A human is a sophisticated machine composed of various bodily organs. Only when these subsidiary organs move precisely does the giant known as humanity activate.
Lee Seong-han furrowed his brows.
‘Threads.’
Cheong Jin-ho’s limbs were entangled with pure white threads. Having threads attached to one’s limbs was not normal.
“Or join the Hunter Association.”
“Hahaha, you’re exaggerating.”
Kang Jin-young continued the conversation.
“Talent can’t be moved so easily, Association President. You must already know that military hunters can’t easily transfer due to various policies and regulations, right? Especially for private organizations, it’s even harder.”
Cheong Jin-ho’s face hardened like a bulldog’s, as if he had just lost his prey.
“Who is she?”
“She’s an army liaison. She works at an Awakened weapons manufacturing company.”
Kang Jin-young slyly lied.
“Which company?”
“It’s a new company, so you probably wouldn’t know it.”
“No need to underestimate me just because it’s young.”
“It came from beyond America. They’re currently recruiting Awakened individuals to test equipment. Seong-han is one of them.”
The threads hanging from Cheong Jin-ho trembled.
“It doesn’t seem like something I need to be involved in.”
“You wouldn’t know how much effort I’ve put in as the person in charge.”
Lee Seong-han sensed a wavelength from Cheong Jin-ho. It was tough and thin, like a spider’s web, deeply intertwined with his flesh and limbs.
[‘■■■■ ■(EX)’ is analyzing the target’s essence.]
《System: Information》
『Cheong Jin-ho』
□ Job: [Ronin·Lone Swordsman]
□ Traits
⤷ [Sword Demon (S)], [First-Class Swordsmanship (A)], [Weapon Refinement (B+)], [Desperate Struggle (B+)], [Crisis Awareness (C)], [Life as Thin as a Thread (D)] …
□ Skills
⤷ [Wind Pierce], [Draw Slash], [Break Slash], [Random Slashing], [Catch Breath], [Internal Explosion], [Haseki]…
◀ 1/4p ▶
A ronin.
Those who mainly wield swords and value chivalry. They can be seen as chivalrous heroes from martial arts novels.
Looking back, the early Cheong Jin-ho was passionate enough to burn himself in battle. After a few accidents, he became this worn out.
[‘Ultra-Recon’ begins analysis.]
[The material is not recorded in the database.]
[It will take time to identify.]
Good, it’s only a matter of time before it’s revealed.
“Do you need me that much?”
Lee Seong-han broke the silence.
Now it’s time to figure out the intention.
Cheong Jin-ho chuckled lightly.
“Ah, I forgot to mention. You’re a new S-Rank. I wanted to congratulate you first.”
“Huh?”
“Don’t you know English? S-Rank. I saw your abilities and noticed a new rank. EX. Irregular, you know.”
Cheong Jin-ho placed the cigarette he was smoking in the ashtray.
Perhaps exhausted from the legal battles, his face was wrinkled.
“Hong Seo-min.”
“Yes, Association President.”
“Massage.”
“Understood.”
Cheong Jin-ho propped his legs up on the table.
He arrogantly nodded his chin.
“Why don’t you consider it meaningfully instead of acting like a petty person? It would only benefit you.”
Lee Seong-han had once considered it too. What if he transferred to the Hunter Association?
He would die.
His upper and lower body would surely be physically separated.
“You won’t do it, right?”
｢If you transfer, I’ll kill you. If you transfer, I’ll kill you.｣
Kang Jin-young sent a murderous glare.
*Ahem.*
A dry cough followed quietly.
Lee Seong-han quietly broke the silence.
“….I am still serving as a public official for the nation. Also, for public safety, I think it’s not right to get involved with other private organizations.”
“You still don’t understand the ways of the world, do you? The Hunter Association is also a public entity. Rather, that company is the private one.”
“I want to gain real combat experience.”
“After you gain it, then what?”
Kang Jin-young, who had relaxed a bit, showed her murderous intent again.
｢If you transfer, I’ll really kill you. If you want to live, you better answer properly. You better show off your skills or something, you jerk.｣
“I want to live as a public official.”
Oh, ohhh. Honey dripped from Kang Jin-young’s eyes.
Her eyes turned pink… probably due to color blindness.
Lee Seong-han shifted his chair to create distance.
[You have gained ‘Kang Jin-young’s’ trust.]
[You have excited ‘Kang Jin-young’.]
[She interpreted your actions as ‘wanting to be subjugated’.]
[You have satisfied ‘Kang Jin-young’s’ possessiveness.]
[Affection level has increased.]
[Affection level has increased.]
[Current affection level is Lv. 37.]
