Ch.79Chapter 79 – Operation (1)

A few days later, Shin Jaehyuk and Kwak Taewoo headed to the operation headquarters in a vehicle provided by Hong Harin. Fortunately, thanks to the artifact ring of perception inhibition, Kwak Taewoo wasn’t drawing any suspicion. It seemed to be an artifact that made its owner register as unimportant information in witnesses’ perception, like a random passerby on the street.

Shin Jaehyuk could barely overcome the artifact’s effect by constantly reminding himself of Kwak Taewoo’s existence.

Anyway, they arrived at the command center in Cheorwon after passing through tight security.

The base was bustling with tension, appropriate for a wartime situation. People running frantically, others urgently operating radios. The intensity of the frontlines was already palpable.

“Salute! The others are already waiting.”

Shin Jaehyuk and Kwak Taewoo were escorted into the operations room with great courtesy by a soldier. The operation team’s platoon leader and members, the base commander, and several soldiers who knew the truth about this mission were waiting.

“Salute! Welcome, Hunter Shin Jaehyuk, and…”

“Please call this friend Kwak Taeho.”

Shin Jaehyuk smoothly provided an alias. It was a name with a similar pronunciation to Taewoo’s real name, so people wouldn’t find it strange even if someone accidentally called him by his real name.

“Yes, Hunter Kwak Taeho. We’ve received instructions from the President. I’ll make sure my men keep their mouths shut, so you needn’t worry about security.”

“Thank you. But I heard that Japanese guilds are also participating in the operation?”

“Right now we’re gathered for the nuclear theft operation briefing. The delegation from the Sword First Guild will join us later for the gate closing operation briefing.”

“Understood.”

The platoon leader personally explained the operation. He pointed to satellite images displayed on the screen.

“We’ll infiltrate Pyongyang by air, taking a transport aircraft escorted by fighter jets. The drop point is here. It’s located on a straight line connecting the gate and the nuclear storage facility. We’ll quickly advance in breakthrough formation, clearing surrounding mobs, and near the nuclear storage facility, we’ll split our platoon into Teams A and B. Team B will secretly infiltrate the nuclear storage facility to steal the nuclear weapons, while Team A continues advancing. Of course, we’ll tell the Japanese side that we split the platoon to secure an escape checkpoint, so they won’t be suspicious.”

In other words, half the platoon would pretend to guard the escape point while actually stealing the nuclear weapons. Meanwhile, the other half, along with Japanese reinforcements and Shin Jaehyuk’s team, would clear the gate.

The platoon leader continued explaining the infiltration and escape routes, pointing at different locations on the map.

“You’ll enter through this urban area, and after clearing the gate, follow this ridge to rendezvous with Team B personnel at the checkpoint, then evacuate via transport helicopter.”

“Isn’t entering the city center dangerous?”

“For rapid entry, moving on paved roads is much better. Also, we plan to divert and disperse enemy monster forces with air strikes several kilometers away.”

“A diversionary tactic, I see. So I just need to escort Team B to the checkpoint?”

“Yes. The platoon members have been trained for security bypass and infiltration of the nuclear storage facility, so Hunter, please escort Team B to this position.”

“Understood. Sounds simple.”

“Thank you. Any other questions?”

Soldiers raised their hands one by one to ask questions.

Shin Jaehyuk whispered to Kwak Taewoo beside him.

“Don’t you have any questions?”

“…No. It’s an operation I’ve participated in before. Though I didn’t know about the nuclear theft part.”

I see. So the first-timeline Kwak Taewoo also participated in the gate closing operation. The details might be different, but he seemed to know the general plan.

“So you didn’t know about the nuclear weapons?”

“No. I always wondered where Park Jugwan got the nuke he fired at Beelzebub… so he had been hiding it from this time.”

Kwak Taewoo muttered, as if one mystery from the first timeline had been solved.

While they were exchanging information, there was a commotion at the entrance. The Japanese team had arrived.

A rather intense presence was felt. Shin Jaehyuk subtly activated his Insight to observe the entering hunters. They were high-level hunters rare even in Korea. Each hunter entering was a top-tier A-rank…

The platoon members whispered among themselves.

“It’s the ‘Sword First’ Guild… that guild that competes for first or second place in Japan’s hunter world.”

A gate processing specialist guild founded by the Sword Demon, Sasae Takahashi. A capable guild filled with Japan’s finest combat personnel.

