How to Raise Your Skeletons

[The Hunter Association launches investigation! Ranking change assumed to be due to the death of Shadow Walker, rank 720, from France!]

After the previous death of The Diamond… Another ranker had died. The location of the death was the same—the second strongest hunter nation in the world, South Korea. Because of this, the internet erupted like a volcano.

> Holy crap, it’s Korea again? Why is it that other countries are quiet, but there’s never a peaceful day in our country?”

> Hmm, does that mean we have a huge influx of foreign rankers?”

> So what happened this time? Last time it was a terrorist group, right? Is it the same again?”

> From what I know, Shadow Walker was part of the Ohsung Group. If it were an unjust death, wouldn’t Ohsung step up?”

> Oh! You’re right! Ohsung, hurry up and make a statement! We’re curious!”

For a moment, the attention shifted toward the Ohsung Group.

But there was no need for that. Because right at that moment, Gi Soyul made a public statement.

“Breaking News: A Shocking Announcement by Dark Empress Gi Soyul! ‘I killed Shadow Walker!’”

Gi Soyul swiftly explained the situation to the press. She also expressed regret toward the Ohsung Group, which was suspected of ordering the assassination.

> Eek.

> Crazy.

> Fuck, those Ohsung Group bastards… I knew they’d pull something like this one day. What kind of big company orders an assassination in the 21st century?

> Those bastards. That place is already known for being a thug corporation.

> Hah, I was going to stay neutral, but now what… She even provided undeniable evidence. Foreign rankers are always the problem. Why don’t they just stay in their own countries? Instead, they come here, cause terror, and drain national wealth…

> Oh my gosh, Gi Soyul is so pretty.

The absurd act of ordering an assassination had the internet fuming with rage. Countless hateful comments poured in, and speculative articles spread like a wildfire.

> I’m never using Ohsung Group products again. What a scary company.

> I once gave the Ohsung Group a bad review with a low star rating… Am I going to get assassinated, too?

> It’s best not to use products from shady companies.

> The Ohsung Workshop? I’d never use their crap even if they gave it to me for free lol.

> The higher-ups there are probably gonna die in “car accidents” soon.

> Oh my gosh, Gi Soyul is awesome.

More and more people got involved. Information was edited and distributed through social media and YouTube. Public resentment toward the Ohsung Group swelled up like a rising tide.

—Bang!

In the end, Ohsung Group chairman Shin Jooyong slammed his desk hard.

The executives leading the group were gathered in the conference room, and Shin Jooyong’s wrinkled right hand trembled with anger.

“What in the world is going on here? How is it that a ranker of our group carried out such an act without me knowing?”

“Uhm, we… are still investigating it.”

Shin Jooyong was baffled. Demir’s Workshop? He’d heard of it a few times, but that was it. He’d been too busy with other ventures to even pay attention to it.

What?

A ranker? One of the rankers under his employ attacked someone? Moreover, the target of the attack was Gi Soyul.

“What kind of fool attempts to assassinate the Dark Empress!”

“That’s exactly right. None of us here would do something so foolish… But there is one person we suspect.”

“What? Who is it?”

“Th-That would be…” one of the executives hesitated to respond. It wasn’t until Shin Jooyong gave him a stern look that he finally spoke. “Th-The executive in question is Shin Jongoh.”

“Jongoh?” At the mention of his grandson’s name, Shin Jooyong’s lips twisted.

“…Ahem, recently, there have been reports that his relationship with Demir’s Workshop hasn’t been good.”

“Is that so…?” Shin Jooyong’s eyebrow twitched.

—Tap! Tap!

At the same time, two of his fingers drummed on the table. This was a gesture he made when deep in thought.

Jongoh, huh…

He was a problematic child. He had known that Jongoh had been growing up to be a delinquent. But he couldn’t interfere easily.

My sons…

Because of his once notoriously cold-blooded nature, which had earned him the nickname “Frozen Blood,” he had cut off all of his sons from the family registry for even the slightest mistakes or smallest signs of weakness. He showed no mercy when it came to evaluating them. He had thought that was only natural.

This company that I’ve built is as precious to me as my own child.

He believed a company was a living entity. Wasn’t that why it was given a legal registration number when you registered a corporation? He couldn’t entrust something so precious to a fool.

Only in his twilight years when his whole body began to age did he come to realize the importance of family. That was why, even when his grandchildren began to stray, he could only watch. He didn’t intervene. Instead, he handed out projects and treated them with care.

“Is it confirmed that Jongoh did it?”

“There’s no conclusive evidence, but the circumstances point strongly in that direction.”

“Hmm.”

Truth be told, he didn’t even need to see any evidence to know. After living as the head of a major company for so long, one didn’t need to see things directly to know the truth. And to hear that he had a bad relationship with Demir’s Workshop, it was apparent.

“In any case, you’re saying there’s no definitive proof?”

“Yes, that’s correct. There were no recorded traces of Shadow Walker at the hotel where he was staying, and he had a relatively solid alibi.”

“…I see.”

Records could be erased. Alibis could be fabricated. That was just how the world worked as long as you had money.

“Then let’s issue a public statement right away.”

“What should we say?”

“We express our grievances. And if they’ve falsely accused us without any evidence… they will have to face the consequences, even if the opponent is a ranker.”

“A-Are you sure about this?”

“When it’s time to push back, you must push back hard. Otherwise, people will think you’re easy to mess with.”

Perhaps… he had grown old. To think that pride was taking precedence over practicality. In the past, he would have simply apologized and ended it there.

“Call all the group’s rankers who are on leave back to headquarters. We’ll respond with a show of force.”

“Understood…!”

…But this time, he had chosen to fight back.

“Breaking News! The Silent Ohsung Group Finally Speaks Out!”

