Ch 19
The heroine saves the world episode 19
“This is crazy.”
“Oh, I’m even hungrier now!”
It’s been a while since I’ve been to Gwangjang Market, so I was quite surprised.
I just had the perception that it was a market frequented by many tourists.
Surprisingly, the proportion of Koreans was much higher.
“There’s a lot to eat.”
There were delicious smells and sizzling sounds everywhere.
And then the three hellhounds, excited by the sight of the food, began growling and bickering.
“I like tteokbokki!”
“You idiot, you need to eat a proper meal. Something like raw beef bibimbap!”
The twins started it all.
“You’re the more foolish one. Don’t you know that rice digests quickly?”
“Oh, that’s true. But I eat tteokbokki often even on a regular basis!”
And Jang Su-ho, who had been swallowing his saliva, muttered as if he was groaning.
“The smell of bindaetteok is amazing… … .”
“ha.”
I sighed involuntarily.
What should I do with them?
I didn’t say a word, but everyone naturally thought that they had to choose just one.
Maybe it’s an old habit of poverty.
The pent-up anger from my past, when I lived calculating every penny, came rushing back.
I said, pulling my wallet out of my pocket.
“Hey, eat whatever you want.”
* * *
The next day.
We arrived at the Awakening Association located in front of Seoul City Hall.
This is the very place where I first registered as an Awakener.
There are five people in our group today.
Han Ji-seong, who had been feeling unwell since the morning and was groaning, was left behind in the guild, and the rest of the group went out together.
“Let’s train properly at the association today.”
I can’t run along Cheonggyecheon like I did yesterday anymore.
It’s not that I don’t like riding the Ttarreung.
Since proper training facilities would be set up soon anyway, the reason for borrowing the association’s training equipment in advance was to give the guild members a feel for the current situation and future plans.
“Let’s go in.”
We followed the strong front line and entered the association’s main gate.
Last time, I passed through an entrance gate that looked like a ticket gate that I had only seen from outside.
Beep-
The thrill of confidently entering after stamping your hunter ID.
And when the Hunter-only area started to come into full view, I couldn’t help but exclaim in admiration.
“Wow, that’s awesome.”
Every time Hunters raid dungeons or buy or sell items, they are required to pay taxes to the association. I wondered where the money went, and it all ended up here.
[ Dungeon Mountain Marble ( B ) ], [ Mana Reinforced Glass Window ( A ) ], [ Dragon Bone Statue ( A ) ]… … .
I was dizzy because of the item information windows that filled my field of vision.
‘System, turn off item information for the time being.’
[Adjusts the skill ‘You see as much as you know’.]
It was so large that, according to the map, there were five training grounds in total.
After checking the signs several times, we finally arrived at the First Hunter Training Ground.
“The facilities are really great.”
It was a perfectly equipped facility that seemed to show what a training ground truly was for Awakened Hunters, especially high-level Hunters.
Specially-made barbells that can lift up to several tons, high-speed treadmills that look like they could be used by a cheetah, and even an agility training center implemented with holographic technology.
“They’re the only ones who use things like this.”
While our kids were running around Cheonggyecheon and the mountains.
While feeling mildly annoyed, the three hellhounds simply looked thrilled.
“Wow, this basic is 150kg. I can do a proper workout!”
It’s Jang Su-ho.
“The agility test looks fun.”
That’s the reason.
“The target distance is 500m. It’s worth a try.”
It was Lee Yu-chan.
“I have to go over there and loosen up my calf muscles.”
This is me.
And Kang-han looked around the equipment for a moment and then headed to the leg exercise equipment.
He sits down and moves his legs a few times, then lowers the bar holding the weight down.
It was the maximum weight the device could support.
“Hellhounds and their big buns.”
Well, it’s strong.
Rather than being shocked like yesterday, I operated the vibration belt machine with understanding.
“Ouch! My leg!”
