Chapter 53
Most of the reporters couldn't close their gaping mouths.
"Oh my God."
"...Did White Tiger really defeat World Tree?"
In public, Song Seung-jun was referred to as the 'Crown Prince'.
Of course, this nickname wasn't given without reason.
Song Seung-jun had always maintained an unshakeable first place in competitions among rookies, walking what people commonly called the royal road as a hunter.
This Song Seung-jun had been defeated by White Tiger's rookie, Lee Sung-jun, who had declared his participation just a few days ago.
'Am I... dreaming?'
Some reporters, unable to accept this reality, began pinching their own cheeks.
However, this was clearly reality; a stinging pain spread from the cheeks they were pinching.
Naturally, the reporters' eyes began to shake violently as if an earthquake had struck.
"W-White Tiger defeated World Tree."
"To think the day would come when Hunter Song Seung-jun would lose his first place..."
Song Seung-jun losing his throne to White Tiger's Lee Sung-jun was enough to create quite a stir.
However, the events that occurred in this raid gate weren't limited to Song Seung-jun's defeat.
In the previous interview, Song Seung-jun had mentioned that there were casualties inside the gate.
Which meant...
The reporters cautiously shifted their gaze towards the entrance of the raid gate.
Woong-!
At that moment, the gate that had been emitting a red light changed to a grayish color, and the cracks that had been visible disappeared.
With Kim Dong-hyun, the guild master of Radiant Star, right behind them, they couldn't bring themselves to say it out loud.
However, the reality unfolding before their eyes clearly explained the current situation.
Gulp-!
The reporters' Adam's apples bobbed as they swallowed dry saliva.
'Radiant Star's rookie, Lee Dong-ju, died, and Song Seung-jun's royal road crumbled!'
Breaking news! Not just one, but two major scoops that could be prominently featured on website main pages and newspaper front pages had just emerged.
With their eyes gleaming, the reporters began tapping on their smartphones to relay this news to their companies as quickly as possible.
* * *
Emerging from the raid gate enveloped in a pure white light, Lee Sung-jun inwardly clicked his tongue.
'There are even more than when we went in.'
Hundreds of reporters, by rough estimate, were surrounding the entrance of the raid gate.
It wasn't just the number that had increased.
"Despite suddenly declaring your participation just two days before the raid gate, unlike other guilds' rookies who prepared for months, you confidently took first place. What's your secret?"
"What kind of boss monster appeared, and how did you hunt it?"
"You've taken first place, overturning everyone's expectations. How do you feel right now?"
"We don't see Lee Dong-ju from Radiant Star Guild. What happened?"
As he had taken first place in the raid gate, the reporters' interest wasn't just focused, it was exploding to a degree that wouldn't be strange.
All possible paths were blocked by reporters, and questions and camera flashes were pouring in from all directions.
While it wasn't exactly a pleasant situation, the real problem wasn't the reporters in front of him.
Whoosh-!
Kim Dong-hyun, the master of Radiant Star Guild, who had cut through the air, was staring at Lee Sung-jun with a hardened face.
"Hunter Lee Sung-jun, let's have a little chat."
His aura was like that of a snake, a viper carrying a deadly poison.
Even without any grudges, he was someone you'd prefer not to talk to if possible. But Kim Dong-hyun was the guild master of Radiant Star, with whom Lee Sung-jun certainly didn't have a good relationship.
Lee Sung-jun immediately shook his head, expressing his refusal.
"I'm in a tired state, so please ask questions to the other hunters instead."
After making this somewhat plausible excuse, he tried to walk away.
However, Kim Dong-hyun had no intention of letting Lee Sung-jun go.
He immediately stepped to the side, blocking Lee Sung-jun's path.
"What are you doing?"
Despite Lee Sung-jun's sharp reaction, Kim Dong-hyun still didn't make way.
"Our Radiant Star's rookie, Lee Dong-ju, died in the raid gate. As the guild master, don't you think I have the right to ask a few questions?"
Licking his lips up and down, narrowing his eyes.
He looked like a predator eyeing its prey. It was certain that he wouldn't just ask simple questions.
It was clear that he was trying to find fault and shift the responsibility for Lee Dong-ju's death onto Lee Sung-jun.
'It seems he's trying to be clever, but...'
Lee Sung-jun could assert with certainty that the situation Kim Dong-hyun hoped for would never come to pass.
Lee Sung-jun's cold gaze fixed on Kim Dong-hyun.
"I believe I clearly refused, yet you show this attitude. It seems Radiant Star looks down on White Tiger."
Hunters of SS-rank and above have an overwhelmingly clear presence that can be distinctly sensed.
The guild master present at this moment wasn't just Kim Dong-hyun; the masters of all five major guilds were gathered here.
This meant that Oh Kyung-hyun, the guild master of White Tiger, was also present.
As Lee Sung-jun spoke these words, a relaxed smile spread across his face.
"As the master of White Tiger Guild, I don't think I can let this slide so easily."
Oh Kyung-hyun, who had somehow approached behind Lee Sung-jun, looked at Kim Dong-hyun with a hardened expression.
"Kim Dong-hyun, I'm asking you formally, does Radiant Star look down on our White Tiger?"
