Chapter 11

11.

“Hunters are not allowed.”

Kang Jin-young clenched her teeth.

She couldn’t back down here.

“Mother!”

“You, a brat who hasn’t even dried the blood on your head, dare to defy your parents who are like the heavens! Are you blind?!”

“……”

“You haven’t been beaten enough, have you? What have you done to glare like that! Do you know what your eyes look like? Kang Jin-young. They look like the eyes of those red bastards begging for money. Your eyes!”

*Crash!*

A thick flower vase smashed directly into Kang Jin-young’s forehead.

“Get up.”

“Mother.”

“I said get up. Are you not listening? If you want to be beaten like a dog, stay like that.”

“……I’m sorry.”

Humans, when faced with the impossible, often try a few times before giving up out of exhaustion.

Some stubborn ones have changed that perception, though.

The societal trend is to give up when things get tough and tiring.

It’s an act of self-preservation to avoid social ostracization.

Relationships are the same.

You feel better when you give up your own opinions.

Family relationships, even more so.

Even if life feels like a marionette on strings, it’s essentially easier on the body.

Kang Jin-young realized this too late.

Blood trickled down her forehead from the vase hit.

Kang Jin-young spat out with a ragged breath.

“Please, reconsider. Mother. This is the only path. What do you expect from an Awakened One?”

Kang Jin-young bowed her head pitifully.

Her mother sat in a comfortable chair, lighting a cigarette.

“This is the only path? The only path?!”

The spacious, old-fashioned mansion was filled with gold and luxury, yet it felt lifeless.

Kang Jin-young bowed her head in the dead atmosphere.

“Do you know how our Gangcheon Group has stood firm at the forefront of the business world? By fighting against those red bastards and pro-Japanese traitors, we built this Great Empire.”

Kang Jin-young wiped her blood and calmly replied.

Her mother was rational enough.

She wanted to believe that.

“Mother. I, as the second daughter of a respectable family, have the right to decide my own life—”

“Shut up. You either inherit the family business or serve the country, serve the country!”

Her voice was hoarse, as if suppressing anger.

Her mother pointed at Kang Jin-young.

“I didn’t pour money into you for your sake.”

*Tap tap tap tap.*

Her mother nervously tapped the wooden round table.

“You have no choice. You never had one! I made a mistake in your education. I shouldn’t have left your education to that brat.”

*Bang!*

“Now, prove your worth for the country, inherit the family business, or end up like your idiot brother who defied us! Do you want to become a brain-dead idiot?!”

“……I’m sorry.”

“Get out.”

Kang Jin-young was born a puppet. She realized it too late.

When she graduated middle school and was contemplating her future, she accepted that she was born a puppet.

She couldn’t become a Hunter.

It was the only way to escape her parents.

“Do you swear, as a public servant responsible for national security and defense against monsters, to serve the country with unwavering patriotism and a sense of duty?”

“I swear.”

The puppet hated humans.

Because, despite being infinitely similar to humans, it could never become one.

That was its essence.

Kang Jin-young was the same.

Outwardly human, but inside, a puppet without free will.

The feeling of being controlled by an insurmountable entity was humiliating.

Having lost everything to her sister, she hated everything, including people.

Hope.

Righteousness.

Free will.

She struggled to regain what she lost, but it was meaningless.

“……Damn it. Damn it. Damn it!”

Kang Jin-young wanted to cry.

The youngest section chief of the National Intelligence Service.

That was her title.

But it only made her uncomfortable. A parachute appointment under her mother’s influence. That title always followed her.

Kang Jin-young’s house was filled with all sorts of filth.

The furniture was arranged strangely, without any sense of life.

*Beep.*

-“I met the troops on a mission in Cheorwon today! Hello, Hunter Kang Mi-young.”

-“Nice to meet you.”

Kang Jin-young turned on the 4K TV. She grimaced and weakly threw the remote. I should be in that position, in that position.

“My sister would have died worse than a dog without me.”

She hated Kang Mi-young, who was active in the light.

While someone was fighting against all sorts of bizarre things with their body, her sister easily monopolized the glory.

Everything she should have had.

Wealth.

Honor.

Fame.

Beautiful looks.

Outstanding skills.

……And even the love and trust of the family.

One of the few S-Rank Hunters in Korea. Who wouldn’t like her?

It was a day when Kang Jin-young was living like a shadow.

“Are there any survivors…… are they all dead?”

An accident occurred during a frontline inspection.

The 2.5-ton truck she was riding in overturned, and the supplies were lost. She was stranded in the middle of a mountain. The following troops also disappeared.

All passengers were severely injured.

There was no sign of them waking up.

She crawled out of the overturned truck from the passenger seat.

As soon as she got out, she felt a sticky warmth on her stomach. It was blood. Significant bleeding.

“Are you okay? Hunter.”

“……Don’t talk. It’s annoying.”

“You’re bleeding heavily. Your face is pale. You’ll really die if this continues. Let me check—”

*Snap.*

“Don’t touch me. You lowly bastard. I can snap your neck in an instant. Just stay still.”

Kang Jin-young glared fiercely, coldly rejecting the helping hand.

