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HELIO SCANS
[Translator - Hestia]
[Proofreader - Kaya]
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Chapter 17
CRASH!
A ridiculously expensive glass ornament shattered into pieces. Blood trickled down Manager Lee’s cheek, scratched by the flying shards.
“You told me he was dead! You said he died in that new Rift!”
“I-I’m sorry, ma’am. Even the Hero Association had confirmed internally that he was likely—”
“Don’t give me excuses!”
Manager Lee fell silent under her sharp scream.
Hong Hee-joo couldn’t contain her rage.
Dojun—who was reported dead—was actually alive. And not just alive. He walked out of the new Rift, one known for killing just about anyone who dared to enter.
To be honest, it wasn’t anger. It was fear.
If he survived that, then who knows what else he’s capable of? What might he do next?
“Then what the hell are you going to do about this?! Say something, dammit!”
“I—I was just getting to that. Dojun’s already gone after Kang Cheol-woo.”
“Cheol-woo? What does that useless idiot have to do with anything?! So he got hit—why should I care? …Hold on. ‘Gone after’?”
Her yelling stopped. Her expression hardened in an instant.
“…He wouldn’t have gone that far unless he knew. Everything.”
Lee’s careful tone turned Hee-joo ghost-pale.
“Then that bastard…"
She gulped.
‘…knows I ordered the hit?’
She choked the words back down.
Just the thought that Dojun might know everything made her head feel like it was about to explode.
If her husband or father-in-law ever found out about the assassination order? Sure, they’d chew her out—but she could spin it. Manage it. Keep the fallout contained.
But if it leaked to the press?
That was a whole different monster.
The public outrage, the collapse of public trust in T Group—no, the damage would extend to W Group as well. Her reputation, the entire family's legacy, everything would be scorched earth. There’s no surviving that kind of scandal.
And if that happened, her husband and father-in-law would absolutely throw her under the bus.
No matter what, she had to keep this out of the media.
“Lock down the press. I don’t care who it is—if any outlet even thinks about running this story, tell them T Group and W Group will crush them. Hard. And make sure Dojun doesn’t get a single word out about me. No—screw that. Start with the cops. Shut them up first. Immediately!”
Hong Hee-joo wasn’t just angry—she was spiraling. The panic in her voice wasn’t rage anymore. It was survival mode.
“You don’t need to worry about the cops or the press. We’ve already made sure their mouths stay shut.”
Manager Lee’s reply finally brought a little color back to her face.
“G-Good job, Manager Lee.”
She took a breath, then got back to business.
“But you know that’s not a permanent fix, right? If Dojun knows everything…”
Of course, that meant retaliation was only a matter of time.
Manager Lee offered a new card to play.
“Actually… about that. Did you know Kang Cheol-woo’s cousin is Kang Yeong-pyo?”
“Wait—THAT Kang Yeong-pyo?”
“The very same. He played a major part in keeping this whole thing quiet. I mean, it wouldn’t look great for him either if this went public.”
“Yeah, no kidding. Having your cousin wrapped up in a murder-for-hire scandal isn’t exactly good PR.”
“Exactly. So what I’m thinking is… why don’t we ask Kang Yeong-pyo to handle Dojun for us? From what I’ve gathered, Kang Cheol-woo was basically Yeong-pyo’s hidden blade.”
“Hidden blade?”
“The one who did all the dirty work. The stuff Kang Yeong-pyo couldn’t do himself—illegal jobs, cleanups, hush deals—Cheol-woo took care of it all.”
Kang Yeong-pyo used his cousin like a disposable tool. To the outside world, it looked like he deeply cared for Cheol-woo. But in reality, it was all calculated.
He didn’t protect Cheol-woo out of affection. He did it because Cheol-woo was useful.
A willing hand to do the things he couldn’t be seen doing himself.
So when Cheol-woo got caught up in a police investigation and started drawing media heat, Yeong-pyo didn’t hesitate. He moved fast to bury it. Quiet and clean.
Of course, Manager Lee had done a fair bit to help smooth it over, too.
“Hmm…”
Hee-joo’s eyes gleamed with something sharp.
“Then I’ll need to meet him.”
Kang Yeong-pyo was one of South Korea’s most iconic S-Rank heroes. He wasn’t someone you just called up and invited to lunch.
