Chapter 157

Chapter 157

Knock knock.

“Chairman. The Chief of Intelligence Operations for the Punitive Expeditionary Force wishes to see you…”

Song Jeong-eun opened Jeong In-gon’s door slightly and asked.

Jeong In-gon, his face set in a stubborn expression, glanced at Song Jeong-eun’s awkward look and gave a slight nod.

“I’ll let him in then.”

A moment later.

Kim Hwan-soo, dressed in a punitive force uniform, entered the room with a brisk step.

“Senior, it’s been a long time.”

“Indeed. Has it been about ten years?”

“It must be about that long.”

“Time sure flies… Just wait a moment.”

“Yes. The coffee hasn’t arrived yet, so take your time.”

Kim Hwan-soo settled comfortably into the sofa.

His posture felt incredibly familiar, even relaxed.

‘The little bastard. Still as fearless as ever.’

Jeong In-gon glanced at Kim Hwan-soo while signing the documents.

He looked exactly the same as ten years ago.

Somehow, while he himself was growing old, Kim Hwan-soo seemed to have gained weight and actually looked younger.

‘How much has he gotten away with to make his face glow like that….’

Jeong In-gon recalled the lean, sharp Kim Hwan-soo of old.

Kim Hwan-soo, with his skinny frame, radiating pure venom.

Like a wild dog starved for days, hunting its prey, he was filled with malice. Now, he’d gained a bit of weight and even learned how to smile.

Yet even with the passage of time, his piercing gaze remained unchanged.

“Is there a problem? I can’t even sit comfortably with you breathing down my neck, senior.”

Kim Hwan-soo smiled as he looked at Jeong In-gon.

He didn’t flinch at the meeting of their eyes.

Instead, he stared back without blinking, his intentions completely inscrutable.

‘A snake of a man. Can’t read him at all, huh?’

The Jung In-gon Kim Hwan-soo perceived was no different from the past.

Even back then, Jeong In-gon was someone whose thoughts were hard to read, and he had a peculiar streak.

His habit of making people wait and testing them remained exactly the same.

Still, it seemed time had changed him somewhat. The man who once ignored his wife and daughter, consumed only by work, now had a family photo on his desk.

‘He’s completely reversed his position from back then.’

Kim Hwan-soo recalled the past.

Just ten years ago, Kim Hwan-soo was a hunter, not a member of the extermination force.

And Jeong In-gon was a suppression force soldier, not a hunter.

Especially, Kim Hwan-soo was just an average hunter in a guild, but Jeong In-gon was already a suppression soldier in a fairly high position back then.

‘I still remember the first time we met.’

Their first meeting hadn’t been a particularly pleasant memory.

Fifteen years ago.

They first met during a large-scale dungeon break incident.

The highly meticulous and seasoned Jeong In-gon and the impetuous and reckless Kim Hwan-soo clashed over every little thing.

After all, what reason would a high-ranking member of the extermination force have to clash with an ordinary guild hunter?

Yet, as if fate itself brought them together, they found themselves in confrontational situations. Initially, they bickered and clashed over opinions, but over time, they came to recognize each other’s worth, developing a kind of grudging respect.

Thus, over the course of five years, they became close senior and junior colleagues, meeting frequently.

Surprisingly, they clicked exceptionally well over drinks, cheering each other on with such enthusiasm that it was remarkable.

‘If only that incident hadn’t happened, would I still be on good terms with my senior…?’

The incident ten years ago that drove them apart.

It was the discrimination incident against Awakened Ones that caused massive conflict between the Suppression Army and the Hunters Association, leading to a clash between them.

The incident itself was resolved relatively quickly compared to the scale of the controversy, largely due to the Association’s immense power. However, this event caused their positions to become completely opposed.

Their stances truly diverged—Jeong In-gon sided with the Association, while Kim Hwan-soo joined the Extermination Corps.

From the start, both harbored disillusionment toward Hunters and the Suppression Army. Their time together only solidified their views, and that incident cemented their decision to walk opposing paths.

Thanks to that, they hadn’t seen each other’s faces since, but now, with the Republic of Korea in peril, they’ve met again as people occupying top-tier positions.

‘He can’t possibly have come just to have a cup of coffee…’

Jeong In-gon wondered what Kim Hwan-soo was trying to say by acting like this.

It was clear he wasn’t just holding out to talk about compensation for the mana accelerator.

It’s not like I just kept accepting mana accelerators; I’ve settled all the financial matters.

Not only that, but Kim Hwan-soo never really liked talking about money changing hands.

Or perhaps things had changed over the past ten years.

As I tried to write a scenario of what might come out of Kim Hwan-soo’s mouth, a knock sounded at the door.

Knock knock.

“Coffee’s here. Our Chief of Staff seemed to really want some coffee.”

“Haha, thank you. Would you like some too, Director? It seems the Chairman still has work to do.”

“It’s fine. The Chairman dislikes having anyone around while he works.”

“Is that so? I suppose I’ll have to sit here as quiet as a mouse.”

Song Jeong-eun placed two cups of coffee down and glared at Kim Hwan-soo.

But she said nothing more and left.

After that, Jeong In-gon rummaged through the documents for quite a while longer, and Kim Hwan-soo waited silently.

‘That bastard.’

Finally, Jeong In-gon rose from his seat.

He slowly approached the sofa.

“Sorry about that. I had some documents that needed urgent approval.”

“It’s fine. Isn’t this the perfect time for me to take a break? If you have urgent business, feel free to finish up.”

“Haha, Hwan-soo, you’ve softened a lot since the old days. Time does change things, doesn’t it?”

