No. 157

“You’re insane!” Yoo-seong burst out laughing. Alvin looked a little disappointed at his reaction.

“It’s a little sad… I haven’t told many people about it, only my friends-”

“Let’s make one thing clear”—Yoo-seong cut him off—”I’m not your friend. But even so, I would advise you not to reveal such an embarrassing plan so easily to other people.”

“How many other countries or friends have reached out to you?” Alvin asked him out of the blue.

“What?”

“There must have been a lot of other people offering you money or honor to be their ‘friend.’”

“There have been none.”

“None?!” Alvin’s eyes widened with surprise. “Wow, the Korean Defense Department must have been working really hard.”

It did seem that way to Yoo-seong. Yang Chang-guk must have been working desperately to keep intelligence agents from away from Yoo-seong.

“Or perhaps they have learned the correct way,” Alvin pondered aloud. “They must have realized that such an approach doesn’t work on people like us. But during my time, offers from various countries were in full swing. It was probably a decade ago, I think, when a five-star monster first appeared.”

As Alvin began his story, Yoo-seong felt the plane taking off. They were obviously heading to Nevada, where Yoo-seong’s operation would happen.

“My family are well-known patriots in this country. My great-grandfather, grandfather, and father all had distinguished military careers as well as government positions.” Alvin paused and shook his head with an amused expression. “Can you believe that foreign intelligence agents still tried to approach me?”

Of course, regardless of where they were from, their message was the same.

‘-Defect to our country. We will provide you with infinite honor and wealth.’

“They are idiots, aren’t they?” Alvin chuckled. “Lower-class hunters would have been persuaded. But people like us? Don’t they know that with our abilities, we could get all the wealth and honor we want?”

Alvin’s tone was that of someone talking about children who couldn’t understand simple things.

“Some of them even offered to match all the money I’ve donated. The gall! Of course, putting some money in the hands of poor people isn’t so bad, but it’s not what matters. What’s important…”

Yoo-seong bit his lip. Somehow, he knew what Alvin was going to say next and finished his sentence for him.

“…What’s important is to achieve everything you want alone.”

Alvin stopped talking and gripped his armrests so hard that they almost bent out of shape. His eyes had a wild look to them.

“That’s right!” he yelled, his voice resonating in the cabin. “That’s the only thing that gives value to all that wealth or honor. Otherwise, it’s all futile!”

His eyes, wet with emotion, stared into Yoo-seong. “I knew you could understand me.”

Yoo-seong had found himself finishing Alvin’s sentence unconsciously. He also felt surprised.

“People like us are really, really rare.” Alvin placed a fist on his chest, then used the same hand to point at Yoo-seong. “You know what I am talking about, my friend. It’s not just a matter of talent or ability. Do you know what those experiments did to me?”

Yoo-seong nodded. Specific details were unknown, but the gist of what was done to Miracle Boy was widely available. His body, including his core and veins, had been turned into a machine with a tremendous cost-performance ratio.

Imagine a sports car that could run at full speed all day with just a liter of fuel. Similarly, the experiments transformed Alvin’s body into something that could continue working for long periods of time with low consumption of nutrients or energy.

What an ordinary hunter could achieve with an enormous amount of CE, Alvin could do effortlessly, with minimal CE use.

“But that is not an important issue at all,” Alvin declared. “If someone other than me got fortunate enough to get the same abilities, would that person be able to reach where I am now?”

“I don’t know…” Yoo-seong answered, trailing off at the end.

“You know the answer! They couldn’t!” Alvin laughed with uncontrollable pleasure.

It was the joy of someone who had finally found someone who could sympathize with him.

“You, my friend, probably have ‘something’ like me,” Alvin said, calming down a little. “Unprecedented, pure talent, whatever it is… but it didn’t take you even two years to get to where you are now. I’m curious what your secret is, but it’s not important, is it?”

What was important was the person to whom those abilities were given.

“I can last three months without water. You can bend steel with a flick of your fingers. But if we gave our abilities to someone else, would they be where we are now?”

Alvin’s question hung in the air.

Yoo-seong already understood what he wanted to say. Many people would be satisfied just with having their special abilities.

And why not?

With those powerful abilities, they would be able to reach the top of the hunting industry without exerting any effort.

No one else would want to test their limits. After all, what would be the reason to do so? Why would anyone sacrifice being happy to constantly strain themselves instead?

“You and I, my friend”—Alvin leaned in closer—”we are not like them.”

