Chapter 139
Chapter 139
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 139
Chapter Title: Marble Run and Smuggling Secrets
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After wrapping up a pleasant call with the President, we spent the night at the lodging Taebaek LLC had set up in Paju and returned to Seoul.
Once we'd unpacked in the dorms inside the Association building, Jeong Oh-hoon let out a groan and looked my way.
"Still, the government's going along with our request without much fuss."
"What are they gonna do if they don't? Die together on the Korean Peninsula with the rest of us?"
Han Sang-ah, who had just set down her massive bag, chimed in from beside me.
"If I were the core of Gonsalok, I'd have tried negotiating with Korea. Something like, 'Hand over you three to Gonsalok, and we won't attack.'"
Whoa, that's chilling. But the odds are slim. If what Seong-hong, that low-level exec from the Undying Legion we faced before, said holds true, then Gonsalok's core doesn't tolerate living things anyway.
In the midst of all that, Han Sang-ah rummaged around in her bag and pulled something out.
"What's that?"
"Marble Run. Didn't you say we'd take a break before heading to Gonsalok? We're playing with this today."
With that, Han Sang-ah started meticulously assembling the items packed inside the huge bag.
Wooden and metal rails came together piece by piece. A miniature roller coaster was taking shape in the corner of the room.
She picked up a steel marble, placed it on the track, watched it roll along for a bit, then dove back into expanding the coaster.
Jeong Oh-hoon watched her for a moment before turning to me.
"She's way too avant-garde to be human."
Do you even know what avant-garde means? Not everything weird qualifies. I checked the time and stood up.
"Anyway, you two rest up. I'm heading out for a bit."
Han Sang-ah was too absorbed in her marble game to respond, and Jeong Oh-hoon just nodded like he got it.
"What for?"
"Gotta meet up with Oduak's owner, Sa Seung-hee."
I pulled out my smartphone and waved it as I explained.
"Se-eun noona asked me to set it up a while back."
Lee Se-eun had once asked me to arrange a meeting with Sa Seung-hee. It was a bit late, but a promise is a promise.
"What, you're going alone to score some free food from Sa Seung-hee?"
"Nah, I'll just make the intro and bail. Thinking sauna maybe."
Jeong Oh-hoon groaned at that.
"Go to a sauna and guys'll be swinging their junk around, asking for your autograph."
He had a point. Worst case, I'd end up signing autographs while staring down some elephant-dicked uncle flopping his trunk.
"There's a bathhouse in the Association building, though."
"You think it's any different with hunters and Association staff? Same deal."
Damn it. He's right.
"There's a hotel near Namsan with cypress wood baths and a sauna right in the rooms."
Han Sang-ah tossed out the suggestion while rolling her marbles.
"Pfft, booking a hotel room just for a sauna? That's some psycho-level thinking."
Guess I'll just shower and crash. I said goodbye to the two and headed out.
By the time I reached the front of the Association building, Lee Se-eun was waiting in her car. The moment I got in, she spoke up.
"Government's issued directives. Details aren't public yet, though."
"Gonsalok, right?"
Lee Se-eun nodded and started driving.
"Inside Zanabi, they're thinking it was your doing."
"Spot on. Korean government didn't seem keen on tackling Erosion Cores aggressively, so I gave them a little nudge."
She gave me an ambiguous look at that.
"You did shove them, sure. But the government won't be thrilled about getting pushed into this mess out of nowhere."
"Come on, when have they ever liked me?"
Even getting a single helicopter from the army for the Sambuldong raid was a hassle. No public knowledge, but the Korean government never warmed up to me from the start.
And with our goals misaligned, no chance of that changing.
"Not begging the haters to love me."
They're not even charming enough to warrant it. First one to slap on the collar and drag the other wins.
"Mugunghwa and Taebaek probably got the call from the government too. Everyone's scrambling right now."
"What's the word on the street?"
"Think total mobilization order. They're even reaching out to Wonder Club for cooperation."
Whoa, Wonder Club?
"Those lazy asses are actually moving?"
"Gonsalok might attack Korea. Butt weight doesn't matter here."
I leaned back in the car seat.
"Their house is on fire."
"Exactly. No matter how arrogant or slothful, they won't sit by if their home's burning."
Everyone knows Gonsalok's vicious rep by rumor. Though most of those rumors aren't accurate...
One of the Great Eight. The worst eight Erosion Cores on Earth. And right in Beijing, the biggest threat to Korea.
"Gonna mobilize insane numbers. Like a hunter legion."