All sorts of items were scattered on the unpaved road.

It wasn’t the 5th Division that rescued the survivors, but a single soldier who was riding with them.

He leaned against the 2.5-ton truck, closely observing Kang Jin-young’s condition.

The only soldier who suffered minor injuries in the accident.

A private. Even though he was a Non-Awakened, he was said to be highly skilled.

His surgical skills were another matter, though.

“We have to hold out here until the rescue troops arrive. Do you have enough mana?”

“Enough.”

The private frowned.

“Don’t lie. You’re in pain, aren’t you?”

“……Huh. Yeah, I’m on the verge of death. So what? If I die, so be it.”

“You can’t die. Don’t give up! Don’t you want to live? Like those friends over there.”

He’s quite perceptive.

His judgment isn’t bad, rather commendable.

Kang Jin-young used her gloved hand to stop the bleeding on her stomach.

“Even if I live, it’ll be the same. This kind of thing will just repeat.”

Her condition was indeed bad.

‘Wind of Regeneration.’

[Your internal mana is depleted. Usage canceled.]

‘Damn it.’

She leaned against the half-overturned 2.5-ton truck.

Her mana circuits were overstrained.

Her internal mana was depleted.

Having a potion would be nice, but in this situation, it would be like pouring water into a bottomless pit.

If she didn’t receive treatment soon, she could lose her organs due to dysfunction.

‘I can’t be abandoned, I can’t be abandoned.’

She was raised as a tool of the family from birth.

What if the family that protected her disappeared?

She had made too many enemies. Getting stabbed in a back alley was nothing.

By the way, why does that man keep approaching?

Kang Jin-young breathed roughly and snapped.

“Stop.”

“I’ll stop the bleeding.”

“Can’t you hear me? Don’t, don’t come any closer……”

“Uh, I don’t know how to address you, but you’re an Awakened One, and you can’t even push away a lowly private like me? How do you plan to fight?”

The male private sitting next to her subdued her in an instant.

It was humiliating.

She was used to losing to someone, but this sense of defeat was different.

“……Are you going to report me to the authorities? For tarnishing the dignity of an Awakened One.”

“Report? Huh, what nonsense. Just keep your mouth shut. I’ll be done soon.”

The private tilted his head. In an emergency, worrying about dignity like this.

Upper management always had that mindset, but following the rules only hurt the body.

Kang Jin-young didn’t know.

“Maintaining the dignity of an Awakened One…… you know, I’ve done a lot of bad things too. I wish I didn’t have to serve as just a private.”

“I won’t report you.”

“You won’t?”

“I’m not the type to screw people over.”

The private gave a short answer and brought over a first aid kit and surgical tools.

Supplies from the cargo.

In an emergency, it was hard to complain about using them.

Well, it’s for saving lives. He saved most of the soldiers here.

‘With this achievement, my discharge date might be shortened? Hehehe. I might even get a commendation. Hehehe.’

Kang Jin-young wouldn’t know the private’s thoughts.

The private skillfully unpacked the tools and removed Kang Jin-young’s coat.

“I can take it off myself.”

“Come on, move your arm. I may look like this, but I was in the medical corps at 5 years old. I’ve completed training. I can handle first aid.”

“Very reassuring.”

Hehehe. Thank you very much. I wonder if you brought the medical fee.

The private skillfully countered sarcasm and applied medicine and gauze to the visible wounds.

“Uh, I’ll unbutton this. Your shirt is completely soaked in blood. This wound is probably the worst.”

“W, wait.”

Kang Jin-young, who had been still, jumped up like a spring.

“Isn’t it shameful? Seeing a woman’s bare body, you should—”

“Marry her? So you’re going to perform surgery alone? Even if you’re uptight, you need to be flexible to do well in society. What…… if you want, I’ll do that much for you.”

“Damn it. You’re a real psycho.”

“Don’t you like it?”

Kang Jin-young groaned and turned her gaze away.

“……Just apply the medicine. Before I tear your mouth apart.”

“Sure, sure~”

When he removed her shirt, her well-toned body, with an 8-pack and lean muscles, was revealed.

The private paid no attention and finished the emergency treatment.

‘Not bad.’

Kang Jin-young swallowed her gloom.

If I hadn’t joined the National Intelligence Service, would I be a rank slightly lower than that private?

I don’t know. Maybe a private first class.

‘……What am I thinking? Kang Jin-young, aren’t you being too soft? Being interested in a guy like that. He’s good-looking but his personality is too soft.’

You can tell a person by their face.

He’s softer than me.

But she hated being indebted to such an inferior man.

“Name.”

“Huh?”

“Name. Tell me. Something good might happen, right?”

“Lee Seong-han.”

“I’ll remember.”

She felt a slight curiosity towards him for not fearing her.

* * *

National Intelligence Service Headquarters.

The 10th Bureau, the Supernatural Ability Bureau, was always bright.

Especially thanks to Kang Jin-young, the youngest section chief who was rapidly rising.

*Fanfare!*

With a burst of fanfare, Kang Jin-young entered the office on crutches.

“Waaaaah!”

