Chapter 144

EPISODE 144

Yoo-seong opened his eyes and found himself in an unfamiliar place.

Instead of finding out where he was, Yoo-seong picked up his phone.

-President Han Kwang-ho of Hankwang Group, Injured at a Hunting Operation-

-Reported Currently Unconscious, Detailed Status Private>-

-Hankwang Medical Center under Fire for “Having to be Saved”-

After checking the Internet articles, Yoo-seong continued to scroll for more information, slowly and quietly tapping at his phone for a while. Then…

“By the way,” Yoo-seong said as he put down his phone, “did you have something to tell me?”

When he’d opened his eyes, he’d seen a woman standing right beside his bed.

“It is…” Yoo-seong could feel the raspiness in his voice caused by being unconscious for two days.

“It would be better if you didn’t talk to me. You don’t have to worry. I was just told to watch you.”

“Ha! This is our second time meeting, right?” Yoo-seong smiled lightly at the tall woman. As far as Yoo-seong remembered, the woman before him was called Chae Shin-young.

“The Second Director of the Welfare and Administration of the Special Defense Agency,” he added.

“You managed to remember.”

“Your business card is still in my wallet. Besides, you’re the first person I met in this industry.”

“The first person…” Chae Shin-young looked as if she were cursed.

“Yes, that’s what you said at the time. That I had no information and no experience in hunting,” Yoo-seong said.

“You say that as if I lied.”

‘It seems that this is going to be difficult.’

Yoo-seong scratched the back of his head. “But you’re the one who lied, aren’t you?” he said as he continued staring at her.

“What?” All Chae Shin-young could hear was the arrogance in Yoo-seong’s voice.

“As a member of the Welfare Administration of the Special Defense Agency, no matter how much manpower remains in the Defense Agency, I will never acknowledge someone like you.”

Chae Shin-young was beyond furious.

“Now I understand.”

Yoo-seong nodded. When he, an ordinary person, had caught the Shark Ape, that was why a woman of such caliber had come to him directly. He hadn’t known then, but he did now.

Yoo-seong could clearly feel the high-level Aura of the person before him.

“Being a ‘second director’ in a barren land like Korea, you failed to recognize someone of value.”

Chae Shin-young offered no answer.

“Well, I don’t think there is a way for the public to truly know what happened last time, is there?” Yoo-seong was now taunting her.

Halfway through Yoo-seong’s words, Chae Shin-young raised her voice. “Oh, in the first place, you were an ordinary person back then!”

Yoo-seong thought that he was doing quite well at suppressing his excitement.

“Anyway, let me tell you the situation and why I’m here.”

“Please.”

Chae Shin-young proceeded to recap the happenings of the past two days. “Two days ago, the Defense Agency’s Medical Center secured the unconscious Oh Yoo-seong. The medical staff went right into examining your core.”

That was where they’d discovered the changes to Yoo-seong’s core. They’d learned about Yoo-seong receiving a dose of 24,000 CE at the Hankwang Medical Center, right before he took on the Habaek. Somehow, his core capacity had increased even further, more than had been documented.

“The acquirement of CE through any means other than state-verified medical procedures is legally punished. You know that, right?”

Yoo-seong nodded, and Chae Shin-young continued with a stern voice. “In order to determine the means used, the state reserves the right to secure the person’s personal information, even if it was merely a mistake or against your will,” Chae Shin-young said.

“Of course, I know,” Yoo-seong answered nonchalantly.

Chae Shin-young’s disapproving gaze briefly turned to Yoo-seong. Soon, however, she continued. “We learned that you ‘defeated’ two Chinese hunters while you were at the Hankwang Medical Center.”

During their arrest and investigation procedures, The Defense Agency had been surprised to discover that the hunters’ cores were empty.

Considering the abnormal increase in Yoo-seong’s CE levels as recorded by the Hankwang Medical Center, what that suggested had made them shiver.

“I can steal someone else’s CE. Well, that’s just how it is,” Yoo-seong declared.

“I repeat, even if you feel like it has nothing to do with you, this is an important issue. Besides, the injuries to the president of the Hankwang Group have changed your reputation among the conglomerates.”

The frustration was clear in Chae Shin-young’s voice. She believed Yoo-seong did not understand that this would have a complex effect on his reputation.

“Therefore, the Defense Agency has decided to monitor your behavior as much as possible. As you may have noticed, this is the National Defense Agency’s Medical Center.”

“Hmm,” Yoo-seong said as he looked around.

“From now on, all of your actions and schedules will be managed by me. Of course, you still have the freedom to move around on your own.” Chae Shin-young’s voice fell heavily. “But the Defense Agency and I will not be responsible for the consequences…”

“Okay!” Yoo-seong answered even before Chae Shin-young finished her explanation. He rose immediately from the bed.

“What…?” Chae Shin-young almost bit her tongue.

Completely ignoring her, Yoo-seong looked around the hospital room for his clothes.

Rattle-!

Finding them in the far-off corner, he looked up at Chae Shin-young and said, “I’m going to change. Are you going to stay?”

“What? Why do you want to change?”

This was already getting frustrating for Chae Shin-young.

