Chapter 60
Chapter 60
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: penny
Chapter: 60
Chapter Title: Capturing the Red Agitator
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Upon closer inspection, a single person was leading a massive herd of Mad Bulls at the front. He leisurely glanced back while running and occasionally leaped backward to check if the Mad Bulls were following properly. It was clear this wasn't a crisis—he was deliberately herding the monsters.
He wore a sleek red suit with daggers strapped to his waist, the color further provoking the Mad Bulls.
He skillfully drove them straight toward the Oh brothers. I immediately shed my cloak and launched myself forward.
"Chang-hee, shoot!"
[What?!]
"Shoot that bastard!"
"Y-Yes... Yes, sir!"
Bang! Bang! Bang!
He fired repeatedly, but couldn't hit the target zigzagging at high speed.
"Huh...? Guys! Run!"
President Yoo shouted upon seeing dozens of Mad Bulls charging toward him.
"You think you can escape moving that slow?"
With a smug expression, the guy taunted them as he tried to slip between the Oh brothers, but I jumped in front to block his path.
"Wha... What the hell!"
He spotted something shimmering and veered away in surprise. It was a smooth direction change that ignored the momentum from his high-speed dash.
"Chang-hee! Keep shooting! Min-woo, sic your summon on that bastard! Everyone else, get behind me!"
I tossed my cloak aside, enlarged myself, and clad my arms in armor before swinging at the Mad Bull herd.
The Mad Bulls collided with me and scattered like waves crashing against a breakwater.
The guy circled back, apparently intent on finishing us off, effortlessly dodging Chang-hee's gunfire and Min-woo's new summon.
Judging solely by his sprinting speed, he was faster than the Axe Wielder. I hadn't seen his other abilities, but that speed alone put him on par with an A-Rank Hunter.
His target was us, making it easy to predict his movements. I enveloped the Oh brothers with my body, shielding them from both the Mad Bulls and him.
As I blocked the Mad Bulls with my body, I fired bursts of aura from my fingers, followed by Chang-hee's covering fire. Min-woo's sluggish summon latched onto him as well.
"Tch..."
His movements heavily restricted, he clicked his tongue once and fled.
"You guys okay?"
"Yes!"
"Request backup from the Awakening Bureau! I'm going after that bastard."
I gave immediate chase, but the red tights were so fast he was already out of sight. The widely spaced footprints showed just how quickly he'd run. The scent was faint, but not enough to shake me off.
After a few minutes of tracking, I spotted him resting. His speed was impressive, but his stamina for sustained running seemed lacking.
"Hoo..."
I approached from behind in stealth mode as he caught his breath.
"...Huh?"
He twisted his neck side to side and looked my way.
We stared at each other without moving a muscle.
No interest in a prolonged standoff, he coiled his legs to spring.
I struck first, swinging at his neck. Despite the surprise, he arched back fluidly to dodge and kicked at me.
Smack!
I smashed his groin-aimed kick with my fist.
His reflexes were no joke. He saw my punch coming and yanked his foot back.
"Argh! You fucker!"
His instep throbbed in pain from my blow. If he hadn't pulled back in time, he'd have been shopping for prosthetics tomorrow.
"You from New North Korea?"
"I'm not from North Korea."
Regaining his composure somewhat, he lifted his aching foot slightly off the ground and answered.
"Go relearn proper Seoul dialect before trying to scam anyone."
His awkward accent matched the New North Koreans.
"Damn bastard... After barely escaping with your life from the Supreme Leader."
"Figured killing Hunters would keep Korea down, huh?"
"None of your business. You're dying here."
He bounced lightly on the ground and drew the two daggers from his waist.
No point just watching—I charged and swung, but he was fast as ever.
He dodged backward to create distance, then rushed me. A human sprinting faster than an arrow or Chang-hee's bullets.
I swung at the approaching red tights, but he ducked effortlessly and slashed my side. The wound wasn't deep. An attack like that, without aura, was negligible.
Then came the sonic boom from his supersonic movements crashing into me. Without my sturdy body, I'd have been shredded. But it wasn't enough to damage me—mere scratches, already regenerating.
"Fuck! What the hell?!"
My blood from the side slash melted the edge of his dagger. Its sharpness was completely gone.
"Guess the Supreme Leader didn't give you a top-tier weapon like his axe, huh?"
"Let's see if you can still yap after I pierce your heart."
Gritting his teeth, he pulled back his remaining dagger hand and charged. At about ten meters away, he thrust it forward, firing an energy orb from the tip. Not a slash using his running momentum, but a pinpoint skill shot—I'd seen another Hunter use something similar before. In terms of penetration, it rivaled aura.
