had lost consciousness, came to his senses belatedly.
“Huh? Hyung-nim.”
As if he didn’t even know the test was over, the guy sprang up from his seat and looked around.
The test was over.
Judging only by the chair snatching, the result was positive.
As the tension eased, all my strength drained away.
‘That was close.’
I had taken a gamble to pass together with Bang Su-hwan.
‘Good thing the examiner came down from the podium.’
Otherwise, one of us would have been eliminated.
Bang Su-hwan saw me sitting on the chair and raised his hand high.
“Wow! Did we pass?”
Bang Su-hwan’s massive body bounced as he ran toward me.
That was when it happened.
“Heh. Well, I’ll be damned.”
A voice came from afar.
The examiner dusted off his backside and stood up.
“No matter how blinded you are by passing, attacking an examiner? Are you out of your mind?”
The bastard walked straight toward me, step by step.
His face was smiling, but ominous mana was rising from his entire body.
“H-hyung-nim!”
Bang Su-hwan sensed the examiner’s killing intent.
“Hey, wait a moment.”
He tried to block the examiner’s path, but it was futile.
“Let’s solve this with words……. Ghk!”
The examiner kicked Bang Su-hwan in the abdomen.
Kwa-dang!!!
His huge body flew far away like a scarecrow.
Bang Su-hwan crashed into the banquet hall wall.
“…….”
Before I knew it, the examiner was standing right in front of me.
I looked up at him while sitting on the chair.
“Stand up.”
I didn’t budge an inch.
“If you don’t want to.”
In the blink of an eye, he grabbed my neck and yanked me up.
My breath caught as I was forcibly hauled upright.
“Hey. You think I’m an easy mark just because I’ve been doing this kind of crap?”
The examiner revealed his true colors.
“You piece of shit not even worth chewing on. You dared to hit me? If I hit you back the same way, I’d still be in the right, wouldn’t I?”
In an instant, the air froze.
The rookie Hunters watching, and even the Dio Guild agents.
No one dared to move rashly.
A bead of sweat ran down my forehead.
‘So this is it.’
When an S-rank Hunter made up his mind and released killing intent, low-tier Hunters couldn’t even twitch.
Feeling the blood rush to my face, I clenched my teeth.
‘What should I do?’
I had deliberately shown my power to Lee Yu-seol in advance, cutting off the possibility of her talking about my identity.
I had activated <Aura of God> and shown that I could use <Judgment of the Superhuman> at any moment.
As expected, Lee Yu-seol had become a mute who’d swallowed honey.
But the examiner was different.
Bluffing didn’t work on this guy.
“Why aren’t you saying anything? Scared? Didn’t you do this with at least that much resolve?”
One look at his eyes told me everything.
He wasn’t bluffing.
He genuinely intended to kill me.
If I couldn’t avoid it.
‘Prepare for the worst.’
If a fight broke out, I’d have to pull out my hidden card.
If I mobilized all my Hero abilities without regard for means or methods.
‘Wouldn’t it be worth a shot?’
It might be arrogance.
The reason I’d been able to defeat Go Ju-hoon was because sheer luck had followed me.
‘Still, that’s fine.’
Even if I couldn’t win decisively, or if I was about to lose.
I could use Speeder’s <Infinite Acceleration>.
I checked the location of the banquet hall doors.
‘At the very least, I can escape.’
The examiner delivered his final ultimatum.
“That’s enough. Save the last words. Grit your teeth. I’ll blow your jaw clean off.”
I steeled myself.
‘First, before that, Plan B.’
Honestly, I hadn’t acted with a reckless, go-for-broke attitude.
There had been a thoroughly calculated plan.
‘Please, let the timing match.’
The man I’d seen in the elevator who resembled Go Ju-hoon.
The moment I saw him, I recognized him.
A figure who had been all over the news for a while, the new head of the Dio Guild.
Go Pil-hoon, the half-brother of Go Ju-hoon.
Since I had provoked Go Pil-hoon first.
‘There should be a reaction from that side.’
