Chapter 58

Chapter 58

The death of Zhang Zidong, Chinese transcendent. And the deaths of over half the Hunters and students.

Even though Choi Junho had only moved to counter the people who lunged at him at the Premier's shout, there was no mercy in his forcefulness. In the span of a few blinks, everyone who had attacked was dead, and the sparring ground was soaked in blood.

Watching the gruesome sight of blood and chunks of flesh strewn about, Berserker curled his lips into a smile.

"Kekeke, good, good. That's exactly the picture I wanted to see."

"……."

Jung Dahyun tried to keep her expression neutral, but the corners of her eyes twitched. The forcefulness Choi Junho displayed from time to time was not easy to accept.

A Hunter who claimed to stand for justice, yet wielded a forcefulness unbecoming of a Hunter. At this point, arguing over who was justice and who was evil was laughable, but sometimes she felt that he lived in a different world from her.

Was it that she was narrow-minded, or that Choi Junho was excessive? The answer would not come easily. But since she had decided to accept him, she had to accept it.

"That is the world Choi Junho and I see. It might be too much for you."

"No."

Jung Dahyun denied it in a firm voice.

"Zhang Zidong, the Hunters, and the students all did something that warranted death. If they felt the gap in ability, they should have surrendered and begged for mercy. In this world, you die if you don't know your place."

"So you're not completely soft, then."

"I believed that without that mindset, you can't survive in this world."

"Correct. Hypocrites wrap themselves in layer after layer of pretty packaging, but the essence is the same. The strong live, the weak die. Neither your background nor your connections will protect you in the decisive moment."

Jung Dahyun nodded instead of answering.

It was a world where you died without ability. This was especially true between nations, where not just personal grudges but nation-to-nation feelings came into play.

In that regard, the Chinese Premier had made the worst possible choice. From a single moment's judgment, not only the Hunters who had come with him but a significant number of students who would bear the future were dead. Even his own political career. And could the students who survived be of sound mind?

If they could witness such a horrific scene and bear no scars at all, that would be a lie.

"You're here."

It was a single word from Berserker that broke Jung Dahyun from her thoughts. Choi Junho was walking toward them.

He was leisurely, as if he had just returned from a stroll. It was enough to make one wonder if he had really just killed countless people moments ago.

"Why did you come over here?"

"I tried to kill the Premier too, but I got chased off. Apparently if I kill that one too, it can't be undone. But this much can be undone? Isn't it already irreversible?"

"I suppose he believes it can be undone."

"They say I'll be purged when I go back anyway, but I'd rather finish it with my own hands."

He clicked his tongue lightly, and everything he said was equally brutal.

"What were you two talking about?"

"Nothing much. Just life talk. You killed a transcendent and you don't look bothered at all."

"Because it really was nothing much."

If anyone around him had heard that, they all would have been floored.

Killing Zhang Zidong, who was recognized by China, and remaining so calm—the more you looked at Choi Junho, the more impressive he seemed.

Was there really anyone out there who could give him a hard time?

The transcendent beings called the strongest alive passed through Jung Dahyun's mind, but nowhere could she picture Choi Junho struggling against them.

"I'm hungry, so let's go eat."

"You caused this disaster and now you want to eat?"

"I'm the one saying let's go. What are you going to do about it? Actually, Director Cheon told me to disappear quickly. He says negotiations with the other side don't work when I'm around. He's been nagging me so much over a few deaths."

"Keke, you really are insane."

"I don't want to hear that from you."

As they traded words casually, Choi Junho's gaze landed on Jung Dahyun.

"You want to come with us?"

"I'd like to, yes."

"Alright, let's go."

The three of them left to get dinner.

* * *

A meal after finishing a big mess tastes like honey. After eating dinner of delicious cheonggukjang, Jung Dahyun returned to the National Guard Bureau, leaving just me and Berserker.

Berserker, drinking coffee with a refined air unbefitting a madman. I recalled how he had whined earlier that he liked steak when he heard dinner was cheonggukjang. A villain, and yet so picky about food.

