The Hero Returns

Scribble, scribble-

The luxurious sound came from a fountain pen.

Yi Myeong-ho finished signing his name and angrily put the pen down on his desk.

Thud-

"Are you happy now?"

Lee Ju-ho perused the contract papers one more time and slid them inside a manila envelope. "Thank you very much. It was nice doing business with you."

"People talked about there being a sly fox in the Paragon Guild, and it looks like they were referring to you, Mister Lee Ju-ho."

With that, Yi Myeong-ho was no longer in a position to evade the incoming reprimand and criticism. A single gaff from him had led to the unnecessary waste of an enormous portion of the city's budget, and he was going to hear about it.

Lee Ju-ho replied, "In matters of business dealings or negotiations, we have Mr. Gordon with us. How can I even compare to him?"

"You believe you'll be alright? After this?"

"I'm not sure I follow."

"You used Seoul as a hostage during the negotiation. You couldn't control your own anger and decided to disregard the danger to the city, and to use the lives of all the citizens as your bargaining chip on the negotiation table!"

"Well, yes. It may look that way, but…" Lee Ju-ho secured his document bag and stood up from the spot. "From the beginning, we never planned to leave the city in danger. Even if you didn't lodge an official request, we would've never left such a dangerous dungeon alone."

"But, that…!"

Yi Myeong-ho gritted his teeth.

Lee Ju-ho was revealing his position because the contract papers were signed and the mayor had already played his hand. Both sides were saddled with risks in this situation, but the one with the most to lose was Yi Myeong-ho.

Which meant he had no choice but to surrender to Lee Ju-ho's demands.

Besides, the mayor would've never agreed to sign the contract if he knew Lee Ju-ho and Su-hyeun's intentions in the first place.

"Who'll believe that? No one will believe you when you say, 'This was our real intention all along'."

"Don't worry, they will."

"What was that?!"

"Don't delude yourself, old man."

Lee Ju-ho's glare became cold and murderous once more.

Those were the same eyes from the conference venue, completely different from the good-natured look that Yi Myeong-ho had been seeing until now.

"I'm different from Su-hyeun. I'm not a nice guy like him, and the end goal of my calculations are different, too. Of course, I'm definitely not an honest man, either."

"W-what are you trying to say?!"

"If you can't guess, then I suggest you get your phone out and google Paragon Guild. The related articles should be appearing online about now."

As if he had nothing more to say, Lee Ju-ho packed his stuff and left the office. In the meantime, Yi Myeong-ho hurriedly searched for the Paragon Guild online with his smartphone.

And, just as Lee Ju-ho exited from the office…

"Aaaaaahk-!!"

A loud scream exploded from the mayor's office. A scream filled with frustration and rage that could no longer be contained.

Lee Ju-ho became certain after hearing that noise. Certain that the pieces he had laid out earlier were performing as they should. He pulled out his own smartphone from his pocket and confirmed the headlines of the articles appearing on the search engine's results.

[Paragon Guild, takes Seoul hostage and makes threats? Awakener Lee Ju-ho, "Bring higher request fee than Australia."]

[Seoul's mayor, Yi Myeong-ho, "Paragon Guild has no sense of responsibility." Lee Ju-ho enraged, says the plane with Kim Su-hyeun will be turned back.]

[Mayor Yi Myeong-ho's rash declaration, and irrational response from Paragon Guild.]

Only a few hours ago, articles were attacking both Yi Myeong-ho and the Paragon Guild. Some were written in favor of the mayor, while some were on the side of the guild.

Articles that talked about who to side with. Or, which side was more wrong than the other.

The thing was, though, just one move, one incident, would be more than enough to turn public sentiment around completely.

[Kim Su-hyeun, immediately enters the indigo dungeon after touching down. Not giving up on both S. Korea and Australia.]

[Lee Ju-ho apologizes for his irresponsible declaration. Never planned to give up on Seoul from the beginning…]

[Kim Su-hyeun's private plane sets off to Australia without him, to get Choi Hak-joon and Thomas Mathiras back to Korea.]

[Lee Ju-ho arrives at Seoul's city hall to finalize the request documents. What's the truth of it all?]

Lee Ju-ho checked the headlines of the articles and emerged outside the building.

The reporters were already there, waiting for him. They had latched onto an odd smell after learning of several matters including Su-hyeun entering the dungeon and Lee Ju-ho having a meeting with the mayor, etc.

He didn't try to stop the reporters from making a move, however. Because he needed their eyes, ears, and, indeed, their mouths right now.

"Mister Lee Ju-ho, a word, please. What is the position of the Paragon Guild? Were you really planning to give up on Seoul?"

"Your declaration made due to the friction between you and Mayor Yi Myeong-ho is different from the actions of the Paragon Guild, so would you like to shed some light on that?"

"Mister Lee Ju-ho!"

Loud, ceaseless questions poured in. Lee Ju-ho calmly answered them.

