EPISODE 138

Before arriving at the Hankwang Group’s building, Yoo-seong had requested one simple favor from the Special Defense Agency: to dispatch the six drones that had previously covered him to a certain area.

Yoo-seong had also requested access to the drones’ livestream. The real-time footage was now being displayed across Yoo-seong’s phone screen.

“What… what is that?” President Han Kwang-ho asked.

Yoo-seong laid his phone down with a sigh before leaning it on the table so that Han Jae-gyu and Joo Hwan-jin could also see it.

Their reactions were immediate.

“What…?”

“Uh… uh uh…”

It was a scene that no just anyone could see or understand.

A crack was being shown on Yoo-seong’s phone. To a civilian’s eye, nothing was alarming about it; it just looked like the usual crack, no different from the others.

However, Han Jae-gyu and Joo Hwan-jin recognized it immediately.

It was the crack that Hankwang was currently preserving: the unclosed crack in the Military Demarcation Line.

Something was protruding out of the crack, something that couldn’t get out because it was significantly larger than the crack’s opening. Anyone with a good memory would recognize it.

Before Yoo-seong had gone to China about a year ago, massive live news coverage had shown the same ‘thing’ to everyone. It was the Habaek, the eleven-star monster.

A monster of unprecedented size, whose head alone was barely big enough to fit into a crack.

“Is that a monster too? It seems to be coming out. It looks like something I have seen somewhere,” President Han Kwang-ho commented.

“Grandfather!” Han Jae-gyu quickly reminded his grandfather about the Habaek. After hearing the explanation, the old man’s expression turned a shade paler. However, after a few moments…

“You fool!” President Han Kwang-ho exclaimed.

“Huh?!”

“There is no need to make such a fuss! If that’s indeed the same monster, isn’t this a rather good opportunity?”

The old man’s gaze seemed to liven up compared to how it had been a few minutes ago. “No matter how dangerous a monster is, it’s nothing if it cannot come out of the crack. Besides, did he not defeat the monster by himself last time?” President Han Kwang-ho said as his cold eyes turned toward Yoo-seong.

“Since you are so confident, I’m sure you’ll be able to do it again. But the priority for operational commitment lies with us. If we catch that thing, it will be a good chance to publicize the power of Hankwang on a larger scale.”

This time, it was Han Jae-gyu’s turn to turn pale.

“Hah, but…”

“Is it impossible?” President Han Kwang-ho asked him.

“It’s not that. I mean… We still do not have enough experience. Grandpa, we haven’t even started a full-fledged operation. The casualties…”

Han Jae-gyu shivered at the mere thought.

“Isn’t hunting supposed to be like that?” President Han Kwang-ho declared coldly. “You risk your life to enjoy an enormous amount of wealth and fame that other professions cannot provide. Isn’t that the nature of your job? Not only you but everyone else who chose it for themselves! Yet, everyone seems so afraid of the golden opportunity!”

President Han Kwang-ho’s eagerness was like that of an emperor ready to expand an already huge empire.

Han Jae-gyu, who’d never had a strong mentality, felt somewhat intimidated.

“Gather everyone right now! I will give you my personal blessing as an encouragement. No, I will even accompany you to the site and watch. I will make sure that everyone realizes what it means to bear the name of Hankwang!” Because of the unwavering power contained in his grandfather’s voice, Han Jae-gyu’s heart settled down to some extent. “Yes… nothing is impossible,” he agreed.

The last time Yoo-seong drove out the Habaek, it had been thought of as a tremendous miracle. However, not everyone felt admiration.

In preparation for another Habaek emergence, the Special Defense Agency had led a brainstorming movement across the Korean hunting industry. The Habaek’s size, its ability to defend and attack quickly with its flexible tongue, all of its known characteristics were taken into consideration.

Although the brainstorming led to nothing but a virtual simulation, they had been able to formulate a perfect theoretical response for a reappearance. Theory was far different from application, though.

However, this no longer mattered to President Han Kwang-ho and Han Jae-gyu.

Why couldn’t the glory fall into the hands of Hankwang?

Why couldn’t Han Jae-gyu lead it himself?

“Okay, grandfather.” Han Jae-gyu’s eyes turned to the president. “I will do it,” he said with conviction.

“That’s right!”

The pride in their blood rushed to their heads.

They felt an exhilarating sense of victory over Yoo-seong.

‘Was that it?’ President Han Kwang-ho thought. ‘Is this what you call the “crisis” for Hankwang?’

Far from intimidating them, Oh Yoo-seong had actually provided them with a great tip.

‘How’s that for you?!’

Ready to see Yoo-seong’s expression, both Han Jae-gyu and President Han Kwang-ho turned their heads simultaneously, only to be met with silence.

“Huh?”