Not only was he a powerhouse in his own right, but he also led Black Tiger, one of the country’s top three hero guilds. Scoring a meeting with him was harder than landing an audience with a Fortune 500 CEO.
But for Hong Hee-joo? It’s a different story.
“Set up a meeting as soon as possible. Oh, and what about President Hwang? What’s his deal now?”
“He says the debt’s been settled. But from what we’ve seen—his men are looking after Dojun’s family—it’s pretty clear he’s changed sides.”
“Figures. Scum always flocks together. Call Prosecutor Park. If he thinks he can ditch me for Dojun, he’s dead wrong.”
“Understood.”
Hong Hee-joo didn’t need to raise her voice anymore. The venom in her eyes said it all.
＊ ＊ ＊
“Name: Seo Dojun. Age: 23. Entered the Gate on May 25th. We believe he Awakened inside. The one who got him into the Gate was Kang Cheol-woo.”
“You’re saying it was a contracted hit inside the Gate?”
“Yes. The client was Hong Hee-joo—Executive Director of T Group and wife of Seo Jeong-jin, President of T Electronics. She’s basically the next matriarch of T Group. She’s also the second daughter of W Group.”
“So, a bona fide gold-spoon housewife. Go on.”
“Yes, sir. Seo Dojun is Seo Jeong-jin’s illegitimate son. He was acknowledged by Chairman Seo Gyeong-cheol when he was seven and brought into the family. But six years ago, after Hong Hee-joo gave birth to a legitimate heir, he was kicked out within a year.”
“Still their blood, and they threw him out? Ruthless bastards. So basically, Hong Hee-joo hired a hit on Seo Dojun to secure her own son’s inheritance.”
“That’s correct.”
“So how much did Kang Cheol-woo get paid?”
“₩3 billion.”
“That’s it?”
In a world where people kill for a mere million won, three billion was a fortune—but considering it came from T Group, it was pocket change.
“What a dumbass.”
The man getting the report clicked his tongue in disdain.
“So what happened to Kang Cheol-woo?”
“He’s finished. His wrists and ankles were severed, crushed by heavy weapons, both eyes destroyed, and his tongue cut out. He’s barely alive… but living a normal life is off the table.”
“Turned him into a complete cripple, huh? Brutal bastard.”
Despite the words, the man smirked.
At least he didn’t kill him.
If it had been him, he would’ve hacked him to pieces and ground his skull into paste on the spot.
“But why did Hyun Jooyeon help him? She even gave a statement to the police, didn’t she? Not that I’m complaining—it made things easier—but what’s their relationship?”
“Nothing special. We believe they were trying to make some kind of deal.”
“What kind of deal?”
“We haven’t figured that out yet.”
“Then find out exactly what was going on between them. Also, expect Hong Hee-joo to come crawling to me soon. That woman’s got a lot to say to me.”
The man, Kang Yeong-pyo, was certain Hong Hee-joo—the one who ordered Seo Dojun’s death—would come looking for him.
“What are you planning to do?”
“Start by getting proper compensation. Do you know how much I had to spend just to keep this whole mess quiet? And once Cheol-woo’s screwup lands on me... three billion under the name of T Group is chump change, don’t you think?”
Kang Yeong-pyo grinned like a predator eyeing its prey.
“Also, the so-called ‘public menace’ who entered the new Mapo Gate—that was Seo Dojun.”
“The same guy? I thought he died?”
“Looks like he survived.”
“Hmph… is that so? Look into it. I want every detail.”
＊ ＊ ＊
“Hero Hyun Jooyeon, identity verified. Please complete your exploration safely.”
A Hero Association official managing the Rift gave the final clearance for entry after finishing her ID check.
There are a total of 37 Rifts in South Korea.
Of those, five are currently transitioning into gates, while the remaining 32 are only accessible to licensed heroes, coordinated through the Hero Association on an appointment basis.
‘Only one entrance… and even knowing she’s Hyun Jooyeon, they’re still this strict with ID checks, huh.’
Dojun couldn’t help but click his tongue inwardly. The level of control was much tighter than he’d expected.
Sure, if he wanted to brute-force his way through, he could. But he knew better than to take that path.