I caught sight of Go Pil-hoon approaching from behind the examiner who was gripping my neck.
The examiner grinned.
“Ho. So you weren’t scared stiff. You.”
As he looked at me in admiration, the bastard tightened the hand gripping my neck.
“You really want to go at it with me?”
The examiner raised his fist with a demonic grin.
“Stop!”
At someone’s shout, the fist barely stopped right in front of my eyes.
“I’m telling you, Hunter. That’s enough.”
“……CEO Go.”
The examiner frowned deeply.
Go Pil-hoon patted his shoulder as if to calm him down.
The examiner still looked displeased, but he was more subdued than before.
“Our rookie seems to have made a mistake because he doesn’t yet know Hunter Na’s reputation. Let’s be generous about it.”
“A mistake? Anyone can see that……!”
“Hunter Na Sang-min.”
Go Pil-hoon continued, his expression stiff.
“I entrusted you with judging as your first assignment. I didn’t hire you at a high salary to beat rookie Hunters to death.”
“…….”
Na Sang-min released the back of my neck.
“Tch. Damn it!”
With that, he turned away, grumbling.
I rubbed my throat, which had been choked tight, and sucked in ragged breaths.
‘Thank goodness.’
I had spent nearly thirty years doing backbreaking labor at rock bottom, so I knew well how this world worked.
At a glance, Awakeners might seem to operate purely on the logic of force, but that wasn’t actually the case.
‘In the end, Hunters are thoroughly ruled by capitalist principles.’
Go Pil-hoon patted my back.
“Are you all right? This was quite rude of us. Hunter Na has a rather fiery temperament. If you were offended, I’ll apologize on his behalf.”
As he said that, Go Pil-hoon bared his gold tooth and grinned.
The more I looked at him, the more he resembled Go Ju-hoon.
However, while Go Ju-hoon had been thoroughly self-centered.
This guy thoroughly concealed himself.
I straightened the name tag that was barely hanging onto my torn T-shirt.
“Is my acceptance certain?”
Since it had come to this, I needed to drive the final nail in.
“Ah. Of course. Let’s see. Your name is…… Choi Yong-gi. Hm? Your expected rank is F-rank?”
Go Pil-hoon tilted his head in puzzlement.
“But your skill didn’t look F-rank. What kind of magic did you pull?”
“Do I need to say it?”
“No. Well, it’s not absolutely necessary.”
A Hunter wasn’t obligated to reveal their talent even to their affiliated guild.
“You’re a man full of secrets. You did pass the first test. However.”
Go Pil-hoon smiled faintly.
“As you know, the Dio Guild is planning a major overhaul this time. Not only must you have skill, but we’ll also look at a person’s character.”
For a trash group to talk about character.
It was obviously nothing more than an empty pretense.
“I’ll ask just one thing. Was attacking Hunter Na planned? Or was it impulsive? Motive matters even in crimes.”
I gripped the edge of the chair.
“Wasn’t it <Chair Snatching> to begin with? I simply did my best to take what the opponent had.”
Hearing my words, Go Pil-hoon burst into laughter.
“Puahaha! Of course! That’s right!”
I felt a gaze from somewhere.
It was from Lee Yu-seol, who was standing beside Go Pil-hoon.
Had she figured out who I was?
‘She probably has.’
The reason Lee Yu-seol was keeping her mouth shut.
Wasn’t for my sake, but because the unspoken threat had worked.
Go Pil-hoon raised his voice.
“Now then. I sincerely congratulate our rookie Hunters who have passed through the eye of the needle. Let’s hurry and head to the second test!”
Na Sang-min jutted out his lips and beckoned lazily with his hand.
“All twelve of you here. Follow me.”
Bang Su-hwan limped over toward me.
“Hyung-nim. Are you all right?”
“You okay?”
“I’m fine. I’m tough, you know.”
He scratched the back of his head.
“Hyung-nim. You were really amazing. How should I put it? You were like Strong Man!”
Bang Su-hwan mentioned his favorite character.
“Not Strong Man.”
“Huh? Then who?”
“More like Jin Shark.”
