Chapter 96
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 96
Chapter Title: The Great Undertaking
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Hooi Business Division's large conference room.
Vice President Martunis opened his mouth heavily.
“Do you know what kind of talk we've been hearing lately?”
The section chiefs said nothing.
“They say we're just sucking up taxes and revival costs, can't even match private firms in work. You've all seen the papers, right?”
Even at Martunis's words, they remained silent.
Catching people like the subject of that article was odd to begin with.
The idea of grabbing first and interrogating later was straight out of World War II secret police or old Soviet KGB playbook.
Sure, if they fought back mid-arrest using demon powers or clear evidence turned up, the aggressive tactics got covered.
But if the fight ended with nothing? It was just a violent investigation bloodbath. Flip the place and no evidence? Front-page human rights violation.
In reality, to catch up on quotas, they'd ransacked over 80% of suspicious spots, but with numerous innocents caught in the crossfire, backlash was hitting hard.
One section chief cautiously asked.
“What's headquarters saying?”
“Seems they're in chaos too. No countermeasures set yet.”
The Hooi Business Division was walking on thin ice.
The section chiefs fretted over how long the vice president would stay quiet.
The vice president sighed and stood.
“Anyway, doesn't matter. Everyone, read your printouts.”
He picked up the printout on the table.
Joint Private Necromancer Capture Operation.
“Sector 111-7 underground, stopping a religious ritual?”
“About 1,500 expected to gather. This is a massive op.”
“All personnel from every division, no exceptions.”
The section chiefs buzzed.
“But where's this intel from?”
“Section Chief Jeong brought it from his connections.”
Section Chief Jeong's shoulders twitched.
“Ah, you used to be under Ju Gonghyeok, right? Got some pull.”
“If it's private cooperation, it's probably verified on their end too. Should be fine mutually.”
Martunis set the printout down on the table.
“Op's in ten days. Everyone prep per the printout and report ready.”
“Understood.”
“Meeting adjourned.”
Martunis waved tiredly, looking worn out.
The section chiefs quickly stowed chairs and left.
Minutes later.
Only the vice president and Section Chief Jeong Hyun-do remained.
“Am I taking the full blame?”
The section chief said, staring at the floor.
The vice president gazed outside blankly.
“Yeah. Whatever, doesn't matter. It's all meaningless anyway.”
Outside, the red sunset was falling.
The shadows of the Hooi Business Division's seven buildings stretched long.
Those small seven offices had grown this big.
“How much I suffered to climb this far.”
Martunis ground his teeth.
“Jeong, don't get funny ideas. Just prep well. If it goes smooth, it's a straight highway ahead. You know how much I value you?”
“Yes. You took in a nobody like me with nowhere to go, brought me to Hooi Business Division, even gifted me this seat.”
Martunis patted the section chief's shoulder.
Then he left the conference room.
Section Chief Jeong never once met his eyes until he was gone.
＊ ＊ ＊ ＊ ＊
“Ju-Gonghyeok!”
Black Knights charged.
“Led by the three executives, we'll avenge Isaac Jerolbane!”
[Skill activated! ‘Black Demon Charge (A)’]
[Skill activated! ‘One Mind Unity (B+)’]
“Uwaaaaaah!”
Black Knights charging with desperate resolve.
Two seconds later. They realized they hadn't advanced even 20cm.
“Huh?”
Their toes didn't touch the ground.
[Skill activated! ‘Transcendent's Telekinesis (S)’]
The Black Knights' bodies slammed into the ceiling.
Then crashed back to the floor, boom boom.
Their armor crumpled into wreckage.
Telekinetic barriers sealed both ceiling and floor.
“Grk, grrrk.”
Another fixer bound the foam-mouthed ones with chains.
“About wrapped up.”
Gonghyeok chewed his filter, scanning around.
“Yeah, Nemo says no one's left nearby.”
Yeonsi stroked the winged fluffball.
Her avatar, ‘Angel □□□’.
“What... is this?”
Soma eyed the magic circle carved into the wall.
The Black Knights and necromancers had been etching it in an abandoned industrial zone factory.
