Chapter 224: Chapter 222: Meeting (2)

“Your treatment is complete. I hope you understand that this is the best we could do.”

“This… is the best?”

“Since we couldn’t recover the lost fingers, this is the best possible restoration at the moment.”

“Anyone can see this fake finger barely moves naturally. And this is supposed to be the best?”

Meanwhile…

Back in China, Jung Seon-rak stared at his fingers with a face full of fury, following his reconstructive surgery.

He had lost two fingers to Kang-hoo when they met in front of the First Research Institute’s main gate.

He sought out a reputable ‘specialist’ in Shanghai for the surgery, but the results fell short of his expectations.

“Still, it’s a miracle I managed to restore over 20% of the previous finger functionality. Not to brag, but this result would be hard to surpass anywhere else.”

“A miracle? A miracle is when it’s fully restored. This is just leaving me crippled!”

“This is as far as I can go. If you want full recovery, you should try going to Gosuke.”

“Are you even listening? You’re telling me to go to a Japanese guy—a black mage psychopath—for treatment?”

“That’s enough. It’s rude to keep berating this person. He came here just to operate on you, despite everything.”

“It’s just frustrating, hearing these annoying suggestions! Who knows if he used me as a test subject?”

“I’ll handle things from here. You may go. Your payment should have been deposited. Thank you.”

“…Alright.”

The specialist quickly left.

The man calming Jung Seon-rak was Yeo Jin-bin, his longtime companion from the First Research Institute.

They had built a deep friendship since childhood, forming a close bond.

Yeo Jin-bin also served as a ‘restraint’ for Jung Seon-rak’s hot-headedness.

He was the only one Jung Seon-rak would listen to.

After the specialist left, Yeo Jin-bin raised his voice in reproach.

“Why are you taking it out on an innocent person? Didn’t you call him knowing what you were getting into?”

“I just can’t accept that my fingers are like this…”

Jung Seon-rak trembled slightly, staring at his fingers that still wouldn’t move as he wished.

This issue had affected his mastery of Qi Gong Dan, the most crucial skill for him as a Qi Gong master.

Though he could still use it, precise and intricate control was now out of reach.

A massive blow to his full potential.

For Jung Seon-rak, who prided himself on his level, skill, and ability, this was a severe shock.

“Do you have any leads on him?”

“We’re looking, but the face in the video footage is hard to make out.”

“He must have been hired for the job. A mercenary, right? Then there should be information on his contract.”

“Do you know how many mercenary groups are in Korea? And gaining access to internal information is no easy task.”

“Still, we need to find him! My pride won’t allow me to spend my life never knowing who he is, unable to get my revenge!”

“Alright, calm down for now. Let’s focus on regaining more sensation in your fingers first.”

“What? Telling me to go to Gosuke? That specialist is lucky I didn’t kill him.”

Grit.

Jung Seon-rak gritted his teeth.

Even Jung Seon-rak, desperate to regain feeling in his fingers, was put off by Gosuke’s reputation as an infamous Japanese black mage.

“I’ll search for the assassin based on the skills and movements used back then, so don’t worry. It shouldn’t be an international mercenary.”

“Hoo… Give me a cigarette.”

Jung Seon-rak put a cigarette to his lips, his expression darkening as he looked at the bloody bandage over his injured fingers.

Would he ever get his revenge on the hunter, whom he could barely recognize by his piercing gaze alone, who had dealt him this unforgivable humiliation? ṚÅΝȫβĚṦ

Drip.

Blood seeped from his clenched fingers as his nails dug into his skin. He was barely holding back his fury.

All the things Kang-hoo discussed with Lee Ye-rin brought him a sense of satisfaction.

She had obtained key evidence of the Jeonghwa Guild’s misdeeds, and her fury over it was evident.

At first, Kang-hoo wondered why she was telling him about the guild’s true face.

If Kang-hoo were a hunter with ties to or a desire to get close to the Jeonghwa Guild…

Lee Ye-rin’s words could serve as evidence against her, and he could use it to gain favor with the guild.

But, of course, Lee Ye-rin was no fool.

She had met Kang-hoo in a special room where all radio and electronic devices were disabled.

Their conversation was entirely verbal, leaving no proof except her own memory.

Still, there was one regret: when she had first acquired information on the guild’s misconduct and reached out to him.

At that time, she had let her guard down and confided in him without safeguards.

If Kang-hoo had harbored different intentions, Lee Ye-rin could have easily become a target of the Jeonghwa Guild.

It’s not that she couldn’t escape if necessary, but any personal trust between her and Jang Si-hwan would have been shattered.

Kang-hoo pointed this out.

Revealing her true thoughts without full trust in the other person was not wise.

Lee Ye-rin, normally meticulous, had momentarily let her anger over the guild’s misdeeds cloud her judgment.

Regardless, she had explained the Jeonghwa Guild’s dangers to Kang-hoo and urged him to be cautious.

For Kang-hoo, it was nothing new.

However, he refrained from stoking her animosity further or intensifying her emotions.

Only by reaching her conclusions would she firmly align herself against the Jeonghwa Guild. Her conviction had to be self-realized.

Any excessive emotional involvement could backfire.

But now that Lee Ye-rin had openly shown her hand, there was no longer any need to doubt her sincerity.

