Episode 104
Yoo-seong could already see where this was going before Lee Jae-hak had even finished speaking.
When Yoo-seong showed off the Parasitic Bee, everyone who was watching it had felt surprised.
‘Ki.’
Even if there was no Tech left in Korea, skilled hunters supplemented it with their talents and experience. It was a very rare case to establish a technique as Sung-wook had done. Still, Korea did well in managing the methods of using Aura efficiently, which in turn helped them obtain strategies through multiple years of experience.
However, now, with Yoo-seong openly showing the world the Techs he learned through Auto-Hunt…
“They must have already scented it.” Lee Jae-hak’s gaze returned to the Japanese ship. “They will try to check your roots thoroughly. Perhaps it’s already being checked.”
“So, are you here to warn me?” Yoo-seong asked him. Lee Jae-hak simply shook his head.
“Twenty years ago, there must have been secrets that remained in this country. Even though it was severely declining, there were certainly successors who inherited Tech.”
He then turned to Yoo-seong. “Do you think all those people passed their pride to a ‘Japanese’ company called Leto?”
Yoo-seong was tempted to say that he didn’t think so.
“There weren’t many people who took that path. Most gave it away. Of course, we couldn’t blame them.”
At that time, the world hadn’t seen the value of Ki and Tech. The Leto group had grabbed that opportunity. They reaped everything they wanted from families who, even if they were inheritors of valuable Tech, had all been living average lives. And when the country started to take interest and search for it, there was nothing left for them to find.
“What is it you’re trying to say?” Yoo-seong asked him.
“A crisis has always been an opportunity. Now you have to help us take it back. Our Ki and our Tech!”
Suddenly, a loud shout interrupted them.
“Lee Jae-hak!”
Above the prow of an approaching Destroyer, Yang Chang-guk was yelling out to them. On his face was a mixed expression of joy, relief, embarrassment, and anger.
“Get out of here now! You should well know that you shouldn’t be here!”
Lee Jae-hak turned and stared at Yang Chang-guk. “Can’t you hear me? If you retreat now, we will not hold you responsible. But to keep going like this…”
Lee Jae-hak did not respond. He did not have the authorization to be here. If Yang Chang-guk took measures, his license could be suspended immediately. He considered this for a moment and then released a long sigh as he turned back to Yoo-seong.
“Please don’t forget. We have ancient Ki and Tech, and now we have to take it back.”
Jeok-!
The sound of ice breaking was heard, and Lee Jae-hak was already gone. This was a mysterious movement that used up his Psy.
“Hmmm…” Yoo-seong followed him with his glance.
Lee Jae-hak was already far away, moving towards the horizon, running on ice.
Yoo-seong turned away and leaped towards the deck.
“Oh Yoo-seong!”
Yang Chang-guk had an entirely different attitude toward him.
“Thank you, thank you so much!”
His face was filled with sincere emotion as he grabbed Yoo-seong’s shoulders. “Hey! Someone give us a blanket!”
After a while, Yoo-seong was wrapped in a blanket, listening to the hum of an espresso machine.
As he smelled the coffee being made, he couldn’t help but smile. An espresso machine aboard a Korean battleship simply didn’t make sense.
Soon, a sailor served two cups of steaming coffee to them.
“Here it is,” Yang Chang-guk looked pleased. “Now, drink, drink.”
The mug was a little less than half full.
Yoo-seong’s hand was shaking so much that if he shook any more, coffee would spill out.
As he sipped his coffee, he heard Yang Chang-guk ask him, “What did Lee Jae-hak talk to you about?”
“It was something personal between us,” Yoo-seong replied.
“I see.” Yang Chang-guk closed his lips for a while. Then he spoke again.
“Yoo-seong, this is just my guesswork… if it isn’t what you were talking about, you can just ignore that I said it…”
“Please, speak.”
“Perhaps… Lee Jae-hak came to talk to you about Leto.”
Yoo-seong was silent. He neither confirmed nor denied it.
“Regardless of whether it is true or not, nothing can be done about it.”
The thing was, there was no evidence. If there were, the Special Defense agency would have shown a different attitude toward it.
“It might have happened, but in order to do something, there must be evidence.”
At this point, Yang Chang-guk looked exhausted. “We looked for evidence with him. We cooperated with Lee Jae-hak, but in the end, we found nothing. In such a state, do you think we can just go to Leto and say, ‘You took our Tech, give it back?’”
From the state’s standpoint, it wasn’t easy to assign manpower to a purely hypothetical cause. However, since the other person was Lee Jae-hak, they had agreed.
