Chapter 42

Chapter 42

The nationalist clickbait I’d pitched to Cheon Myeongguk was a failure.

It had seemed fine to me.

Since editing could invite suspicion, we decided to release the full video.

Still, it was a bit of a shame.

* * *

The way his pupils swayed left and right, following the movement of my spoon—it was impressive. Then, when I touched the spoon to the edge of his jaw, it burst open. I scooped that onto my spoon.

The Owlboar’s head, capable of moving front, back, left, right—even a full 360 degrees—released a deep, rich flavor that wrapped around the tip of my tongue and spread through my entire mouth. It was a fantastic taste I wanted to keep to myself and devour alone.

“How is it?”

The President’s eyes, fixed on me, were full of anticipation. He’d started treating me comfortably a while ago, and now he was showing considerable friendliness. I took another bite and answered honestly.

“It’s the best.”

“How good is that?”

“…Would you accept me as the youngest son of this household?”

“What? Kuhahahaha!”

The President doubled over, clutching his stomach as he laughed. The First Lady beside him was beaming just as brightly.

I’d only said something delicious was delicious and eaten it with relish—I didn’t really understand why they were so pleased. While they were laughing, I should eat more. I focused on the food.

“It seems my wife’s cooking is finally getting its moment in my later years.”

“How can someone eat so enjoyably? I want to cook for him again.”

“I understand the sentiment, but if you bring out your secret dishes already, won’t there be fewer opportunities to show them off? Slowly—we should save some variety so we can treat him even after we leave the Blue House.”

“That’s true as well.”

The First Lady, who’d been watching me with a smile, rose from her seat.

“I should develop some new recipes in preparation for that. Please, talk comfortably.”

Watching her, I realized that being a politician’s wife wasn’t something just anyone could do. The First Lady knew the President had something to say and was withdrawing. She had a warm impression, but she was a fox.

“So then, why have you been hiding that skill all this time?”

“Which skill do you mean?”

“Your hunting ability. You took down the Black Wyvern in a single blow.”

“So you saw it.”

“I saw all of it. I replayed it more than five times. I’m not an Awakened, but I’d always thought I had a good eye—yet that scene drew admiration from me every time I watched it. The friend who’d been explaining it to me kept shaking his head, saying it was impossible. So I laughed. Because I knew you’d succeed like this. I mean it.”

For someone who’d said that, he’d sure pressured me pretty ruthlessly before.

The art of a politician changing faces was impressive. I should learn it too.

“I believe you.”

“Then that’s a relief. Anyway, this takes a weight off my shoulders. But with that kind of skill, why didn’t you hunt? If it were me, I’d have been out there hunting monsters like a madman. Catch one—election funds! Catch ten—the economy comes back to life! Isn’t that a miracle?”

“I wasn’t particularly interested.”

“You’re saying one catch is worth over a hundred billion won combined? Your magnanimity is truly beyond reach. I’ve seen people who claimed they had no greed for money secretly hoarding fortunes, but you’re the first I’ve met who’s truly transcended it.”

So the Black Wyvern’s heart and byproducts together came to over a hundred billion won. I’d made money.

“I’ll keep the hunt results confidential, as you requested. Those who try to diminish the value of Choi Junho the transcendent will taste bitterness. When do you plan to reveal it?”

“At the National Guild Alliance Conference.”

“There’ll be chaos.”

The President smacked his lips and asked carefully.

“Do you really think it will appear?”

“Director Cheon must have reported to you. The probability of its emergence is 100%.”

“……”

The President’s expression hardened.

That surprised, huh. Two Harmful-class Level 8 monsters appearing at once might or might not warrant that reaction.

“It’s enough to drive out a Harmful-class Level 7. The only thing capable of that is a higher-grade monster.”

“Hoo. This is serious, serious indeed. The damage will be immense. Can’t we strike first?”

“How would we attack when we don’t know where it is?”

“If we search Cheongju, Eumseong, and Goesan County thoroughly, it should turn up.”

Those three regions were the candidate locations for the 8th monster, Nuri.

“Do you think the Hunters will step aside?”

