Chapter 73
Chapter 73
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 73
Chapter Title: Laying the Groundwork (2)
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Hunters were civil servants in most countries.
They were basically affiliated with the nation's regular army, but they were treated a bit differently from soldiers and other civil servants.
The state assigned activity zones to hunters once a year. Within those 'activity zones,' hunters built up their records by subjugating Dimensional Beasts and suppressing criminal Psykers.
The performance bonuses they received afterward varied wildly based on those records, and in Lee Gyeo-ul's case, she'd pocketed up to 5 billion won during her active days.
Since those bonuses were 100% tax-exempt, every Psyker with an interest in money dreamed of becoming a hunter.
That was why new students flocked to Academy City's hunter training institutions every year.
However, unlike regular civil servants whose salaries increased annually with seniority, hunters' pay didn't go up.
It felt like an endless competition model tailored to a capitalist market—a thorough meritocracy.
Of course, the base salary was on par with a general's anyway, so even without racking up achievements, they still took home a fortune.
The state gave hunters better treatment than any other profession. They poured massive resources into reliably suppressing Dimensional Beasts and uncontrollable Psykers.
Even so, any human-made system was inherently unstable.
Dark underbelly issues like poaching achievements, falsifying incident reports, slacking off, and abusing positions were inevitable.
Humans were creatures who exploited weaknesses for personal gain.
Even those rigorously trained and educated at training institutions rarely resisted temptations like the devil's sweet whispers.
When hunter-related problems were becoming a major social issue, the Hunter Association emerged in the Republic of Korea.
It was a private organization created to address the problems hunters caused in society.
Led by Yang Seokdu, a Special-Class Hunter at the time, the Hunter Association began strictly managing and monitoring problematic hunters.
'Hunters should be guardians protecting the world and humanity from Dimensional Beasts, not scammers preying on others for profit.'
The hunter with the greatest authority and power took the lead in establishing discipline and order.
Beyond oversight, the Association held conferences to share valuable data on Dimensional Beasts and Psykers, improving hunters' lifespans and quality of life. Now, 95% of active hunters in the Republic of Korea were members, making it an organization as massive as a public institution.
Yubyeol-ha and I were on our way to meet the current Association President.
The upper echelons of the Republic of Korea had been infiltrated by the Secret Society, but the Hunter Association hadn't fallen into their hands yet.
"This feels kinda tense..."
"Why."
"It's my first time meeting the President in person."
We were riding in a black limousine. The German luxury car emblem gleamed on the hood. It was the vehicle the Hunter Association had sent for us.
The Association President... I recalled the original story.
About five years ago, Yang Seokdu, the founding President of the Hunter Association, had passed away from illness.
It hadn't been sudden, so the Association had already decided on his successor through meetings. The unanimous choice was the current President.
Yang Suhyeon, First-Class Hunter, son of Yang Seokdu, and Lee Gyeo-ul's cohort.
His battlefield accomplishments were impressive, but his true value shone outside of combat. He was a born commander who reformed systemic issues like achievement poaching and falsified reports, placing the right people in the right spots.
He was an exceptionally talented man, widely praised for successfully following in his father's footsteps among hunters.
"No need to be that tense. The President will view us very favorably."
"Favorably?"
"Yeah. He's like you—he despises the anomalies too."
In the original story, Yang Suhyeon was an ally.
He loathed the Secret Society's humanity reduction plan and supported the protagonist in every way to thwart them—a reliable backup.
Yubyeol-ha stared at me suspiciously for a long moment.
"What."
"How the hell do you get your hands on all this rare info?"
"'Cause I'm fucking awesome."
"You're fucking annoying."
I brushed off Yubyeol-ha's doubts. Ignoring her sour glare, I checked my phone.
"We're almost there."
The driver announced. As we arrived in Seoul, the Hunter Association building came into view first.
I took in the sight of the noble skyscraper, still untainted by the anomalies.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ "Welcome. Cadet Yubyeol-ha. And you must be Baek Do-hyun."
The first impression when I met Association President Yang Suhyeon was that of a gentleman.
His two-tone black-and-white hair suited his black suit and wavy tie perfectly—a young man who looked the part.
"To think the two ladies of Academy City would come all this way. Ha ha, I'm truly sorry before we even get to business."
"I'm a guy."
"?"
Yang Suhyeon cleared his throat awkwardly.
He seemed flustered. I hoped he didn't think I had unusual tastes.
My appearance might look like this, but I was plenty manly.
"I've heard about the Academy City incident. It's a huge relief everyone survived the terrorist attack unharmed. The casualties were remarkably low given the scale, and it's especially fortunate that promising talents like you, Cadet Yubyeol-ha, weren't hurt."
Yang Suhyeon rested his elbows on the desk and steepled his fingers. He tilted his head slightly, gazing at us.
The atmosphere shifted in an instant. Yubyeol-ha swallowed hard.
I took a deep breath and spoke up.
"May I get straight to the point? I'm not great with formalities."
"Please do."
"We came to the Association specifically because of the terrorist attack in Academy City."
"I'd like to hear the details."
"We know who's behind it."
Yang Suhyeon's eyes sharpened instantly. He must have guessed the 21st Century Secret Society too.
"I used to be an anomaly with the 21st Century Secret Society. Now, I'm also the leader of AOD, an anti-Secret Society group."
I calmly laid it all out—the events so far, the Society's humanity reduction scenario, and the intel that they'd soon move in earnest.
"We handled this terrorist attack ourselves, but stopping the many threats and attacks to come will require a lot of people's help."
"So, you need the Hunter Association's support right now."
"Yes."
A long silence fell.
As we locked eyes, sorting our thoughts, Yang Suhyeon broke it.
"I knew about the 21st Century Secret Society. Once you rise high enough in society, you naturally realize there's something evil lurking in this world. As a kid, I thought it was aliens or chaebols..."
Yang Suhyeon sighed.
"It's not easy. Far more people are cooperating with the Society than you'd think, especially in the Republic of Korea—tons in collusion. Even some active hunters might be in bed with them."
Yang Suhyeon still hesitated.
But the doubt in his eyes soon vanished.
"I'd like to exchange contacts. I want to discuss the future with your AOD."
Yang Suhyeon smiled faintly—an affirmation.
When faced with the impossible, he chose to challenge it rather than give up.
His support meant a lot. If he moved, countless active hunters would follow.
I extended my hand. He did the same. We shook.
"What if I'd been in league with the Society?"
Yang Suhyeon said slyly.
I smirked.
"Didn't think that far ahead."
"I figured you were more prepared... Mind if I ask why?"
"I had faith in you, Association President Yang Suhyeon."
"......"
Even I cringed at how cheesy that sounded. I quickly pulled my hand back.
Yang Suhyeon cleared his throat.
"Ahem. Is that everything?"
"Yes."
"Good work, Cadet Yubyeol-ha."
"You too."
Yubyeol-ha and I left the President's office. She, who'd been silent until now, finally spoke with a puzzled look.
"He's usually so suspicious, but I didn't expect things to go this smoothly. Did we really get through to him?"
"Yubyeol-ha."
"What."
"What's the most important thing in talking to people?"
"Trust."
"Half right."
I decided to give Yubyeol-ha the rest of the answer.
"The other half is likability. Trust was guaranteed by you. So where do you think likability came from?"
"No idea."
I tapped my index finger against my cheek.
"That's why they say looks create plausibility."
"You're fucking annoying."
Yubyeol-ha's face soured. I shrugged.