Chapter 23: An unstoppable flow.(2)

The hope that things really were different this time.

The expectation that this wasn’t just talk, and that real villains might actually be purged. Because of this, even ordinary citizens were reacting passionately.

「Expectations that this time is different! Ordinary citizens lead the charge with intense reactions…」

─ If even Cheon Tae-san is on the move, then this time it’s for real! ─

ㄴ Bak Young-hwan has been sharpening his blade, and it looks like he finally caught them.

ㄴ Exactly. Those villain bastards are definitely getting crushed this time.

ㄴ The hunter participation rate is incomparable to the past.

ㄴ They’ve really set the stage this time!

ㄴ Let’s go!

While ordinary people were excited by the prospect of the loathsome villains being cleaned up, the villains themselves were in a state of chaos.

“It looks like we’re really screwed this time.”

“The hunters are uniting their strength.”

“It was like this in the past, too. If we scatter and lay low for a while, things will quiet down soon enough.”

“Right. Let’s scatter for now.”

The villains prepared to disperse, as if it were every man for himself from now on.

However, there was one thing that was different from the past.

It was the voluntary participation of the citizens.

As soon as there were signs of the villains being purged, citizens began sending even the smallest bits of information to the Hunter Bureau.

— There are people suspected to be villains in the XX area…. —

— I’m in the OO district. I saw a group of suspicious people moving together…. —

— I’m reporting a tip! This place is…. —

— I think dozens of villains are running away! Please come quickly! —

The reports poured in so heavily that the Hunter Bureau staff could barely keep up.

Nevertheless, the staff stood firm, organizing the reports and passing them on to the hunters.

Knowing that this was a sign of the public’s trust—a plea to finally crush the villains—they volunteered for overtime and held their ground.

“Everyone is working hard.”

“The staff probably all joined with the desire to be of help to the country in the beginning.”

At the Bureau Director’s words, Bak Min-hye, who had become the Special Division Chief, spoke with a smile.

Everyone must have joined the Bureau with high hopes at first.

However, they eventually turned their eyes away from a rotten reality where hard work changed nothing—a reality filled with rigid structures and corruption formed through personal connections.

But things were different now.

“As long as Anonymous is here, they probably think we’ll keep trying even if we fail this time.”

Bak Min-hye nodded slightly at Bak Young-hwan’s words.

His actions had been consistent.

The incident where he publicly targeted the Monster Management Office with a raid video.

When there was no reaction, he targeted them once more.

When the political world tried to subtly hop on the bandwagon and take credit, he even\

warned that he might emigrate.

All these actions contained his distrust of the Korean hunter system.

He would likely continue to raise issues unless things were properly fixed.

And if that didn’t work?

He would actually emigrate.

From the perspective of ‘reform’ alone, this wasn’t a bad thing either.

The moment Anonymous emigrated, the protests from angry citizens would pour in, and that would provide another opportunity for change.

“Still, we should end it this time.”

“Yes.”

They had to finish it decisively when they had the chance.

It was rare for the heavy-bottomed Cheon Tae-san to move.

Since the giant guilds were also lending their strength, there would be no answer for the villains this time, no matter how much money they threw around.

“Once this matter is wrapped up well, I’ll be able to face that fellow again.”

“The non-awakened Dismantling King?”

Bak Min-hye nodded slightly at Bak Young-hwan’s question.

Back when she was the Director of the Monster Management Office, he was one of the three pillars who had opened the golden age.

The other two were awakened and craftsmen, so they lived well on their own, but he, being non-awakened, was different.

“Did you say he caught mana disease?”

“…Yes.”

“How unfortunate. Even as a non-awakened, there must have been many places calling for him.”

“It’s because of me.”

If she had remained at the Monster Management Office, he might have moved to another place without regret.

However, after she left, the two craftsmen who were the main pillars also left for other institutions, seemingly unable to bear watching the office gradually rot.

Their excuse was that they wanted to give other craftsmen a chance, but anyone could see they had run away out of exhaustion.

“It looks like the remaining craftsmen are also looking for a chance to escape.”

“That’s why we have to do this quickly.”

Bak Min-hye clenched her fist as if she would finish the reform before even the remaining personnel fled.

Bak Young-hwan, who had been staring at her, looked toward the villains resisting in the distance and spoke.

“I’ll go first.”

