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I discovered that there were more production lines after I collected the documents related to Angel Dust at the Hunter Institute.

'I'll have to bury him completely.'

[With his business foundations shaken, you don't know what he will do next, so be prepared.]

'I just need to make sure he can't do anything.'

[Are you going to listen to the President's request?]

'I don't intend to listen to everything.'

[I see. Before that, how about fighting that Oh Young-seok?]

'What? Why suddenly?'

[Didn't you say Oh Young-seok himself taught the C-Rank and higher Probies who participated in the ranking match?]

The Heavenly Demon said he noticed elements of martial art he knew in Kim Gangsuk's display in the ranking matches.

However, Kim Gangsuk's attack was clumsy, and I had handled him too quickly, so he couldn't confirm it.

'Why are you saying that now?'

[I didn't care much until I saw the sign of the old Wu-Tang Clan. Let's make sure of it this time.]

The Heavenly Demon told me to make Oh Young-seok use his strength. In the meantime, he would look for traces of those martial arts.

Hearing that, I readily agreed because I wanted to compare Oh Young-seok's skill with mine.

That's how I decided to go to the Phoenix Guild, and after a while, I quickly infiltrated Oh Young-seok's office.

This was where I went to work every day before my return, so the guild’s floor plan was as familiar as the palm of my hand.

[Even the S-Rank doesn't notice the Heavenly Demon Stealth technique. It is proof that your stage has risen.]

'That's not the point right now.'

Oh Young-seok was now talking about cleaning up the people around our guild.

That would be Lee Seong-jin's family and mine. The members of Team Seolhwa didn't have relatives.

'You’re not supposed to mess with someone’s family. He’s a complete scumbag. I think it would be better just to get rid of him.'

[It is better not to leave any sources of future trouble.]

I followed Lee Seo-yoon out of the office and walked around the building, striking the Sleeping Points of all the guild hunters, including Lee Seo-yoon.

I took a moment afterwards to draw on Lee Seo-yoon's face with a permanent marker. She would get pretty annoyed when she discovered it. I laughed to myself as I thought of her reaction.

[So mischievous! What will you do with this one?]

It was the woman who had fainted after being struck in the head by an intercom Oh Young-seok threw.

She had just passed out; she didn't seem seriously hurt.

'She could be an important person.'

I poured a Vitality Potion into her wound, pinched her Sleeping Point, and laid her in the staff lounge.

When I returned to Oh Young-seok's office, I quietly knocked on the door.

***

"You?"

When I revealed myself, a mocking smile appeared on Oh Young-seok's lips.

“I guess you have a stealth skill as well.”

I quietly smiled, and Oh Young-seok continued.

“You must have some big balls for a Proby. Was the raid on Haeundae Gate and the Hunter Institute related to you?”

“Yeah.”

“You did it alone? Do you think I’ll believe that? There must be an outside force helping you. Do you think you'll really be safe if you align yourself with them?"

Oh Young-seok couldn't believe I had done it alone.

“Forces… I don't know about that. But you haven’t even thought about what you tried to do to our guild.”

“You shouldn't have created a guild if you couldn't protect it yourself. I'll finish you off here today and get the BnS Guild too!”

“Do you think that’s possible for you?”

"Psh! Cheeky bastard. You’ll regret this!”

Oh Young-seok launched into an attack.

I used the Heavenly Demon Royal Stride to dodge the attack, and after pushing him away by emitting energy, I activated my Insight skill.

I had checked it once during the ranking match, but the Heavenly Demon said he wanted to look closer at his skills.

[User: Oh Young-seok Lv. 75]

[Title: Sword Master (30% additional damage), Descendant of the Solar Fist (10-sec blind effect)]

-Title Effect: (Sword Master) Deals 30% additional damage to the target when attacking with skill using a sword.

-Title Effect: (Active), (Descendant of the Solar Fist) Fires a powerful light to blind the target for 10 seconds.

[Skill: Lv. Max Step of Seven Stars (Passive), Lv. Max Tres Talento, Lv. 9 Sword of Seven Stars, Lv. Max Sword Barrier]

-Step of Seven Stars: You can evade by moving in 7 directions. This can be linked with melee attack skills.

-Tres Talento (Sword): Depending on the user's will, horizontal cut, vertical cut, and thrusting can be used in 32 different directions.

-Sword of Seven Stars (Sword): Attacks by combining 49 types of swordsmanship according to the user's will.

-Sword Barrier: Spins the sword rapidly to form a barrier.

[Status: Anger/Alerted]

I felt it even then, but as expected of a top ranker, he was blessed with good skills.

'Some of those skill names aren’t in Korean. Can you recognize them?'

[Don't look down on me. I know as much as you do.]

At that moment, Oh Young-seok, having been pushed back, raised his magic power to counter my energy.

“What power! You've been hiding your true skills, after all!"

Indeed, the top ranker was something else. I had been controlling my energy cautiously, but a regular hunter wouldn't have been able to endure it.

When I didn't answer, a bluish Sword Energy encircled Oh Young-seok's sword.

I responded by sending black Blade Energy through the counterfeit Demonic Dragon Blade.

[It's close to the Strong Sword Energy. He’s reached the stage of a Transcendent.]

Even before the Heavenly Demon finished speaking, I could feel his passive skill activate.

He stepped forward, swinging his sword.

[Chilseongbo!]

'What?'

I asked, dodging the strike.

[Don't dodge. Attack, and try to force him to use his skills.]

'Okay.'

Following the Heavenly Demon’s instructions, I swung against his sword with the fake Demonic Dragon Blade.

Clank! Clank, clank!-

Our blades collided, and sparks flew.

“You weren’t just any young fool.”

