Chapter 150
Chapter 150
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 150
Chapter Title: A Betrayal Uncovered
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The Earth was at peace.
The number of gates opening had stabilized at around forty percent of their previous peak.
The rate, which had once dropped to thirty percent, had recently begun to climb again.
Nevertheless, a relaxed atmosphere prevailed because the gates were of a lower grade.
With hardly any A-rank gates appearing, veterans took a rest, and promising newcomers had a chance to build their skills.
But this rare period of calm wasn't used solely for good.
“Hello, welcome.”
On the shores of Giam Island.
Seo I-ryeon sat on a large rock on the coast, opposite the sandy beach.
Keeeuk.
The pink dolphin nuzzled its protruding mouth against Seo I-ryeon’s palm, acting affectionate.
But the pleasant moment was brief. After its charming greeting, the dolphin conveyed what it had seen.
“Hm?”
Hearing the story from the dolphin, Seo I-ryeon quickly stood up and returned to the base.
Kang Il-seop was in his office, checking the latest intelligence.
“Doesn’t something seem off?”
He was looking at a report on the Nollangyo.
As they were the key figures in the gate attacks, the entire world was focused on the investigation, but the information he had received was far from satisfactory.
“It seems the major world powers are restricting information,” his Chief of Staff said, sharing Kang Il-seop’s sentiment.
“The intelligence from China and Japan is particularly egregious. Most of it is outdated, and what we do get is inaccurate.”
“Japan, too? That’s strange. They’ve always been clean when it comes to gate-related matters, despite any political issues.”
“On the surface, they’re citing the Korea-US-Japan Research Agreement.”
“On the surface?”
“Yes. After a period of silence, that phrase is now coming from their political circles.”
“What’s your assessment?”
“It looks like they’re setting the stage. Right now, they’re just mentioning it. Soon, they’ll likely turn this into an international issue to pressure South Korea.”
It was a classic tactic Japan had used time and again.
“Damned fools. Of all things, they’re bringing politics into catching bastards who could be a disaster for the entire planet. This is why we operate outside of any nation, but do they still see us as just Korea’s Hunter Management Bureau?”
“That image will never fade.”
It was unavoidable, given that all the core members were Korean.
In fact, many viewed Mad Castle as another arm of the South Korean government.
“But why now of all times? If we were truly part of the Korean government, Japan wouldn’t be able to pull something like this.”
Japan’s greatest weakness.
The absence of an S-rank hunter.
The country’s hunters were still recognized as competitive on the world stage.
South Korea, on the other hand, officially had one.
Unofficially, there were Wang-sik and Gong Yeong-ji.
Gong Yeong-ji had not yet announced that she had become S-rank.
It was to avoid unnecessary attention.
While other S-rank Awakeners immediately announced the fact to build their reputation, Gong Yeong-ji had no reason to do so.
“They promised their full cooperation in finding the Barak.”
It was a promise made by the entire world. But in reality, several nations were now openly obstructing Mad Castle.
“The Royal Club has begun to openly interfere. It is expected to get worse.”
“Idiots.”
Kang Il-seop pushed the organized documents to one side.
Knock. Knock.
At the sound of the knock, they paused their conversation and looked at the door.
“Come in.”
When Seo I-ryeon opened the door and entered, Kang Il-seop shed his serious expression and moved to the sofa.
“I think the Chief of Staff should hear this as well.”
Calling back the Chief of Staff, who had been about to leave, Seo I-ryeon relayed the information she had just received from the dolphin.
“Someone came onto our island last night.”
“What do you mean?”
“They left three stones behind.”
“Stones?”
At first, the information made no sense. But Seo I-ryeon wouldn't joke about something like this.
“And there’s a submarine in the distant waters. I don’t know if we’re the target, but it’s been approaching and retreating for the past three days.”
Seo I-ryeon then handed him a piece of paper.
“I had my friends share their memories and drew this.”
