Chapter 58: Chapter 57

A great achievement of all popup dungeon victims surviving!

S-class healer Ryu Seo-ha revealed to be able to release mental abilities as well

The urban legend that shook all of Europe was real?

Victims of the puppeteer freed from brainwashing, public opinion divided on punishing the terrorists

Hunters in the attack team of the mop-up operation keep quiet about detailed tactics…

IHL Main Stadium devastated by serial explosions

Where did the thousands of S-class defensive items possessed by Choi Gang-hu come from?

Ryu Seo-ha and Choi Gang-hu, two-time popup dungeon experiencers, coincidence or fate?

FromHell Guild Master Choi Gang-hu, suspicions amplifying day by day

Association official: “Blind rank doesn’t leave measurement records even in the association’s computer records”

Bang bang bang!

Gunshots rang out loudly.

“Italian and British media outlets have raised their offers.”

Choi Gang-hu, who had been calmly scanning news articles without even turning his head at the chilling noise, only raised his eyes when he heard Secretary Jang’s cautious approach.

“Give them what they ask for.”

“Yes. I’ll make sure to silence them completely.”

Secretary Jang hurriedly lowered his eyes and swallowed dry saliva at the indifferent response. The money spent on bribing media outlets raising doubts about Choi Gang-hu’s abilities could probably run several small cities.

Despite buying off not only Korean but also foreign media, various rumors and speculative analyses were still unceasing. Especially in countries with strong anti-corruption tendencies and aversion to privatization and manipulation of the media.

“The problem is if the hunters who entered together start moving…”

Secretary Jang thought the influence of representative hunters from each country would be significant. The top-tier strong ones would have the same doubts as the media, so the power of money wouldn’t work well unless it was an extraordinary sum.

“There’s no need to worry about that.”@@novelbin@@

Choi Gang-hu flatly dismissed Secretary Jang’s concern as if it were an insignificant issue.

After Ryu Seo-ha suddenly fainted, he had manipulated the memories of all the hunters. He overlaid false memories of a situation where they all resisted together when the mastermind, the mental hunter who had brainwashed the terrorists, who had already fled, launched a wide-area attack, and then implanted a light suggestion.

The more suspicious they found Choi Gang-hu, the stronger their judgment that it was an aftereffect of being exposed to a mental attack. It was quite a labor-intensive handling method.

“Yes. Then next, I’ll report on the weapon items.”

Secretary Jang, who had become accustomed to accepting even if he couldn’t understand the reasons, began to make additional reports.

“First, regarding the S-class items that have recently appeared at auctions…”

“Shh.”

As Secretary Jang’s voice grew louder over the noise of the slowly moving train’s rattle, Choi Gang-hu slightly furrowed his brow and gave him a look. Secretary Jang, who was just turning over documents, froze in place.

“Lower your voice.”

Choi Gang-hu gestured with his eyes toward Ryu Seo-ha, who was lying asleep with his head on Choi’s thigh. His white face, oblivious to the world, looked especially youthful.

Complex emotions rose in Secretary Jang’s eyes as they turned to Choi Gang-hu’s hand gently stroking Ryu Seo-ha’s bangs. Just then, bang bang bang! Loud gunshots rang out again.

Startled, Secretary Jang turned to look at the door leading to the next compartment of the train and made eye contact with Park Je-hyun, who was standing like a statue, and gave an awkward smile. With a slightly embarrassed look.

“Continue.”

“Ah, yes. At the Swiss auction coming up this weekend, the expected winning bid for the S-class weapon in the form of a longsword is…”

After the report on S-class weapons was roughly finished, a report on Choi Junwan’s movements followed. It seemed that attempts to take over the From Hell Guild were continuing while he was away from Korea.

There was nothing special about the content. Spies had been consistently sent, and efforts had been made in every way to inflict economic damage. It was sufficient to deal with it at the level of instructing how to use the person designated as a double agent.

“Guild Master.”

Park Je-hyun, who had gone over to the next compartment in the meantime, appealed for his right to speak in his characteristic stiff tone.

“All attackers have been eliminated.”

A much more brutal report followed than the content Secretary Jang had been handling, who had tactfully stepped back. Choi Gang-hu nodded calmly. Dispersing the air membrane he had placed around Ryu Seo-ha’s ears for soundproofing each time gunshots rang out. He seemed to have little interest in the armed robbers who had just attacked the train.

“Some were identified as retired soldiers, some as members of Cosa Nostra.”

Cosa Nostra. A mafia organization originating in Sicily, it was once a unified criminal organization that dominated Italy, but now most of its members had been absorbed into groups of unregistered awakened ones.

“Ha. This time it’s the mafia.”

A cynical smile played on Choi Gang-hu’s lips. Well, it seemed like criminal organizations from all over the world were popping up.

After tidying up Ryu Seo-ha’s clothes, he recalled the report he had received during the IHL period. The report that some of those who attempted hijacking in Chinese airspace were from the Triad. Attempted aircraft hijacking, attempted bombing, attempted armed robbery on a night train. They seemed to be testing in various ways.

