The Prisoner Corps and the Deadly Multiple-Choice Test
The conference room tucked away somewhere in Seoul, where the leaders of the nation’s largest guilds had been gathered, echoed with a deep, resonant voice.
“Two weeks ago, Kim Minho and Han Yura—the only two S-class hunters in Korea’s possession—died during a failed gate subjugation.”
“If we fail to clear the gate, the surrounding space-time will suffer erosion… turning into a monster-infested wasteland where humans cannot survive. In particular, an S-class gate of this scale is projected to engulf Seoul itself.”
On the map of the Seoul metropolitan area projected large on the screen, a red circle centered on Incheon began to expand. It kept growing until it completely swallowed Seoul, then finally stopped. The crimson glow reflecting off the screen cast an ominous light across the faces of everyone in the room.
“…Therefore, the failure to clear the Incheon gate is now a matter of critical national security.”
“Who said that?”
“A message from Yongsan.”
“Ahem…”
The man seated at the head of the table adjusted his glasses as he spoke the word Yongsan. The hunter who had asked the question swallowed a groan and fell silent.
“Even so, is it really acceptable for the government to barge into civilian hunter affairs by waving the national security card around? Give them an inch and they’ll take a mile.”
“During our meeting with the government, we received firm assurances that this is a special case. We have also prepared countermeasures through prior consultation.”
“And what exactly are those countermeasures?”
After a brief silence, a heavy answer filled the conference room.
“……The operation of a prisoner corps. Composed entirely of former S-class hunters.”
“What did you just say?!”
“Association President! Those are monsters we locked up! How can we possibly—!”
“The reason I invited the distinguished leaders of Korea’s premier guilds here today is to find someone capable of selecting and commanding suitable talents from among the S-class hunters currently imprisoned, so that we may operate this prisoner corps.”
The guild leaders, forgetting all decorum in their shock, shot up from their seats. But the man at the head of the table—the Association President—calmly ignored their outburst as if he had expected it and continued the meeting without missing a beat.
“This matter has already been approved by the President himself. I will not entertain any objections.”
The silent pressure radiating from the Association President weighed heavily on the room. The guild leaders who had risen in outrage slowly sank back into their chairs, clearing their throats awkwardly.
Once the heated atmosphere had settled, the Association President clapped his hands and spoke again.
“That concludes the briefing. Are there any further questions?”
“……….”
“If not, we will now proceed to the vote. Please cast your vote for the guild leader you believe is most suitable to take charge of the prisoner corps.”
The Association President’s secretary moved around the murmuring room, handing out tablets to each guild leader one by one. Naturally, I—who was attending as a guild leader myself—received one as well.
“Here you are, Mr. Seong Yohan.”
“…Thank you.”
I calmly examined the tablet’s screen. It displayed the guild leaders’ photos, names, careers, and guild information, all neatly arranged like résumés. At the very bottom was a blank space for writing the name of the chosen candidate and the reason for their selection.
They’re really jumping straight into a vote right after the briefing?
I shook my head, tearing my eyes away from the screen.
It had already been quite some time since the subdimensional spaces known as Gates began appearing all over the world. When those gates—portals leading to monster-filled hellscapes—emerged, people with supernatural abilities appeared in response. For a while, everyone called them heroes…
Heroes, my ass.
They weren’t some noble idealists sacrificing themselves for humanity. They were just ordinary people who happened to gain special powers. And as history has always shown, humans are far more terrifying than ghosts or monsters ever could be.
But it seemed the people upstairs didn’t see it that way.
Shouldn’t someone put a stop to this?
Right then, as if sharing my exact thoughts, someone shot up from their seat and began to protest.
“Those bastards were written off even by the judicial system that shows hunters the utmost leniency! And now you want to release those beasts back into the world? Have you all lost your minds? I cannot consent to this!”
“As I already stated, this has received approval from the President himself—”
“Then isn’t it the Association’s job to prevent such a misjudgment before that approval is granted?!”
“As the Association President who helped facilitate that very ‘misjudgment,’ I would very much like to hear the esteemed opinion of Mr. Gu Sangcheol, the Iron Fist. What exactly do you propose we do?”
The Association President frowned slightly as he asked the question in a quiet voice. Gu Sangcheol’s face stiffened in momentary panic before he raised his voice again.
“Instead of those criminals, just call in the S-class hunters who retired properly!”
“Do you not understand why those retired hunters stepped down while they were still ‘proper’? They could no longer bear the risks even with all their wealth and fame, so they retired before things got any worse, didn’t they?”
“……….”
“And the target we’re asking them to subjugate is a gate that already wiped out an entire party containing two S-class hunters. I’m sure they’ll return just fine.”
Gu Sangcheol’s face turned beet red in an instant. That was a pretty solid one-two punch.
“Then… what about commissioning an overseas guild?”
“They refused for the same reasons I just mentioned. Of course, if Mr. Gu Sangcheol is willing to pay the exorbitant price that comes with it, a miracle might occur and the request could be accepted.”
“T-then we should at least try—”
“But after going through all that trouble to borrow someone else’s strength, what will you do about the new S-class vacuum that appears afterward? If another S-class gate emerges soon, will you once again beg foreign powers while handing over enormous sums of money and interests?”
“……….”
“The prisoner corps is not a disposable suicide squad meant only for this one subjugation. It is an attempt to create a sustainable S-class force that will last until new S-class hunters emerge domestically. Please keep that in mind when making your judgment.”
“Y-you…!”
