82. The Police and the Thief (3)

* * *

Little Baekhwa launched a kiss attack on Bulbangmangi!

“This crazy bitch! My first kiss!”

The effect was amazing! Bulbangmangi was furious!

“Oh, it’s not my business. At her age, her first kiss? Honestly, isn’t that around the time you’ve either been fucked or had your cherry popped?”

How old is she, anyway? Anyway, at her age, she’s probably had one or the other. This must be due to the heroine’s aura.

“You’re not getting away!”

“Puhahah! Try and stop me!”

Zing! Clang!

Just then, a sword strike came from behind, which I countered with my axe.

“Oh, it’s not nice to ambush a lady from behind?”

“I knew you’d counter, so I did it aggressively.”

Yoo Jin-seok, now facing me, swung his sword.

Clang! Zing!

Oh, indeed, as the former Divine Sword user, he’s strong and powerful. Just trying to push me with a simple weapon. For a moment, I almost used my flames.

Still, is he being too harsh on me? No, Yoo Jin-seok probably only sees me as Baekhwa. It’s unavoidable if he feels slighted.

“You’re not using the Divine Sword?”

I retorted, annoyed.

Yoo Jin-seok no longer has the Divine Sword.

Or rather, the Divine Sword exists but is just an empty shell. Since the Constellation disappeared, it’s become an ordinary weapon.

Why? Because there’s only one Divine Sword in the world.

Choi Si-woo has the Divine Sword for the same reason. He lost the Constellation during the Pyongyang incident a few years ago.

The Constellation didn’t leave Yoo Jin-seok because it fell out of favor but because it died. During the Pyongyang incident, when the world nearly faced a new cataclysm, Yoo Jin-seok fought with all his might, and the Constellation sacrificed itself to save him.

What took its place is Choi Si-woo’s Divine Sword, Choi Si-a.

“You’re not here to fight me seriously, right? But you’re not ordinary.”

Kkiiing! Clang!

The sword and axe clashed multiple times.

“I don’t understand what you’re saying, but are you saying I’m not ordinary?”

“You can withstand my attacks with just an axe. Your combat skills are impressive.”

“Now!”

While we were talking, Kim Ji-hye’s bat flew straight at my face.

Twhang!

Naturally, Reina’s maki arrow arrived just in time to intercept it.

“Bulbangmangi, don’t forget my friend!”

“Kim Ji-hye! Stop there! I need to talk to Baekhwa!”

“Sure, but I won’t back down!”

If I give in now, I’ll get my butt kicked and taken away.

Do I need an excuse? Maybe evoke some pity?

“How did you become a monster?”

“It’s simple. Like how Yoo Jin-seok was chosen as the Divine Sword user, I accidentally received the power of an S-class Core. There were plenty of cores in the old Black Cult area.”

“That’s ridiculous. Those cores were all disposed of.”

Bulbangmangi looked disbelieving.

I shook my head, making a pitiful face, as if Rachel had refused to let me.

“Were they really disposed of?”

Back then, A or S-class monsters guarded the Black Cult hideouts. Yoo Jin-seok struggled a lot. Pyongyang was hell, and Jooan, the Black Cult’s territory, was no different. The strongest forces were deployed to destroy the Black Cult and eliminate the monsters.

So, I decided to spin this story a bit.

“Five years ago, during the Black Cult purge, civilians were also caught up. The battle between hunters and the Black Cult turned the area into maki, causing many casualties.”

“Is that so?”

“There was a girl there. A poor girl who became a nun for her faith. But during the battle between hunters and the Black Cult, she died. And the S-class core from the monster’s corpse accidentally embedded itself in her body, reviving her as a monster.”

Yes, that’s the existence of Baekhwa.

The character I created, Baekhwa.

“But weren’t they all confirmed to have evacuated?”

“Does a young girl have time to evacuate?”

“Do you blame us?”

Blame? There’s no point. It’s not even my story.

“Surprisingly, it’s true that when you become a monster, your values change. I don’t even feel like seeking revenge. I prefer peace. In short, a peace villain?”

So, Baekhwa the peace villain is born.

“A peaceful monster.”

“Not all monsters are bad, right? It’s a generalization caused by psychopathic monsters. When I gained power, I started eliminating villains and finding survivors in the maki zones.”

I began to build a sympathetic image.

Explaining to Yoo Jin-seok, forgetting about the drone following me. To the viewers, only my voice would be heard.

“Where are the survivors you saved?”

Why would I tell him for free?

“That’s a secret.”

I said with a slight wink.

These people are more tiring than I thought. I underestimated Yoo Jin-seok. Even without the Constellation, his body is still extraordinary, chosen as the Divine Sword user.

What now? My goal was to chase him away so he wouldn’t come near Songdo. But look at this mess.

At least I managed to run around and distance myself from Reina’s sniping.

“Huff, huff. Damn woman.”

Bulbangmangi seems quite exhausted.

It’s already past midnight. Should I run all the way to Busan?

Now that I’ve revealed myself as a monster, why not just fly away?

But I didn’t really need to come out in the first place.

“So, you suspect me of doing something suspicious with the survivors?”

“I’ll show you on tomorrow’s broadcast.”

