A Stronghold for the Future
"I have no intention of clearing Paju City all at once. I plan to take it over several days."
"Even so, reclaiming Paju City alone is still impossible. I understand your growth rate is absurd—I just witnessed it myself. But that alone is not enough."
Countless monsters already swarmed that vast territory. The Gates that had spawned there still remained. The longer time passed, the more the monsters multiplied, until the entire region had simply been left to rot.
Of course, as he said, splitting the work across multiple days instead of forcing everything in one push would make it somewhat more manageable. But that only applied when you had a proper team. For Do-ha, who was not yet a true SSS-Rank, even spreading the purge over several days would still be too much.
"If you intend to reclaim Paju City alone, Do-ha, you will need several more years of growth."
He said it for the sake of South Korea’s dignity. The world already knew Baek Do-ha as an SSS-Rank. If that same Do-ha were to be badly injured—or worse, killed—inside Paju City, Korea would become a laughingstock. People might even start pointing fingers and claiming the existence of an SSS-Rank hunter had been a lie all along.
It was a cold, almost sociopathic calculation, yet sitting in the Association President’s chair meant he had to weigh even such things.
"That’s exactly why I came. I have a request for you, Mr. President."
"A request made while revealing your true identity, no less…"
The Association President smiled and took a sip of tea. From the moment Do-ha had shown his face and given his name, the man had expected some sort of plan.
"Please do not stop me from entering Paju City. I may not be a complete SSS-Rank yet, but I can finish the purge successfully."
"I’ll be honest with you. The reason I want to keep you out is…"
"I already know. If I get hurt or die, South Korea’s position becomes awkward."
At Do-ha’s words the Association President’s eyes widened.
I sat on an emperor’s throne. Did he really think I wouldn’t notice something this obvious?
In Belhart he had not risen to the imperial seat through raw power alone. A man needed at least this much political sense.
"If I offended you, I apologize."
"No. I’m not offended. I simply want you to stop worrying, Mr. President."
"What do you mean…?"
"Officially, Hunter A will never have entered Paju City. Only the hunter named Baek Do-ha will have gone in. So even if I die, South Korea’s position won’t become awkward at all."
"…"
Only then did the Association President understand. He stared at Do-ha with a blank expression.
As he had said earlier, if the SSS-Rank known as A were injured or killed, it would be a major problem. But if it was merely Baek Do-ha who entered and got hurt or died, there would be no issue. Later, if anyone asked where the SSS-Rank hunter had gone, the Association could simply claim they truly did not know.
"Haa… You’re a difficult man to talk to. And far more terrifying than I expected."
"You’re being honest."
"I never learned how to speak in circles."
At Do-ha’s reply the Association President stroked his chin and thought for a long while.
"Can you truly succeed in the purge?"
"Yes."
"How exactly do you plan to succeed? If you want to persuade me, you need to offer something I can accept."
"I have no concrete evidence to present. I’m simply asking you to grant permission on faith alone."
"…"
Faced with Do-ha’s utterly unshaken confidence, the Association President found himself speechless.
"And if you do place your trust in me, I promise there will be a proper reward. That’s all."
Do-ha smiled. The Association President bit his lip.
Where did that confidence come from? It was not empty bravado—he genuinely believed he could complete the purge.
He’s a necromancer… Is he planning to overwhelm them with sheer numbers?
"Haa… Very well. I will authorize the purge."
"Mr. President!"
Roseina jerked upright in shock at his words.
He’s actually going to allow this?!
Baek Do-ha’s growth rate was frightening, yet he was still nowhere near ready to reclaim Paju City alone. And he was granting permission after only a few sentences?
What if Hunter Baek Do-ha really died?
I know it with my head. No matter how fast he grows, if he enters Paju City he will die…
Yet her instincts screamed at her to trust him. In all the years it had taken her to reach the Association President’s side, those instincts had never once betrayed her. And right now they were telling her that Baek Do-ha truly could succeed—that believing in him and standing on his side was a golden lifeline.
"Roseina. Things around Paju City are going to get noisy. Keep everything under control."
"Since we’ve reached an agreement, I’ll take my leave."
His business finished, Do-ha rose from his seat with a smile.
"Before you go… there’s something I’m personally curious about."
"What is it?"
"Paju City… You’re not going in just for the money, are you?"
An SSS-Rank hunter could earn that much money without ever setting foot in a place like Paju City. Deliberately walking into a monster-infested zone just to make money off the land? It made no sense. A few runs through SS-Rank Gates in other countries could net hundreds of billions in a single day. There was no need for such a cumbersome approach.
