The Sky Is the Battlefield
Deep in the night, a heavy, pitch-black darkness settled over a spacious conference room. Not a single light was on, and several shadows sat huddled around a table.
"What is the target?"
A languid voice sliced through the air. One of the shadows rose from its seat.
"It is Hunter Cheon Yooshin of South Korea."
A moment of silence followed. A man tapped his fingers against the table.
"This target is no ordinary job, is it?"
Another shadow chimed in. "Indeed. Perhaps we should consider abandoning this request. He is a hunter who cleared a C-rank gate solo. It will never be easy."
At those words, the languid voice let out a cold laugh.
"I know. That is exactly why we are here. There is no such thing as an impossible assassination in this world. Not if we are the ones involved."
At his words, all the shadows nodded. They possessed immense pride in the guild they belonged to. Without a shred of doubt.
"What is the target's current itinerary?"
"He is currently clearing an uncleared gate in Taiwan. However, he will be returning to South Korea before long."
"Hmm... I see. So that's how it is."
The languid voice, having nodded in contemplation, spoke up again.
"He will be returning by plane."
"He is scheduled to return on a private jet prepared by the Taiwanese government."
The languid voice spoke with a firm, decisive tone, as if the matter were settled.
"Good. This time, let's stage an aerial battle. An assassination carried out in the sky is the cleanest method."
No traces left behind. Or rather, even if they were, they would be scattered in every direction, disassembled in mid-air. It was an assassination that made recovery impossible.
The languid voice rose from its seat.
"Let's set D-Day for the day that brat boards the plane."
The shadows nodded.
"Good. Everyone, be thorough with your assigned tasks. We are dismissed for today."
The conference room door opened, and the shadows began to slip out stealthily. Silence returned to the room. But in this silence, a massive, invisible gear began to turn slowly. At its center lay the name: Cheon Yooshin.
Prime Minister Kenji was frowning as he watched the screen hanging on the wall.
"Ha! This is driving me crazy."
He gripped his forehead and shook his head vigorously. On the screen, Seiko was finishing off the boss monster that Cheon Yooshin had already beaten to a pulp.
"That idiot bastard."
Prime Minister Kenji ground his teeth. For an A-class hunter to use such a pathetic method... It was a national disgrace. A total national disgrace. And what was with that look on his face, acting so happy because he got the Elixir? No, if he was going to steal a monster someone else had already caught and snatch the items, he should have at least killed the opponent. Instead, he got beaten up and even pissed his pants. He felt like demoting him from A-class to E-class on the spot.
A sigh escaped him. But he was an A-class hunter, of which there were only a few in the country. He couldn't just cast him aside on a whim. The number of A-class hunters one possessed determined which nations were the hunter powerhouses.
He stood up irritably and walked to the window. The dazzling night view of Tokyo met his eyes, but his heart felt heavy. The Chief Cabinet Secretary asked from behind him.
"What shall we do?"
"Discard all that footage. It won't help us at all if it exists."
"...Discard it?"
"Yes, discard it! Do you not know what discard means?"
"Ah, I understand."
"If a sight like that becomes known to the world, our entire country will only become a laughingstock. So, make sure all the footage is deleted immediately. So that no one can see it. Do you understand?"
"Understood, Prime Minister. I will handle it immediately."
As the Chief Cabinet Secretary turned to leave, he asked again.
"What is Seiko doing right now?"
"He has not left his house."
"Good. For the time being, exclude him completely from the overseas raid teams. He only causes trouble if we send him out."
"Understood, Prime Minister!"
Prime Minister Kenji did not know. That even if he didn't send him out, he could cause plenty of trouble on his own.
The day of the return.
Park Haesu carried Cheon Yooshin's suitcase, his expression filled with worry.
"Are you really sure you'll be okay going alone?"
"Oh, come on! I'm not a toddler, you know."
I'm over 400 years old, you know, old man.
"Still..."
"Don't worry. It's not like I'm going off to die. Once I get on the plane, it's straight to Korea, isn't it? Just talk to the Hunter Management Department. Tell them to have a car waiting as soon as I get to the airport."
Cheon Yooshin had given them a vacation. Of course, he didn't have the official authority to grant them leave, but he had called Section Chief Lee Eunsoo directly and demanded that the vacation for Team Leader Park Haesu and the agents who had followed him be guaranteed.
