Chapter 12: Spoiled Second-Generation (2)
“9th-grade? Don’t bullshit me.”
“I’m serious. Deputy Director Lee definitely said it was a 9th-grade Hunter.”
At Yeon Jeong-ha’s words, Jeon Su-yong let out a hollow laugh of disbelief.
“No way that fucker Lee thinks I’m his errand boy. Sending me after some measly 9th-grade?”
“You don’t have to handle it yourself. You can just have someone do it.”
“Maybe I should cut off that Deputy Director Lee’s head and tell Dad to put someone new in his place.”
“Is that really okay? You just got out.”
“When have I ever cared about that? And anyway, Lee’s a Hunter.”
“So…?”
“There are plenty of ways to deal with Hunters without leaving loose ends.”
“……”
Watching Jeon Su-yong casually talk about eliminating a 5th-grade civil servant Hunter, Yeon Jeong-ha secretly swallowed her tension.
She’d volunteered to be his partner to survive in Blue Dragon Guild, where leaving wasn’t an option, but it was no different from walking on thin ice.
Because he could snap at any moment, even mid-conversation.
It was just marginally better than the guild members who were constantly his punching bags.
That’s why Yeon Jeong-ha didn’t dare voice opposition and only moved her lips silently.
After thinking for a moment, Jeon Su-yong shook his head.
“Nah. Dad said if I cause another incident, he really won’t let it slide this time. He’ll disband Blue Dragon Guild, cut off my allowance, and ship me off to a monastery.”
“Ah… That would be bad.”
Yeon Jeong-ha desperately wished for the guild’s dissolution and Jeon Su-yong’s exile, but to survive, she reflexively spouted words she didn’t mean.
“That fucker Lee has been acting all high and mighty lately. But he’s still useful. Might as well help him out this once.”
“Oh, and that Chae Jin-young has a younger sister—Chae So-young. Know her?”
“Never heard of her. Is she hot?”
“…Not compared to me. Anyway, that’s not important. Chae So-young is in SP Guild. It’d be best to handle this quietly.”
“Why not take her out too, or use her as a hostage? Could have some fun on the side. Heh heh.”
Jeon Su-yong let out a lewd chuckle.
Disgust welled up in Yeon Jeong-ha, but she maintained her poker face.
“That might be risky. Chae So-young is someone SP’s master has his eye on.”
“Hae-joon hyung…?”
Jeon Su-yong, who had been laughing, suddenly flinched.
The one person he obeyed unconditionally, even more than his father the chairman of Shin Young Group: Min Hae-joon.
In all her time stuck by Jeon Su-yong’s side, Yeon Jeong-ha had never seen him this cautious.
“Chae So-young, was it? If she gets tangled with our guild, it’ll be a headache. Better outsource it to another organization. We’ll need kidnapping, threats, and force—Dark Horse should be fine.”
“Got it.”
Soon, Jeon Su-yong reverted to his usual self as if nothing had happened.
“By the way, if she’s good enough for Hae-joon hyung to mark, but her brother’s some idiot stuck as a 9th-grade civil servant… Ah! Maybe grab that guy and test Black Rose on him. Tell the Dark Horse guys to bring a lot. Kek kek, this’ll be fun.”
“I’ll contact the Dark Horse members now. Kidnapping tonight…”
Yeon Jeong-ha pulled out her smartphone to send a message.
Then Jeon Su-yong grabbed her chin with one hand and turned her face toward him.
“That can wait. I’m in more of a hurry right now.”
As Jeon Su-yong immediately activated Enervation, Yeon Jeong-ha felt her energy draining away.
As a 6th-grade Hunter, she could resist it to some extent, but she let it happen.
Otherwise, something worse would follow.
After draining a decent amount of her energy, Jeon Su-yong kissed her.
Not caring at all about the guild member in the driver’s seat.
Then, as if remembering something, he stopped and said to the driver,
“Ma Du-hwan mentioned it. Said an improved version came out recently. You got any?”
“Black Rose? Yes, right here.”
The guild member pulled a small vial of black liquid from his pocket and passed it back.
Jeon Su-yong snatched it like robbing him, then started to chug it but handed it to Yeon Jeong-ha instead.
He took another vial for himself.
“Here, drink. Can’t wait to see how awesome it is.”
Jeon Su-yong grinned like a demon.
Yeon Jeong-ha looked at the vial of Black Rose with a complicated expression.
***
“By the way, Director. What about the new support team leader?”
Just before leaving after his meeting with Director Go Ju-min at the district office, Jin-young brought it up one last time.
Currently, Jin-young was serving as temporary team leader simply because he had the most seniority on the support team.
Go Ju-min let out a short sigh and said,
“I’m working on it.”
“I heard Response Team 1 got a new team leader not long ago. Why is it taking so long for the support team?”
