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It had been an hour since the poison gas was released, yet not a single insect had crawled out of the premises.

“The fact that they still haven’t shown any signs of coming out means…”

“It seems they might have escaped without us noticing.”

“Or perhaps they might have died inside.”

According to what his subordinates lined up to say, Han Young-seok could currently think of two plausible reasons: they either fled or perished.

“What about the one who released the gas?”

“He wouldn’t have died immediately since he took the antidote right away.”

Wearing a gas mask, the hunter had vanished in an instant after unleashing the poison gas using a return scroll.

Despite using every possible trick, the Hunter who spread the gas had to be contemplating life and death right now due to the very poison he deployed.

To endure such poison gas while remaining inside?

Such a feat would be considered a level of invulnerability one might encounter solely in martial arts novels.

“First, we withdraw. Just a few of you remain here to keep watch on their whereabouts.”

“Understood.”

Han Young-seok felt uneasy and wanted to stay put and watch over the area.

Nevertheless, there remained countless issues he needed to address.

The officials who hadn’t participated in the plan and the guild members following them;

if he didn’t take care of them right away, seizing control of Titan would ultimately fail.

As the leader, he suppressed his personal ambitions and focused entirely on fulfilling his responsibilities.

“Kang Jun-tae, stop being stubborn and come along for treatment.”

“…Fine, I got it.”

Having cooled down significantly with time, Kang Jun-tae complied with Han Young-seok’s orders.

Since he had inflicted harm on an ally out of frustration, if he wanted to assume the position of guild leader without further incidents, he needed to mend his image starting now.

“If they escaped, they likely couldn’t have gotten far with the wounded.”

“I’ll prepare a search party right away.”

“Right, we still have plenty of tasks ahead, so don’t waste personnel.”

“Yes.”

Following the directives, the guild members quickly assembled a search team.

As Han Young-seok and the remaining teammates separated for their respective tasks, only two hunters remained in front of Kang Jin-hyuk’s house.

The two hunters did not share a close relationship, leading to awkwardness in their silence.

Not knowing what else to do, one of the hunters settled down in a suitable spot and took out his phone.

“They’re not coming back here, right…?”

The two hunters weren’t particularly eager to work hard.

Although their role was to keep watch, it didn’t make sense that Kang Jin-hyuk and his group would return.

Monitoring their whereabouts was outweighed by the much more crucial task of ensuring the poison gas they’d deployed didn’t spread to nearby homes.

“Ugh~”

After hunched over his phone until sunset, the hunter stretched his body.

The stiffness from sitting there for hours made his joints creak painfully.

“Is it time for a shift yet?”

Logically speaking, having two people keeping watch for twenty-four hours was an unreasonable demand.

The hunter believed that Titan would soon send replacements, returning his attention to his phone screen.

“Hmm?”

The hunter, still preoccupied with his phone, felt something was amiss.

Despite the sun setting, a particularly distinct shadow loomed ominously over him.

Just as he turned around to see if a shift had come in, suddenly, his neck twisted unnaturally, rotating further than intended.

Crack.

His head spun grotesquely in the wrong direction, and the hunter collapsed onto the floor.

The other hunter present had been beaten to the ground prior.

“…Was it really necessary to kill them?”

“Why would I let those who spread poison gas in someone’s home go free? You never know what they might do later.”

Kang Jin-hyuk had no intention of showing any mercy to Titan hunters any longer.

It was one thing to invade his private space, but resorting to releasing forbidden poison gas exceeded the line.

With adversaries trying to kill him utilizing such means, retaliating in kind was only natural.

“I won’t spare anyone I come across either. Just don’t get in my way.”

Lee Hyena nodded with a bitter expression.

Even she recognized that Kang Jin-hyuk’s actions bore justification.

The fact that he hadn’t taken anyone’s life up until now spoke volumes about his remarkable patience.

Any ordinary person would have slaughtered everyone once Titan invaded their home.

“Let’s prioritize saving lives rather than killing now.”

Kang Jin-hyuk began carrying Seo Sang-ho on his back, heading towards someone he had contacted beforehand.

In situations like these, trusting anyone could be precarious.

However, there existed someone he could pay to handle the situation.

Kang Jin-hyuk aimed to reach that person first and ensure Seo Sang-ho’s survival.

* * *

Jo Hyung-il noticed a significantly more serious atmosphere around Lee Jun-cheol than usual.

Frowning deeply, he chain-smoked for thirty minutes in the office, creating a foggy mist within.

“Why is he acting like that?”

“I have no idea. He got a call and has been like this ever since.”

When Jo Hyung-il inquired, the staff member could only shake his head.

“Hmm…”

As he observed Lee Jun-cheol, Jo Hyung-il felt a serious expression settling on his own face.

“This is the first time since the rebellion last year that he’s acting this way.”

Lee Jun-cheol displayed such demeanor only before pivotal moments, usually when the organization’s existence was at stake.

This led Jo Hyung-il to suspect that whatever was happening was either on par with that incident or even worse.

“Hyung, is there some kind of problem?”