Just looking at his appearance, he seemed like a professor who belonged at a lectern. Even if his insides were those of a madman.

After discussing the process of killing Zhang Zidong at the café, we stepped outside, and Berserker suddenly said his goodbyes.

"Well then, I should be getting back soon."

"So early?"

"I had planned to leave without warning from the start. No matter how leniently they treat me, I'm a villain. If their mood changes, I'll be the first to be dealt with."

"A truly impressive villain has graced us."

I said it sarcastically, but Berserker was right. Back when I was being hunted as Blood Lord, I absolutely hated the government learning of my whereabouts.

"Head Breaker."

"If you have something to say, say it."

"There's something I want to ask. Just how strong are you, really?"

Berserker's eyes as he looked at me were serious.

I had no idea why he was suddenly going on about my ability.

Was it because I killed Zhang Zidong? Berserker wasn't the type to go down like that anyway. He'd be far more troublesome and tenacious.

Anyway, my ability. By what standard was I supposed to evaluate it? If we're talking guerrilla warfare, is it enough to blow away a country?

"I don't know either."

"Are you Level 9?"

"Who knows. If a method to measure it comes out, I'm willing to give it a try."

"No matter how I think about it, the difference between Level 8s can't be this large. You're most likely Level 9."

"There's nothing more ridiculous than rambling to yourself. Let's just go with Level 8. That way, the ones who don't know their place come charging in to die."

For the record, Berserker was one of them.

A bastard who survived even after his heart was shattered twice.

And to me, something like Level 9 isn't all that important. No, I try not to let it be.

Chasing power to gain just a little more recognition while worrying about others' eyes—that was how the villain Blood Lord was born. Since then, I've thought that obsession with numbers is a shortcut to losing myself.

I handle things just enough not to be mistaken for a villain.

Fortunately, I've been doing well so far.

"Then I suppose there's nothing to be done. I got a good show today."

"You did the job I gave you well, too. I might call on you from time to time going forward."

"A hotel room after a long time was nice. But I'll decline being called often. Being domesticated like this doesn't suit my tastes."

"That's for me to decide. Just come when I call. And stop spamming me with messages."

"I send them because I thought you'd be lonely, and you're brushing me off. I know you don't have any friends."

"……."

Sometimes the truth invites murder, and this guy doesn't seem to know that.

Anyway, friends. If we're going by similar age, Oh Jongyeop could count as a friend, but in this life I've barely interacted with him, so it's an ambiguous relationship. The ones I get along with fairly well are Jung Juho and Cheon Myeongguk.

Both are older men, but since I accumulated quite a few years in my past life, they feel more like peers, which makes them easy to deal with.

And there's Berserker too, but I didn't want to call this madman a friend. If I stood next to him for no reason, I'd probably be mistaken for a madman too.

...He's making me feel needlessly sentimental with that word "friend."

"Enough. Contact me when you awaken your gift."

"……."

"Immunity to All Poisons, I mean. When you awaken it, let me have a look too. Hey! You!"

Berserker, that bastard, pretended not to hear me and turned away, quickly putting distance between us.

Anyone watching would think I was going to eat him alive.

Sharp-witted bastard.

* * *

After Zhang Zidong's death, the Chinese delegation canceled all their scheduled events and returned to China the very next day. The whole process unfolded like a flash of lightning.

China, which had intended to obtain footage of Nuri's hunt and eliminate the emerging transcendent Choi Junho, instead lost a transcendent named Zhang Zidong and suffered a painful loss of active Hunters and future talent.

As a result, China-Korea relations would go through a period of cooling for some time, but with trade volumes already reduced by monsters, there was no particular blow to South Korea.

If anything, China was the one struggling to recover significant portions of its territory and trying to import even a small surplus of monster byproducts, so South Korea held the upper hand in trade as well.

The President wore the relaxed face of a man whose ten-year case of indigestion had finally cleared as he spoke with Cheon Myeongguk.

"What was China's position?"

"There was nothing much. It was a legitimate spar, and it was self-defense."

"They had no room to argue since their own intentions were rotten. In the end, it's ability that shuts people up. Very good."

