novelraw Chapter 115
Chapter 115
Chapter 115
First of all, I definitely understood that I have to overcome the difficulty of gathering Hunters who will come along.
“The distance itself is not that far.”
It really was something that could be considered an Erosion Core more threatening to Korea than Jaun Valley.
“The distance from Paju to Pyeongseong is about a hundred and seventy kilometers.”
The distance between Changchun City, where Jaun Valley was, and Paju was almost six hundred seventy kilometers. Even at a glance, it was much farther.
The things spilling out from there were strengthening all the monsters swarming in the Erosion Zones north of the ceasefire line.
“They say you hate the priest praying beside you more than the knight holding the sword.”
It was a saying from the other world. Originally it meant that the bastards watching from the back were the real bastards.
Anyway, the ones who support and strengthen the fighters from the rear are several times more troublesome and dangerous than the ones you see right in front of you.
“This feels like we have to push up from Paju.”
“Chan-seok, Taebaek is guarding Paju.”
For hell’s sake. I could not help but twist my face at those words. I was not exactly on good terms with those guys.
“Is there no way to go through Cheorwon instead?”
If it were Jannabi, that would be fine. At my words, Han Sang-ah pointed at the map and drew a line with her index finger.
“There are no roads. The area north of the ceasefire line belonged to North Korea in the first place, then got covered by Erosion Zones, so the road conditions are an enormous mess.”
“The highway from Pyongyang down to Kaesong cannot possibly be intact.”
Han Sang-ah shook her head at my words.
“Right, it is seriously damaged. But at least a road exists.”
“What about going by sea?”
At my question, Jung Oh-hoon snorted.
“Nampo Port is the closest. And it is useless. I once went there with some guys I know to see if we could use it as some kind of smuggling warehouse.”
According to Jung Oh-hoon, several ships were lost and they barely fled because huge green fireballs came flying in like crazy before they could even get near.
“There is no chance the corporations will cooperate, right?”
Han Sang-ah nodded at my question.
“It will be hard. Incheon Port is still intact. Nampo has nothing to appeal with.”
Han Sang-ah thought about it, then shook her head again as if it was definitely impossible.
“Right, it really is hard. If we say we are going to attack Samhyeol Cave through Nampo, the corporations will probably be the ones to suggest using the Kaesong–Pyongyang highway instead. If a corporation makes that kind of proposal, we would have to explain why we are insisting on Nampo Port.”
“You mean we would end up in a situation where we have to say we are not on good terms with Taebaek?”
At my words, Han Sang-ah nodded.
“Most of them might already suspect it, but hearing it directly from us is a completely different matter.”
Rumor turned into fact. Listening to the conversation, Jung Oh-hoon made an awkward face.
“Then the corporations will be reluctant to support you too.”
“Because the other side is Taebaek.”
There was no way around it. From what I was hearing, going from Cheorwon up to Pyeongseong was pointless as well. The corporations would ask the same question about why we were abandoning Paju and pushing up from Cheorwon.
“There is no method besides pushing up from Paju then.”
Sa Seung-hee spoke while she drank her tea.
“Then you will have to talk with CEO Sung Sihoon.”
He was not someone I particularly wanted to meet. Sa Seung-hee smiled when she saw my face.
“Why are you making that face? You almost beat Hunter Choi Yeoreum too.”
Sa Seung-hee got up from her seat, then came back a moment later with champagne and glasses and poured for us.
“Getting Taebaek’s cooperation is very simple. I think Hunter Yoo Chan-seok probably knows too.”
I answered Sa Seung-hee.
“Are you saying I should just go and stomp him flat? I do not see it that way.”
Taebaek’s ideology was survival of the strongest. But to be blunt, I did not actually think Taebaek was truly upholding that survival-of-the-strong ideology.
Sung Sihoon had simply created a fancy doctrine so that he could keep Taebaek in his grasp and control it. Because Sung Sihoon was the strongest in Taebaek.
If he slapped on the excuse of survival of the strongest, he could do whatever he wanted. Have you ever seen a dictator stick to the fine ideals he used when he first seized power all the way to the end?
“If that survival-of-the-strong rule ever starts to hold back CEO Sung Sihoon, he will just throw away the ideology. He might not even fight.”
Jung Oh-hoon twisted his mouth into a rather nasty smile.
“Who cares? We just have to make it so he cannot refuse. Listen to me for a second.”
Then Jung Oh-hoon laid out his idea. Once I heard his whole plan, I let out a quiet oh and gave my evaluation.
“Our Mr. Jung used his head really well this time.”
This was something we could put into action right away. As expected, when it came to schemes like this, Jung Oh-hoon was frighteningly good, just like his nickname suggested.
“The method is dirty.”
“Does it look that way to a chaebol’s daughter?”
Jung Oh-hoon slipped in a jab at Han Sang-ah’s comment. Han Sang-ah drank the tea in front of her as she replied.
“Yeah. And it is efficient.”
She probably did not even realize that Jung Oh-hoon had just teased her. In any case, our policy was decided.
If we executed the idea Jung Oh-hoon had proposed, Taebaek would have no choice but to cooperate with us.
“To think that when we are trying to get rid of that damned Erosion Core, the ones in the way are not monsters but people.”
It really was a world that was crazy in many different ways.
“We are going to have to set up some kind of meeting.”
I shook my head at Han Sang-ah’s words. A meeting, seriously.
“Just tell me where Taebaek’s headquarters is.”
In modern Earth, for the idiots who used a cringey concept like survival of the strongest as their company’s ideology, it was time for me to show them the real thing.