Those guys in the combat world have calf muscles as strong as steel?!
My calf almost got erased.
It was barely bearable after lowering the vibration intensity to the lowest level.
“Ah, that feels refreshing.”
I felt my calf muscles, which had been tightly knotted up from riding the Ttarreung yesterday, loosening up.
I watched the guild members each train while shivering like that.
It’s like being a parent watching kids play at a kids’ cafe.
But even in the indoor playground, a children’s paradise, there are bound to be villains.
“Hey, C-class, get out. Can’t you see B-class is waiting to exercise?”
While Lee Yu-eul was having fun increasing her score with the agility machine, a sly looking guy started a fight with her.
Yu-eul, who was a little annoyed at being interrupted when she could have broken her own personal best score if she had just a little more time, turned to look at Sapporo and said.
“Oh, you’re a B-class?”
“Can’t you tell just by looking at it?”
“I don’t know. It’s not like pork has a grade stamped on its forearm, so how would I know?”
Ah, you’ve grown up well. I’m proud, Lee Yu-eul.
“And there’s the same machine over there. Use that.”
“I’m not saying this because it’s convenient. The points at the top are mine, right?”
“Oh, that one?”
Yu-eul muttered as she looked at the chart where the challengers’ scores were listed like a punching machine.
“I think that’ll break soon.”
“What? Is this real?”
“Okay, sir. Use this. I’ll go over there and do it.”
They were the ones who attacked, but they were the ones who ended up getting their souls hurt.
Similar things happened several more times after that.
As I was waiting to see, I got a fever and was about to turn off the power to the shivering machine and move.
Someone wearing a black suit entered the training grounds.
Despite the hunters’ suspicious looks, the man ignored them and headed straight to Kang-han, who was concentrating on exercising.
“Strong Guild Leader, the Association President is calling you.”
“… … Phew.”
Kang-han stopped exercising without saying anything.
Are you going again when I call you?
But I guessed why he was calling, so I didn’t stop Kang-han.
I just approached him and asked.
“Will you come with me?”
There is a reason why they call it the Refund Expedition.
The more difficult the situation, the more it gives you strength just to have someone by your side.
But Kang-han just looks down at me for a moment.
Peeling!
《 ♥ 6 》
Kang Han shook his head while raising his favorability rating.
“Please take care of the remaining guild members.”
Well, someone has to be watching the hellhounds.
I took a step back without saying a word.
“I’ll make sure you don’t cause any trouble and stay quiet. Have a safe trip.”
As I watched the strong man and the association staff moving away, I suddenly thought, “Oh no.”
“Oh, I shouldn’t have said that I wouldn’t have an accident.”
I’m not saying you can’t make promises you can’t keep.
* * *
The heavy door, seemingly flaunting the power of the president of the Korean Awakening Association, closed behind him.
Kang Han furrowed his thick eyebrows slightly as he looked at the overly ornate interior of the association president’s office.
Because the president of the association was not the only person in the office.
“What is this?”
“Our guild leader Kang reawakened his skills, but I think he forgot to register a new status window.”
The association president smiled fakely and patted the back of the chair used to scan the status window.
“I understand that the reawakening scan is not mandatory.”
“Oh, I know that too. But I heard that he awakened with better skills, so shouldn’t that be recorded officially? We have such an amazing S-class hunter in our Republic of Korea too. Isn’t that right?”
Cho Gye-young, the president of the association that Kang knew, was a person who had no interest in things like promoting national prestige.
He was a person who moved only for his own self-interest.
“Are you from the Sama Guild?”
Jo Gye-young’s smile grew even deeper at Kang’s direct question.
“Did you do that on purpose? If you had just quietly entered the Sima Guild, wouldn’t it have been better and there wouldn’t have been any awkward things like this?”
The Sima Guild’s obsession with the Guild of Justice dates back decades.
Ever since Sima Ying’s grandfather was kicked out of the guild by Kang Han’s grandfather, they wanted to subdue the Jeong Guild.
