Know Your Place

Whoosh!

A cold wind swept past the windows of the house.

Quite some time had passed since the previous incident. Autumn had retreated, and winter had already begun to approach.

The air had become noticeably colder.

As far as Oh Hyeonseong was concerned, however, nothing had really changed.

Ordinarily, anyone working in agriculture would have to be highly conscious of the changing seasons and would have plenty of preparations to make for winter.

But the crops in his fields were being well cared for by the Fire Spirit, which kept them warm, so there was nothing for him to worry about.

If heavy snow were to fall, he might at least have the chore of clearing the yard.

But it was still far too early for that.

Sip.

Sitting on the wooden veranda, Oh Hyeonseong drank his tea.

Steam rose gently from the teacup.

The warmth flowing into his stomach felt especially comforting in the chilly weather.

‘When I was young, I never drank this stuff, so I don’t even remember what it tasted like… So this is what real tea is supposed to smell like.’

The delicate, fragrant aroma of the tea made Oh Hyeonseong feel pleasantly drowsy.

With the weather growing colder, he had recently begun cultivating tea leaves.

He had never been particularly familiar with tea.

One of his juniors used to drink it constantly. Curious, Oh Hyeonseong had accepted a few cups from him, but every time, he spat it all out and never touched it again.

Coffee at least had caffeine and could wake him up.

But he couldn’t understand why anyone would drink something that tasted so awful.

However, tea leaves touched by the Spirits were completely different from mass-produced tea leaves, starting with their aroma.

Unlike synthetic tea leaves that had additional coloring and artificial fragrances injected into them because the naturally produced leaves alone weren’t enough, these leaves naturally developed a deep and rich fragrance all on their own.

An aroma that was neither artificial nor foreign.

As for the actual taste, there was simply no comparison.

The expensive premium teas he’d once been given to try had tasted as though someone had turned nausea itself into a beverage.

‘I’m completely satisfied with this experiment. I should grow a few more varieties as well.’

Oh Hyeonseong began narrowing down candidates from the vast number of tea varieties.

He sometimes wondered why anyone in the modern world still drank tea, but just like coffee, there was surprisingly considerable demand for it.

Of course, if those people ever tasted this tea even once, they’d probably never want to touch commercially sold tea again.

After leisurely enjoying the aroma and atmosphere until he had completely emptied the teapot, Oh Hyeonseong stood up.

His exploration of the reservoir from last time was still on hold.

There was no immediate use for it.

It was disappointing that he wouldn’t be able to enjoy the spicy fish stew or grilled fish he’d been hoping for, but for now, he had decided to focus on farming.

After all, there was still a tremendous amount of room for expansion even within his fields.

On top of that, Oh Hyeonseong had gained a new routine since that incident.

“Then, shall we begin?”

Despite the cold winter weather, he casually took off his outer coat and stood in the yard wearing nothing but a light T-shirt.

Then he strapped the weighted training bags he’d taken from the storage shed all over his body.

A heavy sensation pressed down on him.

They were Hunter training weights on an entirely different level from ordinary sandbags or gym equipment, boasting an overwhelming weight despite their relatively small size.

Thud.

First, to warm up, he placed one hand on the ground and stood upside down.

With his other hand behind his back, he slowly raised and lowered himself repeatedly.

The total weight strapped to his body was a whopping twice that of the weights Joo Jihye had worn.

Yet not a single drop of sweat had appeared on him.

The main reason was that Joo Jihye wasn’t a close-combat Hunter, but even for an ordinary Hunter of his level, this was a weight most would never even dream of handling.

‘As expected… I still have a long way to go. Only two Joo Jihyes.’

Oh Hyeonseong could determine the amount of weight that allowed him to achieve maximum training efficiency even with relatively light exercises.

And he was far from satisfied with his current level.

Compared to the prime his body had once enjoyed, he was practically a weakling.

Of course, this was already a significant improvement.

When he had first begun serious rehabilitation, his optimal training weight had been only one and a half Joo Jihyes.

Considering how little time had passed, he’d improved remarkably quickly.

‘It definitely works. No matter how much rehabilitation I did at the hospital, the strain on my body eventually reached a point where I couldn’t improve any further. But now, the upper limit of my recovery has increased.’

Through what had happened with Joo Jihye, he had confirmed that the crops cultivated with the help of the Spirits possessed some kind of special power.

And he was now proving the effect through his own rehabilitation as well.

He didn’t know the theoretical reason behind it, but one thing was certain.

This wasn’t simply because he felt better after breathing fresh country air.

The effects weren’t limited to psychological aftereffects.

