Chapter 89

Chapter 89

Word that Lee Sechan had become an idiot spread quietly through the party.

The fallout was less than I'd expected.

Still, it involved the eldest son of the top-ranked family in the business world. Had Lee Youngmun stepped in?

If he'd used his power directly, that might explain it.

Just in case, I went to where Lee Sechan was. It was possible the Brainwashing, applied for such a brief moment, hadn't taken full effect.

The stronger the mental barrier, the weaker Brainwashing's effect. That was why the cult leader who originally owned this gift had broken people down over multiple stages before turning them into fanatics.

Even so, I'd figured a chaebol's son wouldn't have his mind collapse in such a short time, but...

"......"

...It had worked perfectly.

What a pathetically fragile bastard.

Lee Sechan was in a state of true idiocy.

To think his mind would break in that brief a moment.

I stared into Lee Sechan's blurry, unfocused eyes, then nodded.

A wasted trip, but I'd gotten confirmation out of it, so that was enough.

"One less thing to worry about."

And when I got home.

I had to endure a terrifying little sister's scolding.

"Are you insane? You're actually insane."

Yunhee grabbed me and shook me in shock.

Calling me insane was a bit much, though. Back when I was Blood Lord, I'd have seen Lee Sechan's face and snapped his neck without asking a single question.

"Why on earth did you do that?"

"There was a reason."

"Something you can't even tell me?"

"Yeah."

No good would come of telling her. Because Lee Sechan had brought up Yunhee. And even if that weren't the case, he was someone I'd have had to deal with eventually. He was nothing but an obstacle in Lee Sehee's way.

Lee Youngmun probably felt the same.

Thinking about it that way, maybe he should be thanking me.

Perhaps giving up on my attitude, Yunhee heaved a deep sigh.

"Seriously, even so, how could you do that to an Executive Director?"

"Isn't it better with the troublemaker gone? You said the guild atmosphere improved?"

"Well, yeah, but."

"Didn't you have no ties to the guild? How did you even interfere?"

"He's still the Chairman's son, so he had people following him."

According to Yunhee, there were quite a few people within Shinseong Guild who supported Lee Sechan.

They saw Lee Sehee as an obstacle, and internal affairs had often gotten muddied because of them. She said this incident had shut them up, which was a good thing.

"That settles everything, then."

"Now only Sehee unni is left. But seriously, won't you tell me why you did it?"

"Trust me, you're better off not knowing."

"...Ugh, it's obviously something important if you're hiding it."

Yunhee kept staring at me with lingering curiosity, but I didn't answer.

And so, the person most involved, Yunhee, let it go.

I deliberately ignored the rumors that I'd turned Lee Sechan into an idiot on purpose. No reason to confirm the correct answer as the correct answer.

But then Jung Dahyun came at me from an unexpected angle.

"Oppa, you did it, didn't you?"

Had she always been this sharp?

Jung Dahyun was watching me with narrowed eyes. It wasn't a probing look—it was filled with certainty. I turned my head away, pretending otherwise, but she followed right along.

She'd grown a lot, this Jung Dahyun. In the past, she'd have heaved one sigh and given up.

"Leave him be and he'd obviously just get in Lee Sehee's way. How did you know?"

"Did you forget? I'm from Shinseong Guild too. I know Lee Sechan better than anyone."

"Ah."

"...He was pretty persistent. Even when Sehee tried to stop him from the middle. Back then, I thought enduring was the best option. No matter how much of a wastrel he was, he was Sehee's brother. I figured once I got stronger, he wouldn't dare treat me that way."

"You endured well."

"If it were now, I don't think I'd hold back—I'd throw a punch first."

"Fair enough."

The current Jung Dahyun was completely different from the one I'd seen back when I was Blood Lord. New Jung Dahyun, you could say. Drop her into a villain organization and she'd clean it out beautifully.

I'd really made something of this one.

That was a satisfying thought.

Better than the frustrating way she used to shout about justice like before.

"What worries me is the Executive Director's family."

"Why?"

"Even if they're distant, he's still their son and brother. They shouldn't hold a grudge, but..."

"Nothing to be done about it."

