A Swift Surrender
Indeed, Park Seryong was no fool.
Only a short time had passed since he left this place, yet he had already shown such swift action. It was even faster than the speed he had displayed when trying to keep Han Yujin in check. It could not have been an easy decision for him, either.
The content of the press conference was, in truth, nothing special.
It was simply an apology: that due to his own careless mistake, a new S-class hunter had been revealed at a time when it should not have been made public. He expressed his sincere regret to the person in question and hoped he would have the chance to make up for this blunder in the future. That was all.
To anyone unaware of the full story, it would seem strange that such a brief matter warranted an entire press conference. To those who knew the circumstances, it would be astonishing and puzzling why the man had chosen to retreat in this manner.
‘He couldn’t have been certain, though.’
While he had certainly looked deeply shaken at the time, that alone was not enough reason to believe the contents of the illusion.
‘Whether the information was true or not, he must have judged that stepping back was the correct move. After all, it was no different from losing in a direct confrontation.’
As Han Yujin was thinking this, his smartphone rang. It was Chief Administrator Oh Tae-min.
“Yes, I’m on the line.”
Han Yujin answered in a calm tone. The chief administrator, much like the case officer, began with a very apologetic tone and offered his sincere regrets before explaining the situation he had roughly pieced together.
The explanation confirmed the case officer’s earlier speculation. It seemed that Vice Minister Kim Jae-hoon, the deputy director of the Ability Management Bureau, was indeed the central figure involved.
After giving a general overview, he cautiously asked what exactly had happened between Han Yujin and Park Seryong.
“I was told that revealing my identity was meant to relieve the pressure during the Great Rift. So I instructed him to hold a press conference and apologize if that had truly been his only intention.”
— …Did he agree without resistance?
“Of course not. We had a brief exchange to test each other’s strength.”
Han Yujin had no intention of going into detail. Even if he explained later, it felt awkward to discuss over the phone right now.
The chief administrator seemed to understand the general idea. He was about to end the call, saying he would inform Han Yujin as soon as any further details emerged.
But at that moment, he appeared to receive an urgent report from someone nearby. His voice took on a slightly flustered tone as he relayed the message to Han Yujin.
— Mr. Park Seryong has just expressed his desire to speak with you directly.
He paused briefly before adding,
— Should I block the call?
“No. It’s fine. Please put him through.”
I wonder what this is about.
Less than a minute after ending the call with the chief administrator, an unknown number rang.
“I’m on the line.”
— Teacher, you must have been informed already, but this is Park Seryong.
Han Yujin instinctively pulled the smartphone away from his ear and stared at it for a moment. Then he returned it to his ear and spoke.
“Why are you calling me Teacher?”
— It is a title of respect. If it feels awkward… I will address you as Hubae-nim according to the situation.
It was such a safe and reasonable title that Han Yujin found himself nodding unconsciously.
“Do that. So, what’s your business?”
— Is there anything I can do to assist you, Hubae-nim?
Han Yujin fell silent for a moment, lost in thought.
‘Is this the “if you can’t win, join them” mindset?’
The shift in attitude was almost too fast.
Of course, it was unlikely to be a complete surrender. It might simply be an attempt to soften their confrontation for the time being. Either way, it was certainly not a normal reaction.
It was also an action that would have been impossible without absolute confidence that his own foundation would not be shaken.
“There is something.”
Fortunately, Han Yujin had already considered a similar scenario as one of the possible outcomes, so he answered without hesitation.
“You probably know I was attacked once before. The culprits were a pseudo-religious cult and drug cartel known as the Eternal Goddess Cult. They appear to have some kind of connection with Beijing in China. I’ve already informed the Ability Management Bureau, but could you look into it separately?”
— I believe the National Intelligence Service has already begun moving on this. Their agents will be far more capable than I am.
“Hmm, really? How did you know that?”
— I have some connections throughout the government.
Since he had been greedy for power and had even tried to check Han Yujin—an unverified S-class hunter—it was not particularly surprising, considering his abilities and position.
“Then investigate someone named Wonhee.”
— …Wonhee, you say?
Park Seryong’s voice trembled slightly as he repeated the name. It was almost an instinctive reaction.
“If she’s going to be a student at Yeongwon High School in ten years, she should be between six and ten years old right now. Taking into account the possibility of entering school a year early or repeating a grade.”
— Ten years…?
“Could you look into every girl named Wonhee in Seoul—no, across the entire country—who falls within that age range? For now, we’ll exclude cases of naturalized citizenship or name changes.”
There was a rather long silence on the other end of the line before Park Seryong finally spoke again.
— Am I to understand that… this refers to the future ten years from now?
“Yes.”
— …And she will be connected to the Eternal Goddess Cult?
“Possibly.”
— If we find her during the investigation, should we eliminate her immediately?
Han Yujin was startled.
“What are you saying? First, just observe and report back to me. She may possess an absolutely monstrous talent. If you find her and she’s in danger or living in terrible conditions, she must be rescued.”
— Understood. Unless she was born unregistered, it shouldn’t take too long.
“That’s reassuring. I’m counting on you.”