Dodging such a fast attack completely was impossible. Luckily, this idiot telegraphed it by aiming for my heart, making it easy to guard.
I covered my heart with my arm, then spewed blood mist at him as he tried to rush past.
Having seen the Supreme Leader suffer from it, he panicked and veered sharply. His speed plummeted, and his posture crumbled. I barreled through the mist and shoulder-checked him.
"Gah!"
He hit the ground like a frog struck by a car. Speed-focused Hunters like him often dumped everything into agility, leaving defense in shambles.
* * *
"Lee Ji-seok Hunter, you're sure this guy's the culprit?"
The investigator asked me outside the interrogation room.
"Caught him red-handed at the scene."
The investigator confirmed with me once more before entering and questioning the guy.
"What's your name?"
He wore restraints like something from a psychiatric ward.
"..."
The guy just stared blankly at the empty table, saying nothing.
"Why'd you do it?"
"Sent by New North Korea?"
"If you keep stonewalling, we'll execute you for the murder of multiple Hunters."
Questions and threats rained down, but his mouth stayed shut.
"Can I talk to him alone for a bit?"
I asked the investigator as he stepped out.
"...No can do. Director's orders were to keep a close eye on you, Lee Ji-seok Hunter."
Maybe I shouldn't have brought him in so cleanly. A preemptive beating might've loosened his tongue.
"Halt the interrogation."
A man in a suit approached the room.
"Who're you?"
"Your public defender."
"Public defender? You joking? Defending a New North Korean terrorist?"
"We don't even know if he's from New North Korea or not."
"An unregistered Hunter sneaks into Korea and starts killing our Hunters? You think that makes sense?"
Veins bulged on the Awakening Bureau investigator's forehead.
"Don't you know presumption of innocence? You can't treat him like a criminal without proven facts."
"Proven? This fucker's caught in the act!"
The polite investigator finally snapped.
"Watch your language! No one's died at scenes where he's been caught! You're linking him to the past incidents, but you need solid evidence! And we have to verify if he's even from New North Korea! This isn't some lawless land— you can't just lock up anyone on suspicion!"
"Fuck this, it's too dirty—I'm out!"
The investigator stormed off, even more pissed than me.
"Lee Ji-seok Hunter, you should head out too."
"Ten."
"Pardon?"
"Ten people dead because of this bastard."
"...We don't know that yet. Could be someone else. Guilt or innocence gets decided in court."
I knew the public defender meant well. Can't persecute on suspicion alone without hard evidence, or you risk nabbing the wrong guy or fabricating criminals.
Some Awakeners could detect lies, which would help, but like polygraphs, courts only treated it as reference material.
Part of me regretted not snapping his neck on capture, but what was done was done. I left.
* * *
I'd caught the red tights hoping to make New North Korea pay, but they denied all knowledge.
Couldn't punish them immediately, but the Awakening Bureau ramping up surveillance was only natural. Hunters of red tights or Axe Wielder caliber probably weren't that common there, so more terror acts seemed unlikely.
Time passed without further surprises, as expected. Occasional injuries or deaths stayed within normal bounds, and investigations were thorough.
"Bro, so what the hell does New North Korea want?"
"No idea. Who knows what they're thinking. They're demanding items and mana stones in exchange for relinquishing rights to most North Korean territory outside their zone."
"So New North Korea gets to exist within Korea?"
"Doubt it."
"Heard about the new Gates opening?"
"Yeah? Hmm... Probably increasing because Korea's getting stronger. Like Paul said, more people means more Gates. How many?"
"Two new ones, so three total now. Existing one's handled by New North Korea, the two new by the Awakening Bureau."
"They were bitching about less Gates meaning less money, so at least that's something. I'll catch less flak too."
North Korea subjugation progressed steadily. Astronomical costs were covered by mana stones and byproducts, but crucially, Korea absorbing and restoring the territory held greater meaning.
Days passed hunting big monsters with the Oh brothers and Sang-heon to level up. Na-young was still rushed off her feet treating patients.
No clue how much she made, but Sang-heon said regen skills earned less. Foreign VIPs paying top dollar for treatment? Na-young was clueless on business, so President Yang handled it.
President Yang's meticulous, responsible nature and wide network made him perfect as Regen's CEO.
I'd joined the North Korea restoration for various reasons, but disappointingly, my level didn't rise. Sure, partial armor deployment and bullet-like aura shots were gains, but insufficient.
My dire struggle against the Axe Wielder had heightened my sense of crisis. Fighting to kill from the start might've changed the outcome, but even accounting for that, I felt my power lacking.
Beeep—
We were chatting when my phone, Sang-heon's, and the Oh brothers' all rang simultaneously.
"Huh...?"
Everyone checked the app, and their faces drained of color.