“As you know, Team Leader Chae, recruiting for support roles is the most difficult. There aren’t many support-types to begin with, and anyone decent gets snatched up by guilds. We can’t just bring in an 8th or 9th-grade and plop them in the team leader spot.”
“Hm. Fair enough. Anyway, I’d appreciate it if you could put a bit more effort into it, Director.”
“Of course. Just trust me.”
“Yes. Then.”
Jin-young bowed and left the director’s office.
He heard a “Whew, that wore me out” from behind, but he generously let it slide.
From his experience as temporary team leader, he knew leadership positions were inherently exhausting.
Thanks to the long meeting, when he returned to his desk, everyone else had already gone home.
Jin-young packed his things as usual.
He typically left later than others anyway.
It wasn’t because he had more work—he deliberately avoided peak hours to go home.
To prevent unnecessary physical contact with others on the bus.
It was a habit formed on the Renard continent, one he couldn’t easily break even after regression.
It was a survival instinct etched into his body over a long period.
He wouldn’t even shake hands with people he got close to.
Of course, his master and his sister Chae So-young were exceptions. And once upon a time, Rienne—the princess and former lover from the Syndra Empire—too.
It could be inconvenient, but it wasn’t time to get a car yet.
For now, he needed to maintain his powerless civil servant status.
‘Hmm…’
The moment he stepped out of the office, Jin-young sensed an unfamiliar gaze.
He’d known for a while that someone was watching him.
‘Seems like an Intelligence Department agent. Why are they dragging their feet?’
After regression, Jin-young had planned to join the Intelligence Department.
That way, he could access information on SP Guild and naturally intervene in major upcoming events.
Of course, a 9th-grade civil servant joining wasn’t easy.
If he flaunted transcendent power, the Intelligence Department might mobilize everything to eliminate him instead.
Some might want to recruit him, but it could spark factional infighting with those wanting to check him.
So he chose a strategy of revealing just enough power to naturally lure them in.
The first step was his encounter with Intelligence Department agent Na Ji-hwan, and as planned, he let him live.
He expected Na Ji-hwan to report it upstairs, prompting a response soon.
‘They’re more cautious than I thought.’
The Intelligence Department’s wariness wasn’t a bad sign. It meant they didn’t see him as an immediate elimination target, at least.
Just as he thought about creating an opportunity for contact,
Jin-young felt the watching gaze get unusually close.
‘What? Suddenly this exposed? Wait.’
This opponent was different from last time. Much lower caliber, and sloppy.
Maybe not Intelligence Department—someone else tailing him.
Jin-young naturally led the pursuer into a deserted alley.
It was the same place he’d clashed with Investigator Na Ji-hwan before.
He entered first, leaned against the wall, and waited.
Soon, a black figure appeared at the alley entrance.
“So sloppy. Definitely not a secret agent.”
Unlike Na Ji-hwan, who had hidden perfectly before ambushing, this guy showed no tension at all.
Clearly someone who didn’t know much about him.
“I heard he was 9th-grade, so I was gonna half-ass it, but you’ve got surprisingly good instincts.”
“Where are you from?”
“You’ll find out if you come with me, right?”
The cocky man started approaching Jin-young.
‘Villain side, huh.’
His arrogant, leisurely stride screamed that he didn’t need tension against a 9th-grade.
Understandable—9th-grades were toys you could play with even if you let your guard down.
“Not even Intelligence Department—just some random thug tailing me…”
Annoyance clear on his face, Jin-young subtly shifted his psionic energy.
“Hm?”
The villain suddenly panicked as his body refused to move.
Before he could even open his mouth, the next attack followed.
Crunch— Crack!
In an instant, his right wrist twisted completely backward, and his elbow folded in reverse.
“Guh…”
Before a pained scream could escape, psychokinesis sealed the villain’s lips.
“From now on, answer my questions with yes or no only. Nod for yes, shake for no. Nod if you understand.”
But the man’s head didn’t budge.
Jin-young let out a short sigh and shattered the villain’s left index finger.
“Still not answering?”
“Mmmph…!”
Tears welled up in the man’s eyes—Park Jeong-gyu desperately wanted to shout.
‘Fuck, my head won’t move, you bastard!’
As if hearing his inner voice, Jin-young scratched his head and said,
“Ah, I didn’t release the head.”
The man glared with eyes full of resentment, but Jin-young paid it no mind.
He simply released the psychokinesis holding the head in place.
“What now? Want me to break something else?”
At Jin-young’s words, Park Jeong-gyu shook his head frantically, looking terrified.
“I’ll release your mouth, so answer properly.”
Nod nod.
The psychokinesis binding his mouth was lifted.
“Who sent you?”
“Fuck, I knew this was bad luck…”
Crunch!
Without a word, Jin-young crushed another finger.
“Kyaaaa! B-Blue Dragon! Blue Dragon’s guild master…”
“Blue Dragon’s guild master? Why would Jeon Su-yong suddenly want me?”
Jin-young tilted his head.
