Chapter 80: Provocation (2)

Chapter 80: Provocation (2) A towering three-story building situated at the center of the Black Market served as the meeting hall where representatives of the Awakened criminal syndicates convened whenever they needed unanimous agreement on critical issues. "DG Guild?" asked one of the representatives. "Ah, yes. DG Guild," Hong Seong-Tae replied. "Damn it. Them again?" At the sight of his frustration, Hong Seong-Tae's shoulders slumped even further. "Isn't it a good thing? We have to take revenge," another Awakened criminal said. "The one who spearheaded this operation was the Hunters Association. DG Guild only joined forces." "No. I bribed one of the Hunters who took part in that operation for more information on the incident. The Association may have led the operation, but apparently it was Kim Ki-Rok who sniffed out the intel and handed it over." Upon hearing the bespectacled representative's explanation, the tattooed man with the buzz cut scratched his head in annoyance and leaned forward. "So, you're telling me we got caught because of Kim Ki-Rok?" "Exactly." "And we should seek revenge against the DG Guild?" "Between picking a fight with the Hunters Association or a reasonably sized C-Class guild, which do you think is easier?" Of course, it would be the C-Class guild. Stroking his chin thoughtfully, the tattooed man turned to look at Hong Seong-Tae. The tattooed man stroked his chin, organizing his thoughts and turning toward Hong Seong-Tae. "So who are we supposed to kill in DG Guild?" "Hunter Cha Min-Ji," Hong Seong-Tae replied. "Hmm? A female Hunter?" Surprised by the feminine name, the tattooed man reached out to his subordinate standing behind him. "Hey, you got a phone or tablet?" "Right here, boss. I've already got DG Guild's official website open." "Oh! That was fa..." While praising his subordinate's quick thinking, the tattooed man took the tablet, only to notice that his subordinate was glowering furiously at Hong Seong-Tae. "Hey, what's wrong?" "Sir, take a look at the assassination request from Hunter Hong Seong-Tae..." "Oh, that Cha Min-Ji, right?" "She's in high school." "What?" The tattooed man's expression darkened just like his subordinate's, prompting Hong Seong-Tae to lower his head in shame. It wasn't only the tattooed man who reacted this way after hearing about the target from his subordinate. Other Awakened criminals also lifted their heads to stare at Hong Seong-Tae, having decided to exact revenge on DG Guild while accepting additional contract work on the side. Each of them then borrowed a smartphone or tablet from their own subordinates to investigate. The picture displayed on their screens showed a girl with a bright smile, clinging to a woman presumed to be her mother. The school uniform and the "representative high schooler" description made it perfectly clear that she was underage. "Hey, Mr. Hong Seong-Tae." "Yes... yes..." "You're positive this is who you want to kill? No mistake in identity?" the man with glasses pressed him. "Y-yes... She's the one," Hong Seong-Tae said, almost whimpering. The man in glasses let out a hollow laugh. "Are you telling us to kill a kid? A teenage girl who still nestled under her mother like that?" asked the tattooed man who looked more like a stereotypical criminal than anyone here. The suffocating atmosphere caused Hong Seong-Tae to shrink even further, and rather than speak up, all he could do was nod repeatedly. "Are you insane...? You're sure about this? Hey, Hong Seong-Tae!" There was a slight pause before he answered back. "Y-yes..." "What the hell, man? We may be criminals, but come on... This is crossing a line." "I, I'll give you money," Hong Seong-Tae pleaded. The tattooed man slammed the table hard and stood up from his seat. "Fuck! This isn't about money!" "Can-can it not be done?" "Damn it!" "Stop." Cutting the tattooed man off, the bespectacled criminal raised a hand, indicating that the other should calm down. Then he turned a measured gaze toward the person in question. "Mr. Hong Seong-Tae." "Yes." "We could overlook it if she were a woman of legal age. Hunters sometimes clash with one another, so hiring an assassin out of spite might be within the realm of understanding. But a minor—" "Ten billion won!" Hong Seong-Tae interrupted with an offer. The man in glasses closed his mouth immediately, while the tattooed man widened his eyes. "How much?" one of them asked skeptically. "T-ten billion won! I'll pay ten billion to whichever group accepts this job! Fi-five billion in advance, and the remaining five billion once Cha Min-Ji is dead!" A brief silence filled the room. "This bastard's lost his mind." The tattooed man couldn't help cursing under his breath as the bespectacled man stared at Hong Seong-Tae with a serious look. "You said you'd pay it to the group that takes on the job. Does that