Chapter 11: Spoiled Second-Generation (1)
“Is this the dagger made from the Sand Wraith’s claw?”
A middle-aged man in a black suit picked up a dagger and asked.
The pure white blade looked like the cross-section of a massive claw.
“That’s correct. It has sharpness and hardness that can tear through steel like paper. It wouldn’t pale in comparison to ‘black steel’.”
A researcher in a white lab coat adjusted his glasses as he replied.
The middle-aged man glanced around, then casually flung the dagger toward an empty wall.
Shrrrieeeek—
It looked like a lazy throw, but the dagger pierced the wall in the blink of an eye.
Crrraack—
Cracks spread out like a spiderweb centered on where the dagger embedded.
The researcher’s face twisted at the sudden act, but he couldn’t say anything.
Approaching to pull out the dagger, the middle-aged man examined the perfectly intact blade and said,
“I like it.”
“There’s one more.”
Managing his expression with effort, the researcher showed a thin vest that resembled body armor.
It had a checkered pattern like stacked ochre bricks.
“That’s the protective gear made from the Sand Wraith’s exoskeleton?”
“Yes. It should easily deflect attacks from at least 4th-grade monsters. Try it on.”
The middle-aged man removed his suit jacket and put the chest guard over his white shirt.
“If I attack like this.”
The researcher in the white coat swung the dagger toward the middle-aged man.
As it aimed for the neck, the chest guard suddenly stretched upward, covering the neck.
When the dagger was withdrawn, the extended part slowly returned to its original shape.
“Oh, the NMRI’s technology has improved quite a bit. You’ve made some truly remarkable items. Well done.”
“Not at all. It’s only natural to produce results like this with the good materials you provided. Isn’t it thanks to you, Director, negotiating well with Crystal Guild?”
“Haha, what did I do?”
Lee Ju-hong, Deputy Director of the Awakener General Affairs Department at Seoul City Hall and a 5th-grade civil servant Hunter, was in a very good mood.
During the Gangseo Han River Park gate outbreak, Crystal Guild had left behind the Sand Wraith corpse, allowing him to obtain fine equipment.
Of course, the ones who recovered and sent the corpse to the research institute were from Gangseo District Office, but that didn’t matter to Deputy Director Lee Ju-hong.
With his authority, intercepting it midway was child’s play.
In practice, he could control almost all civil servant Hunter activities in Seoul.
“How many more can you make with the remaining materials?”
“Hmm… I think we can make about three more chest guards. As for daggers, ten are already complete, and we can make five more.”
Lee Ju-hong nodded satisfactorily at the researcher’s words.
“It’s a shame we can’t make more chest guards, but the daggers are plenty. How long until everything’s finished?”
“Since we’ve mastered the manufacturing process, about three or four days.”
“Good. Contact me when it’s done.”
“Yes. Take care on your way out, Director.”
***
“No way, Director?”
“I can’t help with that either. Just drop it. Pretend it never existed. We didn’t hunt it ourselves anyway.”
Go Ju-min, head of the Awakener Department at Gangseo District Office, shook his head firmly.
But Jin-sol refused to back down.
Having seen and heard things while working beside Temporary Team Leader Chae Jin-young, she couldn’t stay silent in the face of injustice.
“But the Sand Wraith corpse is clearly property of Gangseo District Office. If Crystal Guild doesn’t claim ownership, it should naturally go to the jurisdictional district office. Does the NMRI think they’re above the Awakener laws?”
At Jin-sol’s rapid-fire rebuttal, Director Go Ju-min looked dumbfounded.
Had Jin-sol always been like this?
The Chae Jin-young he’d seen before was the same—ever since Support Team Leader Kim Young-jae’s death, the team members seemed a bit off.
“8th-grade Jin-sol. Are you going through something tough lately?”
“Is there a day when civil servant Hunters aren’t tough?”
“It’s because of Chae Jin-young, isn’t it?”
“Huh? The team leader’s great. If anything, it’s thanks to him that I can keep going.”
