Chapter 101: The Enemy Within (1)
“If what this guy said is true… what do we do now?”
Shin Soo-jeong asked with a face full of worry.
“What do you mean, what do we do? We just prepare even more thoroughly.”
Chae Jin-young stored the Heavenly Thunder Divine Sword back into his sub-space and spoke nonchalantly.
He had always known this day would come, so he wasn’t greatly shaken.
From his memories before regression, the appearance of disaster-grade dungeons didn’t immediately lead to the Demon King’s descent.
However, GODS would act far more boldly than before, and with more dungeons appearing, gate overflows would occur that much more frequently.
That was precisely why he had been raising Korea’s hunters all this time—and even gathering hunters from around the world.
“Prepare? Hehehe… How arrogant you are, false prophet. The advent of the new world has already—”
Gack!
Yukio, spitting as he ranted fervently, suddenly widened his eyes and began choking.
His neck slowly constricted under psychokinesis, flesh and muscle visibly shrinking.
Crack-crack-crack—
His cervical vertebrae crumbled to powder, and his head separated from his body, collapsing.
“Now it’s quiet.”
“…….”
Shin Soo-jeong swallowed hard.
She had seen all kinds of gruesome scenes in her hunter life, but this was a first.
She still wasn’t mentally prepared to grow accustomed to Chae Jin-young’s various execution methods.
Even so, she didn’t lose her composure.
“We failed to stop the relay zones from activating… so the mission was a failure. I’m sorry.”
At Shin Soo-jeong’s words, Chae Jin-young shook his head.
“But you stopped the terrorism. If a large-scale massacre had happened, we wouldn’t have even noticed the relay zones.”
“…That’s true.”
She nodded as if surprised.
In moments like this, Chae Jin-young showed a subtly human side.
“Anyway, that’s that. There’s a mountain of things to do as soon as we get back. I’ll head out first.”
“Yes. I’ll contact the Intelligence Department Director.”
Tzzzzzt—
Chae Jin-young nodded and was about to open a portal to return to Seoul.
At that moment—
Beep beep beep—
An emergency alert rang from his watch.
The sender displayed the codename ‘Pigeon.’
Chae Jin-young immediately operated the watch to initiate communication.
But no sound came from the other side.
“Pigeon Senior. What’s going on?”
Then a voice answered.
―Pigeon doesn’t have much time left.
It wasn’t the voice of the senior he knew.
***
“Is that true?”
Jeong Bo-hoon, who had been sitting in his chair resting, shot to his feet.
Shin Soo-jeong’s voice came through his earpiece.
―Yes. Fortunately, the GODS member who tried to attack Ulsan was dealt with by Psycho-nim. Their goal was to cause simultaneous terrorism worldwide while simultaneously activating the relay zones.
“It’s fortunate Ulsan was protected… but I’m worried about the other countries.”
―I was just about to contact the Chairman, but I can’t reach him. I hope nothing’s happened…
“It’ll be fine. Yes. Then…”
Jeong Bo-hoon ended the call with Shin Soo-jeong and left the room.
Since this was one of the Intelligence Department’s safe houses on the outskirts of Busan, the corridor was wrapped in silence and stillness.
He moved to the room where he had been interrogating Chairwoman Cheon Ji-hee of the Busan Metropolitan Council.
There, Eun Ji-eun was guarding the captured yakuza group and the Sacred Faction boss from the Black Society.
“Huh? Didn’t you say you were going to rest?”
Eun Ji-eun, who had been left alone to watch them, turned and asked.
“I have something to confirm.”
Jeong Bo-hoon approached Chairwoman Cheon Ji-hee.
She had grown noticeably haggard, but her eyes were still alive.
“I’ve said everything I have to say.”
“Is that so? This is the first I’m hearing about a large-scale massacre planned in Ulsan.”
“…What?”
Cheon Ji-hee’s eyes widened at Jeong Bo-hoon’s words.
“There’s no use denying it now. We have a direct report from Hunter Shin Soo-jeong.”
“That’s… that’s impossible. He definitely said there wouldn’t be any civilian casualties in Korea…”
Jeong Bo-hoon looked at her excuses with pity.
Then, barely controlling his anger, he snapped.
“Just what do you think GODS is? Because of your arrogance and ignorance, tens of thousands nearly died unjustly. Do you understand?”
Thanks to the sacrifices of hunters including Chae Jin-young, GODS could no longer wield the power they once had.
Perhaps because of that, people were gradually losing their sense of caution toward GODS—and some were even starting to join hands with them.
“…….”
Cheon Ji-hee truly hadn’t known they were planning a massacre in Ulsan. Her face was a twisted mix of injustice, regret, and shame.
She finally seemed to realize what she had done just to extend her political career a little longer.
Jeong Bo-hoon took out a cigarette with a complicated heart, lit it, and spoke again with regained calm.
“This is just the beginning, Chairwoman. If you don’t reveal the full list of those involved, there will be a second, third terrorism incident. Who was it? The one who leaked the classified information about our agent’s Russia trip.”
Cheon Ji-hee’s lips trembled for a moment before she finally opened her mouth, as if having made up her mind.
