On Hiatus: God's Personal Reasons

Chapter 83: Yu Il-Shin Has Descended Upon The Hunter Association

Vrooom! Screech!

The taxi I boarded came to a stop outside a building in Gangnam.

Wow, it’s really huge.

This 44-floor building, where the Hunter Association was located, was worth its weight in gold in the entire South Korea. On top of the building, there was a billboard featuring the country’s top S-rank Hunters, and one of them looked extremely familiar.

「Seductive and deadly allure. The one thing S-rank Hunter Sung Mi-Na never forgets before entering a dungeon! The only choice to protect your skin!」

The commercial showed a beautiful woman with emerald-colored hair spraying a sparkling mist, exuding a mysterious charm that embodied the innocence of a young girl and the allure of a woman...

“Ah!”

Suddenly, I saw Sung Mi-Na running toward me as if she had jumped out of the screen. She pulled me into a tight hug. “Hehe, here you are!”

Sung Mi-Na gazed at me cutely. She was older than I was, but two heads shorter.

“H-hello, Mr. Guardian.”

Recalling her original self made me fear for my future. How worrisome. After regaining her memories, wouldn’t she skin me alive? Considering her personality, she definitely wouldn’t remain calm.

...Maybe I should hold off on restoring her memories for the sake of self-preservation.

“Teacher, you’re here!”

A familiar face then greeted me at the entrance.

“Hey! How long ago did I call you?! Why are you only here now?!”

“Greetings to Mr. Sword God!”

Choi Kang-San, Sung Mi-Ri, and Sword Demon approached me. Sung Mi-Ri wore her signature Thunder Emperor’s black helmet and a full-body latex costume. It’d been a while since I last saw her in that getup. She’d saved my life more than once.

“There's heavy traffic in Gangnam.”

“Come quickly! The President really wants to see you!” Choi Kang-San pulled my arm tightly.

I tilted my head curiously. Why would the president of the Hunter Association want to meet me?

Ah, maybe it’s because of the crocodile eggs that were discovered recently?

Since I’d defeated Gustav, I thought it made sense. But, there was something more pressing.

I handed something to Choi Kang-San.

“What’s this?”

“It’s my receipt for the taxi fare. This can be...reimbursed, right?”

Don’t look at me like that. I’m broke as hell, so every penny to me counts.

***

Ding!

The elevator took us up to the top floor. In the elevator lobby, a sharp-eyed man wearing a crisp suit and glasses was waiting for us.

My eyes appraised him.

-----

[Choi Woo-Shin]

A male human. Around for 36 years.

Special note: Has quite useful muscles.

-----

Not only was his name displayed on the window, he also had a relatively positive review. Most likely, he was an A-rank Reinforce-type Hunter. From the looks of it, he seemed to be quite an intelligent elitist. Still, I shouldn’t judge a book by its cover.

“Hello, Mr. Secretary.”

“Hello, Ms. Mi-Ri. It has been a while since I last met everyone.”

Sung Mi-Ri bowed politely, and Choi Woo-Shin bowed in return. Slightly pushing his silver-rimmed glasses up, the man looked at the entourage before laying his gaze on me.

What’s wrong? Is there something on my face?

“Insolent punk!” Sword Demon sullenly stepped in front of Choi Woo-Shin. “How dare you stare at him! I’ll gouge your eyes out!”

I hastily elbowed him, whispering, “What’s wrong with you?!”

“I never liked men in suits. Also, there’s those eyes of his. They’re ravishing you! How dare he glare at Mr. Sword with such a filthy gaze!”

Objectively speaking, you are worse.

Choi Woo-Shin was unperturbed by Sword God’s insults.

Crack!

Or not. Choi Woo-Shin had a poker face, but his fists were clenched tight, visibly trembling.

“Follow me. The meeting has already begun.”

Displaying last-minute patience, Choi Woo-Shin led us to the meeting room. As he opened the doors, he said, “Please remain silent while in the meeting room. As for the fellow in black, he can wait outside.”

