I Got an Ex-Class Omnipotent System - Chapter 175

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

Chapter 175
175: Do You Know Martial Arts? (1)
* * *
By the time I had visited the C-rank Zone for the second time, more than two months and a half had passed since becoming a Hunter. Under normal circumstances, this would be the time when one had just been promoted to E-rank, with D-rank promotion still a distant dream. Yet here I was, already a C-rank Hunter.
Though Association President Han Muyeol had kept it thoroughly concealed, there was no such thing as a permanent secret in this world. Naturally, word of my exploits had begun to spread, and the first guild to catch wind of it was none other than the Ilseong Guild—one of South Korea’s Four Great Guilds and arguably the second most powerful.
The Ilseong Guild wasn’t merely famous because it was a subsidiary of the Ilseong Group. It was a guild that housed one of only four A-rank Parties in all of South Korea and among the rarest in the world, so its global renown was only natural.
Precisely because the Ilseong Guild had grown rapidly under the Ilseong Group’s power, its information network could be faster than anyone else’s.
And now, Lee Jaeho—the guild master of that very Ilseong Guild and a blood relative of the Ilseong Group—sat stroking his chin as he read the report that had been brought before him.
‘Dohyun, Hanalin, Jiyuchan…’
Seeing the names of all members of my party, he appeared to sink into deep contemplation. The reason was simple: the records were so absurd that he was still deliberating whether they were even true.
However, since the Hunter Information Division of the Ilseong Guild, which shared intelligence with the Ilseong Group’s Strategic Planning Office, would never bring him false information, the situation only grew more peculiar.
Lee Jaeho, the master of the Ilseong Guild, was himself a Hunter, so he understood all too well how impossible the events described in this report truly were.
‘Promoted to E-rank on the first day, and from E-rank to D-rank in just five days.’
Even as he read it himself, he couldn’t believe it. Yet his mind fully grasped that this was fact. Moreover, there were no records after this point, though he knew even obtaining this much had been extraordinarily difficult.
They had somehow uncovered what the Association was desperately trying to conceal, but upon closer inspection, he wondered if even this information had been fabricated by the Association to cover their tracks.
Hwang Hana, who was called a genius, had taken half a year to reach D-rank and three years as a Hunter to reach C-rank, hadn’t she?
With Hwang Hana being hailed as a genius, he couldn’t even fathom what to call a party that had reached D-rank in less than a week.
‘Whether it’s false or not doesn’t matter. The real problem is what we lose if this turns out to be true.’
Though the report was more likely false, Lee Jaeho began to think under the assumption that it was true.
Wasn’t there a common saying? That believing God exists rather than doesn’t exist carries no statistical loss. Now Lee Jaeho began thinking from that same perspective.
Even if the report came from a trustworthy source, it was hard to believe. But from a business standpoint, it was wiser to prepare for the possibility than to assume it was false and respond complacently.
‘I’ve never lost by following Father’s teachings.’
So if he were to assume this was true and act accordingly, what should he do? Currently, those three are Hunters belonging to the Association. Moreover, according to the report, they’re Association Hunters directly managed by Association President Han Muyeol himself.
In such a case, any attempt to approach my party would inevitably reach Han Muyeol’s ears.
‘It’s a delicate situation.’
Especially since Han Muyeol was treated as a legendary hero in South Korea. No matter how much Lee Jaeho identified more as a businessman than a Hunter, he respected Han Muyeol just like any other Hunter.
Perhaps that’s why his deliberation didn’t last long.
The capable businessman Lee Jaeho quickly found his answer.
And immediately put it into action. Lee Jaeho pressed the button connected to his secretarial office, and shortly after, he was connected to the head of the secretarial office.
-Yes, Guild Master.
“Please see if you can arrange a meeting with the Association President.”
-Yes, I’ll schedule it and push back existing appointments.
“Thank you.”
-I’ll contact you shortly.
After the call with his capable secretarial head ended, Lee Jaeho closed his eyes gently.
The gap between the first-ranked Taebaek Guild and the second-ranked Ilseong Guild wasn’t that large. But while they were gradually losing ground due to the existence of the genius Hwang Hana, word had come that she had recently left Taebaek. The recruitment of my party had become a crucial turning point.
If he couldn’t recruit my party into his guild, there was another way.
‘We should support them so they can continue operating under the Association.’
By providing the support the Association lacked, keeping them under the Association would actually be wiser. The moment they joined any other guild—whether overseas or domestic—they would undoubtedly become a major obstacle to Ilseong.
