Chapter 576

Click.

The short call ended. The signal ringing from the smartphone stopped, but the hand Choi Minwoo had raised to his ear did not come down easily.

He crossed the Green Garden in front of the Blue House¹ residence, his expression conflicted. His steps had slowed. One thought filled his mind.

Song Cheonwoo wants to meet me. Right now.

Song Cheonwoo—the Trojan horse who could get him inside the impregnable fortress that was the Ares Guild.

Choi had been waiting for him to make contact. He simply had not expected it today, much less an immediate meeting.

He went over their brief conversation again.

What should I do?

Choi stopped dead.

Two paths lay before him, like the choice he now faced.

Busan. And Song Cheonwoo.

There was no time. He had to choose. He stared at the two paths, then finally started walking.

Crunch.

Frozen grass crumbled beneath the heels of his dress shoes. The path might have split in two, but both ways led to the exit.

A familiar face was waiting outside the main gate, beside the Blue House security office.

“Young Master.”

Choi greeted Butler Kim with a nod and stepped through the gate.

A sleek limousine, five black SUVs, and around twenty Hunters waited by the roadside. Every one of them was skilled enough to count among the elite of the Peace Guild, which had grown considerably. The Equipment they wore showed they were ready for battle.

Butler Kim’s next words confirmed Choi’s suspicion.

“We were waiting to escort you.”

“I’m sorry. Given where I was, I failed to check in time. More importantly, I heard that Mr. Jin Taekyung defeated a named monster. What is the current situation?”

“As you said, the named monster that appeared during this wave, the Kraken, has been eliminated. However, over a thousand Mermen have spread throughout Haeundae and Gwangalli.”

“The damage must be severe,” Choi said quietly.

Busan might not have been as large as Seoul, but it was Korea’s second-largest city, with a population approaching five million. For a thousand monsters to appear there, especially monsters strengthened by the recent rise in magic power, was nothing short of a disaster.

But Butler Kim calmly shook his head.

“It isn’t something to celebrate, but fortunately, casualties are far lower than we expected.”

“Even if Mr. Jin Taekyung defeated the Kraken, he couldn’t have stopped all thousand Mermen.”

“Skel—no. The Stone King was there.”

“Ah.”

The face of the blond foreigner who always wore an arrogant, self-assured expression flashed before Choi Minwoo’s eyes. He gave a small exclamation and nodded.

With him there, it’s possible.

Only a handful of people knew the truth about the undead monster caught in an identity crisis between monster and American. Choi also knew he was every bit as powerful as an S-rank Hunter.

“Yes. Fortunately, thanks to the efforts of those two, the damage is not particularly severe.”

It was extraordinary luck. Jin Taekyung and the Skeleton King were each a one-man army. And unlike the Skeleton King, whose abilities came with various restrictions, Jin Taekyung ranked among the strongest in Korea. No, in the entire world.

Except for one person…

“What about our Peace Guild?” Choi asked.

“About five minutes ago, we dispatched the emergency rescue team and three teams we had standing by to Busan. The Guilds and Hunters based there, along with outside reinforcements, are doing everything they can to keep the damage from spreading.”

Choi knew by heart how many Gates, Guilds, and Hunters there were across Korea. He blinked a few times as he calculated, then asked, “They’ll have the monsters contained within two hours at the latest. Correct?”

“Yes. Of course, rescuing the victims afterward will take considerable time as well…”

“Then we can’t call Mr. Jin Taekyung or the Stone King away under the circumstances.”

“Forgive me, Young Master, but call them away for what?”

“Never mind. Let’s go.”

Choi’s reply was quiet and final, but his lips moved again as he walked toward the limousine.

The words reached Butler Kim’s ear through what could no longer properly be called message magic. It was Sound Transmission.

—He has requested a meeting.

“……!”

Butler Kim’s eyes trembled. Choi had not named him, but there was no mistaking who he meant.

—Song Cheonwoo?

—Yes.

—Young Master, it may be dangerous. The Busan Monster Wave is already nearing its end. We could go back to the Guild House instead—

—He spoke about my maternal grandfather’s safety. And about a trap Go Jun is setting.

Choi watched Butler Kim’s face go rigid and continued quietly.

—I have to meet him. Right now.

The B-rank Gate in Pyeongchang, Gangwon Province, known as Yeti’s Winter Range, was not an especially appealing raid site.

Even with exceptional physical abilities and Magic Equipment, fighting furry giants on a snowy mountain where your feet sank with every step was hardly pleasant.

Still, not everyone avoided Yeti’s Winter Range. Some Hunters continued to visit despite the recent, repeated rises in magic power. The group that had just ridden the lift down was among them.

“Damn it. No entry, all of a sudden?”

“Right? Hey, Team Leader, are we getting paid for today?”

“……You’re worse than a yeti. We couldn’t even get into the Gate because the magic power went up, and you’re asking about pay? Have you got no shame?”

“Aw, I got my hopes up for nothing. By the way, who were those people up there? The handsome guy wearing the mask looked kind of familiar.”

“Beats me. How would I know—huh?”

The thirty-odd Hunters came down the path grumbling. Their Team Leader, walking at the front, suddenly widened his eyes.

A man was walking up toward them at an unhurried pace.

“Tsk, tsk. Looks like he’s going to strike out too.”

The man had obviously come for a raid. The Team Leader called out to him. He looked to be in his forties.

