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Chapter 45
“What a coincidence!”
“Did you take the subway in advance?”
“Actually, I was about to take a trip to Seoul. Even if I didn’t get to see Kang Shin-hwa, I was thinking of taking a break.”
“I see. I came to Jije Station on some business and am on my way.”
“You seem very interested in Jije Station.”
“Yes. Very much so.”
Choi Ji-hyeok and Kang Shin-hwa shook hands warmly and conversed.
It was an unintended chance encounter, but somehow the mood was good.
Suddenly, Choi Ji-hyeok made an uncomfortable expression and moved towards a corner.
“Kang Shin-hwa, I’m sorry. I’m not very fond of sunlight.”
“That’s understandable.”
Kang Shin-hwa nodded.
He already knew that Choi Ji-hyeok had an untellable past regarding this.
A being who can’t help but fear sunlight – a vampire.
Like Jang Seong-yeong, who had previously fought with Kang Shin-hwa, Choi Ji-hyeok had vampiric traits.
The Awakened System gave him the talent of debuff abilities while taking away the warmth of the sun.
However, since vampiric traits are typically considered the exclusive domain of villains.
Choi Ji-hyeok hid his traits from almost everyone except a very close few.
Prejudice and bias are barriers too high to easily overcome with a few words of sincerity.
“By the way, there are many rumors about you. You’re quite the talk in internet articles lately.”
“Haha, what articles have you seen?”
There were articles with ‘exclusive’ by dedicated reporter Park Hyeon and subsequent reproduced news.
Park Hyeon would publish articles edited exactly as Kang Shin-hwa wanted, so no additional comments were needed.
“I heard you joined the Yanghwa Guild, and I saw the article about you healing Jin Bo-mi, the daughter of the Yanghwa Group’s chairman and an Awakened.”
“I see.”
“I also saw an article about developing a top-tier magic potion! There was another article saying it was fake news. Is it true?”
Choi Ji-hyeok asked the question he had expected.
The public reaction and Choi Ji-hyeok’s thoughts were exactly the same.
Yanghwa Guild had only announced an exclusive sales notice and had not yet distributed the top-tier magic potion to the market.
Currently, they were negotiating behind the scenes.
According to the report received through Jin Bo-mi, there was significant interest from domestic and international guilds.
However, since everyone was skeptical, they planned to gather all relevant parties soon for a sample test.
They would likely use the remaining one bottle from the two bottles previously purchased by Jin Seong-tae.
“Yes, that’s correct. But the production process is confidential.”
“Wow! If that’s true, it would be a massive sensation! Even the mid-tier magic potion developed by Arisu Chemical is worth its weight in gold!”
“However, daily production is limited to one bottle, so mass production will be difficult.”
“Scarcity too! Many Awakened will line up to buy it. I’m jealous.”
“How embarrassing, haha.”
Kang Shin-hwa smiled bashfully.
While he could have listened to others’ praise arrogantly,
Hearing Choi Ji-hyeok’s praise, who was steeped in kindness and humility, made him feel humble too.
“You said D-rank?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“I just entered E+ rank recently. Ah, it’s not easy. Who knew collecting magical power as an Awakened would be this difficult?”
A deep sense of frustration emanated from Choi Ji-hyeok’s heavy sigh.
In fact, it was a common concern among many Awakened.
One needs to increase total magical power to naturally rise in rank, but the process is never easy.
If one could level up like in a game by hunting monsters and correspondingly increase magical power, that would be great.
The Awakened System had compressed everything into innate talent.
If one lacks innate talent,
It created a strange structure where one might be stuck in the same place even after 10 years or more of effort.
‘If I synchronize with the priest, I can at least double the power I currently possess.’
In his previous life, Kang Shin-hwa had his own manual for effectively utilizing Choi Ji-hyeok.
Choi Ji-hyeok’s debuff abilities, which significantly lower monster defense and cause various disruptions, were perfectly compatible with him.
Kang Shin-hwa’s main talent is maximizing damage with over power, and Choi Ji-hyeok’s debuff helps him reach the peak of that maximization.
‘Not right now, but in the long run, I’ll need my own team. An independent force.’
A slight glimmer flickered and disappeared in Kang Shin-hwa’s eyes as he observed Choi Ji-hyeok.
He didn’t know how long he’d stay with the Yanghwa Guild, nor did he plan to move to another guild.
No matter how well he was treated, being affiliated with a guild would remain unchanged.
Organizations provide a sense of belonging, but that belonging often constrains one.
For Kang Shin-hwa, who dreams of early retirement, long-term affiliation with any organization was inevitably burdensome.
There was no need to do so.
‘It’ll be more convenient for me to remain an independent entity. It’ll also be easier to naturally withdraw when I retire.’
Kang Shin-hwa was drawing a big picture while drinking kimchi soup early on.
The core was simple.
Create a team with colleagues who had perfect synergy with him in his previous life and use them as he pleased.
This way, he could solve various matters including dungeon clearing without worrying about guild or organizational concerns.
He’d also have a coordinator to moderately interact with external parties, blocking or adjusting troublesome proposals in advance.
Instead of Kang Shin-hwa discussing and preparing everything himself, he’d have a sort of proxy.
