Chapter 130 – Incident [Accident]

May 25, 2032.

Ricardo Rodriguez, the world’s 51st A-Rank Hunter, was found dead in his home.

“An autopsy is currently underway. We will provide further details during the joint investigation team’s regular briefing.”

A joint investigation team was formed for his death case, involving not only the FBI, CIA, and the American Superhuman Association, but also the International Superhuman Association.

Surveillance camera footage from around his mansion in LA and vehicle black box recordings were collected at the joint investigation team headquarters.

However, no unusual signs were found there.

“The autopsy results revealed significant Mana Infiltration phenomena in Hunter Ricardo Rodriguez’s skin and internal organs.”

After three days of ultra-precise autopsies involving superhumans, doctors, and mana engineers, numerous signs of Mana Infiltration, i.e., signs of magical attacks, were found in Ricardo Rodriguez’s body.

“The joint investigation team is currently focusing on the possibility that Hunter Ricardo Rodriguez was murdered and is proceeding with the investigation in that direction.”

The joint investigation team spokesperson read the briefing statement with an impassive expression.

However, the expressions of the journalists covering the scene, as well as ordinary citizens watching the scene live, were inevitably colored with shock, horror, and disbelief.

“Does it make sense for an A-Rank Hunter to be murdered?”

The question thrown by the CNN reporter in a dazed voice was a thought shared by everyone watching the briefing live.

“We are investigating with that possibility in mind for now.”

And the spokesperson merely repeated his calm, bureaucratic words.

“Ricardo Rodriguez was a Healer type. Even though he had some combat power due to being A-Rank, if he was ambushed by proper Hunter killers, he would have been helpless.”

Amy Chua, former vice-chairman of the American Superhuman Association and currently serving as an advisory committee member for the International Superhuman Association Superhuman Crime Investigation Bureau, tried to dispel people’s doubts by presenting somewhat reasonable grounds in an interview with Fox News.

“Recently, the Superhuman Crime Investigation Bureau sent official documents to major intelligence agencies and superhuman associations worldwide. This is because secretive and urgent movements by individuals presumed to be Villains have been detected in the US, Europe, and some Asian countries.”

In the live interview, Amy Chua publicly stated that collective movements of Villains were being detected globally.

The Fox News anchor, surprised by the sudden revelation, asked her, “Is this information safe to disclose?” To which she replied, “The Association has decided to switch to a public investigation.”

People had already received one shock from the death of A-Rank Hunter Ricardo Rodriguez.

Furthermore, the chaos accelerated as an advisory committee member of the International Superhuman Association Superhuman Crime Investigation Bureau publicly revealed organized, transnational movements of Villains.

Temporarily, panic selling occurred in the US and European stock markets.

In LA, where Ricardo Rodriguez lived, hoarding phenomena briefly appeared.

“Please rest assured. It has not yet been revealed whether the organized movements of Villains are related to Hunter Ricardo Rodriguez’s death or not.”

Although the International Superhuman Association stepped in belatedly to manage the situation, fear and chaos had already been imprinted deep in people’s hearts.

In that situation, another A-Rank Hunter was found dead.

Frankfurt, Germany.

A residential area where the wealthy gather.

Among them, a particularly large mansion that gives the feeling of a medieval lord’s castle.

The large ‘F’ and ‘A’ prominently hung on the gate indirectly indicated that the owner of this house was Friedrich Alkenheim, Germany’s A-Rank Hunter.

Passing through the vast grounds that even give the feeling of an arboretum, a marble mansion located on a high enough elevation to be called a hill comes into view.

“Guhh…….”

The grand hall on the first floor of the mansion.

The water of the massive artificial fountain, large enough to be used as a swimming pool, was dyed red with blood.

Corpses with half-severed necks or split sides spilling entrails floated here and there in the bloody water.

“You…… you……!”

And the owner of the mansion, Germany’s A-Rank Magic-Type Hunter Friedrich Alkenheim, was slowly dying, his white pajamas stained with blood.

