Hunter World Chaebol Household - Chapter 17 - Parting

It’s not a dungeon. Everyone lowered their guard knowing that fact. There was no need to be wary because it was not a place where monsters appeared anyway.

The Odyssey guild members had already lost their vitality and were in a dead state, so there was no need to be vigilant.

 

“I’m here to deal with the Odyssey guild’s people, and I’m really discouraged by this.”

 

“Chairman Lee, I am from Odyssey. I’d like to change the name.”

 

“Not now.”

Jeong-Hoon shrugged and answered, moving forward without hesitation.

Without Jeong-Hoon, other people would have absorbed their vitality just like the people of the guild.

However, since the center of the seal is connected to Jeong-Hoon, Jeong-Hoon is walking in the lead because it is safer to have him there.

 

“Sa, save me…”

Instinctively, it felt like he was almost at the center of the barrier, but something caught Jeong-Hoon’s foot and he raised his voice.

When the man lying on the floor lifted his head and opened his mouth, everyone’s eyes were focused on the man.

 

“Hmm? It’s Kim Kyung-Hwan, the guild master of Odyssey.”

Jeong-Hoon was surprised when Butler Joo recognized his face, which he couldn’t because he was so skinny like a skeleton.

None of the healthy faces seen in the picture are the faces of those who will soon die.

 

“Un, under the sanction of Lumen, I will take it. Please save me…”

 

“When you’re trying to improve your ability here, and then negotiating with the government to pressure Lumen, and now you want us to save you.”

When the Butler Joo shot back at Kim Kyung-Hwan, who was begging for his life while screaming, he barely shook his head to deny it.

 

But no one could refute  that Butler Joo’s conjecture was true.

A dungeon where unknown monsters do not appear but a hunter’s  ability is amplified.

This information is worth negotiating with only if the attack is successful.

If not for that, there is no reason to enter this dungeon.

 

“But I have no power to make the decision. What would you do, Chairman?”

 

“What should I do?”

 

“Have mercy?”

When asked by Butler Joo, Jeong-Hoon looked at Kim Kyung-Hwan, who was dying. It looked like he would die soon if he was left alone.

 

“What do you think, Sister?” (Jeong-Hoon)

 

“Well, Chairman Lee is the judge. I don’t think he’ll be able to live long even if you help him anyway.”

Jeong-Hoon nodded his head at those words and gave the order to the Butler.

Even if I can kill you, you need to be judged by the law.

 

“Let us have mercy.”

 

“Okay, Chairman.”

 

Butler Joo nodded and took out a pistol from his pocket according to Jeong-Hoon’s words, and pointed at Kim Kyung-Hwan’s head.

 

Ta-ang!

 

A large-caliber bullet designed to deal with monsters smashed Kim Kyung-Hwan’s head.

Death on the spot is not for everyone to see.

 

“Argh! What are you doing?”

 

“Didn’t you say show mercy?”

 

When Jeong-Hoon shouted at the terrible scene in front of him,Butler Joo asked back.

 

“When his life force was depleted like that and we managed to save him, pain was the only thing waiting for him. Comfort was the only mercy.”

 

“Then please explain that in advance!”

 

Jeong-Hoon, who thought he would save him, was shocked to see him kill Kim Kyung-Hwan neatly.

But I was just surprised that the person I ordered to save had died.

Oddly enough, he didn’t feel guilty about having him die at his command.

Rather, he was left with only the remorse that he had removed the core even though he did not solve the case.

 

***

 

The center of the barrier.

The moment they passed the place where Kim Kyung-hwan had fallen and saw that they had reached the void, everyone thought that this was the center of the barrier.

No, I couldn’t help but think that way.

A sphere similar to the core of a dungeon in the center of the cavity.

However, unlike the huge jewel-like core, numerous shapes and unknown characters were floating around the golden sphere, and it was emitting an enormous wave.

The moment that the wavelength reached them, the others sank as if they had been swept away by a torrent.

Everyone was at a loss,breathless from the waves. But Jeong-Hoon stood calmly and looked at the sphere.

 

“Butler Joo, what happens if I tell you I’ve seen this before?”

 

“…it’s nothing strange.”

Exactly, looking at the center of the barrier that he felt as if he had seen it before, Jeong-Hoon slowly moved his feet one step at a time.

I’ve seen it.

10 years ago. no, before that. Maybe he saw it when he was born.

 

“What is certain is that I understand why I am a non-awakened person.”

Instinctively feeling that the sphere was the cause, Jeong-Hoon approached it.

