Chapter 87
Chapter 87
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 87
Chapter Title: Warehouse Confrontation
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The thug who realized he'd poked a monster while trying to rob what looked like an easy tourist broke out in cold sweat.
"I'm asking one more time. Where are the guys around here who kidnap foreigners?"
"I... I don't know."
His eyes were rolling around in a blatant lie that even someone without skills could spot.
"I see... You don't know."
I nodded once.
Then, without warning, I kicked his leg, snapping both in directions they weren't meant to bend.
"Arghhh!!"
As his buddy collapsed, the remaining thugs fired their guns a beat late.
Even without armor, bullets couldn't harm my body in the slightest. I grabbed a few and slammed them into the ground, while hurling others into walls.
"Where?"
I stepped on the back of the guy trying to flee with both legs broken.
"I... I don't know."
I pressed down harder with the foot on his back.
"If you have even a suspicion, spit it out."
His ribs creaked as if they might shatter.
"Arghhhh...."
"That's enough of that, right?"
A man who'd been watching from behind stepped forward. Tall and handsome with sharp features. His skin was tanned from lots of sun, and he was neatly dressed. His vibe was worlds apart from the people we'd passed so far.
"I figured you wouldn't show."
"I didn't want to tangle with an S-Rank Hunter."
The onlookers buzzed at his words.
"...You know me?"
"Of course. Lee Ji-seok Hunter, who just became S-Rank the other day."
"And you?"
"Tahoe Espin. Just a nobody hunter running a small outfit in eastern Mexico."
The crowd seemed more shocked when Tahoe revealed his name than when I'd been outed as S-Rank.
Hiding his identity? Whatever.
"Where my friends might be."
"Where did they disappear?"
"South end of the resort district."
"They strayed from the resort?"
"Captured right at the boundary."
"Hmm... Guys who'd pull that... Probably one of Jacks' underlings."
"Location."
"If you die over something like this, Mexico gets even more isolated. But if Jacks dies, we can't hold the southeastern gates."
"So? You want me to abandon my friends?"
"Let's resolve this smoothly. I'll go get them, so wait here quietly."
"Why you?"
"I'm cartel boss now, but I used to be a cop protecting citizens. This isn't for Jacks Perez. It's for the Mexicans living on this land."
"Lead the way."
"I knew telling you to stay wouldn't work.... I'll handle the talking, so stay put."
"We'll see."
"Sigh...."
Following him, we reached a truck modified for combat. Reinforced panels on all sides could withstand most hunter attacks, with small openable windows for shooting back. It reminded me of trucks from my past life used to transport food.
Around the truck stood men dressed like special forces. Black bulletproof helmets and vests covered them head to toe, armed with heavy weapons—they could pass for national elite troops.
Better disciplined and far better equipped than those earlier thugs.
"Get in."
I boarded as he directed.
The vehicle headed toward the city outskirts.
"Why'd you come to Mexico?"
"Tourism."
"Really? All the way from Korea?"
"What's wrong with that?"
"Nothing wrong, but... I don't get it."
No need to respond, so I stared out the window and shut my mouth.
Tahoe didn't press further. After about thirty minutes, we stopped in front of a warehouse on the outskirts.
"Tahoe, you crazy?! Coming here without Boss Jacks?!"
A guard yelled. At the same time, over a dozen men burst from the warehouse, surrounding the truck with weapons aimed.
"We're not here to fight."
Tahoe raised both hands and got out.
"I think you guys took my friend."
"Your friend?"
"Yeah, didn't you grab an Asian couple near the resort?"
"....Not us."
"I'll compensate you."
"I said it wasn't us."
The guard pressed his knife closer to Tahoe's throat.
"Julio.... I'm being civil here. You doing this because you trust Jackson?"
"Yeah, you little shit."
"Enough. Now."
I got out of the truck. I could sense Hyungbin and Yesl's life forces. Much weaker than usual, but definitely here.
"Wa.... Wait a sec."
Tahoe blocked my path.
"Who's this punk?"
"Damn it.... Julio! Last chance! Hand over the two! I'll give you 100,000 dollars!"
"Hmm.... Something's up. Refused."
I spread out all my senses, including life force detection, scanning every inch within 100 meters.
Dozens of civilians packed inside the warehouse. Their weak life forces marked them as neither guards nor hunters.
A few looked like hunters, but only two near Hyungbin and Yesl.
Pushing past Tahoe, I headed toward them, and Julio shoved his knife at my throat.
"Back off. Unless you wanna die."
"You kidnapped them?"
"...What?"
