Chapter 83

Leveling Up Alone: Ragnarok Chapter 82

"Mr. President…."

Yujinho was glaring at him with a fierce look in his eyes.

Especially when he mentioned the guild's name so clearly, Lee Young-ho's complexion grew increasingly pale.

"Even in these times, laws are there to be followed, right? With the recent Sacred Messenger Guild incident, it seems that hunters these days act above the law."

"N-no, that can't be! Absolutely not, Mr. President!"

"If it's not that, then what is it? Is it just the Black Tortoise Guild? What did you see with your drone?"

"T-that…."

Lee Young-ho, the section chief, had nowhere to look.

This was because he himself had handed the drone to his subordinate that morning.

These days, drones are really advanced.

With ultra-high-definition wide-angle cameras and recording capabilities, not to mention their flight and control abilities, they have made tremendous progress.

Now, if you zoom in on purpose, you can even find a single strand of hair in the corner of a room from beyond a window.

Because of their high performance, laws to protect privacy have become more stringent.

However, things have changed a lot since the Great Cataclysm.

Just in the recent Im Myung-sung incident, countless broadcasting drones were floating in the sky for live coverage.

In situations like a dungeon break, which is like a natural disaster, hunters don't hesitate to use drones or anything else to hunt monsters.

But even in this world, it's not acceptable to spy on ordinary citizens' homes without permission.

"Section Chief Lee, it seems the Black Tortoise Guild is not a good fit for our company. You can leave now, and you don't need to wait for our call."

"Ah! Mr. President! Please reconsider…!"

"One bad apple spoils the bunch. If the Black Tortoise Guild's image is even slightly tarnished when our game is released, it will significantly impact our sales."

"…!"

Facing the possibility that all his hard work would be in vain, Lee Young-ho bowed his head urgently, as if he had just been sentenced to death.

"Mr. President! I will apologize on their behalf. It was my mistake for not managing my subordinates properly. I was too eager to recruit a talented hunter like Seong Suho. In return, I will ensure that Seong Suho's conditions are the best in the industry, no, even better!"

When he mentioned Suho's name, Yujinho's gaze turned to Suho, who was standing beside him.

"Suho, he says the best conditions in the industry. Have you received any offers from other guilds?"

But it wasn't really a question.

Before Suho could even answer, Yujinho continued.

"Whatever it is, don't sign any contracts. Whether it's the best in the industry or not, I can't bear to see my Suho sell himself for a measly sum. I'll start a guild for you myself."

"Really? A hunter guild?"

Surprised by the unexpected offer, Suho looked puzzled.

"Of course. If companies can run professional baseball teams and football teams, why can't they start a hunter guild?"

Yujinho was serious.

Though he said it spontaneously, it was also one of the proposals that had come up in the planning department's meeting.

As he finished speaking, his gaze turned to the Black Tortoise Guild hunters standing behind.

"Are you still here?"

His expression turned cold again, as if nothing had happened.

"Mr. President, please reconsider just once…."

Lee Young-ho, the section chief, clung to the last straw, pleading earnestly.

But Yujinho's decision wasn't just because they had annoyed Suho.

"Have you heard my explanation so far? The 'Leveling Up Alone' game is that important to us."

A thorough business approach.

"That's why there can't be any noise surrounding the hunters in the game. In that sense, the Black Tortoise Guild's behavior is a bit risky. You can leave now."

"…."

It felt like a cold arrow had pierced his heart.

Lee Young-ho realized that no further words would make a difference.

All he could do was walk out of Ajin Soft with the hunters he had brought, and think about how to kill the subordinate he had sent to Suho's house that morning.

* * *

Yujinho led Suho into the president's office.

"Alright, Suho. Now that the troublemakers are gone, why don't we catch up a bit?"

A secretary brought coffee as they sat facing each other.

"How's being a hunter? It's not too hard, is it?"

"It's manageable."

"Manageable? Kid, from what I've seen on the news, you seem to be taking too many risks. You're a C-rank hunter, yet you're often seen in the middle of S-rank and A-rank hunts. Why do you push yourself so hard?"

Despite Suho's calm response, Yujinho clicked his tongue and looked at him with concern.

To Yujinho… Suho was a kind of sore spot.

Seong Suho, whom Yujinho had watched grow up, was a well-mannered boy raised by a strict father and a caring mother.

He never caused any trouble or rebellion during his teenage years.

Of course, his father was one of the strictest people in the world.

A police officer, a legendary detective in the violent crimes division who could take down even the most fearsome gangsters with his bare hands.

