Chapter 84
Chapter 84
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 84
Chapter Title: Twisted Futures and Hidden Schemes
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Dun paused for a moment, lost in thought as he watched Rahee, who had just created an illusion, however briefly.
He had hesitated to grant her the job, worried that switching to a cartoonist might twist her future awakening into something mental or illusion-based. But the method Rahee had just used to create the illusion was exactly the same as the one he knew from his past life.
‘In the end, Rahee’s second awakening is a result of my intervention too.’
It was a fact he had confirmed through Yi Yoo-hyun, Lee Rahee, and Joo-ho (Mochibol).
When he had been Lee Saebyeok, Dun had existed.
At the same time, while he was living now, the past Lee Saebyeok existed as well.
It was unknown how far he could act without changing the future, but for now, it seemed there wouldn’t be any major issues.
Later, when the Abyss kids logged into Ninapinta, he’d be able to check if there were any other variables.
“I want to job change…… I’m the best at, at drawing.”
“Got it, got it. Do whatever you want, unnie.”
“????”
Oh no, a slip-up. Lost in old memories, he had responded to Rahee’s words, and the habit of calling her unnie popped out.
“Uh. Um.”
Rahee’s eyes widened as she clutched her pounding heart and stared at Dun. He frowned under her persistent gaze.
Was it such a big deal just because he called her unnie once?
“What’re you looking at.”
“……So, so freaking cool.”
Rahee covered her twitching expression with her hand, then burst out laughing.
No, she would’ve been pretty cute as her real self, but as a game character, it was just a tad overwhelming.
“Calm down a bit. Now, let’s do the job change.”
Dun placed all the books on Bachinum he had stolen from the imperial palace library, Prim’s room, and the emperor’s secret archive in front of Rahee.
‘Awaken properly and go have fun with the kids.’
Dun lay on the bed, gazing quietly at Rahee as she drew her comics.
* * *
「Modern-Day Hero Protecting the People in Secret: Association Chairman Kim Woo-sung!」
「Why the Hunter Association Operates in Hiding Without Government Support…? Kim Woo-sung’s Tears.」
「True No. 1 Influence in the Hunter World. All Hunter Supplies Provided by Chairman Kim Woo-sung’s ‘Kim Woo-sung Pharmaceuticals’…」
「Hunter World’s Pioneer, Kim Woo-sung! Even Superpowers Bow to His Presence…」
Just before the association received its approval.
Kim Woo-sung began leaking articles through the small news platforms he had firmly bought off.
It was for image-building.
It was uncertain if the higher-ups would understand the human experiments. Most would shut up for a bribe, but some with consciences would eventually attack him.
Those pretenders acting all humanitarian were the worst. They’d benefit too if they just kept quiet—boost the country’s image and make some money.
Disgusting, how beasts born as beasts pretended humans had to be different, assigning meaning to everything.
They shed tears over unrelated matters, slay the evils by their own standards, all to feel emotionally superior.
In the end, they were still beasts by nature.
Even that psychology proved they were beasts. Hypocritical beasts.
If they were chasing superiority, Kim Woo-sung chose the more efficient path.
Born as beasts, for the ‘human’ beast, it was long-term beneficial to trample and kill the weak, leaving superior offspring.
‘Aigoo, their heads…’
To keep developing new drugs, he couldn’t end the Abyss Project.
There were too many promising products. Monster organ scraps, high-density mana crystals, radioactive materials like cesium that accumulate in the body—if used right, even non-awakened could hold mana.
Right now, the U.S. Hunter Research Institute was analyzing his products, trying to make similar ones.
He was always one step ahead. Even the world’s biggest nations groveled before him.
‘No chance. Just follow my tail and chase after me.’
He liked the word ‘pioneer’ in the headlines. Kim Woo-sung, the association chairman, tapped it with his stubby finger, smiling as he pulled out his phone.
“Yeah, yeah. Secretary Min. About the Abyss Project… Keep the A-ranks at the association for now, and send the B to D-ranks to the second HQ at that mountain we bought last time, right? What? Construction’s not done? Then send them as soon as it’s finished.”
He’d raise the A-rank kids as his dogs, and process the B to D-ranks in the shadows where no one knew. Pretty good plan, wasn’t it?
By remodeling the dorms and secret zones the Abyss kids used into free training grounds for aspiring hunters, he could play the good guy and get approval smoothly.
The Abyss Project would continue.
“For association staff… Hm. Yi Yoo-hyun. Put her in charge for now. She helped with construction willingly, right? Yeah, she’s competent. Seemed like a pushover, but she’s a beast inside. I like it. Yeah, yeah. You know I trust you a lot, Secretary Min? Yeah. Handle it well.”
Kim Woo-sung hung up and lit a cigarette.
‘Yi Yoo-hyun’s reliable. Feels like my kind. Curious about human limits. Those types fall hard for my vision and abilities.’
