Chapter 107
“How’s the situation?”
“We’re erasing every trace since the post went up, but… it’s only a matter of time before we’re exposed.”
“…I see.”
The man replied calmly.
He lightly patted his companion on the back.
“I expected something like this, but he’s coming at us even more aggressively than I thought.”
To think he would choose such an extreme method—turning his back on every criminal organization.
Was it a gamble, or confidence in his own abilities?
Whatever his intent, the result was the same.
The noose was tightening around the organization’s neck.
“Is the thing we discussed back then ready?”
“Yes. Ever since Jung Juhyeok posted that message, we’ve been accelerating its completion.”
The final plan.
The secretary knew about it as well.
At this rate, not only would their identities be exposed within the 48 hours Juhyeok had mentioned, but Juhyeok himself, his fellow S-rank hunters, and even the World Hunter Association would surely come personally to end everything.
If that happened, the plan they had painstakingly built over several years would be finished.
Failure already felt right in front of them.
Still, it was too early to let go of hope.
“I never thought we’d have to use it less than half a year after starting the plan.”
“…”
The secretary listened in silence.
A low, calm voice.
It matched this pitch-dark room perfectly—so sealed that not even a sliver of light could leak in.
“Nicholas.”
“Yes?”
“Wouldn’t it be better for you to run, even now?”
No one had yet obtained any information about Nicholas.
If they erased all traces immediately and went into hiding, there might be a chance to start over someday.
“Hide yourself somehow, then prepare carefully again in a few years.”
“…”
He fell silent.
The secretary’s words were, objectively, correct.
If he fled now and waited until things died down, another opportunity might eventually arise.
“I’m sick of running away.”
But his heart wouldn’t allow it.
“I’m tired of hiding in the dark, holding my breath, letting time pass without making a sound until an opportunity appears.”
The man squeezed his eyes shut.
Just like when he opened them in the darkness—everything was pitch black.
“It’s hard to keep living as a human. I’ve had enough of suppressing the nausea that rises every day from my own repulsiveness.”
“…Understood.”
There was nothing the secretary could say in response to his firm resolve.
She quietly turned around and opened the door.
“Then I’ll inform you once everything is ready.”
With that, she stepped out of the pitch-black room.
The outside was just as dark.
“….”
Guided by instinct, she walked through the darkness she had grown accustomed to.
Lost in thought, she walked alone.
As expected… he won’t listen.
He was her benefactor—the one who had taken her in when she became a war orphan.
A human who, for reasons unknown, utterly despised humanity.
There was a time when he vaguely spoke of his past.
His father had fallen into gambling, piled up debt, then hanged himself, leaving all the burdens behind for the remaining family.
His mother couldn’t bear that reality and fled alone, abandoning her son.
Wandering the back alleys, he was betrayed by the first friend he ever made and lost all the money he had saved over several years.
Betrayal after betrayal.
A life spent clawing desperately forward, with no one to rely on.
Up until that point, he claimed he hadn’t harbored hatred toward humans.
The reason he came to loathe humanity itself was simple.
[I was human too—just like them.]
Nicholas later met people who believed in him.
But having never learned what trust was, he betrayed them.
It didn’t take long for him to realize what he had done.
What he had learned, what he had grown up with, was betrayal.
A life devoid of warmth had already corrupted the human called Nicholas.
Seeing himself transformed into something no different from those he despised filled him with doubt.
Humans who hurt one another, tearing each other apart.
Even good people would eventually be tainted by them.
A pure white canvas stains easily.
His heart, darker than a starless night, lost its way.
That was as far as she knew.
Why he came to believe that all humans should die—
She could not bring herself to uncover even that.
Nicholas once told her that even when he died, and even when she died, she might never understand him.
Yes—she didn’t understand.
And yet, that was fine.
The one who dragged her body back from death in the gutter and gave her life was Nicholas.
The one who taught her the difference between pork and beef was Nicholas.
For whatever reason, she had sworn to follow him in life—and follow him even into death.
“….”
Still… if possible, she wanted to live together with him.
*
Russia.
The anonymous message pointed to the middle of a forest in Russia.
It wasn’t just one.
Five messages sent with 24 hours remaining out of the 48 all indicated the same location.
Never imagined it would come this quickly.
Juhyeok, who had briefly been staying with his mother at Hyunho Candy, immediately left his seat to move quickly.
Leaving behind Cheonsi, who wanted to come with him, and everyone else, Juhyeok moved alone.
As if they knew, the World Hunter Association came directly, prepared a private jet, and waited for him.
Given how critical the recent gate surge was, they said they wouldn’t spare any support and told him to ask for anything he needed.
