189. Perfectly to My Taste.
Kang Moo-hyuk sensed impatience from Darden.
Thanks to that, even without precise details, he could naturally infer Darden's situation.
'With the guild master's and the Tyrant's cooperation, Darden escaped the government's pressure. He even washed away his sins of inciting division among local governments and gained the justification of fighting for Russia. But if Kamenisky intervened, Darden wouldn't have had any sharp moves left.'
Kamenisky was that kind of existence. An S-rank unaffiliated with any guild. Lacking a faction, he wielded greater influence.
'Central government versus local governments. Guild forces warlord-ified in each city. Threats from Makyung and the Siberian tundra. In a country riddled with so many dangers it's a miracle it hasn't devolved into anarchy like Africa or South America, an independent S-rank hunter creates a subtle balance.'
This was why Kang Moo-hyuk had rejected Darden's proposal to eliminate Kamenisky. He didn't want Russia plunged into chaos.
And there was another reason.
'Kamenisky's a hunter who's staked his life on monster hunting. Not the most respectable personality, but he's indispensable for the world. Can't just remove him because he ruined my plans.'
Kamenisky's moniker as the Reaper of the Tundra wasn't for show. He practically lived in Siberia.
A monster land rivaling Makyung, where he took hunting beasts in the frozen wastes as his joy.
He could've built a mansion with the money from all those kills, yet he owned no home. Instead, he'd set up a basic camp on the tundra border for minimal rest between fights.
By now, Russian hunters idolizing Kamenisky had gathered around that camp, forming a village of sorts.
Not a guild, but a force no faction could ignore, bound tighter to him than anyone.
'If even he attacked Makyung, I can guess why.'
Gate raids.
Inevitable clashes with Huanglong Guild hunters, natural obstacles.
"Made your calculations?"
Darden had given Kang Moo-hyuk time to think and waited calmly before asking.
"Without Kamenisky, Russia would fall apart. Can't let all those people suffer just to make things easy for you, Darden."
"Is it really just for my convenience?"
His words sparked another hypothesis in Kang Moo-hyuk's mind.
"Don't tell me you've joined forces with those plotting to eliminate Kamenisky?"
"Why else would I alone target the Reaper of the Tundra?"
Kang Moo-hyuk recalled factions in Russia hostile to Kamenisky.
First, the central government.
'No. Would they cut down their one S-rank lifeline?'
Next, local governments.
'He's a threat against Moscow's pressure, but fundamentally neutral. And with central-local tensions easing due to the Makyung crisis, killing him now would be idiotic. That leaves guild forces...'
They'd targeted Darden just recently. Using him as an envoy was suspicious already.
Besides, the nail that sticks out gets hammered—Darden wouldn't lead the charge against Kamenisky.
'He's not the self-sacrificing type.'
Everyone lacked motive to capture Kamenisky for their own reasons.
'Time to simplify.'
Kang Moo-hyuk focused on Darden.
Among those he'd faced, Darden ranked top in selfishness and cold pragmatism.
'Who could move Darden?'
No matter the pressure from Kamenisky, he wouldn't act this aggressively.
But he had.
Kang Moo-hyuk recalled Darden's past.
"The central government's dog."
"Huh?"
"Tyrun Guild allied with the central government to exonerate the Tyrant. Kremlin orders?"
"You're fun, alright."
Darden's affirmation raised another question.
"Why would the central government?"
The Reaper of the Tundra was his hunter moniker. To Russian citizens, he had another: Guardian God of the Tundra.
His camp was dubbed the Siberian Guardian Wall.
For Russia's central government, no asset was more useful than Kamenisky—shielding from monsters and backing the state in crises.
Darden's expression chilled.
"Why? Simple answer."
"......"
"Kamenisky's too much like you. Different motives, but..."
Returning to Chongjin, Kang Moo-hyuk contacted Vladivostok's Char Guild.
But guild master Anton Ivanov was absent.
-The guild master's at the Makyung border. With the expedition team.
Kang Moo-hyuk asked deputy guild master Dmitry,
"Makyung gate raids? From Vladivostok, you'll mark the Mudanjiang gate."
-Yes.
"A bit miffed you didn't share that with us."
-Circumstances.
"Kamenisky, right?"