She would now skillfully pose as an ally to the Jeonghwa Guild while digging deeper into their dark secrets.

With her meticulous personality and capabilities, gathering data wouldn’t take long.

After finishing a deep conversation with Lee Ye-rin, Kang-hoo proceeded to his next scheduled meeting with Gong Yoo-seok and Go Ju-hee.

Greeting the two with feigned cheerfulness from the entrance, Lee Ye-rin put on a convincing act of being delighted to see them.

In the VIP meeting room, Kang-hoo greeted Gong Yoo-seok and Go Ju-hee, helping to ease the tense atmosphere with his introduction.

“Last time, we met when you were acting as judges for the assault eligibility review, but today, the setting is quite different.”

“Even if we’ve met before, a proper introduction is necessary. I’m Go Ju-hee from Jeonghwa Guild.”

“I’m Gong Yoo-seok, officially the Team Leader of the External Talent Strategy Department. Ju-hee here is the Deputy Team Leader.”

When they’d been judges, both had dressed rather extravagantly.

But today, perhaps due to the occasion, they wore simple black suits, giving off a more restrained look.

Thanks to Kang-hoo greeting them first with a much higher level of energy than usual, he found himself momentarily out of things to say.

After an awkward silence, Go Ju-hee spoke up.

“Our Jeonghwa Guild has been closely observing your activities, Shin Kang-hoo. Not as surveillance, of course, but because we find you to be a very intriguing person.”

Watching Go Ju-hee lie without blinking an eye, Kang-hoo understood the nature of the meeting.

When tasked with talent acquisition, it was essential to start by flattering the other party.

He chuckled at the random thought of how different the conversation would have been if An Yeong-ho had been sitting beside him.

“Not only with what happened with Eclipse but also with the Osho Mercenary Corps. They were filthy scum,” Gong Yoo-seok added.

It was interesting that he knew about the Osho Mercenary Corps, a topic not widely known.

Of course, word could’ve spread from Kim Su-kyung’s mercenary group.

After all, the Jeonghwa Guild has connections with the Kashimar Guild, so they could have easily acquired information.

But the fact that they knew a piece of information Kang-hoo had never publicly disclosed and were mentioning it so casually…

“This must be a display of Jeonghwa Guild’s intelligence-gathering capabilities, an intimidation and appeal tactic.”

The strategic intent was evident.

Knowing about the Osho Mercenary Corps clearly demonstrated the link between Jeonghwa Guild and Kashimar Guild.

They likely spoke without much thought, but to Kang-hoo, their remarks only solidified his suspicions.

“Cha So-hyuk was not a hunter our Jeonghwa Guild approved of either. I’m still curious as to how you managed to defeat him,” Go Ju-hee said.

“Most of our guild’s executives think the same. Many were surprised.”

Taking a sip of his tea, Kang-hoo nodded in acknowledgment.

Sensing Kang-hoo’s boredom with the endless flattery, Go Ju-hee changed the topic.

“Our Jeonghwa Guild supports hunters like Shin Kang-hoo, who pursue justice and show explosive potential for growth!”

“Of course, this isn’t the first recruitment proposal you’ve received. But rest assured, our Jeonghwa Guild can provide far better conditions and environments than any other place!”

Their confidence shone through in every word. That’s Jeonghwa Guild’s pride.

In the original work, their pride-filled declarations had been endearing.

But from Shin Kang-hoo’s position, it felt unsettling, as though they were subordinates of traitors.

It wasn’t their fault, of course. But their fate, leading to the abyss of darkness, was certain.

“Even if the conditions are favorable, any hunter favored by Jeonghwa Guild has a predictable future.”

Kang-hoo knew all too well how close An Yeong-ho had come to disaster.

If he joined, he’d immediately undergo “training,” and his skills would be systematically copied by Yu Cheonghwa.

There were endless horror stories circulating in the rumors about the Jeonghwa Guild.

The resentment in his heart for the Jeonghwa Guild was strong, particularly toward Jang Si-hwan and Chae Gwanhyeong.

Yet, openly displaying his hostility would be foolish.

Hinting at the Jeonghwa Guild’s negative aspects and showing reluctance would be a moderate approach.@@novelbin@@

But to truly master the situation, there was a simple tactic: divert all the attention onto himself.

Like this.

“I’ve admired the Jeonghwa Guild for a long time. What hunter wouldn’t?”

The two nodded in agreement.

They seemed slightly surprised by his overly friendly response, probably expecting him to reject them outright.

“There’s no need for a proposal. If I were an ordinary hunter, I would have joined long ago.”

“Are you saying…?”

“But, as you know, I have too many enemies right now. And I know myself too well. My personal feelings always come first before any sense of belonging, so yes, I am selfish.”

Kang-hoo glanced at their expressions.

He briefly considered mentioning the Observer but decided it wasn’t the best choice.

It wasn’t impossible that they’d use the guise of training before a dungeon assault to spend more time in contact.

If he tried to avoid them, it would only seem more suspicious.

Thus…

“Sticking to a one-sided admiration without any expectations of acceptance is the best choice.”

Kang-hoo was acting.

Pretending to long for the Jeonghwa Guild, only to consider himself an unworthy wild beast.

The die was cast.

Now, it was time to observe Jang Si-hwan’s reaction. Would he recognize Kang-hoo’s self-deprecating rejection?

He was curious to see his response.

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