Chapter 5: Do what you are good at

Cho Geunsung, the base commander, was a vile bastard.

Despite being an Awakened and managing the base responsible for the Korean territory within the gate, he was a coward who stayed with the military units outside the gate, terrified that enraged hunters would stab him in the back.

He had no sense of responsibility and a terrible personality, evading accountability masterfully whenever hunters were injured or killed.

His reputation among hunters was the worst, but there was a reason he had managed to hold onto his position as base commander.

When hunters, pushed to their limits, finally snapped, he was incredibly adept at suppressing them through threats.

This time was no different.

With just his tongue, he was instilling immense anxiety.

“This is all a death sentence. A death sentence!!! This isn’t just insubordination; it’s rebellion! Rebellion! Occupying the base as you please? Who do you think you are? This place was built with the blood and sweat of the Republic of Korea! It’s not something you can mess around with!”

“Screw you, you pig-like bastard!!”

“Oh, Lee Younghak! You’re in for even more! If the others surrender now, they might just get a few days in the brig, but you’re definitely facing a death sentence! You’ll get life imprisonment! Want to rot in jail forever?”

“Damn bastard. I’m not leaving this gate to begin with! Should I just slice you up, you damn prick?”

If it was not for Younghak being in the base, the hunters, trembling in fear of the consequences of their rebellion, would have been completely swayed by Cho Geunsung’s tongue and done everything he ordered.

They would have hauled all the magic stones outside the gate.

The damn Republic of Korea, which had inhumanely exploited us, would have happily profited from those stones.

Younghak never wanted to see that happen.

“Don’t test my patience. You can’t fight worth a damn. I really could cut off your limbs, so back off.”

Cho Geunsung flinched and retreated at the murderous intent radiating from Younghak but a sly smile spread across his face.

“How long do you think you can hold out here? Huh? Food? Water? You want to starve to death? I was the one who suppressed the rebellion eight years ago! Back then, three people actually starved to death! Do you know how gruesome their bodies were? Do you all want to end up like that?!”

“I told you to shut your mouth!!”

“This is your last chance!! Starve or get locked up! Think about which is the better choice!!”

Just as Younghak, having reached his limit, was about to swing his sword, I intervened, pushing the blade away at the right moment after hearing their conversation from a distance.

“Sungho!”

The anger vanished from Younghak’s face, replaced by a smile.

I returned his smile.

Amusingly, Cho Geunsung also broke into a smile.

“Haha! Kim Sungho! Yes, you’re reasonable. If you don’t want to see all the hunters here starve to death, convince Younghak to put down his sword. The law of the Republic of Korea. It’s scary, isn’t it?”

Thinking I’d be reasonable, Cho Geunsung stepped aside and gestured to a man standing behind him.

A stern-looking man in the uniform of the Republic of Korea Army, different from the hunters’ combat suits, stepped forward.

“I’m Major Lee Haechul, military legal officer! Occupying the base is a serious crime! You’ll all be sentenced to life imprisonment, and the damages caused by your actions might have to be borne by your families! Do you want to see not just yourselves but your families ruined!!”

His booming voice made the hunters waver.

Thinking he was getting through, Major Lee Haechul raised his voice even more.

“Surrender immediately! Surrender and name the ringleaders! Do that, and we’ll let you off lightly! Don’t underestimate the Republic of Korea! This kind of insubordination will never be forgiven!…”

Major Lee Haechul’s thunderous voice was drowned out by laughter.

Both Cho Geunsung and Major Lee Haechul turned their heads toward the source of the laughter.

Vincent Volkov, the head of the American Association, was laughing.

“Is the state threatening hunters by using their families as leverage? I understand you’re in a hurry, but this is truly disgraceful. I didn’t know the Republic of Korea was such a country.”

“Who are you?”

Ignoring Major Lee Haechul’s question, Volkov turned to the hunters in the base.

The status window never lies.

Seeing the levels displayed above the hunters’ heads, Volkov’s smile deepened, realizing I hadn’t lied and making up his mind.