Japan’s hunter world was divided between the ‘Sword First’ Guild and the ‘General Store’ Guild. True to its name, the ‘General Store’ Guild earned profits through various businesses like gate processing, hunter equipment sales, and hunter academy operations. Though their combat strength couldn’t match Sword First, they were a commercial guild successful in various fields.

The leadership of Sword First had sent troops to this North-South Korean War to secure their firm first place position over General Store. They dispatched their best team, Team 1, to participate in the gate processing operation, while their remaining teams were sent to defensive lines.

When it seemed that all Team 1 members had entered, the commander asked his subordinate:

“Have you finished checking the headcount?”

“Um… we’re missing one person.”

Hearing this through an interpreter, Aoki, the Sword First team leader, said:

“The Sword Demon is on his way. He said to start the briefing without him. Begin now.”

“But still…”

The soldier in charge of the briefing hesitated. Aoki’s eyebrow twitched. As someone with both respect for the Sword Demon and a twisted personality, Aoki took the soldier’s behavior as a challenge to the Sword Demon’s authority. Aoki glared fiercely.

“Tch… just do as you’re told. Are you the commander? Or are you some A-rank hunter?”

“I-I’m sorry… We’ll begin right away.”

The soldier, sweating under the sharp killing intent of an A-rank awakened, had no choice but to comply.

“…That concludes the explanation of infiltration and escape routes. Now I’ll proceed with the explanation about the monsters. Originally, we should cover the monsters appearing in urban areas and the situation inside the gate, including monster types… but security around the gate is so tight that we have absolutely no information about the inside of the gate.”

“Tch, how incompetent. Doesn’t Korea have reconnaissance teams?”

Aoki clicked his tongue, arms crossed.

Despite being allies, the platoon members gossiped about Aoki’s rude attitude while listening to the briefing.

“Who does this guy think he is, acting so arrogant? He’s just an A-rank like us, right? He acts like he’s our lord or something.”

“The subordinates are well-behaved, but look at how the team leader throws his weight around. His expression is disgusting. I want to beat him up…”

Though Aoki couldn’t understand what they were saying when these Korean guys glanced at him and whispered, he frowned in displeasure at the mere fact. As an uncomfortable atmosphere developed between the hunters, even the briefing soldier seemed nervous and kept breaking his explanation. The tension between them only stopped when the platoon leader first warned his subordinates.

The soldier continued with the briefing.

“Ahem. So while lower monsters like skeletons and zombies are generally moving southward, chimera-type monsters remain stationary in Pyongyang. We believe these movements indicate the intentions of a boss monster controlling them.”

“The chimeras are probably the boss’s bodyguards. They’ll be incomparably stronger than mere skeletons. Even with diversionary tactics to draw chimeras away from us, a minimum number will remain to guard the gate. Be careful of those.”

The platoon leader pointed out an important fact. Generally, the more powerful a boss, the clearer its command hierarchy, and many had bodyguards. Moreover, this boss was a record-breaking monster capable of controlling that many undead. How formidable would the guards protecting such an inconceivable being be?

However, someone seemed to have a different opinion.

“Kik! Strong? Maybe to the likes of you.”

“…?”

Everyone’s attention turned to Aoki. Despite being the focus of high-ranking awakened ones’ attention, which would make most people nervous, Aoki confidently blathered on, seemingly enjoying the attention.

“We are the strongest team from the greatest hunter guild in the Great Japanese Empire! We’re elites of a different dimension compared to military grunts from a small country like yours!”

He spewed his boasts, spraying saliva, as if releasing all his pent-up displeasure at once. However, the audience only felt disgust, their expressions increasingly grimacing. Even Aoki’s subordinates were uncomfortable with the atmosphere, but none dared to stop him.

“You just quietly follow behind our team and pick up the scraps! You porters!”

‘Skilled but completely lacking manners. Unbelievable… why would Sword First Guild have someone like this.’

The platoon leader’s eyes narrowed as if looking at a walking bomb. This was a serious mistake. To think that a team leader from Japan’s supposedly best guild would be such trash…

This was the type who created problems himself. The kind who would ruin even well-made plans alone. It would be better not to have him at all.

