I Became a Transcendent-Level Genius Trainer - Chapter 160

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Transcendent Genius Trainer Episode 160

“Ha-ha-ha-ha-!”

Kim Hwa-cheon burst into hearty laughter.

“What remarkable confidence you have! Those artisans, you see, they’re quite lazy. Our blacksmiths have exceptional skill, but they coddle their own bodies terribly. That you can resolve this for us—well, that’s quite reassuring indeed!”

Yujun observed Kim Hwa-cheon’s laughter closely.
Sometimes it seemed he didn’t understand at all; other times it seemed he understood everything and was testing him anyway.

‘More natural than I expected.’

Every gesture of his was so seamless it almost made him seem like someone born to such boldness.
Yujun tried to examine him with his spiritual insight.

‘I can’t see it all.’

Crack—
Whenever Yujun focused his eyes, something blocked him as if shrouded in fog.

‘He’s concealing something.’

That only made him more intrigued.
A desire to probe deeper into who Kim Hwa-cheon truly was.
And…… those shoulders.

‘They demand attention.’

Both his shoulders bore a grave crimson discoloration.
It wasn’t mere fracturing—the flesh had turned completely charred and blackened.

He was hiding everything, yet even he couldn’t conceal those fatal wounds on his shoulders.
Still, Yujun smiled.
His counterpart was sharp and clever.
If he let his thoughts drift elsewhere, it would be noticed.
They spoke as if trusting each other, but beneath the surface they were probing one another.

“Thank you for trusting me. I’d like to work through the specifics now. If you could point out any shortcomings in the request letter I provided, I’ll revise them.”
“Nothing major, really. This part here, though……”

The detailed adjustments continued for a while longer.

“Could we begin training right away?”
“Let me ask you to wait a moment. This matter requires me to discuss it separately with our executives. Please, rest easy. Make yourself comfortable, as if you were at home. Once our discussion concludes, I’ll send someone for you.”

After Yujun left.
Kim Hwa-cheon immediately convened the Kim family executives.

“What do you all think?

The warm, affable smile had vanished, replaced by a cold expression.

“Yes, Head of House. As you suspected, it doesn’t seem he came seeking revenge for Gyu-cheol.”

The Head of House had doubted Kim Sang-hun from the start.
Once a sharp young man, Kim Sang-hun had, over time, grown as rusty as the other Kim family blacksmiths.
That such a man would bring in Kang Yu-jun? It made no sense.
So he had suspected they were accepting this commission for the sake of avenging the expelled Gyu-cheol.
But he soon dismissed even that suspicion.
Though Gyu-cheol had become an S-rank Awakener, it wasn’t such a momentous thing.
The Kim family’s core blacksmiths were all S-rank.
Moreover, he doubted a trainer of Kang Yu-jun’s caliber would risk so much for mere revenge against Gyu-cheol.
So he had kept his executives hidden, trying to discern the true reason.
Why had he accepted this commission from the Kim family?

“That cordiality we saw earlier seems to be an act. But the skill appears genuine.”

The Kim family executives analyzed what they had observed of Yujun.

“There was no inconsistency.”
“But…… we cannot discern his intent.”

It didn’t appear he came for revenge against Gyu-cheol.
If that were the case, some flicker of that emotion should have shown.

“The Emotion Checker—what did it reveal?”
“No anger whatsoever. None at all. The Emotion Checker picked up absolutely nothing.”

It wasn’t merely observation with the naked eye.
Among the Kim family executives was an Awakener with the ability to read emotions.
His ability—the Emotion Checker—was originally meant to enhance blacksmithing abilities but was now used to monitor those hostile to the Kim family and even internal threats.

“Then that’s definitely not it.”
“But then it doesn’t make sense that he came just to fulfill our commission.”
“You’re right.”

For him to come simply to fulfill the Kim family’s request didn’t align with Kang Yu-jun’s current situation.
His stock had skyrocketed through training the Hero and Prince K.
Now Yujun could pick and choose whatever commissions he wanted.

“Of course, taking our commission isn’t unreasonable……”

Given the Kim family’s position and the compensation they could offer, there was no reason to refuse—yet grounds for suspicion remained.

“……Hmm.”

Kim Hwa-cheon, the Head of House, frowned, his expression troubled.

“Could this be Director Lee’s scheme?”

More plausible than revenge against Gyu-cheol was another possibility.
That Kang Yu-jun had accepted a secret commission from Director Lee Ji-tae and come to the Kim family on his orders.

“Director Lee surely didn’t miss the chance to propose priority access to that Tower of Ashes.”

Currently, the most pressing issue was that newly emerged Tower of Ashes.
Numerous guilds had their eyes on first-clearing the tower and the new materials that emerged from it.
The Tower of Ashes was viewed as both a grave threat and an opportunity.

“The Management Bureau would have certainly made the offer.”
“They’ve been pushing Trainer Kang Yu-jun all along.”

The fact that the Management Bureau was backing Yujun had already become common knowledge.
Though the nuance was slightly different.
Yujun had resolved all the headaches the Management Bureau faced, starting with Demon Beast Training.
So the Management Bureau had ample reason to give him special treatment.

“He chose to come here instead of selecting a tower with greater rewards.”

What could that possibly mean?

“If Director Lee sent him, that would be understandable.”
“That may well be the case.”
“Director Lee does take a particular interest in us, doesn’t he.”

Director Lee Ji-tae was dissatisfied with the Kim family.
He had a general understanding of the internal affairs of the Kim family and had even issued warnings several times.
That if they didn’t attend to the condition of the family blacksmiths, he would issue sanctions.

