87. Those from Helmund Academy will not be accepted.

The office of the head of the Hunter Association.

His secretary Nam Kwon-hyeok asked Kang Seong-ho a question.

“President of the Association, why are you showing favor to an instructor if you go this far? I heard that you gave permission to establish an academy in the name of the president of the association this time too… I know it’s an excessive amount of meddling, but if you hand over the names one by one like this, the weight of the name of the president of the Hunter Association may be lightened.”

Seongho Kang talked to him with a heavy expression.

“Secretary Nam, I don’t know if it’s a normal academy, but if it’s an academy run by the masked instructor, it’s different. As he grows more and more in position, the influence of our Hunter Association grows. In fact, our Hunter Association has not been very friendly with other guilds or Mage Towers until now. Well, the same goes for the other guys. Anyway, that masked instructor is a person with the fighting power of a high-ranking guild. An academy co-founded with such a person will not tarnish your reputation. Rather, I saw the benefits.”

Nam Kwon-hyeok spoke in a displeased voice.

“No matter how much… The president of the academy co-founded by the president of the association…”

Nam Kwon-hyeok was not too happy that Kang Seong-ho became the president of the academy. The reason was simple. First of all, Nam Kwon-hyeok does not know in detail who the mask instructor is. Even other people do not know the real name or face of the mask instructor.

In the world, there are various groups that praise the masked instructor and those who despise him. Some are treating the masked instructor as a pioneer who invented the use of external mana, while others are treated as fake swindlers who sell magic that cannot be used properly.

In a word, he is a person with a great risk of being unknown. The Hunter Association has already firmly established its position, and if something bad happens in the newly established academy, there is no choice but to take the book of the Hunter Association. That’s why I didn’t approve of the intervention of the Hunter Association president.

Seongho Kang spoke as if he understood.

“As you know, he is quite strong. Even more than me in my prime.”

“….”

Nam Kwon-hyeok was silent.

“Is he that strong?”

Kang Seong-ho is now somewhat older and his strength is gradually weakening, but when he was young, he was evaluated as strong enough that no one could match him. For example, he was rated as high as Choi Seung-hyun of the Baal Guild. That’s why Nam Kwon-hyeok couldn’t help but be embarrassed to hear the words of the Hunter Association president.

Seongho Kang replied with a firm tone.

“I don’t like lies. You know well, too, right? Anyway, let’s end this story here.”

Kang Seong-ho did not reveal Choi Joo-won’s identity even to his secretary. He didn’t even divulge Choi Joo-won’s promise.

-If you lend me your name, once when you need the president of the Hunter Association. We’re here to help, no questions asked.

The one chance Choi Joo-won promised. It is a card that will be useful in the event of a guild, war against the Mage Tower, or confrontation with the nation. Because Choi Joo-won is no different from a strategic nuclear weapon.

When Kang Seong-ho was cornered into a desperate situation. Choi Joo-won will be the biggest weapon he can rely on.

***

The place where Joo-Won Choi is located.

Choi Joo-won visited Jang Hye-na after a long time. With a mask on, of course.

Hye-na Jang comes running from afar, her pink hair fluttering.

“Heh-uh… Heh-uh… I’m sorry I’m late, right? Finishing up the video editing… Thanks to the masquerade instructor who gave me the material, I’m working hard on making the video… People’s reactions are really amazing!”

Jang Hye-na happily talked about her stories as if she was excited.

Choi Joo-won replied.

“I’m glad I was helpful. Oh, I couldn’t tell you this in advance, but Jang Hye-na almost suffered a big problem because I asked the broadcasting station to send a report email. Shim Ji-hyeok tried to retaliate against Jang Hye-na by stealing the informant’s e-mail information.”

“Hey… That’s what happened…”

“Yes, the information circulating on the market is known as a general terrorist incident, but in reality it is. Shim Ji-hyeok thought that she had been ignored because of her tip-off mail, and to retaliate, robbed the place where the data was stored and carried out a terror attack to find Jang Hye-na. Oh, you shouldn’t talk about this on air.”

Regarding Shim Ji-hyeok’s riot, the broadcasting station tried to control the information as much as possible. A large-scale terrorist incident that occurred due to their poor management and supervision. It is because there is no benefit to them if it spreads to its cause, result and process.

In the news, it was only known that Shim Ji-hyeok was publicly humiliated at a broadcasting station, and that he used that as an opportunity to commit indiscriminate terror. The fact that entertainer Lee Hyun-ji was taken hostage was widely known because it could not be hidden, but it was also treated as an accidental action by Shim Ji-hyeok. If word spreads that the data storage has been robbed by just one person, you never know what responsibility will be held.

