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Chapter 107: Reunion.
Chapter 107: Reunion.
Chapter 107: Reunion.
“Sigh.”
It was the Hunters guarding the front lines.
Each had their own reason for being part of the defense.
Some were poor.
Some wanted to be strong.
Some had been demoted.
Some had even joined with no coherent reason.
The front lines used to be a place that divided South Korea from North Korea, but now, things were different. It had turned into the front of the defense against the monsters that burst forth from the blue veil, and the Hunters guarding it had to live with their lives on the line.
They risked their lives. In return, they received copious amounts of money.
However, there was something off.
Someone commented, “It’s a little too calm nowadays.”
Recently, they hadn’t had much of a crisis, and the monsters that used to invade every day had become a rare sight at some point. Things had gotten to the point where the Hunters had started to be teased as those who only spent their days eating away, lazing about.
“However, this is still preferable.”
They all felt the same. So what if they were just lazing about and spending their days eating? Not only did they not have to put their lives on the line, but they were also even being paid!
Things were good.
“But…didn’t things become like this after that point?” one guard said.
"What do you mean?"
“When the monsters started to appear less frequently…that was when someone from the Association had crossed the lines, wasn't it?” the guard asked.
“Ah…that! The Underdog!”
“That’s right, that’s right!”
Come to think of it, the guard was right.
The monsters seemed to have become inactive after the Underdog had crossed the front lines.
"What a coincidence."
“Who knows? He might have just gone and wiped out all the monsters in North Korea.”
“Who are you trying to kid? Even if he’s a Hero, that’s impossible. We’ve tried it countless times.”
Just like yesterday, the guards spend their day gossiping.
But then.
Someone started shouting in a hurry, "Hey, hey, hey, hey!"
"Ah, what do you want now…?”
Someone was about to ask why the guard was yelling crazily but then stopped, not needing an explanation.
“The veil…”
He could see the blue veil in the distance beginning to burn red.
“The veil is beginning to change!”
"Emergency! Emergency!"
The front lines began to roar with activity.
***
“Th… This is some hot… hot coffee,” someone offered.
“Thank you.”
Lee Jun-Kyeong lifted the cup of coffee and blew on it.
Coffee.
“Oh my god,” someone said.
“How incredible…just incredible…”
Even before Lee Jun-Kyeong could say anything, Jeong In-Chang was already excitedly admiring the cup. “Was coffee really this delicious? Wow…”
“I understand how you feel,” Lee Jun-Kyeong replied wryly.
He also felt the same way as his companion. All of the food they had prepared in their inventories had long disappeared. Whether it was those who had settled in Beijing or the residents of Heaven Lake Village, there had been many people who needed food, so any food that had additives or preservatives had disappeared a long time ago.
Especially foods that had sugar, like the coffee in front of them.
“It really has been such a long time since we’ve had something like this,” Lee Jun-Kyeong said as he laughed and drank the coffee.
It was good.
Really.
‘It tastes so good.’
“Ha… I finally feel like I’m going to live now…”
On top of that, because it was warm, it felt like he was enjoying a luxury good that he had never experienced before.
Jeong In-Chang and Lee Jun-Kyeong smiled at each other.
"Sob, sob!"
“...”
“...”
Suddenly, Won-Hwa, who was drinking coffee together next to them, burst into tears.
"Coffee... Coffee...” he whimpered.
Now that Lee Jun-Kyeong thought about it, Won-Hwa was someone who hadn’t had coffee for at least two years.
“I didn’t know it was this delicious,” the man cried.
Jeong In-Chang and Lee Jun-Kyeong's laughter grew even deeper.
Although they hadn’t arrived near Seoul yet, Lee Jun-Kyeong put down his coffee cup and said, “We’ve come back.”
***
There was activity again on the front lines that had been quiet lately.
Somehow, through the front lines.
“People came through…?”
“Yes! It must be the surviving North Koreans!”
“There are North Koreans that are still alive…?”
“That’s not the only thing too!”
The Hunters on the front lines were telling everyone they could find about those who had crossed the veil, and the quiet front lines were bursting with life again.
There was another story as well.
“The Underdog must have also cleaned up all of the monsters around the front lines!”
“Is that even possible?”
“I don’t know, but look at how things are. Not a single monster has leaked through the veil these days.”
“Well, that is true…”
Everyone was also talking about Lee Jun-Kyeong. As for the main characters, they were temporarily staying in a Hunter Residential Area.
“Please relax here and get comfortable.”
While they weren’t that far from Seoul, the residents of Heaven Lake Village that Lee Jun-Kyeong had brought over were refugees and asylum seekers.
‘I haven’t…heard from either the Association or the Government yet, sir…’
Lee Jun-Kyeong couldn’t take them to Seoul without at least speaking to someone in charge.
Furthermore, there was another issue.
“A…Are you Hunters?” one of the soldiers asked.
Nod.
A resident of Heaven Lake Village dressed in shabby clothes nodded.
“These…are you saying that most of you are?” the soldier asked again.