It wasn’t strange that events that were difficult to experience even once in a lifetime were occurring one after another. Because it was a situation where it was impossible not to know who was behind it. And their purpose. Only, the act of throwing away disposable cards one after another was quite annoying.

“What about tracking the Lithuanian hunter?”

It was the reason he had to show a sensitive reaction to the spatial hunter who tried to approach Ryu Seo-ha amidst the confusion. He was also quick to be certain it was a purposeful approach by observing the direction and location of the opponent’s movement.

“I’m sorry. He’s already gone into hiding…”

What kind of carrot did they offer that made everyone willingly choose to hide in the shadows, giving up everything they had enjoyed in society? How far does their influence reach?

“I’ll quickly trace his movements again and report back.”

It will be difficult to find his whereabouts easily. Considering that there’s been no news of YH Capital’s president Ko Younghun for weeks. The more he dug, the more curious he became about their identity.

What was certain was that the group that kept attempting to kidnap Ryu Seo-ha was closely related to the higher beings that Choi Gang-hu had been investigating for revenge.

He had been suspicious at the time of the first kidnapping and was certain after this terror attack. They know how to summon higher beings. It was frustrating that it was difficult to identify their headquarters because they were thoroughly organized into cells.

“Guild Master. May I ask one thing?”

While feeling the surrounding temperature drop by about 0.1°C and covering Ryu Seo-ha’s body with a functional blanket, Park Je-hyun cautiously spoke up in a stiff voice. It was unexpected. He was usually a person who just silently handled assigned tasks.

“What is it?”

“I’m curious about why that person is special.”

The content of the question was also unexpected. To the point where he was momentarily speechless. Park Je-hyun’s sincere eyes looked at Choi Gang-hu with unusual curiosity.

The reason why Ryu Seo-ha was special. As it was a rare question, he wanted to answer it, but the words wouldn’t come out. Because it was an emotion that couldn’t be defined in just a few words.

He recalled their first meeting, which was filled with purely exploitative thoughts. Of course, even then he was interested in Ryu Seo-ha’s nature and beauty, but he never thought it would become like this…

“Isn’t the S-class weapon a waste?”

At Park Je-hyun’s subsequent question, Choi Gang-hu, burying his thoughts for a moment, slightly curled up the corners of his mouth.

“It is a waste. It was a gift from someone.”

A few hours ago, in the popup dungeon. The moment he realized that Ryu Seo-ha had been greatly affected by the magical power flowing from the black hole, Choi Gang-hu unhesitatingly thrust the Flexible Sword into the hole.

While reversely activating the skill engraved on the weapon itself, Spatial Slash. The black hole closed quickly as if it had never been torn, and the Flexible Sword shattered into pieces.

It was inevitable. Because he had twisted the flow of magical power backward. Even for him, with his superior skill understanding and magical power control, he couldn’t prevent the item from being destroyed by the recoil of the forced activation.

“I also don’t understand why you let other hunters and that person witness the situation.”

Park Je-hyun, who had been silently handling all sorts of aftermath with Secretary Jang without expressing a single word of complaint or doubt, was unusually talkative today.

Even when he was young, it was rare to see him speak this long. It must be evidence of how unfamiliar and unique Choi Gang-hu’s recent actions have been.

It was also a valid question. Despite anticipating the situation the terrorists were in with his excellent senses, he deliberately moved to that place with everyone. Instead of quietly taking care of business first.

“I wanted to create a suitable pretext.”

“Why is that?”

“Because otherwise, this angelic child wouldn’t be able to convince himself.”

Unlike the first question, Choi Gang-hu easily provided an answer and lowered his head to place his lips on Ryu Seo-ha’s pale white cheek. A gaze several times sweeter than a brief kiss gently caressed the flawless, handsome face.

If it was Ryu Seo-ha with his unbelievably kind heart, he would surely follow him beyond the black hole even knowing it was dangerous. So he judged that he had to create another choice that couldn’t be ignored.

For example, attack team hunters exposed to danger without defense. Even for him, it would take a massive amount of magical power to move hundreds of people to a safe place, and he wouldn’t be able to move easily until his magical power recovered.

“But isn’t it difficult to find S-class weapons that match one’s abilities?”

Park Je-hyun asked back, uncharacteristically argumentative. He seemed to regret the item sacrificed to close the dimensional rift. Come to think of it, did he have an equipment geek tendency since childhood?

It wasn’t wrong. Moreover, the Flexible Sword’s grade was SS-class, which hadn’t appeared even once in the world for the past 10 years. Indeed, it was an item of incredible value to be used for a one-time patch job.

“Until a few weeks ago, it was unimaginable behavior.”

Choi Gang-hu readily admitted. In fact, it was an uncharacteristic choice to step back when the final battle for revenge was right in front of him.

And because of concern for someone. Even giving up an SS-class weapon that could open and close dimensional doors anytime conditions were met, which would be a great help for revenge.

“Perhaps…”

Choi Gang-hu didn’t finish what he was about to say next. Because he felt Ryu Seo-ha’s breathing interval change. He saw the slender fingertips twitch once.

Ryu Seo-ha opened his eyes with a flash. Choi Gang-hu held his breath for a moment. He was newly moved by his own image reflected in those eyes that resembled black diamonds.