-You knew. Figures, after meeting Darden...
"Heard Kamenisky pressured the central government to accelerate plans after learning of the Makyung gates."
-Even conditioned it on not telling Korea or Japan.
"So Anton connected me to Darden? Char Guild can't afford to cross Kamenisky."
Kang Moo-hyuk guessed Anton's intentions.
Char Guild was Vladivostok's guardian powerhouse.
But a drop against Kamenisky's influence.
Untouchable by force, with central government pull, and gate raid justification—no refusal possible.
Rebel, and if exposed under Kamenisky's name, the backlash would be unbearable.
'Darden's right. Kamenisky's made too many enemies obsessing over monsters.'
Until now, sole alternative to central control, so everyone bent to him.
But now?
'Tyrun's full absorption secured the Tyrant's aid. Reconciliation with locals diminished his sway.'
Major guilds rode the wave, scheming to wrest the tundra from his grip.
Vast as it was, lucrative monsters were fixed. Valuable meant strong, requiring commensurate force. Prep and travel took time—but not for Kamenisky.
Solo clears, unburdened.
Homeless yet Russia's richest rumor stemmed from those high-value hunts.
-Still, the guild master linked you to Darden for your ties with Leader Kang.
"I know. Not blaming. Just want the current situation."
He'd heard from Russian negotiators about clashes with Chinese gate defenders. Time passed meeting Darden; results should be out.
-Russia's coalition secured all gates except Harbin.
The battlefield mapped in Kang Moo-hyuk's mind.
'Harbin's farthest from Russian border. Close to Jilin City gate.'
Jilin had burst, but its hunters wouldn't just withdraw.
'No need to hold Jilin, so redeployed nearby.'
Thus, Harbin reinforced.
A fierce stalemate.
"Where's Kamenisky deployed?"
-Nowhere.
"Nowhere?"
-Entered Makyung, but solo.
"Skipped gate fights? Location?"
-Unknown. No trace anywhere.
An S-rank hiding? Even top detection skills struggled.
Such a hunter sparking Makyung raids then vanishing? Illogical.
'S-ranks are unpredictable, but this defies reason.'
Hard to predict without behavioral data.
Kang Moo-hyuk faced a crossroads.
'Advance the plan.'
Before Huanglong countered aggressively.
Even securing Makyung gates wasn't the end. Gates had fixed outbreak timers.
Close before outbreaking, or kill boss and gatekeeper, preserve core for permanent revenue.
But two hurdles.
First: Defend Chinese counterattack mid-raid.
Second:
"The Chinese made something amusing."
Kamenisky discovered a massive device before the already-open Jilin City gate.
He stroked his snow-white beard, tilting his head.
'Opening energy clearly wasn't full.'
He extended the device toward the gate. The digital gauge front surged. Graph shifted colors, peaked yellow, then plateaued.
'Yet they opened it?'
Opening energy.
Mana threshold for gate outbreak. Full triggers opening.
Humanity, through Great and Small Wars, developed prediction tech. Same for grading.
"This machine involved?"
Unknown principle, unseen before. Suspicious by the gate—natural suspicion.
"Pity. If I'd known, I'd sneaked closer. Got cocky, smashed it."
Chinese hunters guarding it had wrecked it.
Now sprawled dead around.
"Smashed, but evidence secured. Set a trap now?"
Kamenisky unpacked by the device.
Nothing fancy: tent, camping gear. Without weapons nearby, he'd pass for a camper.
He lit a fire, grilled meat, chugged beer. Stray monsters drawn by smells pierced through the skull by his tosses.
Post-meal, he boiled water for coffee.
"Mmm, Korean instant coffee's perfectly to my taste. Koreans nail this stuff."
His backpack brimmed with Korean goodies: lunchbox ramen, mayo, etc.
"Oof, another. Monsters starving too?"
He slew the latest, boiled ramen.
A Chinese hunter watching afar from distance trembled.
"Reaper of the Tundra... Monster indeed."
Without long-range sight skill, he'd share the monsters' fate.
He withdrew the skill, turned.
"Must tell Guan Hong. Losing that device spells guild trouble."
"Gone now? Hurry, report. What big shot will you bring? This'll be fun. Hope they're perfectly to my taste too."