Chapter 147: Hive Removal (4)
“You’re Han Yujin, right? You look much better in person than on TV.”
I smiled and thanked them for the compliment, though their words were tinged with exaggeration. It was the same when I went out to buy a phone and glasses—most people I ran into recognized me. Considering how often I’d been on TV, to the point of exhaustion, it was an inevitable outcome, even if my appearances had been pushed aside by recent dungeon breaks.
‘Still, being the center of attention like this feels… uncomfortable.’
The large supermarket was bustling as it approached dinner time. Many people stared at me and whispered among themselves. Unlike before my regression, the reactions now leaned more positive, but even knowing that, memories of the past kept surfacing in my mind.
Thunk.
I momentarily lost strength in my hand, and the box of pasta I was holding slipped to the floor. Yuhyun, disguised as Kim Minui, picked it up for me, and someone nearby approached with concern.
“Are you okay? You don’t look well.”
“Ah… it’s just that I still get nervous in crowded places. Especially when a lot of people are looking at me—it’s a little… scary.”
I smiled lightly, trying to brush it off, and added,
“Well, given what I’ve been through, it makes sense, doesn’t it?”
Sympathy poured from their gazes. It wasn’t surprising—just being kidnapped could leave a person traumatized, let alone being sent to an auction house.
“Are you sure it’s alright for you to be out like this?”
“I need to get used to it, so I decided to come out and buy groceries myself. Thank you for your concern.”
A story of overcoming unfortunate experiences—it had a nice ring to it. They told me to stay strong and even helped disperse the onlookers, telling others not to stare so much. Watching it unfold left me feeling a bit unsettled.
“You’re acting, right? You’re not actually feeling unwell, are you?”
As the crowd thinned, Yuhyun asked in a low voice.
“There’s nothing wrong. I’ve been resting well, after all.”
I’d been lounging comfortably in luxury, pampered with endless kindness. Honestly, being kidnapped wasn’t half bad. No guilt, no responsibilities, just indulging myself. If it were at the same level as before, I wouldn’t mind it happening quarterly. Plus, the side income wasn’t bad either.
I headed to the meat section and tossed the best-quality beef into the cart. Then, I picked out seafood—only the most expensive and fresh items.
“It’s been a while since we’ve gone grocery shopping together.”
It felt like nearly ten years had passed from my perspective.
“Is there anything you want to eat? Name anything.”
“Anything’s fine. Whatever you pick.”
“You’re just like when you were a kid. Except now, there’s no budget limit.”
And it’s not even my money. At the checkout counter, I pulled out the card Seong Hyunjae had given me back in Hong Kong. Until he asked for it back, I was going to use it thoroughly. The only problem was that I rarely had opportunities to spend it.
After buying groceries, we drove to one of Haeyeon’s villas. Of course, the property was under someone else’s name. In the spacious and elegant kitchen, we unpacked the bags, and shortly after, Noah arrived. As he disengaged his stealth, his golden hair faintly shimmered under the moonlight. Without his stealth skill, sneaking around at any time of day would’ve been a challenge.
“Thank you for your hard work, Noah.”
When I greeted him at the door, Noah smiled brightly. Even though he was just a year younger than Yuhyun, he somehow felt much younger. Maybe it was because of his dragon form’s strong image—adorable and innocent.
“Thank you for helping out so willingly. If there’s anything you want, anything at all, just say the word.”
I’d feel too guilty about taking advantage of him without giving something in return. But whenever I offered, he always insisted it was fine.
“There’s nothing I want right now, but…”
Noah hesitated, his tone trailing off. The “right now” part caught my attention.
“Oh? So there is something?”
Finally! Noah glanced briefly toward the villa’s interior with his pale gray eyes before continuing.
“When my sister comes out of the dungeon, she’ll probably stay in Korea for a while… Would it be okay if she stayed at your house?”
“Of course.”