There was a definite physical effect as well.

Perhaps there was even a possibility that his permanently damaged leg could recover.

He didn’t know whether he could completely return to his former condition, but his first goal was at least to recover enough to run properly again.

To accomplish that, all he needed to do was eat his meals diligently and devote his spare time to rehabilitation training.

‘Let’s work hard today too.’

Oh Hyeonseong gradually increased the intensity of his training.

His breathing became heavier, and sweat began dripping from his forehead.

He repeatedly pushed himself with tremendous intensity, as though squeezing every last bit of strength from the muscles throughout his body.

Harder.

And harder.

Just as he had done with Joo Jihye, he was applying the training that pushed someone to their limits to himself.

Huff, huff.

To an outside observer, it would have looked like brutal overexertion.

But Oh Hyeonseong accepted it as though it were only natural.

There was a reason he never began training until he had finished all of his daily work.

According to his philosophy, if you could still stand perfectly well on both legs after finishing your training, then it wasn’t training.

‘Training is supposed to continue until you’re on the verge of death.’

Just as he had learned at the training camp, and just as he had taught others.

Oh Hyeonseong silently continued his training.

“You bastard! Are you screwing with me right now?!”

A thunderous roar echoed throughout the room.

His voice was so powerful that it could be heard all the way into the office outside, making the employees flinch and glance toward the room.

At those words, Daeseong Group’s Head of Security, Seo Jinkyu, lowered his head deeply.

“I’m sorry.”

He was a Rank 9 Hunter, a level considered by most Awakened to be the highest realm realistically attainable.

With the exception of S-rank Gates, which were considered humanity’s natural enemy, he was powerful enough to participate in the conquest of every Gate.

He was unquestionably a top-tier expert who would be treated with respect wherever he went.

Yet right now, someone was cursing him directly to his face.

The reason was simple.

His opponent was the chairman of Daeseong, one of Korea’s leading conglomerates.

“I clearly told you to find out where it came from by any means necessary. I even emphasized that this was urgent and that you needed to handle it as quickly as possible. So why haven’t you found anything yet? Why the hell haven’t you even managed to find out three letters of the man’s name, let alone his address?!”

“It was a contract negotiated in complete secrecy, so very few people knew about it. On top of that, for some reason, the security surrounding the matter was suddenly raised to an extremely classified level, which caused additional delays.”

“The security was tightened? Did our movements leak?”

“No. I’m certain of that. These measures were taken while even Hankeong was completely unaware of what was happening.”

“Damn it!”

Ahn Ilseok scowled deeply and let out a heavy sigh.

He had chased the matter all the way down here and was now making a huge commotion.

He lit cigarette after cigarette.

The recent order he had given was to uncover the source of the naturally grown strawberries being supplied to Hankeong Department Store.

“If those strawberries are all there is, then there’d be nothing to worry about. But if those Hankeong bastards start releasing one crop after another like that, Daeseong will take a devastating blow. Do you think we have time to sit around and relax in a situation like this?!”

The food industry had grown to unprecedented proportions in human history.

In fact, food companies had become so dominant that there were now more food corporations among the world’s top companies by market capitalization than IT companies.

Five years ago, Daeseong Group had also begun making massive investments in the industry, calling it their next major growth engine.

Their goal was to compete with global corporations such as Disanto, Ragil, and Drevis.

But they had just been blindsided by Hankeong Group, which had previously been considered a considerable latecomer in the food industry.

Ahn Ilseok, who had never even considered them a threat, had been caught completely off guard.

Just as the premium varieties they had developed through massive investments were about to launch one after another, Hankeong’s naturally grown strawberries had already monopolized all the attention.

A company that couldn’t even properly establish itself domestically had no chance of surviving in the brutally competitive global food market.

If this atmosphere continued, Daeseong would be completely pushed out of the food industry.

Considering that the chairman himself had led an unprecedentedly aggressive investment campaign in the group’s history, this could eventually destabilize the entire group.

That was why Ahn Ilseok absolutely had to uncover the source.

“But we’ll have results soon. We’ve installed listening devices thoroughly, and we’ve also mobilized Hunters under our command to conduct both persuasion and intimidation. Thanks to that, we’ve identified the truck driver who transported the shipment, and we’ve also contacted an executive at Hankeong Department Store and paid him off.”

“I don’t care how much more money you have to shove down their throats. Find out as quickly as possible! If necessary, beat the truck driver until he talks!”

Ahn Ilseok clenched his fist tightly as he shouted.

