Yoo In-won’s mind was a mess of confusion. He thought he had him in the bag, but what was this? He expected Kang Hyeon to take Cheon Hae-seon’s head at any moment, but instead, Kang Hyeon was the one who fell to his blade.
Yoo In-won could not say a word, only blink his eyes. How could Cheon Hae-seon, an S-rank Healer, shoot black flames and gain the upper hand in a fight against Kang Hyeon? It was simply impossible.
It was a scene he could not comprehend with his common sense.
“Surprised?”
After checking Kang Hyeon’s belongings, Cheon Hae-seon slowly approached Yoo In-won.
“……!!”
A suffocating fear made Yoo In-won reflexively take a few steps back. This was the man who had killed Kang Hyeon, once called the strongest of his time, with a single strike. Killing him would be easier than swatting a fly.
His whole body trembled with instinctive fear, but his resentful voice was as sharp as ever.
“Ho-how did you manage to take down Kang Hyeon?”
“Because I’m stronger.”
The disappointingly simple answer left Yoo In-won speechless. Cheon Hae-seon walked slowly toward Yoo In-won. A black blade still protruded from his arm.
“When you hire someone, you should have also checked the condition of the person you’re paying.”
“Condition… you say?”
“If it were me, I wouldn’t give ninety billion won to a guy who’s hooked on poison chips.”
Poison chips.
Yoo In-won was well aware that Kang Hyeon was a poison chip addict. In fact, it was because of poison chips that Kang Hyeon had lost his title as the strongest and chosen the life of a hermit, abandoning all honor.
“Poison chips… what about them?”
Puk.
It was not Cheon Hae-seon who answered Yoo In-won’s question, but the blade on his hand. The black blade, formed from Black Ether, accurately pierced Yoo In-won’s heart.
“Go ask your son for the reason.”
“Keuk… heuk…”
Red tears of blood flowed from Yoo In-won’s eyes. Seeing a sight so similar to the end of his son, Yoo Ji-won, Cheon Hae-seon felt a momentary pang of bitterness. But Yoo In-won had already crossed a river of no return.
He could not let a man live who had hired Tenebra to kill him. The justification was more than enough. The image Yoo In-won had carefully crafted for himself would soon be completely torn to shreds.
However, if he revealed the details, his own abilities would also be exposed. That meant his options could become limited.
“For now… I’ll just go with Multi Ability.”
After watching the fallen Yoo In-won for a while, Cheon Hae-seon made up his mind. A Fire-type Esper and a healer. From now on, Cheon Hae-seon would make a name for himself as a Hunter with Multi Ability.
Of course, even that was only a fraction of his true power.
Fwoosh.
Cheon Hae-seon gathered the bodies of Kang Hyeon and Yoo In-won in one place and unleashed his Poison Flame. The reason he decided to reveal his Esper ability instead of his Knight-type one was because of the poison. If Black Ether were detected on the bodies, his identity as a Poison-type Hunter would likely be exposed.
To erase the poison left on their bodies, cleansing was essential. Claiming they were completely burned by flames during the fight would make the story fit together.
“Ugh…”
The foul smell of burning flesh stimulated the tip of Cheon Hae-seon’s nose. Fortunately, the power of the Poison Flame was so strong that within a few seconds, the two bodies vanished without a trace.
“This scent feels like heaven in comparison.”
Cheon Hae-seon walked over to the spot where the battle had taken place. On one side of the fine dirt ground, a pile of yellow leaves was spread out.
Latus.
These petals, given to him by Bi-soo, contained a substance that was particularly effective against poison chip addicts. Addicts who smelled the scent of Latus would experience a sudden, intense headache.
During the battle, Cheon Hae-seon had deliberately lured Kang Hyeon to the area where the Latus was spread, and he did not miss the opening when Kang Hyeon, a poison chip addict, showed a weakness. The only thing Kang Hyeon had over Cheon Hae-seon was his physical strength.
His psychic power level was inferior to Cheon Hae-seon’s, and he had the weakness of Latus. Furthermore, didn’t Cheon Hae-seon have the ultimate weapon, Black Ether? Such reasons were the foundation of Cheon Hae-seon’s confidence in victory against Kang Hyeon, who was once called the strongest of his time.
