Chapter 19: Secret Agent (2)
Slurp— slurp—
The sound of noodles being inhaled pierced Director Jeong Bo-hoon’s ears.
Across from him, a young man with jjajang sauce smeared around his mouth picked up a piece of pickled radish and ate it while saying,
“Ah, sorry. For some reason, jjajangmyeon just feels better when you eat it loud.”
“Don’t mind me—eat as you like.”
Jeong Bo-hoon watched the man enjoy his jjajangmyeon and spoke.
He hadn’t been particularly hungry so he hadn’t ordered anything, but somehow watching this made his stomach growl.
Seeing the man dip sweet and sour pork into the sauce, he couldn’t help but wonder if he had really come to the right person.
Just as the tension was about to ease,
“You said you had something to talk about by meeting me. A thank-you? Or an apology?”
‘Hmm.’
A thank-you would probably refer to saving the Intelligence Department agents recently.
An apology would likely be about Agent Na Ji-hwan.
After a brief moment of thought, Jeong Bo-hoon spoke calmly.
“Hunter Chae Jin-young, first, I want to sincerely thank you for saving our agents. Without you, we would have lost precious lives. And… I also apologize for Agent Na’s unilateral actions. He’s a bit hot-headed. There was absolutely no intention to harm—”
“Ah, I don’t hold any grudge against Agent Na Ji-hwan. I was talking about the surveillance.”
“……”
For the first time, Jeong Bo-hoon’s face stiffened.
Imposter had clearly stated he was never exposed, and Jeong Bo-hoon had naturally believed it.
He had never once doubted Imposter’s disguise ability.
Or perhaps…
‘He’s just probing, assuming we’d naturally surveil him since we’re the Intelligence Department.’
That thought crossed his mind.
“During the tailing, your body kept changing multiple times. It was quite fascinating.”
“……”
Cold sweat began running down Jeong Bo-hoon’s back.
The reports from the secret agents were far from exaggerated—in fact, they might not have captured everything.
If things continued like this, instead of probing Chae Jin-young’s true intentions, he might end up losing ground entirely.
He needed to regain control first.
“I sincerely apologize for that matter. With the sudden rise of villains gaining immense power, we became suspicious of you. It was foolish.”
“I believe apologies aren’t just words.”
“……”
What kind of compensation would satisfy Chae Jin-young?
Jeong Bo-hoon’s expression grew serious without realizing it.
But then,
Chae Jin-young smirked and said,
“Just kidding. If I had really been angry, they would’ve ended up in the same place as Jeon Su-yong.”
Jeong Bo-hoon felt a rare chill at the casual, almost greeting-like delivery of such chilling words.
Chae Jin-young had more than enough power to kill Imposter or Na Ji-hwan without hesitation.
That was why Jeong Bo-hoon didn’t think his words were entirely false.
Still, he couldn’t afford to act arrogant.
“Even so, if you suffered any harm, compensation is only right. Whatever you want, I’ll support you to the fullest extent possible.”
“Well, let’s talk business slowly. I’m not here to threaten you.”
Jeong Bo-hoon became increasingly confused by Chae Jin-young’s unpredictable attitude.
Was there some other hidden intention?
He had originally come to subtly probe Chae Jin-young, but now he felt like he was the one being dragged along.
***
When Jin-young saw that Jeong Bo-hoon had come to meet him, he realized just how much he had changed.
Before regression, he never would have had the chance to meet someone like Jeong Bo-hoon this closely.
Still, even before regression, he had an unexpected connection with him.
During the first Monster Wave that struck Korea.
Jin-young and other civil servant Hunters, while helping evacuate citizens, had been isolated by monsters and unable to escape.
It was Jeong Bo-hoon and his agents who had come to their rescue.
The situation had been too urgent for any real conversation, so there was no personal closeness.
But after barely stopping the Monster Wave, when he heard news of Jeong Bo-hoon’s death, he had felt genuine sorrow.
The Intelligence Department never revealed the exact cause, but it was said he had died in a suicide attack against one of the two 1st-grade monsters invading Seoul.
Of course, Jeong Bo-hoon would have no idea, but Jin-young felt genuine gratitude toward him.
But that was one thing—recent actions by the Intelligence Department had to be viewed separately.
He planned to extract proper compensation for this matter later.
“Still, is there any other Hunter out there with the same sense of mission to protect the country as the Intelligence Department? In a harsh world like today, so many people only look out for their own interests.”
“I’m grateful you think that way, but…”
Jeong Bo-hoon looked bewildered as he listened to Jin-young.