"Congratulations."

"Is this something only I should be congratulated for? It's thanks to Director Cheon's plan. You're my Zhang Liang. Hahaha!"

From start to finish, it was Cheon Myeongguk who had devised the plan to take down Zhang Zidong. Zhang Zidong, who picked fights at every turn and used the Transfer gift to push monsters into North Korea, was a thorn in the eye for South Korea, for the government, and for the President.

Now that he was eliminated, the number of monsters flocking to North Korea would decrease.

Above all, the greatest gain was seeing Choi Junho's martial prowess firsthand, which they had only heard rumors of.

"I've seen a transcendent's prowess a few times myself, but Choi Junho's strength was real. He's on a different level from Red Snake. How did he seem to you?"

"...I have never seen an Awakened with that kind of strength."

"Even someone from the Reaper Guild says so? And there are other transcendents, aren't there?"

"Choi Junho was off the charts. His strength, speed, and match management were all perfect. And his forcefulness was relentless. I never imagined he would kill them all without a single moment's hesitation."

"Hm. That was surprising."

The President nodded in agreement.

It was so unreserved that it felt almost unreal.

Who would have thought that the once-arrogant Zhang Zidong would flee in disgrace and end up as a lump of blood and flesh?

"What matters is that that sword is ours."

"Still, I'm worried."

"If you were going to worry, you shouldn't have thought of swinging it. Choi Junho is on our side. So don't worry. And I've gotten a sense of things, to some degree. You must not think of Choi Junho by ordinary human standards."

The President grinned.

"Never try to put a leash on him. And keep an appropriate distance. Respect him, give him trust, and build confidence. Show him that we are useful. Then Choi Junho won't try to kill us either."

"I will do my best to accommodate him."

"It'll be hard work, but Director Cheon, please look after it."

"Yes."

"The Japanese delegation will arrive soon as well, so there's a lot to prepare, but you know I trust you, don't you?"

"...I will do my best to live up to that trust."

After receiving the President's encouragement and returning to his office, Cheon Myeongguk let out a deep sigh that seemed to drain the ground beneath him.

Ever since taking in Choi Junho, his workload had been exploding.

And now the delegation's visit on top of that.

He had one body, but the work piled up like a mountain.

Yet strangely, the image of Choi Junho in action lingered in his mind.

"...It was astonishing."

A forcefulness that had turned even a promising Chinese transcendent into a handful of blood and flesh.

How had such a monster come to appear?

He had investigated over dozens of times, but there was nothing suspicious.

He grew up in an ordinary family and Awakened ordinarily. Then at some point, he gained the power to oversee the world. And on top of that power was layered an even more unhinged personality.

He had no idea what means could possibly control such a person.

If things went well, it was all thanks to the President; if it failed, it was all his fault.

"This is driving me insane."

Feeling his stomach ache, Cheon Myeongguk booked a hospital appointment first.

* * *

The next to visit after the Chinese delegation was the Japanese delegation. The Awakened Minister, who held the second-highest rank in the cabinet, personally led the delegation.

Unlike China, they maintained a consistently courteous attitude throughout.

To be precise, the atmosphere between Korea and China and between Korea and Japan had been shaped similarly by their current relations.

At this point in time, relations between South Korea and Japan were not bad.

The decisive reason for this was that their territories did not border each other. With no grounds for the two nations to clash over monster problems near their borders, cooperation on monster issues was possible.

In turn, they served as trading partners who filled each other's needs. In a world widened by limited flight routes and sea lanes, South Korea and Japan were dependable trade partners.

The Awakened Minister, who had been carefully recording the footage of Nuri's hunt, let out a gasp of admiration.

"To step forward like this to save your comrades—truly admirable. I look forward to even greater hunting results in the future."

"I also wish Japan continued prosperity."

Having achieved the purpose of his visit, the Awakened Minister asked the President's pardon and cautiously brought up another agenda item.

It concerned the League.

Until just recently, Japan had been an Awakened power possessing five transcendents. And there had been a single Level 8 villain, but not long ago, when the League made landfall, a situation had arisen where one transcendent defected to the League.