“It’s going to be noisy for a while.”
In a space tangled with conspiracy, hatred, battle, and the smell of blood, Cheon Hae-seon muttered lowly.
“This is literally something that will be in the newspapers.”
Dressed in a tracksuit, Pyo Hyeok-gyu swallowed hard. Seeing him like this felt new, as he was always seen in a well-fitted suit. An old-fashioned face that seemed to say, ‘I am a civil servant.’
However, his expression seemed far from that of a public official.
“I was somewhat aware that the Vice Chairman’s behavior had been different from usual lately. But…”
“It would be strange if a man who lost his son was perfectly fine.”
“That’s right. I simply thought it was just that, but to think he would do something so terrible…”
Pyo Hyeok-gyu replayed the scene on the monitor several times. Before meeting Yoo In-won, he had constantly checked the recording function of his V1. The screen would move according to my line of sight, so no special filming skills were needed.
Yoo In-won had readily admitted to hiring Tenebra to kill me and that there were lies mixed into the story of his son’s death. Did he perhaps overlook the fact that I could be recording? No. It was probably because he was certain I wouldn’t make it out of there alive.
“But, I don’t see the fight scene.”
“I took it out. On purpose.”
Pyo Hyeok-gyu did not bother to ask ‘Why?’ In a way, his reaction made me even more puzzled. How much did he know about me that he wouldn’t even ask something like that?
“May I ask why you handed this file over to me?”
“Well… There’s the fact that you gave me the Gold Core… and also the fact that I don’t really like most of the people at the Association.”
After taking a sip of the cold brew on the table, I added another reason.
“And if it’s Supervisor Pyo Hyeok-gyu, people will readily accept it.”
“... That is probably true.”
He is a Supervisor for the Hunter Qualification Test. But the qualification test is an event that happens once a quarter. No organization keeps an employee who only works once every three months.
Head of the Internal Audit Team in the Hunter Association’s Audit Bureau. That was the other position Pyo Hyeok-gyu usually held.
“When would be a good time to make the announcement?”
“Immediately tomorrow.”
At my answer, Pyo Hyeok-gyu gave a bitter smile.
“... Looks like I won’t be getting any sleep tonight.”
“Is he finished?!”
It was something people usually wouldn’t say, if only for fear of bad luck. But Gu Geon-yi couldn’t help but shout it as he watched the TV screen.
‘Hunter Association Emergency Press Conference.’
What could have happened to warrant a press conference? Unless it was a matter of great importance, the Association usually just sent out a press release to the media to wrap things up. A press conference, an emergency one at that, meant the matter was incredibly serious.
Gu Geon-yi watched the screen with a heart half-full of anticipation and half-full of tension. While the press conference was being set up, he tried calling Yoo In-won, but his phone was turned off.
‘Without a doubt… those were the eyes of a demon.’
Gu Geon-yi recalled Yoo In-won’s face, which had transformed into that of a murderer. Cheon Hae-seon had killed Yoo Ji-won. In reality, there were many other stories involved, but Gu Geon-yi didn’t bother to tell him the detailed inside story.
Well, no matter what explanation Gu Geon-yi gave, Yoo In-won wouldn’t have listened anyway. Gu Geon-yi had a good idea of what the demon-like Yoo In-won would do. Yoo In-won would kill Cheon Hae-seon.
By any means necessary. He had just been wondering when he would hear the news.
Knock, knock.
“Come in later!”
“Yes, sir.”
Someone knocked on the office door, but Gu Geon-yi just yelled. He couldn’t hide his impatience with the timely press conference.
“Pyo Hyeok-gyu?”
Gu Geon-yi’s eyes widened slightly. He had expected Yoo In-won to appear at the press conference, but the person sitting in front of the microphone was actually Head of the Internal Audit Team, Pyo Hyeok-gyu.
[Good morning. I am Pyo Hyeok-gyu, Head of the Internal Audit Team in the Audit Bureau of the Hunter Association of the Republic of Korea.]
In Gu Geon-yi’s memory, Pyo Hyeok-gyu did not have a very good image. Unlike the people at the Association who would eagerly accept a helping hand, he held his head high like a proud crane. How dare he ignore the favor offered by the Glory Guild?
