Chapter 16
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 16
Chapter Title: National Power-level Hunter (4)
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The next day.
While riding in his car, the Minister of Foreign Affairs suddenly recalled the order he had given previously. He called out to his deputy sitting in the passenger seat.
"Hey."
"Yes, Minister."
"How did that thing I asked for yesterday go?"
It was a sudden question, but his deputy quickly racked his brain and came up with the answer.
"Yesterday... Ah, you mean the Returnee."
"Yeah. That."
"We've handled that matter so you won't have to worry about it anymore, sir."
"Good. That's how it should be."
The minister nodded as if it were only natural and gazed out the window. The blue Han River viewed from atop Mapo Bridge was truly a spectacular sight.
As he admired the scenery, the minister slowly opened his mouth.
"Right, in Korea, we have to follow Korea's rules..."
At that exact moment.
KABOOM!
A massive impact struck from behind, slamming the minister's face into the front seat. Since he hadn't buckled his seatbelt properly, his upper body lurched forward.
"Argh, aaagh!"
His nose bone must have shattered in the collision, as blood poured from his nostrils. His head had also been cut open somewhere from the shock, blood trickling down.
"Ugh... Wh-what happened."
Groping for the door handle, the minister pulled himself up. Looking forward, he saw the driver who had passed out from the impact and his deputy staring at him in bewilderment.
"M-Minister. Are you okay?"
"What the hell is going on...!"
A traffic accident? Was it a traffic accident?
At that moment.
VROOOOM!
A tremendous engine roar came from somewhere.
The minister turned his head and looked out the window.
He saw a massive dump truck barreling toward them, headlights flashing.
The minister's face twisted in horror.
"This crazy son of a...!"
With those final words, the dump truck smashed into the side of the sedan carrying the minister.
CRUNCH!
Not content with crumpling the sedan like a sheet of paper, the truck kept pushing. In the end, it shattered the bridge's guardrail, sending both vehicles plummeting into the Han River.
"Aaaah!"
"Sh-shit! It fell!"
"Whoa, fuck."
The shocking incident in broad daylight threw Mapo Bridge into chaos.
In the midst of that chaos, a man calmly observing the scene fiddled with the watch on his wrist.
Making a call somewhere, the man took a light breath.
"It's done, Director."
-...You confirmed it?
The man glanced at the mangled guardrail with a hole punched through it and replied.
"Yes. Confirmed. If anyone survives an accident like that, they're no ordinary person."
-...Good. Return to the office then.
"Yes, Director."
Seosung Electronics Vice President's office.
"Vice President."
A middle-aged chief of staff cautiously approached Hwang Yu-kyung, who was signing documents with elegant strokes.
"They say the matter you ordered has been handled."
Without even looking up, Hwang Yu-kyung spoke.
"They killed them all?"
Her blunt words made the chief of staff flinch.
"V-Vice President. Your words..."
"Did they kill them all?"
"...Yes. They say everyone has been taken care of."
Scratch, scratch.
Hwang Yu-kyung finished signing the last document and lifted her chin, stretching her stiff neck muscles.
"Good job. What about the cleanup?"
"That was handled cleanly too. Even the prosecutors won't suspect us."
"That's how it should be."
Hwang Yu-kyung smiled brightly.
Watching her, the chief of staff gauged her mood and cautiously spoke up.
"Um... Vice President."
"What?"
"Was this really necessary?"
The chief of staff offered his stern advice with a grave expression.
"We covered our tracks well, but killing not one but three heavyweight officials? And not even for Seosung's benefit. This is too much..."
"Too extreme?"
"...Yes. That's right."
The chief of staff swallowed dryly.
"If we're caught, it could bring down all of Seosung. No matter how much of a National Power-level she is, was it worth this for just one hunter...?"
"Just?"
Hwang Yu-kyung glared at him sharply.
"Chief Kim. Is a National Power-level 'just' anything?"
"Well..."
"Even after seeing what happened in Russia, you say that?"
At her words, the chief of staff shut his mouth and bowed his head deeply.
"I'm sorry. It was a slip of the tongue."
"A National Power-level going berserk with a blade in their teeth could wreck an entire country without breaking a sweat. They're walking nuclear bombs. Nuclear bombs!"
Hwang Yu-kyung slammed the document folder on the table repeatedly, shouting.
"And yet! They're picking a fight with that human nuke, scratching at their temper! You knew and didn't stop it?"
The chief of staff bowed even deeper.
Seeing this, Hwang Yu-kyung muttered coldly.
"Remember this. If idiots are about to flip the bomb switch, you stop them. Even if it means killing every last one of them."
"I'll keep it in mind."
"And how is there no benefit to Seosung?"
"What do you mean...?"
"Hunter Kim Hyun is staying in Korea, isn't she?"
Hwang Yu-kyung twisted her lips into a smirk.
"Just her being here brings massive economic benefits to the Republic of Korea. And the Gates being safe? If you have any brains, you'd do anything to settle her here permanently."
Not by making her hate it, though.
The deaths of just three people plunged the government into great turmoil.
Minister of the Interior and Safety.
