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[Translator - Helga ]
[Proofreader - Starfall ]
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Chapter: 11
“A protection request?”
In the world of Hunter clans, dungeon raids were the primary focus.
Most small to mid-sized clans typically operated two or three raiding parties. But dungeon raids required far more investment than most would expect. The rewards from a successful raid could be enormous, but failure often meant disbanding the clan altogether—such was the risk involved.
That’s why smaller clans often took on external jobs before organizing full-scale dungeon expeditions, to build up funds.
These ranged from transportation of valuable items, VIP protection, reconnaissance, to security contracts and more.
Usually, such requests were assigned through quests ranked and distributed by the Hunter Association, but direct individual contracts weren’t uncommon either.
The Yacha Faction, too, engaged in more than just dungeon raids—including protection requests.
So when Cheon Woo-jin asked for one, Cheon Eun-ha looked genuinely surprised.
“You want us to protect you? From who?”
Woo-jin glanced toward Michael, then asked, “You’re a mage—can you put up a barrier?”
Though this was a hotel backed by the Cheon Clan, words still had a way of leaking out.
Michael looked toward Eun-ha for approval. When she nodded, he cast a spell.
Vuuuuuum—
A barrier spread out, enclosing the room.
Conversations inside would not be overheard.
Once it was in place, Woo-jin spoke.
“I’m worried about Cheon Oh-hyuk.”
At the mention of the name, Eun-ha’s expression hardened.
She too was in the middle of a succession battle—with her twin brother, Cheon Ji-hoo, technically a rival, but not to the point of bloodshed.
Cheon Oh-hyuk, however, was a different story.
Outwardly hailed as the "Knight of Constellation," he was considered a rising star among Hunters.
But in truth, he was a ruthless hypocrite. Anything or anyone that stood in his way—bloodline or not—was fair game to be eliminated.
If Oh-hyuk saw Woo-jin as a threat, not even the main estate of the Cheon Clan could guarantee his safety.
Eun-ha now understood exactly why Woo-jin had come to her.
Massaging her temples in frustration, she spoke.
“You want me to protect you because if Oh-hyuk finds out you’ve regained your Awakened abilities, he might kill—er, neutralize you?”
Woo-jin nodded.
“I doubt it’ll come to that, but... better to be safe.”
Even as he said it, both of them knew better.
If anyone would go that far, it was Oh-hyuk. He’d likely erase Woo-jin with zero trace and then publicly mourn him with the most convincing grief imaginable.
Eun-ha clenched her teeth.
After a moment of deliberation, she asked, “Fine, let’s say I agree to protect you. This might be a personal request, but a contract’s still a contract. What are you offering in return?”
No request could be accepted without compensation.
Though she seemed emotional at first, Eun-ha was also the most business-savvy Master in the clan, growing Yacha faster than any other under the Cheon umbrella.
It was her sharp instincts and professionalism that had propelled the faction forward.
Woo-jin, clearly expecting the question, responded without hesitation, “If I don’t make it out of the Trial Dungeon, all of my assigned assets and shares—everything under my name—will go to you.”
Her eyes widened again.
As a direct bloodline member of the Cheon Clan, Woo-jin had assets worth billions in won.
If transferred to Eun-ha, that kind of capital could dramatically shift the balance of the succession war.
Then Woo-jin added, “And if I survive—and extend my lifespan—I’ll formally enter into an alliance with Yacha Faction.”
Everyone in the room reacted to this bold offer.
A moment of silence passed before Eun-ha scoffed lightly and said, “You’re offering an alliance? Woo-jin... I’m sorry, but you don’t even own a faction. You’re in no position to stand on equal terms with Yacha—”
“I’ve awakened three S-rank traits.”
His sudden declaration froze the room.
“Three... S-rank traits?”
Even among the exalted Cheon Clan, awakening an S-rank trait was nearly unheard of.
Eun-ha herself possessed an A-rank Flame-Limbs Trait, and she knew better than anyone just how overwhelming an S-rank could be.
But three of them?
Her mind kicked into high gear.
She began calculating the potential value of an alliance with someone like Woo-jin.
His value could eclipse any faction’s current ranking.
As she quietly processed it all, both Michael and Han Myung-ho swallowed dryly, tension filling the room.
Finally, Eun-ha broke the silence.
“Alright.”
She stood up and turned to Woo-jin.
“I accept your request. From today onward, you’re officially under the protection of Yacha Faction.”
No contract. No deposit.
When the Master of Yacha said it, that was law.
Michael and Myung-ho nodded in quiet agreement. Her word was final.
Then Eun-ha turned to Chief Kim, standing behind Woo-jin.
“Chief Kim! I’ll have my people send over the necessary documents. Please handle the paperwork.”
Then she looked back at Woo-jin.
“Honestly, if you’re worried about Oh-hyuk, you shouldn’t be staying in that side wing. Come stay at the Yacha headquarters instead. Even Oh-hyuk wouldn’t touch you there.”
It was an offer to fully relocate him.
But Woo-jin shook his head.
“I doubt the clan would approve.”
At that, Eun-ha’s brow furrowed—then she nodded, understanding.
“Damn bloodline security laws.”
Despite being gravely ill, Woo-jin was still a direct-line descendant of the Cheon Clan’s main bloodline.
The clan elders were obsessed with keeping that bloodline—and its DNA—from leaving the estate’s control.
Until he gained sufficient strength or leverage, there was no way they’d allow Woo-jin to relocate.