Even considering his affiliation with the Audit Bureau, it was infuriating. Gu Geon-yi gruffly ran a hand through his short crew cut. Seeing Pyo Hyeok-gyu on the screen gave him an uneasy feeling.
[Last night, the Hunter Association received a shocking tip. According to the report, an insider at the Hunter Association hired an assassin to kill a specific Hunter.]
[Pabababababat] As soon as Pyo Hyeok-gyu finished speaking, a tremendous barrage of camera flashes erupted.
At the same time, the murmuring of the press conference hall flowed directly through the speakers. It was indeed a story worthy of a press conference, no, a story that required a press conference. To hire an assassin to kill a Hunter of the Republic of Korea.
And by none other than an employee of the Association. It was an act no different from the police, who are supposed to protect the people, colluding with a criminal organization to murder a civilian. It was only natural for the press conference to be in an uproar.
It was an incident that would shake not just the press conference hall, but the entire nation. However, Gu Geon-yi was frowning for a slightly different reason.
‘Did he fail…?’
No fool would carry out a contract killing openly. If successful, it would be buried in secrecy; if it failed, the inside story would inevitably come out. The fact that the Association was announcing this made its meaning clear.
Yoo In-won’s request had failed. As if in answer to that thought, Pyo Hyeok-gyu continued in a serious voice.
[There is an organization called Tenebra. It is a criminal group formed by disgraced retired Hunters, including Kang Hyeon. The Association insider contacted Tenebra and requested a contract killing.]
After saying that, Pyo Hyeok-gyu paused for a moment. As if he was afraid of the storm that would follow once he revealed their identities. Thanks to that, the hearts of the countless people watching were burning with anticipation.
[The person who hired Tenebra for the contract killing was Hunter Association Vice Chairman Yoo In-won. The target he wanted to kill was the independent S-rank Healer, Cheon Hae-seon.]
“...!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”
Gu Geon-yi suddenly felt a chill run down his spine. It felt as if the entire land of the Republic of Korea was shaking. It was by no means an illusion.
The special senses of an S-ranker had instinctively caught the tremor happening around the building.
[As a member of the Hunter Association, I offer my deepest apologies for such a disgraceful incident.]
Pyo Hyeok-gyu rose from his seat and bowed his head respectfully. Toward the crown of his head, which was now naturally exposed, another barrage of camera flashes rained down. Even after a considerable amount of time had passed, the commotion at the scene did not cease.
It was so chaotic that it was difficult for Pyo Hyeok-gyu to pick up the microphone and speak again.
[The crucial informant in this case was the target of the contract killing, Hunter Cheon Hae-seon. The video he provided clearly reveals a conversation between the involved parties that will summarize the incident.]
‘Involved parties?’
A conversation between Tenebra and Yoo In-won. From that moment, Gu Geon-yi began to think, ‘Could it be?’ He didn’t have intimate knowledge of Tenebra, but he had heard who its leader was.
A man who was like a reverse scale to him. The man who had left the only blemish on his otherwise successful life. Surprisingly, that man’s name entered Gu Geon-yi’s ears.
[Last night, Hunter Cheon Hae-seon met with Kang Hyeon and Yoo In-won.]
“!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”
Hearing the name he had suspected, Gu Geon-yi reflexively flinched.
[Yoo In-won summoned Cheon Hae-seon, claiming he had something to tell him regarding Yoo Ji-won’s death, and at that location, Kang Hyeon and Cheon Hae-seon engaged in a life-or-death battle. And the result…]
Gulp.
The sound of Gu Geon-yi swallowing his saliva spread throughout the representative’s office.
[Kang Hyeon and Yoo In-won are dead. Cheon Hae-seon is safe.]
[Pababababababat] [Ooooh!!!]
Pyo Hyeok-gyu made the announcement, and the camera flashes went off. A constantly repeating situation. However, this announcement was accompanied by another sound added to the news he delivered.
The sound of the reporters gathered at the scene cheering. They were voices of joy, as if the news of Cheon Hae-seon’s safety was their own good fortune.
“It can’t… be…”
Plop. And here.
In the office of the Glory Guild’s representative, the only sound was the pathetic thud of Gu Geon-yi, his legs giving way, collapsing onto the sofa.