The paper held a sketch of the submarine as seen by Seo I-ryeon’s friends of the sea.
“A Chinese Yuan-class submarine.”
“That’s what it looks like to me.”
Kang Il-seop’s expression couldn't help but turn grim.
Although it had happened often in the past, China, sharing the West Sea, frequently violated their territorial waters.
But submarines were inherently difficult to detect, yet Seo I-ryeon’s friends had found it.
“Don’t tell me we’re the target of an operation.”
The Chinese Yuan-class submarine was a strategic weapon capable of carrying large missiles, so it was impossible not to be concerned.
They wouldn't recklessly attack South Korean territory, but whatever their intentions, it was unsettling.
“These stones you mentioned, where are they?”
“At the eastern end of the sandy beach.”
“Understood. Let’s go check it out.”
Kang Il-seop pushed aside his worries for the moment and rose from his seat.
* * *
Guseong Group, Mad Castle Support Team.
The hundred-member support team was divided into legal, intelligence response, field support, and overseas business departments.
Among these, the field support team handled most of Mad Castle's needs, from supplying necessary goods and provisions to arranging agents' travel and accommodations.
When a party was held, preparing the food was also their responsibility.
It might sound like they had too much to do, but since Mad Castle's requirements were generally fixed, there were no major issues as long as they stuck to the schedule.
It was only when an unscheduled event occurred that they would move about busily.
“Team Leader, are you going in yourself again today?”
Field Support Team Leader Ha Jeong-in, 47 this year, was a boss well-regarded by her subordinates.
“Yes. The inspection is scheduled until tomorrow afternoon, so I’ll see you all the morning after.”
She was the type to always handle difficult tasks herself, which earned her the trust of her staff.
She had never once missed the quarterly management inspection of Mad Castle since it began.
—It’s the most important job, so I have to oversee it myself.
This time, too, the five-member inspection team headed to the Myeongdong Gate Exchange early in the morning.
Upon arriving at the Mad Castle headquarters through the gate, the inspection team was welcomed as always.
The base agents, friends of Wang-sik, greeted Ha Jeong-in first, and now that they were familiar with each other, they even exchanged jokes.
By the time they had meticulously checked everything from the base’s power generation facilities to the cafeteria’s refrigerators, night had fallen, and they were assigned rooms in the staff quarters.
“I can’t seem to fall asleep. I think I’ll go for a walk.”
“Be careful. The sea is dangerous at night.”
“I won’t go anywhere near the water. I just want to listen to the sound.”
Around 10 PM, Ha Jeong-in, leaving her quarters, met a base support agent and struck up a casual conversation.
Afterward, she left the base alone and went to a deserted part of the sandy beach.
Seemingly out for a stroll, she naturally made her way to the end of the beach and began examining the ground.
Just then, a red light glowed from a black box she held in her hand. Seeing this, Ha Jeong-in bent down and picked up a seemingly ordinary stone.
In Kang Il-seop’s office.
“Hoo.”
A deep sigh escaped him.
On the monitor was the image of Ha Jeong-in.
It was an area that the surveillance cameras normally couldn't cover.
A blind spot of sorts.
It was an unavoidable problem, as it was impossible to cover the entire island with cameras. But this time, after hearing Seo I-ryeon’s report, he had changed the camera’s position.
“So there was a spy…”
“What should we do?”
“Let’s watch for now. I need to know how she intends to use that.”
Kang Il-seop stared at the monitor with a heavy expression.
* * *
The Chinese Embassy in South Korea.
A black sedan with tinted windows, its interior hidden from view, pulled out of the embassy.
The car quickly left the bustling streets of Myeongdong and stopped at a quiet café on the outskirts of Seoul.
The small café, built in an inconspicuous location, was run by a bearded barista in his forties. There were no other customers.
A small, slender man got out of the black sedan, entered the café, and walked inside without a single glance at the barista.
The barista, in response to this attitude, actually bowed his head in greeting.
But as he bowed, the barista’s eyes wavered for a moment.
