198. It Has Vanished.
Joo Se-ah had returned. With Kamenisky in tow.
Kang Moo-hyuk went out to meet them in the rebuilding city of Hoiryeong.
At the entrance to the collapsed Tumen River front lines, he spotted the two being guided in by soldiers.
Kang Moo-hyuk approached right up to the control line to greet them.
Catching sight of Joo Se-ah after so long, she subtly nodded toward the man beside her. A signal that from here on, she was leaving it entirely to him.
Kang Moo-hyuk nodded back and extended a hand to Kamenisky.
"I'm Kang Moo-hyuk, leader of Iron Will."
"Nikolai Kamenisky."
Kamenisky clasped the offered hand.
Not a hunter, but those eyes aren't ordinary. Feels like looking at a hunter heading out on a gate raid.
Kamenisky had crossed the Makyung with Joo Se-ah after she'd turned Igor around, and he'd heard endless stories about Kang Moo-hyuk along the way. Just as she described, he wasn't someone to underestimate, hunter or not.
Kamenisky himself was an S-rank hunter, so he'd planned to take down an S-rank. But this man was a regular human trying to hunt one.
And in the process, he'd dragged in the Tyrant and used even his own guild master like a pawn on a chessboard.
No sane person would attempt something like that. At least, he was either insane, a genius, or both.
Kamenisky hoped it was the former. Dealing with a smart, ambitious madman was far harder than a dumb lunatic.
But what if he's a clever lunatic?
How many of those have there been? None ended well. Hope he's the nice kind of crazy. Guess we'll see once we talk.
Kamenisky was a veteran who'd survived both the Great War and the small wars. On top of that, he'd rolled through Russia's cutthroat politics and bloodshed unscathed for years.
He'd honed himself hunting monsters in the frozen wastes called Siberia's Makyung, mediating guild wars with sheer force when they erupted.
If someone disrupted order, he'd judge them personally. If it was an organization, he'd leverage every bit of power at his disposal to keep them in check.
Having seen it all, he naturally sensed that Kang Moo-hyuk hadn't called him to Korean soil just to make nice.
"We've prepared a hotel for Hunter Kamenisky. Medical staff are ready too. Please get treated first and rest up."
"Very well."
He responded leisurely on the surface, but Kamenisky was curious about Kang Moo-hyuk's intentions. Still, with his body in tatters, he decided to recover first before engaging.
He cast aside his impatience and received treatment at the hospital Kang Moo-hyuk directed him to. Whether due to the latest mana therapy equipment or his S-rank resilience, a few hours of treatment restored his vigor. Though returning to the field would still require about a month of rest.
Afterward, Kamenisky unpacked at a hotel in Hoiryeong City. His only luggage was the Ice Reaper's great scythe, so he had nothing to change into, but Kang Moo-hyuk's preparations spared him the trouble.
"It's modest for hosting Russia's top hunter, but this place was a monster den not long ago, so please bear with it. Once you're feeling better, we'll move you to a rear city for better accommodations."
The hotel Kang Moo-hyuk had arranged was a tourist spot in Hoiryeong City, hastily renovated as temporary lodging for the hunters defending it.
No suite in sight—just a cramped room with a bed. Amenities were motel-level at best. At least it was on the top floor with a decent view. Though even that was a bleak, half-ruined cityscape; the night view was passable, at least.
"Top hunter? I'm not even the best in Russia. Don't fuss over this old man. In the frozen wastes, sleeping on rocks is routine. This is practically a palace."
Kamenisky was definitely unlike the typical hunters chasing wealth and pleasure. Kang Moo-hyuk appreciated his unpretentiousness.
For someone who could indulge in luxury anytime to maintain a hunter's true posture for decades—it was a lesson for all hunters.
"Then rest well, and shall we dine together this evening? I hear you like Korean food."
"The Korean food I've had is mostly ramen and snacks. But since you've gone to the trouble, I'll look forward to it with pleasure."
Unlike the so-called "hotel," dinner was splendid.
Kang Moo-hyuk had cleared out a restaurant building whose owner hadn't returned, splurging on a Korean chef flown in from Seoul for a full dinner course.
The chef, usually too haughty for travel gigs, came without complaint upon hearing it was for Russia's S-rank. An S-rank's status rivaled a head of state—hard to refuse.
Kang Moo-hyuk seated Joo Se-ah to his right and Kamenisky to his left. Conversation flowed over the meal, mostly about monster hunts in the frozen wastes.
"So I chased that yeti, but the bastard was fast and a master at hiding. A yeti that killed hundreds running instead of attacking? Suspicious from there. Sure enough, when I caught its tail, it wasn't just any yeti."
"An Unknown."
"Right. Just like you said, Leader Kang. Yeti, but it changed colors like a chameleon and shifted forms like slime."
"Wait, was that the Chameleon Yeti?"
"Spot on, Guild Master Joo. That's the one I named myself. Good, right?"
"Perfect. Naming's always been a headache for me. Run into so many Unknowns. Even went to a naming service once, just for them."
"Kuhahaha! Brilliant! So, did it work?"
"Secret. Paid for three or four. Still in the monster codex. But conscience kicked in later, so I left it to the guild."
Joo Se-ah whispered behind her hand. Kamenisky burst out laughing, pounding the table.
