Chapter 120

Regarding that, no faction was any different.

People always have different opinions, and larger factions inevitably clash with others.

Even the World Returner Association created by Baekseolhyang might be fine now because she’s there.

But who knows, it might change over time.

The same logic applied to Alters.

Since they’re not a perfect faction, dissatisfaction within Alters led to cases like Baeksan and the Beam Sniper today.

Thinking the Korean Hunter Market was encroaching on their territory, they sent Yoo Woo-jung.

They’ve been stirring things up like this all along.

“I can’t say much since I’m also from Alters. But Kang Ha-chan, you’re way too suspicious. Unless you’re our informant, the level of information control is just bizarre.”

There was no denying that.

The information control was probably done by Baekseolhyang to protect me.

Of course, no matter how much information is controlled, Alters isn’t just a facade, so they must have partially uncovered my information.

The problem is that the partially uncovered part was too suspicious, leading to this mess.

“Plus, that Returner over there… Even after sticking with you for weeks, I still don’t know who you really are.”

“He’s going to be our Association President’s husband.”

At that moment, Eun-hyeon answered while texting on her phone.

Hearing that, I froze, and Yoo Woo-jung made a sound of surprise.

“W-what did you say?”

“He’s going to be the husband of the Returner Association President. Now you understand the situation, right?”

“Ugh, uh, ah.”

Yoo Woo-jung was frozen, looking like she couldn’t breathe, as if she had heard something she shouldn’t have.

From her perspective, it felt like Alters was recklessly poking a hornet’s nest.

“…Eun-hyeon? Baekseolhyang and I are just childhood friends.”

“Yes, for now.”

As Eun-hyeon smiled, I fell silent.

“K-Kang Ha-chan, what did I just hear? After Ha Si-ho and Shin Sora, now the Returner Association President’s husband? How many legs do you have?!”

Come to think of it, Josia didn’t know about my relationship with Baekseolhyang.

I chose to remain silent, as explaining would be too complicated.

Meanwhile, Yoo Woo-jung was staring at me with wide, dazed eyes.

Drooling and licking her lips, it seemed she had hit her head while being attacked by the hunters.

To snap her out of it, I could just punch her in the head.

But since her eyes were glazed over in another sense, I decided to leave it be.

“Let’s get to the hospital first.”

The person on my back seemed to be reaching their limit.

—

After taking her to the Hunter Hospital, I explained the situation to the Hunter police officer who arrived.

With Seo-ho and Josia by my side, and Eun-hyeon helping from the Returner Association, the police matter was resolved without much issue.

After all, the ones who committed the crime were the Alters reform faction hunters who had trespassed.

After things settled down, I got a call from Baekseolhyang.

[So that’s what happened. I knew Alters’ situation was complicated, but I didn’t expect it to come to this…]

Baekseolhyang, who had some idea of the situation, then said to me:

[Then maybe I should officially make you an SS-class Hunter this time.]

“What nonsense are you talking about?”

[If we turn suspicion into fact, it’ll work out. Given the current situation, Alters will eventually split. So why not absorb them when the time comes?]

She smiled as if it were no big deal.

[Besides, we have the Artificial Dimensional Gate card. I’ve been in talks with the Korean Hunter Management Bureau. It wouldn’t be bad to dismantle Alters and usher in a new Hunter era.]

“But Hunters hate Returners.”

[That’s why you’re here. You’re not a Returner, and you don’t intend to oppose Hunters or Returners, right?]

“Well, that’s true, but…”

[If we gather Hunters around you and form a faction, Alters won’t dare touch us. Of course, there will be some reckless ones, but we’ll handle them. After all, even Alters’ core members aren’t entirely free from the government.]

Unlike Returners, Hunters are very close to the public.

Among them are national heroes who are idolized, and they naturally care about their public image.

Given that, they can’t just move openly if a new faction appears in the Korean Hunter Market.

That’s why they sent someone like Yoo Woo-jung to me.

[Just the mention of the Artificial Dimensional Gate will make them bow their heads. The capital in the Korean Hunter Market will change, so they won’t want to offend us. Plus, we can quell the dissatisfaction within Alters.]

I had expelled those who dreamed of reforming Alters.

If the reform faction judged they couldn’t rely on us, they would choose to watch the situation rather than betray Alters outright.

They still need a way to survive.

Sudden collapse causes chaos and conflict, but a gradual collapse is unstoppable.

[From Alters’ perspective, with a new competitor like Korea, their tyranny will decrease, and they’ll try to keep their S-class Hunters from leaving.]

