------------------
[Translator - Helga ]
[Proofreader - Starfall ]
------------------
Chapter 61: I Know Everything (2)
“This is Iron Fang’s vault!”
The guild master led Kwon Hanul to Iron Fang’s treasury.
“In fact, I intended to tell you first.”
Throughout their walk, the guild master didn’t stop talking.
He kept explaining how much of an honor it was to present Iron Fang’s treasures to Kwon Hanul.
Watching him, Kwon Hanul was reminded of Ruyn Aspadam.
His obsession with Catalina Blaga wasn’t all that different from the guild master’s behavior.
“Here we are!”
The guild master declared proudly.
The entire fifth basement floor functioned as a vault, yet Kwon Hanul’s reaction was lukewarm.
Compared to the vaults of the Hyukcheon family and the Mei clan, this was a mere drop in the ocean.
“I’ll explain everything step by step. Please, this way.”
The guild master began introducing the various items in the vault.
Unfortunately, nothing particularly impressive stood out.
Unlike Hyukcheon’s vault, which contained mostly Legendary-grade items or better, Iron Fang’s vault only had Unique-grade items at best.
“Are there any Legendary-grade items?”
“There are, but… all the capable guild members have borrowed them…”
“So, including those that were borrowed, how many are there in total?”
The Iron Fang guild master shyly raised three fingers.
Kwon Hanul was momentarily taken aback.
“I didn’t expect such a huge gap in standards…”
It wasn’t surprising.
The Hyukcheon Group cleared Diamond-ranked dungeons with ease and frequently took on S-rank or higher monsters.
In contrast, Iron Fang struggled even with Platinum-ranked dungeons.
Naturally, the difference in wealth between the two was immense.
“If you give the order, we’ll retrieve them and present them to you immediately!”
“No need.”
Kwon Hanul refused outright.
With only three Legendary relics, they were likely the backbone of Iron Fang’s strength.
Taking them away would surely cause Iron Fang’s standing to plummet.
Kwon Hanul had plans to make long-term use of Iron Fang.
“As expected of Lord Kwon Hanul! Your generosity knows no bounds!”
The guild master was moved to tears.
Kwon Hanul shivered. Seeing the potbellied man act like this was unsettling.
After sifting through the vault for a while, Kwon Hanul found two worthwhile items.
〈Psychokinesis〉
Grade: Unique (A)
Description: Allows the user to lift objects from a short distance. As proficiency increases, the range and weight limit expand.
〈Finger Bullet〉
Grade: Unique (S+)
Description: Fires a magic bullet from the fingertip. The bullet’s power scales with the user’s mana.
Both were skill-type items.
Psychokinesis was known as one of the most efficient Unique-grade skills.
It was highly useful not just in battle but also in daily life, making it one of the more expensive Unique-grade skills on the market.
Finger Bullet, on the other hand, was appealing due to its simplicity as a ranged attack skill.
Kwon Hanul stored both skills in his subspace and prepared to leave the vault.
Just then, something in the corner caught his eye.
It was a rectangular iron box.
Curious, he picked it up and examined it.
〈Iron Box〉
Grade: None
Description: A box made of iron.
“What is this?”
Upon hearing Kwon Hanul’s question, the guild master took a closer look.
“Oh, that. We had it appraised, thinking it might be something special, but it turned out to be useless. So, we just left it here.”
“You had it appraised?”
“It originally had nothing but question marks. We assumed that meant it was something incredible, but it turned out to be a waste of money.”
The guild master clicked his tongue.
“Hm.”
Kwon Hanul inspected the box once more.
And at that moment—
〈‘Black Dragon’s Blood’ perceives the structure of the object.〉
〈Infuse mana to release the first seal.〉
〈Sealed Casket〉
Grade: ???
Description: A box containing something within. Only those who have committed extreme atrocities can open it.
Unlock Condition: Kill at least 1,000 people.
Kwon Hanul frowned.
A thousand kills? He had never heard of such a ridiculous condition before.
He considered leaving it behind, but his curiosity got the better of him.
