25 (2)
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Seung-ho closed his eyes, as if in pain, and opened it to stare back at Ma Gi-tae.
“Do you know how strong Balrog is?” he asked him.
“Mr. Seung-ho, maybe, Balrog…” Ma Gi-tae stared at him with hopeful eyes, as if he didn’t know that Seung-ho has already faced the ace monster.
Seung-ho cut him off by stretching out two fingers in front of him.
“Two years ago.”
“Yeah?”
“Two years ago, I faced Balrog.”
* * *
Seung-ho attacked the inner wall of the gate but didn’t even make a scratch.
“Open, damn it!” He hit it again, and again.
If I had arrived just a few minutes earlier, I could have returned home. However, Seung-ho was delayed due to a skirmish.
He collapsed to the ground in despair. He doesn’t know when this opportunity would come again.
He had an idea. He focused half of his mana on a powerful attack, targeting the ground this time.
Boom!
It made a huge hole, but only to reveal that the inner wall of the gate also runs underground.
He lifted his head in tears. In his teary vision, he saw Balrog flying.
“Oh, you bastard! Because of you, because of you, I have been here for 18 years! Bastard!”, he yelled.
In his current situation, with only half of his mana remaining, it would be reckless to initiate a fight again.
However, as he saw Balrog, he felt his adrenaline rise, and he started to chase him. He didn’t know where the monster was going, or how far it would be, so he tried to conserve his mana as he ran.
Balrog’s condition was worse than his, he observed.
His mana could not compensate for his stamina. He was able to narrow the distance quickly, but the distance gradually widened again.
He followed Balrog for two days, non-stop, until finally, from a distance, he saw him descend into a volcano’s mouth, disappearing from his view.
After Seung-ho confirmed where Balrog hid, he decided to take a rest. It would be better to face him prepared.
He collapsed to the ground in fatigue and took a rest.
He took a break for half a day. Then, he searched around the volcanic area, looking for Balrog.
The volcano was too wide, and it was hard to struggle against the heat.
It was also difficult to avoid the boiling lava spurting up from time to time.
“This is crazy!”
He can’t help but complain against the terrible heat, but now that Balrog is weak, it is the best opportunity to catch him.
He used his magical ability and tried to detect from all directions. He also had to protect himself from the heat using his mana.
However, with the frequency of the lava spurts, it was hard for him to sustain his mana, so he had to get out of the volcanic area and recover.
It took him two days of going back and forth to locate Balrog.
When he found him, he didn’t know how to feel.
Balrog apparently is a she. Beside her was a youngling she had just given birth to.
The location was a rocky isle in the middle of the volcano’s mouth, surrounded by a large sea of lava.
The distance is so wide that the only way Seung-ho could cross the lava sea was to put mana on his soles and kick the air to float.
However, whenever he tried to cross and jump over the lava, Balrog desperately interfered.
He kept trying to penetrate the nest for over a week, but it was hard to avoid Balrgo’s attack while he is in the air. As a result, he was always hit and often thrown back due to the impact.
There was no better time. Balrog was at her weakest point, after just giving birth, but he could not get close.
Eventually, Balrog recovered her strength and flew off the volcano with her youngling.
Seung-ho desperately tried to follow them on foot, but eventually, they widened the distance between them and disappeared from his view.
After half a year, he happened to meet Balrog’s youngling. The young monster was surprisingly strong. He was growing fast enough to exceed his mother’s strength.
Seung-ho decided that it would be a risk to let the youngling grow, but the youngling managed to escape him at that time.
Another half-year passed, and Seung-ho attempted a surprise attack to kill the youngling. This time, however, the youngling was with his mother and was surrounded by other monsters.
It was difficult enough to face Balrog alone.
Seung-ho eventually gave up.
* * *
“… It’s not just Balrog we have to worry about. There’s also a strong youngling…”
At the end of Seung-ho’s words, Ma Gi-tae’s mouth was wide open.
“Oh my God… why didn’t you tell us before?”
“Because I didn’t have to talk about everything I did inside the gate. However, if you need to defeat Balrog… honestly, I could not guarantee that I can catch her one on one. Well, I don’t think a branch manager and I can find out a solution; it’s best you submit a report about it and formulate countermeasures with the Association.”
