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[Translator - Helga ]
[Proofreader - Starfall ]
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Chapter 102: Mystery (1)
Once the decision was made, Kwon Myung-woo immediately contacted the interrogators.
With a single phone call from him, the interrogators promptly brought in Gael Garcia.
After that, Kwon Hanul and the remaining three prepared for travel and boarded Kwon Myung-woo’s private jet.
“Wahaha! So you're the third one to join, huh!”
Inside the plane, Kwon Myung-woo showed great interest in Gael Garcia.
It was clear that Gael’s rare sacred beast bloodline intrigued him deeply.
“Just one look, and I can tell—you’re no ordinary guy. Hanul, I’ll be counting on you to guide him.”
“I’ll do my best,” Gael Garcia replied in a stiff tone.
Even in front of a major figure like Kwon Myung-woo, Gael’s demeanor remained unchanged.
Hanul had sensed it before, but Gael Garcia truly wasn’t an average person.
As Kwon Hanul observed the two, Kwon Hudon, seated beside him, murmured blankly, “I-I can’t believe I’m going to be trained by Granduncle Myung-woo…”
Overcome with emotion, Hudon wiped away a tear.
“H-Hanul… what kind of training do you think he’ll teach us?”
“No idea.”
“W-What if I mess up because I’m d-dumb? What if Granduncle thinks I’ve got no talent and sends me back…”
The kid was worrying for no reason.
Kwon Hudon had already shown exceptional talent—enough to impress even Kwon Myung-woo.
There was no way things would turn out the way Hudon feared.
“Still… I’m curious about the training too.”
Truthfully, Kwon Hanul was just as eager.
He already knew how formidable Kwon Myung-woo was—he’d seen it during the Mei Clan incident.
Despite being attacked by the Mei Clan’s head and the so-called Greatest Sword of Central Plains, he had come out victorious. That alone was proof of his extraordinary skill.
“Miss Hayun, do you have any guesses?”
Hanul turned to Joo Hayun.
She was reading a book with her glasses on, which softened her normally sharp expression.
“Hmm… I do have a hunch.”
“Really?”
Hanul perked up. So did Hudon.
“But I don’t think it’s that. There’s no way they’d use such a barbaric method nowadays.”
“What do you mean?”
“Never mind.”
Joo Hayun shook her head and returned to her book.
Hanul and Hudon looked at her in confusion.
“Hey, Hanul.”
“Yeah?”
“Do you think… Mei Hong is okay?”
Hudon cautiously pointed to Mei Hong.
She was sitting a little apart from the group, staring silently out the window.
Normally, she’d be clinging to Hayun or teasing Hudon by now.
It was an unfamiliar sight.
“Should… should we try to comfort her or something?”
“It’s better to leave her alone for now.”
Hanul gently stopped him.
“Everyone needs time to be alone sometimes.”
Kwon Myung-woo’s private jet landed at a port in the southernmost part of Australia.
There, a large yacht awaited them.
“Greetings. My name is Paul Nadine, and I’ll be your captain for this journey.”
Several people standing at the yacht’s entrance bowed to Kwon Myung-woo.
Paul Nadine introduced the team around him—each one essential to operating the vessel.
“Right this way, please.”
Just before boarding, Hanul couldn’t hold back his question.
“Granduncle?”
“Yes?”
“I thought we were going for training?”
“We are.”
“Then… why a yacht?”
Kwon Myung-woo simply replied, “You’ll see when we get there.”
Hanul boarded the yacht, still unsure.
Though it was called a “yacht,” the vessel was the size of a cruise liner.
There was even a massive pool on deck, along with a movie theater and a medical facility inside.
The journey wasn’t boring by any means—but it certainly didn’t feel like training.
It felt more like a luxurious vacation.
After some time had passed—
“There it is.”
Kwon Myung-woo pointed at something in the distance.
When Hanul looked, he couldn’t believe his eyes.
A dungeon gate floated above the ocean.
It was massive—large enough for three of their yacht to enter side by side.
Surrounding it were real warships outfitted with proper equipment, not the black-market junk he’d seen with cartels before.
“What is this place?”
Cartels had military forces too, but not like this. Those were mostly smuggled arms—nothing official.
The yacht slowly entered the dungeon gate.
And before long, a vast city unfolded before Hanul’s eyes.
“What the…”
The first thing he noticed was a coliseum—a giant, circular arena.
Not just one, but three of them stood tall.
Surrounding the coliseums were buildings of all shapes and sizes.
“Amazing, isn’t it?”
Kwon Myung-woo grinned.
“Welcome to Mystery.”
After dungeon gates first opened, humanity faced a major crisis.
Monsters poured through, and there was no way to stop them.