“Standby?! I’m one with Mr. Sword God!” Sword Demon’s face contorted like a demon’s.

Sword Demon was about to force his way through when Choi Woo-Shin raised his right arm to stop him.

“I said wait outside. Do not forget that you're still under supervision.”

“What if I still insist?”

“Then I’ll have to resort to violence.”

“Oh? How dare you...”

As they glared at each other, sparks seemed to fly from their eyes. My head throbbed when I saw them having a staring contest.

I sighed and said, “Wait outside, Mr. Sword Demon.”

“But, Mr. Sword God!”

I whispered to him. “Stand watch here. Make sure no one suspicious enters the room. You can do that, right? I’m counting on you.”

Sword Demon’s eyes lit up. “Of course! I, Sword Demon, shall fulfill this mission even if my life is forfeit!”

“No, no need to risk your life...”

“Yes, Sir!” Sword Demon shouted.

Then, Sword Demon stood outside the door like a stone statue. He looked dead serious, determined not to let anyone through.

Such an obedient fanatic, but his actions leave me feeling quite burdened...

Choi Woo-Shin sighed, rubbing his seemingly throbbing temples. “Let’s head in, then.”

He proceeded to open the doors and quietly led us to our seats, which had been prepared in advance.

“Yo! You guys are here?” A flamboyant, red-haired young man greeted us. He was none other than the S-rank Hunter Baek Yoo-Hyun.

“Ah, Yoo-Hyun hyungnim.”

“Sit here. Mi-Na can sit next to me.” Baek Yoo-Hyun pulled out her chair like a gentleman, but Mi-Na hid behind me with fear in her eyes. “No! I want to be with Shin!”

“Haa. Just when will Mi-Na get her memories back? She’s cute, but I still can’t get used to this side of her.”

That pricked my conscience a bit. “...I’ll do my best.”

“Hmm. For those who just arrived, please quietly be seated.” Signaled the president of the Hunter Association. “Ahem. Let’s move on to our next agenda. Previously, we discovered a dungeon in Byeokgeolje, Gimje, Jeonbuk province. We determined it to be an Undead-type dungeon, Death Dragon. It’s at least Rank A and is currently at 20% activation. We need to conquer it before it goes into a disarray.”

The screen displayed the scene of the Gimje plains turning black. Zombies were prowling around, one of the many characteristics of Undead-type dungeons.

Then, a young man in his thirties raised his hand. He looked like Baek Yoo-Hyun, but with dark hair and a stoic expression on his face.

“How about leaving the Death Dragon dungeon to the Taeyang Guild, where Dragon Slayer Baek Yoo-Hyun belongs? We have the data of the Dark Dragon dungeon, which we cleared a while back. I promise a swift raid in the name of Taeyang Guild.”

“Kiddo, do you not hear him?! It’s an Undead-type dungeon! We necromancers of the Immortal Guild are made for this job!”

An old man in black robes glowered fiercely at the man who had just spoken. His long, black beard reached his chest, and his robes gave him the appearance of a grim reaper.

“You’re being too harsh, Sir. I’m also a guild master myself.” The younger man frowned.

“Keke, you got some guts, Kiddo. Before, a cat always got your tongue, but now you’ve become quite outspoken. Don’t hitch on your little brother’s success too much.”

I recognized both of them. They frequently appeared on TV and Newtube. They were Baek Geon and Ko Sa-Deuk, guild masters of Taeyang Guild and Immortal Guild, the top five guilds in South Korea.

Especially Baek Geon, Baek Yoo-Hyun’s older brother. He might only be an A-rank Hunter, but he played a major role in developing Taeyang Guild into one of the most prestigious guilds in Korea.

Meanwhile, Ko Sa-Deuk, like Choi Kang-San, was a first-generation S-rank Hunter in South Korea. He was a legendary figure nicknamed the One Man Army.