“Yeon Jae-won…”
“……!”
The moment he heard the name, Jeong Bo-hoon dropped the cigarette he had just put in his mouth.
“The Director of the National Intelligence Service is involved.”
At Cheon Ji-hee’s words, Jeong Bo-hoon pressed his forehead.
Eun Ji-eun, standing beside him, spoke with a grave expression.
“Director. If this gets out…”
“For now, keep it from Psycho. If this goes wrong, the entire Korean government could collapse.”
***
“Down with the Communist Party!”
“Dismantle it!”
“Stop them!”
In Beijing’s Tiananmen Square, China, two waves clashed violently.
Since Liu Qinglong’s purge of GODS, demonstrations to overthrow the utterly incompetent Communist Party had erupted.
And on the other side, public security forces and the People’s Army trying to suppress the protesters.
This had been inevitable ever since China’s strongest hunter, Liu Qinglong, turned his back on the Communist Party.
But at some point, the scale of the protests had grown uncontrollably, and what began as peaceful demonstrations had gradually turned violent.
“This way, nothing will ever change! We have to fight back! We have to seize it with blood!”
From the rear of the crowd, a middle-aged man shouted passionately.
His mana-infused voice spread evenly across the entire square.
Hearing it, the protesters grew even more frenzied.
Shuuu— Kwa-kwa-boom!
Tzkwa-kwa-kwa-kwa—
Hunters activated their abilities and attacked the public security and People’s Army forces, while the suppression team’s hunters fought back.
In an instant, Tiananmen Square turned into pandemonium.
The man who had incited the crowd smirked.
GODS had quickly shifted their strategy.
Instead of direct terrorism, they now incited social conflicts to cause indirect terrorism.
This tactic wasn’t limited to China—it was happening worldwide.
The effect was especially pronounced in nations with unstable regimes like China.
As he watched the clash between protesters and the People’s Army, a woman approached the man.
“Prophet Zhang Weiren. Liu Qinglong is on his way back.”
“Really? It’s been a while since I’ve seen him, but… Father’s orders came, so I have to withdraw. With this, the activation of Okinawa should go without a hitch.”
Prophet Zhang Weiren smacked his lips in regret but had no choice but to obey the Godfather’s command.
After Taiwan was blocked last time, GODS had shifted the relay zone to Okinawa.
With Tachibana Yutaro in seclusion and his subordinate Yamakawa Shinichi off in Korea, there was nothing to worry about in Japan.
The only remaining thorn—Liu Qinglong—had been drawn to the protest site, so there were no more obstacles.
“Now all that’s left are Cyprus and Puerto Rico.”
“Prophet Belanov is handling Cyprus, and Prophet Malone is taking Puerto Rico personally.”
“A rematch between old enemies, huh. Shame I can’t watch it in person.”
Having sufficiently inflamed the crowd, Zhang Weiren and his subordinate vanished like smoke.
***
Krrrr— Krrrr— Krrrrrr—
Red lightning fell from a clear sky.
Deep in the contaminated zone of Puerto Rico, an unexpected disaster was unfolding.
Crackle— Pzzzzzt!
Hannah Adams, shield deployed, could do nothing but block.
The gap had grown far too wide.
Opposite her stood a young man at ease. No—calling him human was already pushing it.
Red scales covered his skin. Two horns sprouted from his head, and a tail swayed behind him.
It looked like a dragon in human form.
“Oh, Hannah. Why have you gotten so weak since we last met? Or have I just gotten stronger?”
Kwa-kwa-kwa-boom—
Thick lightning slammed into the blue shield, causing her body to stagger.
“Kgh……”
She didn’t want to admit it, but Prophet Edgar Malone had become overwhelmingly powerful—untouchable.
Counterattacking was out of the question.
If she diverted even a fraction of mana from maintaining the shield, she wouldn’t be able to block the attacks.
The moment she used mana for anything else, her body would be torn apart by that wrathful lightning.
Moreover, being deep in the contaminated zone gave Prophet Edgar the advantage of terrain.
“Hmm, I didn’t expect it to be this easy. Maybe I should’ve gone easier on you.”
Edgar spoke with a light laugh.
“Edgar… you’ve finally abandoned yourself completely…”
Hannah barely managed to force out the words.
“Abandoned myself…? Honestly, I abandoned myself a long time ago. And you know exactly who made me do it. Right? You know it!”
Edgar’s expression suddenly twisted in anger as he shouted.
Kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa-boom!
An even thicker bolt of lightning slammed into her shield.
Crack-crack-crash!
The shield shattered into pieces, leaving her completely exposed.
Hannah had already expended massive amounts of mana maintaining the shield.
But true to her Zero-Grade title, she quickly drew up new mana and prepared for the next attack.
Of course, Edgar—who had already surpassed Zero-Grade—was one step ahead.
Swoosh—
He moved at a speed even Zero-Grade eyes couldn’t track.
By the time she tried to release mana, it was already too late.
Thud—!
A straight punch drove straight into her abdomen.
“……!”
Hannah’s eyes bulged as blood sprayed from her mouth, and she was sent flying hundreds of meters in an instant.