If I'd been afraid of that, I wouldn't have lifted a finger in the first place. Dealing with the consequences is entirely my burden.

"I think that's the difference between you and me, oppa. Could I ever be like that?"

"You can."

"I'll work on it."

"But are you sure about the broadcast content?"

"Yes! It seems refreshing, and watching you, I've realized that broadcasts can help a lot depending on how you use them."

Jung Dahyun was scheduled to appear on my personal broadcast before long.

Recently, word had been spreading that Jung Dahyun was too heavy-handed as well, so this was for image-making.

From the public's perspective, Jung Dahyun had been highlighted for her beautiful looks and genius.

Jin Sejeong's opinion was that showing how hard she worked to reach her current position would be good.

As for me, apparently I couldn't even picture her making an effort.

Jung Dahyun readily accepted my proposal to build a better image.

"Don't expect me to go easy on you just because it's a broadcast."

"That's exactly what I want. Please, I'm counting on you."

"Alright."

I'd give her what she wanted.

*

It seemed that my handling of Lee Sechan was quite the hot topic.

While I was at the Blue House reporting to Cheon Myeongguk, the President himself visited and asked me with a surprised expression.

"You really don't hold back. And Chairman Lee just let that slide?"

"I held back a lot."

I hadn't killed him right in front of everyone, after all.

"Ho ho."

The President shook his head. He knew I wasn't wrong.

This was the understanding I received.

Truly, when a person acts consistently, their sincerity gets through.

The President looked at Cheon Myeongguk and spoke.

"Did you mention that a distinguished guest is coming from Germany soon?"

"I was about to bring it up."

"A distinguished guest, you say?"

One name immediately came to mind.

"Grand Master Franz will be visiting. Were you aware?"

"I'm aware."

It was a name I couldn't not know.

Franz was Europe's most renowned transcendent—until recently, the strongest transcendent who'd held one of the Ten Great Transcendents' seats.

He was also a figure respected by transcendents, and called the godfather of Europe's transcendents.

He was one of the people who'd traveled to the fractured European nations, each fending for itself, and forged them into a joint response to monsters.

And he was the owner of the Arc Mine I possessed—known for wielding Arc Mine as freely as if it were his own body.

In the end, he'd died by my hand, but at the time it had been quite a struggle. And after seeing how Franz wielded Arc Mine, once I got my hands on it, Blood Lord's martial prowess had skyrocketed.

"Why is he coming to Korea?"

"On the surface, he says he wants to observe the system of Korea as an awakened great power, but in truth... ho ho!"

The President trailed off into a hearty laugh, and Cheon Myeongguk, looking uncomfortable, spoke up.

"He's coming to protest that his disciple was beaten."

"Who beat his disciple?"

The President and Cheon Myeongguk's eyes turned to me.

Me? I mostly kill people, I don't beat them.

"Laura Anne. You don't remember?"

"Ah, now I remember."

So it was about the German transcendent I'd pummeled.

I'd thought she wasn't an official disciple. Was she an official disciple?

I'd had no interest, so I hadn't known at all.

"So I'm thinking it might be best to avoid having Transcendent Choi Junho run into him as much as possible."

"Is a man coming to protest just going to let it go?"

"Well, that's true, but..."

"I'm fine with it. I'll meet him."

"......"

Wasn't this what he'd wanted?

Why was he making a worried face?

Anyone watching would think I only went around causing trouble.

As long as that old bastard Franz doesn't pick a fight, I'll stay put. Though that old man's temper isn't exactly mild either.

Aren't transcendents supposed to bond through fighting each other, anyway?

It's a wonderful era where broken limbs heal quickly with recovery potions.

"I may look like this, but I'm absolutely respectful to my elders."

"That's nonsense..."

"I'm serious."

The thing I can be most confident about since regaining my sanity is respecting my elders.

After all, hadn't I sent Red Snake Kim Younghwan off without killing him?

Actually, I'd tried to kill him and he ran away, so I didn't—but either way, I let him live.

"......"

If he doesn't want to believe me, fine.