“I don’t know where they got something like that, but whether we have to burn down the entire field or steal their technology, we can’t let those bastards keep it in their hands.”

Knock, knock!

Just then, an employee opened the door and appeared.

The secretary cautiously spoke to Ahn Ilseok, who immediately turned toward him.

“Um… Chairman, there’s a guest urgently asking to see you. He says he needs to meet you immediately…”

“Can’t you see I’m busy right now?! Who the hell comes here without an appointment?! Tell him to get lost!”

“W-well, the thing is… he forced his way through. He’s already right outside…!”

“What? What the hell are you talking about? Where do you think this is for someone to force their way in?”

Ahn Ilseok couldn’t hide his bewilderment.

He was currently in the security office of the group’s headquarters.

Everyone who wasn’t out in the field, including the security personnel, had been assembled here.

There were more than thirty Hunters of Rank 8 or higher gathered in the building.

Yet who could possibly force their way through all of them?

But before he could even voice the question—

The employee’s body suddenly jerked backward, and a woman stepped into view.

“It’s been a while, Chairman Ahn!”

“Huh…?”

Han Suyeon, Deputy Director of the Disaster Management Bureau, entered the room.

It was an appearance Ahn Ilseok had never anticipated.

Why on earth had she suddenly come here?

“What brings the Deputy Director here all of a sudden…?”

“You’re in the way. Everyone, leave.”

Han Suyeon spoke coldly as she looked around.

Aside from Head of Security Seo Jinkyu, who was already inside the room, a large group of Hunters stood behind her.

They had been unable to stop her and had only followed after being pushed aside.

The security Hunters were panting heavily, hesitating.

Seo Jinkyu also swallowed nervously, unable to take any action.

According to the manual, they should have already attempted to subdue her and drag her outside.

But there was no way they could actually do that.

Their opponent was only one person.

Yet even with this many people, they couldn’t lay a finger on her.

“What are you all waiting for?! Get out!”

At Ahn Ilseok’s shout, the Hunters hurriedly filed out.

Soon, the room became quiet.

Ahn Ilseok glanced nervously at Han Suyeon before forcing a smile.

“I heard you were very busy. You refused to show your face when I asked to meet you before, yet now you’ve suddenly dropped by without even saying anything.”

“I’m not someone who needs the chairman’s permission to move around.”

“H-heh, hahaha…! What an absurd thing to say.”

Ahn Ilseok’s brow twitched for an instant, but he quickly composed himself.

As the head of Daeseong, one of Korea’s largest conglomerates, he wasn’t afraid of a Hunter’s physical strength.

Given his understanding of how society worked, that was only natural.

His real power came from the enormous financial resources and manpower controlled by his group, as well as the political and media connections he had accumulated over many years.

Having reached the pinnacle of the business world and holding all of those things in his hands, Hunters were ultimately no different from anyone else.

No matter how strong they were, money could be used to make them work for him.

The problem was that the person standing before him was a Hunter who led the Disaster Management Bureau, one of the government’s most powerful enforcement agencies, and who also enjoyed the full support of the sitting president.

“So, what brings you here all of a sudden? Have you perhaps changed your mind about accepting the gift you refused before?”

“No. As I said then, I already have more than enough money.”

“Heh, heh. Is there really such a thing as having enough money? And I’m not asking you to do anything. You can simply accept my goodwill without worrying about anything…”

“Hunters cannot be bought with money. The only ones you can buy are mediocre nobodies who’ve never experienced a real battlefield. And that’s actually the opposite of why I’ve come here.”

“What do you mean by the opposite…?”

Smack!

Han Suyeon threw the documents she had brought onto the table.

The envelope opened, spilling documents and photographs across the surface.

Their contents were immediately visible to Ahn Ilseok.

Recovered listening devices.

The truck driver’s testimony after being released.

Records showing money transfers made to high-ranking police officials.

“This… this is…”

“You mobilized Hunters to illegally surveil, abduct, threaten, and bribe civilians. You must have been very busy poking your nose into all sorts of places.”

The atmosphere in the office changed instantly.

Ahn Ilseok’s spine turned cold, and sweat began pouring down his forehead.

Every single piece of evidence was devastating.

There was no room to deny or dispute it.

After the Seventh Republic, government intervention in disputes between corporations had generally been avoided whenever possible.

And yet, for some reason, the government was now moving as though it had deliberately decided to get involved.

“Well, you should understand why I’ve come now.”

She walked over and naturally took the seat of honor in the room.

Then she tapped the table twice, gesturing for him to come closer.

“Sit down.”

Han Suyeon’s cold gaze fixed upon him.