Ch.77Chapter 77 – The Deal (3)

Meanwhile, one day before Shin Jaehyuk’s visit to the orphanage.

The Blue House, Presidential Office.

President Park Jugwan was engaged in a confidential one-on-one video conference with someone.

“It’s good to see you, President Jackson. We still have a few weeks until our regular meeting, so what brings you to contact me first?”

“I’ll get straight to the point. You’ve heard about the New York incident, right?”

The other party’s words might have sounded quite impertinent. However, not a trace of displeasure could be found in Park Jugwan’s expression.

Well, his counterpart was the President of the United States, after all.

“I hear the terrorist who caused trouble in our territory and fled was Korean.”

“Hmm… I’m not sure what you’re talking about.”

This secret communication line was known only to the two parties in the meeting. To ensure this confidential conversation wouldn’t be discovered, the room was pitch dark, with only the faint light from the computer screen and various artifacts providing the sole illumination in the darkness.

“Don’t try to deny it. I received a special report that the identity of the Korean who escaped is that S-rank you’ve been keeping so secret.”

“……”

Park Jugwan didn’t offer any response, instead rapidly turning over thoughts in his mind.

‘Damn it, why did Shin Jaehyuk act on his own without even notifying me and do something so stupid!’

Since Shin Jaehyuk had left for New York without the National Intelligence Service knowing, neither the NIS nor Park Jugwan had grasped the full details of the New York incident. They had only belatedly received reports that Shin Jaehyuk had departed for New York using a forged identity. According to the NIS Foreign Intelligence Department’s speculation, Shin Jaehyuk was likely the perpetrator of this “New York incident” that hadn’t been disclosed to the public.

For Park Jugwan, it was like being struck by his own trusted ax. He had asked Jaehyuk to quietly handle domestic gates, but instead, he went abroad without permission and caused chaos?

Thanks to that, he was now in a difficult situation.

For now, he would decide how to deal with Shin Jaehyuk’s contract violation later and focus on the immediate problem at hand.

‘I didn’t expect the US President to personally hold me accountable. Is he using this as an excuse to extract definite compensation?’

Fortunately, judging by the other party’s tone, it seemed he only had suspicions that the fugitive was an S-rank, but hadn’t specifically identified Shin Jaehyuk.

Park Jugwan mentally calculated whether to completely deny it or acknowledge the existence of a second S-rank. He was a very calculating person, a politician who never stopped predicting which choice would bring the maximum benefit, even in situations like this.

Having made his decision, he subtly whispered.

“Hmm… So? What are you going to do about it?”

It was essentially an admission that the person in New York was indeed the secret S-rank. At the same time, it was an implicit suggestion and warning that he could handle two S-ranks like his own limbs.

Based on what Park Jugwan knew of the US President’s personality, he would normally drop his poker face at this point and smile pleasantly. He’d probably reveal his true intentions with something like, “Hmm, so it was true! I was half guessing.”

But he didn’t do that.

“I demand compensation. Violations of Hunter Association Regulations Articles 11 through 17, direct violation of the Hunter Oath. Can you imagine what would happen if this went public?”

He was proposing a plea bargain. While Korea had become a predator in the international community by leveraging the power of its S-rank, conversely, this meant many countries harbored resentment. The existing developed countries weren’t pleased with a mere single hunter elevating a nation’s status.

If evidence emerged that such a country had privately used an S-rank, the consequences were predictable.

‘They would impose sanctions using Association regulations as justification… Shin Jaehyuk really made a big mess.’

Park Jugwan inwardly swallowed hard. He anticipated that things might turn more serious than expected.

‘But since he’s proposing a deal, it seems he doesn’t want to take this all the way…’

Park Jugwan rested his chin on his interlocked hands, covering his mouth to hide his expression.

“Your proposal?”

“Don’t be too tense. I’m not trying to crush you completely. Let’s make this a win-win. Since Skyscraper was injured because of this incident, it’s only fair to ask you to handle the foreign gates that Skyscraper would have processed, right? Of course, we’ll receive all the compensation for that process.”

He explained in more detail. The United States had agreements to lend their S-rank, Skyscraper, to allied countries that couldn’t handle situations with their own hunter forces alone. He was asking Kim Jaemin to handle these instead.

‘So they want us to take the risks while they reap the benefits.’

However, it was also an unexpected request. Gate processing not only brought substantial rewards after clearing but, more importantly, provided valuable opportunities to enhance hunters’ capabilities and levels. S-rank hunters, already high-level, were desperate for high-grade gates to increase their levels further. To think they would hand over opportunities for Skyscraper’s growth to Kim Jaemin? It seemed like doing a favor for someone else.