“I’ll go—”

“The protagonist is supposed to appear last. Let everyone know you’ve made a magnificent return.”

Saying so, he moved first.

One of the two Korean giant guilds rumored to be heavily involved with villains.

The ‘Hyungcheon Guild.’

It was a place even more malicious than the Hyeonbong Guild, which was likely being smashed by Cheon Tae-san right now.

If that side felt like they had been manipulating Korea’s slush funds through long-term contact with political and business figures, this side was the one that built a world for villains to operate in by committing all sorts of heinous crimes.

This was also the place that scammed new hunters and semi-forcibly dragged them into the villain world.

Therefore, he wanted to personally capture the Hyungcheon Guild Leader, Lee Hyung-don.

Before long, the Guild Leader and the Hunter Bureau Director stood facing each other.

“Do you think villains will disappear just because you catch us?”

“Probably not.”

Bak Young-hwan answered honestly to Lee Hyung-don, who was grinding his teeth.

“Even if we disappear, other hunters will just come from China or Japan.”

“I know. But that’s our business. Stay out of it.”

“…You’ll regret this. This decision will bring disaster to Korea…”

“Seon-hwa will take care of that. And the S-class on the other side is being handled by old man Tae-san.”

Lee Hyung-don’s expression crumpled when Bak Young-hwan spoke as if they only needed to deal with them.

It was because the two plans he had relied on had collapsed.

One was triggering a Gate Break.

The other was simultaneous terrorist attacks.

When the clear rate of the Tower was low, Gates would sometimes appear in that country, and villains would often find them first and hide them.

There was no problem if the clear was fast, but they committed the atrocity of artificially clearing only enough to keep it manageable, only to trigger a Break at a decisive moment.

The Hunter Bureau weren’t fools; they had already identified everything in advance and entrusted the handling to Kim Seon-hwa, the rank 2 hunter in Korea.

As for the second plan, the terrorist attacks, Shim Jae-bong—who had long maintained close ties with the political and business worlds—intended to trigger them through secret bases he had established throughout Korea.

This had also been blocked in advance.

The problem was that since two of Korea’s major guilds were diverted to those tasks, the Hunter Bureau had to face the main forces of the villain alliance and one giant guild with its own strength alone.

“…You think you can handle us and the core of the villain alliance with just the Hunter Bureau? Do you think that’s possible?”

It was said that Bak Young-hwan and those who had worked with him in the past had grown stronger since joining the Hunter Bureau, but there were still clear limits.

They were slightly lacking to face two giant guilds simultaneously.

While there were no S-classes in the villain alliance, there were several 50th-floor conquerors known as AA-class.

With a significant number of A-classes also present, it could be difficult for the current Hunter Bureau.

“You talk too much.”

Saying so, Bak Young-hwan charged first.

Lee Hyung-don gritted his teeth and pulled up his mana.

Even though the two beings only lightly clashed fists, the surrounding buildings shook as if an earthquake had occurred.

However, the gap in power was clear.

Lee Hyung-don, a powerhouse in the mid-50th floor range.

Bak Young-hwan, a powerhouse in the late-50th floor range.

It was only a difference of a few floors, but that gap felt like a wall.

Nevertheless, Lee Hyung-don was confident in his victory.

He believed that even if he was inferior in strength to Bak Young-hwan, their overall forces were superior.

As if to prove it, as the villain alliance pushed in with sheer numbers, the Hunter Bureau side—despite being composed of elite agents—was being pushed back little by little.

In terms of total scale, the Hunter Bureau probably had more A-classes and agents, but unfortunately, there was a limit to the personnel the Bureau could deploy since they had to cover the entire country.

There was only one way to overcome this disadvantage.

Lee Hyung-don spoke with a sneering voice as if he also knew this.

“If you’re counting on Bak Min-hye, you’re wrong! Even if those who have been broken once are resurrected, their limits are clear!”

He had seen countless people who gave up climbing the Tower for all sorts of reasons and crossed over to the villain world.

Idiots who chose to desert because they were intimidated, even though the deadline for conquering the next floor grew longer the higher they climbed.

In Lee Hyung-don’s eyes, Bak Min-hye was just like them.

“Well. I wonder about that?”

As Bak Young-hwan spoke with a smile on his lips, Lee Hyung-don’s expression distorted.

‘It’s a bluff.’

Her trauma was not something that could be easily overcome.

