F-Rank Secretly Becomes Stronger - Chapter 52

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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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52

Im Sunhu.

(Former) Korean Hunter Association President.

There’s nothing particularly noteworthy about his evaluation.

Just a mediocre track record of holding the Association President position before stepping down.

At most, there were a few bribery scandals floating around, but in South Korea, that level was basically standard, so there was no need to be particularly surprised.

‘Since this person held the position for 15 years, it’s probably right.’

If Jia, who seemed to be around his age, was young back then, it would have been when former Association President Im Sunhu was actively holding his position.

‘The Hunter Association of that era knew all these facts but pretended not to know.’

From what he heard, it was a research laboratory that had been maintained for quite a long period.

If the research laboratory had been destroyed and the awakened orphans had escaped, it would have been huge news.

Yet despite that, no matter how much he searched the internet, not even a speck of record about that incident could be found.

‘The Association and government joined hands to hush it all up.’

In a way, it was a quite obvious story.

The rotten higher-ups deliberately covered up the incident perfectly to hide their disgrace.

Hyeonho Candy’s purpose was to destroy those higher-ups.

Revenge.

Anger toward the higher-ups who consistently turned a blind eye to the suffering they endured and instead tried to hide it from the world.

‘It’s a completely understandable story.’

If he hadn’t heard it, he would have blindly tried to stop them.

As expected, after hearing their story, he couldn’t shake off his uncomfortable feelings.

But if asked whether he would just sit back and watch them attack the Association, the answer was obviously no.

‘If the Association that handles all Gates disappears, the system would immediately collapse.’

If that happened, the system would crumble, and along with it, the supply of magic stones would become difficult.

Therefore, he had to prevent the Association from being destroyed as much as possible.

The reason he had to stop them and his heart that understood their position.

Mephisto must have thought Jung Juhyeok would struggle with conflict in this regard.

‘Then I just won’t stop them.’

Jung Juhyeok didn’t think that deeply about it.

If conflict arises between reason and emotion, what’s needed there?

That is compromise.

The world doesn’t only have extreme methods that flow as all-or-nothing.

If you can’t choose between two options, you can create a new path.

Buzz—!

Jung Juhyeok picked up his ringing cell phone and switched it to speaker mode.

“Hello.”

[Jung Juhyeok, I looked into what you asked for yesterday…]

“Was there anything that came up?”

[Yes, it came out so easily that I was surprised.]

Hyeonsu brought good news.

After parting with Mephisto, Jung Juhyeok immediately contacted him to request information gathering.

Since Hyeonsu, the grandson of a mid-sized corporation chairman, naturally had wider connections than Jung Juhyeok, who had no particular ties in the Hunter world.

Jung Juhyeok had asked with the thought that it would be good if even one thing worked out, but judging by his reaction, it seemed like more than just one thing had worked out.

[Even though the Association President retired, several executives related to that incident are still positioned in the Association.]

“Did you find all the evidence too?”

[When I slipped them some money, it came out right away.]

Evidence quickly obtained with a few bribes.

The situation was unfolding quite easily, to an absurd degree.

[I thought everything would be gone since some time had passed, but it seems they let their guard down because it was such an old incident.]

“I see.”

[Yes… But if you stab the Association with this, it’ll become quite a big problem. Will that be okay?]

“Well.”

Stabbing the Association.

He was thinking in that direction too, but the decision of whether to stab or not wasn’t his to make.

“That’s something the Association should handle on its own.”

Jung Juhyeok lifted his head to look across and asked.

“Isn’t that right, Association President?”

“….”

The (current) Korean Hunter Association President remained silent.

To suddenly show up after not showing his face for over a month and bring up such news.

From his position, it was understandable that words wouldn’t come easily.

Jung Juhyeok first picked up his cell phone and said to Hyeonsu.

“Thank you for helping. I’ll contact you again later.”

[Yes, I’ll send all the evidence by email.]

The call ended like that.

Once that ear disappeared, the Association President finally opened his mouth.

“To suddenly come and tell me such a story….”

“I also heard this story suddenly, so I had no choice.”

Jung Juhyeok had come to find the Hunter Association President and told him everything.

Currently, an Illegal Hunter Organization was targeting the Association.

Among them were Awakeners who had made contracts with demons, making it quite a threatening situation.

He explained everything about why they were targeting the Hunter Association, and told him that he had just secured all the evidence through the phone call.

“I won’t give a long explanation about why I came here like this.”

Jung Juhyeok put his cell phone down on the desk and opened the email that had just arrived.

Opening the most recent email among the pile of accumulated emails revealed numerous names and evidence connected to the Research Laboratory.

He thrust it toward the Association President and continued speaking.

