Chapter 32
The car suddenly roared to a halt.
“You’re really going to do this to your benefactor?” Choi Yeonseung asked with a frown.
“N-No. What... What is going on?”
Richard looked away in surprise.
“There’s a madman in front of us...”
‘An assassination?’’?Choi Yeonseung thought so at first. The evil god constellations noticed him...
‘No. This doesn’t make sense. Why would they have used this method if they knew?’
No idiot would send a household member to deal with a constellation.
-Master. Should I take care of this?
-No. Let’s see who it is.
Choi Yeonseung opened the door and went outside. Some crazy guy had parked a sports car horizontally and blocked the way. No matter how deserted the road, this didn’t make sense.
‘As expected of America. The level of the crazy people is amazing.’
The door of the Lamborghini opened, and an Asian hunter with blond-dyed hair came out. He looked to be in his early 40s, and his tanned skin gave off a?healthy energy.
‘Where have I seen him before... ’
Choi Yeonseung was surprised by how familiar the person seemed. He wandered through the Abyss for the past thirty years, so why did the man still look so familiar?
“D-D-Dragon Hwang... ” Richard Parked exclaimed in shock, seemingly recognizing the other person’s face right away.
“Dragon Hwang?”
***
Hwang Gyeongryong. Born in Korea, he moved to the United States after the ‘Seoul Disaster’ incident and set the most outstanding record among the first generation hunters. His hunter rank was S-grade! He was one of the best hunters on Earth, and his name was always mentioned whenever people were asked who the strongest hunter was.
Hwang Gyeongryong wasn’t just a strong hunter, either. Back then, there were so many monsters that just moving his feet around would be enough to kick them. Having hunted them at random, Hwang Gyeongryong never had a?bad financial day. He was once the richest man on Earth!
Hwang Gyeongryong didn’t stop there. He bought and acquired medical, pharmaceutical, broadcasting, biotechnology, artifact, and magic engineering companies. That was how Dragon Industry was formed. Not only did Dragon Industry have various corporations and sub-clans, but it was now one of the clan states in the United States.
One of the best S-grade hunters and?head of the best chaebol! That was Hwang Gyeongryong. And...
He was one of the stars who most glamorously inflated the image of hunters! When Hwang Gyeongryong came to the United States, he lived a maddeningly glamorous and dissolute life with the enormous support of the US government. One of his nicknames was the ‘World’s Strongest Playboy.’ That should speak for itself.
“... Didn’t you get married last night?”
“That’s right.”
Even though he was already in his late 60s, Hwang Gyeongryong was getting married for the 19th time. They didn’t pay much attention even though it was someone as famous as Hwang Gyeongryong.
The media just said things like, ‘Dragon Hwang, new marriage. This marriage is expected to last six months...’ and ‘What are the terms of Dragon Hwang’s marriage? It is an estimated payment of $100 million?and prohibition to file a?lawsuit in case of a divorce..’
Odaigon?was impressed when he heard the bodyguards whispering. It was natural for a strong being to want to sow seeds.
“He is a responsible male. He’s in his late sixties, so he probably can’t?keep it hard anymore.”
“No. Dragon Hwang keeps it hard quite well.”
“That’s right. He has so many children.”
The bodyguards immediately responded. They didn’t know about anything else, but they were at least certain about that! Regardless, Choi Yeonseung looked like he had seen a ghost. The name Hwang Gyeongryong was very familiar to him.
“You’re Dragon Hwang, right?”
“That’s right. Who are you, kid?”
“I-I am called Richard Parker!” Richard Parker replied stiffly to Hwang Gyeongryong.
“Parker? The Parker family’s child?”
Despite being called a child to his face, Richard Parker couldn’t refute it. He nodded and exclaimed, “Yes! That’s right!”
“I hear Alex has many worries about his son being a hunter.”
“... That has nothing to do with me.”
“Hahaha! Yes. That’s how it should be. Shouldn’t you be allowed to do what you want?”
Hwang Gyeongryong looked around with a smile. Under any other circumstances, the bodyguards would’ve taken out their guns if the car was blocked like this. However, they didn’t dare do so in this situation. They knew that everyone here would die if Hwang Gyeongryong ever wanted to kill them.
“Well, you must be curious why I’m blocking the road with my car. I would be as well.”
“... W-What reason do you have?” “It is because of that friend over there behind you.” Hwang Gyeongryong answered while pointing to Choi Yeonseung. “Why is he in your car, kid?”
“... I’m treating him?for?saving?my life...”
“Treating him? Oh. I thought you were going to drag him back to the Parker family and dissect him. That is a commendable reason. I’ll forgive you.”
“T... Thank you?”
“Then get out of the way now. Don’t interrupt our touching reunion.”
.
“? ”
Hwang Gyeongryong didn’t say anything else and just waved his hand. Richard Parker and his bodyguards fell to their knees.
That was the 5th-circle magic, Gravity Control! B-grade hunters would only be able to use such 5th-circle magic if they used up all their strength, but he was using it as naturally as breathing...!
“Yeonseung.”
“... Hyung?”
“Yes. It’s been a really long time.”
Hwang Gyeongryong was the leader of Choi Yeonseung’s clan before he left the Abyss.
***
The Parker family’s limousine turned and headed toward Hwang Gyeongryong’s mansion. In fact, Hwang Gyeongryong’s mansion and the Parker family’s mansion weren’t that far away.
Both were located in Los Angeles. The city’s original nickname was City of Angels. However, it was changed to City of Hunters after the gates appeared. Famous hunters who had built up their wealth settled down in Los Angeles, people related to the hunter clans lived there, and prospective hunters who wanted to join a clan came there as well...