“Hmm…”
Go Ju-min stared intently at Jin-sol’s face.
Under that burdensome gaze, Jin-sol finally felt embarrassed a bit late.
If it had been the old her, she wouldn’t have even dreamed of talking back to the director.
The words she’d just blurted out suddenly came back to her, and her face flushed red.
Seeing that expression, Go Ju-min narrowed his brows and asked,
“Do you perhaps have feelings for 9th-grade Chae Jin-young?”
“Huh? W-What are you talking about?”
Jin-sol’s face turned even redder.
The embarrassment she’d felt moments ago was nothing compared to this—she wanted to crawl into a mouse hole.
“If not, just say no. Why make such a fuss?”
“When did I ever make a fuss…”
“Anyway, forget about that matter. It’s not the NMRI’s issue. Seoul City Hall’s Deputy Director Lee is involved.”
“Deputy Director Lee? You don’t mean Deputy Director Lee Ju-hong, do you?”
“That’s right. Once he’s touched it, there’s nothing we can do. Are you going to sue? Not only would we not win, but even if by some miracle we did, we couldn’t handle the aftermath.”
At the director’s firm words, Jin-sol’s expression turned dejected.
Deputy Director Lee Ju-hong was famous among civil servant Hunters—no, more precisely, infamous.
If he marked you, you’d face disadvantages in promotions, transfers, and all sorts of areas.
Lee Ju-hong held power as deputy director at Seoul City Hall, but he was also an executive in the Korean Awakener Association.
Whether you quit civil service for guild life or went freelance as a mercenary, you couldn’t escape his grasp.
Your only options were to quit being a Hunter altogether or become strong enough that even he couldn’t touch you.
One or the other.
“Understood for now. I can’t cause trouble for you, Director.”
“Good thinking. If Temporary Team Leader Chae Jin-young finds out Deputy Director Lee Ju-hong is involved, he’ll probably drop it on his own.”
“Yes. Sorry for the disturbance, Director.”
***
Jin-young listened to Jin-sol’s story after she returned from the director’s office.
“Who knew such a big shot was involved. Can’t be helped.”
“Crashing into Deputy Director Lee Ju-hong would definitely be crossing the line too far, right?”
“Our levels are just too different. I can’t exactly go break his neck, so I’ll politely send an email instead.”
Jin-young opened the mail window on the KHI—the intranet used by all national civil servant Hunters.
He pondered for a moment how to word the email.
He’d hoped it wasn’t, but Deputy Director Lee Ju-hong was involved after all.
Most of the dirty dealings Seoul’s civil servant Hunters faced were tied to this man.
Embezzling monster corpses was commonplace, and he siphoned off budgets allocated to Seoul civil servant Hunters.
He was also notorious for crushing any civil servant Hunter who displeased him, ensuring they could never work in this world again.
If that were all, he’d just be a corrupt, petty civil servant Hunter.
But in the future Jin-young knew, Deputy Director Lee Ju-hong would be implicated in numerous crimes.
Evidence emerged of him taking bribes and sexual favors from various small and medium guilds in Seoul in exchange for privileges.
He unlawfully amassed wealth through illegal dealings with the black market.
The reason it blew up so late was his own arrogance.
Guild masters bowed their heads on their own, and no civil servant Hunter dared touch him—so he eventually crossed a line that shouldn’t be crossed.
Clashing with an Intelligence Department agent.
That led the Intelligence Department to expose all his crimes in detail, revealing his true nature nationwide.
‘This should work as a start.’
Jin-young finally began drafting the email.
[Dear Deputy Director Lee Ju-hong,
Is the box of apples you received from Blue Dragon Guild still in good condition?
…]
He wrote a long, polite, perfectly civil-servant-like message and sent it.
If it was ignored or met with brazen defiance,
‘The Lee Ju-hong gate will just open two years early.’
Jin-young thought he’d need to raid the black market and a few small/medium guilds in advance.
Just then, Jin-sol spoke up.
“Oh, right. Team Leader, have you heard the news?”
“What news?”
