Still Positive (1)

Clint fell silent for a long moment after hearing the report. He furrowed his brow, hunched forward, then slowly straightened up before finally speaking.

"Didn't they teach you at the academy not to jump to conclusions until you've verified it yourself?"

"I'm sorry, sir. But he ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠matches the description of the man who single-handedly dismantled Kangryeong Daegun's organization. His skills were enough to take down my team alone, and I barely escaped with my life."

Shin Seong-hui felt like she was dying just recounting her humiliating defeat, but there could be no lies in her report. Success or failure, her fate rested entirely in Clint's hands.

"Above all, he's targeting you, Commander McCallen."

"Targeting me?"

Clint McCallen didn't laugh. Shin Seong-hui found that impressive. If it had been her, hearing that a hunter awakened less than half a year ago was gunning for the commander of the ROK-US Combined Forces with powerful abilities, she would've burst out laughing.

But Clint's face remained as impassive as a plaster statue.

"I don't get it. Suppressing Kangryeong Daegun was my goal too. So why turn hostile toward me now?"

"First off, the moment we crossed paths alone, he seemed to know I was acting on your orders, Commander McCallen. So..."

"I've read the situation report. Just tell me what he said."

"Yes, sir. He outright declared he'd come after you himself."

"With what means?"

Shin Seong-hui grew cautious here. One wrong word, and she could end up on the chopping block too.

"He said he knows your weakness, Commander McCallen."

A flicker of change finally cracked the rigid plaster of McCallen's face. For an instant, the corner of his mouth trembled like a fissure in stone.

"My weakness?"

"I don't know the details, but it seemed like he'd been digging into the Patriot Agents."

Clint rose from his seat. He showed no anger, no mockery, but Shin Seong-hui felt crushed under the weight of his mountain-like presence alone. Yet Clint simply turned quietly and gazed out the window.

The leisurely scenery of the Pyeongtaek US Army Base filled his view. It had become the new ROK-US Combined Forces headquarters after Yongsan Base fell. Probably the safest place on the entire peninsula.

But Ju Kang-rim wasn't after Clint's shell—he was aiming for the soft flesh inside.

Clint pondered if there was any chink in his armor, any slip-up he might have made. There wasn't. Every step had been thorough and secretive, his name never mentioned. Unless Ju Kang-rim had an inside mole or mobilized a massive organization, not a speck of dust would turn up.

No, even if Shin Seong-hui or one of the Knight Order betrayed him, tracing the money trail would be impossible. Not unless they already knew everything and approached accordingly.

Still, Clint didn't like that someone was sniffing around at all.

Time to clean house.

An internal audit in the US? Or some foreign intelligence agency he'd hired? No—better to assume the latter. He'd heard Korea's NIS had some sharp talent. It might be an overreaction, but that very sensitivity had elevated him to this position.

"Commander."

"Why did he let you live?"

"Pardon?"

Clint turned to face Shin Seong-hui. The sole agent to return alive from surveilling Ju Kang-rim. She faltered at his question, then realized hesitation wasn't an option and rushed to answer.

"While he was rummaging through my phone, I spotted an opening and slipped away fast. Hard to believe, I know, but gates are chaotic inside—once you're out of sight..."

Shin Seong-hui trailed off as she caught Clint's expression. He was a first-gen hunter who'd plunged into gates from the start, investigating the zombie plague and slaying abominations. Explaining gates to him was like a undergrad lecturing a professor on their major.

He stared at her silently, then tsked his tongue.

"You're an idiot. He let you go on purpose. To send a message."

"...Pardon?"

"Pathetic, getting used like that without even realizing it. Get out."

Clint jerked his chin toward the door. Shin Seong-hui hesitated, bowed deeply, and hurried out.

But the moment she was gone, Clint patched through to the outer line.

"Arrest Agent Shin Seong-hui and lock her in the basement prison. Interrogate her immediately—get a full confession on what she spilled."

A brief commotion echoed from the hallway moments later.

Whether Shin Seong-hui had been used as Ju Kang-rim's messenger, truly escaped, or turned traitor—who knew. Either way, Clint needed certainty.

And there was one more thing to make certain.

Clint mulled over what to do with Ju Kang-rim and quickly reached a decision. Instead of the internal line, he pulled out his secured phone and sent a message somewhere.

Just one photo: Ju Kang-rim's ID shot.

