Chapter 250. Total Crisis (2)
Afterward.
They finished a quick healing session on the sandy beach and returned immediately to the Seoul Garion Building.
During the process, the number one ranking Hunter behind the wheel asked many questions, but no meaningful conversation followed.
“I’m just taking it easy for now since I’m recovering from injuries caused by an S-Class Gate trap. Once I’m healed, Hunter Kang Chang-ho won’t be a problem. Ha-seong, don’t worry too much about this.”
Instead of admitting he was an F-Class Hunter, Gi-ryeo just doubled down on his bravado.
He showed off his abilities a few times and calmly told Jeong Ha-seong that he should take a break from classes for now. So, he asked him to hold off on the tutoring fee for next month.
*
A few hours later.
Just so you know, this is Kim Gi-ryeo’s Studio.
I had just had a somewhat lengthy conversation with Esther at the Korean Magic Tower right before coming home.
[It’s nice to finally see your face. Welcome back, Mr. Gi-ryeo. I was really worried! What in the world happened earlier?]
[To put it simply, I got caught trying to con Hunter Kang Chang-ho.]
[Oh.]
I would need the help of the competent second-ranking Hunter for what lay ahead.
[In any case, explaining a contract that’s already half-broken seems pointless. To summarize the current situation, an S-Class Hunter is really pissed with me because of something I did.]
[A person with a sound mind wouldn’t go around beating people just because they’re angry. You and Hunter Ha-seong must have received a lot of backlash this time.]
[Hmm…]
[So what’s next?]
[Due to various circumstances, I couldn’t take him down on-site. I’d like to secure Kang Chang-ho’s whereabouts before he retaliates somehow. Is that possible?]
[I’ll do my best. At least I’ll cover the amount for the snacks I received back then.]
Now, I had safely returned home under Jeong Ha-seong’s protection.
Soon, I received a message from Esther updating me on the situation.
“Hm…”
The most effective way to restrict an S-Class Awakened’s actions is to involve law enforcement.
However, in a law-abiding South Korea, even if you’re the head of a large guild, you can’t just unilaterally turn a fellow top-tier Hunter into a publicly wanted criminal.
‘After all, no one has died yet.’
To link Kang Chang-ho with the police would limit my actions to merely reporting the S-Class fight at the beach as a mutual assault case.
Then, the police would want to summon him for questioning as a party involved in the incident.
However, such a summons can easily be ignored; it lacks any force.
Therefore, Esther planned to file an assault report with Jeong Ha-seong’s consent while hastening the process for an arrest warrant and, behind the scenes, began additional measures using Awakened and delivery services.
[Sorry ᔪ( ᐪᤏᐪ )ᔭᐤᑋ]
‘I don’t think this is something you should apologize for… By the way, what’s with the bizarre symbols attached? I have no idea what to make of this this time.’
As you can see.
Soon, I received a thunderous piece of news from Esther.
Despite trying every method she could think of, she ultimately failed to locate Kang Chang-ho.
‘Yeah. What can I expect from primitive sorcerers? The Earth’s [Seocher] skill has excellent coverage for a natural form, but still, it can be blocked in so many bizarre ways.’
There are times when someone completely vanishes.
Honestly, there’s nothing more unsettling than a lurking danger that could pop up at any moment.
‘Hmm.’
It was unrealistic to demand that S-Class Hunters, linked to national security, keep an eye on me 24/7.
So, I asked the Magic Tower and Garion Guild Master for additional measures within a reasonable scope.
1. In the future, when entering a Gate, ensure that Association Employees or guard troops are stationed at the entrance.
2. Do not enter dungeons simultaneously. One of the two should always remain outside to wait.
3. Esther should place a curse to limit Kang Chang-ho’s mobility, maintaining it at the lowest strength possible.
4. If possible, please keep an additional watch on the following individuals from the Magic Tower.
“Let’s see…”
I wrote down the names of the individuals corresponding to number four in the text message.
[Ahn Yoon-seung Gu Seo-hyeong]
To be honest, one side of them was someone I hadn’t interacted with much lately, but due to the connection with my body owner, they were at a relatively high risk level.
‘Kang Chang-ho is the Earthling who smashed kindred skulls five times I’ve witnessed. A merciless brat like that wouldn’t avoid a hostage situation!’
Fortunately, Seo Esther was quite the capitalist.
Therefore, many people usually followed her, and I could quietly ask to attach someone as a protector for the two acquaintances without much fuss.
[Upon checking, it appears that Seo-hyeong is on vacation overseas due to skill cooldowns. In the country she’s visiting, an S-Class already provides security for her as a state guest. So, we should be safe there until the end of the month.]
Now, with external measures more or less settled, it was time to address the fundamental solutions.