“This is a beast summoning ritual.”
Sanchez, handler of hellmare Palgare, stroked the wall.
The circle glowed red, flowing downward.
“Kekeke, fear that day, mortals. The death knell tolls, and the sovereign of all undead shall...”
“Yep!”
Clang!
Ha Yeonsi's staff bonked his head.
Strength unfit for her slender arms.
Helmet dented, eyes rolled back.
“Sorry. Felt like you'd slit his throat if he kept talking...”
“These dimension refugees got cringy speech patterns.”
Gonghyeok looked down at the passed-out Black Knight.
He wasn't a human hunter.
A resident of a dimension that challenged Babel, lost, and perished.
“With this magic circle, that day means.”
Soma asked Gonghyeok.
“They're plotting something?”
“Yeah.”
Casual cigarette smoke rose.
Ju Gonghyeok said indifferently.
“When time hits, beasts pop from circles all over the city. Gotta stop 'em.”
“No, when's that day?”
“Probably ten days from now?”
Soma counted on fingers.
“Isn't that the joint op with the division?”
“Yeah. Me and Sanchez head there. You handle downtown beasts and contractors.”
Ju Gonghyeok pointed.
“Ha Yeonsi, do it right. I'll be watching.”
“Yes. Won't disappoint you, oppa. I'll do my best.”
She gripped her staff tight.
The avatar Yeonsi named Nemo circled her then flew to Gonghyeok.
□□──?
Untranslatable clear high tone.
Seemed it couldn't speak human.
[Master, 14:47. Conference with branch chiefs from each unique city at 15:00.]
“Heading out now.”
Ju Gonghyeok swatted the frolicking fluffball.
It flew off with a flop, dejectedly returning to Ha Yeonsi.
“Everyone. Let's go.”
“I'll finish cleanup...”
“No. I'll handle the wrap-up.”
Sanchez cut off Soma's offer.
“I know beast summons better than anyone. You'd just be in the way.”
“Hm, then I'll withdraw. Mr. Sanchez.”
As Soma left and Ha Yeonsi tended the fluff.
Gonghyeok had already exited the building.
He spoke into his inner pocket.
“Nathaniel. Know who that angel avatar is?”
- No clue. Definitely not normal, though.
Nathaniel on his shoulder propped her chin.
- Original too degraded to ID, or maybe like me—half-revived from the grave. Can't tell which angel, or why it went to Ha Yeonsi.
She glanced up at Gonghyeok slyly.
- You got no guesses? Nothing like this in your past?
“Not many angels passed through my hands.”
Besides Nathaniel, about ten he'd revived.
But.
“Not even sure if it's connected to them.”
- That avatar? Feels super linked to you. Acted buddy-buddy earlier too, right?
“Not my problem.”
Gonghyeok spread wings and flew.
Destination: Deus Clan, Company branch.
Mu tree roundtable.
Five gathered.
Company branch chiefs dispatched from four cities.
Most renowned among them.
New Zhonghua Republic's pride, humanity's strongest martial artist.
Quadruple Avatar wielder of four S-rank avatars.
Deus branch chief.
‘Liang Xian.’
‘She doesn't usually stick around here.’
Ju Gonghyeok thought, clipping his cigarette.
Original branch chief was econ-savvy Amit.
Easy to wipe Deus branch last regression.
Liang Xian was Mother Christina's elite. Head of Mothers Rosario, called ‘Master’ and revered.
Why was she here?
‘Whatever, works in my favor.’
Had business with her.
Best to finish in one go.
Even learning Liang family secret art, ‘Yang Family Five Elements Extremity.’
To deceive her, to kill her.
Liang Xian's sharp gaze met Ju Gonghyeok's eyes.
She was the hunter who caused the ninth downfall.
“So, Ju Gonghyeok. That true?”
Knights' Society's Rondelstadt spoke up.
“I guarantee it, the one who captured thousands of criminals. Plus, the foreign affairs director promised interests if true?
No need to belabor it.”
Branch chiefs nodded.
Ju Gonghyeok smiled faintly.
“So, you've all contacted upper brass?”
Reason they gathered.