Park Jugwan tried to understand President Jackson’s intentions.

‘Is Skyscraper’s injury more serious than I thought? No, reports said he’s already been treated. Is it a trap targeting Kim Jaemin? They wouldn’t be so obvious about it. Is it an internal political issue? I don’t know.’

When his concerns weren’t resolved despite his deliberation, Park Jugwan asked directly.

“An S-rank’s growth enhances a nation’s military power. It’s suspicious that you’re being so generous as to give up such an opportunity.”

“Ah, it is a shame, but for the time being, Skyscraper can’t engage in external activities because he’s receiving ‘education.’ Meanwhile, embassies and foreign ministries from allied countries keep pressuring us to dispatch an S-rank… We have no choice but to send a substitute, and as you know, other S-ranks don’t like mercenary work, and Teleporter charges an absurdly high fee.”

On the screen, President Jackson raised his teacup. The inverted cross-shaped rosary on his wrist swayed.

‘So he wants to use a debtor to solve his headache after catching a weakness. This is quite a generous measure.’

Having understood the intention behind the proposal and seeing that there wasn’t much to lose, Park Jugwan felt the scales of choice tipping to one side.

But like the seasoned politician he was, he didn’t reveal his thoughts and made one last attempt to play hard to get.

“Hmm… What if I refuse the proposal?”

On the screen, President Jackson laughed stiffly. His lips curled up, but his eyes didn’t move at all, making it feel quite eerie.

“The number of S-ranks doesn’t necessarily determine national power.”

“……”

An unexpectedly harsh response. Park Jugwan could only remain silent in the face of President Jackson’s fierce reaction, as if he had touched a sore spot. President Jackson quietly stated:

“I hope you make a wise decision.”

***

After finally accepting the deal after much deliberation, Park Jugwan ended the video conference and leaned back in his plush chair.

“Meeting with him twice would be the death of me.”

Even for the great Park Jugwan, dealing with someone of the US President’s caliber naturally drains one’s energy. While weighing the pros and cons, he reflected on President Jackson, who had seemed somewhat strange today.

‘Why has that man’s personality changed so much… A month ago, he was quite cheerful and slick, but now he’s become so rigid, as if he’s a completely different person.’

They say people change drastically when their time is near, and that’s exactly what it seemed like. Park Jugwan felt an uncanny sense.

“How strange. He’s not the only one who’s changed 180 degrees lately.”

Park Jugwan recalled the second-in-command of South Korea, who had been at each other’s throats until just a few months ago: Hwang Heejong, the head of the Korean branch of the Hunter Association.

Hwang Heejong, who had fought tooth and nail over hunter management rights and various interests in Korea, suddenly lost all interest in the power struggle within Korea around the time of Shin Jaehyuk’s hunter examination, and abruptly turned his attention abroad.

Thanks to this, Park Jugwan had seized hunter management rights and gained complete control over Kim Jaemin’s dispatch decisions, establishing himself as the absolute ruler of South Korea. But something still felt off.

The greedy raccoon Park Jugwan knew wouldn’t give up power so easily. He had been strangely obsessed with building connections with foreign high-ranking officials, as if he had hidden some honey abroad.

A month ago, he had a meeting with the CIA Director, and even went out of his way to meet with a Republican congressman. Park Jugwan had no way of knowing what meaning lay behind these inexplicable actions.

‘The NIS said there was nothing particularly suspicious… Am I being overly sensitive? Well, things have turned out well in the end, so I guess there’s no problem.’

Rather than dwelling on these useless thoughts, Park Jugwan decided to consider what treatment to give Shin Jaehyuk for breaking their contract.

Unlike Kim Jaemin, who had the weakness of his parents, Shin Jaehyuk wasn’t securely leashed, so even if punishment was to be administered, it had to be carefully selected to not go against his sensibilities.

It would be appropriate to ask him to grant one favor as the price for breaking the contract. This was an opportunity to gradually tame Shin Jaehyuk into a hunting dog by issuing commands one by one.

But what should he ask for? Nothing immediately came to mind.

‘It’s ambiguous, truly ambiguous.’

Since most problems could be solved with the Kim Jaemin card, there wasn’t much that seemed fitting to ask of Shin Jaehyuk.

While Park Jugwan was happily pondering what to demand from Shin Jaehyuk, a ringtone pierced his eardrums, interrupting his thoughts. Park Jugwan picked up the phone.

“What is it? Hong Harin has something urgent to report? Send her in.”