“They won’t. It’s their single biggest money-making opportunity. But if you can coordinate those interests, it sounds like you could have it caught for us—is that right?”

“That’s a misunderstanding.”

“Doesn’t seem like a misunderstanding to me.”

A Harmful-class Level 8 monster—from its heart to the rest of its corpse, there isn’t a single part to waste. And because the species is so rare, the combined value reaches into the trillions.

The major guilds would charge in with fire in their eyes.

And the President was eyeing it with greed as well.

“The first hunt order can go to the guilds. I want the order after that.”

“You think the first will fail?”

“I hope it succeeds.”

“But the next in line—you—will catch it.”

“If it comes to my turn, I’ll catch it.”

The President mulled it over for a moment, then summed up the situation simply.

“First, all of this assumes a Harmful-class Level 8 monster actually appears.”

“Correct.”

“I still hope it doesn’t appear, but we should prepare for the worst.”

A bitter smile tugged at the President’s lips.

* * *

Though we’d concealed the fact that the Black Wyvern had been hunted, word spread that it had left its domain and attacked a hunting team, and the possibility of a Harmful-class Level 8 monster’s emergence began to escalate.

Harmful-class Level 8 means a monster on an entirely different level from those dealt with so far—just as a Level 8 Awakened is evaluated as a transcendent.

That’s why each one gets a name.

A Harmful-class Level 8 monster is one that, if mishandled, could bring down even a nation.

But South Korea had already weathered seven Harmful-class Level 8 monsters, and while there had been times of great damage, it also had experience successfully hunting several.

The first to react to the news of a Grade 8 monster’s emergence was the stock market.

As foreign capital fled, a circuit breaker was triggered, and chaos ensued.

That too was brief—anticipation for the Grade 8 monster hunt drove related stocks to their limits, and the market began recovering rapidly.

For a Harmful-class Level 8 monster, the hunt bid rights are given first to the large guild that has a Level 8. And to control the monsters running wild from the disrupted ecosystem, hunting restrictions are lifted—in the process, countless byproducts flood the market.

Among those who’d caught wind of No. 8 Nuri early was the Shinseong Guild.

“Grade 8, huh. A prey that makes my blood boil for the first time in a while.”

“You want us to step up, Uncle?”

“Isn’t it obvious? It’s an opportunity for our Group to leap further. Think about the Reaper Guild—they jumped to prominence after catching No. 7 Daon last time.”

“……”

But Lee Sehee fell into thought instead of answering.

Baek Gunseo saw this and asked.

“Do you have other thoughts?”

“There are a few things bothering me. First, Junho is being quiet. You’ve heard the rumors too, Uncle, haven’t you?”

Baek Gunseo understood immediately. It was a hot rumor these days.

“The half-baked one? Hearing it, there’s some sense to it. Monster hunting comes with hurdles to overcome, after all.”

“It’s nonsense.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes.”

Lee Sehee recalled the aura of the monster that Choi Junho had displayed. That was a feat impossible without an exceptional understanding of monsters. How many monsters would he have had to see up close to be capable of that? She’d wondered and tried to imitate it, only to give up—but she was certain of one thing.

Choi Junho knows monsters to a degree I can’t even begin to fathom. Understanding of monsters doesn’t translate directly into hunting skill, but she couldn’t even imagine Choi Junho being unable to hunt monsters.

“That’s why I’m being cautious. And the Black Wyvern—I suspect Junho caught it.”

“Didn’t you say we couldn’t obtain information?”

“Yes, we couldn’t. But the information blackout is too thorough. When they block information that completely, it actually completes the puzzle. Junho must have requested the information be hidden. He’s probably planning something bigger.”

There could be many reasons, but the most likely was bait for those spreading the half-baked rumors.

His very existence was so unprecedented that there were quite a few jealous people.

Choi Junho is not the kind of person to let this situation slide.

If it was to hook them all at once……

Having thought that far, Lee Sehee shivered. Just imagining it, she feared the aftermath. How many heads would be smashed?

Fortunately, not hers.

“If that’s your judgment, I won’t insist. If we step back, that bastard Lee Chantae will jump in with glee.”

“Didn’t you have high expectations?”