Approaching cautiously, Jo Hyung-il inquired, causing Lee Jun-cheol to exhale a long sigh mixed with smoke.

“I’m confused about what course of action to take.”

“What’s the issue?”

“I just had a request from Kang Jin-hyuk for an introduction to our Doctor Park.”

“Park? What’s going on?”

“Not him but someone needing treatment.”

“Then, they could’ve just gone to a proper hospital.”

“Of course, but it must involve some dire injury.”

In the realm of gangs, injuries were common occurrences—getting stabbed in the stomach was almost an annual event.

Showing a wound like that at a regular hospital would undoubtedly lead to the police catching on.

However, neglecting treatment in such cases was tantamount to a death sentence.

That’s where someone like Doctor Park came into play.

The man, who had converted his entire home into a surgical center, displayed impressive capabilities without a medical license.

“Hunting also entails risking one’s life sometimes, so it’s not easy to be honest about things. What’s the problem?”

“The person who contacted me is the guild leader of Titan, Seo Sang-ho.”

“W-What?!”

Jo Hyung-il nearly toppled over, realizing the gravity of the situation, and quickly closed his mouth around his words.

Understanding the significance of such intelligence, he realized why Lee Jun-cheol had kept this concern hidden until now.

Moreover, it also stirred something in him, revealing how he felt about the leadership role of Lee Jun-cheol.

Jo Hyung-il cleared his throat to re-establish calm and lowered his voice to prevent others from hearing their conversation.

“Why is he looking for Doctor Park?”

“I’m not certain. All I know is that Doctor Park messaged me to inform there was something unusual.”

“Isn’t this a matter for the Titan Guild to handle directly?”

“Dumbass. If it were manageable by Titan, they wouldn’t have come here.”

Clearly, this situation couldn’t be casually handed to the Titans.

Kang Jin-hyuk approaching Doctor Park had indicated something was gravely wrong.

“Then what you’re worried about is…”

Jo Hyung-il grasped Lee Jun-cheol’s concerns as he slowly nodded.

“Indeed. I’m contemplating which side to join.”

Kang Jin-hyuk, known for providing high-quality monster materials regularly, made an attractive business partner.

On the other hand, Titan was a colossal guild with an already established reputation.

Either was a desirable client.

Kang Jin-hyuk provided good materials, but he had limits as a ‘person.’

Titan was a large faction with many opportunities tied to their relationship with the Association, yet they came with high risks as well.

Jo Hyung-il did not hesitate in voicing his thoughts as he had fully considered the risks involved.

“I think we ought to lean more toward Kang Jin-hyuk.”

“Lean toward him? Is that wise? What if we find ourselves on Titan’s shit list?”

“Come on. Do you think we’ll be embraced with open arms if we join up with Titan?”

Feeling a little agitated, even Jo Hyung-il’s frustration became evident.

The injustices their organization had faced due to the actions of powerful guilds couldn’t be dismissed.

While the Titans might appear fearsome, they were simply glamorizing a spoiled hierarchy.

“Just listen. Being on the Titans’ radar isn’t a good idea, either. Rather, it appears we need to take action now.”

“Meaning we should seize the chance with Kang Jin-hyuk?”

“Exactly that. Wasting opportunities in this capacity isn’t viable in the long run.”

Jo Hyung-il knew what kind of suggestion would emerge if he continued to converse with Lee Jun-cheol.

After all, keeping relationships smooth with both parties wasn’t feasible.

“Times have changed. The world of hunters has become increasingly precarious since the appearance of monsters.”

The emergence of came new materials with the unveiling of the unknown and new energies brought chaos upon society as well.

“Let’s enjoy this rare opportunity to build something new.”

Jo Hyung-il became resolute after contemplating all the ins and outs thoroughly while Lee Jun-cheol appeared unable to make a decision as he hesitated.

“We can’t live simply as those who clean up after hunters anymore; it’s imperative to act differently now.”

The idea of proactively forging bonds without worry deeply appealed to Jo Hyung-il.

However, Lee Jun-cheol was still bound by uncertainty for making such commitments emotionally.

“Hyung…”

Seeing Lee Jun-cheol stuck in indecision frustrated Jo Hyung-il.

“Now is the time to catch the current!”

“What the hell are you talking about?”

“Engaging every customer as efficiently as possible is integral to ‘customer service.’ We need to make the most of whatever potential future with Kang Jin-hyuk!”

“I mean… what if there’s a potential downfall? Or worse?”

“No! It’s an investment in safe assets! My intuition tells me it’s right!”

Jo Hyung-il’s fervor reflected the dream they could accomplish together with newfound ties.

After a moment, Lee Jun-cheol fixed his attention firmly onto Jo Hyung-il.

“We’re not going to spend our lives merely tending to the droppings of hunters.”

The thoughts about their previous failures loomed large, yet they resisted becoming apathetic now.

“Now’s our chance. Let’s take the plunge.”

Jo Hyung-il, maintaining eye contact with Lee Jun-cheol, affirmed his thoughts with belief.