In particular, the current guild leader, Sima Young, was determined to destroy the Jeongui Guild and seize the position of the next group president, and Kang Han was well aware of his true intentions.
But when the plan was ruined right before it was completed due to the appearance of Na Yeo-ju, he chose this petty method of harassment.
Kang-han stared blankly at the scanning chair that had been moved to the association president’s office for him and the staff member standing next to it with his dark green eyes.
How did he understand his actions? The association president took a step closer and asked cheerfully.
“How about joining the Sima Guild now rather than enduring the humiliation of being forced to rescan?”
Except for the first awakening, it was extremely rare for an awakened person to rescan.
The second status window, which was changed from the initial status window where everything had to be disclosed to the association, could be your own weapon that no one knew about.
“If being part of the Sima Guild is too much of a hassle, there’s also the option of the Justice Guild becoming a subsidiary of the Sima Group. That would look better, I guess.”
At first glance, it may seem like a plausible proposal, but there is no change to the fact that the Jeongui Guild, once the pillar of Korean hunters, is now under the control of the Sima Guild.
“I didn’t mean to say this, but you recently won the bid for a dungeon, right?”
As Kang-han kept his mouth shut despite his suggestion, Chairman Cho Kye-young clicked his tongue and said.
“I think you plan on doing it that way in the future, but you do know that one word from me will prevent the Justice Guild from winning any dungeon bids, right?”
The president of the association could not officially have such authority.
However, Jo Gye-yeong was a person who did such things and still left others behind.
Finally, Kang-han’s mouth, which had been tightly shut, opened.
“I will do it.”
“I thought about it carefully… … .”
“Rescanning.”
After finishing speaking, Kang Han took off the sports jumper he was wearing and walked to the chair.
The sound of his combat boots thumping echoed throughout the office.
Then he sat down on the chair and spoke to the staff.
“Let’s get started.”
“Yes, yes. I will start scanning.”
Even though the embarrassed association president didn’t say anything, the employee ended up operating the machine in the face of the S-class’s pressure.
Soon after, two new status windows of Kanghan were printed out on the linked printer.
Kang-han asked the employee who had been reading the status window handed to him with indifferent eyes.
“Are you registered in the government system too?”
The status screens of all Awakened are kept in the official databases of the Association and the government.
The association’s database was under the authority of the association president, but was not that of the government.
“Yes, it is a system that automatically registers you as soon as you scan.”
Kang Han-i nodded once and turned towards the president of the association.
“Since you cooperated with the rescan even though it was not mandatory, the association should comply with its obligations.”
“Is it a requirement?”
“If a Hunter of C-class or higher rescans, the Association is required to announce a new status window through the media. Is that correct?”
“That, that’s true, but… … . Isn’t that something that won’t benefit you either?”
“No.”
Kang-han said, putting his jumper back on.
“Everyone will know. The Guild of Justice will rise again, and my reawakening will be the signal for it.”
Chairman Cho Gye-yeong intuitively felt that the ‘everyone’ he was talking about was actually referring to Sima Young and the Sima Group.
“If the Association doesn’t do it, the Justice Guild will release a new status window to the public.”
After Kang-han finished speaking, he opened the door to his office and came out.
And at that moment, he remembered Nayeoju’s smiling face.
* * *
“These fucking dogs.”
Eventually, things blew up.
I gritted my teeth as I looked at the four people standing in my way.
Then he pushed his face toward a man who was smaller than Jang Su-ho but still big in stature and spoke.
“Should I hit you if you keep nagging me?”
But perhaps because he didn’t want to be criticized for beating up a non-combatant, he just grumbled.
This new X, who doesn’t even have the courage to do anything.
I could stop here without crashing, but I’m so upset I can’t stand to watch any longer.
I brought my face even closer and said one last word.
“Shocked?”
If you’re scared, just run away.