“Yeti raid?”

The middle-aged man paused at the abrupt question, then nodded without a word.

The Team Leader clicked his tongue. “Then you’re out of luck too, Boss.² Don’t bother going up. They’ve closed it off.”

“……”

“They say the magic power reading suddenly went up or something. Anyway, entry’s prohibited. That’s why we got turned back too.”

“……”

“……Hello? Did you hear me?”

The Team Leader frowned when he sensed something strange. Without answering a single word, the middle-aged man who had merely listened to him walked past the group.

Step. Step.

“What’s with that guy?” the Team Leader muttered as the man receded up the path.

To the middle-aged man, however, the Team Leader’s goodwill was nothing more than needless meddling.

Clatter.

The man rode the lift up with a slight jolt and found dozens of pairs of eyes waiting for him.

A Hunter who looked quite capable stepped forward to bar his way.

“Sorry, but due to the rise in the magic power reading, you can’t enter the Gate—”

“He’s my guest.”

At the quiet voice, the twenty-odd Hunters standing like a wall parted to let him through.

Two people stood at the end of the path they made.

“You’re late.”

At Choi Minwoo’s flat voice, the middle-aged man whose appearance had been changed by an illusion spell—Song Cheonwoo—finally parted his tightly closed lips.

“I had to be careful. And you were the one who chose this place, Minwoo.”

“I wasn’t the one who suggested meeting at a Gate. Surely that gave me the right to choose which one.”

“We had to avoid wiretapping and any other surveillance. None of it will work once we’re inside.”

“Then there should be no problem. This Gate belongs to the Peace Guild. It’s a suitable place for both of us to be cautious.”

“……Both of us? You suspect me?”

It was Butler Kim, standing quietly behind Choi, who answered.

“Why should the Young Master trust you?”

“Come now, Hwajong.”

“Do not call me by my name. Whatever relationship we had ended long ago.”

“……!”

Song Cheonwoo’s eyelids trembled at Butler Kim’s glacial stare.

Once, they had been close enough to call each other brothers. Then their paths had split between loyalty and ambition.

As an icy chill settled between them, a quiet voice rang out.

“I believe there’s something more important we need to discuss first.”

The words were gentle, but they cut to the point. Both men backed down. Choi glanced from one to the other, then turned toward the Gate entrance, where a field of magic power shimmered.

“You two will come inside with me. The other Guild members will keep anyone else from entering.”

Choi went first. Butler Kim and Song Cheonwoo followed.

Whoooooosh.

Cold, sticky magic power enveloped them. When they opened their eyes again, a world of white stretched before them.

Yeti’s Winter Range.

Snowdrifts lay in every direction across its steep slopes. Somewhere in the mountains, a monster roared.

—Kraaaaaaaar!

The three men remained unmoved by the bitter cold and the chilling cry. They were far too powerful to fear a mere yeti. Besides, they had come for a private conversation, not a raid.

“Tell me about my maternal grandfather’s safety,” Choi said. “And the trap Go Jun is preparing.”

Song gave a bitter smile at the direct demand.

“Although I have not watched you for long… your personality has not changed.”

“Just get to the point. I don’t think I’m asking much.”

Song let out a shallow breath. White mist rose into the wind as he spoke, his voice sounding older than before.

“Would you walk with me a little? I’d like to speak to you alone.”

Butler Kim frowned. Choi answered evenly.

“Is that necessary?”

“You still suspect me.”

“I still have no reason to trust you.”

“This Gate belongs to the Peace Guild, not to me or Ares. You chose it yourself. How could I have set a trap here?”

“……”

“I’m not stupid enough to try something against my only ally.”

Choi had been looking out across the snowy mountains. He turned and studied Song’s eyes. They did not waver in the slightest.

“Very well.”

“Young Master,” Butler Kim said.

“Don’t worry. I won’t go far.”

“……Then I’ll follow at a distance.”

Song nodded and slowly drew the weapon at his waist.

“I suppose I can’t stop you doing that. Suit yourself.”

“You—!”

“Don’t misunderstand.”

Thud.

What Butler Kim feared did not happen. Song drove his weapon deep into the snow for them to see, and Choi started walking.

Crunch. Crunch.

Snow crumbled beneath their feet as they walked side by side.

After a few steps, Song finally broke his silence.

“There’s a secret area inside Ares Guild headquarters. Only a handful of people can enter.”

“Are you referring to Area A?”

“……!”

Song’s eyes widened at the unexpected question.

“I knew the area existed and what it was called,” Choi said calmly. “I couldn’t find out anything more.”

“……Impressive. How did you learn even that?”

“I put in more effort than you might imagine. What I need now isn’t praise, though. I need details. What does Area A have to do with my maternal grandfather’s safety?”

“Because that person is there.”

Crunch.

Choi stopped dead at those two words. After a moment of silence, he began walking again.

“That information is not certain.”

“Why do you say that?”

“You were pushed out of the Ares Guild’s inner circle long ago, Director Song.”

“……That stings. But you’re right. I can’t be certain.”

“I also can’t see why my maternal grandfather would be there. No—I can’t understand it.”

“A reason……”

Song sighed softly.

“You wouldn’t understand. No one knows what happened to that person—not even you.”

“What are you—”

Choi Minwoo turned to him with a questioning expression. Then, at the next words, he froze.

“It happened more than twenty years ago. That person lost consciousness.”

“……!”