Chapter 83
I woke up at 2 a.m.
It was a true miracle morning.
As soon as I got up, I turned on the computer out of habit.
[Breaking News) AI-generated Kass pics being spread]
The notice that greeted me the moment I entered the gallery.
“What the fuck is this.”
The video-generation AI released a few days ago.
With just one photo, it had the incredible power to create whatever image you wanted.
After a few days of hype, it had finally reached an area it should never have touched.
Even in the garbage world of trolls, there is such a thing as decency.
Even I couldn't bring myself to spread something like that.
“Mask, you crazy bastard. What the hell did you make?”
I clicked my tongue and closed the gallery.
A notice like that would only backfire.
There’s a troll sleeping inside everyone.
Even ordinary people end up waking that inner troll when they see a notice like that.
‘Huh? That looks fun. Should I post one too?’
If even ten people think that way, the gallery gets destroyed.
Besides, in an environment where everyone is trolling, I can’t troll either.
For a thief to have fun, there has to be some order in place.
In a lawless land where nothing is mine or yours, theft loses its meaning.
“I still have some time before I need to enter the tower….”
Since I’d woken up too early, 24 hours still hadn’t passed yet.
With nothing else to do, I wandered around the site.
“Maybe I should check the wiki.”
Unable to beat my boredom, I opened Badawiki for the first time in a while.
It’s the only site that still has a real-time trending search list, so I browse it from time to time.
“Huh? Why is this middle-aged guy number one on the trending list?”
[Real-Time Search Terms]
[1st: Jeong Man-ho]
[2nd: Daejeon]
[3rd: A-rank Hunter]
(…)
But when I actually clicked the article, there was no explanation for why he was trending.
Fortunately, these days there are separate community sites that summarize why something made the trending list.
A site with strict moderation, so there’s no need to worry about the AI-generated disgusting images currently running rampant.
Sure enough, there was already a post about Jeong Man-ho.
[Hunter) Jeong Man-ho]
[Jeong Man-ho, the owner of Daejeon, has recently become a hot topic for breaking through the 34th floor.]
[Hunter tab: comments prohibited except correction requests]
“Pffft?!”
I nearly spat out the water I was drinking.
This is suddenly on the news too?
***
The next morning.
Jeong Man-ho was watching the news in his living room.
His face plastered across the TV screen.
And a caption saying he had broken through the 34th floor.
The remote in Jeong Man-ho’s hand dropped to the floor.
“W-what is this!”
34th floor breakthrough? Me?
He hadn’t gone anywhere near the tower for over a month.
Why would I climb it when there’s already a new tower owner?
Because the new owner wants to keep their identity hidden, everyone still thinks Jeong Man-ho is the owner of the Daejeon Tower.
That’s why he also works with One Star Management so often.
But he hadn’t expected to draw enough attention to end up on the news.
“What am I supposed to do about this?”
He was getting the world’s attention for something he hadn’t even done.
Fear rushed over him in an instant.
If the world finds out, what happens then?
Just then—
Ka-talk! Ka-talk! Ka-talk! Ka-talk!
His phone began ringing like crazy.
Startled by the ringtone, he checked the callers.
Unknown numbers, guild members, other guild masters, even relatives he hadn’t contacted in years.
Messages pouring in from all sides.
[Boss! I saw the news! You really are the best in Korea!]
[Guild Master Jeong Man-ho, congratulations! I’d love to treat you to a meal sometime!]
[Man-ho, I saw you on TV and had to call! How have you been?]
[This is MAK Broadcasting! We’d like to request an exclusive interview!]
A flood of calls and messages mixed with congratulations, praise, and flattery.
Gradually, a change came over Jeong Man-ho’s face, which had been frozen in fear.
Jeong Man-ho’s shoulders rose before he even realized it.
“Ahem! Come to think of it, this doesn’t seem all that bad.”
Just as he was starting to clear his head and enjoy the situation.
A call came in from the vice guild master.
“Guild Master! What on earth is going on...? We never even set foot in the tower, did we?”
A voice full of bewilderment.
He flinched for a moment, then cleared his throat and said as if nothing were wrong.
“Come on now, good is good. Why are you making such a fuss?”
“But Guild Master….”
“Just keep your mouth shut. I’ll handle it. And make sure the other guild members keep their mouths shut too!”
Jeong Man-ho unilaterally ended the call.
He sank deep into the sofa again.
The corners of his mouth lifted on their own.
Whatever the process, the most talked-about A-rank Hunter in Korea right now was him.
To be able to keep this spot without even climbing the tower.
How great was that?
***
Meanwhile, in the Hunter Association president’s office in Incheon.
Association president Park Sang-cheol was glaring at the monitor with a displeased expression.
Displayed on the screen was the conquest progress data for the Daejeon Tower.
[Daejeon Tower: 34th Floor (Princess Jeong Man-ho)]
Only a few days ago, that number had been stuck at the 27th floor.
An absurd speed.
And what the hell was with that name?
“Princess? What the fuck, who is he mocking?”
Park Sang-cheol was leading a general hunter strike.
Without hunters, the tower would eventually collapse.
Without hunters, they couldn’t even stop the monsters pouring in from the border.
Without hunters, this country cannot exist!
So in the end, hunters have to be the ones leading this country, don’t they?
And among them, as association president, he should be the emperor….
Of course, in a democratic country, it would be hard to get there in one fell swoop.
It had to be done step by step, like crossing stepping stones.
The first step was the strike.
A move to hammer home the importance of hunters and slowly win concessions from the government.
But Jeong Man-ho was shaking up the board by climbing the tower at an overwhelming pace.
“I can let Kim Soo-ho, an S-rank, or Jeong Tae-yeon, who’s obsessed with towers and monsters, slide. But even this worthless bastard is climbing too?”
