Chapter 276

The middle-aged man was an ordinary neighborhood uncle, the kind you could see anywhere.

A bluish stubble shadow ran from his sideburns to his chin. His hiking clothes, chosen with practicality in mind, bulged around his belly.

At the crack of dawn, he finished stretching with sleepiness dripping from his eyes, then began jogging slowly along the path between the rice paddies.

“One-two, one-two,” he went, adding the hearty rhythmic sounds unique to middle-aged uncles.

He was the “tail” Butler Kim had found.

“Is this the man?”

Inside an utterly ordinary minivan, Song Song muttered doubtfully as she watched the footage Butler Kim had recorded with magic.

“He looks ordinary.”

“Wouldn’t it be stranger if he looked extraordinary? A Black Hunter doesn’t exactly look like a ninth-grade civil servant.¹”

“Even so, that uncle looks too ordinary. Is there something only combat Hunters can recognize?”

“There is.”

I stared intently at the middle-aged man as he finished his jog and entered the mansion.

All I was looking at was a recording, so I couldn’t sense his internal energy. But no matter how talented an actor was, they were bound to reveal themselves through some minute movement.

And I had the insight to see through an act.

“A Peak master…”

“Hm?”

Song Song wasn’t the only one to react to my mutter.

Team Leader Choi and Butler Kim looked at me as if asking what I meant, so I continued.

“…I mean, an A-rank Hunter.”

“You seemed to say something else. Did you say ‘Peak master’?”

“Nope. You must have misheard.”

When something like this happened, the only answer was to build an impenetrable wall. If I said I hadn’t said it, what could they do?

Their doubtful looks lasted only a moment before Team Leader Choi and Butler Kim nodded as though they agreed with my assessment.

“I agree that he is an A-rank Hunter.”

“From what I observed, he is a fairly high-level expert even among A-rank Hunters. I had no choice but to keep my distance because I thought he might detect the surveillance magic.”

I could understand Butler Kim’s assessment. He was a battle-hardened veteran of the Great Cataclysm and had watched the man himself.

But Team Leader Choi’s insight was far sharper than I’d expected.

This wasn’t something just anyone could recognize.

Well, that isn’t important right now.

I asked about the thing I was most curious about.

“But how did you find him? I heard the investigation team had collected all the nearby CCTV footage.”

“We went and retrieved it again.”

No, I mean how did you do that?

Before I could ask, Team Leader Choi pressed his thumb and index finger together, forming a circle.

“You said this worked on all kinds of things, Taekyung.”

“Ah…”

“It is an immutable truth. I’ve used the method myself for a long time.”

So he had slipped a bribe to someone on the investigation team.

Considering Team Leader Choi’s generosity, whoever it was must have made quite a haul.

“Didn’t you say there was outside pressure?”

“When there is outside pressure, you give them enough money to withstand it.”

That was impressive.

But from what he said next, even money had its limits.

“It appears that someone fairly powerful has gotten involved. Normally, they should have started talking readily enough, but perhaps out of fear, they refused to open their mouths no matter how much money we fed them. The CCTV footage was our best option.”

“And that man was caught on it?”

“Yes. There were slight discrepancies, possibly because he used an artifact enchanted with Illusion magic, but there is no doubt.”

I had expected something like this to a certain extent, but it seemed the people pulling the strings held considerable power.

They had greased the palm of a supreme council member from a political party and manipulated public opinion online as easily as breathing. Even the police and prosecutors—corrupt enough to accept bribes—were afraid to make a move.

It has to be one of the major Guilds.

A major Guild ranked among the top twenty could do this. They were no different from corporate giants standing tall under the name of a Guild.

They had even cultivated an illegal private army of Black Hunters. They had clearly crossed every line.

“So what does that bastard do?”

“He’s an urbanite who fulfilled his dream of moving to the countryside and farming.”

Butler Kim added a smooth comment as he handed me a tablet.

“On the surface.”

The tablet contained everything about the “tail.”

He was now in his mid-forties. He had accumulated a considerable fortune through stocks more than a decade ago, but after repeatedly collapsing because of a chronic illness, he had decided to move to the countryside.

“A chronic illness?”

“There are hospital records, too.”

What kind of chronic illness could an A-rank Hunter have?

I gave a short laugh as I flipped through the medical records.

“I’ll bet my left wrist that all of this is bullshit.”

Team Leader Choi nodded as though it were obvious.

“Then I’ll bet Jin Taekyung’s right wrist.”

“…”

Was this guy insane? Why was he betting my wrists?

Team Leader Choi casually ignored my incredulous stare and continued.

“In any case, on the surface, he is a perfect ordinary citizen. Apparently, he was sociable from the day he first settled there. He held a village feast once every two weeks, so the villagers stopped treating him like an outsider a long time ago.”

“No one is suspicious of him in a remote mountain village?”

“He’s a rich, good-natured man.”

“It’s the perfect place to hide and do things. For example, train Black Hunters.”

I examined the final image closely.

A picturesque two-story detached house. The house itself looked relatively small compared to the spacious yard.

A luxury SUV and a sedan were parked beside the gray stone wall.

How many people are inside?

The men who attacked Im Kkeokjeong numbered three. There was no reason for them to scatter one by one like the Dragon Balls, so I had to assume they were inside that house.

Ah, wait. Hold on.

“You said earlier that he held a village feast once every two weeks.”

“Yes. He orders large quantities of food from outside every time, but… Ah!”

The village feasts were probably a cover for procuring food and supplies.

There might be quite a few more of them than I thought.

Did he keep the rest crammed into a basement for training?

Or were they somewhere in the dense forest surrounding the house?

It was a personal preference, but I hoped they were all huddled together in the basement.

It would make things easier.

“Approaching carelessly could backfire. So let’s call it a day for—”

“Yes. Let’s slowly get started.”

