Chapter 15

As Yeongung stepped into the temporary base tent, he found two groups facing off across a round table: Association personnel on one side, and members of the Tako Guild on the other.

A man wearing an armband on his right forearm snorted loudly. His tightly braided zig-zag cornrows and the long snake tattoo running from his temple down to his jawline were striking. The pocket on his chest bore the Association’s emblem—a black apple encircled by a coiled serpent, looking especially ominous today.

“That’s what I’ve been saying! Can’t your almighty Yeongung just step up, bam-bam-bam, wipe out all the chimeras in a single blow!?”

The cornrowed man thumped his chest as if frustrated that no one grasped the brilliance of his suggestion.

Sanghee snorted right back at him.

“Bro, what? You think chimeras are fruit flies? ‘Bam-bam-bam’ my ass.”

“Whaaaat did you just say, you little—? Let me at him! Let me at him! I swear I’ll beat that brat before I even get to the chimeras today!”

Not a single person tried to restrain the man. His subordinates merely hovered nearby, pretending to hold him back without actually helping.

“C-Captain, please calm down…”

“I get that young people like showing off, but our Captain is merciful, so he’ll let it slide this once. Just watch yourself next time.”

His “left arm” and “right arm” chimed in pompously. Their stuffy comments made Sanghee’s forehead twitch—the “Boomer Slaughterer” was about to go feral again. Just before he lunged, Hamgyeol slapped a hand over his mouth.

“Mmph—!”

“Shh. Shut it. Do you break out in hives if you go one day without causing trouble? Please, I’m begging you—don’t blow things up before the hyungs get here!”

Having grasped the situation, Yeongung approached the man who seemed to be in charge.

“Is there some issue with my guildmates?”

Hamgyeol’s previously gloomy expression brightened at the arrival of reliable backup.

“Master! Woong-hyung!”

He looked like a giant dog wagging its tail for its owner. Yeongung held back a laugh and ruffled his hair twice. At that moment, Won Iheun quietly stepped forward, pushed Hamgyeol out of the way, and stood beside Yeongung.

“Won Iheun.”

“Tako Guild’s Yeongung. And you are?”

“Ahem. Captain Park Malse, First Recon Unit of the Heteromorph Special Operations Division. Good—much better to talk to the higher-ups instead of dealing with these ignorant underlings.”

“Go ahead.”

After a short exchange of names, Park Malse got to the point.

“There was supposed to be an unofficial summit aboard a yacht at Jamsu Bridge today.”

“And?”

The unexpected indifference made the man raise his voice.

“And—!? Do you not understand? Leaders of major allied nations were gathering to negotiate trade agreements! And now chimera filth shows up at such a critical diplomatic event—talk about national humiliation!”

So many useless words. Yeongung kneaded his tensed trapezius.

“Fine. What’s your point?”

Before Park Malse could answer, another man in a black suit stepped forward.

“Hunter.”

One of his ears carried a visible in-ear device—clearly a security detail. Why was presidential security here?

“And you are?”

Yeongung examined the ID the man offered. So he was one of the “dogs” raised by the Blue House.

“The VIP wishes to proceed with the summit as planned. The representatives from the visiting delegations are also still on the yacht and have not evacuated.”

As if he didn’t already have enough on his plate, Yeongung felt a headache forming.

“Are you out of your damn mind? Summit or whatever—if you don’t want their heads ripped off and fed to the Han River fish, get them out. Now.”

That man’s entire job was security.

“W-Well…”

Yet even with such graphic warnings about his protectees losing their necks, he still hesitated.

“It so happens the U.S. and Japanese delegates are big fans of Hunter Yeongung. The VIP wishes to show them your chimera extermination firsthand. It’s an excellent opportunity to flaunt Korea’s status as one of the few nations boasting an ‘Absolute-class Hunter.’”

These people—living their whole lives cushioned in luxury until even their survival instincts rusted away.

“So the Association’s lost its damn mind too. Since when are gate assaults a monster concert?”

“…Monster… concert?”

“I said they’ve all lost their damn minds. And they passed this mess to me instead of cutting it themselves?”

