With the appearance of dungeons and Awakened individuals, what was called the underworld also underwent major changes. Above all, ordinary people had begun to emerge who could effortlessly crush the violence of organized crime. People who had once been considered nothing more than weaklings and targets of exploitation could suddenly awaken as mid– or high–rank Hunters overnight. One Eastern European gang had been wiped out by the child of a merchant they had extorted protection money from just the day before.

Those who relied solely on brute force naturally grew timid in the face of that reality. However, the Underground quickly adapted to the new world and reorganized themselves around Awakened individuals. Structurally, they resembled ordinary Hunter guilds, but unlike Hunters, they did not prioritize dungeon raids. Dungeons were used merely as a means to level up.

“Dungeons are best when they pop up now and then.”

Said Duyeop, an S–Rank Awakened and member of the Chinese Underground, as he stepped out of the car.

“The streets empty, the police vanish, and no one cares if a few people go missing. It’s so convenient for work.”

Ash flicked to the ground. His “work” wasn’t all that different from what it had been before the appearance of dungeons. Instead of dealing in ordinary humans, he trafficked Awakened; instead of smuggling conventional goods, he moved dungeon items; and instead of traditional drugs, he developed dungeon–derived narcotics.

Even in drug–averse China, dungeon–derived substances had not yet been outlawed. In fact, certain ones, like the cigarettes, had even made their way into the military. However, smuggling these Awakened–targeted drugs out of China wasn’t easy. While the Chinese military, now dominated by Awakened, generally turned a blind eye to an S–Rank Hunter Underground group, this time, the cigarettes were an exception.

“Fat pig Hwang family bastards.”

The reason was simple. Merchants with military connections wanted a monopoly. These were cigarettes that could mildly affect even high–rank Awakened. There was no way they’d let a profitable product slip from their hands, and so Duyeop had been desperately trying to break through the smuggling routes.

The client he was scheduled to meet today was someone with an American distribution line.

“Has the client arrived?”

Another S–Rank Hunter, Chu Suun, approached Duyeop and asked. There were three Chinese S–Rank Hunters involved in the Underground, and now two of them were gathered in one place. If they could secure a smuggling route, they could move not only the cigarettes but other goods as well. That’s why the two had joined forces.

“We got the signal, and it’s confirmed not to be a trap.”

The two, along with their subordinates, entered the building. The five–story restaurant, styled like a traditional building, was completely empty. Duyeop stepped onto the red–painted staircase.

“Now that the military’s eyes are on those Korean Hunters, it’s the perfect timing.”

“Makes me think of Hong Kong.”

Chu Suun murmured.

“I’ve sold plenty of Awakened with special Skills, but none were as valuable a product as that Korean.”

“No comparison. Still, best not to get involved.”

If he fell into their hands, he’d be the kind of troublesome merchandise best sold off as quickly as possible.

In front of a beaded curtain on the third floor, several A–Rank Hunters stood guard. They were Duyeop’s subordinates. One of them gave a slight bow and spoke.

“They’re waiting inside.”

The curtain was pulled aside, and the two S–Rank Hunters, along with the A–Ranks, stepped into the banquet hall. In the center stood a round table, and beside it were two men. Duyeop signaled to his subordinate — a cue to check for any concealed communication devices. The A–Rank Hunter pulled out a detector and approached the guests.

“Please raise your ar─”

Crack. The sound of bone breaking echoed. In a blink, the hand of the guest — Seong Hyunjae — had gripped the A–Rank Hunter’s neck.

Duyeop and Chu Suun’s eyes widened. They were at least able to perceive the movement, but the other A–Ranks didn’t even realize what had happened.

The A–Rank Hunter, dangling limply with a broken neck, was flung aside. With the same nonchalance as brushing lint from his collar, Seong Hyunjae removed the glasses he’d been wearing. In the heavy silence, the temple arms clicked closed, and the glasses vanished into his inventory. Only then did Duyeop manage to speak.

“S–Sesung Guild Leader?”

“They say I’m currently in self–reflection at home.”

Seong Hyunjae replied, slowly pulling taut the wrinkles from his gloves. He still hadn’t spared Duyeop a single glance. That blatant dismissal made Duyeop frown, but he couldn’t lash out. His confidence had already been shattered.

“…What the hell is this? You said you’d connect us with an American deal.”

“Oh dear. Even a fish would realize it was the bait once it’s hooked on the line.”

The elegance in his lowered tone did little to mask the ridicule. The implication that they were dumber than fish made Duyeop finally snap and shout.

