[Translator - Helga ]

[Proofreader - Starfall ]

Chapter 183: Treasure Hunt (2)

“W-W-What?! What did you just say?!” Mei Hong shouted in shock. Kwon So-ri turned to her, startled.

“Are… Are you serious?!”

“Yup. It’s true.”

“T-That’s ridiculous…! Who the heck is spreading that kind of rumor?!”

Looking confused, Kwon So-ri answered calmly, “It’s information that dealers on the dark web have been selling for the past three days, so I don’t know the original source.”

In the modern world, the dark web is a hub for the most secretive and untraceable informants.

Ironically, despite its shady reputation, the quality of information there is surprisingly high, making it a go-to source for many.

“No way…”

Mei Hong staggered. Kwon Hudon quickly supported her.

“You really didn’t know? Then why did you even come to Afghanistan—”

Suddenly, Kwon So-ri’s eyes widened.

“Wait a second. This woman here is from the Mei clan, right? Then that must mean…?! The rumors are true!”

Kwon So-ri squealed in delight, while Kwon Hanul and his team were much less amused.

“Kwon So-ri.”

“Yes? Go ahead.”

“How widespread is that rumor, exactly?”

“At this point, you could say all the world-ranked hunters are swarming here.”

Kwon Hanul clicked his tongue. He had noticed the influx of powerful people at the city’s entrance.

At first, he assumed it was just a lawless haven for hunters—but clearly, something deeper was going on.

“They’re all looking for the Mei clan’s Secret Vault then.”

“So I’ve heard.”

“But you don’t seem particularly interested in it, Ms. Kwon.”

Kwon Hanul’s question made Kwon So-ri chuckle.

“I don’t act on shaky intel. Neither I nor the Black Rice Brigade move without a good reason.”

Kwon Hanul found himself seeing her in a new light.

After all, she wasn’t just anyone—she was a bloodline member of Hyukcheon and the head of the Afghanistan branch.

Someone with such a heavy responsibility couldn’t be ordinary.

“But it’s different now! I had no idea that rumor was actually true!”

Kwon So-ri looked at Mei Hong with sparkling eyes.

“Wow… To think the rumors about the Secret Vault were real! I can feel my blood pumping! If I were five years younger, I’d have joined in myself.”

While Kwon So-ri reveled in her excitement, Kwon Hanul fell into deep thought.

What he thought would be a simple vault search had taken an unexpected turn.

“In the worst-case scenario, we might end up competing with other hunters for it.”

“You don’t need to worry about that,” Mei Hong said firmly, having recovered from the shock.

“No matter what those other hunters try, they won’t be able to find the Secret Vault. It's hidden behind relics and barriers. You have to follow a specific procedure to even reach the entrance. Otherwise, it’ll remain lost forever.”

She spoke with growing confidence.

“And I’m the only one here who knows that procedure!”

Kwon Hudon and Gael Garcia clapped in admiration. Mei Hong beamed, full of pride.

“Still, just in case—let’s head out first thing tomorrow! We’ll get there before anyone else!”

Mei Hong shouted, clenching her fist.

* * *

The Next Day

“This… this can’t be right.”

Kwon Hanul and his team had followed Mei Hong to the location she mentioned.

“This doesn’t make sense. I’m sure I brought us to the right place…”

They stood before an ancient ruin in Badakhshan—an old village site, remarkably well-preserved and of great academic value, but never of much interest to hunters.

Because of that, it had been mostly left alone, untouched and forgotten.

“This isn’t possible… There should’ve been a full ruin here.”

But what should have been left untouched… was now in ruins.

Only shattered bricks scattered here and there hinted at what once stood.

“Is this where the Secret Vault is located?”

“No!” Mei Hong snapped. “There was a statue here in the ruins—one that functioned as a marker pointing toward the Secret Vault. We were supposed to use that to guide us to the next relic and then…”

Her voice gradually trailed off.

“We need to find the next relic after that… but now…”

She sighed and slumped her shoulders, gripping her head in distress.

“Who the hell would do this to the ruins?”

“M-Maybe monsters went on a rampage?”

Kwon Hudon offered a guess in response to Kwon Hanul’s question. Gael Garcia added his own thought.

“What if some of the hunters searching for the Secret Vault destroyed the ruins?”

Everyone turned to Gael.

“Th-They wouldn’t. Why would they destroy it?”

“Who knows? Maybe one of them knew how to get into the Secret Vault. If so, they might have destroyed the ruins to keep others from finding it.”

At that, Mei Hong’s eyes widened with panic.

“T-That’s impossible! Only I and the clan head know how to enter the Secret Vault!”

“But who’s to say? I heard dark web intel dealers can even tell you how many calories the U.S. President had for breakfast.”

There is no such thing as absolute secrecy in this world.

Gael’s sharp remark drained the color from Mei Hong’s face.

