My Catastrophic‑Level Summon Devours Gates - Chapter 175
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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 175
A vehicle stopped at the Blue House entrance.
A security Hunter approached the vehicle.
“We’ll need to conduct an inspection.”
The rear window rolled down, revealing Yong Cheon-woo’s face with an uncomfortable expression.
“Mir Guild. Yong Cheon-woo.”
“There are no scheduled meetings today.”
“You. Do you know who I am?”
“…You are Guild Master of Mir Guild.”
“So do I need to get permission from you guys for everything?”
“I apologize. But there are procedures to follow.”
“Guild masters of the Domestic Big Five can meet the President without prior appointments. Are you going to make a fuss about it?”
Surprisingly.
This rule wasn’t Yong Cheon-woo’s unreasonable demand, but one of the Blue House access regulations.
During the early days of the Great Cataclysm, Gates had appeared even inside the Blue House.
This country had nearly lost its head of government in vain.
So the rule was created allowing entry to the Blue House without upper-level permission during emergencies.
Of course.
After somewhat recovering from the shock of the Great Cataclysm, the Blue House had never been exposed to danger.
No guild master from the Domestic Big Five had ever entered claiming it was an emergency.
What remained was the provision allowing one private audience with the President per year without prior appointment.
Though it was a half-obsolete clause, if Yong Cheon-woo brought it up, they had to open the door.
The security Hunter knew this rule, so he immediately stepped aside.
“You may pass through.”
Clank, clank.
The heavy iron gate slowly moved to the side.
As the gate to the Blue House opened, Yong Cheon-woo relaxed his furrowed brow.
‘I’ll have to concede quite a lot to the current administration.’
The anger he’d shown just moments ago was diplomatic rhetoric.
It was also true that Yong Cheon-woo was genuinely angry.
However.
He acted aggressively because this was someone he could show anger toward.
If his conversation partner were the President, it would be a different story.
He had to suppress the flames rising in his heart as much as possible.
And quickly resolve the current situation by offering concessions.
Creak.
‘To think I have to endure such humiliation because of that bastard Park Min-ho.’
He had slipped envelopes into the pockets of several politicians.
And pulled various strings that Mir Guild possessed to divert the attention of the Coast Guard and Rift Management Agency.
Even for an uninhabited island in the West Sea.
There were too many eyes to avoid when moving a company-sized force of Hunters without a sound.
‘The Superhuman Bureau wouldn’t have made mistakes.’
Yong Cheon-woo knew well how ruthless those bastards were.
According to what he’d heard beforehand, they were mobilizing 10 A-rank Hunters and over 100 B-rank Hunters.
A force that even an S-rank Hunter would struggle against!
Yet.
Min-ho had somehow survived and returned from the isolated uninhabited island.
‘Those Rift Management Agency bastards. What trick did they use?’
Yong Cheon-woo was certain the Rift Management Agency was behind it.
How could a Hunter who’d only been B-rank for a few months handle 10 A-rank Hunters?
Even the 12 Heroes of the Great Cataclysm didn’t possess such prowess when they were B-rank.
Yong Cheon-woo, who had been active since those days, could be certain of this.
‘The media simultaneously pouring out articles must also be their work.’
The Rift Management Agency had always wanted to reduce the influence of the Domestic Big Five.
They must have supported Min-ho from beneath the surface.
And cunningly used him as a blade to strike Mir Guild.
‘Just this once, I’ll fall for your scheme.’
Kneeling would only be once.
He reminded himself it was to gain momentum.
* * *
The vehicle stopped in front of the Blue House main building.
“The President is waiting for you.”
Guided by an attendant, he headed to the President’s office on the second floor.
“Guild Master Yong Cheon-woo of Mir Guild.”
“Tell him to come in.”
The antique door opened.
He strode into the spacious President’s office.
Rustle— Rustle—
A man in his 60s stroking orchids.
The owner of this office and South Korea’s top protocol figure, President Cheon Yu-jin, slowly turned his head.
“It’s been a long time, Guild Master Yong Cheon-woo. First time since the New Year meeting?”
“Have you been well?”
“I’ve been leisurely thanks to capable ministers.”
President Cheon spoke casually.
Yong Cheon-woo wasn’t fooled by the light-hearted appearance.
Being Non-Awakened, the traces of time on his face represented his true age.
62 years old.
He was young for someone who had reached the pinnacle of South Korean politics.
The man before him was someone with exceptional political acumen.
Yong Cheon-woo, who had been reading President Cheon’s expression, soon furrowed his brow slightly.
‘Why is the Director of the Rift Management Agency here?’
Director Choi Ji-woong of the Rift Management Agency sitting on the sofa.
He hadn’t paid attention while reading the President’s mood.
But twice the usual security personnel were deployed in the office.
All A-rank Hunters.
Plus Director Choi Ji-woong, an S-rank Hunter, was there too.
It looked like they were prepared for armed conflict.
‘Something’s wrong here.’
When coming to the Blue House, he thought it would be resolved with reasonable concessions.
However.
The office atmosphere was clearly hostile toward him.
‘No. I didn’t make any critical mistakes.’
The uninhabited island incident?
It was true that Mir Guild had violated principles.
They had ignored procedures that should be followed when incidents occur, like confirming the situation when contact with the attack team is lost for extended periods.
Or checking the mana distribution of the relevant Gate.
‘There’s no evidence.’
They had placed restrictions to prevent any talking.
And if the operation seemed likely to fail, they were to bite the poison in their molars and commit suicide.
How vicious were the Superhuman Bureau’s hunting dogs, the Tourang.