Although he didn’t even have the strength to move a finger, this middle-aged Mage glared at the person standing before him with eyes that seemed ready to tear him to death immediately.

Towards him, the man, Siguk, offered a deep, mocking smile.

“Why…… on earth?”

In response to Friedrich Alkenheim’s question, Siguk wiped the blood off his sword and answered in English.

“Hmm? Why am I doing this?”

Then, a black demon descended gracefully from the air behind Siguk.

• There is no more, Master.

At the Familiar’s telepathy, Siguk nodded.

Friedrich Alkenheim vomited blood as soon as he saw the Familiar.

“What, what the hell is that damned black devil? Gahk!”

Siguk gave no answer to him, who continued to vomit blood and shout.

He merely looked with a face full of mockery at the final moments of the one who had reigned as Germany’s sole A-Rank Hunter after Adolf Randlinger, dying after taking the full brunt of that creature’s magical attacks without even being able to mount a proper defense.

“Gahk-!”

Friedrich Alkenheim vomited another gush of blood.

And at that moment, a formidable force erupted from Siguk’s body, enveloping and pressuring Friedrich Alkenheim.

“Ggeok-!”

Unable to regain his senses under the pressure squeezing his entire body and even his Mental World, Friedrich Alkenheim lost consciousness.

Siguk asked Friedrich Alkenheim, whose eyes had rolled back showing only the whites and whose nose was bleeding profusely.

“Do you know about NAC?”

“Ggeueok……”

Friedrich Alkenheim couldn’t give a proper answer to Siguk’s question.

Siguk, unhurried, asked again slowly.

“Do you know about NAC?”

“Ggeueuk…… N, NAC is…….”

Groaning in pain, Friedrich Alkenheim slowly began to recite the information he knew about NAC.

But nothing particularly useful that Siguk had hoped for came out.

“I’ve heard there’s some connection between Ululu Tumbebe and NAC. Is it true?”

Siguk changed the question.

But again, no useful information came from Friedrich Alkenheim.

“I, I don’t know…… What, what I know is…… that the NAC Chairman…… is in London…… Ggeuk…….”

And then Friedrich Alkenheim died just like that.

Confirming his death, Siguk snorted and released his Dragon Fear.

• If I may be so bold, may I ask a question, Master?

The Familiar sent telepathy to Siguk, who was looking coldly at Friedrich Alkenheim’s corpse.

Siguk looked at it and said.

“A question?”

• Both Ricardo Rodriguez and Friedrich Alkenheim ultimately didn’t know much about NAC or Ululu Tumbebe, right?

“That’s right.”

• Then why go through all this trouble to find and kill them like this?

A slight smile formed at the corner of Siguk’s mouth.

He tapped the Familiar’s thick arm with his hand and spoke.

“Ever heard of ‘shaking the east to strike the west’?”

• It’s in the memories I absorbed. Shake the east to strike the west. In short, a diversionary tactic, right?

“You know it well.”

Siguk turned his gaze back to Friedrich Alkenheim.

“The International Superhuman Association Superhuman Crime Investigation Bureau has detected our movements.”

Even before the Superhuman Crime Investigation Bureau’s official announcement, Siguk had already realized they had noticed the Cartel’s movements.

It was information obtained from torturing suspicious-looking Asian-Americans who had been moving suspiciously within South Korea.

“I don’t know about the movements in the US or Europe. It could be NAC, it could be Ululu Tumbebe, or it could be guys like me trying to create a Villain Cartel. Or maybe small-scale Villain organizations are creating some trade route among themselves.”

Listening to Siguk’s words, the Familiar nodded quietly.

Siguk continued.

“In that situation, if an A-Rank Hunter in Germany dies following the one in the US, and if both causes of death are from multiple direct magical attacks, naturally the Superhuman Crime Investigation Bureau’s eyes will focus on the Atlantic coast.”