The Hunter Association President interrupted their war of nerves and said, “If any of you wish to bid for this dungeon, submit a report to the association. It must include the exact number of troops you can dispatch, along with a detailed plan to raid the dungeon. The association will evaluate and allocate fairly. Then, let’s move on to the next on the list...”

Besides the two guild masters, the other participants in the room had distinctive appearances. Among them were many S-rank Hunters representing South Korea, but...

I recognized the S-rank Creation-type Hunter Kang Woo. The middle-aged man was known for his mature charm and dashing long beard.

Then, I saw the S-rank Reinforce-type Hunter Gal Joong-Hyuk. The man, nicknamed Black Knight, was clad in heavy armor reminiscent of a medieval knight.

Then, there was the powerful S-rank Qigong-type Hunter Shin Yoo, who seemed like an idol because of his delicate appearance and white hair.

Looking at them made me feel like I was doing intuitive critical thinking. After all, in the past, I had researched these people for my Hunter novel.

But someone stood out from the rest.

...Who is that person?

Sitting among the esteemed guild masters and S-rank Hunters was someone wearing a ridiculous penguin mask. From the white dress and her figure, I could tell it was a woman. How was she allowed to enter in that outfit?

Out of curiosity, I tried to appraise her with my power, but...

Ding!

[Appraisal failed!]

Huh?

But why? My appraisal skill almost never failed before!

At that moment, the penguin-masked lady turned around.

Flash!

A blue light shone from behind the mask, seemingly trying to look for me, and I quickly ducked in fear.

Who is she? She’s scary.

“Lad, what’s wrong?” Choi Kang-San asked.

“Um, I don’t feel like I should be here. There are too many powerful people...”

“What are you talking about? You’re the hero who saved the academy! Of course you should be here! I’ll beat up anyone who says otherwise!”

“Homeless Hyungnim...” I was touched by his words.

Ultimately, the meeting was disgustingly boring. I was nodding off to the president’s voice as if I was listening to the principal’s sermon.

Ding ding!

Just then, there was a notification on God-Maker.

[Il-Ho earnestly pleads for salvation from God Yu Il-Shin!]

Rubbing my sleepy eyes, I glanced at my phone and saw Il-Ho. He was lying on the ground, exhausted. Haa, it hadn’t been that long since our fight with the imperial army, and here he was, going at it again.

“...Surely, everyone here has heard of ‘Gustav’? It was the SS-rank monster who killed S-rank Hunter Sergey and attacked the Hunter Academy. Among the hundred eggs we recovered from Lake Tanganyika in Africa, this is the only unhatched one left.”

At the snap of the president’s fingers, two burly men brought a giant egg to the front of the room, grunting along the way. Rather than a crocodile’s egg, it looked more like a dinosaur’s. Just to be safe, the egg was covered in various seals.

Black Knight Gal Joong-Hyuk spoke, “Mr. President, are you sure this Gustav monster is Rank SS? Sergey became an S-rank Hunter because his teleportation and combat skills are above average for A-ranks. I don’t think this monster should be labeled as a National Disaster-level monster just because it killed Gustav. Moreover, it was defeated by an unknown teacher from the academy...”

“Healing Ring Finger of God.” I used my powers on Il-Ho like usual.

[You paid 100 Gcoins for the healing.]

[Il-Ho has been bestowed with the Blessings of Yu Il-Shin.]

Flash! Kwaaaa!

Unexpectedly, my body emitted a radiant white light, blinding the meeting room.

-Ooh, not only did my wounds heal, but I can feel strength surging through my entire body! I can rip the throats of my enemies with this! Praise be to the great God Yu Il-Shin! Puck puck!

As if he had received buffs, Il-Ho cheered with joy. I was taken aback by this sudden change in situation.

“Is he the academy teacher who defeated the SS-rank monster?”

“He looks ordinary, though?”

Everyone’s attention was now on me.

This is a little overwhelming. Did my power increase after I got promoted to a Low-tier God?

Just then...

Riiiiip!

Gustav’s egg began cracking.

-Found you! Enemy of my mother!