Operation 1.
Team Leader Goo Kang-chul stuck out his tongue in awe. Park Woojin the hunter. This man wasn't just any hunter. He was a strategist who orchestrated the tides of war, a genius who manipulated human psychology and media ecosystems like chess pieces.
Just how far do this guy's limits go...?
"You can pull this off just fine without me, right? Then I'll head in first. Si-hyeok, Ieliya, let's grab dinner sometime later. You two are getting along great, huh?"
"Yes, bro! Go on in!"
"Thank you... Hunter Park Woojin."
Ieliya, nestled in Kwon Si-hyeok's arms, gazed at him with eyes that seemed to shimmer seductively.
Team Leader Goo Kang-chul quietly watched Ieliya. Her flushed cheeks suggested that the over-hour-long "body conversation" to soothe her mana rampage had left its mark on her.
"Hunter Park Woojin... I owe you big time today."
In response to Goo Kang-chul's greeting, Park Woojin bowed deeply.
"I pray the operation goes off without a hitch. You said you'd carve out the rotten sores of this festering Republic of Korea, so I'll cheer you on every step."
Park Woojin was a humble, impressive man. If his own son were still alive, he'd be around that age, wouldn't he? The image of his son, lost to an accident, overlapped with him, making his eyes well up.
After Park Woojin left, a solemn silence settled over the hospital room. Ieliya's clear voice broke it.
"Team Leader Goo Kang-chul? What should I do? I'm a guild member of 'Love the Nation Guild' starting today, so I'll follow your orders to the letter. I'm with the American Hunter Association, but I've never joined a guild before, so no issues there."
"Ah. Hunter Ieliya, we'll need your support from the rear. I'll contact you separately if anything urgent comes up."
"Yes~~"
Her beaming smile evoked the image of a saintly beauty. Just meeting her eyes made Team Leader Goo Kang-chul's heart quake.
And then Ieliya's voice continued.
"Si-hyeok... let's think about marriage slowly. I got creampied by another man today, after all."
"What are you talking about... Ieliya. It was just treatment."
"The problem is... I've started to like Hunter Park Woojin. I want to get pregnant with his child."
"...Ah."
Following Kwon Si-hyeok's heartbroken, trembling voice, Ieliya added softly.
"Can't we... just stay as friends?"
Not wanting to intrude on the couple's intimate talk, Team Leader Goo Kang-chul quietly slipped out of the hospital room. All he could hope was that these two S-rank hunters, famous as a global power couple in 'Love the Nation Guild', wouldn't break up over a fight.
A few days later, the top video in YouTube's Hot 100 main screen read: 'Hunter Association President Caught in On-Site Deal with Drug Cartel'.
"They finally blocked it."
The Hunter Association president, who had been swayed by local government heads and danced to Japan's tune, had fallen at last.
News followed of Team Leader Goo Kang-chul's appointment as the new Hunter Association president.
"Heh heh heh. Team Leader Goo Kang-chul's become the Hunter Association president."
Right on cue.
Perfect timing for Team Leader Goo Kang-chul's summons. Time to head over and offer congratulations.
Upon arriving at the Association's briefing room,
"It's been a while since that time... Nice to see you again. Have you... been well?"
A woman covered her flushed face with both hands as she looked at me. It was Lee Ji-eun, the hacker from 'Love the Nation Guild'.
"Ah, hello. Hunter Lee Ji-eun."
"Kyaaah! You even remember my name?"
Just a light handshake, and she was stomping her feet, squealing.
"Hunter Park Woojin, even if you mind-controlled me and turned my brain to mush... I don't resent you."
"Pardon?"
Then the door burst open, and Kwon Si-hyeok and Ieliya entered.
"Bro!!"
Kwon Si-hyeok threw his arms around me in a hug, while Ieliya gave me a deep, lingering look.
Aluca, once Baal's demon, now my familiar. A Catholic saint who wielded holy power, a perverted demon.
"...Hunter Park Woojin."