If he wanted long-term freedom to hunt in Rifts, he’d either need Jooyeon’s continued help—or find another way.
And relying on her forever wasn’t an option. Dojun knew that. He had to figure something out.
“It’s kind of weird seeing you volunteer to go hunt in Rift like this.”
A woman in her early 30s standing beside Hyun Jooyeon gave her a curious look.
“Well… what else am I gonna do with my free time?”
Jooyeon brushed it off with a half-hearted excuse, but her face didn’t look relaxed in the slightest.
Her eyes dRifted to the back of the group…
To Dojun. His face hidden beneath a pulled-up hood—her gaze lingered.
·
·
·
“Only one condition: Let me into the Rift, and I’ll sell you all the Hero Mana Stones I own—at market price.”
It was an absurd deal.
But Jooyeon needed Hero Mana Stones badly enough that she couldn’t refuse.
“Why? Because hunting in Rifts is way more efficient than in gates, that’s why.”
The sheer recklessness of risking a Rift for efficiency left her speechless.
‘Maybe I should’ve just gone through Uncle to buy them…’
Jooyeon briefly regretted not waiting until Dojun sold his stock to STONE MAN.
But time wasn’t exactly on her side.
Lately, other S-rank heroes were starting to overshadow her.
Without a faction backing her, she was being left out of key missions.
If she didn’t boost her strength with those crystals, she’d keep falling behind.
So, given she couldn’t predict when Dojun would sell, she had no choice but to agree to his condition.
·
·
·
“Okay, be honest. Who is that guy?”
The woman, Jeong Injoo—an A-rank hero and leader of the Silken Lily Guild, not to mention Jooyeon’s close friend—nodded toward Dojun.
[TL/N: “Silken Lily”—Due to limited context, we’re preserving the literal meaning for now. The name may be updated later depending on narrative tone or worldbuilding details.]
“Just… someone I know.”
“Someone you know? Really? You expect me to believe that?”
Injoo grinned mischievously, narrowing her eyes.
“He’s not your boyfriend, is he? Or… maybe future boyfriend?”
“No! Nothing like that. Just… someone I owe a favor to. And in exchange, he’s tagging along.”
“YOU owe someone a favor?”
Injoo looked completely unconvinced. The Jooyeon she knew wasn’t the kind to owe anyone anything.
“Whatever. Let’s drop it. I’m already second-guessing all of this myself.”
Jooyeon sounded more like she was venting than explaining, and Injoo let it go.
Not that there was time to dig further anyway.
⋯⋯⋯
Rifts are classified by danger level: Class 1, 2, and 3.
The higher the number, the higher the risk.
A Class 1 Rift—like this one—required a minimum of thirty A-rank heroes to enter.
But if even one S-rank hero was present (like Jooyeon), that requirement dropped to just three A-ranks.
Their current team was tight and lean:
- S-rank Hero Hyun Jooyeon
- A-rank Hero Jeong Injoo
- Three members from Silken Lily Guild
- And Dojun
It was a small party, but enough to get in.
⋯⋯⋯
“Alright then. I’ll get the full story later.”
Even with Jooyeon in the group, Injoo knew better than to relax inside a Rift.
“Jinju, Doyeon—you two handle perimeter security. Seungho, be ready to strike the second you see anything. Dojun…”
She paused.
Injoo glanced at Jooyeon, unsure.
She didn’t know anything about Dojun’s abilities. And Jooyeon herself wasn’t exactly sure, either.
But then—
Dojun suddenly launched into the air.
Everyone blinked in surprise.
What the hell was he doing?
ScreeeEEEEEEAAAAAWK!
A shrieking roar echoed through the Rift.
A massive, chicken-like monster—bigger than a bull—came flapping down from above.
The beast was called a Kokastrian, though most people just called it Big Chicken.
“It’s here! Everyone get ready—Seung-ho, attack as soon as—”
WHAM!
SKREEEEE—GUH!!
BOOOOM!
Before Injoo could even finish giving orders, the proud and terrifying Kokastrian was already hurtling toward the ground—flattened by a single punch from Dojun.
A pathetic wail escaped the monster as it slammed into the dirt, motionless.
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HELIO SCANS
[Translator - Hestia]
[Proofreader - Kaya]
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