Chapter 222 – State Affairs (1)

Just as where there is light, there is shadow, so too do different ideals and objectives exist.

This is also called factionalism.

They say the development of humanity has always gone hand in hand with war.

In other words, factions drive each other to grow. That was the basic concept.

But I intend to put the opposite concept into practice.

“Oh, this is that delivery guy, right? Quite the looker, you are.”

The high-ranking official currently feigning friendliness and offering a handshake was also part of a faction.

I had brought Lieutenant Colonel Baek Hyun-joo, who stood in opposition to the Director of the Disaster Agency, into the center of things.

The Disaster Agency’s political faction had been doing well recently.

You could tell just by the fact that the Director wasn’t fired, even after the disgraceful incident where villains took over the agency.

They had no rivals. Thus, they had monopolized everything and exerted influence over all hunters.

“Are you really coming to our Management Agency? It probably has fewer merits than the Disaster Agency.”

“If it’s for the sake of creating a more just and cleaner society, then I have to help.”

At my earnest remark, the head of the Management Agency broke into a wide, blatant grin.

The majority of hunters were currently under the control of the Disaster Agency. But I was moving to the newly established Hunter Management Agency.

Of course, my presence alone wouldn’t bring about any dramatic changes.

That’s why I made a proposal.

“Everything we discussed before has been prepared.”

The tax the Disaster Agency collected from hunters was 30%.

The higher a hunter’s income, the higher the tax rate. Naturally, this bred discontent.

The ones risking their lives were the hunters, yet the Disaster Agency, which provided no safety measures, was collecting government subsidies and taxes on top of it all.

The Management Agency would only collect a 10% tax.

With such a difference in tax rates right from the start, many people would flock to this side.

In fact, hunter contracts never had any other restrictions to begin with.

It was just that, until now, there had only been one agency to manage hunters.

Instead of being a Special Guarder for the Disaster Agency, I became a Hunter Management Officer and a Crisis Management Officer for the Hunter Management Agency.

This letter of appointment had no effect yet.

It would only take effect the moment I signed it.

The real power in the new Management Agency was naturally taken by Lieutenant Colonel Baek Hyun-joo—no, Colonel now.

The organization was formed in secret and with swift decisiveness.

“The Disaster Agency, with its monopoly, must have countless instances of corruption.”

Director Shin Chae-ho, who wielded the power of hunters that could control the safety of the citizens.

“It would be best to strike the head first in a surprise attack.”

The most effective way to end a war is to take out the enemy’s leader first.

If the leader is captured, the remaining command structure is paralyzed and loses direction. In that time, you pick them off one by one.

“But we can’t just attack without cause.”

That’s obvious.

“Evidence? We can create it.”

If they were carefully raising villains in the basement, the answer was there.

Olivier hadn’t been working at the agency for nothing.

The Hunter Management Agency was originally the Management Division, but it was suddenly promoted by the president’s emergency crisis approval.

However, compared to the Disaster Agency, which had dominated the hunter scene until now, its support was low.

They were in different weight classes; a simple probing attack would get our side crushed.

That’s why a preemptive strike to the head was the right move. It would minimize casualties.

After laying the groundwork, I headed to the Disaster Agency. And I came face to face with the Director.

As always, he greeted me with an artificial smile that mimicked warmth.

“I’ll be stepping down from my position as Special Guarder now.”

I told the Director of the Disaster Agency.

He soon began to threaten me, his face sinister as he pressed the issue.

“I heard you’re very close with your team members. Are they perhaps expanding overseas as well? What I mean is, will they not be returning to the country?”

Looking at Director Shin Chae-ho’s expression, I could guess his thoughts.

*How dare you challenge me, a man with official authority?*

The high-and-mighty nobles from the other world used to wear that exact same face.

“Your successor, Seol Ji-hoon, was a villain too.”

The old wildcat began his attempts at persuasion and intimidation.

“The person you live with is a minor, not even a blood relative. And I’ve found that some parts of that young housemate’s documents have been fabricated…”

He smiled with a subtly repulsive look on his face.

