Maxed Out Leveling Novel

Chapter 39

15. Twilight and Dawn (2)

Last day of July.

The muggy weather was rushing towards the height of discomfort. People walking down the street wore light clothes as much as possible and fanned their hands.

Cha Shin Hyeon was an exception.

His fashion looked sophisticated, but it didn’t look cool. It feels like he sacrificed comfort for fashion.

He made a lot of money, so it was partly because of the cold solstice that he had to dress up a little, but in the first place, he has a body that is impervious to Hanseo (寒暑不侵), so he does not suffer from the heat. He is simply aware that he is hot in the atmosphere.

Satisfied with the utility of martial arts once again, he glanced at the billboard.

An electronic board in the waiting room indicating the departure and arrival times of the trains announced that the KTX train departing from Busan would arrive at 3:48.

‘Is it time to come?’

After a while, the phone rang.

“Yes, Kim Cheol-ho.”

– I just got off the train. Where are you?

“We are waiting for you at the exit.”

– Is that so? Oh, maybe?

People getting off the train rush out of the exit. A man in the midst of it all looked around and made eye contact with Cha Shin Hyeon.

“Looks like you are right.”

He was holding his cell phone to his ear, and Cha Shin Hyeon also noticed that his voice was coming out of it.

Cha Shin Hyeon hung up the phone.

The man hurriedly approached. He was dressed in a formal summer suit regardless of the heat.

“Are you Mr. Cha Shin Hyeon?”

“Yes. Kim Cheol-ho?”

“Yes. nice to meet you.”

The two exchanged handshakes lightly.

“You did a great job coming up from Busan.”

“It’s something I have to do. It’s a hot day too, so why don’t we talk in a cool cafe somewhere?”

“That’s right. There will probably be one around.”

Cha Shin Hyeon, who remembered the shopping malls around Seoul Station he had seen on the way, took the lead.

There were quite a few people in the cafe right in front of the station even though it was 4 o’clock on a weekday.

As we each ordered a drink and sat down in a small corner, Cha Shin Hyeon spoke up first.

“Of course, I don’t have a proper office, so it must be my fault for not guiding you properly…”

The office address registered on paper is the home address, and it is not exposed to the outside world. Among the small guilds at the club level, there were cases where they did not have a separate guild office, so there was nothing strange about it.

“Isn’t this a good place to tell a long story?”

“But you can’t create a place that doesn’t exist, can you?”

Kim Cheol-ho smiled faintly.

“And there is one magic tool you can use in such a case.”

“A magic tool?”

“It’s a portable sound insulation barrier….”

Kim Cheol-ho, who asked for his understanding, opened the inventory.

A small speaker the size of a milk carton came out of his hand.

The light comes on when you press the power button. A flow of magical power leaked out of the speaker.

Turning something that looked like a volume control button widened the scope of the flow. Magical energy wraps around the table where Kim Chul-ho and Cha Shin Hyeon are sitting like a whirlwind.

To my surprise, I could hardly hear the cafe’s music and other guests chattering.

“Isn’t this quiet enough?”

“It’s amazing.”

Cha Shin Hyeon was slightly impressed.

Kim Chul-ho added an explanation.

“Of course, if you hear our conversation outside the barrier, you can only hear it as a murmur. As long as you don’t listen closely to the barrier, you can think that you can’t hear it.”

“If that’s the case, there’s no way anyone will be able to overhear it.”

Just then, the vibrating bell rang.Kim Cheol-ho got up on his own and returned with the drinks he ordered.

keep going.

The coolness of the drink flowing through a straw is sweet.

Will Kim Chul-ho’s proposal be that sweet?

“Thanks to you, the location issue has been resolved, so let’s get to the point.”

Cha Shin Hyeon gave an interesting look.

“What do you mean wanting to partner with martial arts at dusk?”

“It is literally. partner, companion. It means we want to build partnerships and get to know each other.”

Kim Cheol-ho said coolly.

“In order to make such a decision as a guild versus a guild, of course, you would have investigated the martial arts. Isn’t it?”

“Of course I did.”

“Then it’s only been a month since it was created, and as a guild member, you probably know well that I am the only guild member.”

“Of course I do.”

“And he must have figured out that he continued to dive without any activity after forming the guild.”

Cha Shin Hyeon chuckled.

“But I’m curious as to what the heck you saw and proposed a partnership with. No, I wonder how you knew me before that.”

“ As Cha Shin Hyeon said, Martial Arts is not a one-man guild. So, regardless of guild activities, we only need to consider the value of Cha Shin Hyeon.”

Kim Cheol-ho smiled face to face.

“There was no official activity. But was it really not? We are also aware of the new dungeon in Bucheon.”

“Hoo.”

