#331. Then Eliminate Him.
Three hours before Thomas arrived at the Shandong Peninsula.
Wangsan Marina Port on Yeongjong Island.
Situated at the western tip of Yeongjong Island, Wangsan Marina Port was famous as a sunset spot.
Thanks to its location near the capital area, it had once been called the forefront of yacht leisure. But during the height of its rise, the Gate Wars erupted, turning it into a ghost harbor.
After the small wars that followed, the world began to regain stability.
A tailwind finally blew for the tourism and leisure industries, which had plummeted during that time. Korea, having established its monster security system earlier than most countries, reopened Wangsan Marina Port.
"Still, they haven't fully erased the fear of threats from the sea. That's why this port is technically open but basically shuttered."
Go Eul-ji glanced around the empty yacht docks as Kang Moo-hyuk explained.
"Yeah, no matter how fearless people are, they ain't rubbing up against ocean monsters."
"Who knows. Human challenge spirit is a weird thing. It's less in Northeast Asia, but the Mediterranean's a monster mess, and yet marine tourism is booming there."
Kang Moo-hyuk shook his head as if he couldn't comprehend such people. No Song-rin, standing beside him, chimed in.
"You see it on the news sometimes, right? More hikers die from monsters they meet on the mountain than from tricky terrain or bad weather. And yet, people keep climbing. Crazy, huh?"
"Oh? I've seen that news too."
Go Eul-ji raised her hand like she knew all about it. She scanned the harbor again and clicked her tongue in concern.
"Anyway, this place is gonna tank soon. No business like this. Tsk tsk. Wonder who owns it—must be stressing."
"It is a bit worrying. How to turn it into the black, you know."
"Why's the leader fretting over that?"
"It's Iron Will property now."
"Huh?"
"Bought it."
"What?"
"This place. The harbor."
"You bought it?!"
Kang Moo-hyuk elaborated for Go Eul-ji, whose eyes had gone wide.
"Needed to clear it out completely for quiet operations. If someone gets hurt mid-mission, we'll need to deploy ships on the West Sea without drawing eyes. Plus, a discreet entry point."
"How much? Nah, don't care about the price. But buying a whole harbor for one op? Damn, our guild's loaded. Next raid, we'll buy a mountain."
"Gates get traded too—mountains ain't off-limits. Iron Will's got that pull. And long-term, we need to handle China ops. So yeah, bought it."
"China ops? Only smuggling comes to mind for boat rides to China. So this is for shady stuff? Whoa, we're straight-up mafia."
Go Eul-ji gasped, and No Song-rin wagged his finger mockingly.
"Still a kid, huh. Hunters are basically reserve mafia. Saviors, heroes—whatever. That's the truth."
"Uncle, you've graduated from reserve. Full-on criminal. Not me. Who's lumping us together?"
"Hey, without the leader, you'd be Ujungdo-bound. Acting all clean now?"
"Red line on your registry vs. my spotless one? If you're salty, build your own connections and do bad shit."
"Ugh, kid with no dried blood talks big."
"Whoa, check that phrasing. Total boomer. Want me to keep your head bloody too, uncle?"
"Leader, look at her. How's a kid this violent?"
"Name a non-violent hunter. Our boss tops the list for smashing monsters and hunters alike. That's dissing the boss."
"Huh? Slamming the guild master?"
"Facts ain't insults."
"Nah, guild master's all class and elegance."
"Pfft, sucking up hard. Uncle's fingerprints gonna vanish."
"This is adult socializing, kiddo. Better learn it soon. Heh heh heh!"
As always, when Go Eul-ji and No Song-rin started bickering, Kang Moo-hyuk quietly stepped back.
He approached Thomas, who was administering meds for his mana addiction.
"How's the condition?"
"A few hurdles left, but treatment's kicking in strong. No more seizures. Can't go full power or for long, though."
"That's why you're just transport with Go Eul-ji Hunter. Long haul—conserve energy."
"Hope no fights break out."
Kang Moo-hyuk gave a wry smile at Thomas's wish.
"Learned this on the job: Assume the worst, and worse happens. Hunters' curse or the world's? Either way, won't be smooth."
