Chapter 47: Hey, Go Home!

"Father, something is strange," Park Ha-na whispered to Park Seong-beom.

"What is it?"

"My uncle — the Guild Master — hmph, anyway, I mean that man."

Strictly speaking, he wasn't really her uncle, and she hated calling him the Guild Master even more. Her way of addressing him was becoming increasingly disrespectful.

"The 52nd-floor conquest was definitely a failure. But doesn't the atmosphere seem strange?"

Park Seong-beom’s eyes narrowed.

He had intended to use this failure as an opportunity to tear Park Ki-beom down, but there were still supporting forces holding firm. This was because there was no hunter yet who could replace Park Ki-beom. However, Ki-beom would soon be in his 60s, and his combat power was bound to decline. If he could just add Park Ha-na and a mercenary S-class Hunter, he could sufficiently fill that position.

But what was strange was that even though there were few opportunities left, Park Ki-beom’s momentum seemed more formidable than ever.

Park Ha-na asked with a look of utter contempt, "Has that brat Park Seong-yeon not died yet? Once that’s over, we can finally get rid of that man completely."

"Park Ha-na!"

"Oh, I'm sorry."

Park Ha-na covered her mouth at her father's reprimand. Of course, Park Seong-beom hadn't scolded her because of her coarse language. He was merely rebuking her for the imprudence of mentioning Park Seong-yeon's name directly.

Park Ha-na whispered again, "But Father, they say Ji Yul-geon has arrived."

"How could Ji Yul-geon be here!"

"I'm sorry, Father. We missed him. It seems a gap opened up while I was entering the Labyrinth."

"You fools...!"

What they had been most concerned about was preventing Ji Yul-geon from meeting Park Seong-yeon before the latter died. They had even attached their people to the Erosion Zone where he had gone on an expedition. Yet, are you saying they didn't know until he entered Korea? Clearly, Park Ki-beom had pulled some strings; he would surely rush straight to Park Seong-yeon.

However, after pulling his thoughts together for a moment, Park Seong-beom shook his head.

"It is fine. It is far too late now. No matter how great Ji Yul-geon is, he cannot revive a corpse."

"Ah...!"

Park Ha-na smiled, twisting her lips. It had already been two months since Park Seong-yeon had stepped on a cursed flower. For a low-ranking hunter, he had lasted a long time. They were keeping it quiet, but Park Seong-yeon might already be dead.

...Yet, Park Ki-beom’s relaxed gaze was bothersome.

"Good. If he fails next time as well, we can completely drive him out."

"Don't worry, Father. Even if by some miracle he succeeds, I will make it a failure."

"Yes, you are dependable, my daughter."

Hahahaha!

Park Seong-beom’s laughter echoed beyond the room.

---

"You say the investigation results came from Commander Ji, Guild Master?"

"Yes, and they are quite interesting," Park Ki-beom said with a somewhat hollow expression.

"He suddenly asked us to get some for them as well. He wanted to know where they came from and who brought them."

"Pardon? And the results?"

"Can you believe he said that last? He said all the crops were slightly effective at neutralizing curses. Especially the tomatoes; they were effective even against curses from the 49th floor and above."

"What...?"

Feeding Go Nam-tae’s crops to Park Seong-yeon had been an unavoidable choice, but the results were beyond that. The effectiveness was clear, and the side effects they were worried about never appeared. This examination proved they were harmless. If there had been any demonic residue, it wouldn't have escaped the eyes of Ji Yul-geon and his son, Lucian. Because it had been entrusted to Ji Yul-geon personally rather than the Seonghwa Knights, the ripples were minimized, but if it had been made public, the impact would have been massive.

Yang Man-chun said, "In my opinion, this person named Go Nam-tae is farming on a special floor or perhaps a hidden piece. What do you think, Guild Master?"

"...I agree."

"Pardon? A person who has just recently awakened?"

Jeong Sang-myeong questioned him, but in truth, there was no other way to explain it — provided the person claiming to be Go Nam-tae was actually him.

Jeong Sang-myeong spoke again, "We have no choice but to meet Go Nam-tae in person and confirm. How about asking Kim Jae-won, or rather, Mr. Kim Gu-bok directly?"

Yang Man-chun shook his head. "We already tried, but the only answer we got was that it is impossible."

Then, Park Seong-yeon, who was listening nearby, slightly shook his phone and said, "I can contact him, though."

"What!"

A being from the Labyrinth communicating via phone? At those words, Park Ki-beom’s inner conflict ended.

It was no longer possible to believe that some unknown entity was merely impersonating Go Nam-tae. The most rational conclusion was that Go Nam-tae had awakened a special ability. While the question of whether Go Nam-tae could be trusted remained, he decided to believe in just one thing.

'He saved Seong-yeon!'

They immediately contacted Kim Jae-won and set up an appointment.

The long-awaited time arrived.

Now, he didn't even need a lunchbox to open the rift. Since even the minimum restrictions for opening rifts had vanished, a sense of wariness arose, but if they only continued to doubt, the trade could not continue.

Exactly on time, the air distorted. Park Ki-beom watched quietly as the rift opened.

However, the process was a bit strange this time. Tearing the air was similar at first, but the speed at which the gap widened was somehow cautious.

Round and round.

Like children clumsily practicing drawing, the hole began to form a circle. But it kept turning out jagged and uneven, until finally, it became something that looked like it had failed to become a circle.

Although the other side was not visible, it was as if the hole were speaking.

'Ah, this is so hard!'

Park Ki-beom naturally imagined a young man wiping his brow. Whether that was his own thought or not, Park Seong-yeon was covering his mouth and snickering. At the same time, Seong-yeon was the first to snap back to his senses.

"Hello, Brother Nam-tae!"