Unable to contain his rage yet incapable of offering a better alternative, Gu Sangcheol slammed his fist on the table with a loud bang and sat back down.
…So it ends up like this after all.
Good thing I kept my mouth shut. They probably rushed the vote because they knew it would turn out this way. Well… it’s obvious they’ll just entrust it to one of the super-large guilds, dangle some tax breaks or other carrots for a few years, and call it a day.
Of course, if they slip up even slightly while managing the prisoners during preparations, the public will tear them apart. And if they suffer massive losses to their precious guild forces during the subjugation, that’s even worse. Even if they somehow manage to succeed, the opposition and the media will be waiting to pounce on even the smallest mistake made while operating the prisoner corps.
And even if they endure all of that—once new S-class hunters appear in Korea, the prisoner corps they worked so hard to build while eating all that criticism will suddenly face an uncertain future.
But that’s not my problem, so I can just tune it out. …I’m sure everyone else is thinking the same thing. This is an absolute no-go. A shit-filled bucket packed with nothing but poison.
“Haaam…”
I desperately held back the yawn creeping up on me, quickly scribbled down Gu Sangcheol’s name—the guy who had just thrown a fit—and closed my eyes. I would’ve loved to check my phone, but they’d confiscated it for security reasons.
Why the hell am I even here in the first place?
I was once the leader of a guild that had been incredibly successful, but now I was nothing more than the hollow shell of a guild master whose organization had become a complete relic. All my guild members had left long ago. I was left guarding the guild signboard with nothing but my secretary for company.
“The results of the vote you all cast have just come in.”
As expected of the Hunter Association—their administrative efficiency was as shitty as ever—
“Then, Seong Yohan. I’ll be counting on you from now on.”
“……Huh?”
I had been quietly meditating when my name was suddenly called. I opened my eyes to find all the middle-aged uncles and old geezers who had been grumbling earlier now staring at me with perfect unity of purpose.
What the hell is this ominous atmosphere?
“Um… what exactly do you mean…?”
“You have been selected to manage the prisoner corps composed of former S-class hunters, effective immediately.”
Me? That job? Why?
***
How on earth had their thought process led them to pick me—a has-been—over all those guild leaders with solid careers? Had all the old men suddenly caught dementia?
I carefully chose my words, trying to stay as calm as possible so I could reject this situation.
“Um, well… I believe this position might be a bit too much for someone like me…”
“The other guild leaders all agree that no one is more suitable for this role than you.”
“B-but my abilities are clearly insufficient. Besides, I’m not even in a position to be sitting here in the first place.”
“Insufficient abilities? Don’t you already possess the most suitable ‘ability’ of all?”
……Damn it. He’s really bringing that up here?
“No matter how you look at it, this is a task that only you—with your special ability to control and restrain hunters—can perform.”
“There seems to be a misunderstanding. My ability isn’t about hypnotizing people and controlling them like puppets—”
“You already have a proven track record of success. Controlling… no, let’s call it ‘domination.’”
I quietly clenched my fist and shut my mouth. If I kept arguing, I’d only end up hearing more details about things I’d rather forget.
…Of course, that sly old raccoon had probably said it on purpose.
I swept my gaze across the room with eyes full of resentment and injustice. The other guild leaders were nodding as if they had shown remarkable insight, while the Iron Fist teacher—who had been shouting that we mustn’t release monsters from prison—was glaring at me with an extremely displeased expression.
I didn’t volunteer for this, you know. I don’t want to do it either…
But I had already been backed into a corner. No matter how much I hated it, all I could do was nod.
“Very well. From now on, you will receive confidential information on all S-class hunter prisoners incarcerated within the country. Select the suitable candidates according to your own judgment and report them to us.”
“…Understood.”
“There are only a few months left before the uncleared S-class gate in Incheon begins eroding the surrounding area. So please do your absolute best.”
The Association President stroked his mustache with a smug air.
“Of course, we will negotiate with the government to ensure you are properly compensated for your hard work, so you needn’t worry.”
In other words, it was basically a blank contract. What a great country we have. Really.
I swallowed the curses threatening to spill from my lips and reluctantly accepted the black folder from the Association President. As if the contract had been fully established the moment I took it, the leaders of the nation’s major guilds quickly filed out of the conference room with dignified steps.
“Ahem, I have another schedule to attend to, so I’ll take my leave. Once you’ve finished the selection, simply inform my secretary and we’ll proceed with the follow-up procedures.”
…Even the Association President was bailing.
Is Korea’s hunter industry really going to be okay like this?
“Haa… fuck…”
After Gu Sangcheol, the Iron Fist, stomped out with deliberately loud footsteps, the conference room was suddenly empty. Having been completely played by those old bastards, I clutched my head in utter despair.
***
“…Still, I have to do what I have to do.”
In the taxi on the way home, I cautiously opened the folder. Inside was a meticulously organized compilation of information on the five ‘former’ S-class hunters currently locked up in Korean prisons.
Five people…
Considering how rare S-class hunters were, five wasn’t exactly a small number. But once I filtered out the relatively decent ones, that number would shrink dramatically. Since two S-class hunters had already died inside that gate, and these prisoners had grown weaker during their incarceration, even if I picked the best among them, I would still need at least two.
Let’s start with the first page. Who knows? Maybe there’s someone surprisingly normal.
After steeling myself, I looked at the document.
Jang Ho-yeon | 34 years old | Serial Rapist
“Tsk.”
I immediately closed the folder.