He stored the box in his subspace as well.
After that, he left the Iron Fang Guild.
As he stepped outside, the evening sky was painted with hues of red and gold.
Just as he was about to call Mei Hong—
“Are you done with your business?”
He turned his head to see Mei Hong sitting on a bench.
“How long have you been waiting?”
“For a while. I wandered around a bit, but I got bored, so I came here.”
Kwon Hanul noticed something.
“You changed your outfit?”
When she arrived in Seoul, she had been wearing her usual black tracksuit.
But now, she wore a black striped skirt and a white T-shirt.
Even her hairstyle was different.
She used to tie her hair up casually with a hairpin, but now, her straight hair had a slight wave to it.
“Does it suit me?”
“It does… but it’s unexpected.”
“I can’t dress sloppily forever, can I? We’ll be seeing each other every day.”
Seeing who?
The thought crossed Kwon Hanul’s mind, but he chose not to ask.
There was something more pressing to discuss.
“Let’s head back for a meeting.”
“A meeting? About what?”
“We need to strategize for the Platinum-ranked dungeon. You haven’t forgotten our goal, have you?”
Mei Hong made a displeased face.
But it didn’t matter.
They couldn’t afford to waste time while waiting for Iron Fang to gather intelligence.
“For now, let’s just start with a preliminary investigation tomorrow.”
* * *
Meanwhile, the Iron Fang guild master began gathering information on the Hyukcheon family, just as Kwon Hanul had ordered.
It was no easy task.
The name ‘Hyukcheon’ was well-known, but information about the family itself was extremely scarce.
The Hyukcheon family was thorough in keeping their secrets.
What stood out was the bloodline’s unity.
Hyukcheon clansmen never disclosed anything about their family to outsiders.
Their strict secrecy made intelligence gathering even harder.
“I can’t give up just like this!”
But the guild master refused to surrender.
His mission to fulfill Kwon Hanul’s command was of utmost importance.
His loyalty and sense of duty burned brighter than ever.
By the third day, Iron Fang had mobilized all their manpower and connections in their investigation.
Then, suddenly—
- Hello. Are you the guild master of Iron Fang?
An anonymous caller reached out.
It wasn’t a call he could ignore.
This was a private line known to only a select few.
- I heard you’ve been snooping around Hyukcheon lately. You’re playing a very dangerous game.
“Who the hell are you?”
- Ah, I forgot to introduce myself.
In response to the guild master's question, the man spoke.
-Kim Cheol-soo.
At first, the guild master thought he was being mocked.
-I am an agent of the Hyukcheon Group’s Intelligence Division.
But as soon as he heard those words, all such thoughts vanished.
-I’ll tell you the time and place. Come alone. If you don’t, Iron Fang will cease to exist immediately.
The guild master couldn’t take Kim Cheol-soo’s threat lightly.
If this man was truly an agent of Hyukcheon’s Intelligence Division, he would certainly have that kind of authority.
* * *
The next day.
The guild master headed to the location Kim Cheol-soo had specified.
A secluded alley on the outskirts of the city.
In the basement of a commercial building with a ‘For Lease’ sign on it, Kim Cheol-soo was waiting.
“You’re right on time.”
Unlike the dust-covered, trash-strewn basement, Kim Cheol-soo was impeccably dressed in a tailored suit.
His hair was neatly parted 2:8, with not a single strand out of place.
“Why… did you call me here?”
"Now that’s amusing. You’ve been digging into Hyukcheon, and yet you’re asking me why?"
The guild master felt his entire body tense up.
He had ordered his subordinates to be discreet, but in the end, they had been caught.
Still, he had anticipated this outcome. There was no way a guild like Iron Fang could move under Hyukcheon’s radar.
That’s why he was already prepared.
"Everything was done on my own accord."
At the very least, he had to prevent any harm from coming to Kwon Hanul.
Kwon Hanul was his light, his hope, his reason for living. His everything…
"Don’t lie. It was Kwon Hanul’s order, wasn’t it?"
The guild master was shaken to his core. In a trembling voice, he asked, "H-how…?"