Park Seong-yeon greeted the rift — or rather, the mangled hole. Immediately, a notification sound rang from Seong-yeon’s phone.

"Oh, Uncle! Mister, and Vice Guild Master too! He says to step back!"

As soon as they moved back, sacks and boxes began to pour out of the hole.

Rice, corn, tomatoes. Cucumbers and various other vegetables...

And five watermelons, which everyone had been inwardly waiting for.

As soon as the crop drop-off ended, Park Seong-yeon’s phone rang again.

[=I have a separate request for Mr. Park Ki-beom. Could you tell him? Tell him it's unrelated to the trade, too. He can decide after looking at the details.]

"Uncle, Brother Nam-tae has a request for you! He says it's unrelated to the trade. He wants you to decide after looking at it."

At the sudden mention of a "request," everyone except Park Seong-yeon grew tense. Park Seong-yeon was fully recovered now. They could simply refuse a request. However, if they declined, they wouldn't leave a good impression. Park Ki-beom, who was now in a subordinate position, gave a heavy nod.

Then, a single slip of paper fluttered down from the hole.

"Uncle, he says you must destroy the note after reading it! ...Right, Brother Nam-tae?"

[=You’ve got good intuition, Park Seong-yeon. This next one is a service!]

Opening the box that came through the hole next, Park Seong-yeon cheered.

"Wow, it's rice cakes! Brother, thank you! I love you!"

[=Shut up!]

As Park Seong-yeon was snickering, the next text arrived immediately.

[=Even if Mr. Park Ki-beom grants the request, I don't think I can give a big reward. Instead, tell him I'll treat him to tofu I made myself for one month.]

"Whoa, for a whole month? What about me? For the younger brother who loves his big brother..."

[=Where did another one exactly like Kim Jae-won come from!]

The hole snapped shut. One could even imagine a look of disgust coming from the vanished hole.

Turning his head with a smile, Park Seong-yeon discovered the adults looking at the note with serious expressions.

"Uncle? Sir...?"

"Shh!"

Jeong Sang-myeong looked at the contents of the note again, repeated it to himself as if memorizing it, and then immediately burned it.

Park Ki-beom asked Jeong Sang-myeong, "This region... which guild has jurisdiction?"

"The Hwarang Guild is the closest, but it isn't strictly under their jurisdiction."

"Our guild can handle it easily enough, right?"

"The Saeron Guild has national jurisdiction. Of course we can."

"Then prepare so we can go first thing tomorrow."

"Yes, Brother."

"...?"

Park Ki-beom spoke cautiously to Park Seong-yeon. "May I see your phone as well?"

"Yes, here you go."

As Park Ki-beom, Jeong Sang-myeong, and Yang Man-chun checked the screen Seong-yeon handed over, the corners of their mouths trembled. Park Ki-beom’s eyes, fixed on the empty air, went through a long moment of complexity before he finally let out a chuckle.

Park Ki-beom said regretfully, "It would have been better if that fellow were a daughter, wouldn't it?"

"I agree."

"I'm with you, Brother. It’s a shame. I should have at least had a daughter myself..."

At the incomprehensible talk, Park Seong-yeon blinked for a long time before finally realizing the meaning.

"Uncle! You guys!"

Hahahahaha!

Just as the laughter was about to spill over the walls.

*Ding-dong.*

The doorbell rang.

---

A moment of silence followed...

Park Ki-beom grabbed Yang Man-chun.

"You must not open the door, Advisor! If we don't answer, they'll just leave."

While the content was serious, annoyance was visible in Park Ki-beom’s eyes. There was only one person who could make Park Ki-beom act this childishly.

Just then, a loud voice boomed from outside the door.

"Ki-beom, I'm here! Aren't you going to come out quickly?"

Despite the door never being opened, the uninvited guest was already inside the living room.

Yang Man-chun said with a troubled expression, "I previously provided a one-time pass to Commander Ji Yul-geon."

It had been a measure to grasp even a sliver of hope in the worst-case scenario. Now, it had become someone's casual lockpick. Amidst the leisure to exchange bickering banter.

"Hey, go home! Who said you could come in! You weren't around when I needed you, so why are you crawling over here now!"

While the two men held back the fuming Park Ki-beom, Park Seong-yeon opened the door.

"Welcome, Uncle."

"Seong-yeon!"

At the sight of Park Seong-yeon standing on his own two feet and opening the door himself, Ji Yul-geon’s eyes grew misty.

"Are you all right, Seong-yeon?"

"Yes, I'm fine now!"

"Have you forgotten that Seong-yeon is my nephew! Not even knowing what kind of state your only nephew was in...!"

Ji Yul-geon let Park Ki-beom’s scolding go in one ear and out the other as he hugged Park Seong-yeon tightly.

"Let's see, my nephew!"

He lifted Seong-yeon up and spun him around once, then checked his hair, fingernails, and even his tongue. It looked ridiculous, but it was the most certain way to check for traces of a curse.

Ji Yul-geon hugged his nephew again.

"Seong-yeon, thank you, and I'm sorry! As your uncle, I couldn't even ease the pain you suffered..."

Behind the tearful Ji Yul-geon, a tall, handsome blonde man bowed politely.

"It has been a while, Guild Master, Vice Guild Master, and Advisor. Seong-yeon, I am truly glad."

"Good to see you, Lucian."

While Park Seong-yeon and Lucian greeted each other, Ji Yul-geon’s eyes turned toward the inner part of the room. Park Ki-beom tried to block him, but it was too late.

"That's it, right? Ki-beom, that's the thing!"

"Hey, you! Go home!"

Park Seong-yeon and Lucian only exchanged awkward glances. Just who was supposed to be the embarrassed one here...