The way he looked at me with his fingers interlaced was the very picture of a victor.

I smiled back at him and said.

“As a member of the newly formed Special Task Force, I will be going down to the basement to see what’s there.”

I pushed the letter of appointment in front of the Director.

He was the type of man who wouldn’t even blink if a warrant was served.

Naturally, he was relaxed.

“So, you’ve latched onto a new place already. I didn’t take you for that kind of person. Well, well. Heh heh.”

The Director, laughing as if he found the situation absurd, unlaced his fingers and continued.

“Do you really think a temporary employee from a different agency can interfere in our internal affairs?”

“I think I’ll be able to.”

“This is meddling in internal affairs.”

“Then I’ll have to meddle. If there’s nothing down there, it won’t matter, right?”

At my words, the Director gave a sinister smile.

“My, my. Our ‘temporary’ special task force agent. As I said, the basement is perfectly safe. This is my jurisdiction, and not a single piece of paper moves without my permission.”

“Try and stop me if you can.”

The Director’s expression changed.

The image of the kind and gentle leader vanished without a trace, replaced by the face of a cold-blooded man who would stop at nothing.

“I picked up some ignorant miner bastard and gave him a boost, and now he doesn’t know his place. Right, the basement? You seem eager to blow things out of proportion. This will get a lot of people hurt. Do you understand?”

This old geezer only knows how to threaten. Why use words when he has perfectly good fists?

“Our dear Director is getting quite talkative. What on earth is down there? Are you having an affair? Or do you have some secret you want to hide?”

There was no point in arguing further.

I stood up from my seat.

“In this country, there isn’t a single hunter who can ignore my words.”

“I’ll show you that today, an exception exists.”

I immediately left the Director’s office.

“I definitely warned you.”

Instead of answering, I headed for the basement.

“Navigation on!”

-*Whatever.*

My convenient navigation system activated.

Olivier hadn’t just been collecting a paycheck at the agency all this time.

For her, a search-type supporter, there was no such thing as a secret space that could be hidden.

“Hunter Lee Hyunbin. You are not allowed in here.”

Agency members blocked my path.

“As a member of the Crisis Management Team’s special task force, I’m here to confirm the crisis in this basement.”

“We haven’t heard anything about that.”

They probably didn’t know since it was a newly established division.

“Which means you shouldn’t stop me.”

“I’m sorry, but no one is allowed inside without the Director’s permission.”

“You won’t be able to stop me.”

“?”

I smiled and walked straight ahead. Two agents moved to stop me. They were well-built, probably from working out. But they couldn’t stop me.

“!”

The two agents I shoulder-checked were sent flying like bowling pins.

“Hunter Lee Hyunbin! An act like this is…!”

I continued on, stepping onto the stairs leading to the basement. There was a locked door on the way, guarded by more agents.

These guys didn’t even try to say anything to stop me. They must have already heard over the radio, so it was nice to avoid unnecessary conversation.

However, I needed a key card to get through the door, and they didn’t look like they were going to give it to me.

“…!”

Of course, I didn’t need a key card.

I just grabbed the edge of the door. My pecs twitched as if telling me to trust them. Not to be outdone, my biceps and triceps bulged with veins.

Once my muscles began to sing, a flimsy steel door like this opened with ease.

“H-Hunter Lee Hyunbin. If you use a skill in a place like this…!”

“I didn’t use any skill.”

“…Ah!”

Why would I use a skill? It opens just fine.

Passing through the door, I descended deeper into the secretly shrouded basement. And up ahead, I saw the agency’s Guarders.

Unlike the agents I’d seen before, these men were wearing hunter suits. Moreover, they were holding anti-hunter automatic rifles loaded with mana bullets, ready to hunt down any intruder at a moment’s notice.

Their mission was to guard this place. Therefore, they had to stop me, and I had to get past them.

A conflict was unavoidable.

“Hunter Lee Hyunbin, you cannot enter. Why are you trying to get in?”

The Guarder who seemed to be the leader asked.

The first part was the standard line he was ordered to say, but the second part sounded like he was concerned for me.

“Is what’s inside there really something that needs to be protected?”