“What they fear most is the weakening of their faction’s power, right?”

[Yes, the situation is moving too fast for them to take risks, so they’ll choose to stabilize for now.]

That made sense.

I made a vague expression.

I wondered if it was okay to use the power Baeksan taught me to protect myself like this.

‘No, maybe this will make them less likely to target me.’

Once a position is established, it becomes harder to recklessly attack.

“…But am I really the right person for this role?”

After all, I’m just an employee leading a Hunter team at Rodri Company.

Even though I’ve gained some courage recently, it’s not easy to shed my small-town mindset.

[Worried?]

“Kind of.”

[Then don’t do it.]

Baekseolhyang said that in a generous tone.

[If you don’t want to, you don’t have to.]

Her words, prioritizing my opinion above all, made me smile bitterly.

My childhood friend is too considerate of me.

And I was truly grateful for that.

When I looked at Baeksan, he shrugged his shoulders as if to say, “Do as you please.”

At this point, he had no intention of stopping me.

“Let’s give it a try.”

Life isn’t that hard.

“Besides, if it’s you, Baekseolhyang, you probably wouldn’t put me in the spotlight.”

[Yeah, you don’t like standing out, right? We’ll just use the image of you as an SS-class Hunter and leave the actual work to the Hunter Management Bureau and other Hunters.]

“So, it’s like lending my image.”

[With two S-class Hunters from Alters subdued this time, and your previous achievements with the Large-scale Rapid Dimensional Gate, your image is more than sufficient.]

At this point, it seemed like Baekseolhyang had already anticipated this and prepared accordingly.

“Thank you. I always live thanks to you. But if there’s anything you need me to do, just tell me. Don’t take all the burden yourself.”

[Hehe, got it. Oh, I have an hour free two days from now.]

At that moment, a subtly alluring sound came through her laughter.

[I’ll use that time as I please. Got it?]

I could only swallow my saliva without answering.

A chill worse than when fighting an S-class Hunter ran through my body.

After finishing the call with Baekseolhyang, I turned to Yoo Woo-jung.

I told her this story to let her decide her future treatment.

“Yoo Woo-jung, you heard everything, right? What will you do now?”

She could return to Alters, but the situation wasn’t great.

If she went back, she would likely get entangled with those who wanted to reform Alters.

Having almost died once, there was no reason she wouldn’t be targeted again.

From the reform faction’s perspective, they’d probably want to kill her to silence her.

So, sticking with me was better for her.

If they wanted my help, they wouldn’t touch her as long as she was by my side.

“Are you telling me to choose between life and death now?”

“Something like that.”

Of course, it all depended on her choice.

When I looked at her, asking what she would do, she let out a sigh.

“There’s no way out. Alters might not protect me. I wasn’t that attached to Alters anyway.”

Her lack of attachment turned out to be an advantage.

“…So, am I really on your team now?”

“You were always on our team.”

I had come to think of her as part of our team.

I had grown somewhat fond of her, and aside from her bad habits, she was a solid S-class Hunter.

“Then let’s work well together, Yoo Woo-jung.”

“Let’s work well together, Ha-chan.”

When I offered her a handshake, she took my hand.

Then she suddenly twisted it and interlocked our fingers.

When I looked at her, confused, Yoo Woo-jung smirked.

“What are you doing? You don’t need to work for Alters anymore.”

“Well, that’s true, but I haven’t exactly given up on you yet?”

Is she crazy?

“You saved me in such a dramatic situation, and then you even called me your teammate. Did you think I’d just say thank you and walk away?”

Is this the “save me and I’ll owe you” mentality?

“What do you want to do then?”

When I tried to pull my hand away in disgust, she brought her hand to her lips and licked her finger.

As I watched in shock, she slowly started unbuttoning her hospital gown.

Underneath, her bare, moon-like flesh was revealed.

“This is the first time in my life I’ve genuinely wanted someone like this.”

I took a step back, retreating from the dangerous atmosphere.

She stood up, her face flushed, having removed her hospital gown.

“I’m seriously going to f*** you senseless, so you better understand!”

This was beyond vulgar.

“Crazy! You’re insane!”

“Come on! I’ll do it well!”

“Do what well? You crazy woman!”

I bolted out of the room.

She didn’t chase me outside, but the laughter coming from the room was chilling.

To me, Yoo Woo-jung seemed truly insane.

“Tsk tsk, idiot.”

Only Baeksan’s clicking tongue echoed quietly in my ears.