SWNOVELXO Ch 29
“Hyung, are you okay?”
Yoon Young-Soo turned his head. A man wearing a hood was standing there. He was the leader of the first strike team of the Salvation Guild, and the second strongest awakened one in the Guild after Jin Song-I.
Hong Hyun.
He was a powerful fighter who had awakened all of the highest-level flame-based skills to their limits.
Having a deep relationship with Yoon Young-Soo, Hong Hyun had been involved in most of the things Yoon Young-Soo had done.
“I think it’s a bit too obvious to kill him like this.”
It was clear that this was not Yoon Young-Soo’s usual way.
Yoon Young-Soo had always dealt with his enemies using assassination. But not just any assassination—it was one disguised as an accident. But this was different.
Anyone could tell that Kang Hyun-Soo had been hostile towards Jin Si-Hoo. And now, Kang Hyun-Soo was dead. But this wasn’t an accidental death—it was blatant.
There would be rumors all around that someone from the Salvation Guild had taken care of it.
“Hyun-ah.”
“Yeah.”
“When was the first time I saw you?”
“Fifteen years ago. When I was in elementary school.”
“It’s been a long time. I’ve said it countless times, but I want a world without gates.”
“…”
“To be more exact, I want humanity to be completely safe from the gates.”
It was a difficult problem.
Sacrificing the small for the greater good.
Who decides what is small and what is great?
Yoon Young-Soo had no doubt about his decision. It might seem arrogant to some, but it’s only natural for a person to enforce their will in life.
If someone stands in the way of that goal, they wouldn’t be considered collateral damage—they would just be obstacles to remove.
Yoon Young-Soo was ready to take responsibility for his choices.
“Hyun-ah.”
“Why do you keep calling me?”
“Let’s finish this. Burn everything here.”
“This is an apartment.”
Yoon Young-Soo continued coldly.
“I mean, burn this house to the ground. Make it look like it was done by an awakened one.”
Yoon Young-Soo’s gaze shifted to Kang Hyun-Soo’s laptop.
An article naturally appeared on the screen:
[SSS-level awakened Lee Seong-Jae of Korea must prevent the Salvation Guild from entering Seoul. National agreements aren’t a joke.]
The Salvation Guild had been underestimated for too long.
Now, they were aiming to become a guild that no one would dare to ignore.
Jin Song-I’s entrance into Seoul would be the beginning.
Yoon Young-Soo was confident that he could make the Salvation Guild the very essence of South Korea.
“Hyung, you’re a bit scary today.”
“Stop saying weird things and start.”
Hong Hyun shrugged and snapped his fingers.
Soon, flames engulfed Kang Hyun-Soo’s house. All traces of Kang Hyun-Soo disappeared as his body was consumed by the fire.
And at that moment, in the Uyuni Desert in Bolivia, an SSS-level gate appeared.
—
The team leader of the Gate Safety Management Team 1 in Cheongju, Ji Chang-Soo, stared blankly at the paper in his hand. The more he looked at it, the more absurd it seemed.
It was written in big letters:
**Resignation Letter.**
Ji Chang-Soo looked up. There stood Jeong Bin, wearing a confident expression.
“So, you’re quitting?”
“Yes.”
“…Why?”
He was genuinely curious. Why?
“I have something I want to do.”
“Something you want to do?”
“Yes. It’s a personal matter.”
Ji Chang-Soo rubbed his face in disbelief.
“Something you want to do? You’ve only been here for two months. Be honest with me. Is it really something you want to do?”
“…”
“Could it be because of that incident from last time?”
“Are you talking about the incident at the roundabout?”
“Yeah, that one. You sent him out alone and he got caught in a gate. It was an F-grade gate, so it’s lucky it wasn’t a B or A-grade; otherwise, it would have been a huge disaster. Is that why you’re having doubts about your work now and quitting?”
Just as Jeong Bin was about to speak, Ji Chang-Soo continued.
“No, listen, newbie. You won’t find a better job than this. I know you make at least 500 a month here, right?”
“Yes, something like that.”
“Right, just your base salary is 500. No bonuses, no incentives. And you’re a newbie. Do you know how much I make as the team leader?”