I prevented them from checking the survivors’ residential area by provoking them.

Anyway, caring about survivors in the maki zone is laughable. I’ve built all the merit, but the Hunter Association gets it all.

“What are you talking about?”

“If you know where they live, you’ll bring hunters. It’s not right. I don’t want to be used like a cannibal or a slave. I’ll show their residential area on the broadcast. Anyway,”

It’s content for the next broadcast, after all.

No reason to stay here longer. The heroines might worry, so it’s best to leave.

Maybe Yoo Jin-seok won’t, but Kim Ji-hye might have requested reinforcements from the Hunter Association. They might send high-ranking guild masters.

“Do you think I’d fall for that?”

“This is a one-sided notice.”

“What?”

“I only came to play hide-and-seek, not to get caught.”

I grabbed the drone and flew high enough that Yoo Jin-seok and Bulbangmangi couldn’t see.

“Can she fly?”

“See you if fate allows?”

I left Yoo Jin-seok and Bulbangmangi with their foolish expressions, heading toward Songdo with a sly smile.

* * *

Hunter Association

They met Baekhwa but only heard her bitter past. Yoo Jin-seok and Kim Ji-hye returned to the association with no significant gains.

“Well, she’s not an ordinary girl.”

Kim Ji-hye, who had vowed to give her first kiss to Yoo Jin-seok, was still furious and badmouthed Baekhwa to Choi Cheol-sik.

Meanwhile, Yoo Jin-seok became deep in thought after meeting Baekhwa.

She felt somehow familiar. Though arrogant, as the current strongest human without the Divine Sword, he still considered himself strong.

Not catching even a single monster like Baekhwa is unacceptable. Especially since Baekhwa didn’t even use her ability.

“Well, to say it myself, but that Baekhwa girl is quite strong.”

“How strong?”

“If we had a weapon-based close combat, I’d eventually win, but from the broadcast, Baekhwa makes people mind-control themselves to suicide or kill each other. Her exact ability is unknown, but she didn’t use it against us.”

Who knows how far Baekhwa’s abilities reach? Even that is unclear.

“That goes for you too.”

“Yes. The certain thing is, she’s a formidable fighter. Ordinary hunters wouldn’t stand a chance against her. Let’s hope she doesn’t die.”

Yoo Jin-seok was certain Baekhwa could overpower even Kim Ji-hye. But she’s a monster with whom dialogue is possible. If tomorrow’s broadcast confirms the survivors, some compromise might be possible.

“Monsters are often strong.”

“Then, next time, we’ll capture her by force!”

Kim Ji-hye, still angry, vowed to catch and punish Baekhwa.

“The problem isn’t her. It’s that the truth Baekhwa revealed has spread online.”

“What’s that?”

“Especially since the Hunter Association’s image is already bad, Baekhwa’s truth has gone viral. If the association were as before, it wouldn’t matter, but with Kim Jae-soo and the falling reputation, sympathy for Baekhwa as a Black Cult victim has spread widely.”

Choi Cheol-sik sighed deeply, twirling his fingers, and turned his notebook to show Yoo Jin-seok and Kim Ji-hye.

It was the latest news, posted just hours ago.

-The sad story of Baekhwa, the maki zone monster?

-The Black Cult purge. Did they only purge the Black Cult?

-The victims aren’t just Baekhwa. What is the Hunter Association doing?

-Is the S-class Hunter Yoo Jin-seok worth investing in outside the maki zone…

The situation is dire. The association’s image has worsened further.

At least, some articles criticizing the Blue House were there.

“No need to say more.”

“The association is being mocked, but Ha Jung-seok is likely behind it. Hansung is whatever, but the Hunter Association’s honor is beyond repair because of Baekhwa.”

At this rate, the association might shut down.

“So, what about Baekhwa?”

“I don’t want to, but we need to bring her to Seoul. Even the President is pressuring.”

As soon as the news broke, Ha Jung-seok called Choi Cheol-sik.

“Is that Ha Jung-seok?”

“If the Hunter Association collapses, the Hunter society collapses. You know what that means? Now, it’s dirty, but we have to follow Ha Jung-seok’s orders.”

If the Hunter Association falls, the Blue House will control the political situation.

Yes, even if Korea becomes President-centered, the problem is that the President is Ha Jung-seok.

Then, the guild system’s future is uncertain.

“Should we go again?”

“No, Baekhwa ran from you. She might not appear again. Do you even know where she is?”

“Yes. So what?”

“Ha Jung-seok is sending Heungbu. Considering Baekhwa’s personality, it’s better to send a woman whose words might work. Also, her ability could arrange a negotiation with Baekhwa.”

Heungbu, a Hunter directly under the Blue House. As a South Korean S-rank Hunter affiliated with the Blue House, his name isn’t well-known.

He was chosen now because when the association’s image is tarnished, the Blue House wants to strengthen its position with the public and the Hunter society.

They’re adding an association Hunter to the mix.

The Blue House’s Hunter and the association’s Hunter are now in competition.

At least the association chose Seo Ji-yeon.

“Ji-yeon isn’t bad.”

With Seo Ji-yeon’s abilities, she might even capture Baekhwa.