Not the Intelligence Department, not Dark Horse—the crime organization the bald Lee Cheol-ho belonged to.
Not even SP Guild behind them.
What business could Jeon Su-yong, fresh out of prison and just arrived in Gangseo, have with a low-level civil servant?
‘If he wanted favors, he’d go to someone like Director Go, not me.’
Park Jeong-gyu shook his head and said,
“I don’t know why they want to kidnap you. I never ask clients for reasons.”
“Yeah. And Jeon Su-yong probably didn’t tell you to bring me to their guild HQ.”
“Right. About 15 minutes by car. An abandoned industrial complex on the Seoul-Gimpo border that’s under construction halt. That’s everything I know.”
“You brought a car, right? Lead the way.”
“What? I told you everything—aren’t you letting me go?”
Park Jeong-gyu said in panic.
“You want to die here?”
“N-No. I’ll go with you.”
***
Dark Horse-affiliated villain Park Jeong-gyu was drenched in cold sweat down his back.
Even now, the pain from his broken hand and arm bones clouded his mind.
How had he ended up completely subdued and humiliated by a 9th-grade Hunter?
With no choice, Park Jeong-gyu headed to Gimpo with him.
The car was Park Jeong-gyu’s, but Chae Jin-young drove it himself.
Park sat motionless in the passenger seat, only giving directions.
This was the first time anyone had made him feel such helplessness since his boss.
Then Chae Jin-young’s voice broke the silence.
“Who do you work for?”
“I work solo.”
Crack!
“Kyaaaa! F-Fuck, Dark Horse! I’m with Dark Horse!”
The moment another finger broke, Park Jeong-gyu screamed and spilled his affiliation.
“Dark Horse, huh. Villains really have no naming sense. Anyway, doesn’t your boss look for that bald guy?”
“…Bald? Who are you talking about?”
“Lee Cheol-ho.”
The moment he heard those three syllables, he flinched.
“You know Cheol-ho hyung-nim? Wait. You don’t mean…”
Park Jeong-gyu’s face hardened as he continued.
“You’re the one who made Cheol-ho hyung-nim disappear?”
“Him?”
“……”
Lee Cheol-ho was a mid-level executive leading Dark Horse’s strike team, possessing the second-strongest combat power after the boss.
A while ago, during a Black Rose test on civilians, he went missing after a raid by civil servant Hunters and police.
‘Damn it, it was this bastard.’
Lee Cheol-ho could’ve easily crushed police and civil servants, so his disappearance raised big questions.
With his unique ability, escape would’ve been possible even against a 4th-grade Hunter.
‘Fuck… 3rd-grade? No way—a 9th-grade civil servant in disguise?’
The biggest problem was that the apparent culprit was right in front of him.
Gulp— Park Jeong-gyu swallowed hard without realizing.
Even if he told Dark Horse’s boss, they probably wouldn’t believe him easily.
He might not even live that long.
By then, the car had arrived at the deserted industrial complex.
“This the place? Where Jeon Su-yong is.”
“Yeah…”
Several gray concrete-exposed abandoned buildings exuded an eerie atmosphere.
It was a site Shin Young Group had poured massive capital into years ago, but construction had been halted ever since the dungeon cataclysm.
The global dungeon cataclysm happened about 8 years ago, so it had been abandoned for 8 years.
Jeon Su-yong and Dark Horse villains were waiting in one of the abandoned buildings deep inside the complex.
Chae Jin-young stopped the car without entering the complex.
He got out of the driver’s seat first and said,
“What are you doing? Get out too.”
“……”
Now able to move again, Park Jeong-gyu reluctantly stepped out of the car.
The closer they got to Jeon Su-yong’s building, the heavier Park Jeong-gyu’s steps became.
This wasn’t clearly a failed kidnapping, nor a success.
He’d brought the target, so there was nothing more he could do.
He just followed, pretending to be calm.
In the eerie atmosphere, Chae Jin-young and Park Jeong-gyu arrived in front of one abandoned building.
Just then, a man walked out from the entrance as if he’d been waiting.
“What’s this, Park Jeong-gyu? I told you to kidnap him, but you brought him like a gentleman. New kidnapping technique?”
“……”
Even though his mouth wasn’t sealed, Park Jeong-gyu couldn’t say a word.
Chae Jin-young looked at the man and asked,
“Where’s Jeon Su-yong?”
At the question, the man let out a laugh of disbelief.
“Ha… Never thought I’d li
ve to see a civil servant punk talk to me. The world’s gotten nice.”
“Hey. You not close with your crew?”
Chae Jin-young suddenly turned to Park Jeong-gyu and asked.
“What do you—”
“Your colleague’s struggling like he’s about to commit suicide. You should stop him.”
“What the fuck is this guy say—”
The gatekeeper man frowned and reached for his weapon.
Whoosh—
In that instant, the gatekeeper’s body shot up into the air.