Rather, it would be more prudent to keep them in the Association where no one else could claim them, while simultaneously raising South Korea’s standing.
By the time Lee Jaeho had finalized all the strategic directions, a call came through from the secretary’s office.
“Yes.”
-We’ve scheduled an appointment with Association President Han Muyeol. He said the sooner the better, so we’re departing now.
At the secretary’s words, Lee Jaeho couldn’t help but let out a hollow laugh.
“So he already knew.”
-Yes, it appears so.
Han Muyeol had already discovered what Dohyun had extracted from the Ilseong Guild. There was no other interpretation.
“The Association President deliberately leaked the information to us. Let’s go hear what he has to say. What does he want from us.”
The situation had taken a different turn than expected. Lee Jaeho, who knew the legendary hero Han Muyeol’s cunning better than anyone, could grasp the implications immediately.
After all, if Han Muyeol had intentionally concealed it, information would never have leaked out like this.
And.
‘The information must be genuine.’
Lee Jaeho nodded his head as if finding the situation rather amusing, then rose from his seat.
I should go hear what Han Muyeol has to say.
* * *
There’s a common saying that real estate is always cheapest today. That remained true even now in the Hunter era that began with the appearance of the Black Gate. If anything, it was even more pronounced.
In the past, any Seoul land would skyrocket in value, or real estate prices would soar at news of development, but things were different now. Property values near famous Hunters or renowned Guild buildings had begun to rise.
Certainly, these were patterns unseen before, but with a moment’s reflection, one could only understand.
Since the Black Gate appeared, if the nation’s accumulated points fell short, monsters could emerge anywhere at any time. As a result, safety became paramount, and land values in areas where Hunters concentrated inevitably climbed.
Some even invested to attract Guilds to their neighborhoods, which showed just how seriously people took real estate.
Dohyun was somewhat aware of this, but upon visiting the real estate agency in person, I found myself gaping in disbelief at the extent of it.
And for good reason.
“…The property prices are different depending on whether you’re a Hunter or a civilian?”
“Of course! If you’re a Hunter, we want to bring you in even more!”
I had never imagined that property prices would differ between Hunters and civilians. I wondered if the free market could really form this way without government intervention for Hunter welfare, but I wasn’t an economics expert and didn’t need to understand that far.
Still, I found myself pondering it internally.
‘There are cases where Hunters become villains, yet the market still forms this way.’
While South Korea had relatively few villains, they weren’t nonexistent, so this was somewhat surprising. From what I heard, only Hunters certified by the Association could buy at these low prices, which suggested there were qualifying conditions.
When Dohyun asked about this, the Real Estate Agent glanced at me cautiously and rolled her eyes.
“So you’re a Hunter too, aren’t you, sir?”
Dohyun looked young at first glance, but from the phone call mentioning 8 billion and the surprise at different Hunter prices, she was asking with near certainty.
Dohyun had no intention of hiding it, so I simply showed the Hunter card issued by the Association, and the Real Estate Agent’s eyes sparkled brilliantly.
Hunters always closed major deals, so why would she dislike it? The Real Estate Agent grinned widely and asked Dohyun.
“Oh my! You’ve come to the right place, sir. I have a firm grip on this area, so I’ll show you the best properties. Do you have any specific listings or conditions you’re looking for? Hehe.”
At the Real Estate Agent’s gentle words, Dohyun paused to think, but since I had no particular conditions in mind, I hesitated before speaking.
“It would be nice if there were quite a few Hunters in the area.”
Since I had 『Analysis』, having many Hunters nearby would give me plenty to gain. At this, the Real Estate Agent’s expression brightened considerably as she spoke.
“Oh my! Then you’ve really come to the right place! There’s actually an apartment in this area where quite a few Hunters live, and it’s incredibly famous. Celebrities live there too—have you heard of Trimaje?”
“Ah. That place?”
Since Dohyun already knew of it, I immediately acknowledged it, and the Real Estate Agent spoke excitedly.
“Lately, a lot of Ilseong Guild members have been moving in, so prices went up. But for Hunters, the price is just right! With an 8 billion won budget, you’ll be able to see the largest units available!”
“Really?”
At her words, I responded with uncertainty, wondering if I could actually live in such a place, and the Real Estate Agent nodded as if there was no problem at all.
Then, suddenly.
“Oh, but there’s apparently a rather prickly Hunter there. Though I hear they don’t really cause any friction. Don’t worry about it.”
“I see.”
I answered that way and didn’t think much of it. Since the Association had vouched for everyone, there shouldn’t be any major issues.

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