Chapter 35
Fate Rides the Wind (10)
“What did you say? Repeat that.”
“Due to the failure of the key retrieval operation, Team Leader Hwang Dae-gun from the first advance team transformed into a monster and died, and Team Leader Min Su-a from the first support team retreated to the third laboratory.”
“And the reason for the failure is because Guild Master Gang Cheol-man of the A-Shin Guild appeared alongside Han Sang-woo from the unresolved dungeon?”
“Yes. We don’t know the specific reason, but it seems the two of them conducted a raid together, Deputy Chief.”
The basement of a mansion in Seongbuk-dong.
A Luminous Hunter was kneeling on one knee before the Deputy Chief, reporting the situation.
Deputy Chief Hong Jin-seong.
He was 165 cm tall and wore a robe that reached his ankles. He was the deputy chief, ranked second in the Luminous Korean branch.
However, contrary to his high rank, he didn’t exude any authority.
He was short, and his appearance and voice were youthful, as if he were in his 20s, lacking any sense of authority.
Of course, he was actually 40 years old, and his Hunter grade was classified as S-rank, but the sense of intimidation given by his specs and appearance were separate matters.
Perhaps because of that?
“Alright, how many people are available in the metropolitan area right now?”
“Excluding those on missions, there are probably no more than 100 people.”
“Contact all the team leaders and have them all gather at the third laboratory.”
“Pardon? Instead of abandoning the third laboratory?”
The deputy chief’s words were met with a question from an ordinary member.
“Up until now, if our hideout was discovered by the enemy, haven’t we abandoned it? And Gang Cheol-man is on our tail…”
“I know. That’s why we’re doing it.”
“What do you mean by that…?”
“Turning a crisis into an opportunity! As you said, Gang Cheol-man will chase the first support team leader and find the third laboratory. But if we use that to eliminate Gang Cheol-man? We can achieve a much bigger result than originally planned. This is an opportunity to gain favor with the overseas headquarters!”
Hong Jin-seong clenched his fist, envisioning a rosy future of defeating Gang Cheol-man.
“In that case, should I report to the branch chief?”
“The branch chief has gone underground for closed-door training. It’ll take at least a week. And as you know, he’s my peer, right? He won’t oppose my plan.”
“But…”
Although Hong Jin-seong was confident, the ordinary member had doubts. He believed that if the branch chief heard about this operation, he might not approve.
At that moment, Hong Jin-seong’s expression changed.
“Hey.”
Hierarchical obedience, absolute obedience.
The absolute hierarchy based on strength was the rule of Luminous, and the repeated defiance of the member was breaking that rule.
Hong Jin-seong had tolerated it once or twice, but eventually, it reached a point of irritation.
“Are you ignoring me?”
“Ugh! Gah…!”
Despite the distance between them, when Hong Jin-seong raised his hand, the member’s body floated in the air.
[Psychokinesis].
It was Hong Jin-seong’s skill, controlling objects with the power of thought.
As he used psychokinesis to grip the member’s neck, he continued speaking.
“I warned you before, didn’t I? Not to talk back to me. Even if it’s the same content, you obey the branch chief when he says it, but when I say it, you ignore it? Do you think I’m easy?”
“N-no, it’s not…”
“What do you mean, it’s not? You think I became deputy chief because I’m friends and peers with the branch chief.”
“It’s a misunderstanding, Deputy Chief…”
Breath caught in the throat.
The member struggled in the air, squeezing out words with a flushed face.
Then, Hong Jin-seong released his grip, throwing the member to the floor.
Thud-!
“Ugh! Cough…!”
“This is your last warning. If you mention the branch chief again when I give an order… I’ll just kill you.”
“I’m sorry, Deputy Chief! I’ll prepare the forces as you instructed!!”
The member crawled on the floor and left the underground meeting room.
Hong Jin-seong watched him go, then turned his gaze to the stairs leading to the basement in the corner of the meeting room.
It was the place where his superior, friend, and peer, Branch Chief Ma Kang-jin, went for training.
Hong Jin-seong wanted to join him for training, but it was impossible.
That place was only allowed for the branch chief.
‘In a few days, he’ll come out stronger. Just like he always has.’
Looking back, it had always been that way.
They had been together since high school, but Branch Chief Ma Kang-jin was always ahead of him.
There are people like that, aren’t there?
Even though you hang out together, they always get better grades than you.
To Hong Jin-seong, Ma Kang-jin was that kind of person, and it continued in Luminous.
Despite spending a lot of time together, Ma Kang-jin always showed superior growth and achievements.
As a result, Hong Jin-seong was constantly compared to Ma Kang-jin, and over time, he began to feel inferior.
A comparison that lasted 20 years.
Eventually, surpassing Ma Kang-jin became Hong Jin-seong’s top priority.
‘This time, I’ll eliminate Gang Cheol-man and prove that I’m superior to Ma Kang-jin.’
Eliminating an SS-rank Hunter was something even Ma Kang-jin hadn’t done yet.
Surely, if he accomplished this, the headquarters would recognize him.
‘Let’s get started.’