Oh Kyung-hyun, wearing a confident expression, shot a sharp aura towards Kim Dong-hyun.
Of course, this wasn't just baseless bravado.
Oh Kyung-hyun was an SS+ rank hunter, one level higher than Kim Dong-hyun, who was an SS-rank hunter. There was a clear difference in power.
If by any chance a fight were to break out here, the outcome would be as clear as day.
Naturally, Kim Dong-hyun's brow furrowed.
'...Damn it!'
He had already taken a significant hit due to the murder instigation case involving the Shadow Brothers.
And now, Lee Dong-ju, the rookie who could be called the future of the guild, had met his death in the raid gate.
As soon as the stock market opens tomorrow, Radiant Star Guild's stock prices would hit rock bottom.
In the worst case, the name Radiant Star might be expelled from the ranks of the five major guilds.
This would mean defeat in the succession battle for the Honor Group.
That's why he had tried to create an issue by shifting the responsibility onto Lee Sung-jun, to minimize the damage by preventing talks about Radiant Star.
At a glance, the plan itself wasn't bad.
However, feeling anxious about the possibility of losing the succession battle, his vision had narrowed for a moment, and he had forgotten the important fact that Lee Sung-jun belonged to the White Tiger Guild.
'To make such a stupid mistake.'
Fortunately, he hadn't crossed a point of no return yet. Although it would hurt his pride and make him look foolish, he could still salvage the situation.
Biting his lower lip hard, Kim Dong-hyun bowed his head.
"...I officially apologize to White Tiger Guild. Upon hearing the news of our Radiant Star guild member's death, I momentarily lost control of my emotions and acted rudely. I will officially ask questions again after Hunter Lee Sung-jun has had sufficient rest."
As he had offered an official apology, Oh Kyung-hyun withdrew the aura he had been projecting.
However, this didn't mean he had forgiven Kim Dong-hyun.
With a hardened face, Oh Kyung-hyun issued a stern warning.
"We'll let it go with just words this time, but if you try to treat our Hunter Lee Sung-jun carelessly again, we absolutely won't let it slide. You'd do well to keep that in mind."
This wasn't an empty threat.
In fact, Oh Kyung-hyun was never one to speak idly.
If the same thing were to happen again, Oh Kyung-hyun would undoubtedly retaliate without hesitation.
"...I understand."
Having received a clear answer from the nodding Kim Dong-hyun, Oh Kyung-hyun turned his back. At that moment, the White Tiger Guild hunters who had been waiting nearby began to move in unison, as if they had been waiting for this.
Tak. Tak.
In an instant, the White Tiger Guild hunters drove away the nearby reporters and created a straight path. They looked at Oh Kyung-hyun and Lee Sung-jun and opened their mouths.
"We will escort you."
Nodding his head, Lee Sung-jun slowly stepped forward and got into the vehicle that White Tiger Guild had prepared.
* * *
An unexpected result had occurred.
Naturally, the media and mass communication were in an uproar with stories related to the raid gate.
[White Tiger Guild's rookie, Hunter Lee Sung-jun, takes first place in the raid gate.]
[Hunter Lee Sung-jun, the reason he could become a rising star.]
[Radiant Star's master, Kim Dong-hyun, bows his head before White Tiger.]
[The death of rookie Hunter Lee Dong-ju, accelerating Radiant Star's downfall...?]
[Super rookie Hunter Lee Sung-jun appears like a comet, snatching the throne from Hunter Song Seung-jun, known as the 'Crown Prince'!]
[White Tiger Guild's stock price skyrockets after Hunter Lee Sung-jun's first place ranking.]
[White Tiger breaks World Tree's unwavering first place, an unexpected turn of events!]
Yoon Min-soo's head nodded as he checked the flood of articles on the desktop in his office, located on the top floor of World Tree Guild's headquarters.
"It's certainly unexpected. To think you would lose first place..."
Yoon Min-soo's gaze shifted to Song Seung-jun, who was sitting on the sofa right in front of him, as his words trailed off.
"Hunter Lee Sung-jun, was he that impressive?"
Having already made a clear judgment in his mind, Song Seung-jun was able to answer the question without hesitation.
"He was beyond expectations."
His sharp instincts that detected the Dark Elves amidst the chaos, his strange ability to track the movements of the stealthed Eliolus, and his versatile use of martial arts were the best he had seen among returnees and martial artists so far.
"He's talented enough to take second place, surpassing Death God's Jung Yun-ho."
Second place, not first - a ranking somewhat different from the one currently announced.
However, Yoon Min-soo just nodded silently.
It was he, Yoon Min-soo, who had advised Song Seung-jun to hide half of his strength.
But that didn't mean there were no questions.
"Hunter Lee Sung-jun, how much of your strength do you think you'd need to use to be able to beat him?"
"..."
Song Seung-jun's brow furrowed.
He couldn't readily give an answer.
If those earlier abilities were all Lee Sung-jun had, he would have answered immediately.
'70 percent.'
That much power would have been enough to secure victory.
However, Lee Sung-jun's final attack, that overwhelming single punch that felt like the sky was falling, was truly excellent.
It was of a caliber that wouldn't be out of place even if matched against techniques used by S+ rank hunters.
"80 percent... maybe even 90 percent might be necessary, I think."