I walked ahead, recalling my favorite Hero.
“Ho. So you weren’t scared stiff. You.”
The bastard looked at me in admiration and tightened the hand gripping my neck.
“You really want to try me for real, huh?”
The examiner grinned like a demon and raised his fist.
“Stop!”
At someone’s shout, the fist barely stopped right in front of my eyes.
“Hunter Na. That’s far enough.”
“……CEO Go.”
The examiner frowned.
Go Pil-hoon patted his shoulder as if to calm him down.
The examiner still looked displeased, but he had eased up compared to before.
“Our rookie seems to have made a mistake because he doesn’t yet know Hunter Na’s reputation. Let’s be generous about it.”
“A mistake? Anyone can see that……!”
“Hunter Na Sang-min.”
Go Pil-hoon continued, his expression hardening.
“I entrusted you with judging as your first assignment. I didn’t bring you in on a high salary to beat rookie Hunters to death.”
“…….”
Na Sang-min released the back of my neck.
“Tch. Damn it!”
Then he turned away, grumbling.
I rubbed my throat, which had been blocked, and gasped for breath.
‘Thank goodness.’
Having spent nearly thirty years doing hard labor at rock bottom, I knew well how this world worked.
At a glance, Awakeners seemed to operate solely on the logic of power, but in reality, that wasn’t the case.
‘In the end, Hunters are also thoroughly ruled by capitalist principles.’
Go Pil-hoon patted my back.
“Are you all right? This was quite rude of us. Hunter Na has a very fiery temperament. If you were offended, I’ll apologize on his behalf.”
As he said that, Go Pil-hoon revealed his gold tooth and grinned slyly.
The more I looked at him, the more he resembled Go Ju-hoon.
However, while Go Ju-hoon had been thoroughly self-centered.
This guy thoroughly hid himself.
I straightened the name tag that was barely hanging onto my torn T-shirt.
“Is my acceptance certain?”
Since it had come to this, I needed to drive the final nail in.
“Ah. Of course. Let’s see. Your name is……. Choi Yong-gi. Hm? Your expected rank is F-rank?”
Go Pil-hoon tilted his head as if puzzled.
“But your skill didn’t look F-rank. What kind of magic did you use?”
“Do I have to say it?”
“No. Well, it’s not absolutely necessary.”
A Hunter wasn’t obligated to reveal their talent even to their affiliated guild.
“You’re someone with many secrets. You did pass the first test. However.”
Go Pil-hoon smiled faintly.
“As you know, the Dio Guild is planning a large-scale overhaul this time. Not only must you have skill, but we’ll also look at the person’s character.”
For a trash group to talk about character.
Anyone could see it was nothing but empty talk.
“I’ll ask just one thing. Was attacking Hunter Na planned? Or was it impulsive? Motive matters even in crimes.”
I braced myself on the edge of the chair.
“Wasn’t it <Chair Snatching> to begin with? I simply did my best to take what the opponent had.”
Hearing my words, Go Pil-hoon burst out laughing.
“Puahaha! Of course! That’s right!”
I felt a gaze from somewhere.
It was from Lee Yu-seol, who was standing beside Go Pil-hoon.
Had she realized who I was?
‘She probably has.’
The reason Lee Yu-seol was keeping her mouth shut.
Wasn’t for my sake, but because the unspoken threat had worked.
Go Pil-hoon raised his voice.
“Now then. I sincerely congratulate our rookie Hunters who have passed through the eye of the needle. Let’s hurry and head to the second test!”
Na Sang-min jutted out his lips and beckoned with a languid motion.
“All twelve of you here. Follow me.”
Bang Su-hwan limped over toward me.
“Hyung-nim. Are you all right?”
“You okay?”
“I’m fine. I’m tough, you know.”
The guy scratched the back of his head.
“Hyung-nim. You were really amazing. How should I put it? You were like Strong Man!”
Bang Su-hwan mentioned his favorite character.
“Not Strong Man.”
“Huh? Then who?”
“More like Jin Shark.”
I walked ahead, recalling my favorite Hero.