Why wouldn’t it be? Now that he mentioned it, Liette’s dungeon raid was taking longer than expected. Was it because she’d gone with Association hunters? If she’d gone in alone, she probably could’ve cleared it faster thanks to her transformation ability.
“I’ll make sure Liette doesn’t storm into the house uninvited.”
“Ah, but don’t get hurt because of me.”
“Don’t worry. As long as I’ve got the monsters to protect me, not even Liette can touch me.”
Once the kids are raised, what’s there to worry about? Not that Liette had ever truly threatened me. She’d made advances, sure, but as long as we avoided being alone together, it’d be fine.
Dinner preparation was handled by Yuhyun and Noah. Even though I offered to help, saying it was my responsibility since I’d caused all this, they insisted I sit down. These kids were so considerate, it almost made my heart ache.
“My sister can’t cook.”
Noah said as he neatly arranged the pasta in the pot like a blossoming flower. He didn’t seem like the type to lack dexterity, but this was unexpected. At the very least, you’d think she’d be good with knives.
“She gets overly creative… and throws in all sorts of strange things.”
“Ah…”
That sounded exactly like something Liette would do. I could imagine her sprinkling random ingredients into a finished dish just to see how it turned out.
Watching Yuhyun and Noah prepare dinner together made me feel full without even eating. The kids had grown up so well. Even though I hadn’t raised Noah myself, he turned out wonderfully despite having such a sister. What a commendable young man.
“My kids are truly flawless, don’t you think?”
Yuhyun still looked like Kim Minui, but he was still my little brother, after all. I turned to the row of men kneeling in front of us and spoke. These were individuals tied to the Hunter Association who had made suspicious moves right after the raid on Dongju Rotary Guild. There were six of them: four held positions in the Association, one was the vice president’s secretary, and the last was a close aide to a board member.
Noah had personally captured and brought them in, forcing them to kneel, but the sight wasn’t exactly pleasant. They were middle-aged men with rather unsavory expressions.
“Why aren’t you saying anything? I didn’t gag you.”
“Do you think you can get away with this—”
“Of course I will. How kind of you to be concerned about me. You’re so confident.”
Looking at the situation objectively, I was indeed a very capable kidnapper right now. …Why did it have to be middle-aged men, though? That’s a bit depressing.
“Even if you’re released and start shouting that Han Yujin kidnapped and threatened you, who’s going to believe you? I’ll have you know, I’m currently the nation’s most pitiable kidnapping victim.”
That’s the image I had cultivated.
“The tragic story of a man who lost his parents early, dropped out of school, and raised his younger brother all on his own, only to be separated from him for years because of dungeon-related dangers. Finally, he gains a good skill and thinks he can live well, but ends up being falsely accused, sent to prison, kidnapped by traitors to the nation, and sold off at an auction house. Do any of you have a sob story that can beat mine? By now, there are probably articles out about poor Han Yujin, who’s bravely trying to overcome his trauma-induced agoraphobia.”
If they even dared accuse me of kidnapping, people would respond by saying, “There they go again, trying to frame an innocent person.” Unless they had definitive proof, which they wouldn’t since I wouldn’t leave any behind. And who would take their testimony seriously? The Association was already under fire, so no one would bother listening to their excuses.
“…Feigning weakness to deceive the world!”
“I’m genuinely weak. If I were S-rank, do you think anyone would feel sorry for me?”
It works precisely because I’m positioned as a frail civilian in a world of inhumanly strong hunters. Besides, it’s not deception if 90% of my sob story is true.
At that moment, Seok Gimyeong appeared, looking smug enough to hum a tune.
“Our guests will be arriving shortly.”
“Thank you for your hard work. No issues, I presume?”
“Of course—”
“Seok Gimyeong! Isn’t that you? I’m a friend of your cousin!”
One of the kneeling men suddenly jumped up and shouted. Both Seok Gimyeong and I turned to look at him simultaneously.
“Do you know him?”