"Actually, I've known the name Franz for a long time. My gift matches his, too. I'll be patient and carry on a conversation in a good atmosphere."

"Understood. Then I'll trust you with it."

Once the President stepped in to smooth things over, it settled down reasonably.

The old man who'd once spouted off to me about German music being the world's best—now that America's been turned upside down, China's scrambling to catch up, and Japan's lost its fighting spirit, I ought to show him the majesty of K-pop.

*

Around the time rumors that I'd wrecked Lee Sechan were gradually dying down.

The Plus-tier monster Soye made its appearance.

Soye meant "quaint and pretty," and the Soye that appeared in Mount Jiri took the form of a 15-meter-tall Asiatic black bear.

A name that suited it and didn't suit it at the same time. It looked like it had good strength.

A countermeasure meeting was immediately convened under government auspices. At Shinseong Guild, which had won the bid for Soye's hunt rights, Lee Sehee stepped to the forefront.

"Shinseong Guild plans to mobilize the majority of its forces."

Lee Sehee declared she would mobilize eighty of the guild's full hundred members.

The remaining twenty were Hunters who'd just joined or didn't meet the level requirement. Yunhee was among them. She'd been so smug about how great she was, but she still had a long way to go.

From the government and Shinseong Guild's standpoint, the fortunate part was that Soye wasn't a flying monster. Quadrupedal monsters were far easier to hunt than flying ones.

But in raw strength, stamina, and defense, quadrupedal monsters were far superior.

I was looking forward to seeing how they'd handle it.

The President, listening to Lee Sehee's briefing, smiled and offered encouragement.

"I look forward to Shinseong Guild's success."

"I'll prove it with results."

Her confident voice seemed to inspire belief. Then again, Lee Sehee gave the impression she could pull off anything she set her mind to.

Having finished with Shinseong Guild, the President turned his gaze to me.

"By the way, Transcendent Choi Junho is accompanying them this time?"

"Yes."

"That's unexpected."

"I plan to watch as an observer. I'll stay put until the worst-case scenario hits."

"If someone is about to die, please help them then."

Lee Sehee cut in out of nowhere. Wondering if she was serious, I saw her smiling and winking.

"I'm joking. I'll hunt Soye without a single casualty!"

"I won't be a burden either—I'll just watch closely."

My goal was to observe how a large guild hunted.

I'd see for myself what kind of tremendous skill it was that had made Baek Gunseo resist so fiercely.

...Or so I'd said, but in the end, I couldn't accompany Shinseong Guild.

The day after Soye appeared, a new Harmful-class Level 8 monster, Hanbyeol, showed up.

Even with Harmful-class Level 8 monsters appearing simultaneously, the President's expression was calm. Unlike Soye, who'd been classified as Plus-tier, this new Hanbyeol was just Level 8.

"Since when did Harmful-class Level 8 become something we could take this easy?"

The President muttered that it was remarkable progress, even by his own reckoning. Across from him, Cheon Myeongguk's expression was calm as well.

Now that I was part of the government, I saw that being the entity running the country didn't mean holding the initiative in everything. Especially when they had to ask a large guild for help, they had to give up something of equal value in return.

It was an endless chain of negotiations.

Not that I was particularly fond of negotiating.

"Normally, when monsters appear simultaneously, it's set up for the government side to handle it. If the government had no transcendent of its own, we'd be dragged around endlessly, but that's not us."

"We have Transcendent Choi Junho."

And with that, they turned their eyes to me.

Was there any reason to look at me with sparkling eyes like that all of a sudden?

It's just one Harmful-class Level 8 monster.

"Can you do it?"

"I'll go handle it."

I'd have to see whether Brainwashing worked this time too.

I wonder if there's a cub again, like with Garam last time? Using it as bait wouldn't be a bad method either.

If I want to watch Shinseong Guild hunt, I'd better move first.

*

Grrraaah!

As Soye let out a roar, the Hunters let out groans and were pushed back in disarray.

'This isn't good.'

Lee Sehee, commanding the battle, clicked her tongue at the situation.

Her mouth felt bone-dry.

Coming to Mount Jiri to hunt Soye had been fine. Baek Gunseo had fully recovered his condition, and the guild's Hunters were in peak form.