Who was Cheon Yooshin? He was now the star hunter of the Hunter Management Department. If someone like that asked, they obviously had to grant it. And so, Park Haesu and the agents were given a 4-night, 5-day vacation. That was why, as of now, Cheon Yooshin was boarding the private jet alone.
"Ah! If you're that worried, why don't you just forfeit your vacation and come with me?"
At those words, Park Haesu's expression changed instantly.
"Have a safe trip, Mr. Yooshin."
"...Huh? Look at that switch in attitude?"
Park Haesu said with a straight face.
"Mr. Yooshin? Do you know how many days of annual leave I have?"
"Let's see? About 100 days?"
Yooshin, who had never lived the life of a salaryman, guessed roughly. Naturally, he had no sense of how annual leave worked. Park Haesu let out a deep sigh.
"It's 20 days. 20 days."
Yooshin blinked.
"...A month?"
"No. It's 20 days a year."
"Whoa... You're just a working slave then?"
No, you can only rest 20 days a year? How can you work without resting?
"That's how all South Korean office workers rest."
"I-is that so?"
"Anyway, do you know how many days of annual leave I used last year?"
"...How many?"
"Zero days. Not just me, but the other employees are the same. We have 20 days of leave, but we have no time to use them. We never know when a situation will explode, so how can we leisurely use our leave?"
"I... I see."
"And yet you tell me to forfeit my vacation?"
"I'm sorry. I just..."
"So please, have a safe trip. We will enjoy the vacation you provided for us properly."
"R-right."
He lost. He had made a slip of the tongue to someone who couldn't even rest 20 days a year. And a big mistake at that.
"Team Leader Park!?"
Yooshin called out to Park Haesu, who was turning his back coolly.
"Ah, what is it now!?" Park Haesu said in an irritable voice.
"Oh, come on, I was trying to give you my card."
Before he knew it, a credit card was wedged between Yooshin's fingers. Park Haesu's expression turned servile again.
"Hehehe, Mr. Yooshin. Thank you. I'll use it well!"
Yooshin frowned at the sight.
"You could run for National Assembly later. Your attitude switch is at Usain Bolt levels."
Yooshin, with an absurd expression, was just about to turn his body when.
"Ah! Mr. Yooshin! This is a gift."
"Hm? A gift?"
A shopping bag was thrust in front of Yooshin.
"What is it?"
"It's not expensive. We all chipped in to buy it."
Oh... He was touched. When he opened the shopping bag, there was a cardigan with Mickey Mouse drawn on it. Yooshin didn't know much about clothes, but.
"This material feels like something sold at a market?"
The fabric was too flimsy. It looked like a knock-off circulating in an alleyway.
Then.
"I told you it wasn't expensive."
"Haa... Oh boy. Okay. I'll wear it well."
As he tried to put it back in the shopping bag, Park Haesu quickly grabbed Yooshin's wrist.
"Uh-uh, Mr. Yooshin. It's the sincerity of the people who gave it to you. Let's take a photo wearing that."
"Eh? What, a photo? Two men?"
"Hahaha, won't this all be a memory when we look back on it later? So just smile like you always do. That crooked smile of yours."
"Like I always do? I've never smiled like that."
Cheon Yooshin grumbled, but gave a crooked smile just as he was told. And.
Click!
Park Haesu had a younger sister. A sister who was like an enemy. But his sister didn't believe that he was close with Cheon Yooshin. She said he was an older brother lost in delusions and that he needed treatment. So, he planned to secure evidence with this opportunity and send it to his sister.
Inside the departure lounge. A VIP lounge located in a place where the eyes of ordinary people could not reach. This was a secret sanctuary prepared for state guests and individuals receiving special treatment. Cheon Yooshin was able to enter this place thanks to the special consideration of the Taiwanese government.
"I didn't know a place like this existed."
Yooshin let out an exclamation. Watching the busy planes and airport staff outside the window, Yooshin sat on the sofa.
"Would you like a cup of coffee?"
A waiter approached with a polite voice.
"I'd be grateful if you did."
A moment later, fragrant coffee and refreshments were placed in front of Yooshin. Just as Yooshin was leisurely sipping his coffee, someone approached. Was it the waiter? He turned his head toward the spot, and a man in a suit was walking toward him.
