Chapter 96

Chapter 96.

After the Apostle left.

In the ruined conference room, the three exchanged silent looks.

What exactly was Pandemonium’s Mobile Fortress?

It was the heart of a ‘criminal organization’ whose tail the intelligence agencies of the entire world had failed to catch even after ten years of pursuit.

Even identifying its true nature was an astonishing achievement, yet he had charged straight in and seized it too?

It was such a feat that they could not even find an angle from which to judge it.

On top of that, its value made no sense.

It was a collection of overtechnology that surpassed Earth’s magitech by several stages.

Who had made it, and how?

No one knew.

And yet that ‘someone’ had designed a structure on this scale so that it could ‘move,’ then had actually made it.

They had even developed and applied perfect Optical Camouflage technology that could deceive radar systems across the entire world.

And on a scale large enough to hide this vast fortress in its entirety.

As if mocking the level of engineering that had only gotten as far as producing electricity with Mana Stones, they had even installed a Mana Stone Engine capable of powering the entire fortress.

To use an analogy.

It was on the level of getting hold of a super robot that aliens had secretly built and hidden away.

Whether or not it possessed the ability to carry out combat on its own was a matter they would have to find out from here on, but...

Hadn’t the Apostle ordered them to ‘make plans for how to use it effectively’?

Missiles, cannons, things like that!

If they mounted those, a ‘Mobile Artillery Fortress’ would be possible.

They could also use it like a ‘carrier,’ keeping Hunters on standby, moving them to a crisis point, and deploying them immediately.

There were countless other possible uses as well.

Countless ideas flickered through the three people’s minds and vanished.

Analyzing this Mobile Fortress and tying it into the reconstruction project was, literally, a glorious opportunity to leave their names in world history.

For the three who prided themselves on being Lord Apostle’s closest aides, it was a task they had to covet no matter what.

However.

‘If I take this on too, I am guaranteed to die from overwork.’

‘Even now, just keeping Lord Apostle’s grand undertaking running is enough to make my nose bleed...’

The three of them were busy.

Far too busy!

Before they gained glory or honor or whatever else, they might sooner die with their noses buried in their desks, coughing blood.

“The person who should analyze this unprecedented crystallization of magitech must naturally be the Black Market’s finest brain. It can only be Representative Kang Hyo-jun, who possesses professional knowledge in many fields and has solid connections.”

Min Ji-hee smiled softly and pushed Kang Hyo-jun forward.

All while hiding the sinister intention of, ‘Please, you take the blame.’

“You flatter me. If we are to calculate the astronomical value contained in this fortress and operate it properly, would Team Leader Lee Hyeong-je’s business acumen not be absolutely necessary?”

Kang Hyo-jun broke into a cold sweat as he passed the bomb to Lee Hyeong-je.

“Considering its military value, would Ji-hee not be the right person after all...?”

On the surface, the three praised one another’s abilities and declined the task.

But every look that crossed between them was filled with murderous intent.

‘You take it and die!’

‘Anyone but me...!’

Those were the voices of their hearts, ringing through all three of their heads at the same time.

“Haha.”

“Hahaha.”

A tense standoff continued, with nothing but meaningless hollow laughter as they watched one another’s reactions.

At this rate, they instinctively felt, a conclusion would never come.

“I cannot do it.”

...In the end, the one who struck first was Kang Hyo-jun.

“I am already busy with Foundation work. Recently, the Apostle himself even ordered me to mobilize the Black Market and prepare for civilian casualties caused by Degraded Entities.”

Kang Hyo-jun’s eyes blazed.

His desperation not to increase his workload any further was palpable.

“And is that all? The Black Market’s Director promotion review is just around the corner. I need to fill my performance record as well, so I am handling Market work while cutting down on sleep and meals.”

After he finished speaking, Kang Hyo-jun glared at the other two as if daring them to refute him.

“Not a chance!”

Lee Hyeong-je, who had been watching that display with displeasure, immediately counterattacked, his eyes blazing.

“You are busy with Foundation work? When Happy and I bring you documents, all you do is sign and stamp them. We could put a signing machine in Representative Hyo-jun’s place, and the efficiency would be exactly the same!”

“Wh-what did you say?”

“If you have a conscience, try telling me I am wrong!”

Provoked by Lee Hyeong-je, Kang Hyo-jun sprang to his feet and smacked the table.

“Of course you are wrong! You read the ‘Republic of Korea Normalization Five-Year Plan’ that became the foundation of the Foundation, and you are saying that now? Who wrote that? It all came from my fingertips!”

Even after Kang Hyo-jun’s indignant protest, Lee Hyeong-je obnoxiously picked at his ear and snorted.

