Chapter 30
The Nexus Guild headquarters in Seoul—
From the crack of dawn, it was in an uproar.
The reason? The unexpected visit of a VVIP guest.
Because of this, not only the Guild Master of Nexus but also the Deputy Guild Master, Director Kim Soo-ae, and other key executives were all summoned.
While they waited at the main entrance…
Vroom!
The roar of a supercar’s engine echoed from afar.
Soon, a bright red Ferrari, which was hard to miss even from a distance, pulled up in front of the guild’s main gate.
It was the Red Stallion, one of Jo Jin-hwi’s many prized car collections.
“…Is this the only one you can lend?”
“Haha, yes. My apologies.”
“Well, it can’t be helped… But thank you for letting me borrow it.”
That’s how he ended up driving it.
As soon as the car stopped, Suho got out, and the Nexus executives quickly greeted him.
“Ah, you’ve arrived, Hunter Ahn Suho.”
“Thank you for gracing us with your presence so early in the morning. It’s an honor.”
The identity of the VVIP guest was none other than Suho.
Just as he had mentioned to Jo Jin-hwi, Suho was here today to join the Nexus Guild.
In response to their enthusiastic welcome, Suho replied,
“Yes, nice to meet you, Chairman Bae Dong-hyuk. By the way, where should I park?”
“Someone, please assist with the parking. Hunter, you can hand over the keys and come with us right away.”
“Shall I? Then I’ll leave it to you.”
After handing over the keys, they began to move together.
Surprisingly, the meeting was held in the top-floor executive conference room, right next to the chairman’s office.
As Suho looked out the window at the open view, he commented,
“The company’s view is impressive.”
“Haha, of course. We didn’t move into this building for nothing. But more importantly…”
Glance.
Before starting the meeting, everyone exchanged looks, seeking confirmation.
They wanted to verify if what they had heard from Kim Soo-ae was true.
Thus, Kim Soo-ae, acting as their representative, asked,
“Um… Suho-sshi, about what you mentioned over the phone today. Is it really true?”
“That I intend to join Nexus?”
“Yes.”
“Yes, it’s true.”
“…!”
With those words, Guild Master Bae Dong-hyuk, Deputy Guild Master Yoon Doo-won, Academy Director Kim Soo-ae, and Chief Secretary Kim Yi-kang all silently bit their lips and clenched their fists in celebration.
And for good reason—Suho was currently the hottest… no, the most rapidly rising star in the country.
Perhaps that’s why Kim Soo-ae felt the greatest relief.
‘I didn’t even dare hope for this, considering how absurdly fast he’s been growing over the past few days…!’
It was true in every sense.
Suho’s track record was not just impressive—it was historic.
Before he even became a hunter, he single-handedly cleared the unregistered gate at Sindorim Station.
Then, he topped the notoriously difficult hunter exam.
On top of that, he single-handedly cleared the Tower of Trials, a feat no one had even considered possible.
And during his time in the Tower of Trials, there was even an article from PBS claiming he would become a government hunter, so they had practically given up hope.
But then, out of the blue, they received a call from him this morning.
He said he would join Nexus if the conditions were right.
‘Right. Civil servant hunter? With this level of skill, every country in the world would be fighting to recruit him, not just ours.’
Maybe that’s why, when Suho contacted her, Kim Soo-ae thought the government hunter article was just a publicity stunt.
After all, there are always people who try to raise their value in that way.
Then Suho spoke again,
“But as I mentioned on the phone earlier, I’ll only join if the conditions are right.”
Guild Master Bae Dong-hyuk quickly responded,
“Just tell us what you need. No other place can meet your conditions better than Nexus.”
“Your words are reassuring, Chairman. Then I’ll speak freely. But before I do, I assume everyone here has seen the PBS article about me.”
“The PBS article… You mean the interview where you said your dream is to become a civil servant hunter?”
“Yes, that’s the one.”
“Yes, I’ve seen it, but…”
Bae Dong-hyuk hesitated, unsure of what Suho was leading up to.
Based on his long experience in the corporate world, he could guess…
‘I bet he’s going to say something like, I originally wanted to be a government employee, but now that I’m joining a private guild, you’ll need to pay me more.’
That was a reasonable expectation.
However, Suho’s next words left not only Bae Dong-hyuk but everyone in the room completely stunned.
“Although I’m here today to join Nexus, my goal remains unchanged. I still intend to join the Korean Hunter Association as a civil servant hunter.”
“Pardon?”
“What do you mean…?”
Is he crazy?
Then why did he even come here?
No one dared to voice these thoughts, so silence followed as everyone exchanged puzzled glances.
Finally, Bae Dong-hyuk spoke on behalf of the group,
“If that’s your goal, may I ask why you’re considering joining a private guild?”
“To be honest, it’s to make it easier for me to get into the Korean Hunter Association.”
“Pardon?”
“I plan to take the Level 5 exam at the end of this year.”
Level 5.
The highest rank one can enter through an exam.
