Chapter 31

Chapter 31
Chapter: 31

Chapter Title: A Grand Exit

—

Following a few days of recuperation, a message reached me via the receptionist on duty.

“Hunter Han Sang-ah sent word that she will be arriving at the designated meeting location shortly.”

Given her placement in the VIP wing, her professional and composed manner was hardly surprising.

The atmosphere elsewhere, however, was anything but calm. Every television channel seemed to be broadcasting segments centered on my recent activities.

“You should prepare yourself mentally before stepping outside those doors.”

The President of the Korea Hunter Association had arrived personally to see me off. During our previous encounter, he had pledged to facilitate high-level commissions for me.

“You certainly look the part today.”

“The situation demands it. Swap your current attire for these.”

The president slid a shopping bag packed with premium clothing toward me. I wondered why he was going to such lengths.

“Is this a corporate sponsorship?”

“You didn’t think I paid for these with my own salary, did you? Receiving high-end threads at no cost isn’t a common perk, but it is a reality you must grow accustomed to from this point forward.”

If the garments were of high quality and expensive, I saw no reason to decline. After changing, I accompanied the president out of the hospital suite. As we paused by the elevator, he turned to me with a serious expression.

“From this second on, be mindful of your speech and your conduct. You have effectively become a figure of public interest. Your diet, your leisure activities, the vehicle you drive, and even your manner of speaking—all of it will be picked apart by the masses.”

“I suppose clearing a Rank 2 Erosion Core solo carries more weight than a Rank 3, doesn’t it?”

In truth, I had sensed the shift while I was deep within the core. The jump in difficulty was staggering. I had also caught word that the Great Demon Island had only been reclassified as Rank 2 quite recently.

“Naturally. It is the point where potential transforms into proven capability. The Association intends to provide full-spectrum support for your future endeavors.”

“I appreciate that.”

I gave a brief nod, watching the president closely. I wondered about the descendants of Dan-gun. Was he aware of their existence? And if he was, how would he view them?

I found myself questioning if men in his position—leaders of the Hunter Association—actually desired for this nightmare reality on Earth to persist indefinitely, or if they truly yearned for an eventual conclusion.

And then there were the journalists and cameras waiting for me below.

“I spot several independent streamers in the mix. They actually had to deploy the riot police just to maintain a perimeter.”

“Streamers? I’m surprised there is still a market for that kind of career.”

The president gave a slight nod of agreement.

“The Korean economy still possesses enough residual stability for those types of roles to remain viable.”

However, as the general public found their finances tightening, those content creators were being pushed toward increasingly provocative extremes to maintain their revenue and sponsorships.

The press and the streamers—I had no clue what they anticipated from me.

Regardless of their expectations, I intended to give them a show that exceeded them.

The elevator doors slid open, revealing a massive sea of people being held back by a line of exhausted police officers. The authorities were clearly feeling the strain of holding back the restless crowd.

“He’s coming out!”

“Look this way for a second!”

“Stop shoving, you idiots!”

As soon as the president and I emerged, the crowd surged forward, nearly breaking through the thin blue line of the police blockade.

At the exact moment the line threatened to buckle, I gathered my internal mana, shaped it, and let it pulse outward.

“…”

A wave of instinctive, icy terror washed over the crowd. It instantly paralyzed the charging civilians and the startled police officers alike.

“My apologies, but please clear a path.”

The spectators recoiled at my voice. People might attribute that reaction to natural charisma or a powerful aura, but in reality, it was a basic application of pressure.

I had zero intention of granting interviews. My schedule was far too packed to waste time entertaining their idle interests. I wasn’t there to act as their source of entertainment.

“Everyone, please remain orderly.”

The president stepped forward to smooth things over with his usual grace. I maintained a steady, casual pace through the corridor that had opened up in the crowd.

“Wait a moment!”

Surprisingly, someone had the nerve to shout after me despite the atmosphere. I paused, and a query was thrown my way.

“Word is you collaborated with Hunter Han Sang-ah during the mission on Great Demon Island. What is the nature of your tie to the Geumyang Group?”

It was a bold question, though a dull one. It clearly stemmed from the fact that Han Sang-ah was a member of the family that owned Geumyang.

“The Geumyang Group? I find their refrigerators to be quite reliable.”

A useless question earned a dismissive retort. I kept it brief, leaving it to the journalists to manufacture whatever narrative they wanted from it.

“Do you have a specific target for your next operation?”

I offered no response to that and climbed into the idling vehicle.

“Excellent performance.”

The voice from within the car caught me slightly off guard.

“Hunter Lee Se-eun.”

She was positioned in the driver’s seat, her sunglasses pushed up onto her forehead as she gave me a smirk.

“You’re looking quite sharp today.”

“I see your arm is injured.”

She let out a small sound of realization and gestured toward the medical wrap on her limb.

“There was a sudden monster breakout in Cheorwon. We were locked in combat for seven days straight.”

A full week of fighting. Based on her description, the sheer volume of enemies reached into the tens of thousands. They were likely undead, as the lingering trace of malice was clearly stalling her natural healing process.

“I can take care of that for you.”

Lee Se-eun had been the one to assist me when I was struggling for work after my licensing exam, so I felt I owed her a favor.

“You can?”

Rather than explaining, I summoned the Paradox Flame and moved it toward the site of her injury. The dark fire effectively incinerated the stagnant energy of the curse.

She watched the flames dancing near her skin for a silent moment before turning back to the steering wheel, her expression unreadable.