My head hurts.
It’s already ominous what affection traits I might get.
｢This damn guy. I should just eat him up. Should I steal his seal and fill out a transfer application? Or maybe drug him?｣
Please don’t do that.
Lee Seong-han gulped.
[Affection level has increased.]
[Affection level has increased.]
At this bizarre scene, Cheong Jin-ho clicked his tongue in disbelief.
Despite Lee Seong-han’s repeated refusals, he was determined to wear him down, embodying the saying, ‘Even a tree will fall if you chop it ten times.’
“It’s getting too late.”
“Hey, it’s not over yet!”
The meeting about ‘Lee Seong-han’s post-discharge direction and decision-making authority’ had dragged on for hours.
***
Lee Seong-han checked his analog watch.
‘4:30 AM.’
Since he arrived at dawn, he had been trapped in the association for almost 7-8 hours.
“I’m tired.”
Lee Seong-han began to doze off.
The worries were no small matter.
Would Kang Mi-young be worried? She must be waiting.
Given her personality, it’s obvious she would come in person. Either way, it’s possible.
*Growl.*
‘Ugh, I’m hungry.’
Now my stomach is growling too.
Lunchtime has already passed.
Nearby restaurants are almost as expensive as gold.
Lee Seong-han wanted to leave this uncomfortable place as soon as possible.
Of course, with his hunter license.
He came here for his discharge. He can’t return empty-handed.
“Shall we stop here?”
“We can’t stop. S-Ranks must be managed by the association.”
“Other organizations can manage them too. If you’re such an important person, you should separate public and private matters. You can’t get involved in such trivial issues.”
｢I should tear that crazy old man’s limbs off and bury him in the East Sea. Why is he clinging like this?｣
Lee Seong-han sighed.
He sensed the ominous atmosphere in the meeting room. It wasn’t because of Kang Jin-young.
‘The threads have increased.’
Lee Seong-han narrowed his eyes.
In moments of carelessness, the thin threads intermittently appeared and disappeared. Cheong Jin-ho’s movements gradually slowed.
Their numbers were increasing too.
“Agent, shall we get up?”
“Sure. I hope to receive the license as soon as possible.”
“It’s not time to leave yet.”
The people in the meeting room, including Cheong Jin-ho and association staff, reacted harshly.
By the way, doesn’t Kang Jin-young notice those threads?
She’s not the type to miss such things.
Not a fool. Lee Seong-han tapped Kang Jin-young with his arm.
“What is it?”
Kang Jin-young whispered quietly.
“Doesn’t it seem strange?”
“What?”
“The threads.”
“Threads?”
Kang Jin-young looked around.
“What nonsense are you talking about? There’s nothing here. What threads are you talking about?”
“Stop messing around and answer properly.”
“Huh?”
Lee Seong-han had no habit of beating around the bush.
It was a habit ingrained from his time in the military.
I didn’t expect it to activate here.
“Something’s off. The whole place. We need to get out now.”
He could discern what others couldn’t see.
Thanks to [Ultra-Recon] and [■■■■ ■], which allowed him to check others’ status windows.
He didn’t know the name, but the effect was significant.
‘Ultra-Recon. Did you figure that guy out?’
[Intent confirmed.]
[Information delivered.]
[First, the target is not ‘human.’ In other words, it’s not a living being.]
‘A fake?’
[The possibility is 98.7%.]
[It’s presumed to be a fake composed of chaos magic.]
[Most beings inside here are fakes.]
[Kang Jin-young is excluded.]
‘So, it’s not human.’
Lee Seong-han’s face turned cold.
‘If that being is a fake, there must be someone controlling it.’
[Found it.]
‘Where?!’
[‘■■■■ ■’ pierces the target’s essence.]
《System: Information》
『’Deceiver’ Hong Seo-min』
□ Job: [Puppet Master]. [S-Rank Hunter]
□ Traits
⤷ [Advanced Puppetry (SS)], [Perception Hindrance (S)] [Sociopath (A)], [Conqueror (A)], [Sadistic (A)], [Ruthless (B)] …
—–
□ Skills
⤷ [Puppet Command-Understanding], [Puppet Command-Delirium], [Puppet Summoning], [Thread Weaving], [High-Level Hypnosis], [Order Issuance] …
◀ 1/4p ▶
[Overall: Excellent at overwhelming tactics through puppets. However, the abilities of individual puppets are significantly lacking. Caution advised.]
Lee Seong-han observed Hong Seo-min.
Hong Seo-min expressionlessly met Lee Seong-han’s gaze. Her eyes were ominous, her red eyes twisted in various colors.
*Tzapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapap
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