Chapter 243 - What Are You Doing?

Unlike the agitated Billy, Ulbert remained calm.

"I need to check something first... How do you know Captain Kang?"

“Thomas.”

"Thomas?"

“Not ‘you.’ Call me Thomas—that’s my name.”

Thomas replied with an awkward smile. Ulbert’s gaze turned sharp.

"Your name doesn’t matter. Stop dodging and answer the question."

"You sound upset. Will it make any difference if I tell you?"

Thomas also wiped the smile off his face and responded coldly.

"Who knows, maybe you're just playing games for Ithaca."

"Oh? You've been tricked a few times in the past, huh? I didn’t realize. No wonder you're on edge."

"Are you mocking me?"

"I’ve said it from the start—you’re pointing fingers at the wrong guy. Yeah, I’m with Ithaca, but if anyone’s sick of Ithaca, it’s me. Don’t lump me in with them."

"Don’t act all high and mighty—you're no better. So just spit it out before things get ugly…"

"Ooh! That was a good localized translation! This item’s got a solid performance!"

The girl's unexpected exclamation defused the tension instantly. Ulbert shot her a glare.There was no way kind words would come out since the atmosphere started to turn sour the moment Ithaca Guild was mentioned.

"Who the hell does this bitch think she is, acting like a clueless fool and interrupting without reading the room? Tch!"

"What? Bitch? Wow, this translation’s spot-on. It’s so on point, it’s making me angry. What if I cursed in Korean? Hey, you Yankee XX, I’ll shove your shit up ##, then ##, ###, ######."

Whoosh!

"Are you looking for a fight now?"

"What, did that come through clearly?"

Ulbert, Billy, and the other O.C. hunters all looked like they were ready to draw their weapons, shaking with rage at the stream of obscenities. Thomas, who had heard the insult as well, stood beside Ulbert, looking horrified.

"Hunter Go Eul-ji... That was a bit much, don’t you think?"

"Aren't you on our side? Why are you defending them?"

"Yeah. Why is that Ithaca bastard pretending to be on our side?!"

Ulbert shouted in annoyance. Thomas, pressured by his fierce gaze, returned to Kang Moo-hyuk’s side. As the negotiation table descended into chaos, Kang Moo-hyuk finally stepped forward.

"Let’s wrap up the socializing. We don’t have much time."

"Socializing? How the hell is this socializing?"

"Sometimes a few insults and a brawl help break the ice. It’s the Korean way."

"What kind of hell is Korea? Don’t hunters get hurt when they fight? And yet, you’re saying they get closer?"

“Don’t kids grow up by fighting? That’s how they all become closer. That friend of mine is still a minor. She’s inexperienced in social situations. She tends to be a bit rebellious in everything, so please understand."

“They start fights from a young age? Child abuse is just a part of daily life? What a barbaric country."

"Captain, I think the translation’s coming out a bit... weird."

Noh Song-rin pointed at the tie-pin-shaped translation item and remarked. Kang Moo-hyuk curiously examined the tie pin.

“Are you doing this on purpose? This item’s mood swings are wild. Anyway, let’s drop the jokes.”

“Hey, Billy. That was a joke. Can you tell me what the hell these lunatics are actually trying to say?"

“We’re thinking of having the Ithaca Guild defend the eastern district of L.A. If they succeed in defending, we’ll have them help out with the hive raid too.”

“They’re not just lunatics, they’re straight-up insane. Have the Ithaca guys gone completely nuts? Why the hell would they take on a suicidal mission with no payout? I don’t care how much I want that leader position. There’s no way I’m joining hands with these lunatics. What a waste of time. Let’s go, Billy.”

Ulbert stood up, clearly done with the conversation. He had no intention of negotiating any further.

“Don’t you want payback for everything Ithaca’s done to you? With interest?”

He paused.

“If my guess is not wrong, I bet you’ve got a few cards up your sleeve to take them down. But if you go charging in, it’ll turn into a full-blown war, right? So you’ve been holding back. Need someone to swing the blade for you?”

Ulbert turned back, his interest clearly piqued.

"You're offering to swing the sword for me?"

"Not just swinging it. I'll stab, twist, and put on a whole performance for you."

"Haha! You're a funny one. How do you know exactly how to hit all the right nerves? Are you sure you've got the skills for it?"

"Can't speak for skills. But I’ve got connections."

"So you're saying you can pull it off."

"Why don't you just dip your toes in for now? If you think my actions are untrustworthy, then you can back out."

After meeting with O.C., Kang Moo-hyuk and his group made their way to the East District of LA and arrived at the Ithaca Guild headquarters just past midnight. Fighting continued across the city, but in the west and central areas, the guilds were gradually coordinating, and with O.C. joining in, the tide of battle quickly shifted in favor of the hunters.

However, the East District was still grim. The Ithaca Guild, which should have been holding the line here, responded passively, and only the bare minimum of defense was being done.

"There are no signs of them planning to withdraw."

Jang Deuk-gu, looking at the towering Ithaca Guild headquarters building in the middle of the main street, spoke. Kang Moo-hyuk gave an order to Go Eul-ji.

"How's the movement inside the building? Let me know if you spot anything indicating that they're moving key items."

"You should've noticed it when I was doing minesweepers. I'm not a detection-type hunter, you know."

"I guess that means you're outstanding in all areas."

"That just sounds like you want to wring me dry, Captain."

"Jeez, rookie. You just figured that out? It's surprising you didn't catch on sooner."

Noh Song-rin chuckled and teased her. Go Eul-ji got angry.

"I don’t think I deserve to hear that from you, Mr. Noh. You’re the guild’s official slave."