"You are Mr. Cheon, aren't you?"
It was fluent Korean. But he didn't look like a Korean person.
"That's right."
Who was it? He was a person he had never seen before. But he knew him? The man bowed politely and introduced himself.
"My name is Zhang Shichu. Could you spare a moment of your time?"
Yooshin's eyebrows rose slightly. Zhang Shichu sat in the seat opposite Yooshin and continued.
"Our government is very interested in Mr. Cheon's outstanding abilities."
"...Our government?"
Taiwan?
"That is a secret. If you accept our proposal, I will let you know. We need talent like you."
Yooshin crossed his legs. Only then did he realize what the opponent's objective was.
"Is that so?"
Zhang Shichu nodded and said.
"Yes. Won't you work with us? We will guarantee you treatment that cannot be compared to what you receive in Korea. We also promise an environment where you can fully display your abilities."
"Hmm..."
Zhang Shichu's eyes flashed with confidence. He was the one who had made hunters who had made a name for themselves in the world defect to his country. He thought this time would be no different. According to his research, the opponent was 25 years old. He was still at an age where his blood was boiling. That was why he had caused such an incident in North Korea.
At Cheon Yooshin's expression, which seemed to be in deep thought, Zhang Shichu drove the nail home.
"Furthermore, there is a secret place specially provided for top-tier hunters."
Zhang Shichu's voice dropped an octave.
"That place is a perfect extraterritorial zone. You can do anything. Drugs, women, anything."
Hunters were a profession that received intense stress. What were the things they sought to relieve that stress? His country, China, did not miss such points. Forbidden desires, hidden pleasures. China had lured countless hunters using all of these as bait. It was useless to regret and realize it too late. All the acts they had committed in that secret place, all the evidence, was already being kept safely.
"Of course, all these proposals will be kept strictly secret. We will ensure there is not a single scratch on your reputation."
Of course, that was only if they listened well. If they didn't listen? China had many secret detention centers. Places that could sufficiently accommodate hunters.
Zhang Shichu could see Yooshin's mouth twitching. 'Yes, you just have to accept it. Hehehe.'
However.
"I don't want to."
"...Pardon?"
Cheon Yooshin had a dull expression.
"I said I don't want to."
"A-ah, why would you not want to? We will guarantee you better treatment than South Korea in every way."
"Forget it. Why would I bother going all the way to China?"
"It won't be a bother. We will escort you personally on a private jet..."
"I said forget it. I said I don't want to?"
Zhang Shichu had no idea what kind of existence he was dealing with right now. Yooshin was 25 years old. But he was a monster who had lived in the Abyss for over 400 years. Had he not received such proposals before? Yooshin had already read Zhang Shichu's inner thoughts.
As Zhang Shichu shut his mouth, a silence flowed between the two for a moment.
"You will regret this."
The polite expression he had maintained until now vanished, and a cold look surfaced. At Zhang Shichu's words, Yooshin gave a crooked laugh.
"They always say this. It's not even a third-rate movie, and yet you use lines like this in reality."
"I am not joking right now."
Then Yooshin straightened his expression.
"I'm not joking either. If you came to scout me, you must have done some background checks on me, so do you not know how much of a loose cannon I am?"
"......"
Zhang Shichu's face stiffened. He had forgotten for a moment. What kind of person the man in front of him was. Kim Jeongyoon had died in a bunker. Shoddy construction? Not a chance. China had already seen through it. That Cheon Yooshin had intervened in Kim Jeongyoon's death.
As Zhang Shichu's face turned pale, realizing he had made a mistake, Cheon Yooshin placed his hand on his shoulder. Even though it was a hand without any weight, Zhang Shichu felt the pressure of a thousand-pound iron block crushing his shoulder.
"Let's not meet again, brother. It doesn't seem like we're a good match."
Just in time, an airport staff member arrived.
"Hunter, the private jet is all ready for takeoff. Should we wait a little longer?"
Yooshin, who had risen from his seat, glanced at Zhang Shichu and began to walk.
"No. There's no need to wait. Let's go right away."
Even after Cheon Yooshin had disappeared, Zhang Shichu, drained of all color, could not rise from his seat for a long time.