Chapter 28: Ant Hell (1)
“Where was that Songchon factory explosion a few days ago? Did you manage to get any information on that place?”
Jin-young asked while walking through the contaminated zone. Choi Hee-yeon nodded in response.
“The collapsed factory belonged to a small company called Mujin Industries, but it turns out the owner is a distant relative of Shin Young Group Chairman Jeon Young-soo. According to our investigation, it was a facility producing a cure for Black Rose addiction.”
“A cure for Black Rose?”
“Yes. The massacre at Shin Young Pharmaceutical’s research institute that happened on the same day is also presumed to involve researchers working on Black Rose treatment and development.”
“Hmm.”
Jin-young stroked his chin in thought.
The Black Rose cure wasn’t supposed to appear this quickly.
Back then, the issue of addiction had only gradually spread among Hunters, and it wasn’t until the massive incident—like what happened with Eun Ji-eun, where over three thousand ordinary people were sacrificed in one go due to side effects—that its severity truly came to light.
It seemed that because Jin-young had disrupted the Black Rose-related plans several times, they had accelerated the schedule.
‘Or maybe the cure was already being developed in advance.’
At the time, Min Hae-joon was known for not being involved in Black Rose development, yet in the end, he was the one who produced and sold the cure.
He played the role of a beloved public figure while raking in enormous profits at the same time.
This was the first time Jin-young had met Min Hae-joon face-to-face, but he was the kind of person who wouldn’t hesitate to do far worse things.
Of course, this time, unfortunately for him, the contaminated zone restoration would “fail,” and he would meet the fate of being “processed as missing.”
“Have you identified the two individuals captured on CCTV from the Shin Young Pharmaceutical massacre?”
Dolsae, who had been listening to the conversation, suddenly interjected.
“Both are villains with red-grade bounties from the International Awakener Federation: Layla Piper, a 1st-grade villain from Germany, and Jacob Harrison, a 1st-grade villain from the United Kingdom.”
“What are their unique abilities?”
“Layla Piper is confirmed to have Gravity Manipulation and Teleportation. Jacob Harrison is only known for Sensory Manipulation. There’s information suggesting he can create a special domain, but details are unclear.”
The International Awakener Federation divided villain bounties into five levels:
Green, Blue, Yellow, Red, and Black.
Since the Great Change, only three individuals had ever received black-grade bounties.
Two of them belonged to GODS.
Even red-grade alone signified an incredibly dangerous villain.
In Korea up to now, yellow-grade villains had been almost nonexistent—excluding those who had already fled the country long ago.
In any case, red-grade villains almost always belonged to some organization.
“GODS bastards.”
Dolsae’s face hardened. He never imagined GODS would appear in Korea.
While GODS operated all over the world, they had never directly shown themselves in Korea before.
That was why, even though people knew of their existence, few in Korea felt much anxiety or paid them serious attention.
Only high-grade Hunters dispatched overseas would truly feel their threat.
Of course, the Intelligence Department—active not just domestically but internationally—knew very well.
Just how powerful and dangerous they really were.
Choi Hee-yeon continued.
“The GODS villains who massacred the Shin Young Pharmaceutical researchers are also likely the ones who blew up the factory.”
“Probably. But why would they target Shin Young Group? Were they after money?”
At Dolsae’s question, Jin-young shook his head.
“Not Shin Young Group. They were targeting SP Guild.”
“Hmm… that makes sense too.”
Jin-young speculated that because of the disruptions he had caused, Min Hae-joon had moved more hastily than before, prompting GODS’ intervention.
If something hadn’t happened in the previous timeline, it almost certainly had something to do with him.
Still, it seemed there was some kind of issue between Min Hae-joon and GODS.
‘Or maybe personal conflict.’
It didn’t really matter.
The more accurate information would naturally come out once he had a proper conversation with the parties involved.
As they continued advancing through the contaminated zone without encountering any combat, Choi Hee-yeon suddenly spoke.
“By the way… this doesn’t feel like the Hongcheon Contaminated Zone I knew. There are hardly any monsters or Creepers.”
It was because Jin-young had previously detonated Creepers along this route on purpose, drawing all the monsters here and wiping them out.
Since this path had a relatively high density of high-risk monsters, it didn’t overlap with the easier route SP Guild had chosen.
And since they already had their plan laid out, they wouldn’t change course just because this area had been cleaned up.
“I cleared it out a while ago.”
“By yourself?”
“Yeah. Want to come together next time?”
At Dolsae’s question, Jin-young threw it back.
If this had been a short while ago—or if it had been anyone other than Jin-young—people would have called him insane.