“What is our destination?”

“Osan Air Base.”

I blinked in surprise.

“The base in Songtan? Why are we heading there…?”

“The South Korean military is participating in the request involving the Embargo Tower this time around.”

The scope was more significant than I had anticipated. It made sense, though—every nation would want a piece of the action when a shield generator was involved.

If the technology proved successful, the state’s reliance on independent hunters for defense would naturally diminish.

I suspected the Korean leadership might actually be conflicted about that, as a high dependency on hunters served to elevate Korea’s international influence.

“Are you familiar with a group known as Dan-gun’s Descendants?”

She adjusted her speed slightly as she answered.

“The radical nationalist group? Yes. I’m surprised that name has reached your ears.”

My current network of information was quite small. Aside from Lee Se-eun and Han Sang-ah, I didn’t have many people I could trust for intel.

“I crossed paths with them while I was on the Great Demon Island mission.”

“Is that so?”

She acted as though it were a minor detail, but the implication was significant.

“You can sympathize with their perspective to a degree, can’t you?”

“I suppose so.”

“It isn’t difficult to grasp why they feel the way they do. At least in the current climate.”

She reached into the storage compartment, producing a small lozenge and tossing it to me. I wondered what the purpose of it was.

“The members of Dan-gun’s Descendants—all of whom are ethnic Koreans—tend to show up everywhere. Their primary tactic is interfering with active hunters while they are trying to seal Erosion Cores.”

She then added a clarification.

“They don’t identify as Korean citizens—they use the term ‘one ethnic nation.'”

It wasn’t a matter of borders, but of bloodline. The vehicle eventually reached the entrance of the B1 underground facility she had mentioned earlier.

Once we cleared the security checkpoints, we parked near the primary structure and stepped out.

“I have some business to attend to. See you in a bit!”

She gave a quick wave and walked off. Almost immediately, my phone began to vibrate.

“Right, I almost forgot about this guy.”

It was Choi Seung-gi from the Daebak Scrap Dealers.

◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
—I received word that you’ve been released from medical care.

“It wasn’t a serious stay.”

He let out a sharp, eccentric cackle before continuing.

—I’ve already dispatched my teams to strip the Great Demon Island of everything valuable. I should have the inventory finalized by this evening. What are your instructions?

“The shoulder piece you gave me was destroyed in the fight.”

He let out a pained shout before responding.

—So you’re in the market for new protection. I can’t have my primary source of income getting hurt. I’ll make the high-grade materials a priority and craft something impressive. What kind of funds are we looking at?

I had already calculated my earnings from the fishermen while I was recovering. I made my decision after a moment of thought.

“Let’s put about 15 million won toward it. Build it with that budget.”

—Understood. Let me think… That should be enough for a modular plate-insertion design.

They would fabricate protective plates from high-tier monster remnants and fit them into the gear.

In the modern era, traditional full-body plate armor was an impractical and outdated concept.

“I’ll leave it in your hands.”

—Don’t sweat it. Our craftsmanship is second to none.

I then remembered my upcoming trip to Vladivostok and the subsequent train journey to Europe. When I explained the timeline, he sounded a bit hesitant.

—In that case… perhaps you’d like to rent some equipment? It’s not our standard practice, but I can make an exception.

“That would be incredibly helpful.”

I went ahead and selected the necessary items from the price list he provided.

◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
After Yoo Chan-seok had departed, Lee Se-eun found herself in conversation with a high-ranking military officer in middle age.

“Greetings, Colonel Ahn Hoon-seo. I am Lee Se-eun, a partner hunter representing Zanabi LLC.”

“I’ve heard quite a bit about your work. It is a privilege to meet a hunter of your stature.”

Colonel Ahn Hoon-seo, a man nearing sixty with two stars on his uniform, maintained a very respectful tone toward her.

“How can I assist you? I’m aware your schedule is quite full.”

The military operated on a massive scale. Coordinating such a large operation required significant time and the oversight of a commander like him.

“Regarding this specific mission. I’ve received a particular directive from the top brass.”

He pulled out a cigarette.

“What kind of order warrants pulling me aside like this? I’m aware there are at least thirty other hunters signed on for this task.”

He gave a noncommittal shrug. He explained that the team developing the shield generator wanted to use their sensors to study the equipment from the Embargo Tower.

“The developers don’t seem particularly pleased, so they’re choosing to cooperate instead.”

Lee Se-eun’s response was immediate.

“Zanabi has accepted the contract. We will see it through to completion.”

To her, that was the only relevant factor. Ahn let out a short laugh and continued his pitch.

“I am well aware of your professionalism. We aren’t suggesting you fail the mission. It’s just…”

The Embargo Tower was utilizing the military for the logistics of the train escort, but the actual operation of the shield generator had been delegated entirely to Zanabi and Lee Se-eun.

“We simply want the Korean military to be allowed to inspect it.”

Inspect was a polite term—they wanted more than just a look. It wasn’t clear who had issued the command, but it seemed the administration wasn’t actually interested in the generator becoming operational.

Lee Se-eun offered a bright smile. She reached into her sleeve, produced a pipe, packed the tobacco, and spoke.

“I understand. It isn’t a major request.”

“Glad to hear it. If you cooperate with us, Zanabi will see some very favorable returns in the near future.”

She struck a match, the flame hissing as she lit her pipe. Through a cloud of thick smoke, she delivered her final word on the matter.

“You’ll have to kill me first. If you manage that, then you can have whatever access to the shield generator you desire.”