Chapter 125

Chapter 125
Chapter: 125

Chapter Title: Kaesong Fortress Cleared

—

At this point, we had successfully managed the stronghold in Kaesong that had been overflowing with remains, at least for the time being.

The task hadn’t actually been that grueling. Though our group consisted of only three hunters, two among us were listed on Hope’s List.

As for the final member, he was someone who had pushed the third-ranked individual on Hope’s List to the edge of defeat and had even bested the top fighter from Taebaek.

When you calculated our combined military potential, the scale was honestly ridiculous.

Most people would think you were joking if you marched into a conflict with only three rounds of ammunition, but what if those three rounds were actually nuclear warheads? That completely flips the script, doesn’t it?

“Come on, dig in. It’s just standard trek rations.”

By the time we returned to our base of operations, Jeong No-hun was already over a pot, heating up curry.

“Is that… pineapple curry?”

I nearly asked him what on earth he thought he was doing, but I managed to keep the comment to myself.

In my mind, the trend of putting pineapple on pizza was already a glaring omen of societal collapse. But putting it in curry?

“I include it every single time. Just give it a shot. The flavor is actually incredible.”

I ladled a portion into my dish, my expression heavy with doubt.

And just like that, the strange concoction of white rice, yellow curry, and chunks of pineapple was served.

“Does anyone actually eat rice and fruit together like this?”

“It’s a thing in China,” I replied to Han Sang-ah.

“You mean like that pineapple fried rice dish?”

“Not exactly. They carve out the fruit, mix the insides with sticky rice, stuff it back into the shell, and then cook it inside a bamboo steamer.”

While I wasn’t one to criticize the culinary traditions of other nations… truthfully, I couldn’t picture that being appetizing. Compared to that, this pineapple curry felt relatively normal.

Regardless, we sat down to eat our meal and talk.

The conversation over dinner naturally drifted toward the subject Han Sang-ah and I had touched upon earlier: the connection between the transformation of humans into monsters and the presence of Erosion Cores.

“If that’s the case, shouldn’t we put a stop to it? We could go public with the information, or even lean on the Korean government if we have to…”

Jeong No-hun offered his perspective. I shot him a look that was hard to read.

“Stop it how? Do you honestly believe they’ll just quit because we ask them to?”

“Well, maybe not. But we have to attempt something.”

This wasn’t the kind of thing you could just put a barrier in front of.

“Every hunter is desperate for more strength. And the Korean government is intent on maintaining its position of power.”

It was the equivalent of shouting “Stop it!” at a group of thugs beating a defenseless kid. It wouldn’t change a thing.

Regardless of our efforts, the hunters and the officials pursuing their own ambitions and avarice weren’t going to pay us any mind.

“So, what is your strategy then?”

“Trying to block them is a waste of time. We have to pull the problem out by the roots.”

I applied the same logic here as I did to the idea of saving people or the world at large.

“The most effective way to ensure no one smokes is to make sure cigarettes no longer exist on the planet.”

If there are no cigarettes, there is no smoking. You don’t need cessation programs or public health ads. You simply delete them, and everyone becomes a non-smoker by default.

You don’t have to rely on anyone’s individual resolve.

“So, you’re saying the answer is the total destruction of the Erosion Cores?”

“That’s exactly what it comes down to. Honestly, it’s the only path available to us.”

Han Sang-ah stepped into the conversation.

“At the very least, we could bring the truth to light and caution the public to force the practice into the shadows.”

“The Korean government is the very entity trying to utilize it right now.”

How could it ever be driven underground if the people in charge have no desire to hide it?

“Actually, it’s worse. They could easily frame us as the ‘elite’ and bury our reputations.”

There was a simple route to gaining power and a route that kept the public safe.

But they would claim we were just talking nonsense to protect our own status.

Once they set that narrative in motion, how would we even fight back?

“The world doesn’t operate on righteousness, and to be honest, most people don’t even want it to.”

I clapped my hands together once, finishing the last of my curry.

“So, let’s finish eating, wait for the reinforcements to arrive, and keep bringing more people onto our side.”

The three of us had managed the fortress. But the battles waiting for us wouldn’t be as straightforward. Even with thirty more people joining us now, it was going to be a bloodbath.

We required a larger force and more capital. Thirty people? That’s like trying to take over North Korea with a single company. It’s madness.

“We can find more people. But beyond that, we might be able to pull in some of the hunters from Taebaek as well.”

I let out a surprised sound at Han Sang-ah’s suggestion.

“I’m listening.”

Han Sang-ah took out a comb and began to tidy her hair as she laid it out.

“Rather than claiming Taebaek helped us with the raid on Kaesong, we’ll request that they provide hunter reinforcements.”

She went on.

“Paju is the front line that Taebaek has been guarding for years.”

“And the three of us just cleared it out.”

Taebaek was currently in a very awkward position. People would be cheering for us while simultaneously wondering, “Then what exactly has Taebaek been doing all this time?”

“Only a very small group actually saw what happened: us and the Taebaek hunters stationed at the Paju branch.”

Because of that, we could easily put out a story that we broke through thanks to Taebaek’s assistance.

If Taebaek agreed to send us hunters—more than just providing us with rooms and bases like they did before—we could demand significant support.