“You need to get rid of all the executives related to the Research Laboratory, or the Association will face threats.”

“…Do you know how influential these people are when you say that?”

“I don’t know. And I don’t need to care either.”

Of course they would be highly influential people.

That’s exactly why Hyeonho Candy couldn’t easily touch them yet.

“If you leave rotten branches alone, the whole tree might be uprooted.”

The part that needed attention in this conversation was precisely that the Association could be attacked because of those highly influential executives.

An Awakener who made a contract with a demon would be at least A-rank.

And they had no idea what kind of abilities such a guy possessed.

“If they happen to join hands with other Illegal Hunter Organizations and all attack together….”

“It would be dangerous. An Awakener who contracted with a demon is like a time bomb.”

The mere fact that they had already made a contract was dangerous, but if they went berserk, they could approach as a threat close to S-rank.

For the Association, just the fact that Jia was targeting them was threat enough.

“It would have been good if you had noticed something suspicious when you first met and immediately talked to our side.”

“She came to my Mother’s shop, so how could I respond rashly knowing what problems might arise?”

“Hah… That’s also quite reasonable.”

He let out a deep sigh and tapped the wooden desk with his fingers.

After tapping for a while, he soon answered.

“But it’s not easy.”

“Why is that?”

“Why? Because their power is stronger than mine.”

In some ways, they were figures who had been involved with the Association longer than even the Association President.

Strictly speaking, their influence was equal to or greater than the Association President’s.

“Some of the executives on this list are even aiming to advance into political circles.”

People who were now gradually trying to escape the small pond called the Association and make all of South Korea their playground.

The gap between them and a novice Association President who had been in position for less than 10 years was too great.

“Even if I try to cause some problematic incident, they’ll probably block it right away.”

“Then do we have no choice but to wait with our thumbs up our asses for them to attack?”

“Hmm….”

“Didn’t I tell you earlier? If you can’t push them out, the entire Association becomes dangerous.”

The Association President groaned and agonized.

When Jung Juhyeok pressed him by bringing up the disaster that might unfold in the future, he asked back in a calm voice.

“So you’re telling me to abandon the executives and extend the Association’s life?”

“As I just said, it’s about cutting off the rotten branches.”

“The premise is wrong.”

Jung Juhyeok called the premise rotten branches, but in the Association President’s opinion, that was an inappropriate analogy.

“It’s not a rotten branch, but a rotten root—one that’s embedded very deep underground.”

It wasn’t someone who could be pulled out with just the simple thought of wanting to uproot them.

No matter how much force you applied or how hard you tried to dig them out, they were embedded too deeply to be easily removed.

It might be difficult for Jung Juhyeok to understand, but that was reality.

However, Jung Juhyeok had come here to confront that reality.

He wasn’t foolish enough to return empty-handed like this.

“So just because the roots are deeply embedded, you plan to pretend not to know and just watch?”

“….”

“You say it was already rotten before you even arrived, making excuses that nothing can be done while just standing by without any countermeasures—I don’t know if that’s truly the right thing to do.”

With those words, Jung Juhyeok stood up from his seat.

In a way, he understood that the Association President also carried many responsibilities and couldn’t move lightly.

However, now was the time to get up and move, whether it was light or heavy.

Jung Juhyeok left him with one final statement.

“I’ve sent all the evidence files to your contact numbers. The rest depends on your choice, Association President.”

“…You know what?”

His eyebrows twitched.

The Association President spoke with a quite troubled expression.

“I really hate having to choose something.”

Even at his age with white hair, there were still times when he felt troubled by the fact that he had to choose something.

He had thought that as he aged, he would become wise and wouldn’t have any worries when choosing between crossroads.

But as time went on, the burdens on his shoulders increased, and because of them, he was caught in crossroads of choice every single day.

The Association President groaned before the choices that always pressed down on him.

Jung Juhyeok responded to the Association President’s complaints.

“There are those who cannot make choices for themselves.”

Inside the Association President’s office with its neat interior and steadily glowing lights.

The wallpaper boasted an antique atmosphere.

The floor was shining cleanly as if it had been cleaned yesterday, and not a single mark was reflected on the windows.

“The orphans who were trapped in the research laboratory and tortured to become Awakeners would have been like that.”

“….”

“I’ll be taking my leave now.”

Jung Juhyeok exited the Association President’s office.

The Association President, left alone in the room, quietly stared at the door through which he had left, then soon sighed toward the ground.

“I was hoping to live quietly for a while now….”

Life never goes as one wishes, but why does heaven only send him trials like this?

The Association President felt as if thorny vines were rolling around inside him as he picked up his cell phone and began contacting somewhere.

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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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