She glanced at the neighboring department, then pulled her chair closer to Jin-young and whispered,
“You know Jeon Su-yong, right? The second son of Shin Young Group.”
“Yeah. He’s getting released today. And moving his guild to Gangseo District.”
“You already knew?”
“Thanks to my sister.”
It was information Jin-young wouldn’t have known without Chae So-young.
In the past before regression, Jeon Su-yong’s Blue Dragon Guild had never moved to Gangseo District.
Something Jin-young had done after regression must have changed the future.
“Ah, your sister is in SP Guild, right? I’m really jealous you have such a great sister.”
“Being in a major guild doesn’t make someone a good sister—listening well does.”
“Fair enough. Jeon Su-jong must have a real headache with his brother.”
Shin Young Group’s eldest son, Jeon Su-jong, hadn’t awakened like his younger brother.
Instead, he was solidifying his position as the group’s heir.
“By the way, Jeon Su-yong wouldn’t start villain stuff in Gangseo District, right? Just imagining it is horrifying.”
Jin-sol shuddered at the thought of arresting a spoiled brat like Jeon Su-yong.
“We might end up meeting him soon.”
Jin-young said casually.
Even before becoming the worst villain, Jeon Su-yong had committed petty crimes.
Prostitution, illegal dungeon byproduct trades, assaults on fellow guild members and other Hunters—all swept under the rug until now.
No wonder his nickname was “Spoiled Second-Gen Brat.”
But recently, he beat a civilian nearly to death, and even Shin Young Group couldn’t block a prison sentence.
Rumors said it was less a prison and more a vacation in a villa.
Jin-sol shook her head and muttered,
“Please… I hope he doesn’t get tangled with the support team.”
***
“Fuck, the air outside feels so damn refreshing!”
A man in a thin white shirt threw his arms up in a triumphant pose the moment he stepped out of prison and shouted.
His sleeves were rolled up to his elbows, revealing tattoos on his forearms.
Strange patterns were inked around his neck too.
In contrast to the menacing tattoos, he had a pretty-boy face like a host.
Jeon Su-yong, master of Blue Dragon Guild and second son of Shin Young Group.
“You’ve had it rough, Master.”
A guild member waiting outside the prison pulled out a cigarette and handed it over with both hands.
Jeon Su-yong took it and put it in his mouth; the member immediately lit it for him.
“Whew… Prisons these days are pretty good, huh? Order whatever food you want, drink booze, play games. If you’re horny, call a woman.”
“Oh, really?”
“Of course a broke-ass like you couldn’t. Only someone like me can.”
“I’m so jealous, Master.”
The guild member bowed his head, hiding his twisted expression from view.
He’d been grateful not to see him for half a year, but hell had returned.
Leaving the guild would solve it, but Hunters tied to Blue Dragon couldn’t just walk away.
That’s why Jeon Su-yong acted like a spoiled maniac without restraint.
“This the car?”
Jeon Su-yong asked, eyeing the parked black sedan.
“Yes, Master.”
The guild member quickly opened the rear door.
As Jeon Su-yong got in, he grinned at the woman already inside.
“Our Jeong-ha’s here too?”
“Of course. I’m the vice guild master.”
Blue Dragon’s vice guild master, Yeon Jeong-ha, smiled.
Jeon Su-yong slipped his hand between her thighs.
“You visited so often I thought you wouldn’t come today.”
Yeon Jeong-ha didn’t flinch; she gently held his hand and said,
“Babe, you know Deputy Director Lee Ju-hong?”
“Deputy Director Lee? Yeah. That guy’s taken a ton of bribes from us.”
“He contacted me.”
“Why? Ran out of money? Public officials are always so greedy.”
“No. Someone found out we were feeding him money.”
“Who.”
Jeon Su-yong’s playful face hardened in an instant.
Yeon Jeong-ha tensed, worried the fallout might hit her, but kept a calm expression.
“Ever heard of a Chae Jin-young from Gangseo District Office?”
“Who the fuck is that nobody?”