Unfortunately, no one had witnessed their drama unfolding. Joo Hwan-jin, Oh Yoo-seong, and even the phone on the desk were gone without having made even a sound.

Even with pride and passion pumping them up, the situation felt rather awkward. The grandson and his grandfather looked at each other without saying a word.

***

“Well…”

In the taxi they’d taken as they left the building, Joo Hwan-jin spoke carefully to Yoo-seong.

“Tell me,” Yoo-seong said.

“The video that you just showed to the chairman…” Joo Hwan-jin hesitated for a moment.

Quickly, though, he decided to say what he honestly thought. He decided to sail on Yoo-seong’s boat. Unlike during his relationship with President Han Kwang-ho, it was a decision he had made on his own. After all, Yoo-seong had offered him a second life.

He felt hesitant to offend Yoo-seong, but he decided that it was only right for him to speak as truthfully as possible.

“While you were in China, the industry added the Habaek to the encyclopedia. Perhaps, with the current power of Hankwang… they might be able to deal with the beast themselves.”

Yoo-seong shook his head before answering. “They do not know the true power of the Habaek.”

The first appearance of a monster did not usually result in it being added to the encyclopedia. Regardless of it being a low-risk or a powerful monster, not knowing the monster’s actual abilities or how to deal with it might result in casualties.

However, Yoo-seong had already set a precedent against the Habaek. The Special Defense Agency had already determined that the colossal beast’s weakness was its eyes.

“The president must have been so confident because he liked their odds,” Hwan-jin added.

It might not be a perfect “hunt,” but considering the level of the Hankwang hunters led by Han Jae-gyu, Joo Hwan-jin thought that they could do as Yoo-seong had. If that were to happen, Hankwang’s stock price would shoot through the roof.

“It won’t happen,” Yoo-seong said confidently.

“How could you possibly know that?” Joo Hwan-jin asked.

“To tell you the whole story would be too cumbersome. Oh, sir. You can stop here. Yes.”

The taxi stopped in front of the Sung-wook building. However, Yoo-seong did not get out of the taxi. Instead, he informed Joo Hwan-jin of the floor where Seoyu had created the office.

“Well, there is a lot for you to know. Once you go up, my agent will explain the rough plan,” Yoo-seong explained.

“Don’t worry about anything else…”

Joo Hwan-jin was stunned when Yoo-seong asked the taxi driver to go on. “Where are you going?”

Yoo-seong looked at him as if he was asking an obvious question.

“The Habaek. I have to stop it.”

“What?!” Joo Hwan-jin spat in surprise.

There was no doubt that Yoo-seong knew the area where the Habaek had appeared was formally under Hankwang. And yet, he was saying he would go there.

Of course, looking back on Yoo-seong’s “famous” accomplishments, there were many cases when his violation of entering a restricted area had been overlooked due to his overwhelming successes.

However, this time, that method wouldn’t work.

“President Han Kwang-ho won’t fall for that kind of trick. He will try to hold you back by law at all costs.”

As long as Hankwang proved to be capable of handling the Habaek, Yoo-seong’s free entry would violate Hankwang’s rights.

And, unlike other hunters at the sites Yoo-seong had entered so far, there was clear hostility between him and this company. If he ended up doing something that violated Hankwang’s rights, it could easily lead to an endless legal battle.

However, Yoo-seong didn’t seem to care.

“Don’t worry,” he smiled as he closed the taxi door and left.

‘Would it have been better if I’d explained it in detail?’ Yoo-seong worried as he watched Joo Hwan-jin from the rear window of the car.

‘No, it would have taken too long.’

After a while, he knew he was not wrong. Yet, Joo Hwan-jin had also been right.

Going straight to the crack where the Habaek was constituted an act that violated Hankwang’s rights. It would be categorized as interfering with another organization’s operation.

That was if Hankwang had the power to stop the Habaek.

The industry had done countless studies on it. Yoo-seong had reviewed the materials released through the website several times. There were no mistakes, but there was indeed a shortage of information.

The only data the hunters knew had come from his last encounter. Its huge size, its poisonous and flexible tongue, its eye as the weakness.

These were factually correct, but there was more to the Habaek than they knew.

In the six months he’d spent beyond the cracks, Yoo-seong met the Habaek for the second time. It would be better if they could see Habaek the way Yoo-seong had seen it.

Its huge body had stood out even at a distance from which it could not see Yoo-seong. The sight of it had been enough to make Yoo-seong shudder. At that time, even with all his skills and Auto-Hunt, Yoo-seong had concluded that the Habaek could not be defeated.

‘At that first encounter, I only faced its head.’

If it had been able to come out of the crack back then, even Yoo-seong would not have been able to survive.

It was the same with the second encounter. However, this time, it was different.

Their third encounter would be different.

Yoo-seong now possessed a weapon that would work against the eleven-star beast. It was waiting quietly in his slot.