The Cowardly Assassin and the Shadow of Revenge
Tension hung heavy around the "Pee-pants Gate." As a sharp confrontation unfolded between Cheon Yooshin and the Japanese hunters, the eyes of the Taiwanese reporters lit up with fervor.
"Hey! Look at that! Something definitely went wrong!"
"That’s a total scoop!"
"Get the cameras ready!"
The cameramen’s fingers began to hammer away at their shutters in a frenzy.
Meanwhile.
"Stop right there!"
The booming voice of the Taiwanese hunter, Ziwei, sliced through the air. At his command, the Taiwanese hunters moved in perfect unison, blocking Yooshin’s path. Their weapons were already drawn, sharp and lethal, aimed directly at the Japanese hunters.
"...What do you think you’re doing?"
With Seiko missing, command had fallen to the vice-captain. Daichi, the vice-captain, glared at Ziwei with sharp, narrowed eyes.
"We are siding with Hunter Cheon Yooshin. If you intend to attack him, we won't just stand by and watch."
Confusion flickered across the faces of the Japanese hunters. Daichi’s face flushed red, as if in protest.
"Our captain hasn't returned yet. And that Hunter Cheon Yooshin was the last one to come out. You can't possibly be unaware of what that implies, can you?"
Ziwei hardened his expression. "Don't you know what Captain Seiko did? Even if it were me, I wouldn't have let it slide so easily."
"What?!"
"All the evidence is clearly recorded on the cameras you brought yourselves."
At the mention of the cameras, Daichi clamped his mouth shut. The very equipment they had brought to promote their C-rank gate clear had become their own noose.
Yooshin, who had been watching quietly from behind, felt a smile spread across his lips. He placed a hand on Ziwei’s shoulder and said, "Thank you, Ziwei. But this is my business, so let me finish it."
Simultaneously, Yooshin stepped forward. Before long, he was standing right in front of Daichi. In his hand, he held a bottle filled with blue liquid.
"M-Mana Elixir..." Daichi muttered.
"Is this your captain's elixir?"
At Yooshin’s question, Daichi couldn't bring himself to open his mouth. They had been there at the scene, too. Where the Mana Elixir had vanished, Yooshin now held a bottle filled with red liquid. The Strength Elixir.
"Then is this your captain's elixir?"
"Th-that is..."
Yooshin chuckled as he watched them.
"Why can't you speak clearly? If I hadn't appeared on the scene and shattered the illusions you were under, what would have happened to you all?"
Confusion washed over the Japanese hunters' faces. Yet, their lips remained tightly sealed. Their silence spoke volumes.
Yooshin slowly looked around. The Taiwanese hunters, the tense expression on Park Haesu, the reporters in the distance clicking their shutters incessantly. Every gaze was fixed on Yooshin.
That was when it happened.
"Oh! It’s Seiko!"
"He really is back!"
He was walking out. The camera shutters moved busily.
"But why does he look like that?"
"Huh? You're right."
Seiko’s face was a wreck. The area around his eyes and cheekbones was bruised deep blue, and his lips were swollen. He looked as if he had been severely beaten by someone. A gasp of astonishment rippled through the crowd.
"What happened to him?"
"Who did that to him?"
Daichi asked, his tone accusatory. "What on earth happened?"
"Who knows? I have no idea." Yooshin shrugged his shoulders. Just then, Seiko’s gaze met Yooshin’s. For a moment, Seiko’s eyes widened, and his entire body began to tremble violently. A shadow of sheer terror draped over his face.
"Aaaaaaah!"
He suddenly screamed and collapsed to the ground. Then, a dark stain began to spread across his pants. A small puddle formed beneath him. A yellow puddle.
The people around them were struck dumb by the spectacle unfolding before their eyes. Who was this Seiko? He was an A-class hunter, one of only five in all of Japan. And he was wetting himself in terror right now?
Even the sound of camera shutters stopped.
"Captain! Are you okay?"
"Please, pull yourself together! Captain!"
The Japanese hunters surrounded him. With that, Seiko was no longer visible. It was a clear display of his will to hide his disgrace from the public eye. Everyone’s gaze turned toward Cheon Yooshin. It was obvious that the one who had made Seiko look like that was the giggling Cheon Yooshin. But there was no physical evidence. Only suspicion.
Breaking news flashed across TV screens, and emergency reports poured out over the radio. Every media outlet was busy reporting the success of the C-rank gate clear.
Then, on the TV screen, the Taiwanese President, Wu Chenghan, appeared.
"Respected citizens of the Republic of Korea."
"Today, our nation has reached a historic moment. Thanks to the Republic of Korea's hero, Hunter Cheon Yooshin, Taiwan has been able to escape the threat of the C-rank gate. I would like to take this opportunity to express my sincere gratitude to the citizens of the Republic of Korea."
Wu Chenghan stood up and bowed deeply. "Moving forward, Taiwan intends to maintain and further develop a stronger cooperative system with the Republic of Korea. In light of this, I would like to formally propose a partnership to the South Korean government!"
