Chapter 57
Chapter 57
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 57
Chapter Title: The Villain from the Investigation Team
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Ye-rin shed all traces of her previous playful smile in an instant, turning deadly serious.
Gulp.
Jeong-hyeon couldn't help but tense up as well, swallowing nervously without realizing it.
"Have you ever heard the name Kwak Chae-jun?"
"Kwak... who?"
"He's a former Association employee. He was in the Investigation Division 1 Response Team."
"...? You didn't seriously think I'd know him, did you?"
"Of course not."
Seriously?
Irritation surged up for a moment, but Jeong-hyeon decided to hold it in for now.
She wouldn't have called him all the way to the Association just to say something like that.
Sure enough, Ye-rin continued.
"The problem is that Kwak Chae-jun has turned Villain."
"Villain?"
'Isn't that the first thing you should say, common sense-wise?'
If she'd started with the Villain part, he wouldn't have lost his momentum.
Because of the unnecessary pause in the middle, even the Villain talk didn't sound all that serious anymore.
"If he's a Villain... did he kill a Hunter?"
"Exactly. That's why I'm chasing him. The issue is—"
While explaining about Chae-jun, Ye-rin furrowed her brow.
An expression Jeong-hyeon had never seen on her before, aside from smiling or blank.
"Since Kwak Chae-jun came from the Investigation Division, he's familiar with the Association's investigation techniques. He doesn't slip up easily."
"Ah."
Only then did Jeong-hyeon realize why Ye-rin had suddenly dragged him to the Association to spill all this.
"You're planning a sting operation?"
"As expected, you get it. Yes."
Ye-rin's affirmation.
The Association operated three Investigation Divisions.
Division 1 handled crimes where Hunters targeted civilians.
Division 2 handled crimes where civilians targeted Hunters.
Division 3 handled crimes where Hunters targeted Hunters.
In the early days, they received a lot of support from police and prosecutors, with plenty of training on investigation techniques. But with Hunters involved—beings that defied explanation or control under previous concepts—many cases couldn't be solved with traditional methods.
As a result, they now had their own established procedures, collaborating more closely with Associations in other countries than with police or prosecutors.
Still, their history was short.
If someone familiar with internal investigation techniques set their mind to crime, catching them wouldn't be easy.
'And capturing a Hunter isn't a walk in the park either.'
In the end, the only option was to grasp the Villain's motives and set up a tailored sting.
But the next topic Ye-rin brought up was a bit unexpected.
"You're aware of the star rating system that got added to Hunter Net recently, right?"
"Yeah."
"Do you know that it's actually increased Villain crimes instead?"
Jeong-hyeon shook his head.
"Most party matching used to happen through Hunter Net, but after ratings came in, low-rated Hunters can't join easily anymore. So places like this popped up."
Ye-rin showed Jeong-hyeon her phone screen.
A homepage with an interface similar to Hunter Net was displayed.
- Dark Hunter Net
"It's a site claiming to be the dark side of Hunter Net. In reality, it's where Hunters who can't join normal parties trade cryptocurrency."
Jeong-hyeon nodded.
Sites like this had existed for a while; it wasn't some big secret.
He hadn't realized the rating system caused this side effect, but it seemed the Investigation Division was quite concerned.
"That's why the Association opposed the ratings, but those money-crazed bastards..."
"Y-Yeah...?"
"Nothing."
Did I hear that right?
It was a situation that warranted cursing.
But hearing it from Ye-rin felt incredibly awkward.
Somehow, it felt like he'd glimpsed a new side of her.
Anyway, the background explanation was over.
Time for the main topic.
Ye-rin pulled her chair in slightly, leaning close to Jeong-hyeon and lowering her voice.
A bit too close for his comfort.
"So, first, Jeong-hyeon, go home and make a Dark Hunter Net account. They don't collect personal info."
"Uh... this is your office, Chief. Do we need to whisper like this...?"
"Atmosphere matters."
"Yeah, sure..."
What could he do if she insisted?
He went along with it.
Anyway, Ye-rin explained the plan centered around Jeong-hyeon.
By the end, he had no choice but to nod.
"Impressive."
"Of course. Who do you think I am?"
Jeong-hyeon and Ye-rin exchanged meaningful glances.
Jeong-hyeon swallowed hard, his voice trembling as he asked.
"Uh... but the success bounty is really 30 million?"
Truth be told, aside from the capture process, the other plans didn't matter much.
Most would be handled by the Investigation Division.
But a 30 million bounty.
That was a very real, very sweet amount to Jeong-hyeon.
Ye-rin smiled faintly and nodded.
"Of course. For catching a Villain like this, 30 million is a bargain."
As expected of the Hunter Association, ranked #1 in national trust for 10 straight years.
For once, their conversation ended without any lingering unease—pure satisfaction.
Without needing words, they both stood, shaking hands briefly.
Dragging out such a win-win deal wasn't professional.
"See you later."
"Sounds good... Ah!"
"Forgot something?"
Right before leaving the office, Jeong-hyeon suddenly remembered.
Hadn't he forgotten something crucial?
Normally, Ye-rin would escort him to the main gate, citing secrecy and VIP status, but this time she was just smiling brightly, ready to part cleanly.