Then he raised his hand and touched the sphere.

 

Whoosh. Whoosh.

The moment Jeong-Hoon touches the sphere. Those who were under pressure from the waves felt their bodies freed.

And when he looked up,

The sphere emitted a brilliant light.

 

“… Butler Joo!”

 

“Yes, Chairman!”

 

Baffled by the sudden light, Jeong-Hoon closed his eyes and shook his head to call Butler Joo.

 

“It’s all right. You can open your eyes.”

At the words of the Butler, who patted Jeong-Hoon on the shoulder, he gently opened his eyes and looked around.

Then what was seen was not the cavity at the center of the boundary, but Odyssey’s hideout. It was in a container building.

The broken space, which is the entrance to the dungeon, had disappeared as if it had never existed from the beginning.

“Is this the end?”

 

“That’s what I want to ask, Chairman Lee.”

 

“Since we came into contact with the chairman, who is the key to sealing, it seems that we got out of that space automatically as we returned to our starting point.”

 

“So it’s over, right?”

 

“No, there’s still Odyssey left.”

The seal was resolved, but the Butlersmiled a little, noting that the reason for coming here was only because of Odyssey.

And Odyssey’s entire executive, including the guild master, was missing and is now onto the level of disbandment.

But those who knew about Lumen’s intervention never thought they were missing.

They just assumed it was all taken care of by Lumen’s men.

 

***

 

A few days after the issue with Odyssey was organized, and a week since I met So-Hyun, and she finally passed away.

As the last symptom of Hunter’s disease, she complained of extreme pain, so a large amount of painkillers was administered to So-Hyun, who was transferred from Lumen to Myeongil Hospital.

 

“… I can’t even imagine that she was an older sister who only showed an active side.”

When So-Hyun, who was complaining of her pain, lost consciousness, Si-Eun opened her tightly closed mouth.

She is shaken badly by the death of those around her, even though she is the youngest S-class hunter and she has been attacking dungeons since she was in high school.

 

She said, “She was on the verge of death, so she must have forced herself to look bright. My sister is such a person.”

When she first met So-Hyun, her expression was that of someone who had given up on everything.

Then she immediately changed her attitude when she heard that it was Jeong-Hoon’s volunteer work, and she showed a bright side.

It was not about hope, but about Jeong-Hoon.

 

“Did you recognize that at a glance? You are like the chairman of a conglomerate that we can’t even imagine.”

“It’s not because I’m the chairman of Lumen. I was like that too.”

 

“…?”

 

“In fact, my parents were hunters, too. Though they’re only grade F.”

Jeong-Hoon’s information is completely different from what is known to the world.

I shouldn’t have said it, but Jeong-Hoon said it.

I was frustrated that So-Hyun was dying. That’s why I want to tell the world about my real self that I have to hide.

 

“One day, my parents died in a dungeon attack.”

 

A 17-year-old boy became an orphan overnight. Naturally, he was out of his mind.

This is Jeong-Hoon, who felt that So-Hyun, who was dying alone in a single room, was similar to himself at that time.

So I did everything I could for So-Hyun.

But there is only one thing. It was impossible to cure and save her from hunter’s disease.

 

“After all, I’m just a rich kid…”

 

“Well, that’s not true. If it weren’t for the chairman, I wouldn’t have met my sister. The chairman did his best.”

In fact, Jeong-Hoon really did his best. So she had no pretense in her words.

However, this did not relieve Jeong-Hoon’s sense of helplessness.

 

“Whoop! Hey, I’m so sick that I’m bothered by your talks, so will you do the crying after I die?”

So-Hyun, who they thought was unconscious, abruptly got up, took off her respirator, and started talking to the two of them.

 

“Sister!”

 

“Sister!”

 

“Oh, I know. Ugh, it’s killing me. But the pain reliever is amazing. It’s a bit tolerable now.”

Lying on the bed again, So-Hyun still looked at the two with her eyes open wide.

 

“Is this the sparkle before death? Anyway, I’m glad I can leave a will.”

Now feeling that it was her last, she squeezed her last strength.

 

“Chairman Lee, my funeral.”

 

“I will make it as flashy as possible. If you want, you can also be promoted to director.”

 

“No, it’s not like that. What kind of funeral is it for a D-class hunter?”

So-Hyun, who was about to say that the joke was excessive, shook her head from side to side when she realized that Jeong-Hoon had the power to execute it.

 

“I just have something to say about my funeral.”

