Chapter 100: Face to face with Lee Hyun-seung

The organizational structure of Hilleon is simple.

At the highest position is the Guild Leader, Bae Nam-gyu, who oversees all members, followed by the Vice Guild

Leader who inherits the next level of power. Below them are several executives who manage the guild members.

Those with numbers like “27” are considered expendable soldiers, to be used in emergencies and discarded

afterward. The very fact that they are numbered means they aren’t worth even giving proper names.

Hilleon’s executive, Shim Jae-wook, spoke while glaring at Han Seong-gil.

“Do you want to die?”

Han Seong-gil attempted to draw his sword. However, Shim Jae-wook’s strength was so overwhelming that his

sword seemed stuck as if wedged in a rock. Still, Han Seong-gil remained unflustered. He let go of his sword and

swiftly lowered his stance to strike at Shim Jae-wook’s legs.

• Chwaaak

Shim Jae-wook staggered backward but quickly regained his footing. Thanks to the brief moment of imbalance, Han Seong-gil succeeded in retrieving his sword.

Shim Jae-wook muttered, clearly irritated.

“That idiot Son Him-gyeol, why does he do things like this and make everything more troublesome for me? He’s the same kind of executive, but all he does is spread shit around. I’d rather he just died.”

Shim Jae-wook muttered to himself, showing no concern despite the blow he had just received from Han Seong-gil.

The reason this situation even occurred was entirely due to Son Him-gyeol. His ridiculous actions—stalking Yoo

Hee-yeon and framing her in an attempt to keep the Artemis Guild in check—had caused everything to go wrong.

Now everyone was suffering because of his mistakes. Shim Jae-wook had been embezzling Hilleon’s funds and got

caught by Son Him-gyeol, so he had no choice but to cooperate with him. If caught embezzling in Hilleon, it was an

immediate death sentence. Since Son Him-gyeol had the evidence, there was no way out of this situation.

“Ha…”

Shim Jae-wook flicked his hands in a dismissive gesture and headed forward.

“I’m in a bad mood, so I think I’ll vent it out on you.”

With that, the man disappeared.

• Kwaaang!

The man appeared right above Han Seong-gil and struck his head with the heel of his foot. Han Seong-gil had no time to defend himself and was hit by the attack.

“Kh…!”

As a result, Han Seong-gil was slammed into the ground. However, it wasn’t a major issue. Due to the attack, his Berserker trait was triggered.

• You have received critical damage. Your Berserker trait is activated.

The Berserker trait, which activates when under the threat of death or excessive damage, not only boosts physical abilities but also enhances recovery. Han Seong-gil’s eyes turned a vivid red.

“Ho… So you’re a little Berserker, huh?”

Shim Jae-wook observed Han Seong-gil with interest, then chuckled and yelled.

“With those eyes, you look like a rookie who hasn’t even learned to control it properly. You’re going to pass out with just a little more of that power, aren’t you?”

“Shut up.”

Han Seong-gil gritted his teeth and shouted. Then, he rushed toward him.

• Cha-eeng!

Han Seong-gil’s attack was completely blocked by Shim Jae-wook.

“Look at you, already getting all worked up. What’s the use of getting stronger if you start getting excited and lose your technique?”

With that, Shim Jae-wook lifted his left foot and kicked Han Seong-gil’s abdomen, sending him flying. Then, using the recoil, he stepped back and cast a spell.

[Fireball]

As Shim Jae-wook cast the spell, a wave of heat surged from his hand, and soon a large, oval-shaped fireball formed. The fireball immediately shot toward Han Seong-gil.

Han Seong-gil watched the fireball flying toward him. It came with an intense heat, charging straight at him. He crouched down, trying to dodge beneath the ground.

• Hwaaaaak

As Han Seong-gil pressed himself to the ground, the fireball passed just above him. However…

“Do you think I’m an idiot?”

Shim Jae-wook lowered his hand, causing the fireball to drop straight down into the ground. The falling fireball struck Han Seong-gil directly.

“Keaaah!”

The sizzling sound of burning flesh filled the air as the smell of scorched meat and a faint, fishy scent spread. Han

Seong-gil’s body was covered in burns, and his Berserker trait was further amplified. However, the problem was that

his consciousness was becoming increasingly difficult to maintain.

“Kugh…”

Han Seong-gil had taken severe damage in an instant, which boosted his physical abilities, but he was rapidly losing his sense of reason.

• Ta-aat-!

Han Seong-gil charged toward Shim Jae-wook again, moving much faster than before. He expected Shim Jae-wook to have trouble reacting in time. But…

[Gravity]

As Shim Jae-wook clasped his hands together and cast the spell, Han Seong-gil was slammed into the ground.

