Monster Heavenly King - Chapter 159



Only Noblemtl

159. Steel Guild (5)

A pure white snowfield where everything is buried by an avalanche.

Two people, Hyeonseong and Kangcheol, were running above it.

-He went this way.

“okay.”

Hyunseong slightly adjusts his direction following Seol-ah’s guidance.

Kangcheol, who was watching the sight, tilted his head while looking around.

‘There’s no trace?’

The avalanche swept everything away, leaving no traces or anything behind.

However, Hyunseong was moving as if he knew which direction the attackers were going.

“It seems like you’re going pretty confidently?”

“There is a way to do everything.”

The original plan was to make some of the attackers run away so that they could find out where they were hiding.

I cast a tracking spell just in case, but I never thought it would help in this way.

‘I don’t think it’s just unfounded confidence.’

Kang Chul follows Hyun Sung and quietly looks at him.

I felt that gaze and clenched my teeth.

“why?”

“Are you thinking of joining our guild?”

“…what?”

Hyunseong couldn’t help but feel embarrassed by Kangcheol’s sudden suggestion.

I never thought that someone would say something like that even knowing his situation.

“It happened by accident. It wasn’t like it was a monster from the beginning.”

“That’s true, but I have been photographed here and there.”

“If you are afraid of the association, you will not be able to run the guild.”

The Association claims to be for the Awakened, but only a handful of the top Awakened would agree with that statement.

Just by looking at the fact that they are preventing people from going to the 7th floor, you can see that they intend to control the Awakened people according to their own tastes.

That’s why most of the large guilds didn’t have good relations with the association, and the Steel Guild was one of those guilds.

“There is also the Cheonma Shingyo sect.”

“Oh, you said there was a bounty on it? Well… It might be a bit annoying, but it’s okay. I’ll take care of it.”

It is true that the Cheonmasingyo is a huge guild even by the world standards.

However, that did not mean that the Steel Guild had to obey the Heavenly Demon Sect.

‘Even if we are pushed back in size, I don’t think we are pushed back in strength.’

Because it was a world where one strong Awakened person could wipe out thousands or tens of thousands of people.

Even if it is the Cheonma Shingyo, it would not try to turn not only Hyeonseong but also itself into an enemy.

Anyone who saw him go up against two huge forces to recruit one guild member might think he was crazy, but Kangcheol was more cool-headed than ever.

‘If I was just an Awakened who was clearing the 6th floor, I wouldn’t have said such a thing.’

However, Hyunseong reached the 6th floor only a few months after meeting her.

What a truly phenomenal growth rate.

‘At this rate of growth…’

It won’t be long before you surpass even yourself.

Perhaps what you see is not everything, so perhaps it is already on par with you.

I didn’t intend to give up easily, but I had to recognize the reality.

‘If there are awakened people of this level, it is advantageous to recruit them even if you fight against the Association or the Heavenly Demon Sect.’

Let those who want to curse curse.

Anyway, the one standing on top will be the Steel Guild.

“There will be opposition from guild members, right?”

“What kind of times are we living in? We’re not a very closed guild.”

“Is this the problem…?”

It’s not just that the races are different, but the ethnicities are different.

Kangcheol continued speaking as if there was no problem.

“Besides, what are they going to do if I recruit them from my guild?”

There was no logical flaw in what Kangcheol said.

Whether people accept it or not is another matter.

And the biggest reason why Kangcheol decided to recruit Hyeonseong.

‘There are many awakened people who wear human skin but are worse than monsters.’

Among the Awakened, it was common for them to show a sense of being chosen by God and say things like that.

With such thoughts, they commit crimes outside, run away, and become vagrants.

Compared to those guys, Hyunseong had a free-spirited personality, but he had a personality that matched his skills.

“Oh, but there are others besides the Association and the Heavenly Demon Church.”

“…There’s more?”

I was so embarrassed that I almost fell into his eyes without realizing it.

Hyunseong speaks while gritting his teeth indifferently, regardless of whether Kangcheol does it or not.

“I’ve been clashing with some vagrants lately. You saw them earlier? Those guys using [Blood Demonization]. The vagrants use that skill.”

“…What on earth are you doing?”

Even Kangcheol couldn’t help but look dumbfounded at those words.

Labyrinth Association, Heavenly Demon Church, and Vagabonds.

If you look at it one way, these are the three most annoying things to get involved in, but it’s all entangled in there.

“Well, even if we add some vagrants here, it’s the same thing.”

Kangcheol, who seemed to be thinking for a moment, opened his mouth as if it was no big deal.

Compared to the Association and the Heavenly Demon Church, the vagabonds are just a joke.

If you knew the truth, you wouldn’t be able to say that.

“Anyway, how is it?”

“I appreciate your consideration, but I cannot decline.”

If it was the early days when he came to the labyrinth, then it might not be so different, but now there are people who believed in him and followed him.

I had no intention of leaving them behind and getting away with it myself.

Kang Chul asks once more, as if he feels regretful.

“I can treat you the best, right?”

“If it was going to end up like that, I would have sold this guy out a long time ago.”

Hyunseong answers while shaking Seol-ah.

“Didn’t you say that you’re the type of person who gives up cleanly if something doesn’t work out?”

I remember saying something like that, saying that it was disgusting to see the liver.