His skills sped up as Tres Talento activated. But to my eyes, the path of his sword was clearly visible.

I blocked all of his swords with just one move of Demonic Dragon Flash.

Oh Young-seok’s eyes shone.

“You seem to have skills similar to mine. Who did you get it from?”

From whom? Weren't skills given by the system?

It was one more reason to defeat him.

“There is no reason for you to answer. I will open that mouth of yours with force.”

His attack intensified. This time, the Sword of Seven Stars activated.

As described in the skill, 49 types of swordsmanship unfolded flashily, and I dodged them all while operating the Demonic Dragon’s Eight-Blade Style.

[Mmm… I’m done now.]

When I was about to yawn from Oh Young-seok's assault, the Heavenly Demon sent the signal. I didn't have to adjust to his attacks anymore.

“Is this all?”

"Psh! I guess you can talk if nothing else.”

It was finally my turn.

The Strong Blade Energy from the Demonic Dragon Blade condensed. Seeing this, Oh Young-seok's eyes widened.

“S-Strong Energy!”

Hunters of this period called it ‘Sword Aura.’ But he was using the term Strong Energy, which meant he knew something. This was another thing I should ask him.

“Shut up. Let me hit you from now on!”

When my momentum changed, he stepped back.

Oh Young-seok's wig came off, and a great light poured out from his head as he activated the title, Descendant of the Solar Fist.

Flash-

‘Ah, fuck! It hit me in the eye.'

[Hit what?]

Oh Young-seok suffered a great deal of pain from the Bone Breaking Technique after I caught him by the Restraining Point.

In response to my questions, he consistently lied, and each time deception appeared in his status window, I doubled the length of time he would have to suffer.

In the end, he exhausted his willpower and told me of all his past misdeeds that I hadn't even asked about.

I closed the recording app on my phone and asked about one last thing.

“Who did you get that skill from? How do you know the word Strong Energy?”

“…”

“You’re not answering.”

When I was about to restrain him again, Oh Young-seok hurriedly replied.

“The moment I tell you that, I die.”

Fear flashed in his eyes, and truth was displayed on his status bar.

“You’ll die?”

“I-I’m telling you the truth.”

[There may be a ban on it. It's a tactic often used by an old man I knew, the Wicked Emperor.]

'Ban?'

[This means that if a specific word or name comes out of his mouth, the energy and blood flowing through his body will explode.]

'Is there any way to cancel it?'

[Only the person who placed the ban can take it back.]

Such a common cliché! It was amazing.

This was the most important clue, but I couldn’t hear it.

Crack, crack-

“Kaaaaaaah”

Oh Young-seok's desperate screams echoed through his office.

I once again used the Bone Breaking Technique.

[You’re evil.]

‘This guy is worse. Have you figured out his martial arts?'

[Although it has become very crude, I was still able to recognize it.]

The Heavenly Demon said his skills were similar to those of the Wu-Tang Clan.

According to him, Tres Talento was their Three-talented Sword Method, the Step of Seven Stars was their Seven Steps, and his Sword of Seven Stars was a transformed version of their Seven Swords.

'They just took the skill names and changed them a little.'

[I don't know about that, but if you investigate the President's Guild in Japan, won't something come out?]

I silently nodded and released Oh Young-seok.

There seemed to be nothing more I could gain from him.

“Ugh… What are you going to do now?”

“What do you mean?”

Seokkuk-

A fountain of blood gushed from his neck when his head rolled.

***

[Were you thinking about yesterday?]

'Yes, I think we went through too many things yesterday.'

Yesterday's events complicated my thoughts.

The relationship between the Phoenix Guild and the President's Guild, and even this supposed Gate Manager, kept getting tangled up.

‘I strongly believe the world's destruction during the Fifth Cataclysm has been proceeding step by step since the beginning.’

[I think so too.]

'They can't destroy the world right now because the Gate Manager lacks the strength.'

[If we find out how they increase their strength, we might be able to prevent it.]

'Why on earth would they want to destroy this world?'

[It was the same in the World of Immortals where I was, but the will of higher beings is unknowable. I just hope that ending worlds won't become their pastime.]

‘Pastime….’

[I don't know the details either. Let's talk about the serious things later.]

'This is also something very important.'

[That's right. So, train hard. If you reach the stage of Divinity, you might be able to stand against them, right?]

For now, it was like a dream, so I decided to end this talk here.

It was just a matter of hard work from here onwards.

[It's not something that can be reached just by working hard.]

'Why are you meddling again?'

[It's because I'm bored.]

'Hmph! I'll make sure you don't get bored in the future.'

[What, are you trying to hand over your body?]

'Why do I bother talking to you?’

After I shut my mouth, there was silence until the Heavenly Demon broke it. I guess he really was bored.

[So, how do you feel about defeating a top-ranker?]

'Ha! It's only because your martial arts are ridiculously strong.'

[How perverse! You, who reached the stage of Harmony in just a few months, are more unreasonable.]

‘That is strange to me too. I didn't think I had the aptitude for martial arts.'

[Quiet! You have already reached that stage anyway. Getting rid of those stray thoughts is good for your mental health.]

'Do you know something I don’t?'

[Nothing at all.]

This time, the Heavenly Demon shut his mouth.

When that awkward silence passed, the person I was waiting for appeared.

It was Director Koh Tae-wook.

“You coldly refused our offer but dealt with it very loudly.”

“I didn’t want to get involved in politics, but Oh Young-seok messed with me first.”

“You took the bait.”

“He was too greedy.”

“By the way, what did you do to Oh Young-seok?”

“I killed him.”

"What?"

Director Koh Tae-wook's status window displayed 'distrust.'