But now that they knew Jin-young’s real strength, Dolsae actually saw it as a great opportunity.
“Can I learn how to survive properly in a contaminated zone?”
“Of course. There’s nothing that can’t be done.”
“Tsk… saying it like that somehow makes me anxious…”
“I’m definitely in.”
Choi Hee-yeon raised her hand enthusiastically.
“As expected of Senior Advisor—decisive and refreshing. Unlike a certain low-rank guy who keeps checking the water temperature.”
At Jin-young’s jab, Dolsae flared up.
“What did you say, punk? I was going to do it too! A real man doesn’t pass up an opportunity like this.”
Dolsae flexed his muscular body as he spoke.
And at that moment—
“Wait a second.”
Jin-young raised his right hand and came to a halt.
The moment the two agents turned to look at him—
Kwaaaaaang—!
A tremendous explosion erupted far in the distance, and a storm of toxic fog began surging toward them like a tidal wave.
***
“You made a mistake capturing me. If you let me go now, I’ll pretend none of this happened.”
Inside the thick, poisonous black fog.
Kneeling with her limbs bound and no oxygen mask, the woman glared venomously as she spoke.
2nd-grade Hunter and SP Guild’s Secretary General, Shin Hye-yeon.
She was continuously controlling the mana radiating from her body to block out the Creep’s toxicity.
“What’s this woman been yapping about since earlier? Can you say it in English? German would be even better.”
Layla glanced at Shin Hye-yeon and said.
Unlike her, Layla was wearing an oxygen mask.
Even as 1st-grade Hunters, staying in an area with such dense toxic fog consumed a massive amount of mana.
Jacob, not wanting to waste mana either, spoke while wearing his mask.
“If you don’t let me go, you’ll regret it—something like that, I suppose.”
“Oh, you know some Korean?”
“I’m just guessing from her expression and tone.”
“That’s impressive too.”
“……”
Jacob ignored her nonsense and began driving blue stakes into the Creep-covered ground.
Meanwhile, Layla slowly approached the bound Shin Hye-yeon.
Shin Hye-yeon lifted her head to glare at her and said,
“If our Master finds out about this, you won’t leave here alive.”
“Ah, she’s so noisy. What’s she saying?”
“Something about Min Hae-joon not letting us go.”
When Jacob calmly translated, Layla whipped her head around.
“You speak Korean?”
“I’m guessing.”
Seeing his shameless expression, Layla turned her gaze back to Shin Hye-yeon.
“Looks like grabbing you was the right call. You know what Min’s hiding, don’t you?”
“Hiding? You mean the bastard child you abandoned in a brothel?”
Shin Hye-yeon could speak English, but she deliberately kept answering in Korean.
The moment Jacob began translating for Layla—
Krrraaack—!
Shin Hye-yeon’s right thigh was crushed like a pancake, blood bursting out.
“Urk…!”
“Wow, you’re enduring this?”
Madness flickered in Layla’s eyes.
Jacob paused driving the stakes, turned toward the woman, and activated his ability.
Sensory Manipulation.
He drastically amplified her pain, causing Shin Hye-yeon’s eyes to roll back.
Instead of a scream, white foam poured from her mouth.
“Kekeke, look at this bitch suffering!”
Layla laughed like a lunatic.
Jacob, with a bored expression, activated his ability again—reducing her pain sharply.
Then he amplified pleasure instead.
Her pupils dilated, and a dazed smile spread across her lips.
“Feels good now, huh? Let’s try again. Min’s hiding something from us, right? Tell me. Who knows? Maybe we’ll let you live.”
Layla twirled her hair around her finger as she continued.
“……”
But Shin Hye-yeon simply stared at her in silence.
Layla smirked.
“We were told not to kill Min, but everyone else is fair game. You’re fine with dying like this, right?”
By then, Jacob had finished planting the stakes and walked over to Layla’s side.
Sixteen stakes now formed a wide circle around them.
With a wave of his hand, the stakes turned transparent and completely vanished.
“Preparations are complete.”
“Really? Then let’s begin.”
Swoosh—
Layla vanished from her spot the moment she finished speaking.
Jacob released black mana from his body.
High-ranking members of GODS had portions of their mana permanently polluted black—even without drinking Black Rose.
Kwa-ts-ts-ts—
The black mana swirled violently around him before gathering in his right hand.
Then he placed that hand on top of Shin Hye-yeon’s head as she knelt.
“What the hell are you…?”
Shin Hye-yeon shuddered violently at the ominous sensation.
Even though Layla had disappeared and gravity manipulation was no longer in effect, an overwhelming pressure kept her body from moving.