However, the platoon leader couldn’t stop Aoki’s behavior. Even to the top A-rank platoon leader, Aoki was the strongest man in the room. Despite his arrogant attitude, he showed no openings. If the platoon leader tried to subdue him, he would likely be the one subdued…

The platoon leader considered whether to request the Sword First Guild to withdraw their support now. But they had already contracted with Sword First, and canceling would incur massive penalties. It wasn’t a decision he could make as a mere soldier.

When no one stopped him, perhaps thinking others secretly agreed with him or gaining confidence, Aoki continued spewing insults. The insults evolved into curses, and curses into explicit condemnation.

As hostility toward the Sword First Guild members steadily built among the Korean soldiers, Shin Jaehyuk decided it was time to calm the situation.

Stepping forward, Shin Jaehyuk looked him straight in the eyes.

“My, your words are harsh. If we’ve come to fight together, shouldn’t we get along?”

“Who are you?”

When someone interrupted him, Aoki reflexively turned to Shin Jaehyuk and extended his ki sense. His senses detected mana.

“Ha! Barely entry-level A-rank? No, this level is practically B-rank. No wonder Korea is in this state when they bring weaklings like you to fight.”

Shin Jaehyuk had tried to end things amicably, but his temper flared when the other party was so rude. Regardless, Aoki showed no signs of calming down and threateningly fidgeted with the sword at his waist. Then he raised his aura to intimidate the impudent man before him.

“Even if we’re both classified as A-rank, I’m of a different caliber than weaklings like you! I’m a promising talent expected to become Japan’s next S-rank! No matter how much you struggle, you can’t achieve-“

“Yeah, yeah. Are you done talking?”

At the sudden calm voice, Aoki flinched before putting on an impressed expression. He was currently emitting his aura in earnest, yet the guy in front of him was just yawning casually.

Does he have some defensive skill? Well, at least he knows how to put up a front, Aoki thought as he increased the pressure.

Then suddenly, a hand shot out in front of Aoki’s face.

‘What! He can move?!’

“This annoying bastard…”

Before Aoki could twist his body, Shin Jaehyuk grabbed his shoulder and applied pressure. A body enhanced not just with mana but also divine power pressed down on Aoki’s upper body. With transcendent strength that could match even Skyscraper, the strongest body enhancement artist.

Inwardly mocking him for merely grabbing his shoulder, Aoki’s face turned bright red at the mountain-like force pressing down on his shoulder.

“Kk-kugh!”

Aoki could only groan without speaking, his trembling knees bending against his will. Despite his desperate resistance, he finally knelt before Shin Jaehyuk.

Shin Jaehyuk crouched down to meet Aoki’s eye level. Then he quietly warned:

“Let’s keep things civil. Weakling.”

After patting the shocked Aoki’s cheek a few times, Shin Jaehyuk rose from his seat without lingering.

Both the Korean and Japanese sides were amazed at this display of dominance.

The Korean soldiers had doubted the abilities of this S-rank sent by President Park Jugwan, as he wasn’t officially recognized by the Association and had no achievements. Moreover, unable to detect the vast divine power Shin Jaehyuk possessed like Aoki could, they were internally disappointed, seeing only his mana quantity. They thought the claim of a second S-rank was just propaganda fabricated by Park Jugwan for media play. But when Shin Jaehyuk easily subdued a strong opponent that even the platoon leader couldn’t handle, the soldiers finally realized that Shin Jaehyuk was truly S-rank, not just in name.

The Japanese side was even more surprised because they knew Aoki well. While his personality was garbage and he was an anti-Korean extremist, everyone acknowledged his skills. The only reason he could become the leader of Sword First Guild’s Team 1 despite his explosive personality was his ability, nothing else.

He was actually considered a strong candidate to become Japan’s second S-rank. Yet he was so easily subdued by a Korean who was thought to be barely A-rank. While the Sword First Guild members were relieved that their team leader’s rampage had stopped, they couldn’t believe what they had just witnessed.

Aoki himself couldn’t believe it either.

‘Me, losing? Don’t make me laugh!’

“Y-y-you Josenjing-!!”

Humiliation awakened anger, and anger numbed reason. Watching Shin Jaehyuk walk away, Aoki grabbed the sword at his waist.

“Die-!”

And just as the blade flashed, drawn from its sheath,

When everyone was startled by Aoki’s sudden action,

Suddenly, a red line appeared across Aoki’s shoulder that was gripping the sword handle.