“Ah, so you were briefly busy back then, and now we should let you off? When now you are basically just a signing machine?”

“Have you said everything you want to say?”

Lee Hyeong-je snorted.

“No, I have not! Preparing for civilian casualties? That... I admit. It is important work. But what comes after that, this ‘Director promotion review’? What is that supposed to be? Is that not work for Representative Hyo-jun’s personal advancement?”

“If I become a Black Market Director, the authority I gain immediately will...!”

“Your salary goes up either way, doesn’t it?”

Ignoring Kang Hyo-jun’s face as it turned bright red, Lee Hyeong-je continued.

“Hmph. You are discussing being too busy to do it in front of me? Who is filling the national treasury by selling ‘meeting rights with the Team Leader for obtaining Tower farming rights’? Me.”

“I acknowledge that.”

Min Ji-hee quickly added a response.

“Who organizes and executes the budget needed for the Foundation’s projects, and even earns the money that goes into it? Also me.”

“Kgh... I acknowledge that.”

Kang Hyo-jun admitted it despite the resentment in his voice.

He had no choice.

From the start, one hundred percent of the expenses and budget needed to operate the Foundation had come from Golden Mine’s card.

“Who is the person who will earn the Foundation the enormous amount of Points it will need in the future, so vast that it cannot even be estimated? That, too, is me.”

The conference room fell silent.

“The practical negotiations with the United States that will follow this Degraded Entity incident. Who is in overall charge? Hm? Who has to pick the treasures out of America’s pockets?”

“....”

“Even that... is me.”

As if expelling the heavy weight pressing down on his shoulders, Lee Hyeong-je let out a deep sigh filled with profound sorrow.

“I’m out. You admit that, right?”

“...I acknowledge it.”

“...Yes.”

The moment the decision was finalized unanimously.

As if he had never sighed so pitifully, a wicked smile spread across Lee Hyeong-je’s mouth.

“I believe it is now clear who the enemy in this race is. Now then, I shall act as referee.”

Min Ji-hee and Kang Hyo-jun met each other’s eyes.

There was such force in their gazes that sparks seemed ready to crackle in midair.

Lee Hyeong-je raised one finger with a snap and said,“Now kill each other.”

Ding, ding, ding!

An auditory hallucination like the ringing of a bell echoed.

“I cannot do it!”

“No, you can do it!”

The logic of two beasts clashed.

“Kang Hyo-jun, you are far more capable than you think!”

“No! I am incompetent enough to be overwhelmed by what I already have!”

“Do not devalue yourself!”

“You are the one who should be doing this, Min Ji-hee...!”

***

...Min Ji-hee accepted her fate.

“Kgh...! Kghhh...!!!”

“Haha. I am glad you understand.”

“I will... not forget this grudge.”

“Hahaha! Do as you like.”

Kang Hyo-jun made a victorious V sign.

“This was a fight you could not win from the start. I said I would prioritize protecting civilians above all else, so what were you going to do? Abandon civilians? Huh?”

Heh-heh.

Kang Hyo-jun drove Min Ji-hee into a corner with the logic that ‘the global role of protecting civilians all over the world from Degraded Entity terrorism can only be handled by me.’

Min Ji-hee was helpless.

However, Kang Hyo-jun had to give up at least one arm as well.

Because he had to accept the oath that he would ‘set his working hours as unlimited’ for this mission.

“That does not matter! My working hours are already unlimited right now!”

“Kghhh.”

Crazy workaholic bastard...

But Min Ji-hee was in the same position, with unlimited working hours, so she could hardly curse him for it.

Since the bloody battle was over, it was time to work.

As though they had made a promise beforehand, the three simultaneously took laptops out of their arms and began working.

Clack. Clack.

Hah.

Ugh...

Clack. Clack.

Sss.

After a while, typing sounds and sighs began to flow in place of voices.

“Mm. You are all working hard.”

The Apostle returned.

“Who will report?”

Min Ji-hee raised her hand.

“I am in charge.”

“Ah. Min Ji-hee, is it? Good. Then...”

The Apostle looked in turn at the two winners, Lee Hyeong-je and Kang Hyo-jun.

“?”

“....”

“You two have nothing urgent to do, do you?”

A chill ran down both men’s spines.

There was no one here bold enough to say in front of the Apostle, ‘No, I have a shitload, actually.’

“Team Leader Lee Hyeong-je, take on one more task.”

“...Wh-what task is it?”

“You need to make a discreet trip to Italy sometime today or tomorrow. Before that, we need to create a disturbance in their Hunter Association. Cause an incident important and devastating enough that, while I am staying there, the Association’s senior officials cannot take their eyes off it.”

“....”

Lee Hyeong-je gulped down his tears.

“What is the deadline...”