Jacob looked down at her with an emotionless face and said,
“In the name of GODS.”
Shwaaaaak—
Suddenly, Shin Hye-yeon’s entire body turned pitch black.
Kwaaaaaang—!
Her body exploded, and in an instant, the thick toxic fog that had filled the entire area was blown away.
Even the Creep covering the ground was partially torn off and scattered.
But it quickly wriggled and refilled the surface.
The toxic fog was pushed outward beyond the stake boundary, but the explosive energy remained trapped inside.
Swoosh—
Layla reappeared beside Jacob.
Ssssssh—
With a flick of Jacob’s hand, the Creep surged upward, following his movement.
Now that the boundary was filled with energy, Jacob could control the Creep.
Layla smirked as she spoke.
“I wonder what our Min is hiding? I hope he hurries up and comes already!”
***
Pshwaaaak—!
In an instant, a 3rd-grade monster was minced into tens of thousands of tiny chunks.
Min Hae-joon’s Pulverize ability tore through the swarm of monsters charging from the front.
Meanwhile, dozens of 4th- to 5th-grade monsters targeted the rear.
The number easily exceeded thirty.
In comparison, excluding Min Hae-joon himself, there were only fifteen guild members.
A roughly five- to six-fold difference in numbers.
Yet none of them retreated.
Ziiing— Pshwaaak!
A grotesque spider-like monster was pierced from head to torso by a pure white beam.
It was Chae So-young’s ray attack.
‘She’s definitely reached 4th grade now.’
After absorbing the mana crystals her brother had given her, she had achieved explosive growth.
She hadn’t yet undergone an official grade inspection, so she was still classified as 5th grade, but in reality, she had already reached 4th grade.
The other guild members swung swords, hurled fireballs, and fought fiercely.
Swaaaa— Kwaaaang!
They swiftly cut down the incoming monsters.
Normally, against monsters of similar grade, even one-on-one combat was barely winnable.
But the SP Guild was one of Korea’s three major guilds—each member could easily handle monsters of their own level.
Moreover, they had brought only the most elite members and rookies with limitless potential, so it was only natural.
The one who stood out the most was, without question, Min Hae-joon.
Unlike his usual raid style, he slaughtered monsters at incredible speed while advancing forward.
The guild members handling the relatively weaker monsters were struggling to keep up.
“Master is increasing the pace! Clear them faster!”
Lee Se-han, who had taken over as operation team leader in place of the missing Oh Jong-yeon, shouted.
The guild members fought desperately, even downing mana potions.
Chae So-young, still officially perceived as 5th grade, conserved her strength and blended in among the others.
It was the first time she had seen Min Hae-joon look so rushed.
‘I hope nothing’s wrong…’
Just as she began to worry about her brother—
“The fog zone is right ahead. Regroup!”
The guild members came to a halt before the rapidly thickening black fog zone.
They finished off the remaining monsters and caught their breath.
Entering the fog zone meant they were approaching the core area.
Of course, Hongcheon was massive, so the core itself was vast.
In the core zone, even the weakest monsters were said to start at 3rd-grade danger level.
No one knew exactly how many monsters were waiting inside.
And high-risk Creepers would surely be present as well.
The lingering ghosts of Hunters who had failed in the initial contaminated zone suppression and died.
“Let’s move out immediately.”
Min Hae-joon spoke quietly to the guild members who were catching their breath.
Unlike them, he showed no sign of fatigue at all.
They could have grumbled about the forced march, but every one of them trusted and followed Min Hae-joon completely.
As Min Hae-joon stepped into the fog first, the guild members quickly followed.
Chae So-young advanced with all her senses on high alert.
What she needed to watch out for wasn’t just monsters and Creepers.
While pushing through the fog, she suddenly flinched in shock.
Kwaaaaaang—!
“Huh?”
Not only Chae So-young, but the entire guild froze at the tremendous explosion, immediately readying for combat.
But Min Hae-joon turned toward the direction of the blast and said,
“Let’s head to where the explosion came from.”
No one questioned whether it was safe.
For the first time, urgency was visible on Min Hae-joon’s usually calm and composed face.
As they moved toward the source of the explosion, the toxic fog suddenly cleared, revealing a clear area like the entrance zone.
And standing in the center— A pair of foreign man and woman.
They didn’t look like Creepers, but since they were strangers, the guild members immediately went on high alert.
But Min Hae-joon approached them with a smile.
“Layla, Jacob. Have you been waiting long?”
In response, Layla suddenly grabbed Min Hae-joon’s chin and pulled him close.
The startled guild members prepared to attack, but Min Hae-joon immediately raised his hand to stop them.
