Became the Transcendent Monarch of the Corner of the Room - Chapter 102

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Episode 102

Didn’t they say that place we were at earlier was definitely a VIP room?

But who would have thought there was another place like this.

Inside the small room installed on the opposite side of the VIP room.

There was a luxurious sofa and table that looked expensive at first glance.

And carpets that seemed like they could easily cost several thousand were packed in tightly.

“This is a place that the Director of the Management Bureau only opens when entertaining [real] VIPs.”

Wasn’t this supposed to be a public institution?

Even while being guided by Team Leader Lee Hyung-jun to sit on the sofa.

Choi Hyun-min instinctively found himself tilting his head in confusion.

The comfort that seemed to envelop his body.

At the feeling of his body almost lying down the moment he sat, he unconsciously straightened his back.

Click.

Team Leader Lee and Ji Min-gi.

The two of them glanced around briefly, then locked the door of the private room.

Then they went and sat across from Choi Hyun-min.

“…I’ll speak honestly.”

Honestly, he says.

Looking at Team Leader Lee’s serious expression.

Somehow it felt like this kind of situation would come.

Though they said it was a first for others.

Those two already clearly knew who Choi Hyun-min was.

Lee Hyung-jun’s eyes turned toward Ji Min-gi, then toward this direction.

Haah-

A small sigh seemed to represent his complicated feelings.

“Right now, 10,000 people are trapped in the Past Labyrinth.”

What does this mean?

Choi Hyun-min tilted his head at Team Leader Lee’s words.

“Trap…ped, you say?”

“That’s right.”

10,000 people – that seemed to refer to those who were able to enter the ‘Past Labyrinth’.

Ji Min-gi, who had been watching Choi Hyun-min’s reaction.

This time he leaned his body slightly forward.

“Mr. Choi Hyun-min must have received the message too, but most Hunters received the same notification. And all the people expected to have responded to that notification have… gone missing.”

“Missing, you say?”

That can’t be right?

Choi Hyun-min himself had definitely entered the Past Labyrinth too.

But hadn’t he returned normally just like any ordinary maze?

“We received contacts from various guilds. Saying their guild members had suddenly gone missing. Among them were not only lower-rank Hunters like D, E, F grades, but also top-tier Rankers.”

So that’s why the guild masters had gathered in one place.

Now Choi Hyun-min seemed to understand the reason.

Why those distinguished people had come together in one place.

“Come to think of it… Didn’t you say that you also entered the Past Labyrinth, Mr. Choi Hyun-min?”

Team Leader Lee, who had been listening quietly.

He suddenly raised his head and looked this way with gleaming eyes.

Under his burdensome gaze, Choi Hyun-min showed an awkward smile.

“Y-yes, that’s right. Though I didn’t stay long…”

At those words, the two people-

Lee Hyung-jun and Ji Min-gi shot up from their seats.

“A-are you serious?”

“You returned from the Past Labyrinth?!”

“I don’t know about others, but I returned without any problems.”

Then-

Grab.

“Why, why are you doing that?”

Team Leader Lee suddenly leaned his body toward this direction without saying anything.

Without giving him a chance to speak, he grasped Choi Hyun-min’s hands with both of his.

“Mr. Choi Hyun-min.”

“Y-yes…?”

I-is this the way people who are active outside(?) do things?

Choi Hyun-min, who was wondering whether to pull his hands away or not at this unfamiliar greeting.

“This might be a bit burdensome for you, but Mr. Choi Hyun-min is the only person who can resolve this current situation.”

“Me?”

“It’s not just one or two people, but tens of thousands of Hunters who have gone missing. You’re the only one who can travel back and forth between the maze and the outside.”

R-right.

If Hunters were really trapped as they said.

Choi Hyun-min himself would inevitably become the only messenger and problem-solver.

“…”

However, Choi Hyun-min didn’t answer hastily.

Except for the fact that he could freely enter and exit the maze.

He was in the same situation as other Hunters and Management Bureau people, knowing nothing.

He couldn’t easily answer that he would do it.

Though it was a silence with that meaning.

The two people became anxious at Choi Hyun-min’s non-response instead.

“W-will it be okay? He seems to find it disagreeable…”

“Right. We didn’t expect this kind of reaction.”

Restlessly.

The two people faced each other and muttered quietly enough that Choi Hyun-min couldn’t hear.

If Choi Hyun-min refused outright.

It would practically mean that the Republic of Korea was giving up on the lives of 10,000 Hunters.

That situation absolutely could not be allowed to happen.

“Ah, you must be dissatisfied, and we fully understand those feelings!”

“…”

“T-then if this matter is resolved safely, the Management Bureau will provide 5 billion won in cash as a lump sum to Manwol!”

“…”

Team Leader Lee, who had been breaking out in cold sweat.

He held up five fingers and spoke confidently.

But this time too, Choi Hyun-min remained silent.

As if something was unsatisfactory, with slightly twisted lips.

Even though he said nothing, the two people couldn’t help but be anxious.

‘Does he not like it?’

‘W-well… for an EX-grade player to move, 5 billion won might be…’

Team Leader Lee and Ji Min-gi constantly calculating in their heads.

Available funds and the Management Bureau’s budget.

Their eyes moved here and there as they tried to mix all of that together in the span of 1-2 minutes.

And Choi Hyun-min.

“…”

Still didn’t give even a yes or no answer.

However, these two people knew.

That silence was a polite form of refusal.

“Then, how about we increase the amount we provide to 10 billion, and exempt all taxes generated from Manwol for the next 2 years? Although the amount might not be familiar to you, we also have a set limit on what we can give at once…”

“….”

