Chapter 52
Chapter 52
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 52
Chapter Title: So, What Can You Do? (2)
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[A short while later, somewhere in China. In a certain conference room.]
"...Failed?"
The elderly man with a balding head and glasses—Party cadre Wang Chan—had veins bulging on his forehead at his subordinates' report.
"Three S-Rank Hunters went out, how much time has passed, and you're already talking about failure? Huh?"
"The special-grade heroes...!"
"Speak in international standards."
"The three S-Rank Hunters suddenly changed course on the submarine. After abandoning the raid on Jeju Island's S-Rank Tower, they said they each had their own business and disbanded."
"...Even though they set out on the Chairman's orders?"
"Yes."
The man who grasped the situation—the Party's 'Hero Management Department Deputy Director'—removed his glasses with trembling hands.
"This is why young punks are no good. The Party hypes them up as heroes, and they start thinking they're the real deal."
"D-Deputy Director, such words..."
"If they'd luckily awakened, they should devote their lives to the Party, to the country. Tsk. If that's why they awakened, they should've just given me the chance."
The deputy director fiddled with the badge pinned to his chest like it was a badge of pride, full of regret.
As if to say that if he had become an S-Rank Hunter, he'd fly straight to Jeju Island and conquer the S-Rank Tower for the Party.
"So, those young fools—do you know why they suddenly changed direction? It looked like the submarine's systems activated automatically."
"There was an S-Rank... hacker."
"?"
The deputy director cocked his head at the subordinate cadre's report.
"S-Rank is S-Rank, hacker is hacker—what the hell is an 'S-Rank hacker'?"
"It seems America secretly trained an S-Rank Hunter with hacking abilities on top. They hacked not only our submarine but Korea's as well, seizing control of the systems."
"...Evidence it's a Hunter?"
"Mana reactions were detected. The signal reaching the submarine wasn't electronic—it was mana-based..."
"You're talking out your ass."
The deputy director grabbed the crystal ashtray on the desk.
"So you're saying they hijacked the course of a submarine carrying three S-Ranks using some electronic signal no intelligence agency could detect?"
"N-No, it's not an undetectable electronic signal. There was no electronic signal at all. A mana signal that only an S-Rank could perceive reached the submarine. That's how they hacked it."
"What a perfect analysis. Alright, if I go upstairs and report this, what do you think'll happen?"
"That is..."
"Think the Chairman's gonna buy it?"
The subordinate cadre's face flushed beet red at the deputy's sarcasm, but he couldn't muster a retort.
After all, reports that don't get approved don't make it up the chain.
"Fine. Let's say the submarine's course was forcibly changed. Then why did the three S-Ranks immediately go dark right after returning?"
"...According to the testimonies of the people who were on the submarine with them."
"According to?"
"The hacker knew all three of their dirty little secrets. Photos they'd taken themselves, ones secretly snapped by others... even a photo of a husband's affair that had nothing to do with her personally."
"We only sent one woman, but there's a husband mentioned... Ho, don't tell me...?"
"We don't know that much."
"Hah..."
The deputy director grabbed his tie with a trembling voice for a moment.
"S-Ranks living it up all promiscuous, and this is what happens. Tsk. Whatever. Prepare the next candidates. There's no shortage of people dying to become Party heroes—"
Clang!
Before the deputy director could finish, the door burst open.
"What the commotion... Huh?"
"......."
Public Security had arrived.
Not just any Public Security—an A-Rank Hunter in full Public Security uniform.
"Ex-Executioner? Why are you...?"
"The Leader suffered a grave insult."
The woman known as the Executioner pulled out her smartphone and showed it to the deputy director.
"!!"
There was an account from an SNS messenger app developed by an American company.
An account written not in Chinese but in English, with all sorts of unspeakable filth popping up as recommended posts.
"Take a read."
"Th-This insane...! You trying to make me utter such insults against the Chairman?! This is ideological vetting!"
"You're denying it pretty hard, but we've got it all pinned down. It's your alt account. We've checked the timestamps of every insult against the Chairman, surrounding CCTV—everything."
"Pr-Proof! Let me see it myself!"
"...Hoo."
The Executioner let out a deep sigh and slipped her smartphone into the pocket of her Public Security uniform, which resembled military garb.
"This intel came straight from America."
"...America?"
At those words, the deputy director's face drained of color in an instant.
As if he'd realized something, his fists trembled.
"Is the Leader tail-cutting me over this?! Just because America sent something like this?!"
"This isn't the time to be whining about you, Deputy Director."
The Executioner tapped her pocket irritably, where her smartphone sat.
