The Aftermath of the Misunderstanding 3
From the early days of dungeon generation right up to now, if this document recorded every single directive I'd issued, its ripple effects would be enormous.
Honestly, I had no idea what the current situation in Nepal was like, but if it ordered the slaughter of an entire nation's hunters just to seize a dungeon, then the other schemes were undoubtedly just as outrageous.
I instinctively sensed the value of this document and wondered if Heo Jinhyuk planned to use it for negotiations.
"Are you saying you want to use that record for negotiations?"
But Heo Jinhyuk's response was something I hadn't anticipated.
"No. I don't even think it holds that much value anyway. The Chinese government will deny it outright and pin it all on Baekya Gate's rogue actions. Besides, these are old incidents, and most of the victim nations lack the power to hold China accountable anyway."
I couldn't comprehend how to take Heo Jinhyuk's reaction. In a situation where inflating the document's value wouldn't even be enough, he was downplaying it instead.
"I'm planning to just hand these documents over. They mean nothing in my hands anyway, so please use them well on my behalf."
I felt flustered by Heo Jinhyuk's follow-up words.
What? How am I supposed to take this?
The document's value was absolutely not something to be given away for free.
He was right that it was useless to him, but in my hands, its destructive power could change everything. Regardless of my true identity, even within the scope Heo Jinhyuk knew, it was clearly capable of causing massive waves.
And yet, he was just giving it away? Why?
I started to suspect Heo Jinhyuk was pulling some trick. Just as I was about to ask for his reason, he cut in abruptly.
"Why, noth…"
"It's almost over, so please bear with me just a bit longer. You can judge everything after my story ends."
What on earth was Heo Jinhyuk trying to say? Did he have something more important than this document?
If I hadn't heard him out from the start, that would be one thing, but now I had no choice but to listen to the end.
"The reason Baekya Gate was called a pack of stray dogs is because not a single Han Chinese was among them. They were all made up of ethnic minorities. I myself was born to a Koryo-saram father and a Joseonjok mother, and the rest were in the same boat. Most of our families are imprisoned by the Chinese government, so we had no choice but to do as we were told."
Is that it? Was that what Heo Jinhyuk wanted to say? Appeal to my emotions by claiming it was unavoidable because their families were hostages?
If so, it was a total failure. My head felt sorry for him intellectually, but my heart didn't budge at all.
Then, Heo Jinhyuk dropped another bombshell that shattered my expectations.
"But there were no hostages from the beginning. To the Chinese government, we were nothing more than discarded stray dogs—nothing higher, nothing lower. And we realized that fact far too late. So I'm begging you. Before I die, let me at least get revenge on Ga Gyeonglim. Once it's done, I'll return to you, Guild Master, and offer my neck."
"…This is my insurance in case I try to run."
Splat.
No sooner had Heo Jinhyuk finished speaking than he gouged out his own eye and placed it on the desk.
My face twisted in shock at his sudden action, but then I noticed something off and looked closer—it wasn't an eye.
"An ancient artifact from a dungeon treasure chest. It shares my vision with one of your eyes, and if you destroy this eyeball, my remaining eye will burst too. Plus, if you hold this eyeball, you'll sense me entering within a 10km radius. The method of use is…"
As Heo Jinhyuk explained, I gripped the eyeball and infused it with mana. Light burst from it, projecting an image on the wall of me from Heo Jinhyuk's viewpoint.
Then, holding the eyeball and closing my eyes, I could clearly sense Heo Jinhyuk's presence, making his words sink in.
Finally, though I couldn't test this, destroying the eyeball would probably really make Heo Jinhyuk's eye explode.
"That's all I have to say."
With that, Heo Jinhyuk shut his mouth, and the ball was in my court.
I fell into deep thought, unable to decide rashly.
"I'm truly sorry." Lee Musin's face was ashen like a corpse when he arrived right after my call. He bowed 90 degrees at the sight of me and apologized.
"This is all my oversight. I never imagined there'd be such a massive hole. When I took the director position, I rooted out all the rotten elements, but it seems they've grown back over time. I have no excuse."
Lee Musin couldn't lift his head, as if he'd committed high treason. I helped him up and said,
"No, how is this your fault, Director? They fought among themselves and nearly wiped each other out, so there was no room for me to intervene anyway."
Lee Musin genuinely seemed ashamed. And rightly so—over 200 Japanese hunters and nearly 50 Chinese ones had entered, and he hadn't known a thing.
As he said, it meant a huge hole in the Hunter Management Bureau.
"I swear, this time I'll uproot every last one of these rotten bastards. I'm truly sorry."
Lee Musin bowed again, his eyes and voice blazing with fury. A bloody storm would surely rage through the bureau after today.
To lighten the heavy mood, I changed the subject.
"First, let me tell you what I found out."
I relayed the info from Heo Jinhyuk to Lee Musin. They'd interrogate the Japanese prisoners anyway, but prior intel would make the investigation smoother.
Lee Musin's expression turned incredulous after hearing it all.
"So all this happened because of a misunderstanding?"
"Yes. It's ridiculous, but that's how it is."