“No, not at all.”
“But he says he’s your cousin’s friend.”
“Our family motto is to treat each other as strangers when it comes to business.”
“What about Seok Hayan?”
“Kids are an exception.”
Seok Hayan might look young, but she’s older than me. The man, realizing his attempt at familiarity wasn’t working, sheepishly sat back down. I didn’t feel bad about it—being a friend of someone’s cousin didn’t exactly make him relevant to me.
We started setting the table with the food we had prepared. Soon enough, the guests arrived. Though it hadn’t been intentional, it just so happened that there were exactly six of them.
“Oh, the Dungeon Management Director. I always knew you’d screw up eventually, but to deliberately cause a dungeon break? You really went all out this time.”
The youngest guest, Choi Youngjun, clapped his hands as he spoke. The face of the Dungeon Management Director turned bright red. Was he embarrassed? Or just furious?
“I’ve already heard the details, but a deliberate dungeon break… It’s still hard to wrap my head around.”
“A person willing to sell out their own country for personal gain exists in every era.”
Former Hunter Market director Yoo Ohchan and former Dungeon Management director Choi Eunyeong spoke as they took their seats. The other three guests were also former staff members of the Hunter Association.
These were people who had worked on the front lines back when dungeons first began appearing and causing chaos. Of course, the six of them weren’t the only ones—they had plenty of colleagues who had endured similar struggles. Though most of the higher-level positions had been replaced, many of their peers still remained in the Association, enduring the same hardships.
“You all can sit up now. Even death row inmates get fed, after all.”
The six current Association members and the six former members sat facing each other at the table. Their expressions couldn’t have been more different. What a charming atmosphere.
“But are you really not planning to get involved with the Hunter Association, Han Yujin?”
Choi Eunyeong asked, her expression skeptical.
“If I meddle in Association affairs too, I’ll die of overwork. As you can already tell, we’re so short on manpower that I have to get directly involved in things like this.”
“Haeyeon might feel differently.”
She glanced at Seok Gimyeong.
“As I said, we’re only cooperating because of our staffing shortage. Of course, some form of compensation for our assistance is necessary. Though, for now, that compensation is limited to participating in this discussion.”
“We’re not asking for much. Haeyeon simply wants to absorb MKC’s shares.”
Seok Gimyeong chimed in, as if waiting for the perfect moment.
“I’m sure you’re aware that the Association has been propping up MKC under the guise of maintaining balance among the major guilds, despite their repeated missteps causing their stock to plummet. We’d like to rectify that.”
“So, you’re saying that in exchange for helping us establish positions in the Association, Haeyeon wants us to support their takeover of MKC?”
“We’re not that incompetent.”
Seok Gimyeong’s lips curled into a leisurely smile. His gaze briefly shifted to Yuhyun, who was seated next to me.
“Three S-rank hunters. Strong ties to a monster breeding facility. Haeyeon’s growth potential has already far surpassed MKC. All we ask is fair treatment.”
He declared confidently, as if that alone was sufficient.
“Maintaining the same allocation for dungeon management and item priority rights as when we had only one S-rank hunter? That’s absurdly unfair, wouldn’t you agree? Even Sesung has increased its number of S-rank hunters, and it’s time for a thorough adjustment.”
Seok Gimyeong clicked his tongue, lamenting how the higher-ups at the current Association refused to listen. He then elaborated on Haeyeon’s potential, how much it could contribute to safer dungeon management, and presented his points with clear and compelling logic.
It was obvious that Seok Gimyeong intended to use this opportunity to elevate Haeyeon to the second spot, right below Sesung.
Based solely on the number of S-rank hunters, Haeyeon could claim the top position. However, Sesung’s second S-rank hunter had already established their own team upon arrival in Korea. Meanwhile, aside from Yuhyun, Haeyeon’s S-rank hunters still lacked raid teams, leaving them practically behind.