Hong Jin-seong swirled his robe and headed for Cheonma Mountain in Namyangju.
“Is this the place where the signal was lost?”
“Yes, it seems they’ve hidden somewhere in this abandoned factory.”
An eerie atmosphere.
There were dozens of buildings around, but they were abandoned, dilapidated, and broken in many places.
Moreover.
There was no sign of life.
Despite the fact that there were dozens of Luminous personnel who fled from Cheonma Mountain, there was no noise.
This was the same even when they reached the vicinity of the building where the red dot was marked on the phone screen.
A large warehouse that seemed to be about 2,000 pyeong (approximately 6,600 square meters).
Han Sang-woo and Gang Cheol-man stood in front of the iron gate, nodded at each other.
They signaled each other to prepare their skills and enter simultaneously to capture Luminous.
And soon.
Bang-!!
Gang Cheol-man blasted the iron gate away and entered first.
Since they had already fought earlier, sneaking in quietly was meaningless.
It was better to enter openly and counterattack if the enemies attacked.
However.
“……”
Even though they made a loud entry by breaking the warehouse door, there was no response.
It was natural.
There was no one inside the warehouse.
Han Sang-woo, who followed in, lowered his guard and looked around the empty surroundings.
“No one is here. I don’t see any place to hide either.”
“That’s right.”
The paint on the outside of the building was peeling, and the inside of the factory was the same.
It was a desolate sight with no machinery or equipment.
With just a quick glance, they could see the opposite exit, with no place to hide at all.
But there was something suspicious.
Though messy, the ground was dug in places, and various tools were strewn about, resembling a scene of recent work.
Gang Cheol-man, sensing something odd, approached a hole in the floor of the abandoned factory and examined the tools.
“They’re new. It seems they were just used. The towel used to wipe sweat hasn’t dried yet.”
“There’s something here too. Isn’t this… a tracking device?”
Han Sang-woo also found traces of Luminous.
He discovered a small device resembling a patch in another hole.
“Yes. It’s the one I attached.”
“It’s unlikely to have fallen off on its own…. Leaving it intact suggests they lured us here and moved elsewhere.”
Typically, when a tracking device is discovered, it’s destroyed.
Because it means their location is exposed.
But leaving it alone, knowing this, means they intentionally lured the pursuers here.
To buy time to escape further while they followed the tracking device.
“…However, there’s nowhere to hide near Cheonma Mountain besides here. We didn’t see them moving in large numbers on the way here.”
Han Sang-woo said, and Gang Cheol-man nodded and replied.
“That’s right. I also think they’re hiding somewhere in this abandoned factory complex.”
A double trick.
Han Sang-woo deduced that Luminous left the tracking device and was hiding around here.
Han Sang-woo was lost in thought for a moment.
Though it was his first time dealing with fleeing Hunters, he could analyze the situation using the given conditions and elements.
“Hold on a moment.”
Han Sang-woo said to Gang Cheol-man, who was also searching for another secret passage, and moved to the side of the entrance….
“If we haven’t seen them move north, south, east, west, or even into the sky, and there are no traces, then there’s only one answer.”
Swoosh- Swoosh-
He swept the floor with his hand, looking for a handle.
“Going underground.”
But even when he grabbed the handle and lifted it, the door didn’t open. From the clinking sound, it seemed a lock was in place.
“Ah, I happen to have a skill for opening doors.”
“That’s fortunate.”
Han Sang-woo moved aside to let Gang Cheol-man use his skill.
Thud-! Crack!!!
Gang Cheol-man smashed the door to the secret passageway on the floor with his greatsword.
Han Sang-woo, looking at the secret passageway revealed as the door shattered, commented.
“That’s an impressive skill.”
“Since I have a lot to do, I’ve learned several skills like this. If you join our guild, I can share these know-how with you.”
“No, thank you. Knowing too much gives me a headache.”
Han Sang-woo quipped back at Gang Cheol-man’s joke, then descended into the dark staircase with his volcanic sword and shield.
He judged it was better for him to take the lead with the shield rather than Gang Cheol-man with the greatsword.
Gang Cheol-man agreed, as he didn’t offer any counter-opinion and stuck close behind, lighting the way with his phone flashlight.
The staircase wasn’t long.
Upon descending, a corridor wide enough for three or four people to pass comfortably appeared, unlike the open area above.
Into the endless darkness, Han Sang-woo maintained a defensive posture and spoke.
“It’s deeper than I thought. What are the Luminous bastards up to?”
“I’m not sure. I can’t say for certain, but from my years of clashing with them, one thing is clear.”
Gang Cheol-man replied, glancing around. Then he found a circuit breaker on the wall next to the stairs and continued.
“They’ll do anything to get stronger. This place is nothing.”
Click-! Sizzle-! Buzz-!!
When Gang Cheol-man flipped the circuit breaker, the corridor lit up, welcoming the two.
This time, the obstacle was resolved easily.
However, the moment the corridor brightened, neither could smile like before.
Lined along the corridor were glass tubes and machines containing unbelievable sights floating inside.
Han Sang-woo murmured quietly as he looked at what was inside the glass tubes.
“Those are… people?”