Minister of Foreign Affairs.
Even the Minister of Justice.
Three state councilors of the Republic of Korea were dead.
And not just any deaths.
"They straight-up rammed them with trucks."
"Isn't this basically assassination?"
"Terrorism. Terrorism."
All three died in collisions with dump trucks.
The trucks were all the same model, and the drivers died alongside them. Plus, identical bottles of alcohol and drugs were found in each cab, pointing strongly to instructed murder.
Of course, with the perpetrators dead and so little time passed, who ordered it remained unknown.
One thing, though.
President Han Sung-ho instinctively realized.
'This is related to Kim Hyun.'
The Minister of the Interior and Safety, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Minister of Justice.
All had tried to harm Kim Hyun in various ways.
Pressuring to block guild creation or reopening a covered-up murder case, for instance.
'Did Kim Hyun... do this?'
President Han Sung-ho swallowed dryly, recalling the previous report.
About Kim Hyun being a 10,000-year-old demon, capable of anything a demon could do.
He'd dismissed it at first as novel nonsense, mere bravado or exaggeration...
'For real...?'
In the meeting held in the Blue House underground bunker, shouts and arguments flew, but President Han Sung-ho couldn't focus at all.
'What can a demon even do?'
No, what can't a demon do?
More importantly, killing people over something like that?
A nation's ministers, no less?
All three?
At that moment, the CCTV footage replayed in Han Sung-ho's mind. The scene of her casually tearing an S-Rank hunter limb from limb.
Having seen the uncensored, un-mosaiced version, his imagination was all too vivid.
"..."
President Han Sung-ho clenched his trembling hands tightly.
'That crazy bitch...'
Would she really spare him just because he was president?
No matter how he thought about it, no way in hell.
'...This can't be helped. Not out of fear, but because there's nothing else I can do.'
A way to stand up to that monster...
Only one came to Han Sung-ho's mind.
Prostrating flat on the ground.
'If I give her whatever she wants... that should do it.'
Granting any demand was the only path.
The word "traitor" suddenly flashed in his mind, but Han Sung-ho pushed it away.
Han Sung-ho's age: 59 now.
He didn't want to die yet.
"...Ms. Kim Hyun."
Lee Min-hyuk, checking his smartwatch, asked Kim Hyun cautiously with a pale face.
"Did you... kill someone again by any chance?"
"?"
Kim Hyun furrowed her brow at his words.
"What are you talking about?"
"You haven't committed any murders recently... right?"
"I don't know why you're asking like that, but no."
"Really?"
"What the hell. I haven't killed anyone."
"...I'll believe you for now."
Lee Min-hyuk nodded slowly.
But suspicion filled his face. It was blatant distrust, leaving Kim Hyun no choice but to ask sullenly.
"What's going on?"
"...No, nothing."
At that exact moment.
"B-big trouble!"
Chae Seol-ah burst into the room with wide eyes, holding a black plastic bag.
"What is it?"
"Th-there was a terrorist attack!"
"Terrorist attack?"
Kim Hyun tilted her head.
Chae Seol-ah calmed her pounding chest and swallowed dryly.
"Th-they say three big shots died. The Minister of Foreign Affairs and..."
At that moment.
Lee Min-hyuk didn't miss the chance to quickly check Kim Hyun's expression. But her face showed nothing unusual.
"Oh? Is that so."
She seemed utterly uninterested.
"Did you get what I told you to buy?"
"Y-yes!"
Caught off guard by Kim Hyun's question, Chae Seol-ah pulled something from the black bag. It was a five-pack of yogurt.
"Straw?"
"Ah..."
"You forgot the straws."
As punishment, Kim Hyun pinched and pulled Chae Seol-ah's cheek.
"Ow, ouch!"
Chae Seol-ah made a pained face as her cheek turned red. It was kinda cute, so Kim Hyun let go.
"Well, whatever."
No straw made it too inconvenient to drink.
Kim Hyun licked her lips and reached into the air. A dark red straw materialized above her hand.
"O-oh..."
While Chae Seol-ah admired it, Kim Hyun stabbed the straw into an unopened yogurt and suddenly tilted her head.
"Hm?"
Soon, she raised her right hand and gripped the air.
"What's that?"
Lee Min-hyuk tilted his head at the seemingly meaningful gesture.
"Nah, just felt a familiar energy nearby."
"Familiar energy?"
"Yeah. Feels like someone's doing a human sacrifice around here."
"Pardon?"
"What?"
What did she just say?
Lee Min-hyuk jumped up in shock.
Chae Seol-ah's eyes went wide as she asked back.
"H-hu-human sacrifice?"
"Yeah, somewhere around here. Why?"
As Kim Hyun tilted her head, Chae Seol-ah shrieked.
"We have to stop it!"
Lee Min-hyuk also pleaded earnestly with Kim Hyun.
"Could you at least tell us the location?"
If Kim Hyun said it, the info was reliable. With a location, Team 1 of the Bureau could dispatch immediately to stop the sacrifice.
But there was no need.
With the yogurt straw in her mouth, Kim Hyun shrugged.
"Wanna go check it out since I'm bored?"