“I believe I know roughly what kind of request Lee Jae-hak made to you. Of course, he might not have asked for that. But if that was the case… I hope you will judge the situation calmly. Negotiations between countries are impossible without clear evidence.”
“I understand,” Yoo-seong said.
“That’s good.” At this, Yang Chang-guk nodded fervently. “The director is right.”
“Oh Yoo-seong, in touch with reality.”
Yang Chang-guk smiled wide with relief.
He didn’t hear what Yoo-seong murmured to himself right after.
“But I am not a country.”
“Then, shall we go back now?”
“Wait a second.”
“Yes?” Yang Chang-guk was puzzled.
“I need a little time to see to my personal affairs.”
Yang Chang-guk’s brows furrowed. Something was making him feel anxious.
“During the operation… I got help from the hunters over there. I would like to take a moment to thank them personally.”
Yang Chang-guk tried to say something, but there was practically no time to open his mouth.
Gooh-oh-oh-!
Yoo-seong suddenly soared into the air, leaving the blanket fluttering down to the deck. He was already wearing the Queen’s Hug.
With Explosive Acceleration, it took less than ten seconds to cross the distance between the two ships. He deftly landed on the ship Nakai was on.
Bang-!
Those who were struggling with a feeling of helplessness couldn’t help but feel amazed at the sight.
“I have something to say for a minute; sorry if I surprised you.”
Yoo-seong raised his hands as he approached Nakai.
“I think the action cam I have will be of great significance to you.”
“What do you want?” Nakai said in a trembling voice, trying to endure the humiliation.
Yoo-seong simply smiled.
“I have something to ask for.”
***
When Yoo-seong was done explaining, Nakai’s eyes had gone wide.
“Is that really all?”
He couldn’t believe it.
“Are you going to just keep silent about what happened and delete the video?”
“I’m not going to delete the video,” Yoo-seong cut him off. “If I believe you violated my request, I will immediately release it to the media.”
What Yoo-seong had asked of Nakai was complete silence about everything that had happened today.
“Total silence. No one should know anything.”
That included the Japanese government.
“But the broadcasting staff…” “Soldiers have died. One of your ships sunk. But no one really knows what happened except you and your subordinates. It’s your word against them.”
What an outsider said was definitely different from what an insider like Nakai said.
‘But why?’ Nakai couldn’t help but feel confused.
If today’s work didn’t leak out, Nakai didn’t have to take any responsibility.
‘But what will Yoo-seong gain from it?’
No matter how much he thought about it, it was difficult to understand. Nakai couldn’t hide his doubts as he looked at Yoo-seong.
“I don’t understand your motives. If this leaks out, you’ll be a hero. Why would you give it up…?”
He wasn’t able to finish his sentence.
“Are you going to do it or not?” Yoo-seong cut him off again.
Nakai considered for a moment before speaking. “I’ll do it.”
He had no other choice, after all.
“Great,” Yoo-seong calmly replied. “Oh, and one more thing.”
He was now holding his cellphone. “Can you take a selfie with me?”
“What?” A sense of embarrassment came to Nakai’s face. “All of a sudden…”
Click-!
“Then, see you next time. Please keep your promises.” Yoo-seong left the ship as soon as he said it.
Before going back to the Korean ship, he landed on the ice plate Lee Jae-hak had left behind. Then he turned on his phone again.
He had never signed up for social media before. And so, he quickly registered an account.
@SexyHunterUsung
Then he uploaded the selfie he’d just taken.
In the picture, Nakai was smiling awkwardly. However, Yoo-seong wasn’t. He was looking at Nakai with a tired expression as if he found Nakai pathetic.
‘How long will he be able to keep his mouth shut?’ Yoo-seong thought.
From the beginning, he had never expected Nakai to keep his promise, especially with what would happen from now on.
Everyone would be pursuing Nakai.
Yoo-seong’s purpose was not to keep what had happened a secret. It was to make the situation a hot topic – hot enough to lure the prey he wanted.
Lee Jae-hak hadn’t received any reactions from Leto because he didn’t have a bait they would be interested in. However, Yoo-seong had one.
In addition to this, he also had a way to offend them.
It was a “Japanese” company.
Wouldn’t a brash Korean hunter be enough to annoy the whole of Japan?
Yoo-seong uploaded the photo and wrote his first social media post.
@SexyHunterUsung
-Operation Dokdo is over!
-It was almost a disaster because of the humans who intervened; so pathetic.
#Lackofprofessionalconsciousness #Dokdo
‘This is it,’ Yoo-seong thought. ‘This just might be an effective trap.’
Feeling a little excited, he posted it and waited for a response.
He didn’t have to wait long.
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