"The Paragon Guild consists of Korean awakeners, plus the American awakener, Gordon Rohan." As soon as he started talking, the reporters shut their mouths up as if what happened a second ago was a lie. "I am a Korean, and Kim Su-hyeun of the Paragon Guild is, as well. Not only that, we never, ever even considered leaving alone the indigo-colored dungeon appearing in Seoul."

"If so, what you said earlier was…"

"However!" Lee Ju-ho's thunderous roar cut off the reporter's question. "We are not some obedient dogs, either."

He scanned everyone around him with cold eyes, before continuing on.

"Yes, South Korea takes priority, and raiding dungeons is also a priority, but… The Paragon Guild is a mercenary guild, not a government department or a charity organization. I'm sure you already knew that, since Gordan Rohan is a member of the guild."

It was rather obvious. Gordon Rohan was a businessman before an awakener. Him suddenly starting a philanthropic enterprise just didn't make much sense.

"There is nothing wrong with the Australian government requesting aid from us. They don't have the necessary strength to raid a blue-colored dungeon, so by paying us the request fee, they wish to borrow our strength. Thomas and Hak-joon were sent there to take care of that request."

"But, hasn't an indigo-colored dungeon appeared in Korea now?"

"And that's why Kim Su-hyeun came home, so that we can raid both dungeons. To ensure that neither country experiences any issues."

"Does that mean you wish to protect both Seoul and Australia?"

"Yes. And everything I've said so far, that is Kim Su-hyeun's intention." The light in Lee Ju-ho's eyes changed at this point. "And from now on, I'll tell you about my intentions. It is quite regrettable, but I… am not as kind as Su-hyeun is."

"Are you saying that you two have a difference in opinion?"

The reporter's question was met with Lee Ju-ho nodding his head slightly. "The mayor of Seoul, Yi Myeong-ho, crossed a line."

"…"

"He tried to put a leash on our necks. He ran his mouth off as if people in Australia could die for all he cared, and clearly criticized the Paragon Guild's desire to save both sides as being irresponsible," said Lee Ju-ho, before firing a question back to the reporter. "Why should I hold back in that case, then?"

"Well, that…"

At that unexpected question, the reporter reflexively opened his mouth only to urgently clamp it shut.

It was actually a rhetorical question. And Lee Ju-ho wasn't asking the reporters but the viewers at home probably watching this broadcast.

For the first time during the interview, Lee Ju-ho smiled. "From this moment onward, our guild will only make a move after signing a 'proper' contract first. I promise you that in the future, this sort of public criticism will not happen again. Well, then."

As if he was finished with what he wanted to say, Lee Ju-ho bowed and walked past the reporters. They were suppressed by his aura and couldn't cling onto him under the excuse of prolonging the interview.

What he said at the end…

It was a sort of a warning, telling others that the Paragon Guild wouldn't make any move without receiving official requests first in the future.

<< With this, hopefully, people won't blame Su-hyeun for anything. >>

Su-hyeun's and Lee Ju-ho's positions were made crystal clear during this event.

The former couldn't ignore the danger posed to Seoul by the dungeon and took appropriate action, while the latter bulldozed ahead with the contract signing on his own accord because of the mayor of Seoul, Yi Myeong-ho's declaration.

From the get-go, the power to sign contracts on behalf of the Paragon Guild rested with Lee Ju-ho, so there was no problem with how it all turned out.

Without a doubt, some people would start resenting Lee Ju-ho for this. There were definitely people who belived that patriotism should take precedence over anything else, after all.

But people with opposing views should also exist, as well.

<< My aim was to screw you over. >>

The first time would be the hardest. But the second time, and also the third, wouldn't be as hard. No, it'd gradually get easier, instead.

That was why the precedent should not be set in the first place. If this event was allowed to be glossed over, then the Korean Awakener Authority would end up taking the sacrifices of the Paragon Guild for granted.

Such a perception, once created, would be very difficult to change in the future. To paraphrase a quote from a certain movie, if kindness was continuously shown to you, then you'd end up thinking that it was your right, instead.

<< Even if Su-hyeun thinks doing it his way is the obvious thing to do. >>

Lee Ju-ho glanced at the mayor's office, his eyes filled with certain venom.

<< But I'm not him. >>

The contract papers were in Lee Ju-ho's possession, the documents that detailed the request for the dungeon raid. If the truth of this contract were leaked to the public, then, without a doubt, Lee Ju-ho would be subjected to another intense round of criticism.

They would ask, why did a contract need to be drawn up when the guild was planning to raid the dungeon anyway?

<< I'll bear all the insults and blame. So, Su-hyeun, you… >>

Lee Ju-ho recalled Su-hyeun, who had departed earlier to solo raid the indigo-colored dungeon, and muttered to himself.

"You just focus on being the hero."

<hr />

The deep, dark night.

Su-hyeun's nerves were stretched tauter than ever before as he stepped inside the dungeon.

Gya-oh-ohng-!

Miru, flying next to him, let out a cry.

The atmosphere was quite eerie. The temperature was lukewarm, yet, bizarrely enough, his skin felt cold in this place.

Su-hyeun's destination was fixed on one location—the massive, half-crumbled tower seemingly piercing the heavens.