Lee Hyung-jun’s face turned bright red.

It was closer to bewilderment than shame or anger.

If he would accept it.

Or if not that, it would have been better if he had coldly rejected it instead.

Choi Hyun-min maintained the same expression silently like a stone statue.

The aura he gave off left the two people at a loss.

“It seems 10 billion doesn’t appeal to you either…”

“Hey, how much can we pull together?”

“Well, I’m not sure.”

“Maybe around 30 billion? If we get additional support funds and collect several billion each from other guilds under the name of support money…”

“What?!”

The two people became more urgent as time passed.

When Lee Hyung-jun whispered in his ear, Ji Min-gi’s expression changed drastically.

“That amount of money… wouldn’t that be beyond our authority? I think the Director or Minister would need to come personally.”

“The issue isn’t who comes right now. If we can’t save those people? Are we going to just treat them as missing and end it there? Not just one or two people, but 10,000?”

“This won’t work. Bring the Director.”

“The, the Director?!”

“Yes! Quickly!”

At Team Leader Lee’s words, Ji Min-gi ran out without looking back.

Despite the quite noisy behavior, Choi Hyun-min didn’t even glance at them.

He just maintained silence with a stern face.

How much time had passed like that?

“Ahem! The Director has arrived!”

The door opened again and Ji Min-gi appeared, panting heavily.

And behind him—

A person with a slightly tense expression followed in.

A middle-aged man wearing a neat black suit and red tie.

His build was also large and solid enough to remind one of a bear.

“Di, Director. Here… this is Hunter Choi Hyun-min. As I mentioned, he’s affiliated with Manwol…”

“I’ve heard a lot about you. I’m Song Gyu-hyun, Director of the Management Bureau.”

Had he already heard the news from Ji Min-gi?

Director Song bent his waist and extended his hand toward Choi Hyun-min.

But this time was the same.

He showed no reaction to the hand extended for a handshake.

Not only that.

He didn’t even glance at Song Gyu-hyun, who had bowed his head as if he wouldn’t even acknowledge the greeting.

At his reaction, not only Director Song.

But even Team Leader Lee and Ji Min-gi were startled.

“Oh no… this is serious…”

“Ah, the proposal we made earlier is something the Director has also approved, so there will absolutely be no going back on it, Mr. Choi Hyun-min.”

“….”

Should he laugh or cry at this?

Team Leader Lee Hyung-jun’s lips twitched at this scene he was seeing for the first time in his life.

Director Song Gyu-hyun, who was usually famous for being cold and resolute.

Was being so restless over one Hunter.

Someone who looked to be around thirty years old.

Normally, he would have barked orders at his staff as usual.

‘In all my life, this is the first time I’ve seen Director Song struggling like this.’

Having already received reports about who the only EX-grade player in the country—

No, the only one in the entire world was.

No matter how much he was the head of the Management Bureau that oversees Hunters, he couldn’t move carelessly.

“Um… does the earlier proposal not appeal to you?”

“….”

“Or is the amount a bit insufficient…”

“….”

This is serious.

Director Song’s face hardened as he observed Choi Hyun-min’s expression.

‘Is even 30 billion not satisfactory?’

Since Director Song Gyu-hyun had mainly dealt with VVIPs.

He was extremely sensitive to others’ small changes in expression or mood.

Choi Hyun-min’s expression right now was literally on the verge of explosion.

Although it wasn’t showing anger or hostility.

Director Song—who made even masters of decent guilds struggle—

The fact that someone was treating him like this without even acknowledging his greeting…

“Ah, I understand. Then… would 50 billion with 3 years of tax exemption… be acceptable?”

At that moment.

Choi Hyun-min’s eyes widened slightly as if surprised by something.

At the same time, his eyebrows shot up refreshingly.

Then he raised his head and the moment his eyes met with Director Song, who was bowing deeply in front of him.

“Ah! Hello!”

Only then did he bow his head slightly and acknowledge the greeting.

The one surprised by his reaction was Director Song.

And the two Management Bureau employees.

“As expected, to move an EX-grade, the amount needs to be at least this much.”

“Well… with 10,000 human lives at stake, 50 billion should be about right.”

In front of them whispering quietly.

Director Song bowed his head several times toward Choi Hyun-min.

“Th, thank you… truly thank you!”

“Yes? Ah, yes…”

Although the amount was large.

According to the reports, no one else besides Choi Hyun-min could do it.

Then from Director Song’s perspective, he would have to grab onto his pant legs and plead.

Choi Hyun-min’s response was something he could only be grateful for.

“If it’s true that I’m the only one who can enter the Past Labyrinth as you said… I’ll do my best to try.”

At his answer, even Team Leader Lee and Ji Min-gi bowed and expressed their gratitude.

But Choi Hyun-min.

His expression was still ambiguous.

‘Why are they all saying thank you like this?’

Had they been saying something while he was thinking about other things for a moment?

—It seems they made some proposal while the Savior was having a friendly chat with you.

As he tilted his head, a familiar voice echoed in his mind.

It was that of Mage Ian.

At his words, Choi Hyun-min sighed quietly and muttered to himself.

‘Because you were making me talk, I couldn’t hear what those people were saying at all.’

—I just heard that the Savior should help those people…

‘Help them, of course I should help them. They said right now no one but me can enter the Past Labyrinth.’

He didn’t know why this person called the Director of the Management Bureau had come in the first place.

But Choi Hyun-min figured that since good things are good, he nodded and went along with it.

Of course, being shocked after hearing that 500 billion would be paid to Manwol.

That was a story for a little later.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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