The Man Who Bought Paju
Everyone had already gone home. It was late at night.
Bang!
Crack.
"Huu…"
The door burst open.
Roseina stepped into the Association President's office. The sudden crash had made her think something serious had happened.
"Please calm down."
The secretary stared at the desk split cleanly in two. It had been custom-built to withstand the President's volcanic temper. Even so, it had finally shattered.
"How many times is this already?!"
The Association President roared after receiving the report that more civilians had been seized in Paju. More than fifty cases today alone.
It had been over two weeks since the government lifted the restrictions. In that short span, more than a hundred and fifty civilians had been caught, and monster-related casualties already exceeded eight.
"These insane bastards… all because they loosened the regulations…"
Landowners, sensing opportunity, were advertising their plots left and right. The Association alone took the public's fury for it. They left people to die. Why are they just watching instead of saving anyone? The Association was stuck cleaning up the mess the government had created. Rumors even claimed the Association itself was planning to retake Paju.
"Add more personnel and tighten the perimeter. And make it clear—anyone who sneaks into Paju will face severe punishment."
"Yes, sir."
"Also, clear my schedule for tomorrow."
"Where do you intend to go?"
"To see the assemblymen."
He would meet those people and threaten them if he had to. The situation was this bad, yet they sat on their hands and watched? People were already cursing the Association; him raising hell wouldn't make things much worse.
"I can see exactly what you're thinking. Please stop."
"So I'm just supposed to sit here and do nothing?!"
"Dozens of articles already went out today stating that the Association is doing everything possible and urging people not to enter Paju."
"Articles like that came out?"
Who had planted them? Had Roseina already worked behind the scenes?
"Assemblyman Park Seok-jun, mayor of Goyang Special City, stepped forward and publicly sided with the Association."
"???"
The unexpected name made the Association President tilt his head. For a moment he wondered if his ears had failed him. Who? Assemblyman Park Seok-jun? The same Park Seok-jun who had constantly attacked and nitpicked the Association because he hated losing influence?
"…Did that man drink or something?"
"No. He gave the interview looking perfectly sober."
"What the hell is he scheming… At least the government side is off our backs for now. Did you meet the landowners? Did you tell them to stop the promotions?"
The government had started the fire, but the landowners had poured gasoline on it. Not one or two of them—everyone was posting sale listings, making people believe Paju was somehow safe again.
"I actually came about that problem… but they all took the ads down."
"Huh? Why?"
The landowners had removed every post? Why? Had someone threatened them? Had regulations quietly returned without his knowledge? Had the government's negative statements made them give up?
"They say it's already all sold."
"Sold?! That means someone bought the land in Paju?!"
"Yes."
"Who?!"
Why would anyone buy that place? Abandoned land even the government had washed its hands of. Had they believed the baseless rumor that the Association planned to reclaim Paju?
"If it sold all at once like that, did a group move in?"
"No. A single individual bought everything."
"…"
The secretary's report made the Association President's head throb. Not a consortium—one person had purchased every plot? Had some chaebol bought it as a joke? Even at rock-bottom prices per pyeong, the total would easily run into tens of billions.
"Did you find out who that one person is?"
"When I looked into it, the name was Baek Chul. His financial planner came and negotiated the purchases at an even lower price."
In truth, the lands once held by the Brown Bear faction had passed to Do-ha when that group vanished, but neither of them could know that. On the surface, the deals were already complete.
"Baek Chul… first time I've heard that name. Find out discreetly exactly who he is. And what purpose he had for buying it."
Just then—
Creak.
"There's no need for that."
A tall, handsome figure stepped through the doorway of the Association President's office. Baek Do-ha.
"I don't know who you are, but barging in like this—"
The secretary's brow furrowed in anger, but the Association President stopped her with a rigid expression.
"…It's you. South Korea's first SSS-Rank Hunter. Cheon-oe-cheon. A."
"?!!"
The secretary jolted in shock. If he had worn a mask she would have recognized him at once, but he had come bare-faced.
How did Master recognize him immediately?
Without the mask she had no idea who he was.
"You recognized me right away. Yes—I'm A. Or rather, Baek Do-ha. And Baek Chul is my grandfather's name."
Do-ha regarded the Association President with mild curiosity. He had always operated masked; how had the man known?
Of course I would know.
The Association President smiled inwardly. He had studied every available photograph of Cheon-oe-cheon for over a month. The mask covered most of the face, but the eyebrows and eyes remained visible. He had examined CCTV stills dozens of times a day so that, if he ever crossed paths with the man on the street, he would know him instantly.
"Please, sit."