Ieliya called my name in a trembling, pleading voice. The way her thigh muscles tensed told me her pussy was clenching tight.
After that, I'd occasionally called her to my place for "on-site holy power massages," and the effects were better than any physical therapy. She'd turned into a total masochistic perv who got off on using healing—claimed chants and prayers caused her pain too. Now I got why fallen nuns in subculture were such pervs.
Just then, Team Leader Goo Kang-chul entered the 'Love the Nation Guild' briefing room.
"Ah, everyone's here. Hunter Park Woojin. I owe you greatly from last time."
"Congratulations on the promotion. Guess I should call you President now?"
"Hahaha. No need. Just stick with Team Leader. Not retiring from the front lines anytime soon."
With crisp movements and a faint smile, he powered up the projector and continued.
"Until now, climbing the Curse Tower has been led by 'Daehan Guild', Korea's number one guild."
Goo Kang-chul's tense expression screamed the gravity of the screen before them. He pointed at a photo of the Curse Tower.
"But digging into the 'Oni Blood' incident revealed 'Daehan Guild's' ties to Japan's 'Oni Guild'."
The bombshell sent murmurs rippling through the briefing room. Daehan Guild—home to Gu Mirae and Ra Seung-gun—was Korea's undisputed top guild.
"Our Hunter Association's special investigations unit is pursuing this in utmost secrecy."
The screen changed, filled with a familiar face. Daehan Guild's master. A smirk escaped me at the sight.
"Guild Master Kang Daehan. As an S-rank hunter, his climbing team handled the Curse Tower, but we've confirmed contacts with Nam Seohee, linked to 'Oni Blood' distribution."
Goo Kang-chul bowed to me apologetically.
"Hunter Park Woojin... do you have any bad blood with Guild Master Kang Daehan?"
"Kang Daehan. His old name was Kang Han-seong. Yeah, we've got history."
"Sorry for dredging up painful memories."
"No worries."
"Kang Daehan's real name is Kang Han-seong. Japanese name: Nakamua Yoichi. A residual Japanese national who set roots in Korea post-liberation. Looks perfectly Korean on the outside, but holds Japanese identity."
I drew a sharp breath. First I'd heard Kang Han-seong was Japanese.
"And Nakamua Yoichi is the vice-master of 'Oni Guild'."
BOOM! Goo Kang-chul's nuke-level revelation stunned everyone. Korea's top guild master doubling as Japan's top guild's vice-master. Uncovering that alone was impressive intel.
A bar graph appeared: national Curse Tower progress.
"We've confirmed Korea's 'Curse Tower' climb is slower than others because Kang Daehan deliberately stalled it."
Murmurs swelled.
"Worse, he imported massive 'Oni Blood' shipments via Byeon Gi-tae and supplied hunters."
"......"
"Police, prosecutors—they've got them locked down. Every media outlet except WJ Media is in their pocket."
WJ Media: the outlet funded by WJ Entertainment, named after me by Jiwon-young.
"Kang Daehan crossed a line he shouldn't have. But as an S-rank hunter... no way to punish or arrest him."
Kwon Si-hyeok spat coldly.
"Can't we just kill that bastard? Bro and I could take him out easy."
Goo Kang-chul shook his head.
"That kills the reform narrative. The Association's self-cleansing has sparked calls in politics, prosecution, police—minority voices, but growing."
His voice gained strength.
"I know. Prosecution, police, courts, military, media... 'justice' jobs turned money grabs. Self-cleansing won't be easy. But we lead by not breaking the law."
His expression toward me brimmed with apology. I knew why he'd asked about my bad blood with Kang Daehan.
My eyes gleamed, and Goo Kang-chul bowed again.
"I'm sorry."
His sudden apology baffled the room, but I nodded, understanding. Goo Kang-chul, you're an interesting one.
He knew I wanted to dismantle Shin Serin and Nam Seohee's cartel—and that my revenge list included her affair partner. He knew Kang Daehan was marked for death by my hand.