Because she became a hunter at a young age, problems arose for her family.

The higher she climbed the Tower, the more painful her life became.

Those things gradually accumulated and finally became a trauma—could her mental illness really be overcome?

When even those who cry over losing a few battles can’t overcome it and fall behind?

“Don’t bluff…”

Lee Hyung-don, who was about to speak to Bak Young-hwan in spite of himself, stopped and looked at the sky.

Snow was falling, even though it wasn’t winter.

Watching this, Bak Young-hwan also stopped his movements and quietly looked up at the sky.

“It’s the resurrection of an S-class.”

“That’s impossible… It’s not a trauma that can be easily overcome.”

It was a trauma created by villains continuously touching her family and relatives.

Furthermore, the mental illness worsened by mental attacks on the 50th floor was at a level where it was a miracle she hadn’t given up entirely.

“Just how…”

“It’s thanks to Anonymous.”

“Anon… ymous?”

Lee Hyung-don asked as if he couldn’t understand.

As he stared, wondering what that had to do with anything, Bak Young-hwan recalled what had happened not long ago.

After recruiting her into the Hunter Bureau and providing continuous management and recovery, he had expected it would take a long time for her to fully recover.

That’s why Bak Young-hwan’s plan had also been set for one or two years later.

But then Anonymous appeared, and everything changed.

The stage was set because of Anonymous.

Everyone was talking about Anonymous and heavily criticizing the Monster Management Office.

Is that why?

She, who usually sat blankly in a pitch-black room, for once watched the news, and the change began from that moment.

‘The change in the lower-floor ecosystem starting from the courage of a 1st-floor conqueror.’

He thought that was the title of the documentary.

After seeing that, she walked out of the dark room on her own for the first time.
And she immediately entered the Tower.

Bak Young-hwan, who had been anxious and worried that something might happen to her, realized the moment he saw her face after she exited the Tower that his worry had been groundless.

“She really… resurrected?”

Looking at her displaying power on par with her prime, Lee Hyung-don spoke as if he had no choice but to admit it now.

To him, Bak Young-hwan spoke as if giving a gift.

“For your information, she conquered the 54th floor two days ago.”

“Ah…”

That was the end of it.

As if he had lost his will to fight, Lee Hyung-don collapsed to his knees, and Bak Young-hwan knocked him unconscious, signaling the end of the battle.

Before long, ice pillars had been erected throughout the battlefield.

“Good work.”

“…Yes.”

“Are you going to call him now?”

“…I should. I don’t know if it’s too late, but I want to do it even now.”

At her words, Bak Young-hwan let out a small sigh.

“Don’t feel too guilty. You did what you could.”

She had introduced the best mana disease specialist in Korea and even supported the treatment costs.

Furthermore, it was because of her that Bak Young-hwan worked behind the scenes to ensure Choi Min-hyuk received the highest level of welfare.

“…It’s not enough.”

Saying so, Bak Min-hye immediately left the battlefield.

“…Hello.”

Having left the battlefield, she spoke into the phone held to her ear with a trembling expression.

She thought that he might not pick up.

She was making up her mind that even if he didn’t answer, there was nothing she could do and she would just visit him later, when it happened.

— Director! That’s you on TV right now, isn’t it? —

“…Huh?”

— Hello? Director? —

“N-no? Yes. That’s right.”

— I knew it! I knew you’d make a comeback! —

At the sound of Min-hyuk’s bright voice, the worries she had until a moment ago vanished as if washed away.

Soon, her trembling voice calmed down, and a smile formed on her lips, just like when they worked together long ago.

“You’ve worked hard. The Monster Management Office will be sorted out soon. Let’s see each other’s faces around then.”

— Yes. You’ve worked hard all this time too, Director. —

They comforted each other, recalling the times that had felt like hell.

Things weren’t completely settled yet, but as if the mere fact that the winds of reform had begun to blow was enough, the two held onto their phones for a long time with smiles on their faces.

Like those two, bright smiles were on the faces of people wherever they gathered at the news that villains were being defeated one after another.

“Now we can finally breathe a little!”

At an old man’s shout, people smiled and nodded.

Even if the reform wasn’t complete this time, it was fine.

They knew that as long as this flow didn’t stop, the world would surely develop into a better place, even if it took time.

That was enough for the citizens.

As long as the country was developing for the better without retreating, they could head out to their workplaces with hope.