Thomas nodded in agreement and asked about the mission.
"Word from Guan Hong?"
"Not yet. Contact him direct after you launch. Satellite phone's in your pack—wireless earset linked. Call anytime for position checks. GPS module too, so tracking's easy. Memorized Shandong coast?"
"Yes. Head's holding up fine, luckily."
Thomas's mana addiction had sharpened his mind. He'd memorized the satellite map whole.
While Kang Moo-hyuk briefed Thomas, Go Eul-ji finished prepping.
She pushed her goggles up on her forehead and swapped her usual armor coat for an armor jacket.
The jacket resembled a bulletproof vest—less coverage than a coat but form-fitting for stealth or enemy recon.
As Go Eul-ji packed gear, No Song-rin butted in.
"Forget anything?"
"Oh, right. Ampoule kit."
"Grab extra stamina and mana potion sets. Even you, long-distance high-speed's brutal."
Go Eul-ji fumbled the ampoule kit onto her belt.
"Waste. Official op, it'd be Guinness-worthy. What's the hunter flight record again?"
"Focus, not trivia. Again: You're transport only. No fighting—Thomas handles that."
"Got it, got it. How many times you gonna say it since we got here?"
"'Cause you're unreliable. No screw-ups."
"I slack off normally, sure. But missions? Nailed."
"Leaky inside, no leak outside? Your spacing out's the habit we're fixing."
"Fine, fine. I'll stay sharp. Promise."
"No injuries."
"Pfft, why worry?"
"Duh, gotta. You graduated now—gotta cover your shifts. You die pointless, I'm swamped. Stay healthy, yeah? No getting hurt. Got it?"
No Song-rin pleaded earnestly, and Go Eul-ji grimaced.
"Almost touched... but milk that sentiment."
"How much?"
"Hundred mil."
"Thief mentality."
"Not total Scrooge? Was gonna say a bil."
"Shut it—stuff these."
No Song-rin crammed extra stamina and mana potions into her belt kit.
But Go Eul-ji shoved them back closing the flap.
"Kits are packed tight. Gonna shatter."
"Mana stone-made—tough."
"Already too many."
"No room? Backpack then. More spares, the better. Shit happens."
"Eek, weighs me down flying."
Go Eul-ji, who minimized gear even normally, grumbled about the backpack too. But No Song-rin cinched the straps tight and forced it on; she relented with a pout.
Prep chaos over, Kang Moo-hyuk called Thomas and Go Eul-ji for final orders.
"Priority one: Retrieve Guan Hong Hunter collision-free. If clash, overwhelm with firepower—Plan B. Go Eul-ji Hunter, secure him then. LA incident exposed your powers, so avoid combat."
"If forced to use power?"
"Disguise as mage max. Goggles and mask for that."
"Ugh, tricky... but I'll manage."
Kang Moo-hyuk turned to Thomas.
"If securing Guan Hong seems impossible, abort. You two safe first."
"Can secure, but variables? My call?"
"Most variables from his mess. If talkable and reasonable, follow his lead. But any red flags, pull out."
"If he pulls shady shit? Like using us for risky schemes to reclaim his spot."
"Can't rule it out, but Huanglong Guild unlikely to take him back. Worst case: He sacrifices us as scapegoats..."
Kang Moo-hyuk leaned close, whispering in Thomas's ear.
"Then eliminate him. Combat accidents happen."
Thomas nodded without reply.
Kang Moo-hyuk stepped back.
"Safe travels."
With that, Go Eul-ji pulled Thomas into her domain.
He accepted her energy without resistance.
Their bodies lifted into the air.
Go Eul-ji pulled down her goggles. Thomas followed suit.
"Go Eul-ji Airlines, departing."
Shuuu—whoosh!
She blasted off at full throttle from the start. The shockwave staggered Kang Moo-hyuk.
No Song-rin steadied his back. He stared after her trail over the sea toward the horizon.
"Worried about that one."
"She'll be fine."
The curt words from Kang Moo-hyuk oddly reassured No Song-rin.
'Wait. I'm reassured? Worried about her? Nah. Just don't want extra work if she croaks.'