Cha Shin Hyeon let out an ambiguous exclamation.

“It’s not dark enough to not know what the first or second person in the other guild is doing, whether it’s dusk or dawn. She went with Lee Ji-hye, the deputy guild leader, several times, but she couldn’t be seen.”

“You found me there?”

“That’s right. You might be offended, but I also did some research on Cha Shin Hyeon. However, I couldn’t find anything. Nothing really.”

It didn’t mean innocent or ordinary.

In fact, I mentioned the Bucheon Dungeon, but Kim Chul-ho didn’t know the dungeon very well.

However, he knew that the monsters in the dungeon were strong, so the scouts retreated, and Lee Ji-hye went to scout instead.

She said that it would be a very dangerous place if it was a dungeon that Lee Ji-hye personally went to reconnaissance, but if Cha Shin Hyeon was accompanying her, she said that she would be a good person.

A high-ranking hunter, or a hunter close to that level.

However, I couldn’t find any information about ‘Hunter Cha Shin Hyeon’.

This cannot be done unless the information has been intentionally deleted. If not twilight, the only place that has the power to do that is at dawn.

“So that’s what I thought.”

Kim Cheol-ho said with strength.

“I wonder if Cha Shin Hyeon is a hunter secretly raised by Yeo Ryeo or Lee Ji-hye, the deputy guild leader.”

“Haha, this is true.”

Cha Shin Hyeon let out a low laugh.

“Be secret. I don’t know if it’s reasonable to say that it’s a secret because you’ve already found out.”

“It wasn’t that I was caught by mistake, but I guess it was decided that it was time to reveal your existence.”

“If it was revealed, why did you create a separate guild called Mugeuk and reveal it instead of as a member of Dawning?”

“Maybe it was natural to take the form of recruiting from outside. Isn’t that a question I should ask Cha Shin Hyeon?”

Kim Cheol-ho shrugged.

Cha Shin Hyeon looked at Kim Chul-ho for a moment without saying a word.

“… … Well, that’s good. Regardless of that.”

After being silent for a while, he spoke again.

“If you’re convinced that I’m the hunter who raised me from twilight at dawn, what the hell did you come here to talk to me?”

“If you like soccer, you will understand.”

Kim Cheol-ho paused for a moment and then said.

“Just because you came from a club as a youth, it is not often that you play for your hometown after becoming an adult.”

“It’s like a suggestion about moving from Dawn to Twilight.”

“Yes. Whatever treatment you are currently receiving in Dawn, we are ready to give you more.”

“It’s a very straightforward proposition.”

Cha Shin Hyeon grinned.

“By the way, it wasn’t just a penny or two that I received from Dawning. Don’t you think I’m a very bad guy if I get stuck in the twilight thinking I’ve got a better offer?”

“It is not uncommon for excellent hunters to change their affiliations.”

“Not just an excellent hunter. Is there a precedent for a high hunter moving from dawn to dusk and vice versa?”

“Unfortunately, not yet.”

“I am not at all happy to be the first example.”

“I understand.”

Kim Cheol-ho nodded his head and said softly.

“But just because you change your affiliation, you don’t have to publicize that fact.”

Cha Shin Hyeon’s expression hardened a bit.

“Are you moving? Are you telling me to be a Twilight Spy now?”

“You are a spy. What do you say?”

Kim Cheol-ho quickly waved his hand.

“Even if you ask for information in the first place, if information that only high-ranking hunters can obtain is leaked, it is obvious that even at Dawn, the existence of a spy is suspected.”

“then?”

“We don’t ask for anything. It is enough just to build a good relationship with a valuable talent called a high-ranking hunter. After all, apparently you’re still part of the Dawn, so you’re still receiving Dawn’s support, don’t you? We just show a little bit of sincerity to it.”

You don’t have to do anything, the money comes in for free.

It was a proposal that would appeal to people’s ears at least once, even if they had great love and affection.

But Cha Shin Hyeon steadfastly shook her head.

“Even so, I will refuse. There are no eternal secrets, and my relationship with the Dawn would be greatly damaged if the deal with Twilight was revealed. I still have enough. So much so that I don’t even have to take that risk.”

“Is that so······.”

Surprisingly, Kim Cheol-ho responded calmly to the cold rejection.

“It’s unfortunate. I would not recommend any more.”

Even though he quietly retreated, he left a lasting impression.

“Nevertheless, the offer is always valid. Please remember later that we have made such an offer.”

“… … I will not refuse such consideration.”

Cha Shin Hyeon also left some room.

suddenly he asked.

“But what if I tell the dawn of the fact that you have been making such a proposal in the twilight?

“It doesn’t matter if you tell me.”

Kim Cheol-ho responded calmly.