Just moments ago it seemed like he was trying to shake up the Intelligence Department, and now he was suddenly showering them with praise.
He even began to suspect this was some kind of long-term buildup to extract something bigger.
“If there’s something you want, just say it.”
“Boss, can we get another large plate of sweet and sour pork?”
“…Suddenly?”
“You haven’t eaten yet, Director. I told you—this place is incredible.”
“Haha, really now.”
Jeong Bo-hoon could only let out a helpless laugh.
The more he got to know this guy, the stranger he seemed.
While waiting for the newly ordered sweet and sour pork, Jin-young picked up the last remaining piece and ate it.
Watching him, Jeong Bo-hoon finally spoke after some thought.
“Hunter Chae Jin-young, would you ever consider working for the Intelligence Department?”
“Can you handle me?”
The unexpected reply left Jeong Bo-hoon momentarily speechless.
How many times had he been caught off guard today?
“Your methods may be harsh, but I know you don’t kill indiscriminately. Our agents could become a great strength for you.”
“Really? Perfect timing then. The truth is, my dream is to live quietly.”
“What does that…”
Jin-young was sincere.
Thirty years in Renard.
He had lived more brutally than anyone, overcoming countless hardships to return to Earth.
Having stood at the pinnacle, he had no lingering desire for power.
He simply wanted a peaceful, carefree life.
Of course, to achieve that…
‘There are far too many things to clean up.’
The ones involved in his sister’s disappearance.
And the two Monster Waves that threatened humanity’s survival.
Beyond that, the mass deaths caused by Black Rose, city-level terrorist attacks by villains, the emergence of calamity-grade dungeons…
All of these were events that had occurred within three years before Jin-young’s transfer to Renard.
‘The real problem comes after that.’
There was no guarantee that Demon King-like beings wouldn’t appear in the future he hadn’t experienced.
With current humanity’s strength, they couldn’t even guarantee survival against such entities—let alone fight back.
Jin-young had no intention of shouldering all the upcoming disasters alone.
‘Well, they’re a bit weak, but that’s a flaw…’
In that sense, the Intelligence Department led by Jeong Bo-hoon was the perfect organization to align with his goals.
They were sincerely dedicated to protecting the nation and its people, yet still unpolished raw gems.
Jin-young planned to refine them using the training methods he had learned from his master, turning them into capable hands and feet to act in his place.
It might be a great ordeal for them, but from his own experience,
They would undoubtedly become truly human.
‘As long as they don’t break.’
With a faint smile, Jin-young said,
“Let’s go with creating a peaceful world. That should do.”
“Then you’re accepting my proposal?”
“If a few conditions are met—yes, I’ll accept.”
Jeong Bo-hoon wore the expression of someone who knew the inevitable had arrived.
“Go ahead and tell me.”
“You’re quite impatient. First, don’t die—stay as Director for life. I need that if I’m going to accomplish everything I want.”
As Jin-young looked at the Intelligence Department Director, a faint madness glinted in his eyes.
Jeong Bo-hoon felt something had gone terribly wrong, but it was already too late—he had overturned the water himself.
If he had to name the most regrettable day of his life, today would probably be it.
***
After somehow succeeding in meeting the Intelligence Department Director, Jin-young finished his meal and returned home.
He had already made his first request: to let him freely make use of Agent Na Ji-hwan whenever he wanted.
The rest could wait until he officially became an agent.
Jeong Bo-hoon had accepted immediately without even asking for Na Ji-hwan’s opinion.
‘Not that I’m holding any grudge, of course.’
『Humans have so many unnecessary emotions.』
The tentacles suddenly spoke up.
Jin-young had one question he wanted to ask once proper conversation with them became possible.
‘What exactly are you? Do you remember where you came from?’
『I am me. I was born here.』
It seemed they remembered nothing.
Uncovering the tentacles’ true identity would have to be postponed.
‘Is the place you live in my subspace storage?’
『It seems so. It’s getting bigger, which is nice.』
‘If you’re fused with my subspace or something like that, could you store items in my place?’
『Maybe.』
Jin-young picked up the smartphone within easy reach and commanded the tentacles to come out.
A single strand emerged from his chest and snatched the phone.
Swoosh—
It was immediately sucked into the subspace storage.
The result was a success.
‘A combo of absorbing all a Mine’s mana and then compressing the corpse into storage should work.’
『I can take things out too.』
The tentacles spat the smartphone back out.
‘Any other abilities you’ve discovered?’
『I can parasitize a portion of myself onto a living being with mana.』
‘Hmm? Tell me more.’