Hong Harin, a direct subordinate of the NIS Director who had come to report to Park Jugwan instead of the Director, entered the office. She bowed respectfully and handed over a file.

“Mr. President, I thought you should know this urgently.”

“What’s the matter?”

“Do you remember how North Korea has been refusing to respond to our communications recently?”

“How could I forget? I’ve had to deal with the Ministry of Unification and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs making a fuss about it. And the NIS has been working hard to prevent baseless rumors that North Korea is cutting off contact and preparing for war. But why bring this up suddenly?”

Park Jugwan quickly flipped through the documents she handed him, scanning them rapidly. It was a confidential document titled “Analysis Report on North Korean Behavioral Trends.” When he reached the page Hong Harin had marked, he could see satellite photos.

“We’ve been constantly monitoring Pyongyang via satellite to watch for any large-scale military movements, and recently we captured a large gate that opened in Pyongyang.”

“How large are we talking… Doesn’t North Korea have several A-rank hunters? Those that the pig has nurtured with his own money.”

“That’s true, but the problem is that the gate is S-rank, so they couldn’t handle it themselves. And since it’s located in Pyongyang, they couldn’t use nuclear weapons either. It seems they cut off all connections with us recently because of concerns about external troubles if this issue leaked out, but it appears they couldn’t clear the gate within the time limit, resulting in an outbreak.”

In summary, an S-rank gate had opened in the heart of Pyongyang, and monsters were wreaking havoc in the city. North Korea, which lived on diplomatic face, couldn’t publicly reveal the gate problem, and in the end, the festering wound burst before they could even surrender.

Park Jugwan could predict what Hong Harin was about to say next. A light bulb seemed to flash in his mind.

Ah, so if North Korea falls, we should send troops under the pretext of rescuing North Korean citizens and achieve peaceful unification.

Unification! Park Jugwan felt his mood rapidly improving. As a former soldier, how many times had he heard talk of unification? Unification! It was the greatest achievement a Korean politician could accomplish. The thought that this honor would be entirely his made him feel like he could fly to the heavens.

Is this how someone who finds a winning lottery ticket on the street feels? Endorphins surged from Park Jugwan’s pituitary gland.

However, the subsequent report not only normalized his endorphin levels but sent them plummeting.

“The problem is that the gate boss happens to be an undead type, so the North Korean army that was annihilated has been resurrected as undead.”

“…What?”

Park Jugwan hurriedly flipped through the report. There were more photos on the next page.

“These are photos sent by an agent who barely managed to infiltrate. As you can see, Pyongyang’s army has been completely annihilated, all turned into undead, and they’re moving southward.”

Corpses and skeletons were moving against the laws of nature. A horrific sight that mocked the dignity of life.

But what made the sight even more terrifying were the firearms in the hands of those corpses.

“As we learned from the Beijing incident, undead retain a slight intelligence from their living days and can handle firearms. Moreover, some smarter specimens can perform their former duties almost perfectly. For example, operating tanks or fighter jets.”

Only then did Park Jugwan realize the gravity of the situation.

‘An undead army is moving south. War is about to break out.’

The army of the already dead knows neither rest nor fear. They are the optimal soldiers. What if not just the North Korean military but even civilians all turn into undead? South Korea would have to face an army of twenty million that would revive even if killed…

Just moments ago, he had been anticipating peaceful unification and indulging in happy fantasies, but reality was harsh. At this rate, forget peaceful unification—they might be the ones getting unified. The knuckles of his hand gripping the report turned white.

“…What about the embargo? Have you controlled the newspapers?!”

With a dictator’s mindset, his first thought was to cover it up, but the situation was too big to hide. One cannot cover the sky with a palm.

“Since foreign satellites are also monitoring North Korea’s movements, even if we remain silent, foreign media will likely break the news first. The NIS strategy team believes that you should hold a press conference first and urgently recruit a hunter army.”

“Damn it! Tell the Hunter Association executives, the Defense Minister, and the military command to gather immediately! Gather the reporters too, and bring calculations on North Korean forces analysis and how long it will take the enemy army to reach the ceasefire line, and also…! Ah, first, redirect all available units near the capital region to the ceasefire line!”

Park Jugwan hurriedly issued orders, flustered by the unexpectedly massive situation.

Since gates could appear anywhere in the country without warning, the military had widely dispersed troops from the ceasefire line across the nation. Consequently, the forces at the ceasefire line had naturally weakened.

In other words, at this rate, it was only a matter of time before the undead army broke through the ceasefire line and came down.

Feeling the urgency of the situation, Park Jugwan began spewing profanities.

“Fuck, that North Korean pig, never does anything right! Only knows how to bluff with nukes, but when a gate opens… Wait, nukes?”

