Chapter 183

Chapter 183

Russia, the vast plains of Siberia’s far north.

A place where no trace of life could be found.

On the dry, barren land, only one boy stood.

“Huff…”

The defector, Ridiran, took a deep breath.

Moments later, thick, dark clouds gathered in the clear sky.

Zzzzz-!

Ridiran’s previously calm eyebrows twitch, and his lips tremble slightly.

Then, a woman of captivating beauty emerged, tearing through the empty space.

She slowly opened her eyes and gazed deeply at Ridiran.

“Ah… I can hardly breathe…”

Red Purity Bedaya.

She licked her bright red lips with her tongue, her face twisted in a grimace.

“Welcome, Ms. Bedaya.”

Lidiran forced a weary smile, looking somewhat exhausted.

Seeing this, Bedaya teasingly stroked Ridiran’s face.

“Oh my, Ridiran. Where did all that overflowing energy go?”

Ridiran shook off Bedaya’s hand and looked up at the sky.

The dark clouds had vanished, and the scorching sun now beat down.

“I used it to bring you here.”

“Still seems a bit lacking, though? Look at those dark circles under our pretty child’s eyes—they’re so pronounced.”

“I’ve been busy with this and that. But you look well, Ms. Bedaya.”

Ridiran looked at Bedaya, who wore a fresh expression.

When she’d seen her on the northwestern peaks of Tranfeion, she’d been frantic, barely out of her seal. Now, she seemed at ease.

“I had a decent meal, I suppose. Though it pales in comparison to what Lady Gelahan would serve. Ah…”

Bedeya wrapped her arms around herself and sobbed.

Licking her lips once more with lingering care, she even looked ecstatic.

“Ms. Bedaya, did you meet Mr. Valan?”

“Balan? Why that boring man?”

“He hasn’t spoken to me at all since last time.”

“I don’t know. Honestly, until just recently, I didn’t even know Havik had disappeared.”

Vedaya answered coyly.

She was utterly consumed by her own desires, and it hadn’t been long since she’d satisfied them.

Even that had barely satisfied her, so she was merely enduring it now.

“Mr. Valen… This is awkward.”

“But Ridian, what am I supposed to do?”

Bedeya’s gaze turned icy.

She was observing the powerful auras she sensed from afar.

“The humans here are quite… strong. My minions keep disappearing. But it’s not unexpected. Ms. Bedaya, just do as you normally would.”

“Really? There are so many delicious auras here.”

“I’ll focus on restoring my strength for now. I’m in a slightly… dangerous state.”

Squeeze-.

Bedeiya embraced Ridiran.

The boy’s face was buried in the woman’s ample bosom, yet his expression didn’t waver.

“I’ll share a little bit with you.”

“There’s no need… Thank you.”

“See you again, Ridiran.”

Black smoke enveloped Bedaya.

And when the smoke dispersed, her figure had vanished without a trace.

“Ms. Bedaya, be careful. It seems the one who destroyed Mr. Havik has returned as well.”

Lidiran stared at the spot where Bedaya had vanished.

He too was enveloped in black smoke and soon vanished without a trace.

***

“Hmm…”

“What’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell?”

Kim Hwan-soo asked.

Do-jae stared out the window.

The immense aura of Gelahan that had appeared and vanished in an instant.

He stared intently, trying to find its trace, but once he’d sensed it, he could no longer gauge its location.

“Nothing. Please continue.”

Do-jae looked back at Kim Hwan-soo.

After leaving Choi Woo-seok’s shop, Dojae went straight to the expeditionary force headquarters.

Since he hadn’t informed him beforehand, he waited at a nearby cafe before meeting Kim Hwan-soo.

Kim Hwan-soo immediately asked Do-jae where he had disappeared to for the past three months. Since there was nothing to hide, Do-jae answered honestly.

After all, any hunter worth their salt already knew about the otherworld and the alien races, and there was no reason to hide it specifically from the Extermination Corps.

“Anyway, I don’t think as softly as you do. Whether they’re alien species or monsters, anything threatening the Republic of Korea is an enemy. And our Extermination Corps is a group created to wage war. If it’s an enemy, it doesn’t matter if it’s human or alien.”

“I know that well. But wasn’t I once part of the extermination force too?”

“That’s right. And you still are, too.”

Kim Hwan-soo looked at Do-jae with a mysterious gaze.

Dojae didn’t read much into that look.

“So, a bloodbath may soon sweep across this land or this realm. No, it’s certain to happen.”

“Are those renegades that powerful?”

“I’ve only encountered one renegade myself… but he was powerful. Too powerful for me to handle alone.”

“Hmph…”

Kim Hwan-soo hummed.

A bloodbath guaranteed by none other than an S-rank Hunter.

Kim Hwan-soo couldn’t even begin to imagine how horrific the process would be.

“Have you heard of Helen Lopez?”

“I’ve heard of her. It was a long time ago, but I believe she was said to be an extraordinary prophet.”

“Yes. She gathered the guild leaders and made a prophecy. Four stars would fall from the sky, and this nation would perish.”

“Destruction…!”

Kim Hwan-soo was startled and looked around frantically.

Fortunately, the sound of music and people’s chatter drowned him out, and no one paid him any mind.

“Destruction… I thought Helen Lopez’s prophecies were 100% accurate.”

Kim Hwan-soo stroked his chin, deep in thought.

Dojae noticed he was thinking about something else but decided not to make an issue of it.