As Alvin beckoned, the stewardess pushed the cart from the front of the cabin to their seats. Two glasses filled with large cubes of ice and a dark, well-shaped bottle were placed before them. Alvin skillfully poured the amber liquid into the glasses and handed one of them to Yoo-seong.

“You must have seen a lot of this stuff in the movies,” Alvin grinned.

“Yeah. If you drink a lot of this carelessly, it will be a big deal.”

Alvin laughed and took a sip. Then, turning serious, he stared once more into Yoo-seong’s eyes.

“This industry needs change. The upper minority should lead, not the lower majority. You know what I mean?”

“…..”

Instead of answering, Yoo-seong placed his glass on his armrest. “Those on top of our world… there are too many non-hunters there.”

Yoo-seong acknowledged what he’d said. He had already met a few of them.

Japanese Prime Minister Murata, Chairman Han Kwang-ho, and those movers and shakers in Korea whom he was trying to avoid.

“Those people don’t understand what hunting really is. No… maybe they are pretending they don’t understand it to fool us.”

“Fool us? Why would they…”

“Because they are afraid of us.” Alvin’s voice was firm. He took another sip before continuing.

“Compared to last year, the rate of crack frequency has steadily increased, right? What could happen a year from now?”

“I don’t know,” Yoo-seong admitted.

“Right. That’s the point. If the trend of increasing crack frequency continues, most countries won’t be able to handle the cracks by themselves.”

Things would continue to get worse.

“The worst-case scenario would be the collapse of society as we know it. My friend, you’ve probably heard of the Doom plan, right?”

Yoo-seong nodded. During the fearful years before the discovery of CE and the rise of hunters, it had been what humanity thought of as a countermeasure against monsters.

If it ever became impossible for mankind’s defenses to handle the beasts pouring out of the cracks… the plan was to concentrate defense on several bases in the largest cities around the world and build walls to create safe zones.

Thinking about it, it all sounded like a fool’s fantasy. Who would need to build walls when there were hunters who could face the monsters?

However, now, if the current trend were to continue… Then perhaps it wasn’t such a foolish idea.

At present, the authorities were fortunate that the emergence of unclosed rifts had not been revealed to the public. However, the citizens were bound to know it soon and realize that humanity might not be able to handle it if the increased frequency continued.

“When that kind of society emerges… who do you think should be on top of that world?” Alvin asked Yoo-seong.

“Do you dream of being a dictator in a dying world?”

“Well, if I have to. I don’t want the world to have walls built everywhere. If I have to scare the public to make them feel grateful for the things that we do…”

Yoo-seong considered Alvin’s plan. Most of the conditions had already been achieved.

First, he’d had powerful connections from the time he was born. Perhaps, if he had not become a hunter, he would have been a US lawmaker, just like his father. However, Alvin used politics as a tool without being subordinated to it. As a result, he was sitting in the US Vice President’s private plane, with a high-ranking aide by his side.

Second, he had tremendous capital from the several companies that were supporting him. As he’d mentioned, the four billion dollars he had lost in Hawaii was just one part of his many investments.

“In a year… as soon as my father’s term ends, I’ll be there. Of course, in order to do that, we must constantly expand our possibilities until the time comes.”

“Is this the part where you ask me to ignore your juniors during the operation?” Yoo-seong scoffed.

“This is the part where I extend my invitation to a friend.” Alvin poured alcohol into his empty glass. “You may already be aware of this, but those juniors will not survive, whether you accept my offer or not.”

“…….”

“But if a friend does this for me instead of anyone else… There is a huge difference between ordering a subordinate and having a friend do it for you in terms of satisfaction.”

The ice in Alvin’s glass clinked.

“Right now, I need a friend.” He raised his glass toward Yoo-seong. “No matter how many sidekicks there are, a hero can only be understood by another hero.”

“It would be as if Superman and Batman were friends,” Yoo-seong said as he lifted the glass he’d placed on the armrest.

“Haha, yes…” Alvin chuckled at the comparison

“That’s funny,” Yoo-seong said in a cold tone.

Then…

He raised his glass to chest level and poured his drink onto the floor, between himself and Alvin.

Tuduk-!

“You almost had me in the middle of your speech, but… your words are too verbose to be convincing.”

Yoo-seong let the empty glass drop to the cabin’s carpeted floor. Alvin’s smile was frozen in place.

“So, has my friend decided to become a villain instead?”

“From the beginning, yes.”

For Yoo-seong, the choice was never Superman or Batman. Alvin was choosing between Lex Luther and the Joker.