“Yes,’ the resident replied.
The soldier gasped, “Oh, my god.”
These refugees weren’t ordinary people.
They were Hunters.
As there had been a large influx of powerful people to the front lines, it was difficult for them to move in any further without gaining permission.
Lee Jun-Kyeong stayed with the residents instead of leaving them to fend for themselves.
Moreover, there was someone else who took charge of the residents of Heaven Lake Village and prevented a possible disturbance among them.
“Everyone, please hang in there a little longer. We’ll be able to be comfortable soon.”
“Understood, Village Chief.”
It was Ungnyeo.
To Lee Jun-Kyeong’s surprise, she was no longer in the form of a child, but rather, she had returned to her adult form.
This form had originally only been usable if there were some special circumstances or some sort of burden, but had appeared without any issue. Furthermore, she was able to maintain it without any trouble.
Ungnyeo took her eyes off the residents of Heaven Lake Village and looked down at her hands.
‘The curse…’
It had been released.
The terrible energy of the hellish curse that had forced her into the appearance of a child because of the great power she had obtained had disappeared. Ungnyeo didn’t have to be a child anymore and was able to take whatever shape she wanted, whenever she wanted.
"Can I talk to you for a minute?"
At that time, Ungyeo's cheeks flushed as she heard a voice speak to her.
It was Lee Jun-Kyeong.
He grabbed her by the wrist and spoke to the residents of Heaven Lake Village.
“I’ll be borrowing the village chief for a moment.”
“Take her for as long as you wish!”
“You don’t have to return!”
Ungnyeo’s cheeks grew hotter and hotter as she heard the playful words of the residents.
However.
‘This man is…’
Lee Jun-Kyeong walked away with Ungnyeo with an expressionless face, as if he wasn’t affected by any of their teasing.
Once they had reached a secluded corner, Lee Jun-Kyeong opened his mouth to speak after erecting a mana barrier. "Let's talk for a moment."
Now that Ungnyeo had completely returned to her adult form, Lee Jun-Kyeong was able to speak comfortably.
“If you’re in that form…”
“The curse has been released.”
Lee Jun-Kyeong had asked her about her appearance once again, to which Ungnyeo had responded in a slightly sharp tone.
“Hmm.”
Lee Jun-Kyeong thought for a moment, wondering why her curse had been lifted.
Then, just in case, he grabbed her by the wrist again.
"Wait a minute, this may hurt a little,” he said.
“Wait, what?!”
In spite of her bewilderment, Lee Jun-Kyeong didn’t release the hand he was holding.
Instead.
Shhhh.
Using his mana stream, he injected a flow of mana into her body.
Thinking that her changed physical condition might possibly lead to some sort of danger, Lee Jun-Kyeong freely poured out his mana.
Then, he said, confused, “But you’ve become weaker?”
“What?” she replied, quickly pulling away her hand at his words.
Because none of them had gotten used to any of their surroundings, Ungnyeo had been forced to lead her people once again. Therefore, even though she had known that the curse had been lifted, she hadn’t had the time to confirm her own physical condition.
Therefore, she took the time to inspect her body.
“...”
The result only confirmed what the Hunter had said.
She had really weakened.
Not only had the power that had burdened her body heavily disappeared, but the power that was also enough to envelop the entirety of Mt. Baekdu had disappeared as well.
But why–
“So that’s what happened,” Lee Jun-Kyeong said.
“Your strength is only powerful near Mt. Baekdu. It’s because you can convene with the aura of Mt. Baekdu. You were that strong because you had the power of the mountain within you…and that was why you had no choice but to be forced into the body of a child.”
“But…”
“Don’t worry.”
Lee Jun-Kyeong could tell what Ungnyeo was worried about.
Becoming weaker meant that she had suffered a great loss, which brought on greater anxiety.
“Because you’re a Hunter…and well, I can help you too,” he said.
“S…so what is it you have to say, then?” Ungnyeo stuttered out.
“It’s nothing serious, just…”
Lee Jun-Kyeong's eyes turned sharp.
"In a little while, people will come from the government and from a place called the Association. They’ll ask a lot of questions regarding you and the residents of Heaven Lake Village.”
“...”
This was the point behind why he went to go find her.
“The power of the residents is greater than they had thought. Although the government and the Association will probably welcome such a large number of Hunters with open arms, the problem is…”
She interjected, “There are concerns about our trustworthiness.”
“Yes.”
People with strength.
Although strength wasn’t an issue if the people were controllable, any force that was uncontrollable was something to fear.
The government and the Association both had that concern. If the residents were judged to be untrustworthy, there was a possibility that they would all be deported from Korea, or be forced to make unconscionable contracts with either the government or the Association.
If that wasn’t worrisome enough.
‘Asgard.’
There was also the possibility that Jang Hyo-Jin, the president of the Association, would make a move directly.
The power of the residents of Heaven Lake Village was certainly something to be coveted.
That was why Lee Jun-Kyeong had given them choices. Because he had thought that it might not have been bad for them to go to Beijing.