“At first, I thought the four stars represented the traitors. But I destroyed one of the four. So, was the prophecy wrong, or did the four stars not signify the traitors after all?”

“I don’t know…”

Do-jae hoped Helen Lopez’s prophecy was wrong.

If not, it meant the prophecy that South Korea would be destroyed was true.

“Even if it’s a predetermined future, we can’t just stand by, can we? I’ll provide capital and resources to the expeditionary force.”

Clap.

Kim Hwan-soo, hearing Dojae’s words, clapped his palms together.

Then, with his fingers interlocked, he slowly rubbed them together.

“That’s welcome news. We’ll need to make significant revisions to the plan.”

“The plan. So you were indeed thinking of something.”

“I was just about to tell you. We should have moved things up a bit, but it got delayed because you weren’t here.”

Kim Hwan-soo narrowed his eyes, gazing at him with a burdensome look.

Dojae puffed out his chest and leaned back in his chair.

“I don’t know what you think, but I want to change the expeditionary force. And for that, I need the position of Chief of Staff. I won’t beat around the bush. I intended to use you from the start to get that position.”

Kim Hwan-soo spoke in a somewhat serious tone.

But his expression showed neither apology nor gratitude.

“So you saw this coming?”

“What’s there to anticipate? I never cared what you thought, Commander. You never caused me any harm.”

“Haha. Should I say you have a broad mind, or that you’re easygoing?”

Kim Hwan-soo also leaned back deeply into his chair.

A brief silence fell between them.

“Anyway, if the Republic of Korea—this world—is destroyed, what meaning would reform hold? I know it’s regrettable, but I’ll have to use the punitive expedition first.”

“What do you mean?”

“I must disband the punitive expedition.”

“……”

Kim Hwan-soo was speechless at Do Jae’s words.

Dissolving a suppression force numbering tens of thousands.

It was a statement that could hardly be considered anything but arrogant for one man to make.

“It’s a dissolution in practical terms. Formally, the punitive force will remain intact. I’m no dictator, after all.”

“Substantial?”

“It felt to me that the suppression force up until now saw the Hunter Association as the enemy, not the monsters. I could clearly sense that during the recent Busan suppression campaign.”

Externally, the Busan campaign is known as a joint effort between the guild and the expeditionary force to defeat Dungeon Break.

But anyone present at the scene could tell.

The power struggle between hunters and the suppression force.

Though both sides controlled the media, preventing public awareness, conflicts between hunters and the expeditionary force frequently erupted.

We can’t afford to be at each other’s throats when facing the same enemy.

“I don’t think it will be easy. But the Association and the Expeditionary Force must unite immediately. One traitor has already defected, and I sense a massive force plotting something. There’s no time.”

Kim Hwan-soo pondered for a moment.

He soon nodded.

Dojae could read the affirmation in his expression without needing the golem’s eyes.

And ambition too.

“Alright. If the nation falls, the position of Guild Leader means nothing. But is it really wise to share such matters with me? Aren’t prophecies supposed to be known only among the guilds?”

“It’s fine. The Guild Leader would have expected me to speak up. He knows I have a foot in both the expeditionary force and the guild.”

***

Do Jae finished his conversation with Kim Hwan-su.

He hadn’t left the cafe until he received a text message, then moved his seat.

Thump-thump-.

“Long time no see. You really shouldn’t call me out so often.”

A man approached Dojae, who was walking in a nearby park.

It was Kim Soo-kyung, the head of MID, now the top intelligence organization of the Suppression Army.

“Is that necessary? You lot probably know my every move already.”

“Still, it’s nice to see you around from time to time.”

“I’ll consider it.”

Do-jae and Kim Soo-kyung strolled side by side through the park.

Both were dressed casually, and with many people out walking, they blended in well with their surroundings.

“What brought you here this time? If it’s about Young-jin, I apologize. It was clearly our mistake, and that employee has been severely reprimanded.”

“Young-jin? What happened to Young-jin?”

“Didn’t you know? Last night, three Moss executives were arrested based on Young-jin’s report.”

Do-jae thought of Young-jin.

Come to think of it, he hadn’t seen Youngjin anywhere in the guild building today.

Something must have happened to Youngjin while he was chasing after Briasilius and the renegades.

“What is Moss?”

“Moss is an assassin group targeting corporations. It’s awkward to say, but they’re the top assassin organization, composed solely of the most capable individuals.”

“So Young-jin’s brothers got involved again… I’ll hear the details directly. I’d appreciate it if you paid a bit more attention to the brothers going forward.”

“I’m sorry. I’ll personally step in and make sure to keep an eye on them.”

Kim Soo-kyung said with a smile.

Despite how coercive Dojae’s words might have sounded, she maintained her poker face.

Do-jae thought he had made the right choice in selecting Kim Soo-kyung.

“Anyway, I called you here for another reason. I want you to keep a close eye on Captain Kim Hwan-soo.”

“You mean Staff Officer Kim Hwan-soo….”

“Captain Kim Hwan-soo will soon ascend to the position of Chief of Staff. I’ll support him to that extent.”

“I had some idea it was coming, but it seems you’re finally putting it into action.”

“I don’t think he’s that kind of person, but you never know.”

“I understand what you mean. I’ll assign personnel immediately.”

Do-jae nodded.

“That’s all for now.”

The two walked a few more steps.

Kim Soo-kyung vanished as smoothly as she had appeared.

Do-jae also turned and headed toward the guild.