“I don’t think that’s the case,” a calm voice cut in—Joo Hayun. “Judging from the state of the debris, the destruction happened quite some time ago. But the influx of hunters into Parsaak only started recently.”

Then… who destroyed the ruins?

As the group silently pondered, a voice offered: “Want me to find out?”

All eyes turned to Kwon So-ri.

“If I give the order to the Black Rice Brigade, they’ll figure it out quickly.”

They had almost forgotten—Kwon So-ri wasn’t just any Hyukcheon bloodline member. She was the captain of the Afghanistan branch.

And trusted by Kwon Mi, no less.

“Oh, and I’ll also ask if any unusual relics or items were found when the ruins were destroyed. Just in case.”

“C-Can you really do that?” Mei Hong asked hopefully.

Having vouched for this mission and brought the team here, she felt responsible. If it ended in failure, her credibility would take a hit.

She was desperate for even a sliver of hope.

“Of course,” Kwon So-ri replied confidently, pulling out her phone.

“Yeah, it’s me. There’s this ruin—I don’t know the exact name—but it’s been destroyed. Can you find out who did it? Also, check if anything unusual turned up at the site…”

* * *

After a lengthy call, she finally put the phone away.

“All done. I’ll get an update soon.”

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief. Smiling brightly, Kwon So-ri suggested:

“Let’s head back to Parsaak and wait.”

* * *

They had just returned to Parsaak when it happened.

As their vehicle approached the city entrance, soldiers at the checkpoint suddenly blocked them.

“Is Kwon Hanul of the Hyukcheon clan in this vehicle?”

A soldier called from outside. Kwon Hanul frowned.

“I’m Kwon Hanul.”

“Ahem.”

The soldier cleared his throat, straightened his posture, and declared:

“General Mohammad Chamkani, the great ruler of Badakhshan and benevolent overseer of all its people, requests an audience with you.”

Kwon Hanul turned to Joo Hayun, confused.

“Who’s Mohammad Chamkani?”

“He’s a warlord in this region. Officially, he serves as the mayor of Parsaak.”

Afghanistan’s government had all but collapsed, leaving warlords to govern in its stead.

Mohammad Chamkani was one of them.

“He’s basically royalty here.”

“Then why would someone like that want to meet me?”

Before anyone could answer, the soldier outside scowled.

“Why haven’t you responded yet? Will you accept the general’s invitation or not?”

His tone was aggressive. Just as Kwon Hanul was about to speak—

SLAM. The passenger door swung open, and Kwon So-ri stepped out.

She marched right up to the soldier. He looked down at her with a scowl.

“Who’s this little brat—”

“Hey.”

“...‘Hey’?”

The soldier scoffed in disbelief, glancing at Kwon Hanul.

“She’s a bit rude, isn’t—”

WHAM!

Kwon So-ri slapped him so hard he flew into the checkpoint building like he'd been hit by a truck.

Other soldiers raised their guns in shock, which only stoked her rage further.

“You insolent nobodies!”

A fierce aura erupted from her, shaking the ground and buildings like a natural disaster.

“How dare a two-bit warlord from this backwater summon a direct descendant of the Hyukcheon?!”

The childlike image she had before was completely gone—now replaced with a terrifying killing intent.

Some of the soldiers even collapsed, foaming at the mouth.

“Tell your so-called master this—if he wants to see this man, he can crawl here himself!”

Sigh.

Kwon Hanul couldn’t help but sigh.

He had let her youthful appearance fool him.

But Kwon So-ri was a bloodline member of the Hyukcheon.

And they never tolerated disrespect.

“If he wants to meet Kwon Hanul, he better grovel from the entrance! Otherwise, I’ll tear his damn head—”

“Kwon So-ri.”

“Yes, sir!”

The instant Kwon Hanul called her name, her tone flipped completely. The whiplash made him wince.

“Thank you for standing up for me. Still… they do have their own pride to protect, so…”

“Don’t worry. If they keep posturing, I’ll really bring the Black Rice Brigade and—”

“...Comforting, but maybe let’s not do that.”

Kwon Hanul barely suppressed another sigh.

Seriously, there wasn’t a single normal person in this crazy family.

“I just think a peaceful approach might be better. We’ll be staying here a while, after all.”

“But people like them just get bolder if you let them off once. Sometimes you need to crush a few fingers to remind them who’s in charge!”

“Well… You do have a point…”

The blood drained from the soldiers’ faces.

Kwon Hanul scratched his head awkwardly.

“Still, let’s try a peaceful route… if possible.”

“If that’s your wish, then… I’ll back off.”

Kwon So-ri reluctantly withdrew her battle aura.

“So, the general wants to see me?”

He turned to the soldier still sprawled on the ground.

The man nodded frantically.

“Well, since I was invited—it’s only polite to accept. Lead the way.”

[Translator - Helga ]

[Proofreader - Starfall ]