Chapter 336 – Part 2 – Group B

The reason Choi Seong-min was surprised was simple.

‘There are other people besides me?’

Four men were with Song Chi-hyeon, and most were unfamiliar faces.

Except for one.

‘That guy is the one who cursed at me when he saw me before?’

It was the guy who had suddenly cursed and gone ballistic when passing by with the butler.

“……”

The large man also frowned when he saw Choi Seong-min, just like that time.

‘So he really was cursing at me back then? What did I do wrong?’

Choi Seong-min made an aggrieved expression as if he didn’t understand.

Of course, it was acting since he knew Song Chi-hyeon was watching.

Song Chi-hyeon, who read Choi Seong-min’s thoughts, turned his gaze to the large man.

“Hey, Kang Chan-seong.”

“Yes! Great Hero.”

“What are you doing? Do you two know each other?”

“N-no, we don’t.”

“Then why are you glaring at him? Relax your eyes.”

“……I’m sorry.”

The man called Kang Chan-seong bowed his head.

He was probably grinding his teeth inside.

“Hey, Kang Chan-seong.”

“Yes?”

“Do you have some grudge against Seong-min?”

“Wh-what do you mean by that……”

“You’ve had a death glare ever since he came in, you bastard.”

At Song Chi-hyeon’s menacing voice, Kang Chan-seong’s large body trembled.

“S-sorry. It’s not like that.”

“Like hell it’s not. You’re pissed off because you got pushed out of the group leader position, aren’t you?”

“……”

‘Ah, so that’s what it was?’

Choi Seong-min looked at the man as if he didn’t know.

It seemed he had been the Group B leader before Choi Seong-min came.

“I understand being angry. But do you have to show your irritation so obviously in front of me?”

“I’m sorry. I’ll correct it.”

The man, who was struggling despite his size, didn’t even look at Choi Seong-min anymore.

He wasn’t being conscious of Song Chi-hyeon, but he wasn’t cursing internally either.

Then Song Chi-hyeon couldn’t scold him anymore.

“Ahem, Choi Seong-min.”

“Yes, Great Hero.”

“I didn’t call you suddenly for nothing. I called you to introduce Group B.”

“Ah……”

“Say hello, guys. This is Choi Seong-min, who became the new Group B leader.”

“Ah, hello.”

“Hello……”

The group members bowed their heads to Choi Seong-min one by one.

Kang Chan-seong also hesitated briefly before bowing slightly.

All four of them seemed to be greeting him reluctantly.

“These bastards……”

Song Chi-hyeon was genuinely angry.

It would be even more so since he had read their inner thoughts.

“Aren’t you all going to greet him properly? He’s the leader who will guide you from now on. Whether you like it or not, you have to work together, so bow your heads properly!”

“……”

Choi Seong-min was troubled.

He hadn’t expected Song Chi-hyeon to get angry over something like this.

“Great Hero. I’m fine.”

“No, these bastards are greeting you half-heartedly!”

“They’re probably awkward since we just met.”

“Even so, if I appointed you as leader, they should accept it without complaint instead of having faces full of dissatisfaction!”

“It would be stranger if I was recognized from the start. I have my own plans, so don’t stress about things like this.”

Song Chi-hyeon stared at Choi Seong-min intently.

He seemed to have read his thoughts and smiled.

“Alright. From now on, they’re your group members, so I’ll leave them to you.”

“Thank you for trusting me.”

Song Chi-hyeon, who had calmed his anger, soon looked around at the group members.

“Either way, you are one team. From today, you’re comrades who have to enter B-rank dungeons and hunt together. So put aside your complaints and listen well to your leader. Got it?”

“Yes, understood!”

The group members shouted, but Song Chi-hyeon still had a displeased expression.

“You answer well, tsk.”

* * *

Kang Chan-seong first caught Song Chi-hyeon’s eye 10 years ago.

At that time, he had risen to B-rank with tremendous growth and was recognized for his talent, becoming Song Chi-hyeon’s subordinate.

The feeling at that time was indescribably joyful.

‘I wanted to jump around despite my large frame?’

After that, dungeons were sealed for 10 years until now, so he remained at B-rank, but that didn’t matter.

‘As long as I could serve loyally under the Great Hero……’

For Kang Chan-seong, Song Chi-hyeon was both an idol and a god.

He had served loyally for the past 10 years with pride in working under a god.

‘I did whatever I was told.’

Whether it was murder or anything else, he did everything without discrimination.

That’s why he could become a B-rank group leader and assist at Song Chi-hyeon’s mansion.

Kang Chan-seong’s loyalty was solid and unwavering like concrete.

Then one day.

Dungeons opened for the first time in 10 years, and orders came down from Song Chi-hyeon.

‘It was an order to select hunters among C-ranks whose combat power had increased significantly.’

It wasn’t physical labor, but Kang Chan-seong carried out the order without a trace of complaint.

‘Because the Great Hero trusted me with this work.’

Rather, to look good, he expanded his investigation to include not just C-ranks but D-ranks as well.

Then.

‘Huh?’

He accidentally discovered a hunter who was raising combat power at an overwhelming speed.

A hunter who had raised his combat power by 20,000 in just 40 days.

A growth rate never seen in history.

In short, he was a genius among geniuses.

The Great Hero couldn’t hide his excitement at this fact.

“Are you interested?”

“More than interested! Someone like this must be brought to our side. Before anyone else takes him!”