A presence.
He felt as if something had just passed by him.
Instantly, his eyes glowed silver as he scanned his surroundings.
In his whitened vision, he saw only two people.
A woman who had arrived five minutes earlier and was sitting in a separate room.
And the man who had just walked past him.
His eyes returned to normal, and he casually picked up a clean glass to wipe it.
At that moment.
Something was reflected in the clean glass.
*Behind me!*
The thought had barely formed when a sharp pain shot through him, and his body collapsed.
*When did they—?*
An A-rank assassin-class Awakener.
Even as he lost consciousness, he couldn't believe what was happening.
“Target neutralized.”
The one who had laid the man on the floor without a sound was Sa Seon-gi.
His voice was transmitted through an earpiece to somewhere, and soon the café door opened.
“Good work.”
The person greeting him was Wang-sik.
Wang-sik went straight inside and opened the café’s back door.
Before him was an ordinary hallway.
At the end of it was a single door.
Without knocking, he pushed it with force, and the door flew backward with a loud noise.
Crash!
Startled by the sound, two people inside jumped to the side of the wall. Wang-sik said with a smile, “Sorry. I thought it was a pull door.”
As Wang-sik approached, the man immediately drew a weapon. But the hooked blade he held was aimed not at Wang-sik, but at the woman beside him.
Ha Jeong-in of the Guseong Group Support Team.
Clank!
A chain shot out from Wang-sik’s hand and caught his hook.
“There are always bad guys, and then there are guys who are even worse.”
When his attack was blocked, the man, who appeared to be in his late forties, dropped the hook and ran towards the wall.
He intended to break through it and escape.
Bang!
But as he charged the wall, blood spurted from his forehead, and he was thrown back.
Wang-sik had blocked him with a shield.
“Looks like we have a lot to talk about. But first, take a nap.”
Smack!
Wang-sik’s palm struck the back of the man’s head.
As the unconscious man went limp, Wang-sik shifted his gaze to Ha Jeong-in, who stood beside him.
“You’re going to tell me everything you know. I won’t hesitate to torture you.”
Ha Jeong-in collapsed to the floor right where she stood.
* * *
Ha Jeong-in was watching a video of herself.
A clip of her dropping the stone she had picked up on the beach near the base.
And another of her secretly swapping a decorative item inside with an identical one.
Those items now lay on the table, completely disassembled.
“A listening device, remote hacking tools, and even a communication jammer.”
The person speaking was Han Young-im.
“We already knew. We were watching you to track down who gave you these orders. And we also know what you received in return. Special admission to Peking University for your son. And a large sum of money was deposited into your son’s Chinese bank account. Were you planning to emigrate?”
When Ha Jeong-in still didn't speak, Han Young-im’s tone grew even colder.
“To think that someone I hired was a spy. You have no idea how ashamed I am right now.”
Under the relentless pressure, she finally gave an answer. But it was so predictable that it left no impression.
“I’m sorry.”
“You should be. Thanks to you, I now have to be suspicious of my own staff. I will never forgive you.”
“Ch-Chairwoman.”
“You can’t even begin to imagine how miserable your life is about to become.”
“P-Please! My son…”
Bang!
Han Young-im slammed her clenched fist on the table.
Only after the sound had completely stopped echoing off the interrogation room walls did Han Young-im ask with a cold expression, “Are you a good parent?”
When Ha Jeong-in couldn’t answer the sudden question, Han Young-im said, “I’m asking a parent who uses their child as an excuse to disguise their own greed.”
As Ha Jeong-in’s face flushed red, Han Young-im stepped back, straightened her slightly disheveled clothes, and left the interrogation room.
Seeing this, just as Ha Jeong-in felt a wave of despair, the closed door opened again, and a man entered.
The man who always greeted her with a smile.
It was Wang-sik.
But the moment she saw him, Ha Jeong-in knew.
*Hell.*
Wang-sik glared at her, his eyes like those of a demon.