The tower was built by humankind to allow them to touch the heavens. It's ruins served as evidence of that first act of pride. Its name…

<< The Tower of Babel. >>

That's what people used to call the tower.

Wrath, sloth, lust, gluttony, greed, envy, and, finally, pride.

Unlike the other six dungeons, that continued to emit their respective emotions, this dungeon that symbolized 'pride' didn't let any emotion leak outside. A being had built that tower and waited for the right time to come, that was all. No more, no less.

Step, step-

Su-hyeun kept his edge far sharper than he had done before. His steps weren't too fast, nor slow, but a steady gait taking him forward.

Gu-wuwuwu-

As he neared the tower, his senses picked up on a massive presence hidden within the structure. The tower that has felt empty and abandoned only a second ago suddenly loomed oppressively large over him.

But there was no need to get flustered. Su-hyeun already knew what the 'creature' inside the tower was from the start, anyway.

<< Let's not worry about anything else. >>

He emptied out his mind.

Originally, many things had occupied his head—such as, would Hak-joon and Thomas be okay after he urgently sent them ahead of him? What about Lee Ju-ho's situation?

Why did this dungeon appear so soon?

He didn't fully understand what was going on in his own world, just like the worlds in the Tower of Trials.

But he cleared all of that from his head.

Gu-oooooh-

Now was the time to focus on the existence currently provoking him.

Creaaaak-

When Su-hyeun reached the entrance of the tower, the heavy gates dozens of meters tall automatically slid open. As if his presence was expected.

Gya-ong-

"Hey, Miru."

Gya-ong-?

"All of your buffs. Cast them on me now."

Su-hyeun's words caused Miru's eyes to open wider from surprise for a second there. He had never asked for buffs to be cast on him before a battle commenced.

Giiii-iiiing-

[Protective Barrier of the Dragon God.]

[Grace of the Dragon God.]

[Reflect.]

[Blessing of the Dragon God.]

[Damage Sharing.]

[Physical attack damage will be reduced.]

[Magical attack damage will be reduced.]

[A portion of physical and magical damage will be reflected.]

[Strength, agility, stamina, and reflex will rise.]

[Physical and magical damage will be shared. All damage incurred will be halved.]

"…!"

For the first time since he entered the dungeon, Su-hyeun's steps came to a halt as he checked out all the buffs. He was familiar with all of them, bar one—he didn't recognize the last one.

The 'Damage Sharing'. This couldn't even be called a proper buff at all.

"When did you even learn this skill?"

Gya-ong-

"Hurry and undo it."

Su-hyeun's urging was met with Miru resolutely shaking his head. That caused him to frown deeply at his red dragon for the first time. The latter seemed to be surprised, but quickly averted his gaze to indicate that what he didn't want, he wouldn't do.

"Stop being stubborn and just undo it, please. Hurry."

Gya-ong-!

Miru then squeezed his eyes shut and began shaking his head even harder than before.

It didn't look like the dragon would listen to him. Su-hyeun let out a resigned sigh and observed the gentle rays of light enveloping his body.

<< If I wanted to, I could undo it no problem, but… >>

But if he did, then all of the buffs would come undone as well, not just 'Damage Sharing'.

Su-hyeun felt conflicted as he stared at Miru. He could tell what the dragon was thinking while casting this buff.

<< A skill to divide the damage. Not sure when he even acquired such a skill, but… This should be better than making him directly fight. >>

He was looking forward to seeing the reverse effect of this skill, actually. Just like how Su-hyeun's damage would be shared with Miru, a portion of all the damage Miru received would be shared with him, as well.

In case Miru found himself in danger, this 'Damage Sharing' could become an important method to ensure the red dragon's safety.

"Okay. Fine. But you must look after yourself first and don't interfere unless I say so. If you don't, I'm not gonna call you out next time, okay?"

Gya-ong-!

Only after Su-hyeun gave his permission did Miru smile brightly and nod his head.

Gu-gugugugu-

The massive tower began shaking, just then. As if to ask, what was he doing, not entering already?

Someone was urging him to come in. The whole tower suddenly seemed like a living entity.

"Fine, fine. I'm coming."

Shu-rung-

Su-hyeun unsheathed his sword ahead of time. Then, he strode through the giant open gate and entered the tower.

The first floor was made up entirely of completely empty space and a ceiling easily dozens of meters high. Countless eye-catching decorations were plastered all over the walls, and the whole area was as wide as an average-sized Colosseum.

Boom-!

The gates automatically closed shut after Su-hyeun and Miru had entered, as if to signal that, once in, they could never get out again.

But Su-hyeun didn't even bother to look at the closed gate. He wasn't even planning to go back outside, to begin with.

Instead, his gaze was directed at the giant looking back at him while sitting on a massive 'chair' at the far end of the first floor.

Su-hyeun asked first, "Aren't you going to stand up?"

That throne, made of gold, was the sole furniture within this empty space. The giant sitting on it was a male with indigo-colored skin, easily three meters tall.

The hulking man, not covered by any type of clothing, made his reply.

"We'll see first."

…While making one of the most arrogant expressions ever imaginable.