His apology meant: You were gonna kill him for revenge anyway, so hurry up and do it. Sorry for the hypocrisy of preaching justice while egging on murder.
He swung the pointer back to the screen.
"And..." He swallowed hard. "Starting today, we'll take over Curse Tower climbs from 'Daehan Guild' with 'Love the Nation Guild'."
Sensible, excluding Daehan Guild. But it complicated things for me.
Curse Tower was a straight path to becoming Baal's apostle. I planned to kill one and claim as my summon. No need for it to be my subordinates Ieliya or Kwon Si-hyeok.
Better if Kang Daehan climbed—kill him, make him my summon. Profitable.
"...Hmm."
No intent to reveal this world's truths.
Nothing for it.
"I oppose."
Goo Kang-chul looked shocked at my objection.
"Me too!"
Ieliya blindly echoed me, and Kwon Si-hyeok, glancing at her, mumbled, "Me too..."
Caught off-guard, Goo Kang-chul was visibly shaken. I stood abruptly to explain.
"Daehan Guild's monopoly came from the 'Curse Tower'. Faster growth than gates. But other guilds' hunters never got a shot. Guilds monopolizing it is wrong."
Solid rationale: open to capable individuals, not guilds.
Unintended, but my persuasion moved him.
"As expected... not just any light... Lightoojin."
His tiny mutter reached my enhanced ears.
"I understand Hunter Park Woojin's intent. We'll open the 'Curse Tower' to all guilds, regardless of size, who wish to climb."
"Woooah!!"
Kwon Si-hyeok clapped alone, then sheepishly dropped his hands.
Goo Kang-chul seemed done, packing materials.
"Team Leader, any word on the info I requested?"
"Ah, was gonna tell you privately, but here okay?"
"Yes, fine."
He tapped his tablet. Seo Ji-hye's image appeared on the projector.
"Yes. As requested, we're tailing Seo Ji-hye closely. Since becoming Hunter Park Woojin's 'spy', she's shown intriguing moves."
He zoomed in: Seo Ji-hye meeting a middle-aged man secretly at a high-end lounge bar. Face blurred, but the watch was clear—Orax Nightna Platinum, worth hundreds of millions won, like mine.
"Kim Myeon-hyeong's longtime rival, JS Capital's CEO Yoon Sang-hyun. Looks like she's selling husband intel to him."
"Smart woman. Safer to cash in shares from selling the company to rivals than full inheritance."
Seo Ji-hye was a pro at betrayal. I smiled in satisfaction. Her greed was just kicking off Kim Myeon-hyeong's downfall.
"Also leaking his slush funds and paper company docs anonymously to media and Financial Supervisory Service. Lee Ji-eun's laundering IPs untraceably."
Lee Ji-eun grinned at me.
"Thanks to that, Kim Myeon-hyeong's cornered. And as you said, he was funding Nam Seohee and Shin Serin's Korean ops. Prosecution probe soon—clear breach of trust and embezzlement evidence; they won't let him off easy."
Goo Kang-chul's handling exceeded expectations. Kim Myeon-hyeong's vile brag echoed: I got no greed for money or fame... The guy who'd bet his life on both was starting his social annihilation.
"Found an interesting link to Kim Myeon-hyeong."
Screen shifted to a familiar face: Assistant Manager Jin Sun-mi.
"Kim Myeon-hyeong's secretary, Jin Sun-mi. Handling all the company's dirty work while he's in Japan... the shadow power player."
Jin Sun-mi... wondered about your true role. Shadow boss for Kim Myeon-hyeong? Thought you were just his dick-sucking shack, but surprising.
"Shockingly, she holds 30% company shares. Prediction: backroom deal already transferred them. If trouble hits, hand her the CEO seat naturally, escape himself—confirmed plan."
Oh? Quite the twist. Common for CEOs to swap in crises— "bullet receivers" to mass-fire staff or take heat for investor suits on embezzlement.
Goo Kang-chul's docs proved Kim Myeon-hyeong set Jin Sun-mi as his bullet sponge.
Wildcard!