Chapter 479: Unprecedented Moves (5)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 479: Unprecedented Moves (5)
The atmosphere turned icy cold.
Moon Tae-jun, who had been speaking with utmost politeness just a moment prior, slouched back and crossed his legs as he stared at Kim Jun-hyeok.
"Mayor, you certainly have an interesting way of doing things."
The Incheon Government taking action.
It wasn't an entirely impossible scenario, but to anyone with even a shred of understanding of how things worked in Incheon, it was something that never should have happened in the first place.
"According to the report, Red Moon was completely wiped out in just an hour or two. I am well aware that the Incheon Government possesses its own hidden forces, but annihilating Red Moon in such a short window is physically impossible. This means an 'unknown existence' must have intervened. Above all else, Red Moon was necessary for Incheon. With a Great Disaster looming at any moment, there's no way the Mayor of Incheon—a man who cares so deeply for this city—would instigate internal strife."
It was a sound argument.
Kim Jun-hyeok had even postponed the Ant Cave subjugation out of concern for losing troops; there was no logical reason for him to suddenly wage war against Red Moon. Suspicion swelled in the room. Yet, under Moon Tae-jun's cold, scrutinizing gaze, Kim Jun-hyeok spoke calmly.
"That is exactly why I did it. Red Moon's pathetic attitude was the problem—they were just as complacent as you are, Investigator."
"What is that supposed to mean?"
"At first, I believed Red Moon was necessary for Incheon's future. However, they planted moles within the Incheon Government and siphoned our talents into their guild. I could even overlook that. After all, a talented individual's future doesn't necessarily have to be tied down to Incheon. The real problem was that Red Moon was secretly smuggling Incheon's supplies to fund their expansion into Seoul. So let me ask you, Investigator. How would you deal with parasites who cause nothing but discord and contribute absolutely nothing to Incheon's future?"
Moon Tae-jun flinched.
Expansion into Seoul.
That directly involved him. Now that Red Moon's illegal activities had been dragged into the light, and unable to fathom Kim Jun-hyeok's true intentions, he couldn't afford to speak carelessly.
"...They would have to be punished, of course."
"Exactly. That is why I paid Red Moon a visit. I intended to hold them accountable and hand down a fitting punishment, but they had the audacity to attack first. That escalated into an all-out war. The result is what you confirmed in the report, Investigator."
"I see. But if all of that is true, why did you report it the way you did? When the Incheon Government first announced the annihilation of Red Moon, didn't you make it sound as if it were the work of an outside force?"
He seized on the discrepancy.
It was certainly a suspicious point. However, Kim Jun-hyeok knew he didn't need to completely resolve every single doubt.
"We simply had a change of heart. We originally intended to bury the matter, but seeing how quickly you paid us a visit, Investigator, we decided to reveal the truth."
"Hmph."
Moon Tae-jun grunted, his displeasure evident.
His mind was likely in a tangle. The realization that the Incheon Government's power was far greater than expected, combined with having his own illegal dealings indirectly pointed out, was a lot to process. That was enough. From the moment Kim Jun-hyeok pushed the narrative that this was the Incheon Government's doing, Moon Tae-jun was forced to figure out Kim Jun-hyeok's true intentions rather than blindly searching for an outside force. The truth might come to light someday, but at the very least, this would buy the one-month period he had promised Roman Dmitry.
And above all, he despised Moon Tae-jun's arrogant attitude.
To shatter his condescending perception of Incheon, it was necessary to make their presence felt at least once.
"...I understand for now. If they committed illegal acts and attacked first, the Incheon Government would have had no choice but to wage an all-out war against Red Moon. I will report the incident as such. However, be careful in the future. If such extreme measures become frequent, the Central Government will have no choice but to step in, regardless of the independent command structure granted to you."
"Understood."
"Also, I didn't get to mention this earlier, but there has been an order from the President to increase the tribute by ten percent from now on."
Kim Jun-hyeok's eyes widened.
This was an unacceptable demand.
"An increase in the tribute? Incheon is already in a difficult situation. We cannot afford to pay any more."
"That is Incheon's problem. Keep this in mind: an independent command structure comes with corresponding duties. If you refuse to follow the Central Government's orders, Incheon will be pushed to the bottom of the priority list when a Great Disaster strikes."