“I offer you a choice!!! Will you continue to be exploited as soldiers of the Republic of Korea? Or will you come over to the land of opportunity, America! It’s different here! We promise you the best treatment!!”

As the interpreter next to Volkov translated loudly, the hunters, who had been filled with anxiety, suddenly had their faces light up with hope.

“America? Did you say America?”

“Is it true that Americans are here?”

“Then what Sungho said wasn’t a lie?”

The hunters murmured among themselves, and Volkov, the association president, drove the point forward.

“I do not lie! Come on, let’s eat first! Eat and drink, and then we can discuss things leisurely!”

As I clapped my hands and gestured, other hunters who had been waiting brought out various foods and drinks from the containers and started distributing them.

When American-style hot dogs, burritos, hamburgers, and chilled sodas were handed out, the hunters finally realized that this was no joke.

“Fine, let’s eat! Let’s eat first!!”

As they hurriedly began eating, Base Commander Cho Geunsung and Major Lee Haechul’s faces turned red with anger.

“Who are you? Why are you interfering? Huh?”

“This is South Korean territory!! Why are Americans here? This is a serious violation of international law!”

Upon hearing the translation of those words, Volkov shrugged his shoulders.

“If they express their intention to naturalize to the United States, it is not illegal.”

“What?”

“Let’s be honest. Man Stones are valuable. It’s not just a moneymaker; it can change international relations itself.”

Volkov lit a cigarette.

“I am rather grateful. Thanks to you treating these high-level hunters so poorly, we were able to snatch them up.”

“You conscience-less bastard!!”

Cho Geunsung shouted.

He raised his hand, looking at the hunters, and spoke as if giving a speech.

“Are you still South Korean citizens? Huh? You bastards? What are you doing? Get rid of these Americans! Kick them out and listen to me!! Do you think you can defy South Korea and still live well? Huh? Do you think there’s hope in the place you fled to after abandoning your homeland?”

Cho Geunsung’s shrill voice echoed.

Major Lee Haechul’s supporting voice was also heard.

“If you are a man born in South Korea, fulfil your responsibilities as a man! What you are doing now is treason!!!”

“This is your last chance!! You bastards. Kick out these Americans and bring Lee Younghak to me immediately. Do you want to see your families ruined? Huh? Do you think South Korea is a joke? Will you only come to your senses after ending up like Lee Sangmin? Huh?”

Cho Geunsung must have said that to scare them.

All the hunters here remembered how horribly Sangmin died from the poison.

He believed the ignorant young ones in their 20s would tremble in fear and follow his orders at the mention that they could suffer the same gruesome death.

But that was a mistake.

The hunters who were hastily trying to eat their hot dogs and burritos put their food down and stood up.

An ominous atmosphere.

No one said a word.

But even without words, intentions can be expressed through the atmosphere.

Murderous intent.

Anger.

Disgust.

It was the moment when even the last tiny grain of patriotism remaining in them for South Korea disappeared.

“Everyone, stay still.”

Younghak raised his hand to stop the hunters.

Then he slowly started walking towards Cho Geunsung and Major Lee Haechul.

“Sungho.”

“Yes, Younghak hyung.”

“Tell the president to go somewhere else. It looks like things are going to get rough.”

I approached the Korean-American who was handling the translation and explained the situation briefly.

What kind of mistake Cho Geunsung made.

Why Younghak hyung was angry.

That it might get gruesome and they should avoid the scene.

“I’ll go check the condition of the food in the container. Haha!”

I saw the quick-witted Volkov promptly leave the scene out of the corner of my eye.

After confirming this, Younghak hyung stood in front of Cho Geunsung.

“Lee Younghak! You are already out!! It’s obvious that you incited them! But I will give you one last chance! If you surrender now, I can still consider mitigating…”

“Geunsung.”

Lee Younghak called Cho Geunsung’s name in a chilling voice.

“You bastard! Talking down to me!……”

“I don’t even want to treat you like an adult, so I’ll just call you by your name, geunsung. Let me ask you one thing. If everyone here dies, do you think Korea will care? Will they remember and commemorate us, and hold national events to thank us for protecting them? Huh?”