"You’re sharp as ever."
"Then why spend both money and time on the bothersome task of reclaiming Paju City?"
"Hmm… Let’s call it a base for the future."
"…?"
A base for the future…?
The Association President tilted his head, unable to grasp Do-ha’s meaning.
Is he planning to use Paju City as a stronghold? For what?
The Demon God Cult and the Demon God.
For the war that was coming, he absolutely needed a base of operations. And Paju City had appeared at the perfect moment. If it had been some other place, he would simply have bought that instead.
"In time you’ll come to understand the words I spoke today."
With a polite farewell, Do-ha left the Association President’s office.
"So… you got permission to enter Paju City?"
"Yeah."
"Well, if loud explosions start coming from inside Paju, Association people might come swarming in."
"Exactly. Rather than let things get complicated, I went and told them first that I was going in."
"As expected, you’re shrewd. But I’ve got a question."
"What?"
"Why did you drag me along?"
Still in his pajamas and looking thoroughly sulky, Canteas glared at Do-ha. He had been sleeping perfectly well—why haul him out at the crack of dawn? If Do-ha wanted to grow stronger, what did that have to do with him?
"You need to get stronger too."
"I just have to return to my original body! You’re the one who lost your power—mine is still there!"
"We don’t even know when we’ll be able to go back. You should diligently build up your strength so I can keep using you here and there."
"…I think you just said your true feelings out loud."
"They weren’t true feelings. I said them so you’d hear them."
"Wow, you’re not even trying to hide it anymore. Bold."
How much help had he given already? During the Brown Bear gang cleanup, during the “interrogation” of Assemblyman Park Seok-jun… Every time Do-ha went upstairs, Canteas had cleaned up the bloodstains and corpses, completely erasing anything that might cause trouble. And yet the man was this shameless!
"Of course I’m bold. Without me, where else would you live so comfortably? I’m the one paying your rent and utilities, aren’t I?"
"…Th-that’s… I helped a lot with the Brown Bear gang too…"
"You even took my card and bought a ton of stuff, didn’t you?"
"H-how did you know that?!"
Canteas jumped in alarm. He had studied what a “card” was and quietly swiped it while Do-ha was out hunting monsters.
"You still need more lessons about this world. When you use a card, the owner gets a text or an app notification."
"But I blocked all of those! Why did they still go through?!"
"…"
What a thorough little bastard. For a second Do-ha almost praised him for being so meticulous.
"Fine, whatever… You help me out, pick up mana stones, lure monsters—think of it as a salary. But what are you going to do if I freeze the card? How will you buy clothes? How will you buy those fresh fruit juices you love? How will you pay your phone bill? You even bought a computer—top-of-the-line, no less—and installed the fastest internet."
"…Th-that was… so I could study this world…"
"Ahh, so that’s why you also bought a sixty-five-inch TV and a game console?"
As Do-ha’s relentless words poured out without pause, Canteas quietly turned his head away. He had expected to get caught someday, but not this soon.
"I’ll pay back everything I spent later, I swear…"
"Hmm."
Do-ha shook his head at Canteas’s words.
Later? There was no such thing as later.
"You’ll keep paying it back the whole time you live with me. What’s this ‘later’ nonsense? If you wait, it’ll only get harder. Interest piles up every single day."
"Wh-what interest?!"
"Fifty percent daily interest."
"Not monthly—daily?! What kind of loan shark are you?!"
Even the moneylenders of Belhart weren’t this vicious. This was not a rate anyone could ever repay!
"You’re worse than the Brown Bear gang! They did loan-sharking too, and even they weren’t this bad!"
"But that’s the interest I charge."
"I-I have jewels! Diamonds, rubies—I even have fifty kilograms of Orichalcum! I’ll pay you back with that!"
"Wow, you actually have that much Orichalcum?"
Orichalcum was so rare that its price was whatever the seller demanded. Fifty kilograms of it? In Belhart that was enough to buy one or two small territories.
"Where are all those things you just mentioned?"
"In… my laboratory."
"And where is that laboratory?"
"In the world of Belhart…"
"Which means right now you have zero ability to pay, you bag of bones. Stop spouting nonsense and follow me properly before I sell you to a bone-broth restaurant."
Grab.
Drag, drag, drag.
"No, I don’t want to get stronger! And if I do get stronger and mana builds up, it might clash with my original body and I won’t be able to go back!"
"Then just think of it as helping me. Keep refusing and I’ll cut off the internet at your place starting today."
Slump.
In the end Canteas’s face crumpled into a miserable pout as he was dragged along without resistance.