mean if two separate groups accept, you'd pay each of them ten billion?" "Y-yes!" What was so special about Cha Min-Ji that he would fork over ten billion for her assassination? Lowering his head, the bespectacled man snuck another look at the tablet in his hand. Could it be...? He reread her listed ability, then lifted his gaze onto Hong Seong-Tae once more. "All right. Dagger will take the contract. Can you transfer five billion right now?" "Y-yes, absolutely!" Fumbling with his smartphone, Hong Seong-Tae swiftly wired the money to an overseas account used by Dagger, the Awakened criminal group specializing in contract killings. Buzzzz. Everyone in the room instinctively turned their attention to a smartphone on the table. The man in glasses, the leader of Dagger, picked up his smartphone, checked the notification, and looked back at Hong Seong-Tae. "Good, I've received the advance payment." "S-So you're accepting the request, right?" "I was planning to retaliate against them anyway." In reality, they had not been that motivated in exacting revenge. Upon accepting this request, however, he thought it would be efficient to hit two birds with one stone. "Hey, did the guy really send you five billion won?" interjected Yoo Il-Sung, the tattooed man who was the leader of Il-Sung Pa. "Yes. I've received it." "Ha! Damn." "All this time, we've been seeking payback anyway. Might as well take the contract and get it done," said the bespectacled man calmly. "True, but this is crossing a line," Yoo Il-Sung muttered. "It's ten billion. With that kind of cash, we can smooth over the fiasco we just suffered." In other words, it could appease the anger and despair that their subordinates felt from the recently failed plan. That was reason enough to accept the job. Yoo Il-Sung turned back to Hong Seong-Tae and declared, "All right, we're in, too." "R-really? Then hang on... A moment, please. I've just transferred it..." Buzzzz. Yoo Il-Sung took his smartphone out of his pocket and checked his account. "Ha! He really sent it." A huge sum of five billion was deposited into Il-Sung Pa's overseas account. Just like that, the leaders of Dagger and Il-Sung Pa triggered a cascade, prompting other underworld factions lusting for revenge against DG Guild to accept the contract as well. "He's loaded, all right. Shelling out ridiculous sums of money and not even batting an eye," one of them muttered. Indeed, despite spending vast amounts at once, Hong Seong-Tae wore an almost relieved smile as he tapped on his phone. "He must be doing well for himself... Is that teleport skill really so profitable?" Yoo Il-Sung commented, eyeing him with a mix of envy and disgust. Just then, the lone silent elder at the far end of the conference table caught Yoo Il-Sung's attention. "You're not joining in?" "We're short on manpower," replied the old man with a dismissive wave. Yoo Il-Sung gave an understanding nod. "Ah, right. Your big shot with the mask died in that last operation." He turned to ask the leader of Black Money another question. "You sure? Didn't you guys suffer the most losses from the last operation?" "Restoration must come before retribution." "That so?" As their leader Lee Moon-Geum had said, Black Money lacked the necessary brute-force strength. They weren't in dire need of money, and considering that their ace Hunter had just died, recouping seemed like the rational move. Satisfied, Yoo Il-Sung went back to discussing their plan to attack with the other Awakened criminal leaders. Lee Moon-Geum sighed a breath of relief. He knew Kim Ki-Rok, having suffered from him firsthand. It's probably a trap, he thought. It most definitely was a trap. "Um, when do you plan to carry out the job?" Hong Seong-Tae asked anxiously. Dagger's leader adjusted his glasses thoughtfully. "DG Guild must be exhausted right after their Gate defense, both physically and mentally. So as they are recovering, we'll strike them when their guard is down, two days from now. December 26th sounds about right." *** "Total casualties: 122 with minor injuries, 42 with serious injuries, and zero fatalities," reported a Hunter. "How about among the seriously injured? Did anyone lose a limb?" "None, sir." Ji Cheol-Hyun let out a big sigh. Zero deaths. None of the Hunters had lost any limbs. This was, without a doubt, an immaculate Gate defense. Unable to hold back a wry chuckle, Ji Cheol-Hyun turned to look at the wide stretch of land between the Gate and the now-dismantled ice wall. The entire battlefield was pockmarked by dozens of craters, and the soil was faintly green with the blood of slain Ice Trolls. "There wasn't much property damage either, right?" he asked. "Yes. We can request a contractor to demolish the ice wall as it was a temporary structure made using earthworks and Hunters' ice abilities," Jang Bo-Hyun answered. "Also, the monsters never breached