“Chairman Shin Jooyong Denies Ordering Assassination, Threatens to Sue for Defamation and Slander!”

“Ohsung Group Issues Strong Warning to Demir’s Workshop and Parang Guild: Apologize or Face Severe Consequences!”

Once again, chaos erupted on the hunter bulletin boards.

> What is this? Who’s telling the truth?

> Lol. Who do you think is telling the truth? Honestly, what would Demir’s Workshop or Gi Soyul gain from messing with the Ohsung Group? They called them out because it’s true.

> Then why is the Ohsung Group acting this way?

> They’re just trying to settle things with force. Who fights legally these days? It’s all about physical power now. Anyone who knows anything already knows this. The Ohsung Group is gathering all their rankers at headquarters.

> For real? That’s insane.

> This is terrifying. Is our country becoming lawless now?

> It’s not lawlessness; it’s the age of hunter chivalry lol.

> The fleeting passions of wind and romance~

> Oh my gosh, Gi Soyul is so lovable.

Ohsung Group had denied the accusations. But the situation was escalating more and more.

The problem was… things weren’t going the way Ohsung Group had hoped.

“Ch-Chairman!”

One of the company’s executives burst into the chairman’s office.

“What is it?”

“Have you seen the latest article?”

“Hm?”

Frowning, Shin Jooyong picked up his smartphone. An article was prominently displayed on the website’s front page.

“The Cult of the Heavenly Demon’s Black Sword Squad Captain, Lee Sunah: ‘Gi Soyul is not someone who would lie.’”

“Lee Sunah?”

Ranked 509th, the Black Sword, Lee Sunah, had spoken in defense of Gi Soyul.

Below the article were numerous comments.

> Wow, even the Cult of the Heavenly Demon is getting involved?

> Isn’t the Cult of the Heavenly Demon the top guild in Korea? What’s the Ohsung Group going to do?

> But the leader, Ha Sera, didn’t personally step in.

> Honestly, if Ha Sera got involved, it’d be game over lol. She’s ranked 3rd in the world and the top in the country. But that aside… even the Black Sword alone should make the Ohsung Group feel uneasy.

> Agreed. They’re getting isolated.

And it wasn’t the only article.

“Ranker Yoo Sangdon: ‘Shocked by Ohsung’s Assassination Plot! The Rotten Roots in Our Sacred Marketplace Must Be Uprooted!’”]

> Woah, even Yoo Sangdon has spoken out?

> Our Ohsung Group… turns out to be a domestic outcast.

> Yoo Sangdon? That changes things. He’s the vice president of the Hunter Association. The Ohsung Group must be terrified of him.

> By the way, aren’t they all from the Five Stars of Seoul? It’s kind of funny seeing them tear down the Ohsung Group.

> Oh my gosh, Gi Soyul is a social butterfly.

> Can you stop saying that?

—Boom!

Once again, Shin Jooyong slammed his desk.

“White Swine, that bastard…!”

He was flabbergasted. He could understand Lee Sunah, but Yoo Sangdon’s words were utterly ridiculous.

“The audacity. He’s dirtier than we are. That damned money-grubbing bastard said what? Uproot the rotten roots?”

His motive was clear. He was using this opportunity to eliminate a competitor.

“E-Excuse me, Chairman…”

“What now!”

“The issue isn’t just with those two.”

“Then what else is the problem!”

Now, Shin Jooyong was getting nervous. Cold sweat trickled down his body.

Could it get worse than this? Maybe he had been too aggressive? Should he have just dealt with things internally and issued an apology?

The thought briefly crossed his mind, but he quickly shook it off. He was standing firm on his pride. He had to stay resolute. If he apologized now, it would truly be the end. Right now, they were in a do-or-die situation.

“Well… Chairman… We received a call from Jang Daewoong through the company’s mainline.”

“Jang Daewoong… So he’s making a move as well?” Shin Jooyong gritted his teeth.

If the Five Stars of Seoul were conspiring, then at the end of it would be Jang Daewoong—the Berserker.

Jang Daewoong was difficult to deal with. But would Jang Daewoong, even as part of the Five Stars of Seoul, step into something that didn’t concern him? The higher the ranker, the slower they were to move.

And public opinion was a factor. If high-ranking rankers banded together and oppressed a single group without justification, rumors would inevitably spread.

“What did he say?”

“Well… he mentioned that he had commissioned 30 billion won’s worth of weapons from Demir’s Workshop… He claims that we nearly ruined it and that we must compensate him.”

“What? Compensate?”

“Yes… He said that he’s going to blow up our headquarters in an hour and that we should evacuate all the civilians.”

“…What?”

Shin Jooyong was stunned. No matter how high a ranker someone was, this was essentially a declaration of war.

Moreover, there were laws set by the Hunter Association. If rankers wanted to resolve disputes through duels, that was one thing. However, destroying property was another matter, especially if civilians could be harmed.

“He said the building would be worth around 30 billion won…”

“It’s worth much more than that!”

“Well… he’s not someone you can reason with…”

“Is that bastard insane?” Shin Jooyong screamed in frustration.

“I mean, he is…”

As the executive giving the briefing muttered under his breath, his voice became as small as a crawling ant.

“…Executive Kim?” Shin Jooyong shot him a deadly glare.

“Yes, Chairman.”

“Are you trying to joke with me in this situation? Don’t you know what’s happening?”

“I’m sorry.”

Shin Jooyong sighed. He couldn’t stop his hands from shaking. His anger refused to subside.

“Evacuate everyone immediately! We’ll assess the situation afterward!”

There was no choice. Their opponent was the Berserker—a true madman. And as they say, the best strategy when dealing with a madman is to avoid him altogether.