“…How much?”
“I make 1,500 a month. And that’s excluding bonuses, performance pay, etc. And we don’t even do that much work, to be honest.”
It wasn’t much.
“The Awakener Association handles the gate measurements. We just control the surroundings. We just give orders to the police. We don’t even go inside the gate. If it’s a major gate, we stay until it’s cleared, but most gates aren’t like that. Given the pay, this is basically a dream job. You know how hard it is to get into a position like this. So why are you quitting?”
Ji Chang-Soo was speaking from the heart.
He honestly couldn’t understand it.
No, to put it bluntly…
“You’re a B+ rank Awakened, right?”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
“If you’re a B+ rank Awakened, you could go out and clear gates, become a clearer. But hey, that’s not easy. B+ ranks are a dime a dozen. You could earn as much as you’re earning now, maybe more if you’re a support rank. But remember, all of that is risk pay. You know what it’s like as a Hunter. If you earn money and die, there’s no more absurd death than that. Hey, think about it again. That’s really not the way to go.”
“Team Leader.”
“What?”
“I’m not planning to work as a clearer.”
The team leader blinked. Really?
“What then?”
“I’m going to write.”
He was speechless.
For now, I moved to a new place.
I needed a place to work for a while, and personally, I wanted it to be spacious.
It’s not like I don’t have money.
The money I earned as the 200th Apostle was quite a bit. Most of it was earned by my sister, but technically, it wasn’t really her money.
Personally, it felt like “found money.”
So, I just spent it.
The first thing I did was rent a suite at the White Hotel in Cheongdam-dong, Seoul, long-term.
The area was 70 pyeong (approx. 2,314 sq ft), and the monthly rent was around 250 million won.
Since it wasn’t my money, I spent it freely.
Of course, I didn’t just pay for the rent. I bought a new computer too.
It was a custom-built one, and I bought it at the highest possible spec. Naturally, I could afford it since it wasn’t my money. I didn’t even install it myself.
“Bin.”
“Yes, hyung.”
“Is everything done?”
“Yes, installation is complete. I’ve installed Hangul and also set up the workboard.”
“Good job. Now, let’s get to work.”
Jeongbin pulled out the pen of the legendary Abeiru Jino.
And then, he stared at me.
“What?”
“Hyung, before we start working, you need to clarify one thing first.”
“One thing?”
“How much are you going to pay me?”
I gave him a strange look. This kid.
“You’re a real bottomless pit of desire. I raised your rank and gave you skills, and yet you’re asking how much you’ll be paid? How much do you want?”
“…Honestly, I have a sense of decency, so I was planning to work for free, but I really need money.”
“Money?”
“Yes. I’ve accumulated quite a bit of debt.”
“Debt?”
“Yes. Student loans and equipment costs. I haven’t paid them all yet.”
“Equipment costs? What equipment?”
“Clearers use equipment. You can’t enter a gate bare-handed.”
“True.”
Jeongbin was a B+ rank Awakened. He had reached max level, so he must have visited numerous gates. But how much debt had he accumulated?
“Does it amount to one hundred million won?”
“…Close to that. But I’ve been paying it off in between, so it’s decreased somewhat.”
“Then let’s do this. I’ve noticed that the contract between management and me is 85:15.”
“That’s high.”
“High?”
“Yes. Just being the sibling of Jin Songi is enough for people to buy any novel you write, so it’s higher than usual contracts.”
Anyway.
“I’ll give you half.”
Jeongbin’s eyes widened.
“Also, I’m thinking of changing the contract ratio.”
“…What?”
“As I said before, I’ll only take 50% of the profits. But if we can reduce the ratio to something like 90:10 or 95:05, we’ll both make more. What do you think?”
Jeongbin’s expression lit up.
“Hyung, I’ll be completely loyal.”
“Good, and I’ll also give you that legendary pen.”
“…You’re really giving me this?”
“Yeah. Just use mine and start writing. Not as a ghostwriter, but as a real writer. Write your own story. Is that enough?”
Jeongbin’s eyes sparkled.
I ignored him.
