The Otherworldly Magic Swordsman Who Disciplines the Hunter World Chapter 51

The entire guild was in an uproar due to the recent issue. Everyone in the party who had participated that day, including Gong Siyoung, had been called here and there as soon as they returned from the overlapping gate.

The interior of the Yeollak Guild was equally chaotic.

The footsteps crossing the empty corridor were hurried. Gong Siyoung shoved his constantly ringing phone into his pocket.

He had rushed straight from the hospital, but the meeting had already been underway for a long time. If it was going to be like this, they should have at least told him instead of just leaving him there. He walked quickly, cursing Gong Sijin, who had vanished all on his own.

A commotion had already broken out at the lobby entrance because of people trying to reprimand him under the guise of asking questions. After enduring all of that, he was already exhausted before the meeting even began.

People were always like that. It seemed they weren’t satisfied with just giving the dungeons whatever strange names they pleased.

The personal information of the hunters who participated in this raid also spread quickly. Since this was a common reaction whenever a high-profile dungeon was cleared, no one was particularly shaken.

If there was one stroke of luck, it was that Julian’s personal information hadn’t been leaked?

Actually, it wasn’t that it hadn’t been leaked, but rather that nothing came up even though it was leaked. It was impossible for someone from another world to have a resident registration number.

“Oh? Hunter Siyoung! You’re at work already? Are you feeling okay?”

As soon as the elevator doors opened, Kim Taeseung acknowledged him. Gong Siyoung gave a slight nod and stepped into the elevator.

“Hello.”

“I’m always doing well. You’re going to the upper floors, right?”

He pressed the button for the 6th floor where the conference room was located. Gong Siyoung, answering with a bow, checked his phone. The number of missed calls alone had reached double digits.

“Don’t mind what people are saying.”

Kim Taeseung scratched his head. Leaning his back against the elevator, he glanced at Gong Siyoung.

“I mean, well… people are always busy making a fuss whenever anything happens. I’m always rooting for you, Hunter Siyoung. Though I might not know for sure, there are probably more people like me, right?”

He held up a thumb. While Gong Siyoung responded with an awkward nod, Kim Taeseung’s cheering continued.

“If you ever need help with anything, just let me know! I’ll go all out for any request from Hunter Siyoung.”

Just then, the elevator stopped. Kim Taeseung kept shouting “Fighting!” until the doors closed. Only after ascending one more floor did Gong Siyoung exit the elevator.

He headed toward the conference room without hesitation. When he opened the door and entered, people’s gazes poured over him. The Vice Guild Master, Park Ildo, pointed to an empty seat.

“We will continue the meeting.”

It seemed the entire guild leadership was gathered, with the exception of Gong Sijin.

He sat down while looking around at the familiar faces. Myeong Haejin, sitting opposite him, acknowledged him with a glance. Gu Jayoung and Woo Yujin were also there in the seats next to him.

Gu Jayoung, who quickly suppressed Woo Yujin as he raised his hand high, offered a greeting with just a nod of the head. In the restless atmosphere, Park Ildo tapped the table to draw attention.

“Let’s wrap up what we need to organize among ourselves before the Master arrives. Please continue what you were saying, Hunter Myeong Haejin.”

Myeong Haejin cleared his throat with a “Humph.” He looked around the audience with his habitual smile.

“I already reported the important matters during the interview, and since the rest is mostly closer to a personal opinion, I would appreciate it if you listened with that in mind. There were two things I felt after going there myself. One is that we need a return stone to enter there again. And…”

Myeong Haejin, who paused for a moment, locked eyes with Gong Siyoung.

“I believe Hunter Julian should not enter the dungeon.”

Woo Yujin let out a hiccup. Whether he couldn’t see the buzzing crowd or not, Myeong Haejin remained calm.

“Of course, this is just my personal opinion. Nothing is certain yet. However, as I stated in the report, that dungeon is by no means ordinary. As long as it continues to change over a certain period of time, a way back must be prepared. If things go wrong, it’s a perfect place to die.”

“A return stone… can that actually be used?”

“Well. Wouldn’t it be good to just give it a try as if we didn’t know better?”

Gong Siyoung, who had been quietly listening to the conversation, crossed his arms. In the end, it meant Myeong Haejin didn’t really know either.

It was discussed often, and research was actually being conducted in various ways, but he had never heard that a return stone had actually been made.

A return stone was, literally, a device for returning. It was a device that allowed hunters who entered a dungeon to escape even in situations where they could not defeat the boss monster. Various complex conditions were involved, but theoretically, making one wasn’t impossible.

Of course, that was strictly in terms of theory. There was much talk about the issue of practicality—whether it would actually work or not.

Even if one wanted to make it small and compact, there was a minimum size for the stone tablet required by the skill. To meet the 1.5m height standard, it would weigh over 400kg even at a minimum estimate. Furthermore, it wasn’t just any stone; minerals collected from within the dungeon had to be used.

Just obtaining that much weight would cost an astronomical amount of money. Moreover, there was only one hunter in the country who could engrave the return skill.