Recently, Secretary Min Ji-cheol had dug up and shown him Yi Yoo-hyun’s background and activities. Nothing suspicious, all diligent work.
She even had records of anonymous investments into the association.
The more he looked, the more she seemed like a fan inspired by him. That pure vibe must be part of her image.
Still, just in case, he told Secretary Min to keep tracking her.
Kim Woo-sung stubbed out his cigarette on a blue potted plant by the window.
* * *
Yi Yoo-hyun finished her work and headed to the under-construction second headquarters.
She’d footed the bill herself to add boilers and AC to the kids’ dorms, tending to every detail.
She’d even modded the CCTV so at certain times, it would store one of 100 pre-recorded varied videos.
Worried about the gangster ex-con supervisors who pulled pranks, she considered taking charge of a lot of the ‘education’ time herself.
At night, depending on the situation, she could bring in psychologists for counseling sessions.
Unlike the relatively strong-willed A-Class kids, the B to D-Class kids were fragile in body and mind—all the most precarious ones.
Now that the association was approved, she could siphon off the truly dangerous ones separately. What a relief.
Seol Do-yoon had covered finances when needed, so money wasn’t an issue, but helping these kids grow into happy adults required attention to countless details.
Lost in thoughts of plans for the kids, her phone rang right on cue. Unknown caller.
《Ajusshi, hi.》
“Saebyeok?”
《Yup. Reporting on Rahee unnie. Hospital side hasn’t moved much, and unnie was just happily playing in the game capsule.》
“Oh, good. Thanks for checking.”
《Sure. By the way, how’s the second HQ construction going?》
“Yeah. About 60% done.”
《Oh, right. Ajusshi, listen. The Abyss B to D kids are tamed with snacks, you know? Like, uh, like… Rice ball’s dog? Pablop’s dog?》
《Pavlov’s dog.》
《Yeah, yeah, that. Pavlov’s dog. Conditioned with snacks, they go nuts for tasty stuff, so stock up lots. They’ll obey well. Especially sweets. You know, that stuff. Hey, Seol Do-yoon. What’s that substance called? Dormammu?》
《Dopamine.》
《Right, dopamine. They grin like idiots when they eat it. Don’t overtrain them. They’ve got no talent as hunters.》
“Got it.”
Yi Yoo-hyun chuckled softly.
“But didn’t you say you bought off the media? They’re praising the chairman, but no real moves yet?”
《Yup. The media boss is a total loser. Scared shitless of the big corps around the chairman, so until we bulk up enough to take them on openly, we’re keeping low. Instead, he’s doing double-agent shit, sharing intel or leaking fakes.》
“Good thing things are going smoothly.”
《Don’t jinx it. Saying it’s smooth always flags a crash.》
“Not going smoothly. Gotta prep harder.”
《Yeah, switching kids now.》
As she handed over the phone, short bickering ensued. Their scuffle faintly came through the speaker, then the voice changed.
《Yoo-hyun hyung. It’s me. How much longer till the building’s done?》
“About six more months.”
《Timing-wise, next year then. Chairman’ll probably remodel the association building after hiding Abyss, then announce official founding.》
“Still, how long can we stay off the chairman’s radar? Results will inevitably be lackluster, so he’ll notice eventually…”
《Working on countermeasures. Got plenty, so minimum one year, max five.》
“Gotta take him down within that.”
《Yeah. Finish construction ASAP.》
“Got it.”
Yi Yoo-hyun deleted the call log, then gazed at the second HQ site—future shelter for the kids—with swelling emotion.
Seeing the trembling, scar-covered kids able to at least eat and sleep happily here made her eyes heat up.
B to D-Class kids’ safety was secured for now, but the A-ranks worried her. Pushing extreme training might turn them into war machines, losing their humanity entirely.
People needed to believe in love for stable happiness in life. Small exchanges of trust and aid helped find oneself, filling the heart.
Yi Yoo-hyun believed the most beautiful results came from striving for others over self.
The deeply wounded lash out, receive more wounds in return, losing chances at happiness entirely.
Once the cycle of giving and taking wounds formed, endless vicious loops began. Leading to self-destruction.
She wanted these scarred kids to walk only flower paths now, not miss happiness due to wound-driven choices.
‘Kill ‘em, gonna kill ‘em all? Soon as we go out, kill all the laughing kids, kill the ones who ignored our screams, and I’ll just die too, die. Everyone, gotta, gotta die.’
The D-Class kids’ outburst from that chance encounter. So many eyes burning with rage from torment.
Their wounds too deep for easy comfort, but she wanted to hug and soothe each one.
‘If we take down Kim Woo-sung and gain the chairman’s authority… I could manage A to D-Class kids freely…’
The chairman stepping down felt like a distant future, so Yi Yoo-hyun let out a long sigh.