“Isn’t that obvious?” Yoo-seong replied, looking at her as if he couldn’t believe she’d asked. “I’m going out. I’m feeling better. I am going to go to work.”

“Did you not understand what I just said? If you act recklessly…”

“What’s the big deal?”

Chae Shin-young could not believe what was happening.

Smack-!

Yoo-seong threw her the patient gown he’d been wearing. He doubled in laughter upon seeing Chae Shin-young flush in anger.

“That’s it, that’s your explanation.”

A year ago, when he first met Chae Shin-young, she’d shown off her incredible upper body muscles.

Yoo-seong looked straight at her eyes.

Chae Shin-young looked straight back. Well, at least, she tried to.

“What is wrong with you? You don’t trust me? The Director himself assigned me to you.”

“Shall I guess what the director really said?” Yoo-seong asked playfully. Then he threw his phone at her.

Even though it was nothing but a light throw, the speed was the same as a baseball being thrown by an athlete. Its impact would likely have damaged a normal person, but Yoo-seong knew she was a hunter.

Argh-!

With great reflexes, Chae Shin-young caught it.

“Look,” said Yoo-seong. “And don’t go too far; that phone contains my personal information.” he reminded Chae Shin-young.

The screen showed a news article Yoo-seong had been looking at. It was a personal page for the hunter community, a window where you could check the achievements and trophies of an operation that came up along with the hunter.

The most recent operation was Yoo-seong’s. It was dated February 25, two days ago.

Operation site, Hwacheon, Gangwon-do, Republic of Korea.

Only one registered monster appeared on the page, with the Living Organism identification number BO-12334. It was more commonly known as the Habaek, and it was registered under Yoo-seong’s possession.

“There are many reasons why the ownership dispute with Hankwang ended in two days,” Yoo-seong concluded.

Perhaps President Han Kwang-ho was still under observation and, in any case, Han Jae-gyu, who now owned Hankwang Hunting International, was greatly indebted to Yoo-seong.

Even so, it was impossible without Yang Chang-guk’s help.

“You’re right. I may be in trouble. I turned those two Chinese mascots useless and hollow. President Han Kwang-ho’s colleagues must have been starting to feel on edge.”

Naturally, opinions about Yoo-seong would soon be divided. He was now entering a highly sensitive area.

The “higher-ups” like President Han Kwang-ho would now be more than ready to attempt to monitor and control Yoo-seong as much as they could.

“Therefore, the director would have told you this.” Yoo-seong looked at Chae Shin-young. “From now on, stand by Oh Yoo-seong. Watch what he does as much as you can. Help him avoid the attention of the ‘higher-ups.’”

“I have no idea why you are being so presumptuous,” said Chae Shin-young.

“There is no particular reason. Is Director Yang Chang-guk on my side?”

Chae Shin-young refused to answer. At this, Yoo-seong raised his hands.

“It’s too reckless to deal with a suspect who, as you say, has engaged in the ‘illegal injection of CE’ or ‘stealing of CE from another person’s core.’ I think Director Yang Chang-guk could have covered up the fact that my CE’s increased significantly.”

Chae Shin-young’s expression proved Yoo-seong was right.

“Besides…”

Yang Chang-guk knew Yoo-seong well, but the same was true the other way around.

“If he really wanted to limit my actions, you wouldn’t have been the only one he sent. That is the reason he’s so sure. You’re not a shackle; you’re my helper.”

“If so, why would I lie to you?”

The game was almost over for her.

Yoo-seong rolled his eyes lightly at Chae Shin-young’s weak resistance.

“There could be many reasons. Perhaps there is a faction within the Special Defense Agency that appears to sympathize with Director Yang Chang-guk’s opinion right now but also secretly harbors a different opinion of me. In that case, he could have asked you to limit my actions with false threats. But Director Yang Chang-guk does not have enough ‘eyes.’”

Looking at Chae Shin-young’s expression, Yoo-seong continued. “You sincerely follow the Director but isn’t that just because of loyalty? You could be thinking that it wasn’t right for Director Yang Chang-guk to act this way.”

Chae Shin-young continued to offer nothing but silence.

“It seems like I am right for the most part. Well, I won’t ask about what our relationship should be; I don’t care about the age difference these days.”

At that moment, a terrifying energy emanated from Chae Shin-young. Yoo-seong responded immediately.

Pod-!

His hands moved at a flashing speed. Chae Shin-young’s eyes widened.

“I can’t stand it anymore,” Yoo-seong declared. He had both of his thumbs in his pants. “I am taking these off.”

Chae Shin-young’s reaction was amazing.

With a pale face, she ran out of the hospital room. Shaking his head, Yoo-seong took off his pants.

He changed into fresh, new clothes since the ones he’d worn previously were barely salvageable. Then, in his casual clothes, Yoo-seong left the hospital room.

He found Chae Shin-young waiting for him outside. Looking at Yoo-seong with a tired face, she asked, “So, what are you planning to do right now? I have to report it right away.”

As if it were obvious, Yoo-seong replied right away.

The rotten ‘higher-ups’ in the country were after him?

If so, then wasn’t the answer simple?

“A trip around the world,” he smiled mischievously.