This would significantly reduce complex matters and allow him to focus only on what he wants to do.
‘When Nicholas returns someday, he’ll probably say he needs me again with all that Nine Lord nonsense. Not in this life. Whether it’s Eight Lord or whatever, they can sort it out themselves.’
Kang Shin-hwa organized his thoughts, looking far into the future.
It might be good to assemble a team for himself, starting with Choi Ji-hyeok.
“Father.”
“Yes?”
“Do you currently have any team, guild, or other organization you’re affiliated with?”
That’s how Kang Shin-hwa began.
* * *
We soon arrived at Sinchon Station.
We headed to the bar the priest had prepared and continued our endless conversation.
As expected, the priest had no team. He was currently alone.
He had continuously tried to join a guild or form a team, but it hadn’t been successful.
Awakened who didn’t know how to use the priest disliked him, considering his lack of independent combat abilities.
Moreover, his debuff abilities had short duration, making them difficult to use stably.
‘That’s only a problem from their perspective. For me, it’s no issue.’
In his previous life, he had spent considerable time synchronizing with the priest.
They were so in sync that people once misunderstood they were dating.
I know exactly how to utilize him to maximize my power.
I can confidently say.
I’m the one who can use him best.
Meanwhile, I was greatly surprised by the Hongryeon Guild’s display throughout the Sinchon Station area.
Literally every few steps, pillars were erected with Hongryeon Guild flags fluttering.
“The Hongryeon Guild provides the best treatment for Awakened, beyond Korea’s best, to the world’s best!”
“The pride of Korea, the dream of Awakened! Realize your dreams at the Hongryeon Guild!”
Additionally, a massive screen in the street’s center continuously played Hongryeon Guild promotional videos.
The people appearing in the videos were popular entertainers and idols with significant influence.
“It’s definitely Hongryeon,” the priest said, looking around with his mouth agape.
Most buildings at Sinchon Station were flying Hongryeon Guild flags.
Meaning these were buildings used by the guild’s Awakeners.
These weren’t just one or two buildings, but had sprouted like mushrooms across several blocks.
‘These aren’t just one or two problematic guilds. It’s definitely going to be troublesome going forward…’
I made a bitter expression.
Hongryeon and Cheongyeon.
Three months from now, these two guilds will surprise attack the third-ranked Hyehwa Guild.
As a result,
The balanced three-way structure will collapse, and the two guilds will merge, creating a massive guild force.
“An organization that surpasses the influence of KSA will emerge, like the Triads, Wu Xing Society, and Black Society in China.
It was also the moment when the dark age of the Awakener World of the Republic of Korea was dawning.
‘Well, I guess that’s how it is.’
If it were Nicholas, he would have advised me to somehow change this future.
I still don’t know.
Whether I need to change this future or not.
Because I’m not particularly interested in world peace, justice, or maintaining order.
As long as Hongryeon or Cheongyeon don’t touch me, I don’t want to be at odds with them.
I’d rather be thankful if I could sell my work at a high price and save up my retirement funds.
* * *
Zzorr. Zzorr.
Soju filled appropriately in the glass.
Choi Ji-hyeok persistently insisted on treating me to expensive liquor, but Kang Shin-hwa coolly ordered soju.
Even in his previous life, when he had made a lot of money, he had been somewhat interested in sophisticated wine or liquor, but in the end, he always returned to soju.
Kang Shin-hwa could not give up soju’s unique intense flavor. Is it an inevitable trait of a Korean?
Clank.
After toasting.
As soon as he downed the first glass refreshingly, Choi Ji-hyeok opened the conversation.
“At Mosan-gol Cathedral, there’s a priest named Kim Hwan-deok who is also an Awakened like me.”
“Ah, so there’s another colleague?”
“Yes, that’s right. Father Kim is much higher ranked at C-rank. He’s skilled in detoxification and is sought after by other Awakened when going to toxic dungeons.”
“Detoxification is also an essential element in clearing dungeons. I think it’s an ability that cannot be dispensed with.”
Unless one was immune to poison like Kang Shin-hwa, detoxification ability was really important.
Because dungeons are filled with all kinds of monsters, and the types of poison they inject are beyond imagination.
“That day, after you saved me, he was amazed when he saw you treating the paralysis poison wounds I had suffered.”
“Amazed?”
“Yes. He said it was a unique healing ability he had never seen before…”
Just as Choi Ji-hyeok was enjoying the conversation about his colleague, right at that moment.
“Hey.”
One of the four men roaming inside the bar tapped Kang Shin-hwa’s shoulder, who was focused on the conversation.
“…?”
“We came to have a drink after a long time, and the seat is full? Looking at you, you seem like a newbie. Can’t you move over and let the uncles have their drink?”
When Kang Shin-hwa glanced at the man’s shoulder, the Hongryeon guild’s insignia was conspicuously attached.
Is this the pride of Korea, the romance of the Awakened, and the dream of receiving the world’s best treatment?
I thought today would pass quietly without incident, but from the early morning assassination attempt, it seems to be a very unlucky day.
Kang Shin-hwa quietly stood up.
And while staring directly into the man’s two eyes, he said in a clearly audible, distinct voice,
“This is not… XX.”
A declaration of war was made right to his face.
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