“Now get to work. The editor’s number should be in your KakaoTalk. You’ll find it there. Starting today, you’re my legal representative, so negotiate as you see fit. Got it?”
“Hyung, I’ll be truly loyal to you. I’d die if you told me to.”
“Stop talking nonsense and get to work.”
I stood up, putting on my coat and shoes, just like I always do.
Jeongbin asked me, “Where are you going?”
I smiled and answered.
“To a good place.”
***
Jeongbin sat in front of the monitor.
He had already heard the general details from Jin Sihoo.
In fact, he had read the book. It was written in a language that was impossible to interpret, but when Jin Sihoo placed his hand on his head, the language flowed into his mind. Naturally, Jeongbin was able to read the book, and from it, he learned the “truth.”
He read that book all day.
To be honest, he stayed up all night.
The book, or rather, Jin Sihoo’s journal, had that kind of pull. It was an unreal story, but it was real.
Since Jin Sihoo said it was real, it had to be real.
Jeongbin moved the mouse and edited the title of the file marked “Untitled.”
There was no more Jeongbin from the Gate Safety Management Department. There was only Jeongbin the ghostwriter now. It was time to pursue the long-dormant dream.
Of course, starting as a ghostwriter was a bit disappointing, but it didn’t matter.
Jin Sihoo had said that he wasn’t aiming for a big hit and that it was fine if he didn’t make money. He was content just leaving the truth behind.
Jeongbin thought for a moment.
What title should he give it?
In the past, titles like “The Youngest Son of the House” or “Leveling Up” were popular.
He scratched his chin for a moment. Let’s keep it simple and plain.
Titan.
What more title did he need?
The reason those titles were used in the past was to grab attention. There were so many writers and so many works that ordinary titles couldn’t capture the readers’ interest.
But that didn’t concern Jeongbin now.
With the name “Jin Sihoo,” whether the title was something like “The Poop King of Korea” or “The Barbarian Man of Anseong,” there would still be a minimum of several tens of thousands of readers eager to click on the first chapter.
He changed the file’s title to “Titan” and entered the serialization site. He quickly shifted his focus.
There, on a sticky note, were the ID and password provided by Jin Sihoo. He logged in using them.
Jeongbin immediately registered the new novel under the title “Titan.”
Returning to the Hangul file, Jeongbin slowly began to type on the keyboard.
As always, these days, the trend was to mix first and third-person narratives. He had done his research thoroughly.
He closed his eyes for a moment.
At that moment, Jeongbin became Jin Sihoo.
The entire story that he had memorized while reading it in the early morning flooded back to him.
Jeongbin recalled the moment he experienced his first day in Titan.
He had fallen into a strange land, not knowing what was happening.
Confusion.
Shock.
The moment he saw a strange creature speaking and swinging a mace while walking on two legs.
It was a world like that.
He opened his eyes.
As soon as he placed his hands back on the keyboard, Jeongbin felt a tremendous sense of disconnection.
“This is not right.”
He picked up the pen he had momentarily set down beside the keyboard.
[Pen of a Legendary Novelist]
[Rank: Legendary (Supreme)]
[Writing with this pen grants the writer legendary inspiration and literary skill.]
The moment he held it, a strange sensation surged. Ideas flooded his mind like a torrent. Everything intertwined.
It broke apart and reconnected again.
A burst of light exploded in my head. Flashes spread out. A lightbulb flickered. Like madness.
It felt like I had become someone else.
With one hand holding the pen, I tapped the keyboard with my other hand.
It still felt unnatural.
I glanced around for a moment. In Jeongbin’s eyes, there was a notebook. I took it and opened it.
I began writing.
Jeongbin wrote like a possessed person, furiously scribbling down words.
One hour, two hours, three hours.
It wasn’t anything surprising.
Jeongbin was completely immersed in one thing.
He unraveled the story in his mind. Spelling? He didn’t care. He wrote as his hand guided him. The flow of the story continued. Introduction, development, twist, and conclusion — in no time, Chapter 1 was created, then Chapter 2, followed by Chapter 3, and then Chapter 4, 5…
Jeongbin kept writing.
The sound of scratching.
Oh…