“Has this bastard lost his mind!! Drop your weapon and surrender! Even now!!”

Cho Geunsung kept shouting until the end.

I understand.

He needs Magic Stones, and for that, he needs the hunters’ help, but the situation is getting weird, so he’s getting nervous.

He must be under pressure from his superiors to resolve this somehow.

That’s why he’s trying to show strength, even at risk.

And deep down, he probably believed that no matter how angry Younghak was, he wouldn’t cross the line.

Yeah, he’s not wrong.

Until now, it was like that.

There was no future in killing Cho Geunsung.

But now it’s different.

That’s why Younghak threw away the knife he was holding and mercilessly kicked Cho Geunsung between the legs.

With a snapping sound, something broke.

Cho Geunsung’s face turned pale rapidly.

He grabbed his crotch and collapsed to the floor, choking and coughing.

“You, you crazy bastard!!”

Major Lee Haechul shouted.

Younghak wasn’t afraid of his shout at all.

Instead, he started laughing.

“Hey. We were funny, right? Huh?”

Younghak swung his fist.

With a brutal sound of flesh being crushed, Cho Geunsung’s face was smashed beyond recognition.

“Even when treated unfairly, we just took the beatings like dogs, right? You bastards?”

“Argh! Save me!……Aaaah!!”

“Ten years! Because of service extension, I rotted in this gate base for ten years!! I couldn’t even attend my mother’s funeral!! I wanted to kill myself every day, but I held on because of my comrades!! And among those comrades, one of them!! You killed Sangmin so absurdly and now you mention his name?!”

Major Lee Haechul couldn’t even think of stopping him.

I understand.

Every time he swung his fist, it sounded like a bomb going off.

Younghak, an awakened being with physical enhancements over level 1100, had punches that no human could withstand.

Brother, slowly and methodically, beat Cho Geunsung’s body to a pulp.

His arms and legs were broken, his ribs were shattered, and his face was destroyed beyond recognition.

Cho Geunsung, who had been screaming in pain, stopped making any noise at some point and soon went limp, no longer moving.

After tossing the unrecognizable flesh to the floor, Younghak approached Major Lee Haechul.

“Hey, you bastard.”

Major Lee Haechul looked at Younghak, frozen and unable to breathe.

“Tell the South Korean government. We’re not going to do it anymore.”

Younghak spat thickly on Major Lee Haechul’s cheek and then walked towards the hunters.

“Let’s go. Let’s get something to eat, guys.”

It was murder.

But none of the hunters showed any sign of reprimanding or fearing Younghak.

The hunters, laughing as if nothing had happened, walked with Younghak towards the container filled with food.

I watched the scene with satisfaction, then approached the soul-drained Major Lee Haechul.

“Take Cho Geunsung’s body and get out of the base, Major. And we don’t want South Korea to perish. We’ll take care of any cracks in the South Korean territory within the gate. But we’ll charge a lot more for it.”

I grabbed Major Lee Haechun’s chin and forced him to look at me.

“We’ll start at least 100 billion per crack. The number of monsters and the level of the boss will increase the price even more. Hunting monsters isn’t free anymore. Make that clear. Got it?”

“…….You crazy bastards.”

“We’re not the crazy ones, isn’t it South Korea? We want to maintain a good relationship with South Korea. So, we don’t want to see any trouble just because one person died. Let’s handle it appropriately.”

I patted Major Lee Haechul’s shoulder and pointed towards the gate with my chin.

“Take the body and get out.”

“How can you expect me to handle it appropriately when it’s clear he was beaten to death!!”

Major Lee Haechul’s desperate scream echoed.

I looked at him, chuckling.

“Let’s see. What was the Ministry of National Defense’s announcement when Sangmin died?…….Ah, right.”

A bitter smile spread across my lips.

“Say he died of an underlying condition.”

“…….What?”

“Even a high-level hunter like Sangmin died of an underlying condition. How about Cho Geunsung, who has never hunted before? Just bury it under an underlying condition.”

“It’s the Ministry of National Defence’s specialty, right? Covering things up. Do what you’re good at.”