“I did. But the instincts of an owner must never be ignored. They should be respected, if anything. My sworn brother was the same. With that instinct, he led Shinseong Group to this position during the upheaval. You have that talent too.”

“Thank you for understanding.”

“But I am curious about the details. Someone who ruthlessly hunted villains turns out to have considerable hunting skill as well? What’s the secret to wielding such martial prowess at that age?”

Baek Gunseo looked at Lee Sehee with a knowing eye.

“If you ask him, wouldn’t he tell you?”

“I don’t want my head smashed. You saw Anna Christine get ignored too, Uncle.”

“I did. It’s the first time I’ve seen a man so coldly blow off such a pretty girl. Tsk tsk, if it were me……”

“Anna Christine must look quite pretty in your eyes, Uncle. Are you going to get headhunted and shipped off to America? Shall I contact Anna Christine and introduce you?”

“Hmph hmph!”

Lee Sehee smiled at Baek Gunseo, who cleared his throat with an embarrassed expression.

“I’ll keep gathering information. I’ll do my best to meet your expectations, Uncle.”

“Good, thank you. But do you have plans today?”

“Do I look like I do?”

“You seem different from usual.”

When it came to Lee Sehee, she was the epitome of extravagance. She was a walking luxury exhibition, wearing billions of won from head to toe.

As the power player of South Korea’s top guild, Shinseong, and a celebrity, the luxury goods she wore had such enormous promotional effect that items would sell out that same day.

But today, she was dressed modestly and calmly, unlike her usual self, radiating a different kind of pure beauty.

Had he ever seen Lee Sehee like this before?

Racking his memory, Baek Gunseo concluded that he hadn’t.

“…Sometimes I want to dress like this too.”

Lee Sehee smiled faintly.

* * *

My parents came up to Seoul. At first, they’d stubbornly insisted on staying in Cheongju, but once they made the decision, everything moved quickly.

The timing wasn’t bad. With the Executioner moving north and Cheongju being one of the candidate locations for Nuri’s emergence, I’d made arrangements so they could come up quickly.

“See? Seoul is better.”

“It is nice.”

“That’s what I’ve been saying—we should have come up sooner. Why were you so stubborn!”

So the culprit was Father. At Mother’s nagging, Father spoke with an awkward expression.

“We agreed not to get in the children’s way.”

“I told you the kids would figure something out. Coming up trusting them—isn’t it so much better? Let’s trust them more from now on.”

The place we were in now was the apartment in Yongsan with a Han River view that my parents would be living in. It was 34 pyeong, but the apartment price was a whopping 6.5 billion won—I’d spent all the money I’d earned from monsters on it.

Though soon, over a hundred billion won from the Black Wyvern hunt would come in, so it didn’t matter.

My parents kept exclaiming in admiration as they looked around the apartment.

“It’s really so nice. Junho, did you prepare this?”

“Yunhee did a lot of the work. She said there’s a department at the Shinseong Guild that helps with this kind of thing?”

“She used to just roll around at home—Yunhee’s all grown up now.”

“She’s grown, all right. If she just marries well, I’ll have no wishes left.”

“What do you mean marriage already? Yunhee’s so young! She should date plenty of men first. That way she can pick a good one.”

“Still, no weird scumbags.”

“……”

I didn’t mind my parents talking about Yunhee’s love life, but why did they keep glancing at me?

Were they telling me to date? Or did they have no expectations at all?

Probably the latter—do I look like someone who can’t date at all?

I saw the news comments and there were plenty saying they love oppa. At this rate, I’m pretty popular too, aren’t I? Though I don’t understand why they add “wishy-washy” after it.

“Junho, have you eaten dinner?”

“Not yet.”

“Then let’s look around a bit more and go eat dinner together.”

“Sounds good.”

It was 5 o’clock now, so heading out around 6 should work.

Just then, the doorbell rang.

“Who is it?”

“I’m not sure.”

No one was supposed to come separately, so I was puzzled—then I saw Lee Sehee standing at the door.

Why is Lee Sehee here?

I opened the door and saw her outfit was different from usual too.

The woman who was always glamorous looked unusually calm today.

Did she eat something wrong?

