Chapter 61

North Korea.

For a long time, they had been a presence intertwined with our own, always adversarial.

They and we were one people.

That was a natural fact, and it could not be denied.

Wasn’t that why the term ‘separated families’ came into being?

They were people to be embraced, to be brought back into the fold.

For their tears were also our tears.

Missing separated families for over half a century was not a story exclusive to South Korea.

However, that applied only to the ordinary people of North Korea.

For their leadership, who squeezed the lifeblood from their people, forced war, and incited division and conflict, the story was different.

Especially now, under these circumstances…

Now that he knew of the atrocities Kim Jong-un, who reigned as North Korea’s supreme leader, had committed, massacring his own people, there was no need to show them mercy.

Absolute evil.

That was Kang Yuseong’s judgment.

They must be eliminated.

Otherwise, like a cancerous growth, they would consume healthy cells, expand their reach, and eventually seek to dominate everything.

The assassination of National Security Director Jung Chan-wook was one such instance, and the death of First Corps Commander Nam Jae-sik was another.

The military authorities likely hadn’t detected their infiltration this time either.

It wasn’t their fault.

North Korea’s abnormal power had now surpassed that of South Korea.

Especially the Hunters, trained as special forces, could never be caught by conventional methods.

They were, from the start, raised for assassination and infiltration.

This time, the message was a strong warning.

Despite heightened vigilance along the entire Demilitarized Zone after the previous incident, they had leisurely accomplished their objective and returned.

‘Enjoy it while you can.’

South Korea’s current situation was like being suffocated, completely cornered on all sides.

To the north, North Korea and Russia; to the south, Japan; to the west, China.

Furthermore, the United States also showed no intention of simply leaving this critical military stronghold alone.

Unspeakable pressure was likely being exerted on the government.

‘How many more ages must pass… before we can be free from this tragic fate?’

Even as a Monarch, Kang Yuseong had eventually been forced to kneel before that fate.

And by a bitter betrayal at that.

Was this the sorrow of a weaker nation?

But Kang Yuseong was determined not to let it happen this time.

Though South Korea had been trampled by various nations, there were always common people, generals, and leaders who protected it to the very end.

Countless great figures recorded in history…

And now, it was Kang Yuseong’s era.

He was living amidst a power dynamic more precarious and suffocating than ever before.

‘There is only one answer. To return what was given, no… to return it many times over.’

There is no way for the weak to defeat the strong.

That was simple logic.

However, the weak could make the strong unable to look down on them.

It was about the weak harboring venom and counterattacking the strong.

Even if they couldn’t win, they could instill fear in the strong.

Like a hedgehog.

Powerful predators could easily snuff out a hedgehog’s life, but they didn’t, for one reason: its quills. Knowing the terror and pain of being pricked by those quills, they cautiously avoided it.

That was the power South Korea needed to possess.

After all, who could be blamed for its geographical location?

They simply needed to turn that into a political, diplomatic, and military advantage.

As the first step, Kang Yuseong chose retaliation.

If struck, one must grit their teeth, charge in, and throw a punch.

Only then would others not dare to trifle with them.

The government, at its level, probably couldn’t act.

They had too many responsibilities.

Therefore, an individual had to move.

Even if it meant wearing the mask of a rogue individual, powerful retaliation was necessary.

And the only one capable of doing so was Kang Yuseong.

However, he was also thinking of another individual.

‘The time has finally come.’

A smile touched his lips.

One week.

That much time had already passed.

* * * * *

Swoosh—

Rain poured down.

Kang Yuseong didn’t usually like the rain, but today, he found this damp and cold atmosphere to his liking.

He pulled his hood low, waiting for someone.

An AA-rank dungeon, D-94.

This was where the Great Monster Cabrica appeared.

Exactly one week had passed, and Kang Yuseong was waiting for a man.

It was already three in the afternoon.

He had been waiting since morning, but the man hadn’t appeared.

Yet Kang Yuseong remained calm.

He would definitely show up.

From Kang Yuseong’s experience, the man wasn’t one to give up on such matters.

If he was curious, he would always see it with his own eyes and ponder a solution.

Kim Do-jin.

The moment he heard Kang Yuseong claim he would defeat Cabrica, whom Kim Do-jin himself couldn’t conquer, an anchor had already dropped deep into his heart.

That anchor had probably grown larger and heavier with time.

Kim Do-jin must have wrestled with considerable internal conflict for a week.

Whether to dismiss the utterly absurd situation, or to go and see it with his own eyes.

That was precisely why Kang Yuseong had revealed his power to Kim Do-jin back then.

A lingering doubt that Kang Yuseong might actually be able to defeat Cabrica.

He had planted that seed of doubt in Kim Do-jin’s heart.

And Kim Do-jin couldn’t overcome it.

Splash—

Just then, someone appeared from that direction.

Kang Yuseong smiled instantly.

Splash, splash—

He approached.

He wore neither a raincoat nor carried an umbrella, not even a hood.

But the gaze emanating from him in the pouring rain was extraordinary.

The man’s eyes, having sought an answer that had tormented him for a week, were sharp and fierce.

“Why,”

the man stood abruptly before Kang Yuseong, who was calmly watching him, and uttered a single, rough word.