Kang Moo-hyuk chimed in, Joo Se-ah added timely asides, and the talk stretched endlessly.
From trivial anecdotes to mid-hunt mishaps.
It evolved into gate intel and raid tactics. Joo Se-ah even got an open lesson on S-rank combat.
The chat ripened into a marathon, but no one tired. They shared a common thread.
Monster-hunting maniacs.
Like hobbyists bonding instantly, their shared passion fueled the flow.
The meal starting at 7 p.m. ended near midnight. The black sesame ice cream dessert had melted; they hadn't finished a bottle of wine.
Sensing the moment, Kamenisky spoke first.
"Great mood. Better business before we get too chummy."
"We can get chummier."
"That'd be trouble. Hate paying the price after bonding. So, why save this old man from the Tyrant? Tied to killing Sim Wol, I bet."
Kang Moo-hyuk, chin propped attentively, straightened up.
"First, your involvement in the Makyung wasn't in my plans."
The lively vibe chilled instantly.
"Heard that from Guild Master Joo on the way. Sorry, but I'm Russian too—can't sit idle if the homeland's at risk."
"Patriotism? Sure, package it that way if you like."
"Tch. Never one to let things slide. Fine. Why do you think I fought Namsan's Demon?"
"You mention Sim Wol first. Not the gates."
"Sharp. Interesting fellow. Go on."
"Nothing grand. Your past incidents alone let me infer it wasn't just national peril."
"Which parts?"
"Blagoveshchensk."
"Hm."
"The gate with $50 billion in resources—you blew it up on China's side. Hunter agencies fixated on value, but the S-rank clash was the real buzz. Russia's S-rank? You."
"Another?"
"Yaroslavl Hunter Expo."
"Hahaha. Obscure one. How'd you know?"
The Yaroslavl Hunter Expo was held in the mid-sized city northeast of Moscow.
Every two years, it toured global cities showcasing hunter gear, gate theory—a hub for advanced systems and exchange.
"Anti-hunter terrorists 'Mirage'—their S-rank leader raided it. You raced from the wastes to counter."
Kang Moo-hyuk cited more examples. All involved S-ranks. All with Kamenisky's hand in them.
"My mistake: not expecting you'd rush from the wastes to the Makyung. Didn't factor you in at all. Who'd fly that far to target China's S-rank? Need more examples?"
"No need. That's enough. Conclusion?"
"I respect your passion for the wastes. Intent aside, it helps humanity. But picking fights with the strong to prove yourself, heedless of consequences— not a good look."
"Bad look for whom?"
"Earth's people."
"What?"
Kamenisky thought it a joke. A bad one, no laugh.
But Kang Moo-hyuk's serious face said otherwise.
Dragging me here just to beg I stop dangerous stunts for people's sake? He killed Sim Wol himself—does he have the right?
Kamenisky gaped, incredulous. Reading him, Kang Moo-hyuk spoke.
"Sim Wol deserved death. She harmed people."
"Me too?"
"No. I'd have let the Tyrant kill you then."
"Then the worn-out Tyrant falls to the witch? Peak borrowed knife murder."
"Wiping three S-ranks disrupts world balance. Not defending your actions, though."
"Defending?"
"Your wastes moves were risky. Die to the Tyrant—who minds the wastes? Your followers scatter, territory expands."
The wastes were arguably riskier than the Makyung. Inhospitable cold challenged even hunters.
Monsters there? All freaks. Kamenisky had culled them for decades.
Russia owed him.
Don't judge by looks or achievements. The Desert of Ice Reaper doesn't act from duty. He hunts strong monsters for pleasure. Same for strong hunters—bloodthirsty for them.
Kang Moo-hyuk couldn't ignore this dangerous hunter. Nor eliminate him. Results protected people, intent be damned.
Couldn't rein him in, but maybe steer his course. That hope brought Kamenisky here.
"Self-awareness, please. You bail—the wastes threaten, Russian regional powers stir. Guilds run wild. Just look at Darden. Provoking an S-rank aspirant gave the Tyrant his angle."
"Analyzed me that deep? No dodging. Yes, pressuring Darden opened Tyrant options. But you share blame for this mess."
Kang Moo-hyuk groaned.
"Vladivostok..."
"Quick on the uptake. You stung Darden there, cornering Tyrun Guild. One slip, and the Tyrant reverts to wanted status. I'd have hunted him gleefully. Makyung derailed it. Fighting Sim Wol? Satisfying outing."
Kang Moo-hyuk realized anew.
Kamenisky was like any hunter.
Russia's hero, but broken somewhere.
Pity. This won't pan out. Hoped for more responsibility.
At least not the type charging blindly at S-ranks.
He fought with cause.
Blagoveshchensk, Yaroslavl Expo, Makyung, Igor—always justification.
Kang Moo-hyuk decided to wrap with proposals.
Couldn't curb bloodlust with reason.
Show gains fitting him to keep future doors open.
As he gathered thoughts, outside grew rowdy.
Joo Se-ah, silent through Kang Moo-hyuk's talk, turned toward the entrance.
A man entered—No Song-rin. Face pale with shock.
"What happened?"
"D-dragon... Khabarovsk..."
"Khabarovsk? Speak clearly."
Russian city mentioned, Kamenisky pressed. No Song-rin steadied his breath.
"Khabarovsk has vanished."