Lee Musin let out a hollow laugh, then his face hardened as he spat out words laced with rage.
"China and Japan have crossed the line. This time, I won't forgive them."
I fully agreed.
"Yes. They need to pay properly this time. So they never even dream of trying again. Oh, one more thing. Do you know Heo Jinhyuk, the guild master of Cheonmang Guild?"
Kim Do-hoon was an agent with the Hunter Management Bureau, handling entry screenings for hunters arriving via Busan Port.
Busan saw a lot from Japan, so veteran senior agents like him were assigned.
"Lalala~"
Kim Do-hoon hummed while finishing up, dreaming of escaping this hellish life for a fresh start after today.
Then a blow to the back of his head blurred his vision, memories cutting off as an enraged voice sounded behind the falling man.
"You damn rat bastard! No one to cling to, so you suck up to those Japs?"
Similar incidents were unfolding nationwide, including Gunsan Port.
"Director, Phase 1 purge complete."
Lee Musin nodded at Cha Tae-jin's report and issued the next order.
"Proceed to Phase 2 immediately. As a precaution, I'll say it again: this op is a race against time. Hit them all at once before they catch on and hide. We can't look outward until the bureau's internal cleanup is done."
"Understood. I'll root out every last one without fail."
Madness gleamed in Cha Tae-jin's eyes. He was as furious as Lee Musin—if not more—over this.
When Lee Musin took over, Cha had led the charge to uproot them, and he'd kept vigilant after. Yet Phase 1 alone uncovered 36 involved. The betrayal was beyond words, fueling a roaring inferno of rage.
"Process suspects as preemptive arrests from now on. No sacred cows in this investigation—even if it's me, investigate if suspicious. Don't spare a single one."
"Gokubo."
Just his name called, but Gokubo broke into cold sweats, biting his teeth to steady his trembling body.
Then Shigeru's bellow made it shake uncontrollably against his will.
"Instead of bringing Kim Suho as ordered, you hand me this?!"
Shigeru's demonic face hurled the paper, which read:
We summon Shigeru Masahiro, Director of Japan's Hunter Management Bureau, as a witness.
If you fail to comply with this summons, Japan may be expelled from the World Hunter Association. Please respond without fail.
Alone in the room, I monitored Heo Jinhyuk's view through the eyeball he'd left. It showed only black, like closed eyes.
Still hiding, huh?
I'd seen him enter a villa-like place before, and it had stayed that way since. He said it wouldn't work if he died, so he'd been hiding ever since.
I stared at the black screen briefly, then stopped using the eyeball and pondered Heo Jinhyuk.
Did I make the right call?
I second-guessed letting him go. It wasn't pity or sympathy.
It was purely because his talents were too valuable to waste, and I intended to use them.
Heo Jinhyuk was far more capable than he let on. He shone as a mid-range dealer in dungeons, but he truly excelled in hunter-vs-hunter combat.
This time, he'd faced Koga and Iga's top brass plus 50 elite ninjas—and crushed them head-on. He died and revived as a cost, but it proved his prowess beyond doubt.
I couldn't afford to lose that. With future events in mind, someone like him was essential.
So I'd gritted my teeth and released him. Assuming he returned alive, of course—but somehow, I felt he could pull it off.
As I thought of him, Lee Musin called.
"We've reviewed the documents you sent. Focused on the last 5 years, and they match perfectly with unsolved cases pinned on Baekya Gate."
After releasing Heo Jinhyuk, he'd sent the files immediately. I'd forwarded them to Lee Musin for verification. Heo Jinhyuk seemed truthful, but for planning, we had to confirm.
"Seeing this makes me even more certain. China is a cancerous presence."
A bureau director like him wouldn't flinch easily, but his voice trembled with rage.
My feelings mirrored his.
"Yes, you're right, Director. They're societal tumors. Japan almost looks innocent by comparison."
Reviewing Heo Jinhyuk's files had shocked me. Recent events were serious, but early dungeon-era atrocities were on another level.
They'd used over 100,000 foreigners for forced awakening experiments—a total failure.
And Nepal-style dungeon grabs with total hunter exterminations? Not once or twice.
"Also, the summons reached Shigeru."
The topic shifted back to Japan.
"He must've been shocked. Getting a summons instead of me."
We'd debated handling with Lee Musin. Provoking more China-Japan clashes had limits.
My presence tempted them, but the forces deployed were already excessive. Japan and China might balk at more, per Lee Musin. Even if escalated, our land as battlefield ruled it out.
Sanctions via my influence? They were already sanctioned, so minimal impact.
Thus, our final plan.
"Yes, he's probably raging right now."
"But will this really work?"
"Of course. With China targeting only Japan, they won't step in. They'll wonder where Baekya Gate vanished to—that's it. They won't realize they're next."
"I see."
"Plus, Japan infiltrated 212 hunters here. No excuses. Violating the World Hunter Association's absolute taboo on militarizing hunters—they won't get off lightly. With Miracle's word, even they'll have to think."
Only after his confident words did satisfaction settle in. The call ended, and I prepared interviews for the assault team finalists.
To be continued in the next chapter...