'This means I've definitely overlooked something fatal.'
He felt uneasy, like he might get played by Ye-rin again.
After a moment's thought, he realized what it was, and cold sweat trickled down his back.
Her bright smile was the temptation of the Grim Reaper.
How could she not mention something this basic!
"That Kwak Chae-jun—what's his rank and level?"
Seeing her expression change at that moment was shocking.
She still smiled, but the content behind it was entirely different.
"Last measurement was C-Rank level 3, so estimated level 4 now."
"?"
'Did I hear wrong? Yeah, must've misheard.'
Thinking his ears were clogged, Jeong-hyeon carefully cleaned them with his pinky and asked again.
"Could you say that once more?"
"C-Rank level 4 estimated."
Ye-rin repeated clearly.
No mistake.
"What rank do you think I am?"
"Unregistered, so who knows?"
Demon.
She's a real demon!
He'd nearly been sent to his death because of her.
And how could she reveal this and not bat an eye?
Watching Jeong-hyeon's face change like a kaleidoscope, Ye-rin explained calmly.
"It's a C-Rank level 4 swordsmanship trait, but that bastard rode the bus way too much in the Association. You could call it inflated levels."
"Even so, there's a limit! No way! Impossible!"
Sure, there were cases like Dan Jong-woo, a C-Rank level 3 who was barely D-Rank low-level, but that was because he was pathetic.
Coming from the Response Team meant his skills were guaranteed.
Plus level 4?
Near the limit for a C-Rank.
Entrusting this to an unregistered was insane.
Even Seo Jin-uk from HR would be far superior—at minimum.
Of course, Jeong-hyeon knew his skills far surpassed a normal unregistered, but this woman didn't know that! She was just going on gut feeling!
"Hmm..."
Ye-rin stared at him briefly, then spat out curtly.
"40 million."
"...?"
40 million?
Was she trying to buy him off right now?
"You know that's ridiculous, right? C-Rank level 4. And you're a Hunter yourself, Chief—"
"50 million."
"A great Hunter should risk their life for national and citizen safety."
50 million.
Too much for Jeong-hyeon to refuse.
***
"Whew... This will actually work, right?"
Having wrapped up the satisfactory deal, Jeong-hyeon returned home.
Now, all that remained was endless waiting.
He signed up for Dark Hunter Net the moment he got back and posted immediately.
- [Level 4] Foam Po Slime. Need a carry (upfront, bonus 0).
Fuck, bro's got tons of cash? But these Hunter Net assholes tanked my rating so I can't join parties.
No repeats. Need someone who can carry Foam Po Slime. 10 mil upfront, another 10 mil bonus if bro likes it.
Honestly, Foam Po's not for money—it's for fun, right? Only contact if you can actually carry. Otherwise, instant block, fuck off.
As expected from a dump for life's rejects, the language level differed from Hunter Net.
Cursing was basic, full of hate speech and slang.
Key terms for recruiting bus drivers: "upfront" for initial payment, "bonus" for extra if satisfied.
Hunter Net's strict real-name system made it abnormally clean; it wasn't much different from other internet communities.
Anyway, posting like this should hook Kwak Chae-jun.
He was the type who turned Villain purely for money, so 20 million total should suffice.
Plus, Foam Po Slime was a level 4 gate, but rated mid-to-high level 3 danger.
Perfect for a C-Rank level 4 like Kwak Chae-jun.
But the problem was no contact from confirmed Kwak Chae-jun nicknames.
The great conditions drew some real responses.
- Bro. Still recruiting? D-Rank level 4, can carry. Just hand it over.
- Your face doesn't vibe. Blocked, fuck off.
- I'm B 4. Hand it over.
- Rude, blocked, fuck off.
But they were just honest(?) bus drivers.
"B-Rank level 4 wandering here? Must have nothing better to do."
Jeong-hyeon clicked his tongue.
Some contacts were legit high-rankers.
Per Ye-rin, most weren't Villains—just desperate for cash.
But being B-Rank level 4 and broke was the issue.
Join any guild and pull 1 bil+ salary easy.
Usually underperformers or gambling/debt types with trashed credit.
Strictly, these users weren't entirely clean.
But cracking down on all would mean endless fieldwork, bodies breaking down in a year.
Not Jeong-hyeon's concern anyway.
"My 50 million... when will you bite..."
- R r r
Then, his phone alarm rang again.
Assuming another upstanding underworld citizen, he checked.
"Gotcha!"
This time, it was real.
- [I'm the Association]: Bro, spot open? Ex-Association Response Team C-Rank level 4 melee DPS. Credit solid.
"Solid credit my ass..."
Jeong-hyeon, knowing Kwak Chae-jun had 20 gate murders, was exasperated.
Anyway, the 50 million bait finally worked.
Humming, he replied.
"You're... kinda my type... when you free...? Okay. Sent!"
Any burden or fear of facing a C-Rank level 4 was long gone.
"Thought Acceleration—that's straight cheat."
During the test at the Association, he'd realized his new ability's power.
C-Rank level 4?
"Defeat, trouble."
He was confident.
Confident he'd win.