‘To be this excited……’

The Great Hero seemed really pleased, even saying he’d visit his home personally, which seemed unfamiliar but……

‘Good thing. I was helpful.’

At the time, he didn’t think much of it.

He just felt proud that he had found a subordinate the Great Hero liked.

‘But……’

Kang Chan-seong glared at Choi Seong-min who was called to the office.

‘That bastard has already grown to B-rank……’

When he first saw him, he knew his growth speed was extraordinary, but to this extent.

‘I didn’t care when he was first selected as a direct subordinate.’

Even when the Great Hero got him a position at the Association, he thought it was natural.

He heard it was for some competition and he was promoted to team leader, but he still didn’t care.

But when he heard that Song Chi-hyeon had used his power at school for the guy’s sister.

‘I thought it was a bit excessive.’

He had never used his power for Kang Chan-seong’s sake even once.

After that, when he heard that he was allowed to go soloing and even given an ID card to access the armory.

‘This is a bit too much?’

He couldn’t help but feel bitter.

‘Of course, I know he showed outstanding performance in the recent operation. I was there at the scene.’

He acknowledged that he had shown wit in bringing Yang Jo-young and saved the Great Hero’s life…… That’s why the Great Hero had no choice but to give generously.

‘I know. I understand……’

He understood everything.

But……

‘Isn’t giving him the group leader position too much……’

The B-rank group leader position he had protected for 10 years was taken away too easily.

The loyalty he had built up, that solid and unwavering golden tower, was about to collapse in an instant.

“Hey, Kang Chan-seong. Do you have some grudge against Seong-min?”

“N-no, I don’t.”

Moreover, he was getting scolded just for glaring briefly.

This made him unable to help but hate Choi Seong-min who had stolen his position.

‘This is all because of that bastard. If only that bastard hadn’t come in……’

However, getting scolded like this now was nothing.

What made Kang Chan-seong angry most of all was something else.

“I have my own plans, so don’t stress about things like this.”

“Alright. From now on, they’re your group members, so I’ll leave them to you.”

Song Chi-hyeon accepted Choi Seong-min’s advice without complaint.

‘How dare…… a rookie who just came in advise my lord……’

Not only did he gain his lord’s trust, but he was even giving advice from the side.

He had lost not only the group leader position but also the seat next to his lord.

‘Damn! I shouldn’t have recommended him to the Great Hero back then……!’

Regret washed over him.

If he had just kept his mouth shut then, he wouldn’t have had his rice bowl stolen by such a rookie.

Thud-

Kang Chan-seong, who came out of the office, glared at Choi Seong-min.

The other group members were equally dissatisfied.

Anyone would be dissatisfied if the leader they had followed for years was replaced by a newcomer leader who came from who knows where.

Whether he knew the group members’ feelings or not, Choi Seong-min was quietly staring into space.

Then he smiled slightly, making Kang Chan-seong narrow his brows.

‘Smiling?’

Indeed, Choi Seong-min was relieved right now.

He had come in tensely thinking he would have to assassinate Song Chi-hyeon.

‘I thought he called me to erase my memory, but he called me to introduce the group members?’

He hoped Song Chi-hyeon wouldn’t call that guy until combat power update day.

‘But somehow I feel piercing gazes……’

When he turned his head, four pairs of eyes were glaring at him.

Among them, the large man named Kang Chan-seong’s eyes even held killing intent.

“Excuse me. We met in passing before, right?”

“……”

At Choi Seong-min’s question, Kang Chan-seong remained silent then said something irrelevant.

“What’s your combat power?”

“Pardon?”

“The rankings show you as D-rank, so I’m asking. Of course, you were promoted to B-rank so you joined our group. But honestly, I doubt whether someone like you has the qualifications to sit in the group leader position.”

“Pfft.”

Instead of answering, Choi Seong-min let out a small laugh.

It was funny because it didn’t deviate from his expectations at all.

“Laughing?”

“Despite your size, you’re quite narrow-minded.”

“What?”

“I understand being angry because you were pushed out of the group leader position because of me. I understand picking a fight too. But the Great Hero said it, didn’t he? Put aside complaints and listen well to the group leader.”

“……”

“You’re not going to disobey the Great Hero’s orders, are you? All of you?”

When he brought up the Great Hero, the group members showed reluctance.

But Kang Chan-seong just sneered.

“I won’t disobey the Great Hero’s order to follow the group leader well. But we haven’t recognized you as group leader yet. There’s no reason to follow you obediently.”

“That’s sophistry.”

“Whatever, let me be direct.”

Kang Chan-seong spoke with belligerent eyes.

“Let’s have a one-on-one fight. If I lose, I’ll cleanly recognize you as group leader and follow without complaint. The group members will follow you too.”

The group members nodded as if agreeing.

“What if I lose?”

“If you lose, give up the group leader position and come under me. It’s ridiculous to have someone weaker than me as group leader.”

In other words, he was telling him to voluntarily step down to group member.

“It’s annoying, but I guess there’s no choice?”

“What are you muttering about?”

Kang Chan-seong pressed him, not hearing Choi Seong-min’s mumbling.

“How about it? Isn’t this a fair condition?”

“The balance is off.”

“What are you talking about? It’s group leaders fighting each other, so this is fair……”

“That’s not it. You’re insufficient as my opponent.”

“What?”

Leaving the dumbfounded Kang Chan-seong behind, Choi Seong-min raised one corner of his mouth.

“Just all of you come at me. I’ll beat you all up and fix your attitudes.”