Although life would be more comfortable here, it was never going to be peaceful. There would be numerous political and power struggles, and they would have to survive in a war of wits.
“The suggestion I’m giving you from this point on will be a good one for both me and everyone. Of course, the choice is still up to you and the residents of Heaven Lake Village.”
That was why Lee Jun-Kyeong had decided to suggest something to them.
"So…"
Lee Jun-Kyeong continued to speak carefully.
***
It wasn’t until a few days had passed that some people had arrived from the Association.
This wasn’t an ordinary matter.
This involved a mass exile of Hunters, and there was also the fact that these asylum seekers were people from the fallen North Korea. To make matters worse, they were people who had crossed the wall and arrived from the front lines that had been previously impossible to pierce through.
Whether it was the government or the Association, both places must have been going crazy by this point.
“Can we speak with you?”
The Association had sent people before the government, and they first reached out to Lee Jun-Kyeong.
“Mr. Underdog…Welcome back from your mission to China."
Previously, as a cover, Lee Jun-Kyeong had stated that he had been on a mission to scout around China and search for any survivors. Therefore, Korea had been even more enthusiastic about his travels to the barren land and eventual return.
Now that he had returned with a group of North Korean survivors, it was said that there were festivals and celebrations taking place.
“It was nothing.”
“We would like to say it again, but congratulations once again on your safe return."
The representative from the Association got back to business after congratulating the Hunter once again.
"The public opinion is very good. After all, you are the Hunter who successfully completed a dangerous mission. On top of that, you brought North Korean survivors back with you... Even more importantly, they are all Hunters."
The representative shook his head as if he was exhausted by the list of Lee Jun-Kyeong’s achievements.
“However, there is a problem.”
“You mean the issue of whether we can trust them or not,” Lee Jun-Kyeong replied.
The representative from the Association nodded.
In the past, many North Koreans had come to South Korea after North Korea descended down the path of destruction due to their repeated nuclear weapon tests.
Although they were expected to have been easily integrated without any issues into South Korea as they were all the same Koreans, they had actually become a knife in the side.
Because they had grown up in a completely different system, the biggest problem of their immigration had been…
“The issue is…they could be spies…or even communists.”
Some had been educated as spies and had tried to fulfill their duties even though their country of allegiance had been destroyed. They had attempted assassinations, and even created accidents and stole information.
They had been aimless acts, but it was still natural for the nation to be bewildered and damaged.
The people that Lee Jun-Kyeong had brought with him were those who had been in the landscape for a long time, something of concern, especially as North Korea had been destroyed.
As such, it was necessary to verify their ideology.
"Of course. The residents of Heaven Lake village will actively participate in the verification of the Association,” Lee Jun-Kyeong said, conveying the acceptance they had agreed to in advance.
"That's good, but...”
They still had concerns that they couldn’t be sure of it.
“That was why the Association President had made a suggestion.”
Lee Jun-Kyeong’s expression hardened. He knew it was neither the government nor the Association.
'Asgard was the one to move.’
As that was the case, Lee Jun-Kyeong also expected what the representatives would propose next.
“It is our stance that we should sign a contract with them.”
“And that contract is obviously a compulsory one, correct?” Lee Jun-Kyeong clarified.
They looked obviously uncomfortable. "Yes…it is."
Lee Jun-Kyeong felt as though he knew exactly what sort of contract they were trying to make with the residents.
“Because they are all Hunters…”
The representatives tried to continue, but Lee Jun-Kyeong cut them off, “You mean a mana contract, then.”
"Ah…yes."
A mana contract.
It really was no different than a vicious poison.
Unlike ordinary contracts, which were contracts between ordinary people written on paper, there was a separate contract that only Hunters who could control mana could sign.
A mana contract.
It was guaranteed using mana, and penalties could be forced upon a party using the contract. That was why Hunters would never sign one easily. It was something that only bounty Hunters that dealt in Hunters would use.
“I apologize.”
As soon as Lee Jun-Kyeong expressed his refusal, the representatives from the Association shook their heads as if there was an issue.
"In that case…"
"We’ve already signed a contract,” he interjected.
"Excuse me?" one of the representatives blurted out.
That was how surprised he was.
“They’ve already signed a mana contract with me. You understand, right? That it’s impossible to have multiple mana contracts,” Lee Jun-Kyeong said, a broad smile on his face as he continued.
1. This is a prevalent issue in Korean politics even to this day. Many nationalists speak out in hopes of reconciliation and reunification, but there are many in the government who fear a hidden invasion of communists and use it as a reason to deny North Korean refugees. Furthermore, as many refugees speak in a completely different regional slang and often are uneducated, many of the North Koreans find themselves ostracized by both society and the community.
2. Specifically, it’s impossible to have more than one running contract. It is still possible, however, to sign a contract with more than one person at the same time. Sort of like hiring a team of builders to build a house. You can have an arbitrary number of builders to one contract, but you can’t sign two different building teams to build the same house.