From Choi Joo-won’s point of view, it was a win-win because he didn’t want things to escalate.

Jang Hye-na made a slightly scared expression, but she quickly let go.

“I saw a video of Shim Ji-hyeok going wild. I couldn’t hear it, but it was terrifying… I didn’t know that the Dark Artifact could be so dangerous, but I was surprised that it changed people like demons… But it almost came to me…”

She shook her hand a little.

‘He’s a human after all’

Jang Hye-na had the personality to do everything at random to develop her NATUBE. Even things related to Baek Joo-seok were exposed without hesitation, and the information that Choi Joo-won handed over was the type to upload it without covering the front and back as a video if it was likely to become an issue.

Jang Hye-na, as seen by Joo-Won Choi, was a creator who didn’t care if she became a subject of controversy or even if she was the target of retaliation. But, now that I look back, it doesn’t seem like that. Jang Hye-na, who shook her hand as if a little scared, had the appearance of a young girl.

‘I’m a bit sorry.’

In fact, if Joo-Won Choi hadn’t asked her to send her a report, Ji-Hyeok Shim and Hye-Na Jang would never have had anything to do with each other. It was Choi Joo-won who stopped Sim Ji-hyeok, but I couldn’t help but feel a bit of remorse. So Choi Joo-won talked to Jang Hye-na.

“Don’t worry too much. I will protect Jang Hye-na.”

When Choi Joo-won said that, he handed over a ring.

“Yes…Yes?”

Jang Hye-na was momentarily taken aback, blushing and stepping back from her.

“G… What are you talking about… Do you mean… What does this… This ring mean?!”

-Hiccup

She even hiccupped and looked at Choi Joo-won with her hurried, surprised eyes.

Choi Joo-won looked at Jang Hye-na as if she was strange and answered.

“Aren’t we partners? I have benefited from Jang Hye-na a lot, so I will protect her. If I hold this ring, I will be able to know the location of Hyena Jang. Of course, in terms of her privacy, I can only know her location if Hyena Jang pours her mana. In case of danger, just pour mana on her and she will come running straight to help. Jang Hye-na has also been lucky so far, but she has touched many places, so she doesn’t feel strange no matter what happens at any time.”

Choi Joo-won put a ring on Jang Hye-na’s hand.

Jang Hye-na muttered in a slightly disappointed voice.

“Ah… Partner…”

She thought to herself.

‘Why am I disappointed? Isn’t it natural that they are business partners?’

It has already been quite some time since Jang Hye-na and Choi Joo-won met. The two of them often talked and talked on the phone when there was something that could be raised as an issue with each other. We used to meet often and exchange opinions like now.

Jang Hye-na always waited for Choi Joo-won to contact her. When he contacted me, he always brought a huge scoop, and every time he made a video of the scoop, a huge increase in views and subscribers occurred.

To Jang Hye-na, who was struggling as a creator in the swamp of stagnant views and rising subscribers, Choi Joo-won was a person who was no different from a savior. He was the kind of person who pulled him out of the swamp.

-I can’t hear you today.

It was the first time Jang Hye-na was waiting for someone to contact her. In all her life, she never waited for someone else’s contact. She was beautiful, rich, busy, and popular. For whatever reason, this was the first time I had waited for another man to contact me.

‘What is it…’

I felt strange.

Is it a longing for a strong person, or a heart of gratitude for a benefactor? I don’t know why, but I guess I was developing a crush on the masked instructor.

No, maybe it’s because of this man’s nonchalant attitude.

“Where are you sick?”

A person who casually talks to Jang Hye-na even after seeing her, as if business is her goal, and she doesn’t want anything more than that.

She has a dry attitude as if she doesn’t want to, but she’s someone who sometimes takes care of her warmly and worries about her.

Hye-na Jang muttered to herself.

“Don’t be so kind… You’re mistaken…”

“Yes?”

When Choi Joo-won didn’t hear well and asked again, Hye-na Jang quickly turned the fire on.

“That… That… You know, the academy that you are establishing this time!”

“You mean the academy all of a sudden?”

“Yes!… I have a question about that.”

“If you ask me, I will tell you as much as I can.”

“Yes…! That… that… did you have a separate application qualification for the academy or something like that?”

“Hmm…”

Choi Joo-won pondered a little, then talked to Jang Hye-na.

“I haven’t really thought about the qualifications for application yet, but I have set the requirements for application.”

“Restrictions on application? What is it?”

Choi Joo-won spoke in a low voice.

“Anyone with a record of attending Hellmund Academy will be restricted from coming to our academy.”