In the Korean Hunter Association, this rank typically starts from Team Leader and above.
So could it be…?
Bae Dong-hyuk narrowed his eyes and asked,
“Are you saying it’s because of the extra points for serving in a large guild?”
Suho smiled faintly at that.
Well, it’s true that you get extra points for having experience in a private guild.
But for Level 5, those extra points only apply after a minimum of five years of service.
What significance would that have for Suho?
Suho smiled and replied,
“No, that’s not it. It’s for more complex reasons… But first, do you know the saying, ‘The grass is always greener on the other side’?”
“Yes, I’m familiar with it.”
“Simply put, I plan to leverage the psychology that ‘the grass is always greener on the other side.’ I’m going to continue rising as a prominent figure. Perhaps, with enough fame and skill, I might easily pass the Level 5 public recruitment. But if I only show interest in the Korean Hunter Association, as I mentioned in my interview, they might start seeing me as a fish already caught.”
Everyone gave a small nod of approval.
It made sense.
If it were the Korean Hunter Association, they would indeed be capable of such thinking.
“Especially since I know that the final interview for Level 5 is the most crucial, and the Association Chairman has significant influence over it. And as a five-term congressman, he is someone who has a strong interest in reappointment or other public office positions.”
Even without further explanation, everyone nodded in agreement.
If Suho, associated with Nexus, successfully entered the Korean Hunter Association, the one who would benefit the most would be the Association Chairman.
Suho continued,
“So I’m proposing a deal to you, Chairman. I will use Nexus to facilitate my entry into the Korean Hunter Association, and Nexus can make the most of me as a human resource for the next six months.”
The explanation was clear enough.
Suho had expressed what he wanted, and Bae Dong-hyuk understood perfectly.
Now, all that was left was to negotiate the finer details.
However, before diving into those specifics, Chairman Bae Dong-hyuk had one curiosity that he wanted to address with Suho.
“I understand your intentions, Hunter. But before we get into the details, may I ask you one thing?”
“Of course, feel free to ask.”
“If those are your reasons, there are other options like Hexagon or Prime. Why Nexus?”
It was a question that seemed to catch Suho off guard.
After all, if that were his only reason, there were top-tier guilds like Hexagon, or Prime, which is known as the Korean Hunter Association’s ‘lapdog’.
But Suho’s answer was completely unexpected.
“I read the speech you gave when you founded Nexus.”
“Speech?”
“Yes, where you mentioned that, regardless of anything else, Nexus aspires to be the guild that contributes the most to ending gates in Korea.”
Bae Dong-hyuk’s speech.
To others, it might have seemed like just another typical speech, but to Bae, it was something he had written from the heart.
Why?
The reason was simple.
Nexus’ chairman, Bae Dong-hyuk, had also lost loved ones during the Gate Shock.
‘And Nexus has indeed conducted the most relief activities related to gate damage.’
Additionally, in Suho’s previous life, Nexus had shown the most dedication to such efforts.
Hearing Suho’s words, Bae Dong-hyuk looked as though he had been struck on the back of the head.
“…So, what you said in the interview was true—that ending gates is your ultimate goal.”
“Yes, I haven’t lied in any of my interviews. That’s why I went to clear the Tower of Trials as well.”
In response to Suho’s answer, Bae Dong-hyuk chuckled.
“With that explanation, I’m at a loss for words. But if that’s the case, do you really need to join the Korean Hunter Association? You could still work towards ending gates by being active in a private guild.”
“Well, I suppose you could see it that way. But if I truly want to contribute to ending gates, I believe I need to challenge places that no one else would dare to. For example, the special gates that are too dangerous and are managed separately by the government… such as Sealed Gates.”
“What?”
“Sealed Gates?”
“Are you serious?”
Sealed Gates.
These were gates that had seen multiple attempts to clear them, but due to excessive casualties, the government had sealed them off and put them under special management.
They were, in essence, considered disasters.
Of course, there were even more catastrophic gates known as the Five Calamities, but Sealed Gates were just as dangerous.
That’s why they were nicknamed ‘Mini-Calamities’ or ‘Mini-Calamity Gates.’
But paradoxically, solving the Sealed Gates would contribute immensely to human peace.
‘And the easiest way to prove my ability is through Sealed Gates.’
Suho was confident.
In fact, in his past life, nearly all of the Mini-Calamity Gates in Korea had been cleared, and Suho remembered the strategies and hidden pieces specific to those gates.
So, he intended to take full advantage of Sealed Gates this time.
Suho spoke up,
“In that sense, for the next six months, all Sealed Gates cleared will bear the Nexus name. Until I apply for the Korean Hunter Association’s public recruitment, I will give my utmost as a member of Nexus. And by then…”
Suho glanced at the faces of the people, who were nervously swallowing dryly, and smiled as he continued,
“I believe the entire industry will see a major shift. Nexus will not just be the third-largest guild—it will be the undisputed number one.”
T/N: they really switched back and forth between ‘Chairman’ and ‘Guild Master’ here, so I’m just following suit
