Chapter 66 …
As Kwon Seo-woo started training under Baek-gyeon, my life began to change in small and big ways.
The most noticeable change was that the days I ran into Baek-gyeon had increased exponentially.
“Is Kwon Seo-woo here?”
“Yes. He’s still inside, and the sun hasn’t even risen yet… Please wait a moment…”
“Kwon Seo-woo?”
“He just woke up and is eating…”
“Kwon Seo-woo?”
“He’s eating.”
“Kwon?”
“Eating.”
Since Baek-gyeon came to the house every morning to take Kwon Seo-woo for training, I inevitably ended up encountering Baek-gyeon as well!
…Of course, this had nothing to do with my consent.
Anyway, there was one more change.
“Hello. You must be Hunter Kwon Ah-sol, right? Baek-gyeon sunbae left early today, so I came in his place. Is Seo-woo inside?”
“Oh, hello.”
It was Joo Se-min of the 199th Hunter class.
Aside from Kwon Seo-woo, he was currently the only hunter training under Baek-gyeon, making him simultaneously Baek-gyeon’s junior, student, errand boy, and all-around multi-tasker…
‘Wow! Original special episode “Most Pitiful Character Vote” #1!’
In other words, in the original story, he was just portrayed as a pitiful graduate student.
‘Wow, how much must he be getting tormented…’
I got to know Joo Se-min with a curious feeling, but…
“…Noona, today I finally discovered Baek-gyeon hyung’s weakness…”
“What? What?”
Soon, Kwon Seo-woo ended up looking even more pitiful than Joo Se-min, and I realized there was no reason to be impressed with Se-min. XX.
“Why aren’t you going to your room and staying here?”
“Baek-gyeon hyung’s weakness… he hates unsealed food. Today, I suggested eating a hot dog in front of the training hall without thinking, and I almost ended up in boiling water…”
“Go wash up quickly and sleep in your room. You’re out of your mind.”
“Yes… I’ll work twice, no, three times harder tomorrow to learn more of hyung’s weakness, noona…”
‘…What?’
I had no idea what kind of training Kwon Seo-woo had undergone. He staggered out of my room like a zombie, almost completely wrecked.
Even after he left, I had to pause to process the situation.
‘What on earth is Baek-gyeon doing to him?’
Seriously worried, I finally opened Kwon Seo-woo’s status screen. And the moment I checked his stats:
<Kwon Seo-woo>
Unique Ability: Nullification
Rank: B
Affiliation: –
Stats: Health A / Strength B / Agility A / Intelligence C / Luck A
Title: Prospective Savior
Notable Trait: Settlement Killer (If preemptively attacked, Luck stat rises to S for 10 minutes)
Skill: <Viewing Authorization Not Granted>
“Whoa?!”
My eyes practically popped out.
“His agility is already A?”
The agility stat, which had stayed at B, had risen to A in just a few days. Had he gone through some kind of ninja training or something?
At that moment, all my doubts about Baek-gyeon melted away.
‘The training is working…!’
And it was working immensely!
Even if he looked like a mess, it was clear that he was learning something while under Baek-gyeon.
I stopped worrying and focused on my own work. A few more peaceful days passed.
<Caller ID Restricted>
The results of your previous request have arrived. Please visit.
Finally, contact came from Team Leader Sun Yeo-woon.
“Sorry for the delayed response. There was an internal issue within the team, making it difficult to reach you.”
Following Team Leader Sun to the association, we went to a much more secluded empty room than the one where we had our previous conversation.
“No worries. Are the forensic results ready?”
“Yes. It took some time due to missing parts, but the results are accurate.”
The already secretive atmosphere hinted at what the results might reveal. Sun Yeo-woon scanned the room and took out some documents.
“The formal name of the item Hunter Kwon Ah-sol requested for examination is <Beast Bundle>. The sealed beast inside was confirmed to be a Flame Dust Rabbit.”
‘As expected.’
I wasn’t surprised.
But what startled me was what Team Leader Sun said next.
“There’s one thing I’d like to ask… Was this item discovered at Gyeongbokgung?”
“Huh?”
“Are you pursuing Najin?”
I hesitated at the direct question. It wasn’t something I needed to hide. But if I confirmed that the Beast Bundle was found at Gyeongbokgung, it could reveal information about the mole. I maintained a calm expression.
“And why do you ask that?”
“Because I think our goals align with yours, Hunter Kwon Ah-sol.”
Goals?
“Let us help you. We will cooperate in any way we can.”
Team Leader Sun’s face was more serious than ever.
“The Yu family name has vanished into history, but the will of the surviving retainers remains. If anyone targets the Yu family, we will strike first. Allow us to fulfill our duty as retainers until the very end.”
Even after the fall of the Yu family, Sun Yeo-woon had not been greatly shaken. He had grieved for Yu Ji-eon’s death, of course, but to protect the remaining retainers, he needed to regain composure quickly and act rationally.
This was the first time he had openly expressed anger toward Najin.
On Sun’s face, I could see the calm rage typical of someone who had lived a lifetime of refined restraint.