It was time for our great CEO of Taebaek to experience firsthand just how awful that thought of shut your mouth and do what you are told feels from the receiving side.
Once I confirmed the location of Taebaek’s base, I immediately got in a car and pulled up in front of the building.
“Wow, flashy. How many floors is this.”
A sixty seven story high-rise building, and the whole thing was Taebaek’s headquarters. I looked the building up and down, then grabbed a small black case.
On my way here I had briefly met with Choi Seung-gi and received a spear.
The spear I had been using, the spear Seonghong had used, and Banshee’s Tears had been combined to create this item, which had finally finished its long process of crafting and found its way back into my hands.
“With this, well.”
At least I did not have to worry that my weapon would not suit me. Whoever said that a master does not pick and choose weapons had clearly never seen a real master. Once a master starts choosing, they become incredibly picky.
Compared to the spear I used in the other world it was lacking, but it was still more than good enough to satisfy me.
“Excuse me, uh… Hunter Yoo Chan-seok?”
As I approached the door, two men in black suits moved to stop me, then froze when they saw my face.
“I came to look at CEO Sung Sihoon’s face. Move.”
Their expressions hardened at my words.
“Do you have an appointment?”
“No. Am I in a position where I need to go that far to come here?”
One of the men spoke into an in-ear device and communicated with someone, then said.
“CEO Sung Sihoon is currently attending to his schedule. If you have no prior appointment, we cannot let you pass.”
Of course. So he was too busy to see anyone huh..
“Then try to stop me.”
“Pardon?”
Why was he pretending not to hear when he had heard everything clearly? I was going in. If they had the ability to stop me, they could try.
As I started walking right in, the men, who were still Hunters affiliated with Taebaek, tried to block the door and hold me back.
“Get lost.”
I did not even need to do much. The ring on my finger glowed blue and ice clung to the hands and feet of the Hunters who were rushing me. Ignoring the ones who were neutralized in an instant, I walked into the building.
“What the hell is this guy… Wait, Hunter Yoo Chan-seok?”
“Did you people write up some kind of script for what to say when you meet me or something.”
Why were their reactions all the same? Should I give them my signatures or something?
“I came to see Sung Sihoon. Either lead the way or get out of the way.”
I wondered if their next reaction would be the same too. In conclusion, it was. They tried to block me, and then they got beaten up and knocked aside.
“Hunter Yoo Chan-seok, CEO Sung Sihoon, is busy right now. It is difficult when you suddenly barge in and say you want to see him like this.”
After I made a bit more of a commotion, a man showed up with nearly fifty people at his back and spoke to me. Judging from the mana I felt, he seemed to be someone at the level of a team leader.
“You people are acting incredibly expensive for someone who just wants to look at his face.”
“Please come back later and make an appointment. This is Taebaek’s headquarters. There are a lot of Taebaek Hunters staying here.”
I lit the Paradoxical Flame at my feet, then gently kicked the case open and pulled out the spear.
“Then tell all the bastards staying here to come crawling out. If I beat them all into a pulp, Sung Sihoon will have to stick out his face.”
The eyes of the ones blocking my path moved to the spear in my hand and the Paradoxical Flame that was silently burning under my feet.
“Everyone here knows that Hunter Yoo Chan-seok’s skill is exceptional. But this is Taebaek, one of the three major Hunter companies in Korea. Do you really think this kind of rampage will be tolerated?”
I nodded.
“Yeah. And if I make a mess here and walk out in one piece, I can clearly see how the citizens of Korea will think of Taebaek.”
The ones who had been bragging about survival of the strongest and showing off their power, and yet they just stood and watched while someone like me walked out of here without a scratch?
I wondered if people might think something like that.
“You cannot possibly fight every Hunter in Taebaek headquarters by yourself.”
“Do not say things you are not even sure of.”
He said “cannot possibly”, not I cannot. I slowly walked toward him. At the same time, the Paradoxical Flame spread under my feet moved with my steps.
“Do not get hurt for nothing and cry later. Guide me to CEO Sung Sihoon. Otherwise you are heading to the hospital.”
I had no idea how many times I had said that bastard’s name already. It was not like saying someone’s name three times made anyone happy.
— All right, everyone, let us stop here.
At that moment, a voice echoed through the tense lobby of the building. The instant that voice rang out, everyone standing there dropped their fighting stances and snapped to attention with their heads bowed, as if they had rehearsed it.
“What a joke.”
I looked at this ridiculous scene with an expression of disbelief. Judging from the voice, this had to be that great and glorious CEO of Taebaek, Sung Sihoon.
He was less like the CEO of a company and more like the king of some country.
— Hunter Yoo Chan-seok, it is sudden, but welcome to Taebaek headquarters.
“Show your face when you talk.”
At my words, a few of the people who had their heads down flinched. They did not seem to like my attitude.
— You really have a personality as fiery as your abilities. I understand. Come up. I will have someone guide you.
The voice disappeared after that. I clicked my tongue, put out the Paradoxical Flame at my feet, shortened the spear and hooked it at my waist, then spoke to the ones who were still bowing their heads.
“What are you doing? Your great and wise supreme leader is telling you to guide me. Do what you are told, you bastards.”
“If you mock our CEO like that one more time…”
I reached out toward the man who was trying to keep talking, and his body floated up and flew toward me. In an instant, I had him by the collar.
The Hunters watching the scene were all wearing expressions of shock. I had no idea why they were so stunned by something that felt like a kids’ trick.
“If I mock him, what. What are you going to do? Are you going to hit me?”
I tossed the guy away with a flick and brushed off my clothes.
“Guide me.”
I wanted to hurry up and see that bastard’s smug face.