"Not only did their private lives get exposed, but that precious alt account you were so desperate to hide got dug up too. What's guaranteeing nothing else of yours has been?"
"......!!"
"If you don't want it all going public, shut your mouth, pack your bags, and go quietly. Unless you want your secret 'friend' from every business trip to America exposed."
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ We arrived at the hotel.
I couldn't help but chuckle at the room—it was straight out of a movie, or like some travel YouTuber shooting sponsored photos and videos.
"So all this is free, huh."
"It's all because the information age birthed a tactical nuke of unprecedented power, nya."
Kiharu, manipulating the TV remote with her cat paws, pointed at the news.
"Everyone's got their secrets they wanna hide, but in this era, whether it's photos or videos, they turn into data and spread like wildfire."
"...Seeing stuff like this really makes Dry seem scary."
On the news.
A story about one of China's S-Rank Hunters was blowing up.
📰 Breaking News Shanghai citizens, please evacuate immediately—kyaaah!! Not long after the submarine turned back, a marital spat between two S-Rank Hunters had erupted.
The woman had gone full berserk, literally, chasing the man down—while he fled in nothing but his underwear, zipping through the sky to escape the female Hunter's pursuit.
"......This isn't on us, right?"
"Nah. It's their fault for letting a marital spat blow up this bad, nya."
While the wife was on the submarine under Party orders to raid Jeju Island, the husband had been throwing drug-fueled parties with young women eager to cozy up to the new elite class of S-Rank Hunters?
"Is that worth going on a rampage like this?"
"If the guy just took the beating, maybe not—but he's resisting so aggressively, it's a real fight now, nya."
Kiharu pointed at China's S-Rank Hunter fleeing in his undies.
"Oh, just so you know, I'm not the type to take sides or anything, nya."
"Who said you were?"
"If I were gonna say 'put yourself in their shoes' or whatever, I'd say if the wife cheated while the husband was out working, she'd be justified in flipping out like that too, nya."
"What about the cheating wife?"
"Whichever one's in the wrong deserves a beating. That's why Shanghai's a mess right now—'cause he's putting up that kind of fight, nya."
Kiharu stretched as if to say I knew it.
"Still, thanks to this, I got a good look at what this world's S-Rank Hunters' UFC level is like, nya. Ah, wanna munch on something while watching—can I have that, nya?"
"What?"
A chill ran down my spine at the item Kiharu lunged for in one leap.
"Hey, that's the minibar...!"
"Everything's free."
"Huh?"
"They said we can use anything in the hotel freely."
Elaine, fresh out of the shower wrapped in a robe, tapped the minibar.
"Hold on. The hotel minibar?"
"Yes. They said they'll refill it daily, no matter how much we use. Room service will deliver instantly if needed, but... we'll need to be cautious about that part."
Elaine shrugged in a pose like she was assaying for poison.
"This makes the officetel in Seoul seem more convenient, honestly. Pre-made food being supplied is nice, but having to inspect everything one by one is a hassle."
Elaine snatched a bottle of liquor I'd never even heard of.
"No poison in it, but this might be a bit toxic for you, Master."
"......."
"Shall I taste-test?"
"Ah, if you're worried about me getting drunk—"
"Kiharu."
The moment Kiharu opened her mouth to say something, Elaine shoved the liquor bottle right into it.
"Mmph! Mmmph!"
"If you want to drink it yourself, you can have as much as you like like this."
Kiharu struggled fiercely, but I could hear something pouring down her throat.
Had she already popped the cork somehow?
It looked like it needed a corkscrew.
💬 DRY: INCOMING MESSAGE 💬 [Ahaha. Doing it 'cause I wanna see the Commander drunk?] Dry's voice rang out from my smartphone.
The culprit behind the Shanghai S-Rank couple's blowup—not the direct cause, but spreading the info had sparked the infighting—her laughter echoed through.
💬 DRY: INCOMING MESSAGE 💬 [Commander? With Kiharu's healing, she'll sober up quick even if drunk. Or... if you wanna see her sloshed without healing, that's fine too. I'm good either way~] "...Sounds even more dangerous. Hold up."
I pointed at the room service menu.
"As long as it's not instant-death-level poison, healing magic handles it, right?"
"Theoretically, yes, but..."
"Good. Then... Dry."
💬 DRY: INCOMING MESSAGE 💬 [Think some lunatic would lace room service with poison for an assassination?] "What's your take?"
💬 DRY: INCOMING MESSAGE 💬 [Not today... but... hehehe.] Dry let out a low chuckle.
💬 DRY: INCOMING MESSAGE 💬 [Hotel's under US military control, but when new ingredients arrive? Could be a different story then.] "......."
Room service assassination via food.
"Who?"