Moon Tae-jun sneered despicably.
Seeing the shift in the atmosphere at the mention of the tribute, he felt he had regained the upper hand.
Rising from his seat, he smoothed his suit. "No one knows when a Great Disaster will strike. So, for the sake of Incheon's future, make a wise decision—as you always have."
* * *
Left alone after Moon Tae-jun's departure, Kim Jun-hyeok fumbled through his pockets.
Finding only an empty cigarette pack, he irritably threw it onto the floor.
Thud.
"This is so goddamn wretched."
Twenty years had passed since the Great Disaster.
The world had turned into a living hell. Absurdity ruled over common sense, and the President, who was supposed to protect the people, went as far as using their safety as a tool for blackmail. Moon Tae-jun's threat was no empty boast. In fact, when the fifth Great Disaster struck, the President had eliminated the political rivals he disliked. It was an incredibly simple and easy method. By pushing their support to the bottom of the priority list, not a single living soul remained by the time help finally arrived.
Incheon, too, faced that unavoidable future.
If the Central Government turned its back on them, this city would undoubtedly be abandoned, regardless of its proximity to the capital.
"...Roman Dmitry. Why does he want a useless city like this?"
Suddenly, Roman Dmitry's face came to mind.
The sheer weight carried by his calm voice had made even Kim Jun-hyeok—a man who had long lost all sense of optimism—momentarily harbor a futile hope. If, by some miracle, he truly cleared the Ant Cave... If he possessed enough power to guarantee Incheon's safety, Kim Jun-hyeok would forge a future with him without a single moment of hesitation.
At that point, I wouldn't care if he had dark, hidden motives. Even if he uses Incheon to satisfy his own greed, as long as he guarantees this city's safety, I will dedicate everything I have to him.
He knew it was a foolish hope.
He had met countless people, but each time, he was met with despairing reality.
The Great Disaster was something humanity simply could not handle.
Because the endless waves of monsters could not be dealt with unless on a national scale, people formed their own factions. Even the Central Government that Kim Jun-hyeok clung to was merely a weakling on the global stage, unable to guarantee its own safety. Considering how the scale of the Great Disaster grew with each occurrence, South Korea itself might perish before they could ever receive outside help.
A bitter taste filled his mouth.
Kim Jun-hyeok pushed aside his complicated thoughts and called in his secretary. "Summon Incheon's leadership in ten minutes. The Central Government has increased our tribute by ten percent, so we need to discuss our response."
"Understood."
Now was the time to focus on reality.
With an uncertain future ahead, he had no intention of dumping all his problems onto someone else.
Hope was but a fleeting moment.
Kim Jun-hyeok immersed himself back into the harsh reality of the present.
* * *
Time flew by.
About a month had passed since then.
The waiting room of Cheongsan, a mercenary guild in Incheon, was as noisy as ever.
"Ah, fuck! This is so goddamn rigged, I can't play cards anymore! Does this make any fucking sense? Last round, I had a spade flush and got beat by a full house, and this time I have a full house and get beat by a four-of-a-kind? Go to hell, you motherfuckers!"
Smack!
He slammed his cards down on the table.
Amidst the cackling laughter of the other mercenaries, Park Gi-tae, a D-Rank Hunter, kicked back his chair and stood up.
Irritation surged within him.
With decent requests being scarce lately, losing his money on top of that made it impossible to sit there laughing and playing cards.
He stepped outside.
He put a cigarette between his lips, trying to calm his nerves, when someone sparked a lighter next to him.
Flick.
"Guild Leader?"
"Lost a lot, did you?"
"I swear someone is dealing from the bottom of the deck. If I just lost fair and square, I wouldn't say a word, but giving me a full house only to pull a four-of-a-kind is just too much."
"Yeah, yeah. I'd be pissed too."
The man was the Guild Leader of Cheongsan, Gu Cheol-ho.
Gu Cheol-ho took a drag from his cigarette and spoke in a low, suggestive voice.
"Want to take on a mission?"
"What is it?"
"An Ant Cave exploration. The pay is a hundred million won. What do you think?"