“Hello, Junho. Hello, Father, Mother.”

Lee Sehee, having stepped inside, gave me a nod before greeting my parents.

“Oh my, oh my! So then……”

“Who is this?”

My parents were bewildered by Lee Sehee’s sudden appearance.

I was quite surprised too. Why did she come?

“I’m Lee Sehee from the Shinseong Guild. I’m always indebted to Junho.”

“She’s also Yunhee’s boss at work.”

“Wow, you’re so pretty.”

“I’m Junho’s father.”

“I’m Junho’s mother. But you said you’re indebted to our Junho?”

Lee Sehee spoke with a shy smile.

“Junho is so capable, you see. I receive help from him on pending issues and various projects. He’s a great help.”

“Our Junho?”

“Yes, Junho is a far more outstanding person than you imagine, Mother. A Level 8 transcendent is someone the government manages with the utmost care. In fact, his protocol rank is very high, and at international exchanges he plays a role representing South Korea as a transcendent……”

Lee Sehee answered my parents’ questions in a calm voice.

My parents, who’d been wary at first, were completely captivated within a few words.

Did she use a gift? I checked just in case, but she hadn’t. She’d charmed them with words alone. Perhaps sensing I’d checked, Lee Sehee winked.

What is this situation?

Words that had gotten me nagged at were met with a dramatic reaction when Lee Sehee said them.

Why is it that they’re more friendly talking to someone else than to their own son?

At some point, Lee Sehee began leading the tour of the house. She explained in detail even parts I didn’t know, and introduced the apartment’s amenities as well.

If Lee Sehee had really set her mind to it, my parents looked ready to sign a contract for another house today.

As we talked, the time had slipped past six. It was about time for dinner, but Lee Sehee showed no sign of leaving.

“I’ve reserved a place for dinner. Would that be all right with you?”

“Dinner too?”

“Yes. There’s a good place nearby.”

“Then we should go.”

“I’ll show you the way.”

And so the four of us, Lee Sehee included, ended up having dinner together.

My father nudged my side and cleared his throat.

“Ahem! Our Junho’s all grown up now.”

* * *

News broke of the Harmful-class Level 8 monster’s appearance. It was the kind of news that set all of South Korea abuzz.

No sooner had word spread than the National Guild Alliance Conference was convened.

At this conference, the response plan for the monster was decided, and the guilds’ interests were coordinated.

At times guilds pushed for one-sided advantages, but under the government’s arbitration, things had always gone through a smooth process of agreement.

The National Guild Alliance was treated like every other guild alliance in South Korea, but it had minimum qualification requirements—membership required meeting several benchmarks, including member count, hunt results, and revenue.

Because of that, there were criticisms that the voices of small guilds went unheard, but this was an era in which hunting monsters was directly tied to national security.

Complaints of that magnitude were effortlessly ignored.

“I hereby call this meeting to order.”

With all of South Korea’s major guilds gathered, I attended the conference alongside Cheon Myeongguk, in my capacity as a transcendent.

Gazes poured toward my seat. Whether the gag order had been handled a little too well, the eyes on me were insolent. These people really made a man want to start a collection of eyeballs.

“With the ecosystem in disarray and an unusual Force detected, we can conclude that the appearance of the Harmful-class Level 8 monster is imminent.”

People’s attention shifted to Cheon Myeongguk.

The hunt rights for a Harmful-class Level 8 monster were decided by bid, and sorting out the arrangements was the Awakened Security Office’s responsibility.

Cheon Myeongguk rose from his seat and walked to the podium.

“We now face a colossal threat. With each passing year, the world is more exposed to the threat of monsters. The government intends to name the new monster ‘Nuri’ as scheduled, and the first hunt rights for Nuri will be decided by bid.”

The hunt order being discussed here meant the order in which guilds would engage the monster. If you secured the first rights, you would face the Harmful-class Level 8 monster at the very front line, and if the hunt succeeded, those rights would be fully recognized.

That wasn’t purely a good thing. If anything, the sacrifices grew accordingly, and a guild further down the order could reap the benefits after someone else had drained the monster’s strength.