The Kim family was one of South Korea’s prominent households.
From the Management Bureau’s perspective, the Kim family’s Awakeners also fell under their purview.
But only that far.
Even a Management Bureau Director couldn’t meddle endlessly in Kim family affairs.
Moreover, wasn’t the Kim family a powerful patron of the Trainer Association?
If the Trainer Association strongly objected, the Management Bureau would have to back down.
The two organizations maintained a cooperative relationship.
Which meant, ultimately, there was only one conclusion.

The Head of House smiled thinly.

“He wants to gather information on our internal situation through Kang Yu-jun.”

The executives nodded at the Head of House’s words.
If so, all the pieces fit perfectly.

“We’ll continue monitoring Kang Yu-jun’s movements.”
“Don’t let him slip away. And……”

Kim Hwa-cheon’s mouth curled upward.

“Let’s turn their scheme to our advantage.”

Whatever directive Director Lee had issued, now that Kang Yu-jun was here, they had to extract every last drop of value from him.

“Since a trainer of that caliber has agreed to our commission, we should milk him for all he’s worth. Increase the commission fee threefold, and separately tell him there’s a bonus if the request succeeds.”
“Understood.”

No matter what reason brought him, they would extract everything they could.

“Ideally, he’d become our exclusive trainer while juggling everything else.”

Kim Hwa-cheon had already prepared a gift for Yujun.
His plan was to hand over the problematic Kim family blacksmiths for training and then lodge a complaint about the results.
The blacksmiths Kang Yu-jun would train this time had all received an Untrainable Judgment.
Once greed for compensation lured him into proceeding with training, the trap would spring.

“This way…… we can bind him tighter. Drain him dry and crush Director Lee’s scheme in the process.”

If they tied him here and put him to work as their trainer, whatever scheme Director Lee had concocted would amount to nothing.

“Go present the revised offer and come back. Add that I was very impressed by our discussion.”
“Yes!”

An executive immediately departed toward Yujun.

* * *

After his discussion with Kim Hwa-cheon, Yujun began to understand why Kim Sang-hun had called him a snake.

“Interesting. Now I get the sense of it.”

Behind that cordial exterior lay a cunning mind.

‘He was just playing friendly the whole time.’

All while carefully assessing Yujun.

‘He clearly doesn’t trust me.’

The fact that Gyu-cheol was on his team.
And that among all those commissions, he had accepted the Kim family’s.

‘He probably doesn’t trust Kim Sang-hun at all.’

Though he seemed unaware that Kim Sang-hun had been leaking information, he clearly didn’t believe Yujun had been persuaded by him to come to the Kim family.
He seemed to think Yujun had some other motive and had accepted the Kim family’s commission for that reason.

‘And the executives.’

Yujun had been aware that the executives were listening to every word of his discussion with the Head of House.

‘They’re holding a meeting right now, no doubt.’

Discussing why Yujun had come here.
It was highly likely they were deliberating on that very question.

“But they won’t figure it out.”

No matter how much they pondered, they wouldn’t understand.
Why he had truly accepted the Kim family’s commission.

‘The deeper they think, the more lost they’ll become.’

That Director Lee had requested it.
Or that he’d come seeking revenge.
Nothing so grand.

‘I’m just here to train.’

Yujun was genuinely here to train.

‘The condition of the Kim family blacksmiths that Sang-hun described was dire.’

Their physical state was catastrophic.
They’d all received Untrainable Judgments—both internal and external trainers said long-term treatment was necessary before training could even begin.
Yujun intended to train these people, gain Points, and build proficiency.

‘Overturning the Kim family is incidental. Making Gyu-cheol the Head of House is just a means to freely access the Kim family’s Artifacts.’

“In the end, they’ll think Director Lee sent me.”

That was the most likely assumption.
And now that Yujun was here, they’d want to extract every bit of his training skill.

‘It’s actually fortunate they’re so clever and suspicious.’

That made them easier to deceive.

“No one will think I just came here to train.”

Knock, knock—

“Forgive the interruption during your rest. Trainer Kang! I’m Kim Sang-yu!”

Someone from the Kim family had arrived.
Likely one of the executives the Head of House had sent.

‘Impeccable timing.’

“Please, come in.”

The Kim family executive entered and greeted Yujun again.

“The Head of House has concluded his meeting and sent me. After our direct conversation, he said he was even more impressed with Trainer Kang Yu-jun. So I’ve come to present a revised proposal.”
“What are the terms?”
“We’ve decided to triple the commission fee. And you’ll receive a bonus upon success. In place of the original ten people, we’d like……”

At the executive’s words, Yujun smiled brightly on purpose.

‘They’re rolling right into my hands.’

They dangle sweet compensation—triple fee and success bonuses—then push for higher terms.
No doubt they intended to dump all their problematic blacksmiths on him.

‘A perfect pretext for later grievances.’

The Kim family executive wore a cunning smile.

“Just a little more attention needed!”

‘As expected. And probably they’ll offer advance payment or Artifacts.’

“And this is from the Head of House—please use it whenever needed……”

The executive then handed Yujun advance payment.
He placed Artifacts and Magic Stones on the table as well.
The development was so exactly as anticipated that Yujun nodded readily.

“I’ll give it my full attention. With this kind of support, I couldn’t possibly be careless. I’ll train them all properly.”

At Yujun’s words, the executive beamed with delight.
Yujun smirked inwardly at the sight.

‘So transparent.’

Yujun mentally organized how to proceed with training and how to execute his pre-laid plans.
And he reached a decision swiftly.

“I’d like to begin training right now. Would it be possible to show me the way?”

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