All that remained was to successfully hunt Soye. Since it took the form of an Asiatic black bear, they'd studied the habits of Asiatic black bears and drawn up a plan for how to probe and exploit its gift.

Shinseong Guild's Hunters didn't simply excel in skill—their combat intelligence was top-tier as well. She prided herself that their ability to absorb tactics, and their organic teamwork, were the best in the world.

An individual might be weak, but together, they could hunt any monster.

But Soye was strong—far too strong.

She could understand why transcendents had lost their lives when Plus-tier monsters appeared, and why several cities had been reduced to scorched earth.

Thoom!

The moment it lifted its front paw and slammed it down on the ground, a terrifying shockwave rippled out.

Along with the tremor that shook the earth, every speck of dust scattering in all directions carried more force than a grenade fragment.

Crrrack!

This wasn't a gift. It was the product of pure strength and Force manipulation.

And yet the aftermath was truly overwhelming.

The two shields tanking the recent attack had shattered. They hurriedly pulled out replacements, but their faces were clearly drained.

Choi Junho had fought a monster like this alone?

Nuri and Soye were vastly different monsters, but even with eighty people fighting it, it felt hopeless.

Above all, Soye's gift—that Force shield—brought a profound sense of despair.

Just moments ago, when Baek Gunseo's sword had been about to reach its neck, the Force shield had blocked it without taking any damage.

Even if they pierced that barrier, Soye's tough hide wouldn't suffer a scratch.

Rather, the moment Baek Gunseo's sword clashed head-on with its claw, his blade chipped.

Baek Gunseo discarded the broken sword and drew a spare. The Force blade of the sword that had earned him the name Black Dragon rose up like a coiled serpent.

It sliced open Soye's belly, but the wound healed at incredible speed.

“Ngh!”

It pretended to be fine, but Lee Sehee saw the thick beads of sweat rolling down its neck.

Even a transcendent’s sword strike couldn’t easily pierce it—so this was the might of a Plus-tier.

Hunting Soye was looking more and more like a drawn-out battle beyond anything she’d imagined.

“Uncle! Don’t push yourself—let’s drag this out!”

“I suppose we’ll have to.”

Although a few Hunters had been wounded in the failed initial response, they recovered with potions and began whittling away at Soye’s strength.

It was a tedious war of attrition.

Holding its attention so it couldn’t flee, wearing down its power little by little.

Baek Gunseo stood at the very front. He kept aiming for Soye’s neck, but the thick Force shield and hide were too much to break through.

“Hm?”

At some point, he noticed Soye’s movements slowing little by little.

At first he thought it was just exhaustion. But when Lee Sehee followed the direction Soye kept glancing toward, she saw Choi Junho sitting on the ground.

He’d finished hunting Hanbyeol and come back.

It was astonishing. Even a Harmful-class Level 8 was no easy monster.

Grrraaah!

Just then, Soye suddenly ignored the barrage of Force and charged.

“Everyone, defensive stance!”

At Lee Sehee’s shout, the shield-bearing tanks rushed forward, and the Hunters with weaker defenses fell back and scattered.

Bang!

“Kh!”

Soye’s body slam, thrown without regard for anything in its path, was devastating. Baek Gunseo’s sword slashed across Soye’s shoulder, but it didn’t leave a deep wound.

Having broken through the encirclement, Soye’s eyes flashed, and it abruptly changed direction—heading straight for where Choi Junho was.

“Junho! Watch out!”

Lee Sehee cried out in alarm. By then, it had already reached him.

Choi Junho’s face showed not a trace of panic.

Far from rising and retreating, he stepped forward into the empty air. Then, rising into the sky, he kicked the charging Soye squarely in the head.

Bang!

With a heavy thud, Soye staggered and was knocked back. It was a stunning sight. He had pushed back a monster fifteen meters tall.

“Keep coming at me and you die. You going to keep coming?”

Soye rolled its eyes wildly.

G-grrraaah!

Avoiding Choi Junho’s gaze, Soye turned its head toward where Lee Sehee and the others stood—and let out a roar.