But over time, hunting know-how accumulated and Hunter forces surged upward. Guilds holding hunt bid rights wanted to hunt the monster first. The government side felt the same.

Yet Cheon Myeongguk announced that the government would give up the first order.

It was moving exactly as I had demanded.

The murmuring grew louder.

“In exchange, the government intends to exercise the second hunt rights, and the first, third, and fourth orders will be determined by the results of the bid.”

The minimum qualification to hunt a Harmful-class Level 8 monster was a guild possessing a Level 8 transcendent. At present, the qualified parties were the government and three guilds—that was all.

At those words, the commotion grew even louder.

Once again, gazes poured toward me. The word “half-baked” drifted through the air. I saw plenty of reluctant expressions too.

When Cheon Myeongguk finished speaking, one man rose from his seat and shouted.

“Deciding the second hunt order is all well and good, but shouldn’t the government prove it has the ability to hunt first?”

The one who’d risen in protest was a fierce-looking man with a cleanly shaved head. His identity—a muscular man in his mid-forties—was written in a blacklist. No, in a classified document.

He was Yu Heungryeol, Master of the Fierce Tiger Guild, which operated out of Gwanggyo, Suwon. He was said to have achieved great results in a short time through aggressive hunting and grown his guild’s size.

But he frequently stirred up disputes and discord over hunting grounds, and as he tried to expand his domain, he was said to be clashing not only with guilds in Suwon but with those in Yongin as well.

In the meantime, Yu Heungryeol looked around and continued.

“I don’t doubt the ability of the party taking the first hunt. But with insufficient information, the hunt could fail. Then the front line would have to fall back and the second team would step in to intercept—and you’re saying the government will take that? If we get breached, the next thing we face is a Harmful-class Level 8 right at the city’s doorstep! As a member of the National Guild Alliance, I cannot trust an unverified government hunting team!”

A good number of people voiced agreement with Yu Heungryeol. I committed the faces of those who actively supported him to memory. Just because I was curious what they looked like.

I signaled Cheon Myeongguk with my eyes.

Perhaps worried the commotion would grow worse, Cheon Myeongguk raised his voice.

“That is why we have prepared a video. May I have your attention for a moment?”

The moment of revelation had arrived.

On the conference hall’s large screen, footage of me hunting the Black Wyvern began to play. It was a plain video, with no jingoistic thumbnail.

“……”

A Grade 7 Corrupted Monster. When the process of striking down in a single blow a monster said to be difficult even for large guilds to hunt was revealed, the room was wrapped in silence, then began to descend into an uproar.

And in the middle of all that—what’s with the guys filming the video? Embarrassing.

Should I have hunted a bit more impressively, with the camera in mind? I’d have to pay more attention from now on.

Meanwhile, I scanned the things Yu Heungryeol had said, recorded in the classified document Cheon Myeongguk had prepared.

“Half-baked with no experience” was on the mild end. “A bastard who’ll shake in his boots and wet himself in front of a monster,” “If he gets down on his knees and begs, I might share a few hunting tips,” “Isn’t the only reason he became a transcendent that he’s got dirt on the President and the Director of the Awakened Security Office?”—remarks like those were on record.

His phrasing was rather filthy.

“The Black Wyvern, in a single blow……”

When the full video, shown for about a minute, ended, people’s eyes were fixed on me.

Yu Heungryeol’s eyes were shaking violently. Was he starting to get cold feet now?

“Well, well.”

It was a strange thing.

There was no way he didn’t know that I’d reached Level 8 and was a transcendent.

I had no idea why he kept picking fights without knowing his place.

Did he think I wouldn’t lay a hand on him?

On what grounds?

That was a serious misconception.

“…I’m pretty good at beating Hunters too.”

A few people around me flinched.

I rose from my seat and lightly kicked off the floor. In an instant I crossed the conference hall and stood beside the podium, and Cheon Myeongguk yielded the spot to me.

I stood before the podium.

“The energy here is nice. Voices carry well too.”

I gave a smile to the guild officials facing me. We’d be running into each other a lot from now on.

After sweeping my eyes over them, I spoke to the pale-faced Yu Heungryeol.

“You’ve got a mouth on you. Keep talking.”