“The surviving retainers are scattered across the Hunter Association. Most are in the Item Management Team, including me, but some are in other departments. I have confirmed the opinions of the others. If Hunter Kwon Ah-sol permits, the retainers will act in unison.”
“What?”
“Use us to capture Najin. We can be of help to you, Hunter Kwon Ah-sol.”
It was an incredibly bold offer. Yet I still couldn’t entirely remove my suspicion.
“I appreciate your trust, but isn’t the Association already pursuing Najin? Why go this far…?”
“This delay in contacting you relates to that.”
Team Leader Sun lowered his voice, speaking cautiously as if revealing secret information.
“One of the items stored in the former Item Management Team went missing. The entry and exit records were problematic, and due to staff reductions over the years, no one noticed. More importantly…”
He paused, then continued.
“We suspect this item may have flowed to the Ban-Yeorok faction.”
“What?”
My eyes widened. XX, what is this now?
“It seems like a simple loss, but our team concluded it was intentionally concealed. From the item’s disappearance to the manipulated records, then the staff reduction meant no one noticed. Too many coincidences to be natural. And that’s not all.”
Sun Yeo-woon pulled out another document: a photo and basic information of a mysterious man.
“When tracing the former team members after the downsizing, most were fine, but one left the association and later got caught plotting terrorism while following Ban-Yeorok.”
“…What?!”
“We don’t know if he was following Ban-Yeorok while in the association or held a grudge after being fired. But the timing is critical: the item disappeared 14 years ago. And 14 years ago…”
“…That’s when Ban-Yeorok was active and was killed.”
The room grew heavy with tension.
14 years ago, the head of the Ban family, Ban-Yeorok, massacred his family members before being killed himself. That event alone was huge, but today, Ban-Yeorok’s name carries even more weight.
It marked the first catalyst for Najin and many other terrorists appearing in the world.
“We plan to investigate further. If the team was downsized like this, whoever orchestrated the cover-up was clearly more than just a single member or team leader.”
“I understand.”
If a high-ranking official of the Association were involved, investigating would be risky. I understood why they had chosen such a secluded room.
In short, they already suspected the entire Association. My theory that the Association might also be compromised was gaining credibility! XX!
‘Getting help from the Yu retainers isn’t a bad idea.’
To catch Najin, I needed to share my plan with trustworthy hunters, but I couldn’t reveal anything yet with a mole in play. The Yu retainers, however, were different.
‘They’re already outside the main story of the original work.’
I had twisted the original story to join the Association, and in the original story, all the Yu retainers either died or disappeared without a trace. They were secondary characters outside the original story’s constraints. Most importantly, they were determined to get revenge on Najin.
What I needed now were allies who would quietly help track Najin—definitely not on Najin’s side.
Then…
“My goals align with yours, Team Leader Sun. I also want to capture Najin. …I believe there’s an insider leaking information to Najin, and I don’t plan to tell anyone else for now.”
“You’ve already been tracking, I see. What’s your plan, Hunter Kwon Ah-sol?”
I could trust them. As I mentioned the insider, Team Leader Sun quickly lowered his voice.
“Previously, the Gyeongbokgung Gate was considered an accidental gate, but seeing this Beast Bundle, it was a deliberate act by Najin. Whoever helped him do this quietly must be a collaborator, allowing Najin to act safely.”
“Indeed. If the Gyeongbokgung Gate was Najin’s doing, it’s completely different from his usual patterns. What do you plan next?”
“They’ll likely believe their deception worked, so we mustn’t show that we’ve noticed. If they realize we know about the collaborator, they’ll hide again. To catch Najin…”
I looked at the documents in my hand.
<Item Examination Report>
Name: Beast Bundle
Rank: B
Attribute: Flame Dust Rabbit
Other: Partial loss due to fire
Responsible Officer: Item Management Team Leader Sun Yeo-woon
Who the hell could be helping someone like Najin? My blood pressure rose. Whoever it was, I would catch Najin and the insider and hang them at the Association’s main gate.
“We’ll lay a bait pretending to know nothing and lure them out.”
I had to survive to witness the conclusion of this world.
“….”
In a darkened room, a man crouched in front of the flickering TV screen. The broadcast replayed the Gyeongbokgung Gate incident. His pale face appeared and vanished under the TV light.
<Ah, the Flame Dust Rabbit that occupied the Gangnyeongjeon roof has been neutralized! Thanks to the actions of 204th Temporary Team 4, Hunter Shin Yeo-myeong!>
<What’s the situation on-site? Any casualties?>
<Yes! Thanks to Hunter Shin Yeo-myeong, miraculously, there were no casualties. Since it was a cultural heritage site, everyone on-site was relieved…>
The gate that had been spewing beasts closed in an instant, and the flames subsided. Even as the video perspective shifted rapidly, the man’s gaze stayed fixed on Kwon Ah-sol.
“…Why?”
As he muttered, the video ended and the screen changed. This time, the display read:
<Unauthorized hunters, stand down!>
<Enforce ability regulation law! Apply! Apply! Apply!>
It was Kwon Ah-sol standing before the new dungeon.