After a steadying breath, the Association President guided Do-ha to the sofa. Arriving bare-faced meant the young man had come for something important.
"Roseina. Bring something to drink—"
"No need. I'm fine."
"Ah, I see. But I could use a cup myself. My throat's dry."
The Association President smiled. How could it not be, with an unexpected heavyweight suddenly standing in his office?
Roseina nodded, returned at once with two cups of cool tea, and set them on the low table. Even though Cheon-oe-cheon had declined, she still poured him one.
"Then I'll step outside for a moment."
"I understand you oversee every Gate-related matter in the country, Secretary. That includes Paju, doesn't it? If so, stay and listen."
"Yes. Understood."
At Do-ha's words she took the seat opposite.
"First—I purchased every plot of land in Paju under my grandfather's name."
The moment Roseina sat, Do-ha went straight to the point. For weeks he had met landowners one by one and bought their holdings. After more than a month of gathering and selling mana stones, money had not been an issue. Of course, the funds he had set aside for moving house had vanished in the process.
"The land was cheap enough to buy. Negotiation made it even cheaper."
"…May I ask why you purchased all of Paju?"
"Because it's the hometown where I was born and raised."
"I find it hard to believe that was the only reason."
The Association President narrowed his eyes. A hometown steeped in memory—of course that mattered. Yet buying every last parcel for nostalgia alone strained credibility.
"I have one guess… is it that reason?"
"Yes. Exactly. I intend to reclaim Paju."
Do-ha crossed his arms and smiled.
"…"
"…"
The words of Cheon-oe-cheon—tossed out as casually as a joke—left the Association President and Roseina staring with open mouths. That was the weight of an SSS-Rank Hunter. Even an offhand remark landed like a stone.
"If it's Cheon-oe-cheon… it might actually be possible…"
South Korea had two SS-Rank Hunters. An SSS-Rank, however, stood far above them. A single letter of difference, yet the gap was unbridgeable.
"But that would only hold true for a complete SSS-Rank, wouldn't it?"
"…"
"I have a theory."
"What is it?"
"According to the staff, during the rank measurement A—Mr. Baek Do-ha—looked puzzled. That means he questioned his own result. I found it strange. Why would anyone be puzzled when the highest rank, SSS, appeared?"
"Go on."
The corner of Do-ha's mouth lifted slightly. No wonder the man was Association President. He looked like a mafia boss, yet his mind was sharp.
"I also learned that for quite some time you entered only C-Rank Gates. So I asked myself: why would an SSS-Rank Hunter waste time on C-Rank Gates when A-Rank and S-Rank ones exist?"
"And what conclusion did you reach?"
"That Mr. Baek Do-ha was still only around C- to B-Rank. After taking down the Hound Boss, perhaps solid B-Rank. And that you yourself were aware of it."
"…"
"If that offended you, I apologize. But as head of the Hunter Association I have a duty to understand—"
"Yes. You're right. At the time of the measurement I was nowhere near as strong as the SSS-Rank reading suggested."
"As I thought."
The Association President nodded. He had half-expected it; hearing confirmation still felt satisfying.
"Wait… 'at the time'? Then that means now—"
His expression, still mid-nod, suddenly hardened.
"B-Rank, you say…"
Do-ha smiled.
A soft pressure filled the room.
"Eup?!!"
"!!!"
The moment Do-ha drew up his energy, the entire office flooded with his power.
"At this level, I'd say upper-tier even among B-Ranks, wouldn't you?"
"…"
"…"
The Association President and Roseina stared at him, eyes wide. This power was B-Rank?
Ridiculous.
It had lasted barely ten seconds, yet it far surpassed A-Rank strength. An A-Rank Association President and a B-Rank secretary sat in this very room—yet neither of their auras could push back even a fraction of Do-ha's.
No… it isn't merely surpassing…
It was S-Rank. Only ten seconds, but the energy radiating from him was unmistakably S-Rank.
"Well? Isn't a B-Rank of this caliber trustworthy enough?"
"…Hahaha."
Watching Do-ha speak with that sly smile, the Association President burst out laughing. The young man knew exactly how to deal with Awakened.
If he had tried to convince me with words alone that he had grown stronger, I never would have believed him. It would have been a waste of time.
Instead, Do-ha had simply shown his power. It might have seemed rude, but that was how conversations between Awakened had to go.
"I expected your growth would be rapid ever since you started clearing B-Rank monsters… but…"
He had never imagined the young man would climb past S-Rank in little more than a month. At this pace, reaching SSS-Rank would not take long. Right now it already felt as though only a few steps remained before SS-Rank.