Although there was still a considerable gap in other areas, Haeyeon’s hunter power alone deserved recognition above MKC and Breaker.
“That much, I’ll concede is unfair. However, let’s agree to treat this conversation as if it never happened.”
Choi Eunyeong stated firmly, her expression unyielding. The others wore similar expressions. That was perfectly fine with me.
Even if they wanted to act like this never happened, they couldn’t erase their memories. The acknowledgment of the existing unfairness meant that they would prioritize addressing it over other issues. At the same time, they would likely start seeing Haeyeon’s rapid growth as inevitable. While this was simply the truth, it might still influence them to be more lenient regarding Haeyeon’s dungeon and item allocations.
“Now, shall we move on to discussing what to do about them?”
The six current Association members, who had barely touched their food, froze at my words. Meanwhile, the six former members glared at them with sharp, blade-like gazes.
At the crack of dawn, the nation was once again turned upside down.
[Deliberate Dungeon Break!!]
Only three years had passed since the dungeon shock. Most of the population still vividly remembered the scars from that time. Dungeon breaks remained a present and ongoing disaster.
The revelation that such an event had been intentionally caused was more than enough to spark nationwide outrage.
[Dungeon Management Director Admits to Illegal Dungeon Transactions!]
[Hunter Association Vice President Linked to A-Rank Dungeon, Tentatively Named “Hive,” and Its Byproduct Smuggling!]
[“Hive Incident” Fallout: Hunter Association Board Members Resigning En Masse.]
[Dungeon Management Director Under Emergency Arrest—Who Will Fill the Vacancy?]
[The Hunter Association’s Past and Present: Why Was a Reshuffle Necessary?]
[Endless Corruption Exposed in the Hunter Association: The Bugs Lured by Sweet Honey.]
For days, the news and newspapers couldn’t stop talking about the incident.
Those who had accepted my terms managed to step down quietly, with a public apology admitting their responsibility. Though they weren’t spared criticism entirely, they avoided becoming lightning rods for public outrage. Meanwhile, the six who had stubbornly resisted and been caught red-handed, along with their associates, were swiftly arrested.
Given the unprecedented nature of the case, there were no existing laws to address it, but it was expected that they would be punished as if guilty of treason. They were fortunate that this time, luck had prevented major casualties. Otherwise, even the death penalty might have seemed too lenient.
‘I just hope the new people stepping in don’t cause any trouble.’
At least I had contracts to use against them if necessary. Hopefully, it wouldn’t come to that. I just needed them to hold up for five years without ruining everything.
Now that the basics of restructuring were done, I wanted to mend the strained relationship between the Awakener Management Office and the Association. But did I really have to step in for this as well? Couldn’t they just figure it out on their own? It felt like such a waste to leave someone as talented as Song Taewon stuck cleaning up other people’s messes.
Having witnessed his skills firsthand, I knew how much potential he had. If his Predation skill were developed further, it would be game-changing. Even a small increase in range would make him nearly unbeatable in one-on-one combat.
If he were given the proper equipment and an environment where he could grow to his full potential…
Of course, Song Taewon likely wouldn’t be interested. Should I consider testing keyword application on him?
“Comet! You took my glasses again!”
-Screech!-
Comet, who had been awake more frequently during the day lately, took off into the air clutching my glasses. I reached out, but my hand only grasped empty space. Where did she fly off to? I couldn’t see clearly.
-Chirp!-
“Ugh, Chirp, don’t come near my feet! Ah, the table—!”
“Be careful, hyung.”
Yuhyun, who had approached without me noticing, retrieved the glasses. Comet squirmed in his grasp, clearly unhappy. Glasses were annoying; maybe I should switch to contact lenses.
“When will your eyes go back to normal?”
“If I get plenty of rest, soon… maybe?”
At my response, Yuhyun frowned. I had rested yesterday, but today I needed to head out. I had just received word that Liette had finished her dungeon raid and returned.
–TL Notes–
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