Chapter 194, Plea (2)

What does this mocking laughter mean?

"Hahaha! Ah, ha. So that's why our Giryeo-ssi had to go through all that hardship."

"H, Hunter Esther?"

"My goodness. I really had no idea it was such an absurd story."

Esther laughed so hard that tears formed in her eyes, and it wasn't until 30 seconds later that she was able to continue the conversation.

However, what came out of her mouth next was nothing short of a thunderbolt.

"Anyway, to get to the point, the probability that Giryeo-ssi is not S-rank is 0%!"

"What did you say?"

"Have you already turned a deaf ear? Hunter Kim Giryeo is a genuine top-tier talent, guaranteed by another high-level awakener!"

How could you mistake someone like that!

Esther couldn't stop laughing, still finding the previous statement utterly ridiculous. However, as the conversation continued, the association president's face grew darker.

Tension. Anxiety. A gradually growing sense of negativity clouded the middle-aged man's expression.

"Wh, what makes you so sure it's 0%? I, I heard this from a reliable source. All the way from the United States—"

"United States?"

Esther changed her posture after speaking in her usual high tone.

"Hmm, then I'll be fair and let you know. My source of information is from Japan, though."

She crossed her legs and sat down a little more comfortably.

"I once attended the founding anniversary event of a guild called Gate Star, you know? And there, I met a certain Hunter..."

By the way, the person who was at the party in the U.S. and has never spoken to Giryeo is none other than this individual.

"That person is 'Yamasaka Iori.'"

The foreigner who exchanged numbers with her was an S-rank Hunter with wind attributes from Japan.

"However, I happen to be quite fond of anime. Hunter Iori is also quite fond of Korean idols."

"Yes?"

"Since we both have an interest in each other's cultures, we quickly became close after exchanging just a few emails."

"W, what's the point?"

"Was my introduction too long? The point is, since we got that close, I was able to hear about the Dragon Subjugation from Iori recently..."

Esther tilts her head slightly and tells him the main point that he wanted so badly.

"What I'm trying to say is this—if you know what happened in Japan's S-rank Gate, there's no way you could call that man a fraud."

An incident at the S-rank Gate in Kagoshima? The Association President was taken aback by Esther's statement. After all, it was precisely the circumstances of the Kagoshima raid that had made him deeply suspicious of Giryeo in the first place. Of course, the strongest factor that led him to believe Giryeo was a fraud had been the pressure from Spectrum.

"Wasn't that Kim Giryeo guy only in Japan as a support member...?"

The fact that the man volunteered to be a support member now seemed suspicious in hindsight. If they assume that the other party was a fake S-rank, it's highly likely that this was a cover-up to hide his lacking abilities.

"Hmm, I wonder how much of this I can actually tell you."

Mumbling.

However, the awakened cursed attribute continued to speak in a calm tone even at this moment.

"First, let me share a little secret with you—Giryeo fell right into the venomous dragon's poison pit in its nest and came out completely unharmed."

"What are you..."

"Of course, it's not exactly an extraordinary feat. The poison there was something that other S-rank hunters in Japan could withstand to some extent as well."

At these words, the association president paused for a moment.

"However, I'm not sure if that misunderstanding still persists after hearing this. Hunter Kim Giryeo single-handedly killed a dragon in that dungeon without even a scratch."

"What?"

"Even if it was just a regular monster, the dragons in that place were so tough that Japanese hunters had to work together to take them down." 𝚏𝕣𝐞𝗲𝐰𝕖𝐛𝐧𝕠𝕧𝚎𝚕.𝐜𝚘𝗺

That hunter had clearly stated that he would only be supporting the Japanese hunters from behind—so how could he have slain a dragon with his own hands?

Moreover, the explanation that followed utterly froze the association president to his core. The method that cold-eyed hunter had used to slay the dragon was none other than a skill that was both common and widely known.

"The most crucial point in that story is that Hunter Kim Giryeo used [Binding] for the hunt."

