Chapter 76

Chapter 76
Chapter: 76

Chapter Title: Headhunter’s Call to Arms

—

The groundwork for the invasion of Jaun Valley was underway, with each of us stepping into our designated positions.

Until the actual start of the Jaun Valley operation, my function was primarily to serve as the face of the group.

Although our trio—consisting of Han Sang-ah, Jeong Oh-hoon, and myself—was officially moving under the Headhunter banner, neither of my partners possessed the same level of public fame that I did.

“What is this, some kind of idol doing a promotional tour before a big drop?”

I didn’t have much of a choice. Clearing Jaun Valley demanded a massive influx of hunters, and to recruit that many people, we had to resort to these kinds of public stunts.

This wasn’t merely a play for wealth. It was the essential foundation for dismantling a grade-1 Erosion Core.

“I absolutely detest this.”

I grumbled under my breath while sitting in the green room, staring into nothingness to kill time. I could feel the intense weight of public scrutiny.

At the moment, my reputation was solid and I hadn’t stepped out of line, so the world was busy singing my praises. However, the adoration of the masses is a fickle thing that can transform into malice and vitriol in a heartbeat.

They say a person’s standing can hit rock bottom instantly. Often, that plummet takes less than twenty-four hours.

Eventually, a producer summoned me from the lounge, and the filming commenced. The setup was a standard talk show format.

The presenter and I took our seats on an expansive stage, facing a live audience that had been picked through a competitive lottery.

The program kicked off with the usual banter—meaningless questions and answers regarding small talk.

The typical introductions, a brief update on my recent activities… basic stuff. It felt like the mandatory warm-up before a real training session.

“On a different note, what was the actual secret behind the mechanics of Bratsk’s Fridge?”

The host had skillfully navigated the conversation until it finally veered toward the primary objective. It was only logical that the public was dying for details after I successfully neutralized the grade-1 Erosion Core known as Bratsk’s Fridge.

Naturally, there was a mountain of inquiries they wanted to throw my way.

“It functioned much like a complex riddle. If Hunter Han Sang-ah and I hadn’t synchronized perfectly, it’s likely neither of us would have made it out alive.”

I opened with that and then began to elaborate further.

I described the encounters with the creatures where Han Sang-ah acted as my sensory perception while I provided the physical force to neutralize them… the desperate efforts required to extract the heart of the Erosion Core, and the grueling two-week cleanup operation that followed the core’s destruction.

Stories of that nature.

“And word is that if it weren’t for Hunter Yoo Chan-seok, the catastrophe in Seoul might have resulted in an unthinkable body count.”

I merely shook my head, offering a faint smile.

“South Korea has plenty of capable hunters besides me. I’m sure others would have managed the situation just as well.”

My strategy was to minimize any discussion regarding So Hwi. There were too many lingering mysteries surrounding that situation, and it wasn’t a topic to be discussed recklessly in public.

“It is truly unfortunate that lives were lost despite our best efforts.”

With the somber topics concluded, the interview shifted into a barrage of personal questions aimed at me.

The dialogue was scripted from the start, and since I had committed the entire document to memory, navigating the questions was effortless.

“Having survived so many life-threatening events alongside Hunter Han Sang-ah, the two of you must have developed a very unique connection.”

Wait, this wasn’t in the notes. Or at least, not the ones I was given. I noted the discrepancy internally and provided a blunt response.

“Didn’t we already announce that we got married?”

The celebrity guest who had posed the question broke into a fit of laughter at my retort.

“Your comment at the Donghae City briefing was certainly unforgettable. But many people are legitimately curious about the truth.”

Ah, so they were fishing for a serious answer. Fine, I had no reason to withhold one. Besides, I intended to pivot to the real reason for my presence here anyway.

“As of now, Hunter Han Sang-ah and I are aligned toward a singular objective. Her goal is the eventual dismantling of Club Shaday, one of the Great Eight. My own mission is the total eradication of every Erosion Core on the planet.”

I paused briefly to let that sink in before continuing.

“Furthermore, we now have Hunter Jeong Oh-hoon as part of our ranks. Moving forward, the three of us will be functioning as a specialized unit called Headhunter.”

“So you intend to continue this partnership with Hunter Han Sang-ah indefinitely.”

A peculiar cheer rose from the crowd.

Wow, they are really determined to milk this angle to the very end, aren’t they? Fine, if they want a show, I’ll give them one. I grinned and leaned in.

“Would you like me to take a selfie with Sang-ah on a bed in a motel and mail it to you?”

The moment those words left my mouth, the host, the production crew, and the audience all froze. Their expressions turned to stone instantly. Why the long faces? This seemed to be exactly the kind of provocative content they were fishing for. And since it was a live broadcast, there was no taking it back.

“Stop wasting time with trivial questions. As we sit here talking, people are dying, and monsters are manifesting in the middle of Seoul even without the presence of an Erosion Core or an Erosion Zone.”

I turned my gaze back to the celebrity, my expression shifting to one of sheer annoyance.

“I would appreciate it if you treated the profession of a hunter with a bit more gravity.”

They had strayed from the script with that line of questioning, trying to steer things into gossip territory, and it was starting to get under my skin.

“Then again, I suppose I understand. Most hunters aren’t actually doing their jobs correctly anyway.”

At that remark, the atmosphere—which I thought couldn’t get any more tense—turned even colder.

“Nobody is taking action, right? Has anyone heard of a single grade-1 Erosion Core being cleared recently? Other than by me?”