Ma Gi-tae grabbed his head as if he is starting to have a terrible headache. He sat behind his desk without moving.
It seems that he understands the gravity of the situation. Defeating Balrog was not a simple matter.
Seung-ho stood up. “I have to go. I hope good countermeasures come out.”
Before he could leave, though, Ma Gi-tae stood up and grabbed his hands urgently.
“Where are you going? Shouldn’t you help us find countermeasures?”
“What are you talking about?” Seung-ho pulled his hands out. Ma Gi-tae was holding them desperately, but let them go.
“Seung-ho… Okay. Then, we will contact you later. Please attend our meeting.”
“Yes, okay, I’m going.”
Ma Gi-tae walked him to the door and watched him walk down the hallway. He thought Seung-ho was still holding more information. Although Seung-ho has already provided him an answer, he could not let go of his anxiety. He hoped he would attend the meeting.
Seung-ho, as he walked, could not shake off the ominous feeling that he will not be able to escape being a hunter. He wanted to quit. But he had no choice.
* * *
“The location is not bad, the lighting is good, and it seems okay…”
The price was quite high. His parents’ hearts were rather heavy because this meant that Seung-ho had to spend all his earnings so far as a hunter.
“Father, then, let’s go home. It doesn’t seem that we can find something better if we keep looking. Besides, there’s a high school nearby, so it’s easy for Sia to go to school, and there’s a police station around,” Seung-ho said.
The real estate agent nodded at Seung-ho’s words. “There is no other house for sale that you’ll find as good as this. You won’t regret it.”
At the end of the agent’s words, Seung-ho laughed awkwardly; then, they proceeded to sign the contract.
Seung-ho was a little bit puzzled by the house. It was completely furnished, but it seemed like no one lived here.
The agent was somehow able to read his expression and offered an explanation. “Oh, the family that lived here were immigrants and went home to their country, except for their father. The father told me that the appliances and furnishings would come with the purchase of the house, and he will throw away what you don’t need if you tell me.”
Seung-ho’s mother got excited about that. “Oh my gosh – so they left everything here?”
“Yes,” the agent nodded. “You can look around now and tell us in advance what you don’t need; we will contact you as soon as the house is ready when the seller comes from Busan.”
“Seung-ho, look at these! They look brand-new.”
Seeing his mother smile like a little girl, Seung-ho felt happy. “Do you like anything here?”
He initially felt like he was spending too much money on the house, but with these furnishings, it felt like he actually saved money.
“Of course, son, they’re all good! If Min-ju was here, don’t you think she’ll agree not to take anything from their house?”
Seung-ho forced an awkward laugh. He’s not sure how Min-ju would react.
Sia and Seong-ah greeted their uncle and grandparents, who had just returned to their apartment.
“Did you find a good house?” Sia asked.
“Yeah, it was a very good contract,” his mother replied while touching Sia’s face. She still looked happy, and there is no sign of worry on her face.
His father also seemed to like that they found a good house where everyone could live comfortably, and he also had a big smile on his face.
“Have you eaten, children?” his mother asked.
“No…, our last meal was when you left. By the way, can we eat chicken to celebrate the new house?” Sia answered.
“Yes!” Seung-ho said excitedly. “Let’s eat a lot of chicken tonight!”
“BBQ? Kyochon? What should we order?”
“My grandchildren know best,” his mother said with a smile, seeing Seong-ah and Sia excited.
Suddenly, Seung-ho’s phone rang. “Hold on,” he told his family, as he stepped out of the apartment to take the call.
It was Ma Gi-tae.
“Is this a good time for my call?”
“Yes, what’s going on?”
“Do you have time tomorrow?”
“Why?”
“The Vice-Chairman and several other executives are arriving late tonight. The countermeasure meeting will be held tomorrow morning. If you have time, please come to the West Branch at 10 am tomorrow to attend.”
Seung-ho paused.
It was surprising to hear that the executives and even the Vice-Chairman are coming on the basis of Seung-ho’s words, which have not been proven yet.
“There are conditions…” he muttered over the phone.
“I will definitely guarantee you that your conditions will be met within my competency.”
“I’ll meet you tomorrow and tell you what they are.”