Yeongung showed him the time on his wristwatch.

“Code 9’s strategy is to prevent chimera evolution. The initial purge is critical. While you and Captain Park here have been bickering about nonsense, the chimeras have been evolving.”

“But chimeras evolve by consuming other creatures, do they not? Civilians have been evacuated—there’s no food source, so how—”

Iheun cut in smoothly.

“Who says there’s no food?”

His tone dripped with condescension.

“…”

“They practice cannibalism.”

“…Cannibalism?”

As he spoke, the gate opening widened—and chimeras that had grown by devouring their own young began to crawl out, one by one.

There was no time. Yeongung exchanged a glance with Iheun—an unspoken signal.

“You must think an Absolute is some immortal deity. But in Code 9, both Yeongung and I can die. And non-awakened civilians? I don’t need to explain, do I? So evacuate the VIP and their entire entourage before you break the peace treaty over some botched budget meeting. Move.”

A rank-1 guildmaster held full operational control of the field. Iheun’s command meant they had to withdraw. Yet they remained stubborn.

Sometimes, showing beats talking.

Iheun flicked a finger through the air. Mana particles streamed out, scattering and reforming at high speed. A holographic map materialized—more precise than any GPS system.

Members on both sides gaped at the massive-scale projection.

Selecting the area, Iheun scanned the terrain. The map revealed the number of chimeras still inside the gate.

“KIEEEEEEEEK—!”

A chimera slammed against the shield, shrieking loud enough to rattle eardrums.

Sanghee and Hamgyeol, sensing their master’s intention, exaggerated their reactions.

“H-HIIIK—!”

“Oh hell—look how many are crawling up! That’s worse than cockroach season!”

The recon unit members paled like victims who had already been half-eaten. Iheun gave them a bright, crisp smile.

“Take all of them and get out.”

Once the tent flap was lifted, they could see the so-called dignitaries scrambling away under escort. A finance minister in a gown kicked away an Omega clinging to him for help. A barely clothed hostess fell straight into the river. They had called it an “unofficial summit,” but clearly it had been nothing but a disguised orgy.

Turning from the ugly sight, Yeongung checked on his team.

“Special Heteromorph Unit? They don’t even know basic monster ecology. What was the Association thinking?”

“Right? They’re dead weight.”

“Wait. What about additional support units? Don’t tell me they only sent that useless Recon Team 1.”

Complaints erupted from all sides.

“Secretary.”

At Yeongung’s call, a petite secretary pushed through the frantic crowd.

“You’re here! Thank goodness—before you arrived, I was hiding behind the Hunters because the atmosphere was so tense. Oh! And in the next tent, aside from the recon team… another support unit came. A healing unit.”

“Healing unit?”

“Yes. Strange, right? At a time when we desperately need another offensive squad, they sent healers instead.”

Sending healers to the frontline instead of the rear was unusually reckless. A healing unit with almost zero offensive skills would be more burden than help.

“Who’s in charge there? I haven’t heard anything about changes in the Association leadership.”

She handed him a tablet containing official documents.

“I’m not sure either… Here, the material from the administrative officer.”

Yeongung scanned the files quickly. His finger paused on one line.

Lee Rubin…

The name of the dispatched unit’s commander.

“Hyung, something bothering you?”

Sanghee appeared behind him, chin resting on Yeongung’s shoulder, peering at the tablet.

“No. Nothing.”

Flustered, Yeongung quickly closed the screen.

Lee Rubin, an A-rank healer, was someone Yeongung knew well.

Of course he did.

Before Yeongung became Iheun’s partner, Lee Rubin had been the Omega who stayed by Iheun’s side the longest.

As the weight lifted from Yeongung’s shoulders, he lifted his head—just in time to see Sanghee dangling helplessly by the scruff of his neck in Iheun’s grasp. Iheun had physically peeled him off Yeongung.

“Our blockhead Sanghee really has no sense.”

“What? What did I do!? Why!?”

“Back off.”

For a brief moment, Yeongung found himself wondering—

Would Iheun remember Rubin too?