Instantly, Park Gi-tae froze, the cigarette dangling limply from his lips.
A hundred million won.
It was an amount he couldn't just ignore. Normally, he would have jumped at the offer, but he couldn't do that because of the words 'Ant Cave exploration'.
"...The Ant Cave? That's the place the Incheon Government gave up on. If two Queen Ants have been breeding worker ants for months, that place must be a living hell. Who on earth took on this subjugation?"
"It's not an organization. It's an individual-led subjugation."
"You're trying to get me killed. You must have a grudge against me."
He snapped his head away.
The reward was incredibly tempting, but risking his life on a mission like this was a guaranteed death sentence.
It was the expected reaction.
Gu Cheol-ho chuckled. "Yeah, it really is a dangerous mission. But the thing is, the down payment alone is a hundred million won. They'll pay another two hundred million upon completion. Why don't you tag along first and see if they're a decent party? If it looks like they can actually clear the Ant Cave, follow them to the end. If not, you can just use a Teleport Scroll to escape midway, and I won't hold you responsible at all. They aren't looking for your combat ability anyway. Seeing as they want to hire you as a guide, they must have prepared thoroughly."
Park Gi-tae took a deep drag of his cigarette.
He was a guide.
Not all Hunters specialized in combat.
Complex hunting grounds like the Ant Cave required guides, so Park Gi-tae made a living by utilizing his skills in that area. Hearing the Guild Leader out, it didn't sound too bad. Even if he just took the down payment and ran, he would still secure a hundred million won. Park Gi-tae pondered deeply for a long moment.
Finally, he crushed the cigarette butt under his shoe and sighed. "If I hadn't just lost all that money, I would've said no. So, where do I need to go?"
* * *
On the day of the appointment, Park Gi-tae felt his face twitch.
For a place like the Ant Cave, he had expected a large raid party. Instead, only two people showed up.
"Nice to meet you. I am Kang Min-ho, an E-Rank Hunter. This is Roman Dmitry, the master I serve. He hasn't taken the rank exam yet, so he is Unranked. You are Mr. Park Gi-tae, who received the request from the Cheongsan Guild, correct?"
"I am Park Gi-tae, but..."
The destination was the Ant Cave.
If it was an Ant Cave with two Queen Ants, common sense dictated that it should be a large-scale party composed of B-Rank Hunters or higher. Even then, success wouldn't be guaranteed. Yet, he had never imagined that a mere E-Rank Hunter and an Unranked Hunter would be the ones showing up.
He felt dizzy.
He realized Gu Cheol-ho had completely screwed him over.
"Excuse me, I need to use the restroom for a moment."
He hastily excused himself.
Just in case they had achieved some incredible hidden feat he didn't know about, he hurriedly checked their information. Accessing the Hunter Database, this was what appeared for the two:
`[Roman Dmitry]`
`- No information available`
`[Kang Min-ho]`
`- E-Rank Hunter`
`- Multiple successful E-Rank missions`
"...Goddammit."
A curse escaped his lips.
There was absolutely no information on Roman Dmitry, and this Kang Min-ho guy was a bottom-feeder who only did E-Rank missions. He couldn't understand it at all. This was a request with a down payment of a hundred million won, so why on earth did such absurd people show up? This was clearly a grave waiting to be dug. Tagging along would surely be courting death, but Park Gi-tae simply couldn't bring himself to give up a hundred million won.
Gi-tae, Gi-tae. Let's not act stupidly.
A hundred million won.
He swallowed hard.
While Hunters were a high-income group, those who earned tens of billions and lived lavishly were all B-Rank or higher. For a D-Rank like Park Gi-tae, this was an astronomical sum of money. After agonizing over it for a long time, he pulled a magic scroll from his breast pocket.
I have to at least go with them to the Ant Cave to get the down payment. Right. I have a Teleport Scroll, and the Guild Leader said he wouldn't hold me responsible. Let's just go. I'll take the down payment and run.
He couldn't be sure if this was the right choice.
But he had already accepted reality in his heart.
He would play along, and the moment he got cornered, he would run away without looking back.
He returned to his seat. Under the gaze of the two men, Park Gi-tae forced a smile.
"Let's go. I will guide you to the Ant Cave now."