the barrier, so there were no buildings destroyed. We'll have to flatten the hill that is currently full of monster corpses and blood, but..." "But?" "Guildmaster Kim Ki-Rok gave us a purification potion. He said the potion eliminates the miasma coming from the monster corpses." "What else?" "That's it. We just need to dispatch a few employees, so the travel expenses are all we need." "Ha, hahaha..." There was no property damage. The cost to restore the blood-soaked hill was also negligible. It was such a perfect defense that Ji Cheol-Hyun couldn't help laughing in disbelief. He turned toward the base of the ice wall, where festive cheers were coming from the celebrating Hunters. "Here you go! Enjoy your meal!" Kim Ki-Rok said. "Thank you for the meal!" a Hunter hollered. Below the remnants of the ice wall, a massive dumpling party was in full swing. "Wow, these dumplings are so good, they could sell out at a restaurant!" "Guildmaster Kim Ki-Rok, were you a chef before you awakened?" At Kim Ji-Hee's request, Kim Ki-Rok had begun making dumplings. And when the battle ended, he continued the dumpling feast for all the Hunters. He even pulled out crates of drinks from his subspace pocket to share around. The party wasn't limited to DG Guild members, either. Several other guilds joined in as well. Team Leader Ji Cheol-Hyun stared intently at Kim Ki-Rok, who was holding Kim Ji-Hee. He then continued to ask Jang Bo-Hyun, "You were saying that there is a possibility for them to retaliate?" "Yes. Guildmaster Kim Ki-Rok said he received intel from an informant in the Black Market. According to this person, Awakened criminal groups plan to retaliate against the DG Guild for the failure of their plan in a few days." "Yet even knowing that, Guildmaster Kim Ki-Rok deliberately provoked Hong Seong-Tae so that groups who aren't even inclined to retaliate will join forces?" "That's correct. He mentioned that Hong Seong-Tae is closer to a criminal than a Hunter, so it's highly likely that he would request for the assassination of Hunter Cha Min-Ji or Miss Kim Ji-Hee," Jang Bo-Hyun said grimly. "Did Guildmaster Kim Ki-Rok request for our help?" "Yes, sir," she confirmed. "And when is the raid predicted to occur?" "Right after Christmas, it seems." "Tch. They've chosen a shitty time," Ji Cheol-Hyun grumbled. It made perfect sense, though. The Awakened criminals would exploit the moment when everyone had finally relaxed after the exhausting Gate defense. Right as Jang Bo-Hyun finished his report, Kim Ki-Rok waved his hand at them and beckoned, "Team Leader! Come over here already!" It was currently the early morning of Christmas Eve. "Right after Christmas, huh... If they really plan to capitalize on this, they would probably attack in a day or two. Alright, we'll discuss this matter again when we return to the Association," Ji Cheol-Hyun said. "Understood." "Let's get down there and eat some dumplings." "Hehehe." Jang Bo-Hyun nodded, unable to hold back a laugh. The dumpling party, now with the addition of Ji Cheol-Hyun and Jang Bo-Hyun, continued until dawn. As the dumplings started to run out, Kim Ki-Rok took out his cooking tools again to prepare a new dish. "We have quite a few dumplings that haven't been steamed or grilled. Let's make a hot pot," he said. "Yeahhh!" The Hunters cheered as Kim Ki-Rok started cooking again, taking out dozens of burners and pots. Though he was simultaneously juggling multiple pots—easily over twenty—Kim Ki-Rok moved like a machine, precisely adding ingredients and seasonings to each. The onlooking Hunters were amazed upon witnessing such flawless culinary multitasking. Partway through, he suddenly paused, as though remembering something, and called out to the other guilds. "Oh, by the way, about those cameras we set up throughout the battlefield..." The representative of a certain guild who had first staked out a reward system with Kim Ki-Rok perked up. "Ah, right, those." "If you email me the guild name, the participating members' names, and permission to use the footage, I'll edit the video and send it back to you." "E-edit it?" "You know, to upload on your guild channel once the Association officially announces the results of this Gate defense." "Huh, that's allowed?" All eyes turned to Ji Cheol-Hyun for confirmation. "The Association will need to check the video first, but since there were no casualties in the Gate defense, it should be possible," he said in response. "Awesome!" The Hunters, with sparkling eyes, looked at the representative of their guild. "Guildmaster, c'mon, let's do it." "You know how pro-level Kim Ki-Rok's editing is... Even professional editors rave about his work." So, despite the initial reluctance they had shown before the battle, the other Guildmasters were quickly swayed by this new idea. One by one, they agreed to send the footage to Kim Ki-Rok for editing.