 

“I’ll accommodate as much as possible.”

 

“Then, do you have my severance pay paid last time? Just spend that money. And don’t get any aid.”

So-Hyun’s retirement pay is a small amount of money.

But that’s enough money to hold a funeral for one person.

 

“Not only the funeral, but all the post-processing within the money.”

 

“… Aren’t you going to make it more flashy?”

 

“I’ve had enough of your help. Ah! I’m in trouble with a funeral without a resident. Can I ask you a favor?”

 

“As much as you like.”

 

“I’ll do it, too! Resident!”

 

“…thanks for that, would you mind?”

 

“It’s all right!”

 

“No, it’s not like that. Er, I don’t know. Decide it yourself, okay?”

So-Hyun, who had something on her mind, suddenly declared giving up and smiled.

 

“It’s a pity, I cannot watch the scandal between Chairman Lumen and the youngest S-class hunter in the underworld.”

 

“…you don’t have to worry about it.”

Probably not even a single line of such an article will be published. Leaving aside everything else, everyone is busy watching Lumen’s movements.

It’s obvious that he’s going to lay low so he doesn’t get caught.

 

“Is that all you want to say?”

 

“Ah! Lastly, yukgaejang!”

T/N : Yukgaejang is spicy beef soup. soup-like Korean dish made from shredded beef with scallions and other ingredients, which are simmered together for a long time.

 

“What about Yukgaejang?”

“I always ate it every time I went to a funeral, and I thought it was bad!”

 

“I’ll look for a good restaurant.”

Jeong-Hoon burst into laughter, thinking that it was So-Hyun who was worried about Yukgaejang at the funeral hall.

I thought it was like her to be bright until the end.

 

“That’s not it, because Yukgaejang isn’t good! Please prepare budae-jjigae!”

T/N : Budae-jjigae literally means a stew of the military base, and it is a Korean soup dish that is thick like a Western stew. The most commonly used ingredients are ham, sausage, baked beans, kimchi, ramen, rice cake, and tofu.

 

“…Budae-jjigae at the funeral?”

 

“Yes! People who will come, tell them to go get a glass of soju for Budae-jjigae. Don’t mourn for nothing, don’t do anything.”

 

Jeong-Hoon shook his head at the request of doing nothing.

I couldn’t understand if these were sane words or pre-death gibberish.

 

“Few people will come to my funeral, but they will all be Hunters. Life and death are our daily jobs, so we have to feed them delicious food.”

 

“…if there is no problem at the funeral, I will do it.”

 

“That’s it! If Chairman Lee proceeds, there is nothing impossible, right?”

 

“… There are a lot of impossible things.”

Jeong-Hoon, who is suffering from a sense of helplessness that he cannot save So-Hyun, hardened his expression at her words.

I’m facing the impossible right now.

 

“Is that so? You have the power to change the world with the lift of a finger, right?”

 

“… Still, the impossible is impossible.”

 

“If it’s because you can’t save me, don’t think about it. I’ve had so much fun for a week that I’m just grateful.”

For So-Hyun, who had been waiting for death due to Hunter’s disease, meeting Jeong-Hoon was the luckiest.

She was already convinced that she couldn’t live. So she is not afraid to die here.

 

“You will protect the world with that impossible power in the future, will you?”

“… I’ll protect it.”

 

“That’s enough. It’s a bit of a pity that I didn’t see all the power of Chairman Lee.”

 

Jeong-Hoon sighed briefly when So-Hyun said that she was guessing something.

 

“I was glad to know that the people behind the world were good people.”

 

“…sister,”

 

“Ah. Si-Eun, thank you too. You must be busy, but you are hanging out with me for a week.”

 

“…it was too short.”

 

“No, that was enough. We saw the power of this president at that time. Remember?”

 

“Yeah.”

Si-Eun slowly nodded her head when she talked about seals and barriers, and how to maintain them.

 

“Watch Chairman Lee carefully, and if he tries to use that nonsense power wrongly, stop him from the side.”

 

“…that’s a terrible request.”

 

“Anyway! I’ve asked for it! Ah, I’ve got to go.”

Jeong-Hoon and Si-Eun burst into laughter at So-Hyun’s last words.

Even in this situation, I thought it was a good joke.

 

Beep—

 

“Sister?”

 

“Sister?”

 

However, Jeong-Hoon and Si-Eun turned their heads at the same time due to the sound of an electrocardiogram coming from the monitoring device.

Words that can never be considered the last.

After that, So-Hyun closed her eyes.