I smashed Julio's head in before his shocked expression could settle. Normally I'd handle it peacefully, but their lives weren't comparable to these scum.
Simultaneously, I armored up fully and charged toward Hyungbin and Yesl.
They couldn't track my movements and didn't react.
I handled those in reach directly; those farther out, I cut down with aura blades.
Bursting through the wall, two thugs held swords to Hyungbin and Yesl's throats.
"Stop...."
I lunged, snapped their necks, and hurled them into the wall.
Hyungbin and Yesl were poisoned, but in no mortal danger. I immediately infused life force.
Tahoe saw the carnage and looked grim.
"You planning to stop me too?"
"Not throwing my life away. Just... my head hurts thinking how to handle this mess."
"That Jacks guy?"
"Like I said, not worried about him dying. Scum like that deserves it. But without him, we can't stop A-Rank gates."
"Not my problem. They kidnapped my friends."
I grew giant, slung Hyungbin over my shoulder, and seated Yesl in my arm against my body.
"If you leave like this, what about the aftermath?"
"Not my concern."
As I turned to go, people emerged from a door in the back.
Beyond it, hundreds packaged white powder drugs. Masks covered their faces, but they were already addicted and looked rough.
Workers of all ages, from kids to elders.
"So this is the result of keeping Jacks alive?"
"....No choice."
"Plenty of ways. You just lack the resolve to act."
"You block gates with resolve alone?"
"Join the World Hunter Association."
There were cases where the Association protected and managed citizens from collapsed nations failing their own defense.
"Sell out Mexico?"
Tahoe showed hostility toward me for the first time.
"And this is the protected nation?"
I pointed behind.
"Citizens high on streets, kids stabbing passersby—what meaning does it have?"
"You outsider wouldn't understand."
Tahoe ground his teeth.
"You're right, I don't. But I know this is wrong. If anyone's here against their will, you can leave now!"
I shouted, and the workers stared blankly.
"They're not forced. Nothing else to do, so they come. Or starve."
Great country.
Beyond those staring blankly, a few looked terrified.
"Plus, leave without permission, and you face Jacks' wrath full force—even if you want to go, you can't."
I set Hyungbin and Yesl against the wall.
"What now?"
"Any other S-Rank hunters around here besides Jacks?"
"Just Jacks in the east. Why?"
"Then it's him."
A man dropped from the roof, crashing through. White-skinned with brown hair and black eyes, machete and pistol at his waist.
"Whoa.... Tahoe, you raiding me? Told you not to sell my drugs, but you snorting 'em now?"
"Not me."
"Bet it's that punk. Thanks for helping my beaten boys. But you brought him to my workshop—this is on you."
Jacks drew his pistol from his waist and aimed at me.
"If your underlings had listened, none of this happens."
"Why would my guys listen to you, you psycho shit."
"Julio kidnapped foreigners at the resort. We had a deal not to touch it, right?"
"....Julio crossed the line."
Jacks glanced around.
"But hey.... Numbers don't add up. Your crew's all alive, but twenty of mine are dead?"
"Count straight. Only killed three."
"Yeah?"
"The one at my throat, and the two at my friends' throats."
"Hmm...."
Jacks scanned his men.
"Fine. My guys fucked up, so I'll let it slide magnanimously."
Jacks holstered his gun, and I went to pick up Yesl and Hyungbin again.
"Whew...."
Tahoe wiped his brow.
"I.... wanna go too."
A gaunt, skeletal kid emerged from the drug area. Already inhaled too much—bad color.
"Where's this shit gonna go?"
Jacks glared at the kid.
"If I stay here.... Feels like I'll die."
Taking Jacks' killing intent full on, but the kid was half-dead already and unbothered.
"Shut up and get back to work."
"He's leaving—why fuss? Come here."
I extended a hand to the kid.
"Want your hand gone? Pull it back."
Jacks redrew his pistol and aimed at me.
"Step back."
I told the kid, who retreated again.
"Not your business."
"True."
"Then why?"
"Annoying."
We glared. Then Jacks pulled the trigger. Not mana like Changhui's shots, but an aura-infused bullet rocketed at me.
Not even Jung Min-ki Hunter level, but gun and skills let him fire island-topping speed.
Boosted stats let me dodge the first easily. I charged, armoring fully. He'd never seen this, eyes widening.
Jacks backpedaled, firing repeatedly.
I deflected bullets with my knuckles. Even aura over armor, direct S-Rank aura hits would hurt.
"What the hell!"
Crisis dawned on the face that had underestimated me.
As I closed in, he drew and swung his machete.
Not undeserved S-Rank—his swing speed was no joke.