The Guarders didn’t answer.

“I’ll have to see for myself what’s inside.”

No matter who tried to stop me or with what force, if I decided to tear this place apart, I would see it through.

“I know you can’t stand aside because it’s your mission.”

A soldier has to do what he’s told. I get it.

“I’ll help you create a reason why you had no choice but to stand aside.”

“…”

*We tried to stop him, but we couldn’t.*

With an excuse like that, they wouldn’t get punished.

Because their opponent was the strongest in South Korea. No, the very agency that would punish them was going to disappear anyway.

I slowly walked forward.

*Step, step.*

Just then, all the Guarders blocking my path turned their rifles aside and stepped away, parting to either side. It was like a scene of Moses parting the sea.

“We’re not moving because we’re afraid of getting hit.”

*He’s saying that without me even asking. Sounds like that’s exactly why.*

“It’s because we believe you can stop that madness.”

The Guarders who said that didn’t restrain me, as if they weren’t thinking about the consequences.

I entered the secret basement without any bloodshed.

A gloomy wail could be heard coming from within.

Deep in the basement, beyond the reach of others’ eyes, I reached the agency’s secret place, and what I found was a room reeking of chemicals.

“Grrr…”

A man locked in a cell opened his one remaining eye toward me.

A blue light emanated from his gaze. I couldn’t tell if it longed for hope or despair.

He reached a hand through the bars of the cell. His arm, withered like a tree branch, stretched out with great effort, as if it would snap. Toward me, as if he had something to say.

I went further inside.

What I saw in the cells were not just humans. There were orcs, goblins, trolls—monsters you would only see in another world.

They were locked inside, barking like livestock. Some had only one arm, others had an extra pair. All of their forms were different.

“Ughhh…”

Someone’s low cry could be heard.

“Kill… me…”

Not “save me,” but “kill me.” On his back, a massive arm, unsuited for his frame, was attached like a wing. The arm seemed to have a will of its own as it covered the man’s mouth.

“Have you come?”

There was a man inside waiting for me.

A man with intellectual-looking, black-rimmed glasses wiped blood from his cheek with the back of his hand.

Thanks to the latex gloves he was wearing being covered in blood, his attempt to wipe it away only smeared more of it on his face.

“What are you doing?”

“Ah, you’ve come at a good time. I hear the people of this country get a lot of plastic surgery. Remodeling the face they were born with to be reborn as a new self, injecting vitality…”

“I asked what you’re doing.”

“Ah!”

At my obvious point, the man stood up as if he’d just realized. He laughed coolly and placed the scalpel he was holding on the table.

“This gentleman’s beloved lover had their organs harvested by villains like myself, you see. He said his one regret was not being strong enough, so I was in the middle of granting his wish.”

A man, presumed to be an agency Guarder, was on the operating table. He was already unconscious. Meaning, he was dead.

He must have resisted until the end, as blood oozed from the chafing marks on his wrists and ankles where the cuffs were.

“Of course, the surgery seems to have been a fail…”

*Smack!*

I slammed my fist right into the villain’s face.

The villain went tumbling to the floor, tangled up with surgical instruments. I walked straight toward him.

“Khh, ugh! Are you perhaps his guardian? I can understand why you’re angry, since I performed the procedure without a consent form…!”

I kicked the face of the blabbering bastard.

Slammed into the wall, he spat out a mouthful of blood.

As I approached, the villain picked up a scalpel from the floor and swung it at me.

I snatched the wrist of the hand holding the scalpel. And then I broke it.

A scream erupted from his mouth. He couldn’t feel the pain of others, but it seemed he could feel his own.

*Thwack!*

The guy, struck in the throat, tried to speak with a giggle but ended up coughing instead. I slammed him face down onto the floor. And kicked him in the face.

“Hunter Lee.”

Just then, the Director’s sinister voice echoed from behind me.

“Shouldn’t you stop?”

Even after seeing this situation, the Director was calm. It meant he knew everything.

“This is a matter of state.”

Am I the one who’s crazy, or is it this world?

I’ll choose the answer.

“Bullshit.”