It was not mere courtesy; the words carried genuine sincerity. Han Yujin even felt a touch of delight at having gained a sort of “ally” to whom he could entrust such an investigation without needing to fabricate excuses.
Just as he was about to end the call, Han Yujin recalled something and spoke again.
“Didn’t you say the pressure at the Great Rift was severe? I thought you were calling to ask for my help with that.”
— I did intend to ask. However, it seems you have more important and urgent matters, so I thought I would handle it somehow on my own…
“No need. Since things have come to this, once my verification is complete, I’ll head straight to the Great Rift.”
— Are you serious?
“I also have important work to do there. We can help each other.”
— Thank you, Teacher… I mean, Hubae-nim.
Park Seryong ended the call in a very pleased tone.
At any rate, things had worked out rather well for Han Yujin, so he was not in a bad mood.
‘He’ll probably use the investigation into Wonhee as a way to verify whether the illusion was real.’
That being the case, he would take the investigation even more seriously, which was all the better.
After reviewing the situation several more times to ensure there were no problems, Han Yujin shook his head at the flood of miscellaneous messages that had begun piling up on his smartphone.
Now that his identity was public, this kind of nuisance was unavoidable. At least his verification was not yet complete, so it was only this bad. Once today passed, he would be bombarded with calls and messages from all his acquaintances.
‘If I can’t avoid it, I might as well enjoy it.’
But for now, he had no desire to do so. He silenced all messages from people he did not consider important.
* * *
The S-class verification proceeded as scheduled.
The chief administrator contacted him midway, saying that many uninvited guests—including politicians and reporters—were likely to show up, and asked if he wanted to change the date. Han Yujin refused.
Changing the date would not allow him to completely avoid them. Considering the prestige of an S-class hunter, continuously dodging meetings would also look strange.
‘Let’s just deal with them all at once.’
With that in mind, he went out as planned.
Upon arriving near the entrance of the outdoor ability training ground in the chief administrator’s car, he was greeted by a crowd far exceeding his expectations.
They were not politicians or reporters. They were ordinary civilians.
No one knew how they had recognized the vehicle, but an overwhelming amount of attention instantly focused on him. People began causing a commotion as if greeting a celebrity at the airport.
They cheered, screamed, waved their hands, and a few particularly aggressive individuals even tried to rush into the road to block the car.
Had the police not been deployed in advance, the vehicle would have been forced to stop and surrounded immediately.
It was an experience Han Yujin had never encountered before, and he found their behavior almost incomprehensible. Even though he had reached the Dharma Soul stage, he felt his mind go somewhat blank.
When a group of screaming women flashed past the window, he reflexively asked,
“Why are those people acting like that…? Is some other celebrity supposed to show up today?”
“No, not at all…”
The chief administrator also seemed flustered and let his words trail off.
“They’re just… the kind of people who do this, I suppose? If you look it up, there are quite a few similar cases,” the case officer answered awkwardly.
“Don’t a lot of hunters have fan clubs?”
The chief administrator, who had finally found his words, added a beat later,
“But I haven’t done any public activities yet.”
“You are the first new S-class hunter to appear in nearly twenty-five years, and only the third in the entire history of South Korea. Just that fact alone is enough for people to feel favorable toward you and flock here.”
“Hmm…”
The shock had begun to subside, and the chief administrator’s explanation sounded quite plausible, so Han Yujin silently nodded.
Fortunately, civilians were not allowed inside the ability training ground, so he was able to escape the sight of complete strangers going wild with excitement.
Instead, he was met with dozens of reporters who had set up camp and were firing off continuous flashes. In the parking lot to one side, a large number of black limousines—clearly belonging to high-ranking politicians—were parked.
‘So this is the prestige of an S-class hunter.’
What he had only understood intellectually until now was finally beginning to sink in on a visceral level.
‘I really have become an S-class hunter.’
After parking was complete.
He took a moment to steel himself, then opened the door and stepped out. Fortunately, a separate time had been scheduled for interviews, so no one rudely approached him with cameras.
Instead, staff from the ability training ground approached.
They treated him with far more formality than when he had visited before, and it was clear their numbers had been significantly increased. They guided him inside.
As he followed them, he caught sight of a group of people in suits smiling at him. Many of the faces were very familiar.
President Park Jun-hyeong, Prime Minister Kang Do-seok, ruling party and opposition leaders Representative Kang Mu-hyeon and Representative Jin Myeong-ho, Chairman Yoon Jae-hyuk of the global conglomerate Hansung Group, and Chairman Oh Seung-jae of the Axion Group, among others.
There were not only people in suits. Several individuals wore military uniforms. They were older men with familiar faces, and the insignia on their shoulders began at the rank of at least three stars.
Nor were they all Korean. There were about a dozen foreigners, each accompanied by one or two interpreters or bodyguards.
‘The day that was supposed to be nothing but a simple verification has turned into some kind of debut event.’
Han Yujin thought to himself as he carefully maintained his expression.
The excessive attention had nearly made his gait unnatural despite his Dharma Soul stage body.
Still, he succeeded in keeping his movements natural, and he felt a renewed sense of satisfaction at having reached the Dharma Soul stage.