"Now’s not the time to be asking that, is it?"
That was true.
Since they had been caught prying into Hyukcheon’s affairs, Iron Fang’s fate was already sealed.
Destruction.
The guild master’s face turned pale.
"Don’t worry. I have no intention of holding Iron Fang accountable. Nor will I go after Kwon Hanul."
The guild master let out a sigh of relief. Just then, a USB drive dropped at his feet.
"What is this?"
"The information you wanted. Details on the Hyukcheon family and Kwon Cheon."
The guild master was dumbfounded. So why was this man giving him this information?
"Deliver it to Kwon Hanul."
"T-this? Why…?"
At his question, Kim Cheol-soo’s expression changed.
The kind, youthful face twisted into something cold and snake-like.
A chilling aura of murderous intent washed over the guild master.
"If you try to dig too deep, you will really die."
“I-I-I understand.”
"After handing over the information, make sure to observe Kwon Hanul’s reaction. Then return here. Understood?"
The Iron Fang guild master nodded repeatedly.
"If you mention our meeting to Kwon Hanul… Iron Fang will be wiped from existence."
The guild master frantically nodded and, as if waiting for permission, bolted from the room.
Once the guild master was gone, Kim Cheol-soo made a call.
"Yes, team leader. It’s me. Everything went smoothly."
A voice came through the smartphone. Kim Cheol-soo chuckled.
"Since it was ‘his’ order, I was extra careful. Don’t worry, just focus on persuading the Intelligence Division. If they find out I impersonated an agent, they’ll be furious."
His superior on the other end sounded concerned. At that, Kim Cheol-soo burst into laughter.
"Worried that the Iron Fang guild master might tell Kwon Hanul? That won’t happen."
He spoke with absolute certainty.
"A mere guild like Iron Fang defying Hyukcheon? Do you really think that’s possible? I made sure to warn him properly—he wouldn’t dare say a word. He doesn’t have that kind of backbone."
* * *
“...That’s what happened.”
Listening to the guild master’s report, Kwon Hanul stroked his chin.
So his movements had already been tracked. It was surprising, but considering Hyukcheon’s reach, it was expected.
What truly mattered was the man who had handed over the information.
A member of the Hyukcheon family came and delivered this to him? Told the guild master to pass it along?
“This is way too suspicious.”
There was a chance the man wasn’t even from Hyukcheon. Who’s to say someone else wasn’t trying to manipulate him?
"Hmph."
Kwon Hanul plugged the USB into his laptop and examined its contents.
<Kwon Cheon>
- The second son of Kwon Seonwoo, the current head of the Hyukcheon family.
- Had his debut battle in a rare Platinum-tier dungeon, a feat uncommon among Hyukcheon bloodline members.
- Once considered a promising talent, but was sentenced to death and fled the family.
- Later had a son with an ordinary woman.
Up to this point, it was the same information he had heard from Bae Cheol-min.
Kwon Hanul continued reading further.
<Death Sentence>
- Kwon Seonwoo compared the qualifications of his eldest son, Kwon Hyuk, and his second son, Kwon Cheon, for succession.
- In the process, Kwon Cheon failed to meet Kwon Seonwoo’s standards, leading to Kwon Hyuk being designated as the next head of the family.
- To eliminate any future threats, Kwon Seonwoo decided to dispose of Kwon Cheon.
- Trumped-up charges were placed on Kwon Cheon, sentencing him to death.
- Kwon Cheon refused to accept the sentence and escaped with the help of the Cheongsong Bae Clan.
It was shocking information, but Kwon Hanul didn’t put much stock in it.
There was no guarantee it was true.
"Who the hell is behind this?"
Everything was uncertain.
Was the man truly from Hyukcheon? Was he really part of the Intelligence Division? And whose orders was he acting under?
At times like this, there was only one surefire way to get answers.
“Where is that man right now?”
As he asked, Kwon Hanul slipped the Ring of Lust onto his ring finger.
------------------
[Translator - Helga ]
[Proofreader - Starfall ]
------------------
