GM Ch74

Minjun, a C-rank hunter, instinctively sensed danger. It felt like he was surrounded by giant tigers, with only a slight exaggeration.

Fortunately, the tigers treated him like a fragile cookie that would break if touched, making it bearable. Otherwise, he might have fainted.

“Is it all over now? Minjun, go to the Team 1 leader.”

Thankfully, Soohyuk diverted the attention of the S-rank hunters at the right moment. Minjun quickly bowed and went to stand next to Choi Yohan. As the distance increased, he felt a bit more at ease.

“You’re really protective of him. We’re not going to eat him.”

It was Kwak Jonghoon who teased Soohyuk. Then, all the hunters except Seo Wooju swarmed in like bees.

“We need to collaborate first, right? Don’t you think?”

“No, we don’t.”

“Yeah, collaboration. When should we do it?”

“I said no.”

“An A-rank dungeon should be fine, right? Should I prepare?”

“No need to prepare anything.”

“I’ll go first.”

“I said no.”

Despite the onslaught from the S-rank hunters, Soohyuk kept repeating “no” like an indifferent parrot. It was amusing to see the six S-rank hunters in Korea bickering childishly. Still, it wasn’t much different from the past, which reassured Minjun. At the same time, he couldn’t help but chuckle inwardly at Soohyuk’s impenetrable demeanor. In some ways, Soohyuk was the scariest of them all.

“Our guild leader is really something.”

Park Hanyoung, who was standing next to him, commented. Minjun and the other hunters from the June Guild’s Team 1 all agreed.

Minjun took his eyes off the S-rank hunters and looked around. There was still some time left until the opening ceremony, so the place was mostly empty.

People who had arrived early were gathered in small groups, occasionally glancing over at them. It was understandable, given that all the S-rank hunters in Korea were gathered here. They probably wanted to approach and start a conversation but hesitated, sensing the unapproachable atmosphere.

Understanding their feelings, Minjun familiarized himself with the surroundings. It was an event with a large crowd. Although no one would dare cause trouble with all the S-rank hunters present, accidents could happen unexpectedly.

Thus, Minjun deliberately ignored the presence of the imposing statue exuding a strong presence.

***

The opening ceremony of the ‘Kim Minjun Memorial Hall’ was grand. All six S-rank hunters attended, adding to the event’s prestige. Not only politicians but also conglomerates made appearances. The number of ordinary people easily exceeded four digits. There were more people standing than sitting, as there weren’t enough chairs in front of the stage.

The meticulously prepared event proceeded without major disruptions. It was more festive than solemn, with frequent bursts of laughter.

The highlight of the event was the raffle draw towards the end. The organizers offered high-grade weapons and armor for the hunters and practical magical items for the general public as prizes.

The raffle coupons attached to the invitations filled a transparent acrylic box. Each time an S-rank hunter came up to draw a coupon and announce the number, the crowd alternated between sighs and cheers.

As the hunter who won the legendary defense-boosting ring raised both hands and roared on stage, Minjun, standing on the left side of the event hall, praised Soohyuk’s planning skills. The raffle draw was something Soohyuk had strongly insisted on. Minjun had heard him say that while having a famous singer perform at the memorial event was nice, nothing could make people happier than expensive prizes.

For today, Soohyuk had generously brought out items he had been saving. He even managed to get one item each from the other S-rank hunters.

As the winners of the prizes were announced one by one, the excitement in the hall grew, and Minjun remained vigilant. The more the atmosphere heated up, the more likely accidents could happen. Minjun kept his eyes on Joo Myunghwan, who was seated in the front row of the VIP section.

Since the closing of the Poison Jar Dungeon, Joo Myunghwan had been keeping a low profile. His first public appearance since then was at the opening ceremony of the Kim Minjun Memorial Hall.

Although there was no concrete evidence that Joo Myunghwan was the curse sorcerer, Minjun was mentally convinced. It was infuriating. Attending an event commemorating someone he had cursed to death was something beyond common sense.

To make matters worse, Joo Myunghwan had even approached Soohyuk to shake hands, laughing as he said he might have made a mistake inside the dungeon. Fortunately, Soohyuk didn’t lash out at him with a string of curses. Instead, he shook hands and, with a smile, said it would be difficult to work together in the future. At that moment, Joo Myunghwan’s face twisted, unable to hide his emotions.