As a result, it became one of the largest cities on Earth with hunters. Famous hunters, people who wanted to be hunters, people who did business related to hunters... Everyone headed to LA. And that city’s ruler was Dragon Industry, or Hwang Gyeongryong.
“You won’t have any complaints if I take Yeonseung with me, will you?”
“O-of course not.”
Everyone present nodded at Hwang Gyeongryong’s words.
“Do you know where I live, Yeonseung?”
“? ”
“I live in Hunters Hills.”
The most expensive place in Los Angeles! It was an area that was treated as a separate territory altogether. Hwang Gyeongryong wanted to show how well he lived to his younger clan brother, whom he was meeting for the first time in so long.
“Ah. Yes.”
“... You’ve always been like this, dude! You’re too quiet!”
“That’s not it… I’m just wondering if you really are the clan leader hyung that I know.”
“... Have I changed a lot?”
“Change doesn’t quite cut it. You’re more like a different person...”
In Choi Yeonseung’s memory, Hwang Gyeongryong had no tact and was dumped by women every time. How could a person who named his clan ‘The Strongest and Supreme Invincibility’ be popular? He couldn’t believe that same man was now an S-grade hunter who was getting married for the 19th time. Were they even the same person? magic
“Everything has a story.”
“What story?”
“It’s a long story, but... No. Wait. I should be asking questions first. What did you do? How could you just leave us a note and disappear?”
Hwang Gyeongryong shouted in astonishment. The clan members were very flustered when Choi Yeonseung disappeared. What nonsense was he saying about leaving for the Abyss for training? They knew he was crazy about training, but they didn’t know he was that crazy!
-Oh my, oh my...! Yeonseung! I should’ve taken him to a mental hospital! I’m a sinner!
-Do I have to report Yeonseung’s death?
-No... He isn’t dead...
-How many people have entered the Abyss and survived?
“......”
Choi Yeonseung was shaken when he heard the clan members’ reactions. Was his note so weird?
“The former clan members were preparing to make sacrifices for you.”
“...R-Really?”
“Yes, dude! You have no idea how surprised I was to hear your name among the names of Abyss returnees!”
Hwang Gyeongryong recalled what happened this morning. There were quite a lot of people if he added up the number of people who went missing and returned from the Abyss in the last 30 years, but among them, Choi Yeonseung’s name never came up. Nevertheless, Hwang Gyeongryong strongly spoke to not only his region but to the clans that ruled other areas as well.
-If you get caught taking out the name of a missing person, it will be an all-out war with me until you die.
-U-Understood!
Then today— Choi Yeonseung’s name was on the list...
Hwang Gyeongryong jumped up and drove his car.
***
A mansion on a plot of land large enough to fit several sports complexes. Choi Yeonseung admired the scenery of the mansion that was starting to come into view in the distance.
“You've got quite an amazing mansion.”
It was an old-fashioned mansion set on sprawling grounds. It was as if the entire mansion was saying, ‘I am this rich.’
Richard replied to Choi Yeonseung with an anxious expression.
“... That's the employees' building. Dragon Hwang’s mansion only appears when you go further inside.”
It wasn’t just this building. The entire area was the land of Hwang Gyeongryong! The building he thought was a mansion was just a building installed at the entrance.
“... It looks a bit?unlucky.”
“What did you just say, Yeonseung?”
“No. Nothing. Haha.”
There was a long line in front of the main entrance. He could tell with a glance that most of them were hunters.
“What are they doing?”
“They're drawing for a queue number ticket.”
“Who are they going to see?”
“Who? Isn’t it obviously me?” Hwang Gyeongryong said with a smile.
Choi Yeonseung felt like running away from home. There was even a simple office at the entrance. The employee sitting in front of the desk was cutting the waiting number ticket with a tired expression.
Choi Yeonseung asked, “Why do they want to see you, hyung?”
“Yeonseung, Yeonseung... Who am I?”
“... Do you already have dementia?”
The bodyguards flinched at Choi Yeonseung’s words. They couldn’t believe that someone was talking to Dragon Hwang like this!
“... Hey... Sigh. They want me to give them a chance.”
“What type of chance?”
“Well. There are many things. I’ll explain everything to you, but let’s go inside for now. Thank you for coming all this way. Would you like me to give you a guest room?”
Richard shook his head at Hwang Gyeongryong’s question. He didn’t know anything else, but he didn’t want to stay in Dragon Hwang’s mansion for long. Doing so?felt like he’d lose his life!
“Then leave quickly. We have a lot to talk about.”
“......”
“......”
Richard and the bodyguards quietly left.
‘He’s so rude...’
‘Hold it in. We won't be able to do anything if that crazy dog bites us.’
***
“What is that black and white animal?”
“Panda... Do you mean why is it here?”
There was a zoo on the grounds of Hwang Gyeongryong’s mansion. Choi Yeonseung was puzzled when he saw a panda, a cute white and black animal, playing in a cage. Weren’t pandas endangered animals controlled by the Chinese government?
“I got it from the Chinese government.”
“Did you steal it?!”
“Stole it? The Chinese government begged on their knees for me to come, and they gave me that.”
“Why did the Chinese government fall on its knees?”
“That... Ah. You’ve been in the Abyss for so long. It’s only natural that you have no idea about what’s happening... Just wait.”
Hwang Gyeongryong flicked his fingers, then the nearby secretaries rushed over.
“Get the best tutors for?every subject, including culture and common sense.”
“Isn’t that too broad? Why are you doing this?”
“What’s your name?”
“I’m Jackson, your 7th secretary!”
“You’re fired.”
“? ?! ? !”
The remaining secretaries tensed up when one of the secretaries made a mistake and was discharged.
“I pay you a lot of money to do complicated and demanding jobs, not for you to question me. Do you think I’m joking?”