• Kugugugung

Despite being crushed by the weight, Han Seong-gil tried to push himself up by placing his hands on the earth.

“You’re like a monster, how the hell are you enduring this?”

Then, Shim Jae-wook cast another spell.

[More Gravity]

The ground began to tremble, and an immense force of gravity pressed down on Han Seong-gil again. Vibrations

rippled through the earth, and dust from the surrounding rocks stuck to the ground, turning into fine powder. Yet,

Han Seong-gil stubbornly trembled as he stood up.

But standing was all he could manage. It was impossible for him to charge or attack from this position. It wasn’t

because Han Seong-gil was weak, but because Shim Jae-wook was simply too strong. Moreover, their combat styles

were mismatched. Shim Jae-wook wasn’t just skilled in magic—he was also adept in close combat. He was even well-

versed in Han Seong-gil’s Berserker trait.

Shim Jae-wook had inflicted just enough damage to Han Seong-gil to cause him to lose his mental faculties without

excessively boosting his physical strength. This made the downsides of the Berserker trait more prominent than the

advantages.

“You’re useful, huh?”

Han Seong-gil, almost out of his mind, still kept moving instinctively. His movements weren’t bad, showing signs of raw combat talent.

“Ever thought about joining Helleon?”

Shim Jae-wook found him interesting. Han Seong-gil’s eyes alone made it clear he wasn’t the type for good

intentions. His actions didn’t suggest any benevolent will either. With just a slight misstep, he could easily become

one of the most ruthless people alive. He seemed like the perfect fit for Helleon.

Shim Jae-wook genuinely considered recruiting him, but then Han Seong-gil muttered something.

“I… I need to know why you’re looking for Lee Hyun-seung…”

“What?”

Shim Jae-wook didn’t quite catch it, so he asked again. Han Seong-gil continued, muttering incoherently.

“Why… do you want to kill Lee Hyun-seung… tell me…”

“Why would someone like you, who’s barely coherent, even care? Oh, you’re not making sense, so I guess I can tell you. You’re just trying to kill him, right?”

Shim Jae-wook laughed, waving his hand in the air as he began preparing another spell. However, before he could finish—

• Pa-aang!

Han Seong-gil suddenly lunged forward, closing the distance before the spell could be cast.

“What…?!”

Shim Jae-wook quickly canceled the offensive spell and hastily cast a defensive one, but it was too slow. Han Seong-gil’s fist struck his face, shattering part of his facial bones.

• Kwa-jjik!

Even though Shim Jae-wook’s face was impacted, he didn’t budge. He desperately reinforced his neck with mana to hold himself steady, glaring at Han Seong-gil.

“You little bastard.”

Han Seong-gil muttered as he glared back.

“Tell me… why you want to kill Lee Hyun-seung…”

• Kwa-aang!

Han Seong-gil was sent flying backward. Shim Jae-wook immediately began casting magic toward the fallen Han Seong-gil.

“F*ck… You should know when to quit. I’ll kill you properly.”

Dark magic began to swirl around the man’s hand. A geometric magic circle formed in the air, and from within the circle, a monstrous arm, resembling that of Belter, shot out.

“Die.”

The arm of Belter, a demon long feared by others, was summoned by Shim Jae-wook. This was one of the most

powerful spells he could use. Unlike typical mana-based magic, this alchemy-based magic was optimized for

slaughter—crushing, tearing, and killing, rather than just attacking.

Even with the Berserker trait, Han Seong-gil, a mere academy student, could never withstand this. He would be obliterated.

The grotesque arm of Belter lunged at Han Seong-gil.

• Whiiiing

The arm rushed toward Han Seong-gil’s face with a chilling sound. Just before it reached him, Shim Jae-wook laughed, finding it amusing.

“You stupid bastard. Curse your weakness, even in death.”

Then—

• Taaang!

A gunshot rang out from afar. The bullet headed straight for Belter’s arm. Shim Jae-wook initially thought someone was coming to aid Han Seong-gil, but then he chuckled.

“A bullet? What the hell do they think they’re doing?”

Shim Jae-wook poured even more dark magic into Belter’s arm, expecting it to swat the bullet away and crush Han Seong-gil. But—

[Magic Nullification Cartridge has hit. Magic from a lower-level mage than the caster is nullified.]

Whiiiing

The moment the bullet struck, Belter’s arm dissipated into thin air.

“W-What…?!”

Shim Jae-wook urgently turned his gaze toward the source of the bullet.

There, standing with a cold expression, was Lee Hyun-seung.

• Click

Lee Hyun-seung calmly changed his magazine and spoke coldly.

“I figured you’d be looking for me, so I came directly. Now, what are you going to do?”