"Gonsalok's rep demands nothing less."
Lee Se-eun glanced at me worriedly for a second.
"If this goes south, all the blame arrows point at you."
"Yeah, figured."
Always has. Ever since returning to Earth, the only normal stretch was my logistics internship. No real chill otherwise.
Short time, but man, it was nice. No worries, days flowed stress-free like water.
That's why time flew, huh?
Anyway, screw up and blame rains on me.
"Pull it off, and I claim a big chunk of the glory fruits."
"Dunno about that. Wonder Club's jumping in not just for Korea's fire, but..."
I could guess the rest.
"To hog as much credit as possible by jumping in hard."
"Not just them. Plenty don't want you racking up more fame."
Yeah, figures. Always been that way, probably always will.
"No issue. I'll grab my share."
"Right. You will."
We arrived at Sa Seung-hee's Oduak while chatting. It was already closed, as arranged ahead.
I messaged on my phone, and Sa Seung-hee opened up.
"Hunter Yoo Chan-seok. And first time meeting you, Hunter Lee Se-eun."
She gave me a quick nod—we'd met a few times—then turned politely to Lee Se-eun.
A bit of a wall there. Makes sense; she never planned on meeting Lee Se-eun anyway.
"Always indebted to Oduak. Thrilled to finally meet you."
Lee Se-eun picked up on the vibe but just returned the greeting smoothly.
"Shall we head inside and talk?"
"Ah, think I'll bow out here. We'll catch up later."
I'm just the matchmaker. No need to linger.
Sa Seung-hee glanced at me, narrowed her eyes, stared a bit, then nodded.
"Sure, go ahead. See you. Oh, congrats on clearing Sambuldong."
After Yoo Chan-seok left, Lee Se-eun and Sa Seung-hee sat across from each other at a table in the main Oduak branch.
"So, what can I help you with, Hunter Lee Se-eun?"
"The relief foundation I run privately also operates orphanages."
"Yeah, you're pretty famous in that field too."
Lee Se-eun slid some documents over at Sa Seung-hee's response.
"Kids leaving the orphanage can stay in self-reliance dorms for two years. After that, we check in every three months for the next three years."
Sa Seung-hee skimmed the papers.
"Fifteen went missing but came back. Problem solved, right?"
"We counseled them after. Some confessed to dipping into hunter gear smuggling as low-level runners."
Sa Seung-hee let out an "ah."
"It's bothering you, huh."
"Not good, and most smuggled gear's dangerous anyway."
Sa Seung-hee clicked her tongue and eyed Lee Se-eun.
"Kids' safety? Snitches don't live long. They trusted you and spilled—could pay heavy."
"Expected that much."
The kids were under protection. Illegal outfits up to more crimes? Obvious.
"Safe gear for civilians costs a fortune."
Cheap hunter gear's always defective. Nightmares from prolonged use is mild; worst case, it drives you mad.
Or health issues. Side effects vary wildly.
"Most gear circulating in Korea's safe, though."
Safety's decent, national security solid. Smuggled stuff's rich folks' toys; they avoid side-effect junk with their cash.
"The exports are the problem."
Other countries? Shaky security, no guarantees. Buyers skint, so they grab risky gear for protection anyway.
Lee Se-eun sipped her tea and looked at Sa Seung-hee.
"Most hunter gear and byproducts end up in Korea first anyway."
Even smuggled exports route through Korea.
"Wanna ID the players."
"Oh, what I know's mostly rumors."
Sa Seung-hee looked troubled.
"I know it's more."
Sa Seung-hee's smile faded as she met Lee Se-eun's eyes.
"Like I said, snitches don't last."
"Chan-seok says you've helped him plenty."
"People got priorities beyond personal safety."
Sa Seung-hee wanted all Erosion Cores gone.
"Headhunter smashed three rank-1 Cores in no time. Got fame and fortune, but keeps going."
She placed a hand on her chest and smiled.
"Waited ages for hunters like that. Risky? Sure. But gear smuggling? Not my circus."
Didn't care about hunter gear smuggling, didn't wanna risk herself over it.
Especially not now, with Headhunter clearing rank-1s nonstop. No reason to self-sabotage.
"Might get what I want soon. Dying before seeing it? Too unfair."
"Sa Seung-hee, I'm helping Headhunter too. Even thinking of joining."
Sa Seung-hee shook her head firmly.
"Don't, Hunter Lee Se-eun. Your joining helps neither Headhunter nor you."
Lee Se-eun looked flustered. Not helpful?