“I think my friend misunderstood my story, but…”

“Enough. I’ve listened to you long enough.” Yoo-seong made a gesture like zipping his lips.

Only then did the smile disappear from Alvin’s face.

“I’ll make it clear,” Yoo-seong said. “No matter what you say, I will never allow someone to die because someone else told me to.”

Alvin bit his lip. “Well… if that’s the truth, then I’m sorry.”

And the very next moment…

Tung-!

The cabin began to shake. Yoo-seong felt an invisible pressure over his body. ‘Tech,’ he recognized.

“Most people think that I am a hunter trapped in a boy’s body and that I have maintained a child-like innocence since the experiments,” Alvin said as he raised his palm to the sky.

From it, geometric shapes radiated in the form of light.

Like Yoo-seong, it seemed that, despite having abilities enough to hunt most monsters, Alvin had continued to acquire more abilities by learning Tech.

“But, as the saying goes: it’s not wise to judge a book by its cover.”

“…!”

“I get angry at times, too. Especially when someone I’m dealing with fucks me like this!”

Mold of Oppression Tech.

This Tech allowed the user to place an invisible frame on the other person’s body to restrict it. With Alvin’s transcendent CE efficiency, the level of Tech he used could certainly lock his target’s muscles, including their tongue.

“I don’t know you completely, but I make it a point to know something about my friends,” Alvin began. “For example, right before you start hunting, you put one hand in front of your chest, right? It might be a simple habit, one that can be easily overlooked, but… I think it triggers a certain skill.”

Alvin raised his chin slightly as if to look down on Yoo-seong. “In other words, if I lock your arms… even a friend as powerful as you can’t pose me a threat.”

Chooak-!

Alvin splashed his drink on Yoo-seong’s forehead. As he watched the cold liquid flow down, he looked satisfied.

“Looking at your situation right now, my assumption was correct…”

“It wasn’t bad. You have decent reasoning,” Yoo-seong answered.

‘What?!’ Alvin was stunned. ‘How can you speak-’

Pagak-!

Yoo-seong’s left fist smashed into his face before he could even get a grasp of what was happening.

Alvin couldn’t understand. It wasn’t that his Mold of Oppression Tech had failed. It was that, even before he triggered his Tech, Yoo-seong had already pressed the button.

He’d done it as he spilled alcohol on the floor. That had been his purpose when he’d raised his glass to chest level before pouring its contents out.

Huwook-!

Yoo-seong raised his right knee to strike Alvin’s arm, to stop him from triggering his Tech.

However, Alvin quickly shifted position and raised his Aura to minimize the impact.

Except for Yoo-seong’s first blow, which had caught him by surprise, it was hard to inflict damage on a person they called Miracle.

Puck-!

Pagak-!

Pak-!

Almost by reflex, the two men dealt and blocked blows simultaneously.

A man with infinite CE against a man with miraculous CE efficiency.

They were locked in a narrow space of one meter, dealing massive blows across two plane seats. It was truly a wondrous, yet fearful, sight.

However…

The turning point of the game came unexpectedly early.

Just as Yoo-seong’s arm moved toward Alvin’s neck…

‘You’re making a mistake,’ Alvin thought.

By focusing Aura on his neck instead of blocking or avoiding the blow, he would be able to stop the attack completely and have an opportunity to counter.

‘Even if you use the Flame Psy, it will be the same.’

Although Yoo-seong’s CE was more than he’d expected, Alvin had the advantage in terms of Aura to Aura collision because of his efficiency.

His calculations were over.

Pugook-!

Yoo-seong’s fist slammed against Alvin’s throat, but he did not feel any shock.

‘I got you.’ Alvin smiled inwardly, convinced of victory. His fist was filled with an enormous amount of CE, allowing for a blow that even Yoo-seong would not be able to withstand.

However…

Puck-!

‘What the…?’ Confusion filled Alvin’s senses. This was because the fist that had struck Yoo-seong had no Aura on it.

It was drained.

Alvin had studied Yoo-seong harder than anyone else to figure out what cards he had.

Still, he lacked information.

Beneath Yoo-seong’s black jacket were the six tattoos he’d acquired in Hawaii.

One of them, on Yoo-seong’s back, countered Alvin’s Mold of Oppression.

The back tattoo designed by Auto-Hunt could only be used a limited number of times, but it was a great defensive tool that could completely block Tech or damage.

It was almost like a cheat.

However, the tattoo on Yoo-seong’s left arm was even more absurd.