Binding. It is a magical skill commonly found in the form of a skill stone. Due to its special properties, the process of acquiring it is heavily influenced by an individual's aptitude. To be more precise, if someone lacks talent in telekinesis, even using the skill stone won't allow them to master the technique. However, if they are fortunate enough to learn it, the skill becomes quite useful.

Unlike other skill stones, such as those of C-rank or D-rank, which often have fixed power levels, Binding always scales according to the awakened individual's specs.

"Could it be that the association president doesn't know? The output of [Binding] increases proportionally with the awakening stats?"

Esther uttered the same sentence the blonde man had once said. The association president tried to rebut, but...

"E, even if the premise of the skill is like that, there's a possibility that he used other means, like items, to manipulate it, right?"

This time, the woman interrupted with a hearty laugh.

"You know one thing but not the other. President, the person who shared everything you've just heard is none other than Japan's Hunter Iori."

"Yes?"

"He possesses the [Appraisal] skill!"

The president of the Hunter Association. Since this, too, was technically a job within the industry of handling the extra ordinary, there was no way Go Byeong-do could be completely ignorant of the nature of Awakened beings.

"Wait, then don't tell me..."

Go Byeongdo soon understood what the other person meant.

Appraisers were those most familiar with dungeon artifacts. Because of this, those with analysis skills were often more sensitive to the power of items than other hunters.

"Yes. That 'what it' is actually true. I asked just in case, and it turns out Hunter Kim Giryeo wasn't even wearing a 'weapon' during the raid."

According to the evaluation of that Japanese appraiser, Hunter Kim Giryeo didn't wear any equipment that enhanced skill power in the S-rank gate of Kagoshima. In fact, it wasn't just power-enhancing items. Aside from a special ability dagger and a small back he carried, he practically cleared the raid barehanded.

"The kind of grand item manipulation you were imagining never existed in the first place."

..Of course, contrary to this statement, there actually was something. What Giryeo did—boosting the power of his skills using a perpetual motion core—was something that was impossible for Earthlings to comprehend, which is why they couldn't uncover the truth of the incident.

"So how could Giryeo-ssi possibly be a fake? There's already more than enough evidence to prove otherwise."

"_ _"

"I don't even understand why you misunderstood some this trustworthy in the first place, President- You were the one who spread his home address first, and getting all worked up and sharpening your knife over being 'deceived' just because you had to pay a mere 3 billion in compensation? Now that's even more disappointing."

Moreover, if they assume that Kim Giryeo is truly an S-rank, then someone in this room has made an irreparable mistake.

"K, Kim Giryeo personally killed a dragon in an S-rank gate? Then... what those Japanese guys said in the interviews wasn't just empty talk?"

Cold sweat trickled down the association president's forehead. Unlike Go Byeongdo, whose expression grew increasingly anxious, Esther simply thought to herself, 'It's certain now that the president called in Ally. I can cancel the Justitia rental. Saved some money."

"Then could it be... that Hunter Kim Giryeo is actually the real deal..."

Someone's misfortune doesn't end here. The spark ignited by the Association President's actions has yet to fully catch fire.

"Anyway, I've really come to see Giryeo-ssi in a new light through all this. He looks so cold-hearted, yet he's still letting the Association President live despite leaking such valuable information."

"Yes?"

"Not to mention, since the Association kept whining about how they couldn't trust someone whose rank had been concealed, he even went so far as to make that contract himself to put their minds at ease."

"_ Ugh."

"He seems unexpectedly generous when it comes to ordinary people."

Esther murmured briefly before resting her chin on her hand and scanning the area. More precisely, she was looking at where the association president's bodyguards were standing.

"But what should I do about this? Sorry, but I can't overlook it any longer. No matter what misunderstandings there were, I have no intention of working with someone who would so easily draw their blade against an Awakened just because they don't like them."

"Listen. What are you talking about..."