"Slave? Who, me?"

"As far as I know, you’ve taken part in the most missions—official and unofficial. Even more than the Guild Master."

"Hey, where’d you hear that nonsense…?"

"From Team Leader Pyo. She was reviewing the performance reports for the year-end bonuses and was stunned. Not just this year, but even including last year, you’re apparently number one. Congrats! Your bank account must be looking pretty good. Still, I’m not jealous at all. I don’t want to live like a slave."

"Hey! If I'm number one, you're number two!"

Go Eul-ji flinched.

“Wait, what? You flinched just now. Seriously? Are you really in second place?”

“Dammit. Can you stop exploiting me so much? How much do you want to work a student to the bone?”

“Bwahahaha! You're graduating this year, right? You’ll be in first place next year. Gotcha! The way I am now will be the way you'll turn out in the future. Hahaha!"

"What kind of awful thing are you saying? Say something, Captain. If you have any conscience, you'll at least guarantee me some time off next year, right?"

“…”

“Why aren’t you saying anything?!”

"Guild management is usually handled by people with no conscience. I’m sorry, but we’re planning to expand the guild's operations next year, so we’re going to be quite busy.”

“That’s ridiculous. I’m quitting.”

“I’m sorry, but you did express your intention to renew the contract earlier, didn’t you? If you choose to leave without proper notice, we’ll meet in court. Of course, before that, you’ll have a chance to discuss the terms with the Guild Master."

“Is that conversation going to happen with fists?”

"I don't know."

“I’ll stay then. Just use me moderately, please."

“Moderately… As I said earlier, I don’t have a conscience…”

“I know. Just don’t work me to death.”

“Don’t get too disappointed. Who knows? Maybe you’ll become an S-rank next year. If you do, you can leave or re-sign whenever you want. We won’t stop you.”

"If I became S-rank, at least I wouldn't be disliked."

Go Eul-ji sighed deeply, realizing she had no other choice but to surrender.

‘I will become an S-rank, even if it's out of pure injustice. Once I become an S-rank, I'll definitely get out of this damn guild.’

It was then that Go Eul-ji truly decided to challenge herself to reach S-rank.

‘But even if I become S-rank, will I really be able to get away from Captain Kang? He even wiped out a Chinese S-rank before…’

Suddenly, a sense of unease sent chills down her spine.

The Vice Guild Master of the Ithaca Guild, Powell, came to find Guild Master Dolores again to deliver some new information.

"Who?"

“Thomas Lee. The mage you invested all that expensive magic into.”

"Oh, him? He's half-baked. I heard he's been useful. What about him?"

"He came with some strange people to the headquarters."

"Strange people?"

"They’re Koreans."

"Isn't Thomas Korean, too? Looks like he brought people from Koreatown."

"Excluding Thomas, there are five of them. One is a civilian, and the rest are high-ranking hunters. They’re from Korea, and the civilian’s name is Kang Moo-hyuk. He wants to meet you."

"Kang Moo-hyuk?"

Dolores twirled her light brown bangs as she tried to remember.

"Ah, now I remember. That Korean Guild Captain who’s been causing a stir lately. I've been hearing rumors about him everywhere. But why is he here? Have we ever had any contact with him?"

"No, we haven’t. His business isn’t our main focus."

“Why? It’d be cool to have a few Rider Wolves.”

“Of course, it would be nice to have them. But I’d rather avoid getting involved and clashing with other guilds. If a dispute breaks out and our business gets exposed, it would be troublesome. I’ve heard the O.C. guys have been causing trouble lately, so there’s no point in contacting him.”

“Too bad. I wanted to ride a Rider Wolf.”

“Anyway, that Guild Captain wants to meet Guild Master. What should we do?”

Dolores bit her lip, lost in thought. It was a habit she had when deep in thought. To an unprejudiced observer, it might seem like a charming quirk of a beautiful woman who effortlessly drew attention. But her eyes carried an unsettling aura that most people couldn’t withstand. It was clear that she had the true essesce of a powerful Guild Master.

“The timing is odd. Of all the times, it’s when the hornet’s nest is stirred up and other guilds seem to be losing their minds.”

“If it’s bothering you, I can send them away.”

“No, that's even more unsettling. Just let them in. I have nothing to do anyway. I’m bored, so let’s hear what they have to say.”

Before long, Kang Moo-hyuk and his group arrived at the Guild Master’s office. Dolores sat on the sofa and greeted them. She sat in the middle of the wide sofa, with her arms resting on both sides of the backrest, which looked rude for welcoming guests.

When Kang Moo-hyuk extended his hand to initiate a greeting, Dolores simply nodded her head, using her chin to gesture toward the seat across from her.

"Sit down. I'm not the type to care about formalities."

Kang Moo-hyuk withdrew his hand.

“I see.”

Kang Moo-hyuk leaned back on the sofa that Dolores had pointed to.

"Oh? Interesting. Is it because you're a foreigner? You’re not intimidated in front of me. Not bad."

"Well, there’s someone in our guild who’s even worse than you. I’m used to this kind of atmosphere."

In the tense atmosphere, Go Eul-ji fumbled with the smartphone in her pocket.

‘Someone worse than her? Is he talking about the Guild Master? I need to record this. I’ll report it to the Guild Master. I know how to record, too, you know.’

She quietly searched her pockets for her smartphone, but without being able to see it, she struggled to open the recording app. Although she had the ability to sense objects around her, using a touchscreen was tricky since it wasn’t button-operated.

"You there. What are you doing?"

Dolores's gaze was fixed on Go Eul-ji.