“So you tricked us!”

“What’s your objective?”

Chu Suun quietly drew his weapon and asked coldly.

“You contacted us long before Han Yujin’s abduction.”

The timeline didn’t match if this was about Han Yujin’s case. Had he intercepted the contact midway instead? As Chu Suun questioned, Seong Hyunjae slightly lifted his gaze and looked at the two S–Rank Hunters.

“Hong Kong auction.”

Both Duyeop and Chu Suun flinched. It was true they had been involved in the Hong Kong abduction auction. But they’d thought the matter was long buried — that all connections had been neatly cut. Duyeop, too, swallowed dryly as he pulled out a massive war hammer.

“There’s no need for this now, is there?”

Duyeop’s gaze shifted to the man standing just behind Seong Hyunjae. It was an unfamiliar face, but the man was wearing glasses — suggesting it wasn’t his real appearance. Could he be an S–Rank Hunter too? Officially, Seong Hyunjae was the only male S–Rank in Sesung Guild, but caution never hurt. Duyeop chose his words carefully.

“If ❖ Nоvеl𝚒ght ❖ (Exclusive on Nоvеl𝚒ght) you’re looking for information about Han Yujin, I can help. I’ve got military connections — I can offer that much assistance. Let’s let the Hong Kong matter slide.”

Even if the man behind wasn’t an S–Rank, Duyeop had no desire to fight Seong Hyunjae. He knew all too well the Guild Leader’s notoriety. Many S–Rank Hunters who had dared cross him had been crushed. Still, Seong Hyunjae rarely went so far as to take the lives of other S–Ranks. With that thought, Duyeop slightly relaxed and straightened his posture.

“There’s no need to waste strength. If you tell us what you want, we’re willing to listen.”

“If you want to commit suicide, I won’t stop you.”

Duyeop’s tongue went numb for an instant. At the same moment, Chu Suun moved. He wasn’t attacking Seong Hyunjae — there was no need to risk it on home turf. Seong Hyunjae wouldn’t stay in China for long anyway, so it was enough to just hide for a while. Chu Suun turned to flee—

Crack!

A wire shot out. A jet–black cable pierced the wall, cutting off Chu Suun’s escape route. He struck it with both of his twin swords, but the wire, wreathed in dark shadows, didn’t budge.

“What the hell is this?!”

While Chu Suun panicked, the man who had thrown the wire moved. Song Taewon’s right foot slammed into the red carpeted floor, launching him forward like a cannonball.

“Urgh!”

“Gah!”

The A–Rank Hunters caught between Song Taewon and Chu Suun flew like leaves in a storm. Boom! The carpet shredded beneath his left foot, revealing cracked floor tiles below. With a single leap, Song Taewon closed the distance and drove a wire–wrapped fist at Chu Suun. The twin swords crossed to block the blow.

Fist versus blade. Under normal circumstances, it shouldn’t have been a contest — but the ones that shattered were the swords. Thunk! A heavy impact echoed as cracks split across the blades. Chu Suun’s face paled. Forced back by the sheer force, he staggered — and the next attack followed instantly.

“Wai–!”

Chu Suun tried to dodge the knee driving into his side, but Song Taewon was faster. Predicting the movement, his knee struck dead center, and Chu Suun’s body flew sideways like a ragdoll.

Crash!

The wall caved in as debris rained down. As his kick landed, Song Taewon retracted the wire and hurled a dagger at the fleeing A–Rank Hunters. Screams rang out from every direction, but Duyeop didn’t even dare turn his head. Like a mouse frozen before a snake, he was completely subdued by the unreadable expression of the man in front of him — as if faintly smiling, or utterly blank.

The air itself stung like needles. Cold sweat clung to the back of Duyeop’s neck.

“Y–You don’t kill… S–Rank Hunters…”

“The only reason I’m lenient toward S–Rank Hunters,”

Seong Hyunjae took a slow step forward,

“is because they’re raiding dungeons. You can’t afford to waste resources that are difficult to replace.”

No matter how exceptional Seong Hyunjae’s abilities were, he only had one body. There was no reason to deliberately reduce the number of high–rank Hunters. In other words, even an S–Rank was worthless if they didn’t pull their weight. If they misused their power elsewhere, they were more of a nuisance than an asset.

Duyeop took a step back. His A–Rank subordinates were falling fast, but he couldn’t even lift a finger.

“I–I can raid dungeons! From now on, I swear—”

Seong Hyunjae’s eyes curved ever so slightly.