Minjun clicked his tongue inwardly but remained calm. The nature of items that defended against curses varied. The item he possessed would not only block the curse but also send it back to the caster. Usually, in such cases, the curse would return even stronger.

Yet, Joo Myunghwan’s right eye was perfectly fine. This didn’t mean Joo Myunghwan was innocent; it meant he was a skilled curse sorcerer with something or someone to take the curse on his behalf.

This was going to be tricky.

To deal with a curse sorcerer, one had to quickly overpower them with force. However, an experienced curse sorcerer could cast curses swiftly without incantations. Even if it wasn’t a death curse, they likely had a hidden trump card.

Killing Joo Myunghwan in one breath would be easy. But if he wanted to find out the source of his curses, things would get complicated. After staring at Joo Myunghwan for a while, Minjun deliberately turned his head away. Malice often conveyed itself unconsciously. Until he regained his rank, he needed to avoid unnecessary conflicts.

“Why are you so tense?”

Minjun’s eyes widened at the unexpected voice. Soohyuk, who had been behind the stage just moments ago, was now standing next to him.

“Guild leader?”

“Nothing’s going to happen, so don’t worry about every little thing.”

Soohyuk subtly glanced at Joo Myunghwan, indicating he had noticed Minjun’s glare.

“I’m not exactly a magnanimous person.”

“Well, that’s understandable. It’s not over until it’s over.”

“Exactly.”

Minjun nodded at Soohyuk, who was giving him a meaningful look. They couldn’t just leave someone like Joo Myunghwan alone. In this regard, Minjun was glad he and Soohyuk were on the same page.

“By the way, what did the Star Guild leader say earlier? I couldn’t hear because the music was too loud.”

“Oh, that? He asked if I wanted to appear on a TV show. I declined.”

“What show?”

“Some variety show, I think. I’m not really sure.”

Ever since Minjun joined the June Guild, offers from other guilds had stopped completely. The only message he received was a brief greeting from Choi Jungho, asking how he was doing. Even the persistent Star Guild had only sent a congratulatory text and then stopped.

So, it was surprising when the Star Guild leader approached him and handed him a business card, suggesting he appear on a variety show. He said it was a program introducing new hunters and that it wouldn’t be too burdensome, even offering to make the arrangements himself.

Minjun didn’t even bother consulting with his guild and flatly refused, saying he would never appear on TV. Despite this, the Star Guild leader persisted a few more times before finally backing off when the event started.

“Do you want to be on TV? The deputy guild leader said the broadcasting stations have been reaching out a lot. Elementalists are pretty rare, you know.”

“No, absolutely not. I already told you I refused earlier. I plan to retire quietly.”

“Hmm. How about doing a commercial?”

“Nope.”

Minjun, who was determined to retire quietly, spoke firmly. He hadn’t changed his mind about avoiding the spotlight, thinking it would only cause unnecessary noise around him.

Minjun didn’t realize that the word “retire” had pressed one of Soohyuk’s buttons. Soohyuk had already decided to use him as the guild’s promotional model as a starting point. Instead, he felt a sense of foreboding from Soohyuk’s sly smile.

“Well, there are many ways to become famous.”

“What are you planning?”

“Look over there.”

Minjun turned his head in the direction Soohyuk was pointing. There was nothing unusual, just a crowd of people.

“I don’t see anything.”

“If you don’t see it, then never mind.”

Soohyuk’s voice was filled with amusement, making Minjun look at him. Soohyuk was standing so close that his smiling face was almost right in front of Minjun’s eyes. The way his eyes curved into crescents when he smiled made it clear he was up to something.

“Guild leader?”

“What?”

“What is it?”

“Can’t you see? It’s right there.”

Minjun squinted and focused, but he couldn’t find anything special. When he looked back at Soohyuk, puzzled, Soohyuk burst into laughter.

“I’ll tell you later. It’s nothing serious, so don’t frown.”

“Understood.”

Since Soohyuk said it wasn’t serious, Minjun let it go. He didn’t even flinch when Soohyuk playfully pressed his fingertip against his furrowed brow.

The distance between them had closed significantly since their first meeting, where Minjun had tried to keep his distance. That instance seemed meaningless now. Now, he was almost leaning into Soohyuk, who was standing behind him, but he didn’t even notice.

Even in a public place, it didn’t bother him when Soohyuk playfully touched his forehead. Soohyuk had made such contact seem natural over time.

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