“It’s just like us and the Dawning, trying to recruit high-ranking hunters or equivalent hunters. This is not something that happened once or twice. Well, you may find it offensive, but that’s it.”

“i See. Well sir.”

One came to make an offer, and the other turned it down.

Then there was nothing more to talk about.

“I’m sorry that I haven’t been able to talk for a while since you’ve come a long way.”

“no. This is my job.”

The two got up from their seats and greeted each other.

I recovered the portable sound barrier and left the cafe with a drink I couldn’t even finish.

“It was fun today.”

“If there is a chance, I will see you again.”

However, when we parted, we smiled at each other.

Outwardly it was

* * *

Picking up a taxi that always has a few in front of Seoul Station, Cha Shin Hyeon left immediately.

After confirming that the taxi had disappeared from view, Kim Cheol-ho turned around.

He made his way back to the cafe he had just left.A few spaces away from where I was sitting a while ago.

The clothes and the thin, light and expensive laptop. Kim Cheol-ho approached the man who smelled like a high-school college student who came to do a homework assignment.

“I made sure you left.”

“Sit down.”

The man spoke briefly at Kim Chul-ho’s words.

Although it was a high-pressure command group, Kim Cheol-ho sat down cautiously in the chair opposite to it as if he was embarrassed.

There’s only one person he’s been so extremely polite to.

The man was the guild leader of Twilight, Park Tae-hoon.

“Stop turning it off.”

“Yes.”

When Park Tae-hoon took off the earphone he was wearing and spoke, Kim Cheol-ho also lifted the inside of the suit and turned off the microphone attached to it.

A sound barrier is a magic that interferes with sound transmission by manipulating the flow of the surrounding air. It couldn’t even prevent it from being transmitted through the microphone.

Park Tae-hoon was listening to all the conversations that had ever been between Cha Shin Hyeon and Kim Chul-ho.

He came on the same train as Kim Chul-ho, and after coming out of the station late on purpose, he followed the two from a distance.

It wasn’t a pity. After entering the cafe, Kim Cheol-ho sent a text message about the location, and he came in after seeing it.

“….. that’s unexpected.”

Park Tae-hoon, who had been silent for a while, opened his mouth.

“You mean you rejected our offer?”

Kim Cheol-ho carefully asked the question.

When there was no response from Park Tae-hoon, he looked at him and continued.

“Isn’t it not just a hunter belonging to the Dawning, but a hunter presumed to have been raised by the Dawning? It would have been more rewarding if I had accepted the offer more easily.”

“It must have been.”

“I think we should be satisfied with the fact that we made contact and left room.”

Of course, you can’t really call this an ‘achievement’.

Initially, only those with potential are selected to prevent unnecessary waste of manpower.

Cha Shin Hyeon was the least likely side of the investigation. And it actually blew me away. That’s a waste of 5 hours round trip for a conversation that took less than 30 minutes.

Nevertheless, it was because of the instructions of Park Tae-hoon that Kim Cheol-ho came to Seoul.

What if I don’t understand? If the boss is black, it should be.

“It’s a surprise…”

Whatever Kim Cheol-ho’s question was, Park Tae-hoon was muttering the same self-talk and was lost in thought.

A high-ranking hunter who appeared as if falling from the sky.

Kim Cheol-ho, unaware of the circumstances, can claim the secret weapon of Dawning or anything, but he was able to deduce a more probable situation. He came all the way here to check it out.

But the prediction he was almost certain of was wrong.

‘The unmanned… … Wasn’t it…?’

Park Tae-hoon’s eyes narrowed.

* * *

When I was having a conversation with Kim Cheol-ho at a cafe, to be exact, the vibrating bell rang and he just got a drink.

A man entered the cafe entrance.

At that moment, Cha Shin Hyeon immediately suppressed the thousand trillions of infinite depths that were trying to resonate automatically.

It ended before it even started, so in the end nothing happened.

The situation is different with Lee Ji-hye.

At that time, she could not have imagined that there would be another person returning from Moorim, and she did not know that Cheonjo Mucentrifugal Gong would react to someone who had learned the same martial arts.

Once you’ve been through it, Cha Shin Hyeon doesn’t make any more mistakes.

Moreover, the guild leader of Twilight already knew that he was a returnee.

The possibility of this kind of situation was in mind when I got the call to meet at twilight.

‘There’s no way I can’t do my best.’

Recruitment proposals and all that were said were just words, and in reality, there was a high possibility that he came to meet him suddenly without notice.

However, there is no response from the tens of thousands of people, and Park Tae-hoon’s martial arts level can never see through to Cha Shin Hyeon’s martial arts level. There is no information that he can tell by looking at himself.

‘Now, how will you react?’

Cha Shin Hyeon, leaning on the back seat of the taxi, looked down.