'But how did it come to this…'

Looking at Suho's face, which resembled his father's, Yujinho felt a bitter taste in his mouth.

A few years ago.

Suho, who had grown up with everything he needed, suddenly faced a tragedy.

His parents went missing.

At first, no one could accept the fact.

They were a couple who often went on spontaneous trips, so it wasn't unusual.

But as days turned into weeks, and weeks into months, they never returned.

From then on, Yujinho used all his connections and money to search for them.

But no matter how hard he searched, not a trace of them was found.

After that, Yujinho decided to take responsibility for Suho and even helped him apply to art school, recognizing his talent in drawing.

'I didn't expect him to go to Korea University, though.'

Perhaps it was because he immersed himself in drawing.

Or maybe it was because the 'Great Cataclysm,' a far more absurd disaster than his parents' disappearance, swept the world.

Fortunately, Suho grew up without harboring any ill intentions.

"Is your aunt doing well?"

"Ahem. Your aunt is…."

Yujinho, lost in thought, was taken aback by Suho's sudden question.

"…Well, she's still busy searching for your parents."

"Ah."

Suho's expression hardened at this.

It was only natural.

To Suho, they were his parents, but to his aunt, Seong Jin-a, they were her brother and sister-in-law.

With her immediate family missing, Seong Jin-a couldn't just sit and wait.

At first, she trusted the police, but now she has even hired private investigators and hunters to search the world.

"Hmm."

But what was this?

Yujinho noticed that Suho's reaction to the mention of his parents was different from usual.

"What's that look? Did you find out something?"

"No, not really. But… maybe it would be better to focus more on finding your mother."

"More on my sister-in-law than my brother?"

"Yes. Your father is someone who wouldn't worry much wherever he is."

"That's true. We've been considering the possibility that they might have been separated when they went missing, so don't worry too much. We're also considering the possibility that they might have been caught in a dungeon break."

"A dungeon break?"

"Yes. Although they went missing before the Great Cataclysm, experts say that gates might have intermittently opened on Earth even before the Cataclysm. We're investigating that angle too, so don't worry."

At this point, Suho had to nod.

'While it's possible for my father, the probability that my mother was caught in a dungeon is quite high.'

Suho recalled something he had heard from Ber.

'Come to think of it, my mother knew about my father's true identity. And those who awakened in the Forgotten Era are now hunters too.'

Awakening was ultimately a matter of talent.

If a person had a high magical adaptability, they would eventually awaken, regardless of the time.

'And my mother was an S-rank hunter in the past, so she must have regained her power.'

An S-rank hunter could survive anywhere on Earth.

But if it wasn't Earth, things would be different.

'Ultimately, we need to investigate the dimensional gaps.'

Thud.

"Anyway, Suho."

To lighten the mood, Yujinho put down his coffee cup and spoke directly to Suho.

"I meant what I said earlier. I'll start a guild for you, so don't join any troublesome guilds."

"Really? Was that just a heat-of-the-moment statement, Uncle?"

"It was a bit heated, but we were already planning to start a hunter guild. Here, take a look."

Yujinho pulled out a file and handed it to Suho.

[Proposal for Establishing a Hunter Guild]

"See this? It's still in the planning stage, but since we're on the topic, I'll start it right away."

"Really?"

The proposal was quite detailed and substantial.

"Of course, you can't be the guild leader because of your low rank, but I'll assign senior hunters to assist you."

Yujinho's proud expression seemed to say, 'Isn't it great to have a wealthy uncle?'

But then.

Suddenly!

[Those kinds of people are unnecessary.]

"…!"

Suddenly, Ber popped out of Suho's shadow and glared at Yujinho.

[I am here for the Young Lord.]

"Th-this is…!"

Seeing Ber, Yujinho's eyes widened, and he jumped up from his seat.

Ber's eyes narrowed at his intense reaction.

[You, do you remember…]

"Ha ha ha! Suho, you finally did it!"

[Hmm?]

Yujinho burst into laughter, pointing at Ber.

"After always drawing ants, you finally developed a skill to summon them! Ha ha ha!"

[…Just drawing ants?!]

Hearing this, Ber's eyes widened, and he turned to Suho in shock.

Then, he suddenly!

Stuck to Suho's head and burst into tears of joy.

[Young Lord! You've missed me so much all this time!]

"Well, let's just say it's an instinct ingrained in your subconscious…"

Creating a game subconsciously or drawing ants—aren't they similar principles?

Feeling embarrassed, Suho forcibly pulled Ber off and stuffed him back into the shadows.