Hunter Kim Myungja, an S-class hunter who is now retired and the founder of the ‘Myeongja Circle’, was someone who had been called to all sorts of places and took on every sacrifice imaginable during her active period. Because of that, when she retired, she had even made something like a declaration that she would no longer step forward. How on earth could such a person be persuaded now?

The reality was that it was constantly being discussed because it was impossible no matter what. Myeong Haejin didn’t actually think it would be possible either.

Amidst the buzzing crowd, only Park Ildo had a serious expression. After stroking his chin for a long while, he furrowed his brows.

“And what’s this about Hunter Julian not being allowed to enter? I heard we were able to escape safely because of the help from that side.”

“Ah, yes. It’s true we received help. But… this, too, is just a guess, not something certain. Inside the dungeon, monsters swarmed toward Hunter Julian. It might be a temporary phenomenon, but it doesn’t hurt to be careful.”

Even as he said that, his gaze was still directed toward Gong Siyoung. Myeong Haejin smiled broadly as if asking if he hadn’t come to say the same thing.

“I have no disagreement that Hunter Julian is necessary. There was no one who knew monsters as well as that person, at least as far as I know. That’s why I think he should not participate in the next raid even more. No one reveals their trump card from the very beginning, right?”

As people began to add their own words, the room quickly became noisy. Whether he was needed or not, that he should be included, no, that they should think carefully…

It wasn’t like they were talking about a person, but more like they were discussing the value of an object. The meaningless conversation, which was nothing more than a desk-bound theory, continued after that.

Just then, at the news that Gong Sijin had arrived, Park Ildo brightened up and rushed out of the conference room. From then on, there were only people speaking and no one listening.

A few people disappeared following Park Ildo, and the rest stayed in their seats a bit longer before slipping away.

In the ambiguous atmosphere of the meeting breaking up, Woo Yujin and Gu Jayoung also left their seats subtly. In the remaining space after everyone had vanished, Myeong Haejin spoke first.

“How is Hunter Yuri? I heard the news that he woke up.”

“…If you’re so curious, why don’t you go see for yourself.”

Myeong Haejin chuckled. Having tucked his chair into the table, he brushed his hands together—tap, tap. His face showed no particular malice or lingering attachment, but Gong Siyoung wasn’t certain.

“Why on earth did you say such a thing?”

“Which thing? The return stone, or the part about not taking Hunter Yuri into the dungeon?”

It was difficult to read any emotion in the eyes that met his. Myeong Haejin was always like that. Hitting someone in the back of the head while smiling, or giving help at an unexpected time.

He used to turn people’s insides out with his inconsistent behavior. It was the same now.

“Ah, you mean the latter. Well… there’s no particular reason. I just spoke according to what I saw and felt. You saw it too, Hunter Siyoung—how the monsters were particularly clinging only to that person.”

Gong Siyoung did not answer. Myeong Haejin tilted his chin up as if to say, ‘See?’.

“Didn’t Hunter Siyoung participate in the meeting to talk about that too? You’re someone who doesn’t usually come to these things even when called.”

His fingertip pointed toward Gong Siyoung. A playful voice followed, matching his twitching finger.

“I’m also in a position where I was helped by Hunter Yuri, and I know exactly what Hunter Siyoung is thinking. In a situation like this, what would Hunter Yuri even do by going into a dungeon? It’d be a relief if he wasn’t just used as bait. And I guess you think I’m someone determined to block Hunter Siyoung’s path or someone full of schemes…”

He burst into a short laugh. Myeong Haejin, who had approached closely, poked Gong Siyoung’s chest area.

“Of course, that is the correct answer. Who else but me would block Gong Siyoung’s path? But this time, I acted out of goodwill too. So, goodwill should be accepted as goodwill, shouldn’t it?”

The hand that had been patting his chest—thump, thump—pulled away. Myeong Haejin, who turned around without hesitation, turned his head just before leaving the conference room.

“Give my regards to Hunter Yuri. Let’s see each other soon.”

The door closed with those playful words. Gong Siyoung, left alone, irritably brushed off the spot on his chest that Myeong Haejin had touched.

If he were to rank people he disliked for no reason, Myeong Haejin would undoubtedly be number one. No, he was hateful whether he gave something or not.

He wanted to avoid getting involved with him ever again if possible, but how did it end up like this… He let out a sigh and ran a hand through his hair.

Still, thanks to Myeong Haejin, it seemed he might be able to solve the problem without lifting a finger. Gong Siyoung intended to prevent Julian from entering the dungeon. If things continued like this, it didn’t seem very difficult.

Who told him to fight like there was no tomorrow like that anyway? Julian had a fundamental problem. It wasn’t because he was from another world, but because the way he thought and judged was clearly different from others.

In any case, the chance of them parting ways like this was already gone. He was so concerned that even just leaving him alone was driving him crazy, and yet he was supposed to just leave him be? At least for Gong Siyoung, that was impossible.