Park Sang-cheol’s brow furrowed deeply.
His prestige was falling.
And that wasn’t the only problem.
The personal ranking displayed on one side of the monitor.
At this rate, it was only a matter of time before Jeong Man-ho’s ranking overtook his.
His political footing, as well as his pride as an A-rank Hunter, was being threatened.
Park Sang-cheol picked up the receiver.
“Put me through to Guild Master Jeong Man-ho.”
A moment later, Jeong Man-ho’s tense voice came through the receiver.
“H-hello? Association President?”
“Guild Master Jeong Man-ho, you’ve been very motivated lately, haven’t you?”
“Huh? Ah, haha. Thank you for seeing me so kindly!”
“It is good. But... if you keep this up, won’t the morale of the other Hunters drop?”
“Huh?”
Park Sang-cheol said in a cold, intimidating voice.
“Everyone else is taking it easy, so what are you doing, sprinting ahead all by yourself? We’re in a team event here... you need to keep pace. Don’t you think?”
“….”
“What do you think? Hm?”
Jeong Man-ho couldn’t answer.
He could hear the sound of him swallowing over the receiver.
He seemed to have understood what was being implied.
But words alone probably wouldn’t make it sink in.
How seriously he took this matter.
“Get the men ready. We’re going to Daejeon.”
Park Sang-cheol cut the call off unilaterally and gave several orders to his subordinate.
***
“Damn it….”
Jeong Man-ho’s hand trembled after hanging up.
The exhilaration he’d felt just moments ago sank away completely.
Jeong Man-ho wanted to explain everything right away.
“But this side is terrifying too. What do I do?”
Jeong Man-ho thought of the person next door.
An unknown person.
A Hunter who clearly possessed strength beyond common sense.
Jeong Man-ho couldn’t even imagine offending that person.
“I’m basically a shrimp stuck between whales….”
Jeong Man-ho let out a series of heavy sighs.
No solution was in sight.
Then one person’s face came to mind.
The only channel connected to the real owner of the Daejeon Tower.
The vice president of One Star Management.
He hurriedly grabbed his phone and called a familiar number.
***
Late at night. A shabby street food tent.
Jeong Man-ho sat side by side with the broker, lifting soju glasses.
At first, their relationship had been purely business.
They were people who had no choice but to keep in touch often.
Because of the negotiations and cooperation over ownership of Daejeon and the tower, all while keeping their identities hidden.
But oddly enough, the two of them got along quite well.
Maybe because they shared the common experience of clawing their way up from the bottom.
Or maybe because they sympathized with each other as people tossed around by powers greater than themselves.
Before they knew it, they’d become close enough to drink together without any formalities.
“So, Vice President….”
After already finishing a bottle of soju, Jeong Man-ho began to complain with a flushed face.
“I’m dying right now. On one side the association president is breathing down my neck, and on the other... I have no idea what those guys are thinking...”
Jeong Man-ho drained his soju glass in one gulp and set it down with a sharp clack.
“I just want to live normally. Quietly keep my place and make sure my guild members get paid...”
The broker silently refilled his glass.
His head started pounding.
Because he knew better than anyone that the source of all this commotion was his own boss, Kim Han-byeol.
“Understood, Guild Master.”
The broker said in a heavy tone.
“I’ll talk to the boss first. I’ll do whatever I can to make sure you don’t get hurt by this.”
That was the best he could do.
Jeong Man-ho, moved by the words, grabbed the broker’s hand.
“Really? As expected, I can count on the vice president!”
“Honestly, I don’t know if it’ll go well...”
“Still! Just telling him is already a big help!”
The two drank a few more glasses and then got up.
“Then get home safely.”
With some of the burden lifted from his mind, Jeong Man-ho’s steps looked much lighter.
Just as they were entering a dark alley.
Shrring—
A heavy metallic sound came from the darkness.
At the same time, three or four shadows burst out and lunged at the two of them.
It was an ambush an ordinary person wouldn’t even have time to react to.
Boom!
A barrier burst out from Jeong Man-ho’s body.
At the same time, a force field spread from the broker’s waist.
The one-time defensive kit Kim Han-byeol had given them as a gift because he had too many lying around at home.
Steel pipes and baseball bats struck the barrier, sparking wildly.
“What the hell…!”
Jeong Man-ho immediately took a stance.
But the attackers immediately vanished back into the darkness without hesitation.
It all happened in an instant.
Silence fell over the alley.
***
“So, neither of you is injured, then?”
“Yes. Thanks to the protective gear you gave us.”
Uncharacteristically for someone who had just been attacked, his voice was as calm as usual.
“Boss, this wasn’t aimed at me. It was a warning to Jeong Man-ho.”
“A warning?”
“Yes. That he shouldn’t climb the tower....”
The broker let out a sigh and continued.
“You never know when the fallout might hit again like this. For now, avoid going out and be careful. I’ll get you a powerful protective item, so...”
“It’s fine, I’m fine.”
As I listened to him, I clenched my fist.
Irritation boiled over.
“So this was definitely the association president’s doing, right?”
At my cold voice, the broker fell silent for a moment.
“… Circumstantially, that seems the most likely. But there’s no hard evidence….”
“I don’t need hard evidence. And even if I had some, would it matter? I heard the police don’t get involved in hunter matters.”
“That’s right. Even more so if it’s an A-rank Hunter.”
“If that bastard’s pulling shit like this, then he’s prepared to get hit back, right?”
“What? No, wait! You’re not thinking something crazy, are you?”
So flustered was the broker that he even dropped the polite speech he always used.
But this time, I had no intention of listening to him.
I needed to show him what not to mess with.
“Don’t worry. I’m not a child.”
I said that and hung up.