As a result, two transcendent-class villains were currently running rampant within Japan, and the hardship was said to be considerable.

The Awakened Minister asked about the secret to how South Korea could maintain its position as a League-free nation.

If you just kill everyone you see, what need is there for a secret?

I felt puzzled, but the Japanese side apparently believed a real secret existed.

As if such a method could exist.

Rather, I launched into a sales pitch, using the opportunity to also teach Japan how to strengthen their Awakened forces.

I listened to the Blue House staff speak in turn, then raised my hand and obtained the floor.

"In the end, to drive out the League, isn't it better for Hunters to grow stronger?"

"...That's right."

The Awakened Minister looked as though he didn't understand what I was saying.

I took out a monster's heart.

"This is a monster's heart made with a new processing method."

"……."

The Awakened Minister wore a puzzled expression, then began to change as he injected Force into the monster's heart he had been handed.

He too was a Hunter. He showed astonishment at the efficiency of the monster's heart.

"Ho-how is the efficiency this high?"

"How is it?"

"Remarkable! This is the new processing method? Korea has made an astonishing discovery. However..."

The Awakened Minister's expression darkened.

He must have thought the price would be high.

It is expensive. But if you manufacture it locally, the story changes.

And the whole world knows Japan has money, and so do I, so what's with the fuss?

"We plan to proceed in the form of selling a license for the processing method of the item in question."

"Truly?"

"Yes. For details, please direct your inquiries to Shinseong Group."

It was going to be revealed soon anyway, but it couldn't hurt to do a little sales pitch in advance.

My role ended with showing off the product and connecting them to Shinseong Group. Looking at this, I'd say I'm pretty good at negotiating—so I don't understand why nobody trusts me to handle it.

When he heard the price would be set at a reasonable level, the Awakened Minister's expression brightened.

"Thank you, Mr. Junho. This will be a great help."

"Not at all."

"We also have something prepared—nothing grand, but still."

With that, the Awakened Minister brought out a tightly sealed document file.

Inside was something unexpected.

* * *

After the Japanese delegation returned home, the President examined the monster's heart processing method and smiled.

"A processing method from Shinseong Group—so the nation's about to gain itself a nice little money-maker."

"Since it's a method that boosts the efficiency of monster's hearts, it can be applied across all sorts of fields."

"If it raises power plant efficiency even further, I couldn't ask for more. We need that to raise our food self-sufficiency. The government should spare no support either."

Since it was a means of drawing in foreign currency, the President expected great results.

"It'll bring in quite a bit of money. Team Leader Lee Sehee told me I'd end up making a fortune."

"Team Leader Lee said that? Then it must be certain."

"She's got a good eye."

"She is Chairman Lee's daughter, after all. If Chairman Lee laid down quality soil, Team Leader Lee is cultivating it into something rich."

Lee Sehee's ability was recognized by the President as well.

"By the way, if you make even more money here, won't you end up the richest man in the country?"

"I'm not so sure about that. I'm not exactly trying to make money, but money does seem to be better the more you have."

"Money is better the more you have. Just be careful about taxes, though. That side really does go by the book."

"I don't particularly intend to dodge taxes. Paying what I owe on what I earn is what lets me hold my head up."

"The National Tax Service will be naming you a model taxpayer."

A villain in my past life, and a model taxpayer in this one.

It felt good—like a symbol that I'd led a proper, upstanding economic life.

Even after paying all the taxes I owe, there's no shortage when it comes to spending. The money in my hands right now, and the money I'm going to earn—both are just means to do what I want.

Still, how much am I going to earn?

Lee Sehee said it with confidence, so it won't be some paltry sum.

There's a reason I'm planning a large-scale showcase for it, after all.

"But. How do you plan to handle that?"

At my words, the President's and Cheon Myeongguk's gazes gathered on me.

If they'd been perfectly at ease just moments ago, now they looked somewhat uneasy.

"The Mayor of Busan's corruption."

The documents the Japanese Awakened Minister had handed over were none other than corruption files on the Mayor of Busan, Yoo Seongsu.