“are you here?”

Seeing Kang Yuseong, who hadn’t entered the dungeon or prepared for battle, he was furious.

Kang Yuseong smirked.

“You’re late.”

At the non sequitur, the man’s eyes suddenly turned savage.

“You played with me…”

“I have a request. Or rather, a proposition.”

Just before he could erupt, Kang Yuseong’s calm tone cut him off.

“Nonsense. As expected, you couldn’t catch Cabrica…”

Kim Do-jin’s expression was hardening coldly.

His rage was visibly intensifying at the thought of being manipulated.

But Kang Yuseong shook his head.

“No, that’s not it. But let’s put Cabrica aside for now. He can be caught anytime.”

“What…?”

“Before that, I have a proposition. This might be more interesting, perhaps. Because it’s truly a matter of life and death.”

“…What are you talking about?”

A strange light emanated from Kang Yuseong’s eyes.

At that gaze, the man, Kim Do-jin, furrowed his brow.

“It means I need your strength.”

“Hmm…”

Kang Yuseong grinned, baring his white teeth.

“North Korea, I will go there.”

Instantly, Kim Do-jin’s eyes wavered greatly.

“What… did you say?”

“You’ve seen the news, haven’t you? The National Security Director and the Corps Commander were assassinated. And the military authorities and the government haven’t even accurately grasped the situation. Ultimately,”

The smile vanished from Kang Yuseong’s face.

“this means such incidents will continue to repeat.”

“What does that have to do with me…”

“Don’t you want to go too? You’d want to know the extent of your power, how strong you truly are. Isn’t that right, Kim Do-jin?”

At those words, Kim Do-jin pressed his lips into a thin line.

Kang Yuseong smirked.

“Don’t deny it. That burning… thirst for slaughter in your heart, I already know about it.”

The reason for Kim Do-jin’s wandering, and his true self that would later be revealed.

Kang Yuseong already knew everything, so he had no hesitation in dealing with Kim Do-jin.

“Nonsense…!”

Kim Do-jin started to say something, then stopped and grit his teeth.

Kang Yuseong gave him a cold smile.

“Speak your mind. Say you don’t want to. Of course…”

The smile on his lips grew increasingly cynical.

“You’ll never be able to, though.”

Kang Yuseong continued, looking at Kim Do-jin.

“As I said last time, this is the last time I’ll make such an offer. If you want to join the party, take my hand, Kim Do-jin.”

Kim Do-jin glared silently at Kang Yuseong.

Kang Yuseong met his gaze calmly and said,

“Your curiosity about me… I’ll satisfy it then. When we go to a place where no one knows either of us.”

Kim Do-jin’s eyes shook violently once more.

In truth, Kim Do-jin didn’t need to come here.

What did it matter to him if someone else caught Cabrica or not?

However, what he was truly curious about wasn’t whether Kang Yuseong would catch Cabrica.

Since that day, his unbearable curiosity about Kang Yuseong had tormented him.

A being who wielded a sword, shot fireballs, even used his own Flame Buster, and revived corpses.

He wanted to see this being fight, a being utterly incomprehensible by his common sense.

“Your fight…”

After a long moment, Kim Do-jin parted his rain-soaked lips.

His two eyes glowed with a terrifying light, fixed on Kang Yuseong.

“You’ll show it to me?”

His tone had dropped all pretense of respect.

“Does this mean… our fight wasn’t the end? You…”

Kang Yuseong nodded.

“That’s right. You weren’t someone to be killed.”

Grrrind!

At those words, Kim Do-jin ground his teeth.

Hiss!

Hot energy surged from his entire body, instantly turning all the pouring raindrops into steam.

“You’ll regret those words. If you… can’t show me your true power, you’ll die right there.”

Kang Yuseong smirked.

“I’ll take that as an acceptance.”

Swoosh—

The rain poured heavily between the two men.

“The day after tomorrow, meet me in Jongno, Seoul. Departure time is midnight. Night is the perfect time to see blood.”

Kim Do-jin glared at him once, then turned his back.

Kang Yuseong smiled faintly.

He would come.

Because he loved seeing blood as much as Kang Yuseong did.

Swoosh—

For the first time in a long while, Kang Yuseong found the rain refreshing.

* * * * *

‘Infiltration route…’

Old operational maps of North Korea were meaningless.

Countless commanders would have been purged, and the military structure would have changed.

This fight, therefore, could be more difficult.

Meaning, they would have to operate without any prior information, gathering intelligence on the ground.

But Kang Yuseong smirked.

There was nothing that didn’t exist in the world.

Especially in chaotic times like these, where the logic of power was being redefined.

Beep—

He turned on his computer and typed a domain into the address bar.

And a window popped up.

The window displayed the name ‘Black Market’.

It was a site devoid of embellishment or extravagance, but Kang Yuseong knew.

That the information and items within were extremely dangerous.

Any information, any weapon, any item in the world could be obtained here.

He typed ‘D.P.R.K’ into the search bar.

D.P.R.K (Democratic People’s Republic of Korea).

In other words, North Korea.

And as the results cascaded down, Kang Yuseong smiled.

The operation was about to begin.