Ju Gonghyeok's requests for cooperation in each city.
All for ten days from now.
Silent Liang Xian spoke.
“Deus, as Mothers Rosario's tail end, always agrees with Ju Gonghyeok.”
When he'd just hit floor 5.
Despite different city, treated as Mother Christina member.
Secured one of fifteen Mothers Rosario seats.
“Nirvana's lord views positively.”
“Wolf Fortress same.”
Other branch chiefs agreed in turn.
“Hm, I, Rondelstadt, agree on Knights' Society behalf.”
“Us gathering isn't something Company cheers. Done? Back to branches.”
Wolf Fortress branch chief, Yomjagin, stood first.
One by one, they left.
As silent Liang rose.
Beijing dialect slipped from Ju Gonghyeok's mouth.
“Nightjar doesn’t cry in March.”
Gonghyeok's hand rested on the table.
Heat from his palm traced the characters of the Five Elements Heavenly Principle.
Yang Family Five Elements Extremity.
Cipher only initiates knew.
Only Five Elements Extremity learners could read, undetectable to normal hunters.
Liang Xian narrowed eyes.
Approached Gonghyeok.
Now she'd ask.
‘Father and brother. Who passed it to you?’
Answer: Father.
Liang Xian's father.
Liang Bao, New Zhonghua Republic's famed hunter qigong founder.
Her brother, freedom fighter.
Fought New Zhonghua's annexation of Tibet, Mongolia, Taiwan.
Died by her hand, New Zhonghua's rep.
Though she'd turned from New China.
Brother's tale was taboo.
She walked calmly, spoke.
“Time to go.”
Step step.
She exited.
Room held only Ju Gonghyeok.
“Hm.”
Gonghyeok inhaled deep cigarette smoke.
“Which is it.”
The Liang he knew wouldn't pass by.
Two possibilities.
Something happened to her.
Or a future person hid in Deus.
Unforeseen meddling changed Liang Xian's future.
“Handle Lich King, then choose.”
Liang Xian now unpredictable.
Easiest way to answers.
Eliminate tricky variables one by one.
Cigarette ash tip dropped into ashtray with a tik.
＊ ＊ ＊ ＊ ＊
Ten days later.
Company Underground 111-7 Sector.
Over a thousand Necro-mafia gathered there.
Not just necromancers and mafia—demon contractors, dimension refugees, hunters, death god worshippers, all origins welcome.
Their unified ritual was a grand spectacle.
But right below.
In 112-7 Sector, fixers and division leaders waited.
“Truly gathered this many.”
Section Chief 1 murmured at surveillance screens.
From Section 6 to 0.
All division combat personnel mobilized.
Ju Gonghyeok & Sanchez office too.
All twenty partner offices' personnel crammed in.
“But. Demon hunter Sanchez? Where? Not seeing him.”
“Said he had business, vanished ten days ago.”
“Vanished? That's bad, right?”
“Can't stop someone leaving~”
Ju Gonghyeok said playfully.
Surrounding fixers facepalmed.
Co-rep skips work, ghosts— this reaction?
As snark brewed.
Op start horn blared.
“Count 5 seconds, ceiling explosives blow!
Heretics drop, lead with avatars for capture warning! Go!”
5, 4, 3, 2, 1.
Section Chief Jeong counted slow, drew baton.
Martunis patted his shoulder slow.
“Don't tense up. Turns out no biggie once doing it.”
“.......”
“Op ends, all our suffering pays off big.”
Martunis's words capped.
Massive ceiling boom.
Kwarrr rumble!
Ceiling center collapsed first.
Heretics rained like sand grains.
“You bastards! Take your summons meekly! All on-site arrested!”
“Target avatars, skill casts ready!”
Section Chief 1 bellowed, fixer rep Alex commanded moves.
Hunters menaced, spear tips raised.
Yet hooded cultists didn't flinch.
Teehee teehee.
Some even covered mouths laughing.
“Cult leader.”
“Cult leader. Cult leader.”
All cultists looked up at crumbled ceiling.
There, ominous mage descending slow.
Reaper Cult's head.
The Lich King.