“Phew.”
I put down my smartphone and surveyed the studio.
The once neatly organized studio was now cluttered with various dungeon materials.
As I could deduce from this mess, I returned to this diminutive 5-pyeong space after experiencing all those noisy incidents.
The reasons were twofold.
‘Esther suggested that I stay at the Magic Tower until Kang Chang-ho’s whereabouts were found, but…’
First of all, it was difficult to comfortably conduct research in a shared space with Earthlings.
Most importantly, such a barrier would spike energy consumption exponentially as it expanded even slightly.
‘Come closer! I’ll zap you like a bug caught on an electric fly swatter!’
Thump.
I checked the newly installed defensive magic in my studio.
[2.0.10 Changes]
●New Barrier Installed
●Power increased fivefold compared to the previous spell
●Electric shock function in case of an intruder
●Surface transparency processing (Remains unchanged in appearance compared to the previous spell despite being a strong barrier)
It’s been a long time since there was any change.
Amazing.
A new barrier with the power to deter an S-Class Hunter, even if struck directly by lightning.
Of course, such monstrous performance required a lot of energy, and even with the chaotic rush to connect two Infinite Power Cores, this thing would only last about 15 days.
‘I feel grateful to Esther for lending me such an expensive item without any upfront payment. Ah, before I forget, I should quickly deposit the core payment. After all, I received another 3 billion as tutoring fees last month.’
I turned on my phone again, sent money to Esther via mobile banking, and began pondering again.
‘…why do I feel like I’m preparing for a siege?*’
Being caught as a fraud and experiencing this abrupt activation of the enhancement heart so early feels ironic.
Within this dire predicament, the first plan that came to mind was to strike back at Kang Chang-ho, who came looking for revenge and kill him outright.
Fortunately, I have yet to be caught using dummy location tactics against that Earthling.
‘Kang Chang-ho’s wavering due to my mana is practically the only target I have. This old studio is definitely more accessible than the bustling Korean Magic Tower.’
However.
On the other hand, I wondered if that S-Class would fall for such an easy trap.
I can’t pinpoint specific evidence, but somehow.
– Something feels overall off. Huh? Kim Gi-ryeo, don’t you think this situation is too bizarre…?
It feels like Kang Chang-ho might have information that other S-Class Hunters don’t know.
And regrettably, my intuition, thanks to my experience as a Great Mage, rarely misses that mark.
‘If I’m trapped in an F-Class Hunter’s body, I can’t utilize the core-based fixed spell, effectively. Should I brainstorm alternative methods to lure Kang Chang-ho?’
There’s still work to be done.
As I’ve always said, the Infinite Power Core has limited feasible spell forms. Even if I plug multiple into one spell, they operate in parallel without blindly increasing their power.
This Earth-style large-capacity battery simply isn’t enough to kill an S-Class Hunter.
So, to cut off Kang Chang-ho’s lifeline, I need to use additional methods.
‘Maybe I could time it just right to detonate an unavoidable bomb when he struggles against the barrier’s defense feature.’
It’s a pain in the neck that due to one bad contract I’ve landed in such a predicament.
Given my habits, while I plan to exclude Jeong Ha-seong’s involvement as much as possible, I can’t help but resentfully repeat the blame game like an Alphauri.
It’s all Kang Chang-ho’s fault!
No, if that F-Class Hunter felt threatened, it’s fine to engage in a false contract! Why would someone throw a fit without accepting an apology? If it weren’t for that damn Dragon’s Eye device, everything wouldn’t be such a total crisis…
Sigh.
Alright, in time everything will sort itself out.
I shifted to a more positive mindset and resumed crafting magic tools for later.
‘Ah, let’s just enjoy a trip to Earth and humbly accept my demise if it comes to that.’
As a soul who has lived twice, I brimmed with an underlying sense of defiance.
*
…And several days after starting this unexpected artifact-crafting experiment.
The moment Jeong Ha-seong, who entered the Gate to gather materials needed for the experiment, was bespoken to report any movements of the third S-Class Hunter immediately…
Ding dong.
A visitor arrived at the studio.
I held my breath and leaned over to the peephole on the front door.
But, even with a visual check, the identity of the visitor was someone I could never imagine.
– Um… Hello.
A white t-shirt and jeans that had been worn too often.
Dressed in a casual style typical of Earthlings who don’t care much about appearances, it looked no different from the cheap clothes my body owner initially had.
I silently watched the figure beyond the lens.
– I’m really sorry for interrupting… I’m Seonwoo-yeon. Could you open the door for a moment?
Standing at the door was a B-Class Awakened employee from the Hunter Association.
But many aspects felt strange.
Today is a day marked in red on the calendar…