Only then did the Familiar make an expression showing it understood Siguk’s intention.

Siguk turned his gaze back to the Familiar.

“Asian countries don’t cooperate much with the International Superhuman Association to begin with. In that situation, wouldn’t the clear movements seen in the US and Europe attract more attention than the subtle movements seen in Asia?”

Towards Siguk, who finished speaking with a smile, the Familiar sent telepathy while applauding with an admiring expression.

• Amazing. With my limited insight, I hadn’t calculated that far, Master.

Seeing the Familiar like that, Siguk gave a bitter smile.

“Flattery isn’t a human virtue you necessarily need to learn, you know.”

At Siguk’s words, the Familiar sent telepathy without changing its expression, shamelessly.

• It’s not flattery, Master. I sincerely admire your wisdom.

No point in saying more, thought Siguk as he slapped the Familiar’s chest once with a clap sound with his palm and walked past it towards the fountain.

“Let’s go soon. The police will be swarming here in a bit.”

And simultaneously, Siguk sent the Familiar back.

The Familiar vanished from the spot along with dark red smoke.

With a gap of about two months, two A-Rank Hunters from the US and Germany were murdered in similar ways.

With this unprecedented, shocking news, not only the Atlantic coast but the whole world was plunged into shock.

A massive investigation was launched into the so-called Hunter Killers, criminal groups known to specialize only in assassinating Hunters.

Since both incidents occurred across the Atlantic, naturally the attention of the International Superhuman Association Superhuman Crime Investigation Bureau and intelligence agencies worldwide focused on the Atlantic coast.

Just as Siguk intended, attention could be diverted away from Asia.

Of course, amidst this, there were some who thought differently.

“Hmm…… Thanks to that, the Superhuman Crime Investigation Bureau has completely cut off its attention towards Asia.”

At Ivan Ivanov’s words, the Chairman of the Russian Superhuman Association and Sergei Lavrov, Chairman of the Far East Development Bank, nodded.

Ivan Ivanov fell into thought, stroking his chin with his large hand.

He, who had been staring blankly ahead, slowly opened his mouth.

“Is it a coincidence?”

To that, Sergei Lavrov replied.

“It can’t be a coincidence, can it? The picture is too perfect to be a coincidence.”

“Right. Correct. It’s too perfect. As if someone intended it, all attention is pouring towards Europe and America.”

Instantly, an image of ‘someone’ flashed through Ivan Ivanov’s mind.

The face of an Easterner in a small country in the Far East, living with his daughter, whom he calls his prospective son-in-law, trusts considerably, but doesn’t trust completely.

‘Is it a diversionary tactic? Creating chaos in the Western world to disperse attention from Asia? But that seems too excessive for that…….’

Above all, what Ivan Ivanov wondered was, if Siguk had committed such a big deed, why hadn’t he given him even a hint.

‘It’s not like I’m in a position to vehemently oppose killing two humans…….’

“Hmm…….”

His complicated feelings were revealed in a light sigh.

Seeing that, Sergei Lavrov cautiously asked.

“Shall I ask him directly, Nikolayevich?”

Instantly, Ivan Ivanov looked at Sergei Lavrov with a sharp gaze.

Sergei Lavrov nodded quietly.

A slight smile touched the corner of Ivan Ivanov’s mouth.

Ivan Ivanov looked at the Superhuman Association Chairman and said.

“People say Chairman Lavrov is my persona, don’t they?”

At his sudden words, the Superhuman Association Chairman just blinked his eyes.

Ivan Ivanov, who burst into laughter seeing that, looked at Sergei Lavrov again and said.

“You’re at least geographically closest to that guy, so call him to Khabarovsk later and ask him. Don’t ask too directly, but probe appropriately.”

“Yes, I will do that.”

Ivan Ivanov smiled and picked up his coffee cup.

“If that guy really did it…… well, he must have his reasons. Reasons he couldn’t tell me.”

Saying that, Ivan Ivanov took a sip of coffee.