While cursing the incompetent North Korean leadership that was never helpful, Park Jugwan suddenly thought of the worst-case scenario. It was a vague possibility, but one that might very well exist.

And a possibility that could lead to consequences as terrible as its probability.

‘Intelligent undead can perform their former duties?’

Does that mean they could also launch nuclear missiles?

Upon reaching this scenario, Park Jugwan was not just frozen but on the verge of losing consciousness. To regain his senses, he bit the inside of his mouth hard. The taste of blood awakened his mind.

“No, no! Let’s think rationally. If they could fire nukes, they would have done so already. The monsters haven’t figured out the existence of nuclear weapons yet. Or maybe they don’t know how to use them. Either way, the enemy hasn’t used nuclear weapons yet.”

But he couldn’t just pray to the heavens forever that the enemy wouldn’t use nuclear weapons.

They needed to seize the nukes as quickly as possible. But how?

Park Jugwan urgently asked Hong Harin, who was waiting for instructions.

“Seizing the nukes is our top priority. Do we have any units capable of operations in North Korea?”

“…No. Most of our agents were caught up in the gate outbreak, so such large-scale operations are impossible.”

Park Jugwan let out a groan.

“If we dispatch elite special forces, what’s the probability of successful seizure?”

“…We have a unit composed of A and B-rank hunters, but the nuclear missile storage is located in northern Pyongyang, near the gate, so powerful undead will be swarming the area. Considering the possibility of encountering the boss… it’s difficult to give a definitive answer. I estimate we’d need at least one S-rank as support.”

‘An S-rank is needed? Use Kim Jaemin? No, that won’t work. I just made a deal involving him!’

The all-purpose problem solver, Kim Jaemin. Unfortunately, he had just been promised as a negotiation material to the US President and needed to be dispatched abroad immediately.

‘Should I ignore the US demands and solve the domestic problem first?’

Militarily, this judgment would be correct, but Park Jugwan was afraid of US retaliation if he broke his promise. Even if Kim Jaemin resolved the North Korean issue, if the US side framed it as “Park Jugwan privately using an S-rank” and played the media, his political position would be endangered.

‘After all I’ve done to reach this position…!’

Such an outcome was absolutely unacceptable.

“Is there no other way-?”

The defense line could somehow be held with the national army and support from other countries. The problem was clearing the S-rank gate, the source of all this chaos, and seizing the nukes.

Fortunately, amid the misfortune, Park Jugwan had another card he could play.

“Yes, Shin Jaehyuk…!”

The possessor of definite power who could defeat an S-rank boss alone and who could be entrusted with the nuclear seizure mission.

As that name came to mind, Park Jugwan suddenly thought that this crisis might actually be an opportunity.

‘Yes! It’s a crisis, but conversely, if things go well, we could kill three birds with one stone: processing the S-rank gate, North-South unification, and acquiring nuclear weapons!’

The first bird was plump, and the second was attractive. But what drew Park Jugwan most was the third bird.

Nuclear weapons.

The ultimate weapon a soldier, a commander could possess. The crystallization of civilization fed by blood and the ultimate means of violence.

This weapon was incredibly attractive to Park Jugwan. This wasn’t a simple, superficial desire. Despite handling Kim Jaemin like a limb, anxiety toward Kim Jaemin was deeply rooted in his subconscious thinking.

Currently, he was controlling Kim Jaemin using his mother as an excuse, but what if Kim Jaemin went berserk someday? What if the moment came when the greatest warrior, the superhuman, broke free from control? This was Park Jugwan’s greatest fear and anxiety.

He wanted the ultimate power that could control even the greatest strength. A decisive blow that could equally erase both Superman and Kryptonite.

But there was a minor issue.

‘If I openly try to swallow the nukes, there will be trouble. To avoid complications, I need to swallow them secretly…’

South Korea already possessed two S-ranks, an asymmetric force. If they directly communicated the nuclear seizure plan to the UN, they would face opposition rather than support.

Moreover, if the operation was carried out openly, he wouldn’t be able to use the seized nuclear weapons according to his own preferences afterward. Yes, Park Jugwan wanted to privatize North Korea’s nuclear weapons for himself alone.

A trace of conscience that wanted Park Jugwan himself to exist as an upright politician tried to restrain his thoughts with “Is this right?”, but his wolf-like greed trampled his lamb-like conscience.

Rationalizing to himself that everyone carries a pistol for self-protection, Park Jugwan calmly formulated his plan.

“I’ve organized my thoughts. Hong Harin, contact Shin Jaehyuk.”