“Min, did my warning feel like child’s play to you?”
“Of course not.”
Min Hae-joon recalled the incidents from a few days ago.
The factory producing a cure for Black Rose had been completely destroyed.
Not only that, but the core personnel of Shin Young Pharmaceutical’s R&D department, who were researching and developing the cure, had been massacred.
Shin Young Group had controlled the media so the truth didn’t leak, but Min Hae-joon knew better than anyone.
Layla had personally told him during their last meeting to discuss the plan.
“Do you know how much I wanted to kill you when I first heard that story?”
“Haha, did I hear that wrong? Could you say it again?”
Layla spoke with a grotesque smile.
Min Hae-joon gently pushed away the hand gripping his chin and said,
“But how could I possibly kill the esteemed members of GODS? We’re comrades sharing the same goal, aren’t we?”
“Comrades? Us? You really think that?”
Layla laughed like a madwoman as she looked at Min Hae-joon.
Chae So-young and the other guild members felt the uneasy atmosphere flowing between Min Hae-joon and Layla.
But since they didn’t fully understand their relationship, they hesitated to intervene.
“Layla. Min. The plan comes first, right?”
At Jacob’s words, Min Hae-joon nodded and approached him.
“Of course. Our grand plan for those who will become the gods of the new world.”
Then, suddenly, he scanned the surroundings and scratched his head.
“Hmm… But did you bring my pet dog that was guarding my house and use it as a sacrifice?”
“What? Are you actually sad that your precious person got killed?”
At Layla’s words, Min Hae-joon shook his head.
“I’m still human, after all. I get angry when someone damages my possessions.”
“Good. Now show your true colors. Tell us what you’ve been hiding from us.”
“Haha… Actually, that was my plan all along.”
The moment Min Hae-joon began releasing black mana—
Jacob manipulated the Creep to bind Min Hae-joon’s feet.
“Master!”
The guild members tried to rush to his aid, but they froze mid-step.
Ssssssh—
Suddenly, pitch-black mana enveloped Min Hae-joon’s entire body.
He looked exactly like a Creeper fully eroded by the Creep.
“Ooooh, Min! When did you start hiding an ability like that?”
Layla’s eyes gleamed with madness as she stared at Min Hae-joon.
“Sigh… I was planning to let it slide today. But it seems you’ll have to become my offerings instead. This is just too unbalanced.”
At those words, the Creep binding his feet merged into his body.
Kwaaaaaaaa—!
A violent black mana storm erupted from him, once again filling the surroundings with dark fog.
Yet Layla giggled with delight.
“Kekeke. Our Min, you were hiding something like that?”
Kwaaaang!
In an instant, Min Hae-joon was crushed by overwhelming gravity and slammed into the Creep.
At the same time, the Creep opened its maw-like surface and swallowed his entire body.
“Tell us what you’ve been scheming behind GODS’ back. Maybe we’ll let you live?”
Layla smirked as she spoke toward Min Hae-joon, now buried in the Creep.
Soon after, Min Hae-joon’s voice echoed through the Creep in every direction.
―It seems I can’t fully exert my power inside Jacob’s domain. I’ll have to change the plan.
“I don’t care about that crap.”
At Min Hae-joon’s words, Layla dug into her ear and intensified the gravity even further.
Crack— Krrraaack—
Min Hae-joon’s body was steadily flattened under the crushing pressure.
Team Leader Lee Se-han, watching the situation, made his decision.
Something felt off, but Min Hae-joon was their Master. They had to save him.
As the guild members moved toward Min Hae-joon—
Swoosh—!
Black hands burst out from the Creep enveloping him, seizing the guild members, Layla, and Jacob.
Layla and Jacob shook off the black hands and dodged, but—
“Argh! M-Master! It’s us!”
Team Leader Lee Se-han and the others were instantly bound by the black hands.
―There is only one thing you can do for me.
Be good nutrients.
Squelch—!
Lee Se-han’s vitality and mana were completely drained by the black hands, causing his body to shrivel.
The captured guild members suffered the same fate in an instant.
Then, the Creep covering Min Hae-joon began to swell.
As if still lacking, black arms moved across the surface of the Creep, searching for more sacrifices.
They soon spotted Chae So-young and one remaining guild member trying to hide in the black fog.
“Eek! S-Save…!”
The other guild member was caught in an instant.
―You had a separate role to play, but for now… quietly…
Just as a black hand reached for Chae So-young—
Her body was suddenly yanked backward as if pulled by something, flying into the black fog.
And then—
Whooooooosh—
A massive sandstorm swept over the entire area.