Chapter 250. Total crisis (2)
Afterward, they finished some basic treatment on the sandy beach and immediately returned to the Garion Building in Seoul. During the drive, the Rank #1 Hunter behind the wheel asked many questions, but no meaningful conversation followed.
"I'm only lying low for a bit because my lungs got injured from that S-rank gate trap. Once I recover fully, Kang Changho will be nothing. So Haseoung, you really don't need to worry too much about this anymore."
Giryeo didn't reveal that he was an F-rank hunter, but rather strengthened his previous bluff. He made a few statements showing off his abilities and then calmly told Haseoung that he would have to take a break from their lessons for a while. He told him not to send the tutoring fee for next month just yet and to wait.
***
A few hours later. For reference, this was Kim Giryeo's studio apartment. Just before returning home, I had a rather long conversation with Esther and the Korean Magic Tower.
[Now I finally get to see your face. Welcome, Giryeo-ssi. I was really worried about you. So, what on earth was going on earlier?]
[To put it simply, I got caught trying to scam Hunter Kang Changho.]
[Oh.]
For the sake of what's to come, the help of the capable Rank 2 was essential.
[Anyway, explaining the contract that's already half-broken seems pointless. To summarize the current situation briefly, an S-rank Hunter is pretty angry because of what I've done.]
[If someone had their head on straight, they wouldn't just beat people up because they're angry. Looks like Giryeo-ssi and Hunter Haseoung went through a lot this time.]
[Uhm....]
[Anyway, so what?]
[Due to various circumstances, I couldn't subdue that guy on the spot. Before facing any retaliation, I want to somehow secure Kang Changho's custody first. Is that possible?]
[I'll do my best. At least, I'll make sure to collect the equivalent of the price you paid back then.]"
Right now, I've safely returned home under Jung Haseoung's protection. Not long after, I received a progress report from Esther through a text message on my phone.
"Hmm."
The most effective way to limit the actions of an S-rank awakened person is to involve public authority. However, in South Korea, where the rule of law prevails, even the leader of a large guild can't easily make another top-tier hunter a public fugitive without cause.
"Well, after all, no one has died yet."
To involve Kang Changho with the police, the only possible action was to file the S-rank fight on the beach as a mutual assault case. With that, the police would attempt to summon him to investigate him as a party to the incident. However, such a summons was a non-compulsory request that could easily be ignored.
Thus, with Jung Haseoung's consent, Esther decided to file an assault report and rush the process of issuing an arrest warrant. At the same time, she planned to take additional measures behind the scenes, utilizing Awakeners and errand services.
[I'm sorry <(??? )>.]
"I don't think this is something you need to apologize for... But those strange symbols attached at the end, what are they? This time, I really have no clue."
As seen, soon a thunderbolt-like news came from Esther. Despite using every method she could think of, she had ultimately failed to track down Kang Changho's whereabouts.
"Right. What can I expect from primitive magicians? The Earth's [Searcher] skill has a great range for a natural form, but it always gets blocked in all sorts of ways."
A complete disappearance. Honestly, there's nothing more unsettling and bothersome than an unknown danger lurking in the darkness, not knowing when or where it might reappear.
"Hmm."
It wasn't realistic to demand that S-rank hunters, who are tied to the nation's safety, focus solely on me 24/7. So, within the bounds of common sense, I asked the leaders of the Magic Tower and Garion Guild to take the following additional measures.
① From now on, there should be association staff or other security personnel stationed at the entrance when entering gates.
② Do not enter the dungeon at the same time. One of the two should always remain outside and wait.
③ Esther should cast a low-intensity curse to limit Kang Changho's mobility as much as possible.
④ And if possible, please have the Magic Tower monitor the following individuals additionally.
"Let's see."
I included the names of the individuals corresponding to number 4 in the text message.
[Ahn Yoonseung, Gu Seohyeong]
Honestly, one of them has become a distant, nearly non-existent relationship lately, but due to their connection with the owner of the body, they are relatively more likely to fall into danger.
"Kang Changho is an Earthling I saw crush the skulls of his own kind five times. A merciless guy like him wouldn't hesitate to resort to a hostage situation."
Fortunately, Seo Esther was an influential capitalist. As a result, she always had plenty of people under her, and when I asked her to discreetly assign some protection to two acquaintances, she was able to comply with ease.
[After checking, it seems Ms. Seohyeong is currently on summer vacation abroad, partly due to her skill cooldown period. Apparently, an S-rank Hunter there is already providing her with VIP-level protection as a state guest. So at least that location should be safe until the end of the month.]
Alright, now that the external measures are more or less complete, I suppose it's time to start working on a fundamental solution.
"Whew."
As I put down my smartphone, I looked around the room. The studio apartment, which I had once kept tidy for a change, was now cluttered with all sorts of dungeon materials. As its current state suggested, despite everything that had happened, I had ended up right back here—returning once again to this noisy, cramped five-pyeong space of mine.