Eun-ha sighed and pulled a card from her coat, handing it to him.
It bore the mark of Yacha.
“If anything happens, use this. It'll summon backup from our clan. I’ll also send a few bodyguards your way—specialists in this sort of thing. They’ll take care of you.”
Cheon Eun-ha—fierce, loyal, and quick to act—kept her promises without delay.
Woo-jin smiled.
“Thanks, noona.”
At the sound of “noona,” Eun-ha’s cheeks twitched slightly. Then she turned briskly and exited the VIP room.
Michael and Myung-ho followed close behind.
Alone with Chief Kim, Woo-jin casually pulled another plate of steak in front of him.
“You should have some too. The meat’s fantastic.”
He didn’t actually expect Chief Kim to eat the steak.
But to his surprise, Chief Kim took a seat across from Cheon Woo-jin.
He didn’t touch the food—just looked at Woo-jin from behind his sunglasses and spoke.
“Do you understand the implications of involving Lady Cheon Eun-ha and the Yacha Faction?”
Chief Kim wasn’t someone who typically voiced his opinions.
But after watching Woo-jin transform so drastically in just a month, he couldn’t stay silent.
Woo-jin casually popped a piece of steak into his mouth and said, “The rumor that I received a sword from the Clan Lord will spread soon anyway. And when that happens, Cheon Oh-hyuk will inevitably set his sights on me. I figured I needed an ally in place before that happens.”
He said it offhandedly, but beneath that calm tone lay a web of calculation.
Chief Kim’s face darkened at the response.
“Does that mean… you intend to participate in the succession race yourself, Young Master?”
Joining the Cheon Clan’s succession war was no different from stepping onto a battlefield.
The other contenders already had their own forces and strategies.
Compared to them, Woo-jin had no faction to speak of—like throwing an egg at a boulder.
Woo-jin, having finished his steak, looked at Chief Kim and asked, “And if I do? What will you do then, Uncle—no, Chief Kim?”
Chief Kim suddenly noticed something had changed in Woo-jin’s gaze.
This was no longer the helpless child he had protected for years.
What he saw now was the gaze of someone who had once stood at the top—a captain, a ruler.
For a brief moment, Chief Kim was overwhelmed.
‘But succession wars aren’t won with talent alone.’
Had Woo-jin awakened his potential earlier, things might have been different.
Even if he were to become an S-rank Hunter right now, it still wouldn’t be enough to change the current landscape.
When Chief Kim didn’t answer, Woo-jin wiped his mouth with a napkin and said, “Alright. I’ll give you some time. But after the test with the Clan Lord, I’ll expect your answer.”
It was clear what he meant: Decide if you’ll stand with me—or not.
Chief Kim now saw clearly. Woo-jin was no longer someone who needed protection.
He stood up and gave a polite bow.
“The auction will begin in an hour. I’ll escort you to the venue.”
Watching the ever-proper Chief Kim return to form, Woo-jin let out a sly grin and stood as well.
Cheon Woo-jin had taken the stone Cheon Ji-hoo had thrown—and hurled back an avalanche.
How far that ripple would spread through the clan, no one yet knew.
* * *
Rooaaaarrrrr!
The battle cry echoed through the dungeon.
Just from the roar alone, the Hunters could guess what monster they were up against.
“I-It’s a Red Ogre!”
The Red Ogre was larger and stronger than a regular one.
With enough brute force to tear through a knight's armor, it took at least three C-rank Hunters to take one down.
The raid party immediately tensed and moved into formation.
Tankers in heavy armor raised their shields at the front. Behind them stood Hunters and knights, with mages stationed at either flank.
Thud. Thud. Thud.
The ground trembled as the Red Ogre came into view.
But the moment they saw it, the entire party's mood shifted.
“Shit! That’s a Red Ogre Warrior!”
Decked in full armor and wielding a massive battle axe, the Red Ogre Warrior was essentially a living weapon—boss-tier.
The monster charged like a tank and swung its axe.
The front-line tankers were crushed, armor and all, their bodies exploding into gory shrapnel.
“Aaaagh!!”
KRAAAAAASH!
Against a Red Ogre Warrior, neither shields nor heavy armor made any difference.
The knights and Hunters behind them stepped forward.
Knights used aura-infused strikes to keep it in check while others tried to land hits with their
weapons.
But the armored Red Ogre Warrior endured even the knights’ aura strikes and pressed forward.
WHAM!
With a single sweep of its arm, one knight was sent flying into the dungeon wall, crashing into it like a ragdoll.
The raid leader shouted at the mages, “What are you doing?! Cast your spells—now!!”
Finally snapping out of their panic, the mages unleashed their magic.
BOOM! BOOM!
Direct hits landed—but the Red Ogre Warrior, with its high magic resistance, barely flinched.
At this rate, annihilation was inevitable. The raid leader’s face turned deathly pale.
When the Red Ogre Warrior swung its axe again, it cleaved through knights and Hunters alike, scattering their remains like broken dolls.
ROOOAAARRRR!
As its battle cry once again shook the dungeon—
BOOOOOOM!
A meteor wreathed in radiant light came flying in from behind and struck the Red Ogre Warrior squarely in the chest.
KRAAAASH!
The unstoppable monster, immune to aura and magic alike, was finally knocked back.
Then one of the Hunters in the party screamed, “Th-The Knight of Constellation! The Knight of Constellation is here!!”
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[Translator - Helga ]
[Proofreader - Starfall ]
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