No Song-rin vehemently denied worrying about Go Eul-ji, clamping his mouth shut.
"Let's move. Busy here too."
Kang Moo-hyuk turned from the quiet harbor back toward Seoul.
Despite endless sabotage, Guan Hong finally set foot on the Shandong Peninsula.
'Expected interference, but dropping Mirage's name hit this hard.'
The bomb that Huanglong Guild had sold out to Mirage spread across Shandong Province in seconds. The fallout was intense.
The warehouse fight's aftermath hit immediately.
Self-proclaimed hothead Zi Lin froze. Liu Shishi flailed clueless despite her arm gone.
Gu Dongzun's ally Wei Xiao Guang recoiled in shock. Even Yi Han-cheol, Baek Gwi's subordinate itching to kill Guan Hong most, dithered between assassination or reporting up.
Whatever their reasons, naming Mirage amid the big players exceeded Guan Hong's expectations.
He slipped the encirclement easily.
'Mirage news spreading this fast province-wide? Baek Gwi or the Alliance.'
Guan Hong leaned toward Baek Gwi.
'Alliance would probe then exploit. Baek Gwi benefits from chaos near Korea in China's east.'
Who else could topple a nation like Mirage? And swallowing Huanglong Guild? Scandal of the century—or existential threat.
Suddenly, an amusing thought struck Guan Hong.
'Top guilds on gate security frontlines tangled with Mirage. Yet everyone's scheming self-interest, not solutions. Hunters should be ashamed. Grab gains, sure—but at least plan defenses.'
Guan Hong had once stirred Makyung, causing mass deaths. Booted from his guild after, his worldview shifted.
Abandoning greed brought clarity.
'Hypocrite much? Can't judge others—I was one.'
Since, he'd run his guild righteously.
Accepting Kang Moo-hyuk's offer and ongoing cooperation stemmed from that.
'My issues aside. Factions overstepping now. Prioritizing org gains over nation and people? Disaster waiting.'
Guan Hong's concern wasn't trivial.
Huanglong itself, and the Alliance gunning for them, prioritized calculators first.
Baek Gwi wasn't Chinese anyway. But his pursuers differed.
'Tianming mobilized too?'
The guild ambushing him upon entering Shandong.
He'd shaken them, but they tailed still.
Tianming Guild allied via blood oath with Shim Wol's Nakil. Industry open secret: Nakil fell to Huanglong schemes. Tianming had cause aplenty.
'Not pure revenge, though.'
Tianming publicly vendetta-ed Huanglong on revenge pretext, but really for Liaoning Peninsula dominance.
Northeast China Makyung-infested cut Liaoning routes. It became forward base near Makyung core.
Shandong Peninsula neighbored Liaoning—shortest ~110km. Flights quick, but mass personnel, gear, monster byproducts? Shandong's edge huge.
Huanglong seized Liaoning and Makyung hegemony. Beijing to Liaoning: 400km. Tianming looked outmatched.
Tolerable while blood ally Nakil partnered Huanglong for full Makyung China claim. But Shim Wol's death changed all.
Tianming openly called Huanglong doom—short of declaring war.
Bi Wanjun deterred direct clash. But Guan Hong in their yard? No pass.
'Mission add-on achieved. Soon Bi Wanjun vice master exits gate. If no Mirage ties, he'll purge outsiders. Meantime, Alliance, Tianming, Huanglong foes press. Huanglong, Mirage-branded, stays defensive. I'll secure safety in the gap.'
Guan Hong sought escape not just from Huanglong, but trailing chasers and assassins.
Also curbing Huanglong—China's top guild—from becoming public enemy.
'Assuming vice master clean of Mirage.'
His ploy shone even in worst case.
All factions would turn on Huanglong.
China's eight S-ranks; Shim Wol dead, seven left. Six sans Bi Wanjun.
True Mirage puppets? They'd fear those six.
Beijing coveted by all—no shock if any targeted them.
Guan Hong handed those vultures the moral high ground.
"Alright, time to prep my exile."
Thoughts sorted, Mirage shed from Huanglong, Guan Hong dialed Kang Moo-hyuk's number.