“As I requested, all gates have been sealed, right?”
“Yes. Even if a break occurs, we’ve already arranged for everything to be handled outside.”
“Understood.”
While discussing how to respond to various situations aboard the jet, they arrived at their destination before he knew it.
To be honest, more than half of it was scolding.
That an S-rank hunter shouldn’t do something like this alone.
That he should at least consult his national hunter association before taking action.
That posting such an outrageous message on his own was unacceptable.
It’d be strange if I didn’t get chewed out.
The influence an S-rank hunter wielded couldn’t be compared to that of even the most famous celebrities.
Depending on the individual, some possessed enough force to threaten a small country—acting on their own could plunge the world into chaos.
If something like this happens again, I’ll probably do it anyway.
Though he looked like he was listening earnestly, he felt no real remorse inside.
If he’d told the association beforehand, they’d obviously try to stop him, saying it was too dangerous.
Isn’t it said that asking for forgiveness is easier than asking for permission?
Of course, he wouldn’t cause trouble unnecessarily—but when needed, he’d shamelessly ask for forgiveness later.
“Are you sure you’ll be fine going alone?”
“That’s enough.”
The private jet had reached its destination.
Before lowering altitude and opening the door, an association official asked in a worried voice.
“Wouldn’t it be better to take another S-rank with you…?”
“It’s more efficient for the other S-ranks to stay on standby in case of a break.”
As Juhyeok gathered his light gear, he continued,
“If I feel it’s too much for me alone, I’ll send a signal. Please provide support then.”
“…Understood.”
The official opened the jet door.
A violent rush of wind poured into the cabin.
“Good luck!”
Juhyeok smiled lightly at the words and jumped.
Looking down, he spotted a mansion standing absurdly out of place in the middle of the forest.
He wondered how it had remained undiscovered until now as he descended rapidly.
Boom—!
The ground greeted him with a thunderous crash.
A tremor like an earthquake rippled outward, dust clouds rising.
Juhyeok walked forward through the dust.
As he neared the mansion, he saw the doors standing wide open.
As if they had expected his arrival.
He tossed a stone to check for traps before entering.
Dense trees surrounded the estate, shadows cast thickly between them.
Built deep within the forest, it was doubtful whether it ever received proper sunlight.
The place looks gloomy as hell.
A location that gave nothing but a bad impression.
In contrast, the garden was neatly maintained, and as he walked through it, a voice called out from above.
“So you finally came.”
He looked up.
A tall man—easily over 190 centimeters—with pale skin.
His emaciated body looked like it would topple over if lightly pushed.
“Nice to meet you, Hunter Jung Juhyeok.”
“You don’t look very happy to see me.”
“Haha, you’re perceptive.”
The man let out a hollow laugh.
“Still, I prepared a welcome.”
He pointed with his finger.
Turning his head in that direction, Juhyeok saw wolf-shaped monsters emerge into the garden.
“…Monsters?”
There were no gates nearby, yet monsters had appeared.
For a moment, he wondered if they were just wolves, but their reddened eyes and horns proved otherwise.
At a glance, they’re at least B-rank.
Occasionally, people secretly raised E-rank—or at most D-rank—monsters.
All illegal, of course, but wealthy individuals or criminal organizations sometimes did it.
B-rank monsters were different.
Their ferocity wasn’t something humans could simply domesticate.
The fact that he could control them with a mere gesture was shocking enough.
“Get him.”
At his command, the wolves lunged forward.
There weren’t just one or two.
Judging by how the garden was filled, there were nearly thirty of them.
Of course, no matter how many there were, they were still just B-rank monsters.
Bang—!
One shot from the gun in his hand sent them flying.
It took barely five minutes.
Sliced apart by his sword, blown away by gunfire, the wolves quickly became lifeless corpses scattered across the ground.
But it wasn’t over.
I definitely killed all the ones I saw earlier…
The numbers weren’t decreasing.
A quick glance showed they were continuously pouring out from somewhere.
“Ha.”
The opponent had prepared far more than expected.
Juhyeok tightened his grip on the sword and gun in both hands.
I’m not weak to attrition, but dragging this out won’t do any good.
Even now, a break could occur somewhere.
Every second mattered.
To avoid wasting more time on fodder, Juhyeok kicked off the ground and leapt high, closing in on the man.
“Let’s end this quickly.”
“…Shall we?”
The sword flew toward the man’s neck.
He expected the head to separate cleanly from the body—
Clang—!
The blade was blocked by something.
A massive claw.
A gigantic foreleg—difficult to describe—stopped Juhyeok’s sword cold.