“Even so, my skin is crawling. It feels wrong.”

“Really?”

Han Sang-ah reached over and lightly scratched the nape of my neck.

“No, I mean that making a deal with people we can’t trust feels like a mistake.”

She uttered a soft “Ah” and held up her phone.

“What am I looking at?”

“A recording I took on my phone. I captured it secretly while you were battling that spectral knight.”

The video depicted only Han Sang-ah and myself charging toward Kaesong. It was a brief clip, maybe fifteen seconds, showing only the interior of the stronghold.

However, it was plenty. There wasn’t a single Taebaek hunter to be seen—only the two of us.

If this got out, any claim that Taebaek fought by our side to take Kaesong would be exposed as a complete fabrication.

“That changes the math entirely. Excellent work.”

We essentially had a leash to keep those untrustworthy types in line.

With this, cooperation was possible. I gave Han Sang-ah a pat on the back.

“Good job. Now, go and take a bite out of Taebaek.”

“I’m not biting anyone.”

Since she was the one who came up with the plan, she would be the one to lead the talks. She had already shown what she was capable of when she raised the funds for the Jaun Valley mission.

As Han Sang-ah stood up to leave, she turned to Jeong No-hun.

“Give me a heads-up next time you decide to put fruit in the curry.”

“How come?”

“So I can make my own dinner.”

She was saying it was terrible. Everyone has different tastes, I suppose.

“Chan-seok, did you hate it too?”

“Nah, food is food. It’s all the same to me unless it’s something truly special.”

Aside from the meals cooked by Sa Seung-hee, I hadn’t really been impressed by anything I’d eaten.

I’m not a difficult person to please. I’d probably finish that steamed pineapple rice dish too if someone put it in front of me.

Once the meal was over, Jeong No-hun started tapping away at his smartphone.

“What are you up to?”

“Doing some shopping.”

Shopping? Out of nowhere? I stole a glance at him—his expression was incredibly intense. I looked away.

“Are you playing the stock market or something?”

“I’m decent at games like poker or hwatu, but stocks always ended with me losing everything. I gave up on that.”

So it wasn’t that. Whatever he was buying, I’d find out eventually.

In the meantime, Han Sang-ah finished her discussions with Taebaek around four in the morning.

“Starting tomorrow, the hunters from the Paju branch will be working with us.”

“That’s a relief.”

She continued.

“However, they won’t be participating directly in our raids on the Erosion Cores.”

“What’s the catch?”

She rolled out a map on the floor and sat down.

“Our manpower is too low.”

“That is our biggest hurdle, yeah.”

We had to advance from Paju all the way to Pyeongseong. Any barriers in our path? We could crush them, just like we did in Kaesong.

“Low numbers mean we aren’t able to maintain control over the locations we clear out.”

She was right. That’s why the headcount mattered. We could destroy the monsters holding a spot, but we couldn’t garrison it afterward.

There were only three of us. My nuclear weapon comparison was spot on.

A nuke can vaporize the enemy, but it can’t occupy the empty territory. That’s a job for the infantry.

“Taebaek will be the ones to handle that.”

We would clear the path, and they would dispatch hunters to occupy the area and mop up the smaller Erosion Cores in the vicinity.

“Simply holding the ground isn’t enough of a deal.”

She answered.

“The agreement is straightforward: We eliminate the primary targets, and Taebaek fortifies the region while clearing out the low-level monsters and cores.”

“Once we’ve cleared Samhyeol-dong, what happens to the land Taebaek was occupying?”

“The rights to negotiate with various corporations will go to Taebaek. In exchange, we receive a 35% share of their profits.”

Jeong No-hun pulled a face.

“That sounds like we’re getting the short end of the stick.”

“They had a valid point. Maintaining those cleared zones is a massive drain on their personnel and their budget.”

Han Sang-ah began rolling the map back up.

“Under these specific terms, Taebaek is committing up to 850 hunters, three specialized tactical teams, and all the necessary logistics for upkeep.”

“In that case, 35% isn’t a bad deal at all.”

It was more like “as much as 35%,” which was significant.

“The concern is whether Taebaek gets greedy down the line and tries to cut off our supplies.”

“We need these spots as staging grounds for raids, not for our basic survival. We were doing fine even without them.”

Even if they decided to betray us once we reached Pyongyang, the three of us could easily slip back to Paju without a scratch. Supply lines wouldn’t be an issue for us.

We couldn’t hold territory, but we also didn’t need much help to make a getaway.

“And if they actually do try to stab us in the back… Taebaek is going to regret that decision very deeply.”

“Oh, and they insisted that we don’t bring in any more hunters beyond the original thirty we already agreed on.”

For those first thirty who were committing to the mission from the start, Taebaek would handle the share negotiations with them directly.

This was likely to prevent complications later when it came time to divide the spoils.

“That’s fine. But we’ll be monitoring those agreements. If their portion seems unfair, we’ll step in and negotiate ourselves.”

Those were hunters who put their faith in us and followed us. We had a responsibility to ensure they got a fair deal.

“I can make sure that’s included.”

For the moment, the Taebaek hunters from Paju were making their way toward Kaesong. Han Sang-ah would see to my additional requests during the next round of talks.