“Ah, Section Chief. Welcome back! Did the surgery go well?”

Subordinates hugged Kang Jin-young.

She was well-regarded as a commander.

“It went well. Who would have thought a mole would attack the vehicle. Right. Give a heads-up to the 9th Bureau.”

The aide coughed dryly.

“Do you need information on monsters?”

“It’s related to monsters, but not monsters. There’s something I need to check. There were many holes during the frontline inspection. The 10th Bureau has a lot to handle. It’s already approved, so handle these coordinates here and here.”

“Understood.”

Kang Jin-young, who returned from the frontline to the National Intelligence Service headquarters, instructed her subordinates and headed to the 9th Bureau’s information room.

9th Bureau.

It handles scientific information.

The Counter-Espionage Policy Office under it was Kang Jin-young’s destination.

The Counter-Espionage Policy Office handles domestic security issues and possesses a lot of personal data.

“Hello, 10th Bureau, Supernatural Ability Department. What brings you here?”

“I need to check some information.”

“Information?”

“Personal data. A Non-Awakened.”

At that moment, Kang Jin-young, after realizing she was a puppet, acted on her free will for the first time.

“Lee Seong-han. Army 3rd Division. Private. Photo is here. Do you need the ID number?”

“No. I’ll look it up right away. What’s the purpose?”

“Purpose……”

She wanted to repay the debt.

“Consider it a special recruitment.”

“Loyalty!”

“Loyalty.”

Kang Jin-young sat on a stool, waiting for the person in charge to copy the data.

The air conditioner was on, making it cool, so why was she sweating so much?

*Ding.*

[‘Lee Seong-han’ has a favorable impression of you.]

[You have an attachment to ‘Lee Seong-han’—]

“Shut up.”

[You surely have an attachment—]

“Do you think I’d like a guy I’ve only seen once? Once the debt is repaid, the connection will be cut. It’s a connection that will be cut. This isn’t some dirty feeling. Patriotism, that’s it. For the country. We can’t waste such talent, right?”

[Understood.]

“……Let’s just look a little. I need to know what he likes.”

Something that only I can handle, not taken by my sister?

“It might not be bad.”

* * *

Lee Seong-han was playing a strange game of hide-and-seek with Kang Jin-young.

Actually, Lee Seong-han had a plan.

A masterstroke, at that.

As he ran, he double-checked his plan.

‘Find Kang Mi-young and buy time. That’s the only way out of this hell!’

Holding out for 3 hours is impossible.

It’s only been 30 minutes.

Facing a madwoman with abilities six times stronger is the last thing I want.

There’s no condition that says no one can stop her.

Meaning, finding Kang Mi-young solves everything.

‘Footsteps behind.’

[‘Kang Jin-young’ is chasing you.]

Lee Seong-han sensed the pursuit with sharp senses.

He quickly entered a nearby ward.

Held his breath.

One wrong breath and it’s over. Luckily, the ward was empty.

[‘Kang Jin-young’ has found your trail.]

[She’s calming her excited breathing.]

“Mr. Seong-han? Where are you? Come out quickly.”

[The target is currently in a ‘Charm+’ state.]

[She cannot control herself.]

[Communication is impossible.]

I know.

Who doesn’t know that in this situation?

“I won’t do anything.”

“……”

“I keep my promises well.”

“……”

“Discharge? If you want, I can arrange it.”

*Click.*

*Click.*

*Click.*

The sound of heels echoing in the hallway. Lee Seong-han hugged his sword, preparing for the unexpected.

“Mr. Seong-han? Are you here? The mark was definitely there. No trace, though. Hmm, where did you go? Are you hiding?”

Damn it. Caught?

What’s the fun in hunting like a Russian bear?

Ferocious.

Strong.

No hesitation in action.

A second felt like an hour. What happens if I’m caught? The outcome is set, but the process is always the problem.

Kang Jin-young’s footsteps grew louder.

What if I’m seen through the window?

I pressed against the wall and crouched.

There’s a reason not to approach.

｢Where are you, human. I want to pamper you so much. My body feels strange. I want to know more.｣

*Crash!*

A sound echoed from afar. Not close. Kang Jin-young started running, making a lot of noise.

“Over there.”

Time passed.

The footsteps echoed faintly, then disappeared.

……She’s gone.

Lee Seong-han stiffly raised his head.

A pink heart was visible above his head.

5 minutes left.

[You are currently marked by ｢Mark of Eros｣.]

[Your coordinates are periodically sent to ‘Kang Jin-young’.]

Mark of Eros.

A high-level magic that lets you know everything about the one you love.

It’s tricky to handle.

There’s no clear way to remove it.

To think she’d use this.

‘Am I being controlled?’

That’s highly likely.

‘There must be a monster.’

But I’ve never heard of breaking through a mental barrier.

Meaning, she cast it on her own.

“I almost died. Ha.”

A sigh escaped.

It’s only been a few hours since I was discharged.

I didn’t even finish the discharge procedures.

[｢Mark of Eros｣ is showing your location.]

“Ha, damn it.”

The ward door flew open, and light poured in.

“Found you.”

Time to pray to God.

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