"Just so you know, if you're going to make more excuses, save it. I missed my timing earlier, but I absolutely despise criminals who drag other words."

Tak.

"We've already given you plenty of chances. But you still crossed the line."

Esther straightened her crossed legs and tapped the floor with her shoe in discontent.

"I'm thinking of delivering the punishment on behalf of Giryeo-ssi from now on."

"Ha!"

"Let's talk about Ally after you step down from that association president position first. There's an order to things, after all. Got it?"

The S-rank Hunter sitting on the sofa spoke as if they had conveyed everything they needed to and began to rise from their seat.

Bang!

At that moment, the man sitting across from her slammed the table, expressing his anger.

"Hey, I've been holding back, but this bratty little girl has been disrespectful from the start!"

"What a surprise."

"I put up with all that ignorant nonsense, and now what? You want me to give up my seat?"

Association President Go Byeongdo snarled and swore at the S-rank in front of him.

"Let's see if you really think that'll be so easy, Guild Leader of the Korean Magic Tower!"

"Hmm."

"Looks like you've already forgotten, but I was right there when you made your secret deal with the government!"

"Ah."

"I know very well that you've been committing murder under the name of executions!"

But what was this? He had just revealed a weakness that would be undeniably fatal if it were ever made public. Yet, the more the Association President spoke, the more Esther's eyes widened—and, strangely enough, a smile began to form on her lips.

"So what do you want me to do?"

To put it bluntly, the Association President's threat didn't work in the slightest.

"W, what...?"

"Look here. These days, thanks to people like you in power running wild, we're living in an era of widespread distrust in the justice system. So what's the big deal about that?"

Retribution. Violence. Vigilante justice. People these days tend to revel in such sensational events. The purging of a criminal who had harmed the innocent could very well be interpreted differently by certain citizens.

"Go ahead and make my actions public if you want."

"_ _"

"But do you really think the new generation will do nothing but criticize me? More than that, with politicians and journalists firmly backing me, do you think that news will even spread properly?"

For reference, the act of executing high-ranking criminals was something she had long been concerned about. Separa ta from the thorough pre-investigations to prevent any wrongful accusations, there was always the possibility that the government could use this as leverage to tighten its grip on her, just like now.

However, after a brief consideration, Esther had already found a solution to the risk.

"Oh, by the way, President, is your headache feeling any better now?"

Headache. At the mention of that word, Go Byeongdo's face visibly twisted in discomfort.

"If you're feeling better, that's a relief. But if our dear Association President happens to cause any more trouble in the future..."

"Ha!"

"I'm a little worried that the heavens might take offense and make your condition worsen again..."

Saying this, Esther looked at her opponent with a cold, unblinking expression. Just like the blonde hunter who had asked her for a favor, she maintained a fierce and intimidating demeanor, unwavering in its intensity.

At that moment, Association President Go Byeongdo realized that the Guild Leader of Korea's Magic Tower had used their abilities on a person—and for a brief second, the entire recording device under that chair?"

"Where are you rolling your eyes like that? Could it be that the recording device is under that chair?"

But at that moment, the woman with a languid expression lifted the corners of her lips and continued speaking.

"I forgot to tell you, but I actually brought some first-class magic stones to this room today."

At the same time, the secretary standing behind her opened the briefcase she was holding and showed it to me.

Dungeon resources that shone so brightly they were almost blinding. But their beauty was as perilous as the yellow-green glow of uranium oxide.

"So if you had any recording functions turned on, the sound might have gotten a little... distorted."

An interference mimicking the traits of a Gate. Just as the Association President's eyes began to tremble, the Earth's curse sorcerer spoke to him with a bright smile.

"If you've listened this far, you should understand by now. Look forward to it—it's your turn to be on the receiving end."

"Listen, Hunter Esther!"

"By the way, I believe a person's true feelings come from their pain. So, the price for messing with a good hunter—let's make sure to discuss it thoroughly afterward."

The prelude to destruction had begun.