Chapter 65: A New Wind (2)

“Lich.”

”…”

“The only undead creature with a higher consciousness that humans can summon. Which makes me wonder…”

Go Geonho paused briefly before continuing.

“Could your Skeleton Warrior actually be a Lich in disguise? And during our sparring match, were you truly controlling it with Puppet Manipulation, or was it acting of its own accord?”

I deliberately hardened my expression to conceal my surprise.

Honestly, I was astonished.

To deduce all that simply from how I dismissed the summoning…

Of course, he had observed my battle with Jo Yongtae and recognized Iratu’s exceptional nature before anyone else.

But I never expected him to reach that conclusion so quickly.

There was a reason why Go Geonho had once been called the best Necromancer in the country.

Fortunately, however…

“I’ve been having some rather foolish thoughts,” he said, a faint smile creasing his weathered face.

“Please don’t laugh too hard. I’ve encountered countless Undead, both as allies and enemies, but I’ve never seen anything quite like your Skeleton.”

“I have no intention of laughing,” I replied, relaxing my expression as I stood up.

“Why would I dare to mock the hero of the Great Change?”

“Hero of the Great Change, Korea’s top S-Rank Necromancer, Nine Heavens Bone King… Yes, I was called by many names in my day.”

Go Geonho’s gaze drifted to a point slightly beyond me.

There stood Ko Youngmin, frantically issuing orders to the Guild Members.

Beneath his neatly trimmed mustache, the corners of his mouth tilted downward.

“But what can I do now? I’m just an utterly irresponsible former Guild Leader who handed over this painstakingly built tower to that wretched nephew of mine.”

”…”

“Thank you.”

The words slipped out abruptly.

I fell silent.

I knew why he was expressing gratitude.

The shady deal between Ko Youngmin and Bae Hyeon-su.

By withholding that information from Alliance Headquarters, I had postponed Hwiryong’s downfall.

But Go Geonho’s gratitude likely stemmed from something else entirely.

I glanced at Jo Yongtae, still sprawled on the ground.

During our sparring match, his true intentions had surfaced.

Jo Yongtae had been meticulously plotting to backstab Ko Youngmin and seize the Hwiryong Guild Leader position for himself.

The deal between Ko Youngmin and Bae Hyeon-su was his handiwork as well.

In other words, by defeating Jo Yongtae, I had inadvertently rescued the Nine Heavens Bone King’s nephew from the clutches of betrayal. It was like a cow stepping backward and accidentally catching a rat—pure luck.

But that was only part of the story.

“I know why you chose Hwiryong,” Go Geonho said, breaking the silence. “And why, despite having the ability to overthrow that incompetent fool and seize the Guild Leader position yourself, you deliberately opted for the role of Vice Guild Leader.”

“Yes,” I replied.

The middle-aged man before me was a seasoned veteran, a battle-hardened hero who had seen it all. I never imagined he wouldn’t immediately grasp my intentions.

So, I continued confidently, “I joined Hwiryong solely for my own benefit.”

I had declared this before the founder of the Hwiryong Guild, making it clear that from now on, I intended to use the guild he had established entirely for my own purposes.

“Do you believe,” Go Geonho asked quietly, “that the legacy I left behind still serves your purpose?”

The Hwiryong Guild had been thrown into chaos by the tyrannical rule of Ko Youngmin and Jo Yongtae, which bordered on outright tyranny. Fortunately, the train had stopped just short of the precipice of ruin. It wouldn’t fall any further.

No, I won’t let it.

There was still too much gold left on this train to let it plunge into the abyss.

So I answered, “Yes.”

“Then that’s settled.”

A terse reply.

And even more tersely:

Flap! Go Geonho threw off the cloak draped around his shoulders.

Then—

Bang!

Like a judge, he struck the floor with his staff.

“Listen closely, everyone.”

His voice and tone remained exactly as they had been just moments before, when he was speaking with me.

But the moment those words left his lips, the bustling arena fell silent instantly, like ripples fading on a calm lake.

One by one, dozens of guild members turned their heads in our direction.

Although he had briefly revealed himself to them when the Black Death Bride was summoned, the Hwiryung Guild members had all been cursed and unconscious at the time.

Now, their eyes widened in disbelief as they stared at the Honorary Guild Master, almost popping out of their sockets.

“Huh?!”

“H-Honorary Guild Leader?”

“No way… since when…?”

Go Geonho had relinquished the position of Guild Leader to Ko Youngmin three years prior.

He had never revealed his activities to the Hunter World or the media.

He probably hadn’t even set foot in the Guild.

“You’ve all made your judgments based on the recent sparring match and the subsequent ‘minor incident.’ You’ve assessed whether the man standing before you truly embodies the identity of Hwiryong.”

A slightly warmer gaze turned toward me.

“I, too, have reached a conclusion.”

Hwiryong, the legendary hero.

At the moment Korea’s greatest Necromancer returned after three years, Go Geonho’s first action was…

Thud.

He placed a hand on my shoulder.

“From this moment forward, this man is the Vice Guild Leader of Hwiryong.”

Go Geonho spoke those words before the entire guild.

In the deathly silence that followed, he continued calmly, “All authority granted to the new Vice Guild Leader is hereby recognized by me, Go Geonho, the Honorary Guild Master and founding leader of Hwiryong. Let no one object hereafter. If anyone still dares to raise an objection…”

The corners of Go Geonho’s sharp eyes curled slightly.

“…have them speak to me directly.”

”…”

Not a single member of the Hwiryong Guild uttered a word.

Today’s sparring match had unequivocally demonstrated the new Vice Guild Leader’s capabilities, and he had even driven out Jo Yongtae, who had essentially become an internal enemy.