The message deleted itself the instant it was sent.

Clint tapped the phone against the windowsill, muttering to himself.

"Whatever you know, I won't give you time to dig deeper."

"Just try it once."

"No. I don't want to. You'll just be disappointed."

"It's fine, I swear. Just one time..."

Ju Kang-rim kept shoving his Biman in Yoo Wol-ryeong's face, trying to persuade her. She grimaced and dodged, but couldn't fully pull away. If she'd wanted to bolt, he couldn't have stopped her.

What held her ankle wasn't Ju Kang-rim's nagging, but a glittering fortune pouch reflected in the Biman.

The reward he'd snagged after taking down Goyangsaeng.

"Just click it once, Yoo Wol-ryeong. Lend me some luck."

"You're way luckier than me, Ju Kang-rim. You pulled a legendary right at the start—what more do you want?"

"That's the problem. I've used up all my good pulls, so my luck's gotta be running dry now. I believe in the 'Total Lifetime Luck Theorem.' Time to conserve."

Yoo Wol-ryeong fidgeted her fingers timidly. She wanted to click too, but her recent streak of bad luck held her back.

"Still, I've been bombing every pull lately..."

"Exactly why you need to do it. Your ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠misfortune's stacked up—now's when the luck turns."

"So you're saying you'll steal the luck I've painfully stacked through misery?"

"Is that how it works?"

Ju Kang-rim glanced at her sheepishly.

"Ah, no. Look at this! It's a sign from above!"

Yoo Wol-ryeong peered into the Biman, wondering what nonsense he'd dredge up now.

"...How's this a good word?"

'Today's Good Word' always spat out ghost or underworld tales. Yoo Wol-ryeong had even suspected someone just jammed in random ghost/underworld stories.

Ju Kang-rim shrugged.

"Means something amazingly weird and inexplicable is gonna happen in this crazy world!"

"...So me pulling something good from the pouch would be that 'inexplicable, amazing, weird' thing?"

"You just admitted you're unlucky yourself—fits perfect, right?"

Yoo Wol-ryeong stared at him, then sighed.

Today's Fortune was fate. At least, that's what she believed. Good or bad, it was what you needed. The payout just determined big luck or small.

"Today's Fortune is fate. No regrets, even if it flops."

"If it flops, blame the underworld bosses who made this system. 'Fate' probably just means they rigged the odds, right?"

Underworld folk meddling in fortunes was no secret, so he wasn't wrong.

Yoo Wol-ryeong hesitated, then brought her finger to the screen. Three days without a pull had her in withdrawal; it finally touched the glittering pouch.

Whoosh.

Mist clouds billowed as something emerged in a sparkle of light. Blue flames accompanied it straight down Ju Kang-rim's throat.

A burning heat startled him, but it faded to a gentle warmth. He felt his canines sharpen against his tongue.

Ju Kang-rim eyed the final line and asked Yoo Wol-ryeong.

"Who wrote this description?"

She was still frozen in shock at pulling a legendary, but managed, "Dunno, but Yeomra handles the reviews."

"Figures. Who else? Think he's slacking off up there playing games?"

Yeomra's not-quite-threat made Ju Kang-rim decide not to dig deeper. Various reasons, but he didn't want to be disappointed in him anymore.

"What's a Mt. Bukmang tiger?"

"Mt. Bukmang... you know, another name for the underworld. Those tigers sometimes drag off the soul-exhausted instead of us grim reapers. More proactive, though."

"Proactive?"

"Regular reapers categorize sudden deaths as accidents, illness, murder. Bukmang tigers? They just bite and go. Kidnapping from this world to the next, tiger-style."

"...How's that different from grim reapers?"

"Surface-level, maybe not much. We're civil servants; Ho Hwan-seonsaeng's a civilian. Tiger, after all. Think mercenary—they cooperate sometimes."

"They fight immortals too?"

"Same restrictions as us, so not aggressively. But Ho Hwan-seonsaeng's the eldest of Bukmang's tigers. Lending you power means they're watching this war too."

Ju Kang-rim grinned. Legendary power acquired, no need to carry it like a talisman. An upgraded version of the command shout he'd used against Kangryeong Daegun.

"Thanks. Your luck scored big, Yoo Wol-ryeong."

"No, thanks to you—I finally got that itch scratched."

Yoo Wol-ryeong still toyed with her fingers, the legendary pull lingering.