Ch.80The Frustrating Plot Is… Finally Over!

I shouldn’t simply follow the original storyline.

If I do, I’ll be too late.

With many parts of the original story already damaged by “my appearance” which wasn’t in the original work, I’ve been stupidly focusing too much on the original storyline.

Because of that, I almost arrived too late during the Princess Kurumi incident, and for the Lee Heejeong case, I only showed up after everything had already happened.

And now there’s even a blonde Kaijufication Hunter who never appeared in the original story.

‘I can’t just wait for the scenario to unfold. I need to make deductions and move forward on my own!’

I’ll use my veteran knowledge to the fullest, not just following the original content but changing it to suit my needs.

Like a butterfly emerging from its chrysalis, I’ve decided to approach this world differently.

And my first target would be the upcoming sub-quest – the Chinese Forces in Korea incident.

‘Since the USFK Base has been annihilated, China will try to exert its influence. That means Xiaoling must already be in Korea as their scapegoat.’

In Hunter’s Blood, after the United States Forces Korea suffers a massive blow, an emergency quest inevitably appears.

The so-called Chinese Forces in Korea incident.

The content was as follows:

Under the pretext of protecting the Korean Peninsula in place of the US forces, China’s National Authority-Level Hunter Xiaoling brings about 50,000 “trustworthy” Chinese troops to be stationed in South Korea.

But this was obviously a trap set by China’s hardline political faction, and all those “trustworthy” troops were actually members of the Triads, China’s notorious mafia.

If they succeeded in stationing these troops in Korea, no matter what you did afterward, you’d get Bad Ending No. 23: “The Great Chairman’s Republic of Korea.”

‘I can’t let that happen…!’

I had to prevent the entire country from turning communist at all costs.

If I missed the timing like I did with Lee Heejeong, it wouldn’t just be Hongdae district at risk—the entire Korean Peninsula could turn red.

“Are you going to be communist or not?!”

“Never again, sir!”

It felt like the competent version of me in my head was pistol-whipping the incompetent me lying in bed.

Originally, this quest would only be available after 50,000 Triad members had already crossed Korean waters.

‘I need to move faster…!’

As if determined not to fail again.

Since this world was no longer just a game, I decided to take action earlier than the original timeline.

First, I needed to find Xiaoling, who had come to Korea as the representative and scapegoat for the Chinese forces.

“Ah, there she is.”

It was easy to find out when she arrived in Korea through SNS and news.

As someone who had 100% completed Hunter’s Blood including all heroine routes (even the 19+ content), I probably knew more about her than her own family.

“Mmm~ Delicious!”

The day after the destruction of Gangnam district.

I went to Xiaoling’s favorite cinnamon punch shop in Korea.

As expected, there she was, starting her morning with sweet cinnamon punch, her fox ears fluttering happily with a bright face.

‘Just like in the game, she’s here.’

A woman lapping up cinnamon punch with her cat-like tongue and smiling foolishly.

…She really was a fool, which is why she was deceived by the Chinese hardliners and became the representative for the Triad members disguised as Chinese troops.

In the original story, if no one told her the truth, she would end up being executed for crimes she never knew she committed.

‘I feel a bit bad for exploiting her kind heart, but…’

Surprisingly, she genuinely loved and cared about Korea as much as her own country.

I liked her character from the start—a Chinese character who acknowledged that hanbok and kimchi belonged to Korea.

My first objective was to find out where the Triad members disguised as Chinese troops were currently stationed in China.

Unfortunately, in the Chinese Forces quest, the Triad monsters spawned in random locations, making preemptive measures impossible.

But now their representative was right in front of me.

“Ow!”

“?! What’s wrong?”

If the original was a visual novel that moved by choices, the current situation was like a real-time VR dating sim.

From now on, I decided to become a “Casanova.”

“A-actually, I was in Gangnam district yesterday…! I got caught in the fight between two monsters and was slightly injured…”

“Oh no! Where’s the nearest hospital? I’ll take you there!”

“B-but that would be too much trouble…”

“Trouble? Helping people from a small country is the natural duty of someone from a great nation!”

How to conquer Xiaoling.

Step one.

Xiaoling was an “Animal Hunter” with beast-like characteristics, meaning she had senses beyond human limitations but also had animal instincts inside her body.

That should have meant she was attracted to strong males like most female animals, but…

“Hop on my back. It’ll be more comfortable.”

Xiaoling was already a top-tier human, a National Authority-Level powerhouse from China.

Believing there were no males stronger than her, her instincts were twisted in the opposite direction—she was attracted to males much weaker than herself.

“I’m sorry. I’m just too weak… I feel like I’m being a burden to someone I just met.”