There were two reasons.
"Esther suggested that I stay at the Magic Tower at least until Kang Changho's whereabouts are identified, but..."
First of all, it's difficult to focus on research in a shared space with Earthlings, as I'd be constantly distracted. And more importantly, if the 'barrier' expands even slightly, the magic power required to sustain it increases exponentially.
"Just try coming any closer. I'll fry you like a bug caught in an electric flytrap."
Thump thump.
I checked the defensive magic I had newly installed in my studio apartment.
[2.0.10 Changes]
• New barrier installed
• Strength increased 5 times compared to the previous spell
• Electric shock function triggered in case of intrusion
• Surface invisibility treatment (The barrier looks identical to the previous one, despite being much stronger)
This is a change after a long time.
Indeed. The new barrier, with its security function, possesses the power to stop an S-rank Hunter, who could survive a direct hit from lightning, in its tracks. Of course, given its monstrous performance, it consumes a lot of energy, so I hastily connected two [Infinite Power Cores], but even with that, the duration of the barrier is only about 15 days.
"I feel really grateful to Esther for lending me such an expensive item without even asking for an upfront payment. Ah, right. Before I forget, I should quickly transfer the payment for the cores. After all, I got another 3 billion in tutoring fees last month."
I turned on my phone again and sent Esther money through smart banking. Then I started thinking again.
"...Somehow, I feel like I'm preparing for a defense battle like a general."
To think that, after being exposed as a fraud, I'd be forced to awaken my drive for self-improvement this early. In this desperate crisis, the first solution that came to mind was to strike back—kill Kang Changho when he came for revenge. Thankfully, I have yet to be caught tying to that Earthling about my location using a dummy.
"For Kang Changho, the only real target is the fluctuation created by my mana. Compared to the Korean Magic Tower, which has a lot of foot traffic, this shabby studio apartment is definitely more accessible."
However, on the other hand, I'm not entirely convinced that S-class would fall for a trap this easily. I can't point to any specific evidence—but somehow, I just have a feeling.
"Something about all of this feels off. Huh? Kim Giryeo. Don't you think this situation is way too strange, even for you...?"
Somehow, it felt like Kang Changho knew something that the other S-ranks didn't. And unfortunately, my gut instincts—perhaps thanks to my experience as an Archmage—rarely ever missed their mark.
"Stuck in the body of an F-rank Hunter, I'm practically forced to rely on fixed spells powered by the core to fight. Still, it looks like I'll have to think of a different way to lure Kang Changho in."
The work isn't done yet. As I've always said, the [Infinite Power Core] only supports a limited range of spell types. Even if I plug in multiple cores for a single spell, they just run in parallel and don't simply multiply its power. This Earth-style high-capacity battery alone isn't enough to kill an S-rank Hunter. So, when it comes time to cut off Kang Changho's breath, I'll have to use another method as well.
"Wait for the moment when the barrier's defense function incapacitates him, then detonate an unavoidable bomb when he's at his weakest."
Anyway, what kind of suffering is this because of one bad contract? Old habits die hard, so even though I tried to come up with a plan that excluded Jeong Haseoung's involvement, a part of me couldn't help but fall back into that typical A-tphaun-style-responsibility-shifting.
It's all Kang Changho's fault. No, if an F-rank Hunter feels their life is in danger, it's not like making a fake contract is out of the question. How can a person not accept an apology and get so angry like that? If it weren't for getting caught by that damn [Dragon's Eye] observation device, things wouldn't have escalated into this total disaster...
"Phew."
That's enough. This will all work out somehow as time passes. I shifted my mindset to a more positive one and continued thinking about the magical tools I'd need to prepare for the next steps.
"Ah~ Fine. If it comes to that, I'll just say I had fun traveling Earth and accept death with grace."
As a soul living life for the second time, my inner self was brimming with a certain kind of boldness.
***
...And so, after a few days of being embroiled in the unexpected task of researching artifact creation, the moment arrived when Jung Haseoung, who had entered a gate to gather the necessary materials for the experiment, and Esther, who had promised to report immediately upon discovering the movements of the S-rank hunter, both fell silent.
Ding dong.
A guest arrived at the studio apartment. I held my breath and bent down, pressing my eye to the peephole on the door. But even with my naked eye, I still couldn't fathom who the visitor was.
Excuse me... Hello.
A white T-shirt. Jeans with stretched knees. These clothes looked almost identical to the cheap outfits my original body's owner used to wear, typical of humans from Earth who don't seem to care much about appearance.
I silently watched the image beyond the lens.
I'm really sorry to bother you... I'm Seonwoo Yeon. Would you mind opening the door for a moment?
The person standing at the door was a B-rank Awakened staff member from the Hunter Association.
But it's strange in many ways. Today is a day marked in red on the calendar.