Edgar, about to follow up with the next attack, shook his head violently to regain control.
“Ah, damn. I almost killed her without realizing it. Father warned me.”
“Cough…”
Hannah collapsed to the ground, vomiting dark blood.
A monster.
She was already circulating mana through her body to heal her internal injuries, but she was barely clinging to life.
The moment her mana ran out, her life would be in jeopardy.
The prophets of GODS were no longer at the level she once knew.
If she hadn’t been Zero-Grade, that single punch might have exploded her body like a balloon.
Edgar approached slowly—yet in the blink of an eye—right in front of Hannah.
He grabbed her by the collar and lifted her up to his eye level.
Her feet dangled helplessly in the air.
“Tell the false prophet exactly this: If he interferes with GODS’s great cause any further, I’ll show him what true hell looks like.”
“…Hehehe.”
At those words, Hannah suddenly let out a mad laugh.
Edgar furrowed his brow.
“Funny?”
“You’re the ones who should be careful. Psycho is stronger than you.”
“…….”
The words seemed to strike his pride; the hand gripping her collar tightened.
Hannah was on the verge of suffocation, but she showed no sign of pain.
She had used her Mind Control ability on herself, blocking all sensation.
Edgar, nearly losing control in a flash of rage, slammed her into the ground.
Kwaaaang!
She crashed straight through the earth.
Breathing heavily to suppress his anger, Edgar spoke.
“Consider yourself lucky you survived thanks to Father’s mercy. But… the false prophet will die for sure. By my hand.”
Edgar extended his hand toward the depths of the contaminated zone.
Jet-black mana burst from his palm.
Gurgle— guuurrrrgle—
On the Creep, the Devil’s Flower rapidly extended its stem.
Tzzzzzt— Kudududu…
Huge petals unfurled, revealing a massive eyeball.
Tzzzzzt—
A red-haired man rose from the Creep.
***
GODS test subject, No. 78, walked through the contaminated zone.
Cyprus and Puerto Rico—the prophets had completed the activation of the relay zones.
After Sri Lanka and Okinawa, he had finally arrived at the last one: Iceland.
Once this relay zone was activated, all preparations would be complete.
The world’s Zero-Grade hunters were preoccupied with simultaneous terrorist attacks, civil wars, and other chaos.
Iceland—practically abandoned land—received no attention from anyone in this situation.
“Boring.”
No. 78 felt his body itch with restlessness, but he was barely holding back due to the Godfather’s orders.
Complete the mission quietly and return.
For him, it was difficult to obey, but somehow he was managing.
“This should be about right.”
Deep inside the contaminated zone, he began releasing red mana.
Kududududu…
Crimson mana spread like fog, even pushing back the poison deep within the zone.
And then, a massive stem began rising from the Creep.
The Devil’s Flower devoured No. 78’s mana and grew rapidly, just about to fully bloom—
Bang—
A gunshot tore through the air, and a mana bullet flew toward No. 78.
The bullet, carrying considerable mana, didn’t even reach him.
Pssss…
The moment it touched the red mana fog, it turned to dust and scattered.
“No way……”
A Korean Intelligence Department secret agent, wearing contaminated zone protective gear, let out a groan.
It had been a carefully suppressed surprise attack, yet it was blocked so utterly futilely.
The American secret agent beside him also wore a grave expression.
“It seems we can’t handle him on our own.”
“But we can’t reach Hunter Marc right now. Same with Chairwoman Hannah.”
The connection to France’s Zero-Grade Marc Diaby—who was supposed to support Iceland—had been lost.
The same went for Federation Chairwoman Hannah Adams.
At that moment, No. 78’s mouth tore open in a wide grin.
“Toys have arrived. Hehehehehe……”
“Defend—”
Just as the American agent began raising mana—
Pu-kwa-kwa-kwak!
A horrific sound came from the side.
Red blood and chunks of flesh splattered onto the Korean agent’s face.
The American agent had exploded in an instant.
“I failed to control my strength and broke him. I wanted to play longer.”
No. 78 smacked his lips in regret.
The Korean agent desperately tried to operate his watch in secret for one last communication.
But their eyes met.
Pu-kwak—
“Arghhh!”
The wrist wearing the watch exploded.
“Why are you playing with toys all by yourself? You should play with me. Hehehehik.”
No. 78 approached the Korean agent while laughing like a madman.
“Krrgh…”
The agent collapsed to the ground, clutching his wrist as blood poured out.
No. 78 paused midway, picked up the watch.
A voice came from it.
―Pigeon Senior. What’s going on? Why aren’t you answering?
“Pigeon doesn’t have much time left. He’s going to play with me. Hehehehehe…”
No. 78 muttered into the watch.
“You want to come play too? Why no answer? Let’s play. I was so bored. Hehehe.”
He tossed the watch away when no more response came.
Pssss…
The watch turned to dust and scattered.
The secret agent stared at it in despair.
No. 78 smacked his lips again and approached once more.
“Looks like the new friend isn’t coming. Just the two of us…”
The next moment.
Tzzzzzt—
A black makeshift portal opened behind No. 78.
A man in a black suit stepped out.
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