“Originally, I intended to leave it to my partner.”

“…What?”

There was no reason to overlook those who had laid hands on what was his. That was why he had traced those involved in the Hong Kong auction. But in the meantime, his relationship with Han Yujin had changed.

“It was meant to be a kind of gift.”

He had planned to hand over the matter instead of handling it personally — a first step in expanding his partner’s scope internationally.

“But since I can’t deliver it anymore, I’ll have to dispose of it myself.”

If not for this incident, he would probably be on a plane right now, reviewing the data. It would have been quite the pleasant trip. But plans had changed.

Seong Hyunjae took another step. Clink, a metallic noise rang against the floor. Behind Duyeop, another loud crash echoed. Chu Suun’s sword had shattered, and the broken fragments spun in the air before falling.

“D–Damn it!”

Duyeop raised his hammer. He boosted his defense and speed with a Skill and charged at Seong Hyunjae. A golden chain blocked his path, but he swung his weapon without hesitation. It was a solid S–Rank war hammer, reinforced with a weapon–destroying Skill. Even if the chain were SS–Rank, it wouldn’t hold — it was too thin. Just as Duyeop predicted.

Clang!

With a loud metallic crash, the chain burst apart. Seong Hyunjae had no other weapon. Fine — they were both S–Rank Hunters, after all. Duyeop, capitalizing on the momentum of his wide hammer swing, attempted to slam it down on Seong Hyunjae. Seong Hyunjae, who had been silently watching, simply took half a step back. The tip of the hammer brushed the edge of his coat. Tuk — even that light touch tore the fabric.

It hadn’t wounded him. But the fact that it had made contact at all caused Duyeop’s lips to curl upward. A hammer had large motion and, when it missed, left an equally large opening. But with his trump card Skill to support him, he would follow up with a chain attack—

“Guh?!”

Duyeop’s eyes flew open. Blood sprayed from his mouth, agape in shock. The chain he thought had shattered had somehow pierced through his chest. Frozen and unable to activate any Skills, Duyeop saw Seong Hyunjae already standing right before him. Seong Hyunjae grabbed the arm holding the hammer — and before Duyeop could react, crack, his arm twisted, and the heel of Seong Hyunjae’s shoe crushed into his knee. Duyeop’s leg bent violently in the wrong direction.

Clinkclink. With a clear chime, the chain coiled around the ceiling ornament and hoisted Duyeop’s body into the air. His limbs, one by one, snapped, and the hammer slipped from his grasp. He flailed in the air. He tried to draw another weapon and cut the chain, but with only an A–Rank backup weapon, he couldn’t even scratch it.

The stench of blood thickened, spreading through the air.

“Please seize the item, Mr. Song Taewon.”

Seong Hyunjae tapped the hammer on the floor with the tip of his shoe as he spoke. As he turned his gaze away from the collapsed Chu Suun — whose ribs had been completely shattered — Song Taewon responded.

“I’m not present at this location.”

“Let’s say you didn’t care for the VIP suite and took a little dungeon stroll instead. If you ask Hunter Yu Myungwoo, he’ll modify it to something more to your liking.”

“That’s too much to ask.”

Not only was it improper to personally use seized Underground items, but he also had no funds for customization.

“You received the wire, didn’t you?”

“It’s a loan.”

“That’s not what I heard.”

Yu Myungwoo had clearly said it was a gift, but Song Taewon remained firm. It wasn’t the first time, so Seong Hyunjae didn’t press further. Instead, he nudged the hammer upward with the tip of his shoe and caught it in his hand. It wasn’t to his taste, but it was still S–Rank. Thinking of someone who would be overjoyed to claim it, he stored it in his inventory.

Meanwhile, the upper floor had gone quiet. Blood continued to drip down, forming a deep red puddle on the floor. Seong Hyunjae took off his torn coat, retrieved only his phone, and tossed the coat aside. The ringtone buzzed briefly before someone picked up.

“Send in the cleaners — and a new coat.”

[It’s already over? Understood. I’ll have it ready immediately.]

The call ended, followed by a brief electrical sizzle. The phone, now charred and blackened, shared the same fate as the coat.

“If I follow the line they used to contact the military, that should be sufficient. As for you, Mr. Song Taewon — silence would be best.”

Considering his utterly stiff delivery of even the most basic holiday greetings, expecting him to lie convincingly was too much. Song Taewon agreed with a slight nod.

Not long after, the cleanup crew arrived. Seong Hyunjae donned his freshly delivered coat and exited the building with Song Taewon.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep