– Today, a large number of members from a villain criminal organization were arrested at the XX Building.
– Due to the great activity of the agency, including Special Guard Lee Hyunbin…
– An incident occurred where a gang of villains went on a rampage in a residential area.
– There were no civilian casualties, and several Hunters who were blocking them suffered minor to severe injuries…
All fifty or so hardline faction villains were arrested.
Almost all members of the hardline faction were likely caught.
Actually, there were only fifteen Dimensional Travelers who had crossed over from another world, and the rest was a group consisting of naturally Awakened criminals.
– Hunter Lee Hyunbin has done it again. The war against villains. He was at the forefront of the agency’s policy declaration.
The war between the moderate and hardline factions was over. The conclusion was that the members of the hardline faction were crushed. Unfortunately, not all the remnants of the masterminds were caught.
“…?”
I am currently looking at the CCTV I installed at home.
My Team Three fought the villains. Kim Taeyang fought incredibly well, like a madman, thanks to my diligent training.
The linkage with Kim Inho was also excellent. I feel like giving them some praise this time.
But the three knights are a problem. Of course, I understand that their Synchronization Rate is still low since they haven’t been here long.
The fact that the opponent was one of the three strongest in the villain organization was also an issue.
‘I could use this as an excuse to pester them a bit.’
Oops, my mistake. I meant that I can now give them love. They won’t be able to escape my love.
Karin did quite well. As a Supporter, she was very appropriate, such as operating several Skills at once.
And Seohyeonji. She is a little disappointing.
She is too weak in real combat. Unless there is someone who can firmly block in front of her, she is vulnerable if no one can play the role of a Tank. Of course, that’s natural for a mage class. But she’s an S-rank. She needs to show efficiency befitting that.
I expected this to some extent. So I prepared reinforcements from the Shinwa Guild.
Mr. Kaldoma. He is an S-rank Hunter and a foreign mercenary for the Shinwa Guild. During the previous agency terror incident, Kaldoma barely managed to survive because of me. Fortunately, Kaldoma’s surgery ended well. And he says he can continue his life as a Hunter without any problems in the future.
I only asked one favor of him: support my team if they are pushed back during their field training. Of course, just in case, I also threw out a bait. I mentioned the existence of Kim Yeo-jin, the one who wrecked his arm.
Kaldoma wanted to repay his debt to me and readily agreed. S-rank Hunters have strong pride. Literally every human belonging to the position of “the strong” is like that. Since I’m like that, too, Kaldoma would naturally want to settle the score. In other words, this is an opportunity for him to repay his debt to me and recover his honor.
And he joined the battle at a good timing.
Good. I’ve pinpointed the ones who need a beating. Fortunately, no one was seriously injured.
Without doing this, I can’t give them real combat experience. The more they fight strong opponents, the better. That’s how I grew up, too.
In my time, there was no one to watch my back like this. I just, what? Had to dodge Dragon Fire with my bare body. Fought giants with my bare fists. Unlike my time, you guys are being Hunters during a good era.
The battle was reversed. Kaldoma came as support, and even the Emperor of Flames, an S-rank from the same Guild and the rank 1 Ranker, came.
Of course, the Emperor of Flames didn’t lift a finger. He just stood there with his arms crossed, glaring at the villains.
Thanks to that, the battle became completely one-sided. Kaldoma thoroughly crushed Kim Yeo-jin, and with that momentum, Team Three also began to overwhelm the remaining villains.
To be precise, the pressure of the battle must have been great because of the Emperor of Flames waiting in the back.
However, as a result, they couldn’t catch the villains. Why?
“They disappeared the moment I blinked. It felt like being possessed by a ghost,” Kaldoma muttered while biting a cigarette.
I saw it on the CCTV, too. The villains who were being beaten suddenly disappeared in 1 second. Without a trace. Just in case, I am investigating the place where the battle occurred. Nothing was rigged. No traces of magic are felt, either.
‘What is it?’
Teleportation? Invisibility?
If it were normal Invisibility, an S-rank Hunter’s Presence Sensing wouldn’t have missed it, and I haven’t seen Teleportation used like this without a cooldown. At any rate, I’m glad I confirmed in advance that they have a threatening ability. There must be a restriction on that power for the enemy as well. If they had such power in the first place, they would have used it to kidnap Karin.
“I’ve repaid the previous debt. You know that, right?” Mr. Kaldoma said.
“Did you get your revenge?”
“Oh, it was fantastic.”
Kaldoma smiled and extended his middle finger. Look at this guy.
“Oops, my mistake.”
Kaldoma folded his middle finger and raised his thumb. Is this man playing a concept, or does he really have a bit of a disability left?
“You both worked hard, so I’ll treat you to two chickens. One chicken per person.”
“Chicken?”
Chicken is the best for nourishing the body. However, Kaldoma did not look pleased.
“If you’re going to treat us, we should go somewhere where we can make some noise. What is just chicken? Chicken? Right?”
Kaldoma passed the baton to the Emperor of Flames, who was standing silently. The Emperor of Flames glanced at Kaldoma and turned his head as if uninterested.
“This guy is usually blunt, but he loves places where you can make some noise. Right?”
“Shut up.”
“You like it. Don’t act tough just to live up to that rank 1 title. This guy actually has a tsundere side; look at him following me here because he was worried after I said I was coming.”
The Emperor of Flames glared at Kaldoma’s words. Tsundere or not, he just looks annoyed.
“It wouldn’t be dignified if an S-rank from the Shinwa Guild was hospitalized by mere criminals again.”
“See, I told you he’s a tsundere.”
“Ah, I see.”
Surprisingly, Kaldoma and the Emperor of Flames get along well. According to common rumors, the Emperor of Flames is so prickly that even fellow Guild members are too scared to talk to him. Maybe Kaldoma is an exception because he’s a fellow S-rank.
“Well, if you had caught them, maybe. But since you failed, it’s awkward to buy you something expensive.”
“Failed?”
The Emperor of Flames looks toward me as if he’s about to fight right now. Why? I’m right.
“If it were me, I would have caught them all.”
“…!”
The Emperor of Flames looks at me with a face that seems like fire is about to drip from his eyes. Is that why he’s the Emperor of Flames? But it’s not even chuunibyou, what’s with “Emperor of Flames”? Even “Delivery Man” is better.
Hmm, is it better…?
Since my words were true, even the Emperor of Flames couldn’t say anything.
“Anyway, the debt is repaid, Team Leader Lee. This is a shame. I was going to get some free drinks. Emperor of Flames, let’s go get wasted.”
“Alcohol? Drinking leisurely in broad daylight?”
“As you drink, it becomes night, and when it’s night, it becomes dawn. Let’s go, let’s go. Team Leader Lee, come if you feel like it.”
“I have some things to tidy up.”
“Really? That’s a shame.”
The eccentric Kaldoma forcibly puts his arm around the Emperor of Flames’ shoulder and drags him away. Rumor has it that the Emperor of Flames is a heartless psycho. Now that I see him, he’s just a Hogu. Surely, the Emperor of Flames will pay for the drinks.
Seeing the two walking away, citizens gathered, and Kaldoma waved his hand as fan service. I entered the house in the meantime.
“Coach!” Karin welcomed me as I came in. “Did you buy food?”
“No.”
“Wow, man! How can you be like this? I said I was hungry!”
“Instead, I ordered chicken.”
“…What, what did you order?”
“Every kind.”
Only then did Karin smile brightly and say, “Good job.”
Do I have to go this far to be praised by her? No, still, something big happened today, so I should do this much.
“Everyone worked hard. I’m glad no one was seriously injured.”
“Yes…”
The answer was somehow weak. Everyone’s expression was bad, too. Ah, is it because they were pushed back by the villains? If Kaldoma, whom I had stationed in advance, hadn’t been there, they would have known the result. Karin would have been kidnapped, and everyone here would have been killed. Since they aren’t fools enough not to know that fact, everyone’s expression isn’t good.
“Why is everyone like this?”
“Uh… that is…”
They can’t speak.
“Because they think Coach is going to work them to death.”
At Karin’s words, the others flinch. Aha, I see. My goodness, my family is quick on the uptake now. A laugh comes out automatically.
Kim Inho, who made eye contact with me, began to tremble.
Why does he tremble only when he sees me, even when his face was fine when he was fighting villains? He’s a quite handsome guy, so it’s a bit unfair that he reacts this way.
I looked in the mirror while stroking my chin. Oh, damn, that startled me. I guess I shouldn’t smile. An expressionless face would look less scary.
“Are you… not going to scold us?”
“Why would I scold you? Everyone fought well.”
At my words, the team members’ faces softened slightly.
“They have been fighting people on a daily basis, and this was your first battle. If we supplement a few things, you will definitely win next time.”
Is it so surprising that I’m praising them? Originally, many people freeze up in PVP and die without being able to demonstrate their skills properly. Of course, I’ve been doing real combat Sparring with them to prevent that.
“Taeyang fought really well. Inho’s combat vision was excellent.”
“Huh? Why are you being like this, Team Leader…?”
They can’t even be happy when I praise them. Who made him like that? It’s truly heartbreaking.
“Thank you!” Kim Inho was purely happy with the praise.
“Seoyeon, let’s work on your stamina a bit more.”
“Aww, man…”
“Aww, man? Don’t you want to eat chicken?”
“That was short for ‘Aww, man, I’m so excited!’ Didn’t you know, Coach?”
Let’s assume that’s the case.
“Ms. Seohyeonji, I was disappointed with your Skill utilization. I’ll teach you something starting tomorrow.”
“What… are you going to teach me?”
Seohyeonji asks anxiously. It’s not something to worry about that much. Because you won’t die. Probably?
I finally looked at the main dish. To avoid eye contact with me, the Three Foreign Brothers curled their large bodies and hid behind Karin.
“Ja-rang.”
“Jeong-guk.”
“No-rae.”
“Let me just say one thing.”
“…?”
“You guys are screwed now.”
The complexions of Jeong-guk, No-rae, and Ja-rang turn pale. If even a black person turns pale, that says it all. Let’s give them a proper workout.
Everyone was silent. Was it like this when they first crossed over to this place? Only seven of the comrades who gathered at the hideout remained.
“Those damn traitors!”
The villain using a square shield punched the floor. The moderate faction teamed up with the Hunters. It was shameful that all their compatriots were caught by the agency, while only they returned alive.
“Kay, what are we going to do now?”
They don’t know when the current hideout will be discovered by the enemy.
“We have to move.”
“Where else is there for us to go…!”
At his comrade’s words, Kay smiled. “I’ve prepared another hideout.”
“…Really?”
“Don’t worry about our compatriots. They are just being held; they won’t die.”
In this world, they don’t carry out the death penalty recklessly, no matter how vicious a criminal is.
“We can save them whenever we want.”
Kay said as he curled the corners of his mouth. The organization, which had grown in an instant, was in an uproar about attacking the moderate faction immediately.
Why?
Because the organization’s power had built up quite a bit. They thought that since they could suppress them with force right now, foolishly just waiting for an opportunity was the same act as the losers in the moderate faction.
So, factions began to form within the organization. Someone had to have an unrivaled right to command. That’s the only way an organization can function. Now it can function properly. The plan.
“Brother, I’m sorry. Because of us, your finger…”
Kim Yeo-jin muttered in a small voice. Her gaze was fixed on Kay’s thumb. The thumb, which had been broken and twisted, seemed to be in extreme pain. However, he hadn’t even received proper treatment yet.
Kay gave a fishy sneer. If he ridiculed an S-rank Hunter by losing just one finger, it was successful.
“What do you think of Network?”
“Network…?”
Kay continued his words. “The name of the organization.”
The time has come for villains who felt a sense of crisis to wander in search of a place to stay. The plan was just beginning.