But fortunately, humanity was saved by the emergence of Hunters—those who awakened the ability to access status windows.
The crisis passed, and peace returned.
As the peace endured, civilization began to stabilize.
And once survival was secured, people naturally turned their attention to pleasure.
On top of that, Earth was now flooded with all sorts of magical artifacts brought through the dungeons.
So, a handful of wealthy elites banded together to create a city where they could indulge themselves however they pleased.
“That’s how the city of Mystery was born.”
Kwon Myung-woo explained as they walked.
“A playground for the rich. A place where illegal acts happen out in the open.”
“Then… why are we here?”
“Ah, good question.”
Kwon Myung-woo pointed to the coliseums.
“Do you know what the most popular form of entertainment is in this city? Death matches.”
Hanul frowned at the term.
“Exactly what it sounds like. Fights to the death. Some coliseums pit people against each other. Others, humans versus monsters.”
That explained the presence of multiple coliseums.
“Each of you will be assigned one arena. Conquer it. That will be your training.”
At that, Joo Hayun smacked her forehead and sighed.
“...I knew it.”
Now, Hanul finally understood why she had been so worried.
* * *
At that moment, just as Hanul’s group arrived in the city of Mystery—
A secret meeting was taking place on the rooftop of one of the city’s skyscrapers.
“Pleasure to meet you. I’m Mark Goldpixie.”
A well-dressed man extended his hand.
A woman took it.
“It’s a pleasure. My name is Maria Sanchez.”
After shaking hands, they each took a seat. Mark Goldpixie poured a drink and asked, “Would you like a glass?”
“I’ll pass. I’m not very good with alcohol.”
She smiled faintly—delicate and soft, almost fragile enough to awaken any man’s protective instincts.
But Mark quickly shook the thought from his mind.
This woman was the furthest thing from someone needing protection. She was violence incarnate.
“Thank you for agreeing to this. Without your cooperation, the Sanchez family wouldn’t have made it into Mystery.”
Since Mystery’s existence was kept secret, security and surveillance were extremely tight.
Especially against criminals or anyone who could threaten the city.
“We’re just helping each other out. Your family promised to do something for me, didn’t they?”
The Sanchez family—a clan with superhuman bloodline, and the only known family in the world entirely immersed in crime.
Maria Sanchez, seated across from him, was a member of Pandemonium’s Council, famously known as the Iron Maiden.
“Let’s go over the deal again. I, Mark Goldpixie, smuggle members of the Sanchez family into Mystery and get them into the coliseum matches. Correct?”
“And we, the Sanchez family, will win every match and raise your name, Mark Goldpixie, to the Hall of Fame. Correct?”
“Exactly.”
Mark smiled, pleased.
“I’m glad I met you. I’m one of the original founders of Mystery. But… we haven’t had a single sponsored fighter win in years.”
“Oh dear… that must’ve been rough.”
“Rough doesn’t even begin to cover it. It’s been downright shameful. I can’t face my ancestors.”
He clicked his tongue in frustration.
“Don’t worry. The Sanchez family will make sure your name is enshrined in glory.”
“I’m counting on you. But… are you really satisfied with just the winner’s prize?”
The Sanchez family had agreed to take the prize while giving Mark the glory.
But Mark found it odd—they seemed too content with such a basic deal.
“We’ve got our eyes on some specific items. No matter what, we’re going to get them.”
“There wasn’t anything that valuable among the prizes…”
“That’s how it may seem to others. But only our family understands their true worth.”
“What is it?”
Curiosity sparked in Mark’s eyes. Maria gave a coy smile.
“If I told you, your life might be in danger.”
Mark flinched, jerking backward. Maria chuckled.
“Just kidding.”
“...That’s a bit much for a joke.”
“As an apology, I’ll tell you.”
She leaned in and whispered, “They’re the treasures left behind by the founder of the Sanchez family.”
Mark’s eyes widened.
If such priceless items had entered the city, how had none of the appraisers noticed?
He made a mental note—time to replace some staff.
Pouring himself a drink, Mark asked, “Are you confident you’ll win?”
“Do you not trust us?”
“It’s not that I doubt your family’s reputation… but the coliseums of Mystery are no joke. Many big names came in cocky and left in defeat. You’d be surprised by who.”
Maria simply smiled in response.
“At times like this, it’s best to show rather than tell.”
She clapped her hands.
The door opened, and several people entered.
The moment Mark saw them, he felt an overwhelming pressure—as if the air had been sucked from his lungs.
He’d met countless Hunters in his life, but never once had he felt like this.
“All of them are pureblood Sanchez.”
Mark’s eyes widened.
“I guarantee it. No one in this city can defeat the Sanchez family.”
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[Translator - Helga ]
[Proofreader - Starfall ]
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