“Do not let it go past midnight tonight.”

“....”

“You can do it, yes?”

The Apostle spoke as if he were sincerely referring to an easy task there was no way Lee Hyeong-je could fail.

‘The Apostle... does not understand the human heart.’

Lee Hyeong-je nodded.

“I can do it.”

“Good. And Kang Hyo-jun.”

“...Yes.”

Kang Hyo-jun steeled himself.

The Apostle took a black orb from inside his coat and tossed it.

Kang Hyo-jun caught it reflexively, then, out of habit, took out his appraisal glasses and examined the orb.

‘...Nothing is coming up?’

It was not an Artifact.

“What is this?”

“I do not know either. It came out when I split the Pandemonium Guild Master’s body.”

“....”

Cold sweat suddenly burst out all over Kang Hyo-jun’s body.

The king of criminals, who had lived in hiding for ten years while committing countless crimes!

That was the Pandemonium Guild Master.

By estimated strength, he was at the very top of S-rank.

He was a dangerous figure whom the Black Market Intelligence Bureau had judged could easily be treated as EX-rank, and he simply had not been known because he was a criminal.

Even after cutting down such a giant, the Apostle did not seem particularly moved.

Rather, his tone carried a weight similar to saying, ‘I crushed an ant to death.’

“But you said ‘split,’ not ‘killed’?”

“That.”

Where the Apostle pointed, only a pile of dirt remained.

A pile of dirt that was rather black in color.

“That is the Pandemonium Guild Master.”

“Pardon?”

“It was a double. A golem... would be an appropriate way to describe it. That orb came from inside that golem.”

“So...”

Kang Hyo-jun stumbled over his words.

To summarize.

The Pandemonium Guild Master, who possessed EX-rank combat power, had actually been a ‘golem.’

And there was a separate main body.

Which meant this orb was... an object that had allowed a mere golem to boast ‘EX-rank strength.’

“Uh.... It is an incredible object.”

“Yes.”

Kang Hyo-jun took a special case out of his bag.

It was a top-grade case he only occasionally used to store truly precious objects.

It was also an Artifact with all kinds of protective magic cast on it.

With trembling hands, Kang Hyo-jun placed the orb inside the case.

“Find out what that is.”

“...Yes.”

Kang Hyo-jun nodded.

“And...”

“There is more?”

“I need your opinion as someone in charge of a Black Market branch...”

“Yes.”

It was an easier request than he had expected.

Giving an opinion as an expert was not particularly difficult.

“You remember the Red Elixir, yes?”

“Of course.”

The mysterious potion that had allowed the Apostle to rise to the position of Special One!

It had not yet appeared in the world since Golden Mine and the Saintess each took one, but the moment the Apostle released the supply, it would become the apex predator that overturned the potion industry.

‘It seems he is finally going to release the supply.’

Kang Hyo-jun swelled with anticipation.

‘Assuming it is supplied exclusively through the Korean branch, if I think about the commission that would come from that, the Director promotion review is as good as secured...’

“Not something that low-quality...”

“Pardon?”

Kang Hyo-jun’s thoughts stopped.

‘L-low-quality?’

“A haughty artisan is trying to create a work worthy of being called ‘God’s Potion.’”

The Apostle rested his chin on his hand and continued.

“It must be something that has never existed in this world, and it must be so mysterious that no one can even dream of imitating it. At the same time, it must not skip too far beyond Earth’s level of alchemy. The raw materials must be obtainable only in the Republic of Korea’s Tower. Ah, the 70th or 80th floor range would be good.”

“Pardon?”

“Recommend what should be made.”

“....”

Kang Hyo-jun froze.

‘Where would a potion like that even exist?’

“Why can you not answer?”

“...That is.”

“Do you not know?”

“I cannot think of anything right this instant...”

“Why do you not know?”

Hmm, the Apostle hummed as if dissatisfied.

“I see. So this is the extent of it...”

Under that cooling gaze, Kang Hyo-jun hastily shouted, “N-no! I will organize it and report it today. No, in thirty minutes. No, wait, in fifteen minutes!”

“...Hmm.”

“Ten minutes!”

The Apostle nodded and rose from his seat.

“That is a long time... Report to Min Ji-hee separately. I will go.”

“...Yes.”

“Min Ji-hee, follow me.”

“Yes, Lord Apostle. I will report on the Mobile Fortress’s operational direction in the helicopter.”

“Mm. Have you already finished organizing it all? As expected of Min Ji-hee.”

Min Ji-hee followed behind the Apostle as he left the ruins.

Just before she disappeared beyond the doorway, Min Ji-hee looked back and raised her middle finger at Kang Hyo-jun.

‘Serves you right, huh? Heh-heh.’