“…! No! It’s okay if you’re weak, these things happen!”

Plus, she was obsessed with Korean culture, starting with cinnamon punch.

By presenting myself as a weak male + Korean man, I started with a huge advantage in winning her over.

“Hmm hmm hmm~♫”

‘Judging by how she’s humming while walking with me, her affection level must have already changed to “Maybe I want to be friends?”‘

Her affection index had already reached level 2 out of 5 in less than 5 minutes of meeting.

But I couldn’t relax yet.

At this point, I wasn’t even at level 3 (friendship), so there was no way Xiaoling would reveal military secrets to a mere stranger like me.

So…

“You can let me down here.”

“…? But this is a park?”

“Yes, actually, I’m quite frail, so I often exercise in the park in the mornings. But today I collapsed on my way here because of yesterday’s incident.”

“Hey, despite being weak, you’re still trying to overcome it through exercise…! *pant pant*”

A weak but not pathetic, diligent man.

Acting as “the type of man a strong female wants to devour” according to the strategy guide, I decided to move on to the next phase.

“Oh! I just realized I haven’t found the right timing to say this, but you’re Xiaoling, the National Authority-Level Hunter from China, right? I’m a fan.”

“A fan?! I, I have a fan in Korea…?”

“Yes. Actually, I started exercising every morning because I wanted to become strong like you!”

“S-so I’m your role model?!”

Having never properly held hands with a man until her mid-30s due to the lack of noteworthy males around her, Xiaoling was now facing me.

To her, I must have looked like the perfect prey—weak, young, diligent, and full of compliments.

Her pupils were already forming heart shapes, indicating level 4 affection: “Maybe I’m in love…?”

“E-ehehe… W-what about me made a young Korean friend l-like such a fierce woman…?”

“Fierce? Where could I find another woman as strong, beautiful, and willing to protect a small country like Korea as if it were her own homeland?”

“H-hehehe! T-that’s right! A-after all, I come from a great nation! Hehehehe. I must look reliable to Korean people, right? Hehehehe.”

My face might split from smiling.

Xiaoling was grinning from ear to ear.

The conquest was practically complete.

Is it time to make my move?

“Sigh. But what’s the point? Great nation or not, how can Korea be safe with just you, Xiaoling? Unless China itself provides aid.”

“?! W-we are doing that! So don’t worry, young man.”

“What do you mean ‘doing that’? America helped us during the Joseon Dynasty, but now we’re on our own. Their protection is a thing of the past, isn’t it?”

“N-no no no! T-that’s not true! Do you have any idea how much we’re trying to help our little brother nation this time?”

By subtly elevating China as a great nation while gently provoking Xiaoling.

She took the bait like a fish swallowing a hook.

“Right now, 50,000 Chinese troops are waiting in Weihai City by the Yellow Sea to provide aid to Korea!”

*Grin*

The Yellow Sea means the West Sea of Korea.

So the monsters in this Chinese Forces incident will be coming from the left.

“Oh no! I shouldn’t have said that!”

Xiaoling belatedly realized her mistake and covered her mouth with both hands.

But it was already too late.

“Y-young man! You can’t tell anyone about this, okay? This is… right, fan! This was just fan service!”

Imagine revealing military secrets as fan service.

“Of course, Xiaoling.”

“Phew! Thank you, young man.”

Have I ever seen someone this naive!

I patted the drooping head of the fox-eared woman who was nearly twice my age, as if praising her.

At the same time, I exchanged phone numbers with her in a love-at-first-sight manner, just in case we needed to meet again.

And now, back to the present.

“The Monster of Jamsil!”

“Why is a land monster in the middle of the sea…?”

Just as Xiaoling had revealed, the Triad members disguised as Chinese troops were approaching the West Sea border on warships.

“Grrrr…”

“W-what?”

“Isn’t that a monster?”

I made eye contact with the confused guys looking at me.

Although they were criminals, they were still humans, not monsters.

And now I was planning to do to these humans—evil as they might be—what I had done to monsters before.

In other words, I was going to kill people.

“*inhale*… *exhale*…”

The old me could never have done this.

But after the Lee Heejeong incident, I realized something.

Each of my clumsy actions could create a butterfly effect that would lead to countless casualties later.

And to prevent that, I needed to strengthen my resolve… yes, a “pitch-black resolve” to take lives if necessary.

“Grrrr!”

“Huh? What?!”

“A monster is flying toward us!”

For the sake of the world’s happy ending, I leaped without hesitation from the deck of the Korean warship toward the ship carrying the Triad members.

“RAAAAAAAAAAA-!!”