Before I had neutralized Bratsk’s Fridge, there hadn’t been a successful grade-1 raid in quite some time.

“Is it because hunters lack the raw power? No. There are many individuals out there far more talented than I am.”

So what on earth were those people doing with their time?

“That is exactly why Han Sang-ah, Jeong Oh-hoon, and I decided to form this team.”

The subjugation of a grade-1 Erosion Core.

“It is obviously perilous and demanding. I have personally navigated Erosion Cores ranging from grade 3 to grade 1. While grades 3 and 2 were somewhat manageable, grade 1 exists on a completely different plane of existence.”

Grades 3 and 2 were trivial. But grade 1 demanded that you put your very life on the line. Just as Lee Se-eun had cautioned, you had to be prepared to surrender everything.

“Since no one else is willing to step up, we will. We will assemble a force of hunters, make the necessary preparations, and strike out to tear down the Erosion Cores that are driven into this world like iron stakes.”

I didn’t actually see a problem with doing it for the paycheck, either. However, that wasn’t a sentiment I could voice in this setting. There was no point in exposing my internal motivations here.

The goal was simply to provoke, project an air of arrogance, and light a fire under the other hunters watching the show.

That had been the plan from the beginning.

“If your only interest is a paycheck, go find a different career. How can you look at yourselves in the mirror when others are risking their lives to wipe out Erosion Cores?”

By now, the host and the crew seemed to have completely forgotten about my supposed romance with Han Sang-ah.

So why did you have to stir the pot? I am an expert at starting conflagrations. The presenter tried his level best to regain control of the situation. But this was a fire that wasn’t going to be easily smothered.

In one go, I had essentially insulted the majority of the hunter corporations in Korea. This was far beyond the damage control capabilities of a single talk show host.

“But isn’t it true that Hunter Yoo Chan-seok is also currently in a period of rest?”

Ultimately, the host gave up on trying to put out the fire I’d started. Instead, he seemed intent on pushing me into the flames with him.

“I am not resting. Regarding Hunter Jeong Oh-hoon, I recognized his massive potential, but I determined he needed to fully realize that power before we could officially collaborate.”

After finishing my thought, I took a drink of water and went on.

“Our arrangements are nearly complete. Han Sang-ah, Jeong Oh-hoon, and I will be acting as Team Headhunter from this point forward, and our next objective is the grade-1 Erosion Core located in Jaun Valley within Changchun City.”

“Hunter Jeong Oh-hoon is a name associated with quite a bit of scandal.”

I let out a dismissive snort at the host’s comment and shot back.

“Do the beasts inside an Erosion Zone become less lethal if they’re fighting a ‘nice guy’? You combat monsters with raw ability, not with your moral character.”

Even a hunter with the purest intentions of saving the world is useless without the power to back it up—they’ll just get their head snapped off by a monster. That is the reality of our world.

“I don’t care about finding a ‘good’ hunter. I need an effective one.”

“Are you suggesting that even those with criminal records are acceptable?”

I looked directly at the host.

“Are criminals incapable of killing monsters? We are dealing with creatures that can pull a human head out of the dirt like a radish with the slightest squeeze.”

I’m not advocating for hiring predators at daycares or thieves as security guards.

If they fall in battle against the monsters, they can rot in the ground or go to hell for all I care. Regardless, the debate wasn’t about the ethics of criminal hunters anyway.

“Due to the legendary feats of the Great Senior, Korea’s current standing is significantly better than that of other nations.”

Modern Korea held so much international leverage that even if the foreign minister used slurs against the Chinese in a public forum, China wouldn’t be able to breathe a word of protest.

To be honest, I wasn’t a huge fan of the Great Senior myself. He made a grand appearance at the top of Hope’s List or whatever it was called, and then simply dropped off the face of the earth.

No one had a clue where he was or what he was up to. However, criticizing him on the world stage was essentially a death wish, so I stayed away from that topic.

“But what are we actually doing with the foundation he gave his life to establish? Most of today’s hunters are just desperately trying to maintain the status quo. They are drowning in their own conservatism.”

They are terrified of losing the prestige and wealth they’ve accumulated, so they choose to do nothing.

“I’m not saying every single hunter is guilty of this. But you all know exactly who I’m talking about. The names popping into your heads right now? Yes, them.”

Examples? People like Taebaek’s Sung Si-hoon, or the late So Hwi.

“Team Headhunter operates differently than those people. and I am confident that there are others out there who share our philosophy.”

A lack of specific skills is fine. We are only being picky with the core membership. We can form temporary alliances when our interests cross, then part ways once the job is done.

“You want reputation? Fine. A better society? That’s great. Or maybe you’re just hunting high-risk, high-reward payouts? That’s perfectly fine too.”

Your reasons? I don’t care. Even selfish motives are acceptable.

“Everyone has their own reasons for living.”

Trying to get hundreds of people to rally behind a single ideology requires nothing short of brainwashing.

Mismatched motivations are irrelevant as long as we are walking the same path. In any case, it felt like I had accomplished what I set out to do. The broadcast team likely didn’t want this train wreck to continue much longer either.

The host made a desperate attempt to bring the show to a close. Quite frankly, I think it was far past the point of being saved.

So why did you decide to play that tabloid journalism game with me? I wouldn’t have burned this entire broadcast down otherwise.

“I wonder if Sang-ah and Oh-hoon are holding up okay.”

While I was enduring this public ordeal, those two certainly weren’t sitting idle either.