Naturally, no one would dare voice any dissatisfaction with the appointment of the new Vice Guild Leader.

But having the Guild’s legend personally confirm my position is a different story altogether.

Falling for me would mean going against the wishes of the founding Guild Leader.

The person least pleased about this was undoubtedly Ko Youngmin.

”…”

Yet, despite his resigned expression, he didn’t seem resentful. Rather, a hint of gratitude flickered in his eyes as he stared at me.

Suddenly, Go Geonho clapped me on the back with a thud.

“Say a few words, then.”

“Huh?”

“Your inaugural speech. Or rather, your acceptance speech.”

An acceptance speech? I never imagined I’d have to give one without a proper stage or preparation.

But I quickly shook my head inwardly. Go Geonho had orchestrated this very moment, making it the perfect time for such a speech.

I cleared my throat and spoke softly, my voice carrying through the room, “It’s a pleasure to meet you all. I’m Lee Taejun, your new Vice Guild Leader.”

“He’s a truly fascinating fellow,” Go Geonho murmured quietly in the darkness. “I already knew he was extraordinary, but…” He couldn’t believe Taejun was still defying expectations right to the very end.

He recalled Taejun’s inauguration speech from earlier that day:

“I have only one message for you all.”

Taejun stood beside the Nine Heavens Bone King, who had returned to the guild after a three-year absence, addressing dozens of Hwiryong Guild members and their leader.

“Let’s not steal each other’s rice bowls.”

The newly appointed Vice Guild Leader continued, “From today onward, everything you achieve will belong solely to you. No one will be allowed to unfairly seize credit for another’s accomplishments.”

He swept his gaze across the seated guild members, a smile spreading across his face as he finished.

“Of course, the same goes for me. I won’t abuse my position to steal what you’ve rightfully earned, unlike some others.”

He glanced at Jo Yongtae, who was sprawled out languidly on the floor.

“And conversely,” Taejun added, his voice taking on a slightly chilly edge, “I won’t tolerate anyone laying a finger on what’s mine.”

Gulp.

The sound of someone swallowing echoed unnaturally loudly.

Taejun smiled faintly and continued, “Let’s not snatch each other’s rice bowls. Instead, let’s all pull ourselves up by our bootstraps and work hard independently, each charting our own course.”

These were hardly the words one would expect from a leader addressing their group. Yet for the Hwiryung Guild members, who were accustomed to having their achievements stolen, no message could have resonated more deeply.

“That concludes my address,” Taejun finished his inaugural speech.

“Waaaaah!”

A thunderous roar of cheers and applause erupted from the Hwiryung Guild members, who had long been weighed down by a sense of helplessness.

A satisfied smile spread across Go Geonho’s face.

A fresh wind had arrived. From now on, Hwiryung would soar once more, perhaps even higher than during his heroic days of the Great Change. If all went well, he might even witness that resurgence within the time he had left.

“Ugh… Wh-where am I?”

A voice drifting from the darkness shattered his reverie.

Go Geonho slowly turned his gaze to the side. His retinas, now accustomed to the gloom, made out a shadowy figure in the pitch-black darkness: Jo Yongtae, suspended from the ceiling with his hands bound.

“W-what the hell? Where am I? Is anyone there?!”

Of course, there was no response.

This was Go Geonho’s secret retirement hideout, a place inaccessible to ordinary people.

Deepest within was a specialized interrogation chamber, reserved exclusively for Villains.

Which meant that no matter what happened here, no screams would ever escape to the outside world.

“Fucking hell! Who the fuck is this?! Who the…” Jo Yongtae, who had been roaring into the darkness, suddenly gasped for breath.

A blurry figure had materialized beside him.

It resembled the anguished figure from Munch’s “The Scream.”

“A… Soul Eater?”

A wraith that corrupts human minds, draining their vitality and mana, leaving them hollow husks.

As the Soul Eater slowly approached, Jo Yongtae thrashed like a fish caught in a net.

“Oh, oh, no! Don’t come any closer! Stay away!”

The Soul Eater was merely a C-Class Monster. Its movements were sluggish, and the process of devouring a soul took a considerable amount of time. Yet, it had no trouble feasting on prey whose movements were completely restrained.

“Lee Taejun? Is that you, Taejun? Or Minsik? Yeongho? Surely not the Guild Leader? I’m sorry! I-it’s my fault! Please, noooo!”

A faint, misty aura flowed from Jo Yongtae’s screaming body, being sucked into the Soul Eater’s gaping maw.

“Don’t overeat. We need to hand him over to Alliance Headquarters after pushing him to the brink of ruin.”

Shaaaaaa.

The sound of a soul being drained.

Leaving behind a noise reminiscent of a viper’s hiss or a sandstorm’s roar.

“Now then, where to next?” Go Geonho said quietly as he turned away. “I should start choosing a welcoming gift for the new Vice Guild Leader.”

The day after the initiation ceremony, I arrived at Hwiryung Headquarters early in the morning.

“Oh, it’s the Vice Guild Leader!”

“The Vice Guild Leader is here!”

Naturally, the Guild Members’ attitude towards me had completely transformed. Just yesterday morning, I was practically invisible to them.

“Hey, what are you all doing? Why aren’t you greeting the Vice Guild Leader?”

Now, they stood in neat rows from the lobby onwards, bowing at a perfect ninety-degree angle as they welcomed me.

“Good morning, Vice Guild Leader!” they chorused.

The sight of these young men, their bald heads gleaming in the morning light, lined up on either side of the lobby, was truly magnificent. Knowing the story behind their shaved heads—that their only “crime” was diligently practicing Necromancy—I smiled gently and replied, “Good morning to you all.”