He was also an object of fear throughout Southeast Asia.
Even if prisoners remained.
They would never reach Mir Guild.
“Mr. President. Aren’t you oppressing our guild too much?”
“You said you urgently needed to see me, so I thought some national crisis had erupted. Apparently not.”
“This is a matter of utmost urgency. Your Excellency.”
“Do you really think so?”
“Guild operations are paralyzed to a critical level. For domestic security, shouldn’t this be resolved quickly?”
The media pouring out articles as soon as the morning sun rose.
This was possible because the Blue House had tacitly allowed them to tear into Mir Guild.
President Cheon looked at Yong Cheon-woo with indifferent eyes.
A profound gaze that seemed to peer into one’s thoughts.
Despite being Non-Awakened, he had an aura befitting someone who had risen to head of state.
Yong Cheon-woo first pulled out a card he had prepared in advance.
“I heard the Rift Bureau is having difficulties expanding personnel for the Manchuria deployment.”
“What do you think, Bureau Chief?”
“Our organization is always short-staffed. Someone keeps taking all our Hunters away.”
Choi Ji-woong made a complaint tinged with reproach.
“So Mir Guild wants to lend a hand.”
“We don’t need additional deployment right now since we’re pressuring them with the Turang Gun.”
“Wouldn’t it be better to have more reserves?”
This wasn’t his only prepared card.
The countless interests that Mir Guild held.
He would return some of them to the government and support the policies the current administration was pushing.
The Hunter industry was positioned in opposition to established powers.
Though they shook hands behind the scenes with politicians.
On the surface, they often clashed with established powers under the catchphrase of leading a new era.
If Mir Guild, the representative of this, gave up this much of what they held?
The President would surely muzzle the growling media.
That was ‘political common sense.’
Going one step further from here would be tantamount to saying they’d eliminate Mir Guild.
‘The current government won’t gain much from being hostile to us.’
The calculation was already complete.
Though the atmosphere was strange.
If Mir Guild conceded rights, the President would reluctantly accept.
While Yong Cheon-woo was confident.
Commissioner Choi Ji-woong opened his mouth.
“Mr. President. They say breaking news has come in.”
“Is this something I need to know about?”
“Yes.”
“Let me take a look. Mir Guild Master, is that alright?”
“As Your Excellency wishes.”
President Cheon Yu-jin picked up the remote.
Ting, light leaked from the TV that filled one side of the wall.
[Rift Bureau Emergency Announcement! Evidence secured that Mir Guild was behind the uninhabited island disaster!]
News with that headline appeared on the screen.
Crack.
At this timing.
They made such an announcement?
The Rift Bureau wouldn’t have made a major announcement without the Commissioner’s approval.
It would be reasonable to assume they had set it up in advance and detonated it at a predetermined time.
“Can you handle this, Choi Ji-woong?”
“I’m not the one who should be worried right now.”
He even dropped the formal speech he’d been using in front of the President.
The killing intent Yong Cheon-woo emitted.
Choi Ji-woong, facing him, spread his own energy to offset it.
“You shouldn’t do that in the presence of our country’s highest authority.”
“Hmph.”
Yong Cheon-woo kicked back his chair and stood up.
Not knowing what cards the Rift Bureau was holding.
To respond swiftly, he needed to return to guild headquarters.
“I’ll continue our unfinished conversation next time, Your Excellency.”
“Indeed. You look quite busy, so hurry along.”
Yong Cheon-woo left without looking back.
President Cheon Yu-jin clicked his tongue as soon as the door closed.
“I wondered if age had cooled his temper, but he’s still the same, still the same.”
“People don’t change easily, Mr. President.”
“By the way, you set up the board quite well.”
A smile played at the corners of President Cheon’s mouth.
Drawing three of the Domestic Big Five as allies.
Pouring out articles in the morning to gauge Mir Guild’s reaction.
Then pulling out an additional card timed for when Yong Cheon-woo would come to the Blue House.
“Was Commissioner Choi always such a capable person?”
“The person who drew up the plan is someone else.”
“Introduce me to them sometime. It would be good to get them into politics.”
“It’s Representative Baek Seong-hyeon of Ascension Agency.”
“The fellow who used to be a Chilseong Guild executive?”
“I didn’t expect you to know him, Mr. President.”
“How long ago was it that Jung Shin-ho’s transfer issue erupted?”
Choi Ji-woong’s cheek trembled.
“I was just joking.”
“Don’t you know how much trouble the Rift Bureau went through?”
“He was a talent I’d been watching even before then. It would be good to have a chance to meet him.”
Predicting all of Mir Guild’s moves.
His skill at gradually cornering them was exquisite.
Someone with this level of capability would shine in the political world too.
“But this is the first time I’ve seen the Commissioner step forward this much.”
“Is that so?”
Hunter Park Min-ho. Is he such an exceptional talent?”
Hunters become stronger as their rank increases.
Proportionally, the difficulty of promotion exams also increases.
B-rank is said to be the top 1% of the Hunter industry.
A-rank is said to be below 0.1%.
S-rank and above numbered only in the hundreds worldwide.
“I’ve heard that even talented Hunters often can’t overcome the wall.”
“Hunter Park will succeed.”
Choi Ji-woong spoke with conviction.
“And within a few years, I’m confident our country will exert influence worldwide as a Hunter powerhouse.”
“Such change will come because of one person named Park Min-ho?”
“That’s right.”
Choi Ji-woong answered with a confident tone.
President Cheon Yu-jin, who had been stroking the orchid.
“I’ll trust you.”
Rather than raising more questions, he chose to respond with trust.
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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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