However, judging from the way he poked me once more with a voice dripping with regret since Seol-ah, it seemed like he didn’t have that kind of personality.

“That’s how much of a shame it is. Ugh.”

Hyunseong snickers at Kangcheol’s actions that make his mouth water.

Although it was a proposal made after considering various pros and cons, I felt the good intention of caring for me in it.

-He’s a good person.

‘I know.’

While we were chasing the attackers while talking like that, we finally felt a presence ahead.

Even Kangcheol sensed their presence and became even more silent.

As the two people who had made eye contact nodded and approached, the sight of the attackers resting came into view.

“Those guys must be digging the supply line by now?”

“It looks good.”

The attackers giggled.

However, the expression on the man who appeared to be the leader was not one of joy, but rather full of annoyance.

“Are you kidding me?”

The laughter heard around them was drowned out by the cold voice.

The attackers begin to look at each other.

The man opened his mouth and started to let out an annoyed voice.

“Our original goal was to take out all the guys there and steal or destroy their supplies. So why are you laughing when we haven’t achieved anything?”

“But, Captain. Who knew there would be steel there? I thought the ambush team would stall for time by holding back the main force.”

“that’s right.”

“What on earth were those ambush bastards doing that they couldn’t even waste time?”

“They were originally outcasts.”

“No, but that’s true. I never would have thought that the supply unit and main force would join us before we attacked.”

“That was a bit unexpected.”

“Even if they don’t have [Blood Demonization]…”

“Besides, if only there was steel, then the guy wearing that robe wasn’t even in the information.”

When Hyunseong’s story came up, the attackers who had been complaining started to tremble all over as they recalled his nightmarish skills.

“Your skills aren’t up to par.”

“Not a single drop of blood leaked out.”

“I thought you were crazy.”

“I almost thought he was controlling blood.”

“… … ”

The man was unable to say anything to his subordinates’ words.

Because in the end, I ended up using my last resort to deal with those ridiculous skills.

“If only there was that one guy named Steel, we could have destroyed the supply somehow.”

Since there were only two people with that level of skill, even if they had [Blood Demonization], they couldn’t try to destroy the supply.

“Isn’t that one of the best among the named people?”

“The Steel Guild also has quite a few named ones, but…”

“That was on a whole other level.”

“Even steel couldn’t fight like that.”

It is said that strength is secondary, but skill is superior to steel.

Where did such a talented person come from?

“The captain prepared a last resort so that at least it would be hidden from view.”

“As expected, you are the leader.”

The man’s irritation was somewhat relieved by the helpless situation and the flattery of his subordinates.

However, if things continue this way, the Steel Guild will eventually be able to find the supplies buried in the snow and proceed with their original strategy.

“It can’t end like this.”

A man with sparkling eyes.

The subordinates felt something ominous about such a reaction and asked cautiously.

“What are you going to do?”

“I’m going to ask for support.”

“A request for support?”

“That means…”

“Ouch.”

The subordinates noticed something and made unpleasant expressions.

But, he sighed, wondering if it was the same for him too.

“I don’t like it either, but I can’t help it. Opportunities this good don’t come often.”

Now was the perfect opportunity to isolate Steel and deal with him.

If it were to disappear, even the large guild Steel would collapse in an instant.

“Hoo.”

Kang Chul, who had been quietly listening to the story, let out a small exclamation of admiration as if he had been touched by the story.

It seemed like his pride was hurt by the words that he was being targeted directly by a guild that wasn’t even his own.

‘I guess it seemed easy because it’s been quiet lately?’

Still, he is one of the most prominent awakeners in Korea.

I couldn’t help but feel dumbfounded when a guy I didn’t even know said he was after me.

“Going to camp.”

“all right.”

At the captain’s words, the raiders each stood up from their seats and began to move again.

Hyunseong and Kangcheol followed them, keeping their silence.

and,

“… I didn’t expect this.”

Hyunseong clacked his jaw in disbelief as he looked at where they had arrived.

The raiders arrived at a cave-like hideout, not a shelter.

A castle built large as if to show off their existence.

The castle had even planted a flag proudly, claiming that this was their territory.

“Are they crazy?”

What’s so brazen about the raiders?

As he muttered like that, Kangcheol, who was next to him, looked at the castle with calm, sinking eyes.

“I didn’t expect this either.”

“It’s strange to think that the attackers would be this confident.”

“No, not that.”

“?”

It was Kangcheol who made the same sound as himself, but the meaning seemed to be different.

The reason why Kangcheol said those words was because of the flag hanging in that castle.

“flag?”

“Just as companies have logos that symbolize them, guilds also have emblems that represent them.”

Not only the Steel Guild, but every guild had its own emblem.

It was not only for design purposes, but was also used as a threat to not touch others by revealing one’s affiliation to them.

“I know that… Ah.”

Hyunseong, who had heard up to that point, immediately understood what Kangcheol was talking about.

-The attackers might not be vagrants.

‘Or, the guild itself could be a vagrant guild.’

And, Steel seemed to know the design of that flag.

Kang Chul mutters to himself with a bitter smile.

“It’s inevitable that information will leak out like this.”

“What guild is it?”

“Flame Guild.”

Kang Chul responds indifferently to Hyunseong’s questions.

And then, in a voice dripping with bitterness, he blurted out the following words.

“It’s my old friend’s guild.”