“It’s been ten years, hasn’t it?”

Jeong In-gon and Kim Hwan-su silently stared at each other.

Outwardly smiling, their minds were racing.

‘The Chief of Staff position isn’t exactly idle. Why did he come? Just because he took a few mana accelerators, does he think he can get something from us?’

‘If you think I came here for the mana accelerators, you’re mistaken, Senior Jeong. Our facilities and equipment are now fully developed enough to provide as many as you need.’

Jung In-gon hadn’t fully grasped how much research and production had actually gone into the mana accelerators.

That was because Kim Hwan-soo had been meticulously handling the matter.

Moreover, research had already been completed to extract mana accelerators from monsters, not humans, and they boasted significantly improved performance compared to the samples brought from China.

Furthermore, the facilities for mass production were perfectly complete. The amount of mana accelerator given to the association—a truckload—could be produced in a day or two, so it wasn’t a regrettable quantity.

“If you have something to say, say it now. We know each other well enough, don’t we?”

“Is that so? Then I’ll cut to the chase. How did you lure Jung Hoon-hyun?”

“Hm? Jung Hoon-hyun?”

Jeong In-gon was slightly taken aback by the unexpected question.

‘Jung Hoon-hyun? That name sounds familiar…’

Seeing this, Kim Hwan-soo also felt a little flustered.

He couldn’t tell if Jeong In-gon’s reaction was genuinely honest or a perfect act.

“Jung Hoon-hyun. The guild master of the Suho Guild.”

“Ah…! I remember now. The guild master of that guild that’s been growing rapidly lately… But seducing Jung Hoon-hyun? What does that mean?”

Kim Hwan-soo stared at Jeong In-gon with wide eyes.

If something is amiss, it’s human instinct not to meet someone’s gaze properly.

But Jeong In-gon didn’t look away.

No matter how skilled an agent, the subtle emotions reflected in their eyes cannot be completely concealed.

Kim Hwan-soo, the Chief of Intelligence Operations, had learned to read them and could discern them with ease.

‘Does he truly not understand my intentions? Or is he deceiving me? I really can’t tell.’

Kim Hwan-soo watched Jeong In-gon, where his own skills seemed utterly ineffective, feeling both admiration and fear.

He had always been a difficult person to read, but now he felt even harder to understand.

“Huh. I’ll just ask straight out. It’s just so hard to figure out what you’re really thinking, Senior.”

“What on earth is it? If the man I’m thinking of is the same as you… then I don’t know either.”

“You don’t know either…?”

“I’m the one who should be asking you. Wasn’t it you who sent him out of the suppression force and into that small guild?”

Kim Hwan-soo sensed that this time, Jeong In-gon was telling the truth.

No matter how well Jung In-gon hid it, the idea that even his own intelligence network couldn’t find him was as absurd as plucking stars from the sky.

“Jeong Hoon-hyeon never once revealed anything to me about Lee Do-jae’s whereabouts. I wondered if perhaps you had asked him to do something. I understand your daughter maintains quite a close relationship with him.”

“Same here. She’s my own flesh and blood, but she’s so tight-lipped… Eun-hee never tells me anything either.”

“Is that so….”

“But why is he looking for him? What is he planning?”

Kim Hwan-soo didn’t answer.

There was no need to tell Jeong In-gon.

This was an internal matter within the punitive expedition force.

Instead, Jeong In-gon asked why he was looking for Dojae.

“Why are you looking for him, Senior?”

“I’m not exactly looking for him. He’s a hunter. As the guild president, managing hunters is part of my job. Is there a problem? Especially since he’s not just any hunter, but an S-rank hunter. It’s only natural for the guild president to be concerned about him.”

“…You’re absolutely right.”

Kim Hwan-soo downed his coffee in one gulp.

If he couldn’t learn anything about Dojae, there was no point in staying here any longer.

The current extermination force and hunters weren’t exactly the best of friends, after all.

“I’ll be heading out soon. Please tell the Director I enjoyed the coffee.”

“Leaving already? You came all this way—can’t we talk a little longer?”

“It’s fine. What could you possibly say? Well then, I’ll be going…”

“Wait. I received a fine gift; I can’t just let you leave without it.”

Kim Hwan-soo, who was about to leave, stopped.

Jung In-gon returned to his desk and rummaged through something.

‘A gift… Is it okay to accept it?’

Kim Hwan-soo looked at Jeong In-gon suspiciously before receiving an envelope from him.

“What is it?”

Kim Hwan-soo pulled the documents from the envelope he’d taken and immediately read the first page.

A spark of interest flickered in his eyes as he skimmed through it.

“Well? Is this good enough to be a gift?”

“Hmm… Why are you giving me this? Is it okay for me to accept it?”

“They’re people we’re going to get rid of anyway. We’ve already done some cleaning up on our end.”

Kim Hwan-soo smiled as he put the papers back in the envelope.

“I’ve received a much larger gift than what I gave.”

“Haha. The mana accelerators the expeditionary force gave us, the materials I gave you—aren’t they all for the nation’s development? I trust you more than you think.”

“Is that so? I had no idea.”

“Though perhaps not on a personal level.”

Jeong In-gon spoke with feigned nonchalance.

Yet, Kim Hwan-soo felt those words resonate more sincerely.

“Then I’ll really be going now.”

“Alright. Make sure you convey my intentions properly.”

“I’ll see you again. Please take good care of the association, Senior.”

Kim Hwan-soo opened the door and stepped out after those final words.

A document envelope was clenched tightly in his hand.