『I learned it while absorbing the Mine. But since it’s outside the subspace, they don’t live long.』
‘Can you share consciousness with the parasite?’
『I can at least sense its location.』
Jin-young thought this was a fairly useful ability.
***
The Scavenger Kwon Jong-yun, who had safely escaped the contaminated zone thanks to Chae Jin-young’s help.
He visited an abandoned factory at the request of his lifesaver.
He had arranged to meet the Dark Horse villain who had given him the job.
Since they had met before, it wasn’t particularly difficult.
The only thing making him anxious was that he hadn’t collected much Pollutium.
After waiting for a while, he heard murmuring voices.
Not just one—multiple villains were approaching.
Unprepared for this development, Kwon Jong-yun swallowed nervously.
The door opened, and six villains entered.
The man in the center waved his hand and spoke.
“Hey, junk collector. You actually made it back alive? But you’re alone?”
“Yes, just me.”
“Why?”
“We were attacked by a Mine during Pollutium exploration. After getting scattered, I couldn’t reach anyone.”
“You ran into a Mine? Talk about rotten luck. Tsk tsk.”
The villain clicked his tongue and shook his head.
“So this is all you managed to mine?”
Kwon Jong-yun took out a small box from his bag.
It was barely the size of two fists combined.
When he opened the lid, it wasn’t even full—only a handful of Pollutium fragments.
Pollutium separated from Creep still carried a faint toxicity.
The villain inspected the contents, closed the lid, and snatched the box away.
“Good work.”
“The promised money…”
“Money? Oh, right.”
The villain rummaged in his pocket, then suddenly drew a dagger and said,
“Here’s your severance pay, you bastard.”
Swoosh—
Caught off guard by the sudden attack, Kwon Jong-yun barely managed to throw himself backward to dodge.
If his reaction had been even slightly slower, his head would have been taken clean off.
“What the hell is this all of a sudden…?”
“Hah, the bastard who should’ve died back there—why the fuck did you come back alive? Annoying piece of shit.”
The villain grimaced and readjusted his grip on the dagger.
Kwon Jong-yun trembled with rage at the sheer viciousness of the Dark Horse bastards.
No matter how villainous an organization was, treating a mercenary this way was beyond the pale.
Dark Horse hadn’t been this bad before—that’s why he had trusted them enough to take the job.
If he’d known he’d get stabbed in the back like this, he never would have accepted, nor would he have agreed to Chae Jin-young’s request.
Just as that thought crossed his mind,
Kwon Jong-yun’s eyes widened.
Seeing his expression, the villain smirked.
“So you thought I’d turn around like an idiot if you—”
Crackle-crackle—
A sandstorm appeared out of nowhere and enveloped the villain’s entire body.
“Argh! Fuck, what is this?!”
The villain, still able to turn his head, strained to look behind him.
There he saw his comrades similarly bound by sand.
Their mouths were even covered, preventing them from speaking.
“Which bastard is this?! Let me go! You think you can touch us and walk away?!”
The villain kept shouting, still completely out of it.
Kwon Jong-yun brightened when he saw Chae Jin-young appear beyond the villains.
“You came at the perfect time.”
“I’ve been here the whole time.”
“Of course you were—thorough as always!”
Kwon Jong-yun let out a quiet sigh of relief in his heart.
Chae Jin-young, standing in front of the villains, scanned them briefly.
Then he fixed his gaze on the one in the center and said,
“You’re the highest-ranking one here, right?”
“What do you care, you piece of shit?”
The villain sneered viciously and spat the insult.
Chae Jin-young paid it no mind and looked at the others.
“I have more confidence in my ability to talk than this guy. Raise your hand if you agree.”
“Mmph…!”
“Mmph!”
The gagged villains thrashed desperately.
They wanted to raise their hands, but the sand binding their bodies made it impossible.
“With so many eager participants, do I really have any reason to keep you alive?”
“Then just kill me.”
The villain didn’t flinch at Chae Jin-young’s threat.
“Hm. Guess you’re the right choice after all.”
As Chae Jin-young clenched both fists,
Crunch—
“Grraaah!”
“Guh…!”
The four villains excluding the leader were strangled by the sand and suffocated to death.
The last one—the defiant one—was also strangled, but
“Grrrk…”
He was only knocked unconscious right before death.
Chae Jin-young approached the collapsed, eyes-rolled-back insolent man.
A single black tentacle emerged from his chest.
Splat—
A black fragment detached from the tentacle’s tip and wriggled its way into the villain’s nostril.