Wu Chenghan continued to speak on TV. But there was something strange. Netizens also noticed it.
People raised questions. They had entered as a joint Korea-Japan team, so why was there only talk of Cheon Yooshin and the Republic of Korea?
The Japanese hunters fled back to Japan on their private jet. Meanwhile, Cheon Yooshin, Park Haesu, and the others were being treated as state guests, fulfilling their remaining schedule in Taiwan. In truth, there wasn't much of a schedule. They were only clearing gates at the earnest request of President Wu Chenghan. Initially, Cheon Yooshin had tried to refuse the offer. Was he really supposed to clear D-rank gates, not even C-rank? But he had eventually given in to Park Haesu’s earnest pleas.
They had planned for three days, but Taiwan had quite a few uncleared dungeons. Naturally, there was a lot to clear. And so, their return date kept being postponed.
"Another gate has been cleared!"
The excited voice of a Taiwanese news anchor rang out across the country through the TV. Every time a gate was cleared, all of Taiwan was stirred. Banners with Cheon Yooshin’s name written in Korean, not Taiwanese, hung on the streets, and social media was flooded with praise for him.
[Make Cheon Yooshin a Taiwanese citizen!]
[Cheon Yooshin is our brother, the Republic of Korea is our brother!]
Taiwan didn't have strong hunters. Not in the Hunter Management Department, nor in private guilds. Thanks to that, scenes of people packing their bags and evacuating whenever a D-rank gate appeared were a common sight. It was only natural that Cheon Yooshin, who was solving those problems, would be incredibly popular.
Park Haesu, who was riding in a car back to the hotel, said to Yooshin with admiration, "Yooshin, you're practically a hero. At this point."
"I suppose so. It's much better than our country, where they send you to a detention center for catching monsters. Should I just acquire Taiwanese citizenship while I'm at it?"
"...Excuse me?"
Park Haesu’s face turned pale. The Republic of Korea allowed dual citizenship, albeit in a limited capacity. However, Yooshin was not permitted dual citizenship under any circumstances. So, wasn't Cheon Yooshin saying he would abandon his South Korean citizenship and naturalize in Taiwan?
At Park Haesu’s shocked expression, Yooshin chuckled. "I'm joking. I'm joking. Still, Korea, where they speak our language, is better. Do you know how hard it is to live in a foreign country when you're older?"
"Th-that's true. It's a joke, right?" Park Haesu said, letting out a sigh of relief. "You really surprised me. Please refrain from making jokes like that."
"Can't even make a joke. Anyway, let's head back to Korea soon, shall we? It's getting a bit boring."
It had already been 20 days since they arrived in Taiwan. They had stayed in Taiwan for too long. Park Haesu felt the same way.
"Understood. I will express our intention to return."
And so, the long journey in Taiwan was coming to an end.
***
A luxury villa in Japan.
"Damn it!"
Seiko roared violently and threw an expensive vase against the wall. The sound of the vase shattering into pieces only fueled his rage further.
"Cheon Yooshin... Cheon Yooshin!!!"
Seiko’s voice was filled with venom. "...How dare he make me look like this!"
Seiko stood in front of the mirror. The figure reflected in the mirror was no longer a proud A-class hunter. He was just a bed-wetter who had peed his pants in terror.
"Aaaaaaah! You son of a bitch!"
Overcome by rage, Seiko’s fist shattered the mirror. After smashing the furniture for a long time, Seiko collapsed onto the ruined sofa. He was cornered now. The team members who had always praised him were starting to avoid him.
'This is all because of that bastard!'
Madness and a desire for revenge burned in Seiko’s eyes. Biting his lips, Seiko picked up his phone and dialed a number he had hidden in a secret contact list. The ringing tone lasted only a moment before the other party’s voice was heard.
-What do you desire?
The voice on the other end was low and dangerous. Seiko hesitated for a moment. The guild he was talking to right now was very famous in Japan. Of course, ordinary people didn't know about them. It was a secret guild known only to top-tier officials and hunters. Their guild name was Ninja Assassin. It was a guild considered legendary even among hunters. Regardless of who the target was or where they were, they carried out the client’s request perfectly.
Using them came at an enormous price. However, the price they demanded was kept secret. There were even rumors that they demanded the client’s soul.
Seiko had contacted such a place.
"There is someone I want to kill."
-Could it be, Cheon Yooshin?
"H-how did you..."
-We know everything.
A brief silence followed.
"I want to eliminate him, no matter the cost. Is it possible?"
-There is no enemy we cannot kill. However, considering the risk and difficulty of this request, the cost will be substantial.
"I don't care about the cost. Just kill him."
-Understood. On the day the target’s life ends, we will contact you again.
The call ended. A sense of victory, mixed with madness, burned in Seiko’s eyes.
"Hehehe, Cheon Yooshin. You're finished now."
His laughter echoed beneath the shattered lightbulb.