I pulled my hood low and opened the car door.

“I’ll be back.”

“Pardon?”

“The three of you come in twenty minutes. It should be mostly over by then.”

All three of them shot me bewildered looks.

Butler Kim, the most experienced among them, spoke first.

“Hunter Jin Taekyung. There is nothing more frightening than an enemy whose capabilities you have not assessed.”

“Yes. I know.”

“I understand that your skills are exceptional, but…”

Butler Kim continued in a grave voice.

“I mean that dozens of A-rank Hunters like the one I observed could be waiting for you.”

“It’s fine. If anything, the Three Idiots looked stronger than that guy.”

“…”

“Don’t worry about it. He just reminded me of some people I know.”

Song Song asked in disbelief,

“You’re thinking about acquaintances at a time like this?”

“No. I’m always thinking about you.”

“Eek.”

“Be quiet before I punish you with a confession.”

“Aah!”

Whew. I’m fucking cool. No wonder women run screaming.

I was about to step out of the minivan after chalking up another easy win when Team Leader Choi spoke.

“I want to stop you, but I can’t.”

His expression was too strange to describe.

“Every crazy thing you’ve done has always succeeded.”

“You really know me. Then move exactly as I said. It’ll all be over within an hour at most.”

“Black Hunters… Those men have been trained to hunt humans, not monsters. Be careful.”

I couldn’t hold back a short laugh.

“Good. That happens to be my specialty, too.”

“Pardon?”

I left the wide-eyed Team Leader Choi behind and stepped outside.

Under the rural night sky, scattered with countless stars, I drew the cool wind deep into my lungs and stretched.

As I walked toward the Black Hunters’ base, shrouded in darkness in the distance, I was no longer Hunter Jin Taekyung.

I had become Jin Taekyung, a man of Murim.

Grrrrr.

A beast’s eyes flashed in the pitch-black darkness.

I sent killing intent toward the two Tosa dogs baring their teeth at me from behind the iron bars.

“If I hear you bark, you’re becoming dog-meat soup.”

Unless the dogs attended a Korean language academy, there was no way they could understand me.

But killing intent was another matter.

Refined through countless battles and encounters with death, killing intent awakened a primitive fear.

Even a person with exceptional nerve could wet themselves from it. Dogs, which were even more sensitive to such things, were no exception.

Whine. Whimper.

The Tosa dogs sensed my killing intent, hid their teeth, tucked their tails beneath their bellies, and flattened themselves against the ground. Their eyes shook anxiously, unable to look in my direction.

“That’s right. Good dogs.”

Slice.

The moment I sliced through the iron bars with qi condensed around my hand and stepped into the yard, a blaring siren rang out as I felt as though I’d passed through a soft membrane.

Wheeeeeeeeng!

Ding.

System

Alarm Magic has activated!

Sound-Blocking Magic has activated! No noise will leak outside the mansion!

Vision-Blocking Magic has activated! The scene inside cannot be seen from outside!

They had taken some precautions.

Even better.

The instant the magic activated, the lights inside the mansion blazed to life.

I sensed dozens of people moving hurriedly inside. Then the iron front door burst outward as though it had exploded.

Bang!

Five men emerged first. The “tail” stood at the center of them.

The eyes of the ordinary-looking middle-aged man had changed into those of a killer.

System

Lv. 95 Im Yeongjun

“You…”

His face twisted, and his eyes shook. There was no doubt he had recognized me.

I gave him a broad smile.

“I’m with the village youth association.”

“Jin Taekyung!”

“Nope. This is Patrick.”

“How did you find this place?”

“We have a rich young master in our Guild. He’s good at pulling strings.”

Im Yeongjun sharply swept his gaze around.

“Don’t tell me you came alone?”

“If I did?”

“Looks like you did.”

The corners of his mouth twisted.

“Fucking idiot. Even if you don’t know how the world works, there should be a limit.”

“That’s what I wanted to say to you. You should’ve picked your target more carefully.”

“That D-rank pipsqueak who doesn’t even look like a Hunter? Did they put his arms back on?”

“They did, but… Apparently, he has some lingering aftereffects. So I came to collect a little compensation.”

“I was going to kill him, but I held back. Be grateful that it ended there. If you don’t want to suffer something worse, lie flat and quiet as a dead mouse.”

“I’ve already seen something worse, and lying flat like a dead mouse isn’t my style. I’m not particularly grateful, either, so isn’t that why I came here?”

Im Yeongjun gave a short laugh.

“Kid, I know you’re excited because people around you treat you like a big shot, but don’t make the mistake of thinking we’re ordinary Hunters.”

Just as he said, the aura and killing intent emanating from the Black Hunters were far denser and stronger than those of ordinary Hunters.

I slowly swept my gaze across the mansion.

I could feel them—the presences hiding inside and waiting for orders.

“One, five, ten… Twenty-eight in all. You rounded up quite a crowd.”

“…”

“How?”

“I’m not an ordinary Hunter, either.”

I looked at his face as it hardened and continued.

“Three. Hand over the three who took part in the attack two days ago, including you. Disarm the rest and tell me everything you know. Then I’ll spare your lives.”

“You crazy bastard.”

“Good. I was worried you might accept.”

That had been my first and last offer.

There would be no next time.

Open Inventory. Equip White Flame.

The moment the cool spear shaft filled my grasp, Im Yeongjun shouted, his voice rising almost to a scream.

“Kill him!”

Those words were the signal.

Dozens of Black Hunters, who had been holding their breath while waiting for orders, smashed through the walls and windows and surged toward me.

Crash! Shhhhk!

An endless rain of blades and arrowheads poured in from every direction.

My eyes had already gone cold as I watched them.

“You picked the wrong person to mess with.”

Fwoooosh!