Chapter 18

Chapter 18. A New Faction (2)

“Incheon? Why there of all places?”

After Maria gave us a thorough lecture about not carelessly breaking glasses.

Ma Cheol-sik and I moved deeper into the shop by ourselves.

“Because what I’m looking for should probably be wandering around that area by now.”

“You make it sound as though you’re chasing a living person.”

“I’ll leave that to your imagination.”

That was my answer to Ma Cheol-sik’s question about what I planned to do next.

It was a plan that flashed into my mind thanks to Sun and Moon.

‘Those bosses of absurd difficulty that Inrang and the Dohwa Foundation boasted about...’

Among them, according to the setting.

There were bosses who, like Sun and Moon, had not yet joined their respective factions.

I could recruit them to our side.

Or hunt them first myself.

If things went well, I could greatly reduce the future fighting strength of the corporations and Families.

While also growing stronger quickly myself.

‘And around now...’

There should be one boss hiding somewhere near Incheon who would be an ideal opponent for me.

“In that case, the timing is good. Do you remember the data chips you left with me before?”

“Of course.”

“I just finished hacking them, and there was one word that appeared repeatedly in all of them.”

He tapped away at the keyboard, and a location appeared on the monitor.

“Incheon Satellite District. That name kept repeating.”

Oh-ho.

“The exact sector name was never mentioned, but there is definitely some connection to the drug you were looking for somewhere in that area.”

“Did the Police Department get anything separately?”

“Chief Superintendent Kim said all the data had already been erased before they arrived.”

“I see.”

So the reason they left researchers at this factory really was to lure me in and capture me.

“That works out nicely. Our destinations overlap.”

The person who would become the first piece of my plan.

And the things I needed to find in order to interfere with Inrang’s plans.

They were all there.

“However, the road leading to Incheon is currently sealed because of the aftermath of the terrorist attack. It was ordered by the Imperial Household, so even Chief Superintendent Kim would have difficulty getting you through. Which means...”

“I’ll have to cross the wilderness outside the barrier, where anomalies are crawling everywhere.”

Because the one who caused that terrorist attack is the very person I’m looking for.

“You know your stuff. Then again, someone from the lower districts couldn’t possibly be ignorant about anomalies.”

Ma Cheol-sik chuckled.

I casually added.

“Since we never know when the barrier might collapse and those things come flooding in.”

“...The outer barrier has never collapsed once in several decades, but when you say it, it doesn’t sound like a mere joke.”

He immediately caught the meaning behind my words, his eyes gleaming.

Smart people really are convenient.

‘Give them just a tiny hint and they quickly work out the answer themselves.’

The barrier surrounding the city outskirts.

A gateway permanently staffed by the Imperial central army to prevent anomalies from entering the city.

When one section of it collapses due to a terrorist attack.

And anomalies flood into the city.

That marks the beginning of Act One of the story.

“―Anyway, if that’s the case, I should first stop being a pedestrian. I can’t borrow Maria all the way out there.”

It’s not that I don’t trust Kim Cheol-su, but those people alone make me uneasy.

And I need them to protect the kids as well.

“If that’s the problem, I have a way... Damn, was this what you were aiming for?”

Ma Cheol-sik started speaking without thinking, then made the face of someone who realized he had been baited.

I shrugged at him, and he burst out laughing.

“Fine. Now that I’ve already agreed to come under you, there’s no point hiding anything. It seems you already knew all the cards in my hand from the very beginning anyway.”

Several red dots began blinking on the map Ma Cheol-sik manipulated.

Four in the Gangnam region, three in the Gangbuk region.

A total of seven ‘tunnels’ scattered throughout Neo Seoul.

Secret warehouses filled with countless weapons and equipment Ma Cheol-sik had amassed...

Back when he made his name as a legendary arms dealer.

He pointed to the nearest red dot.

It was in Sector 30, directly across the Han River to the north.

“There’s something useful here. A masterpiece among masterpieces. Give it some maintenance, and it’ll run perfectly even now.”

“I’ll use it gratefully. I’ll pay for it too.”

“It won’t be cheap.”

“Oh, come on. Isn’t there some kind of Saetani owner discount?”

“Kahahah! Of course I’ll give you one!”

Ma Cheol-sik’s cheerful laughter rang throughout the shop.

______________

“Mr. Gang-sik! Have you been waiting long?!”

“You’re busy people, and I called you out. Waiting this much is only fair.”

“Thank you for your consideration, Mr. Gang-sik.”

After visiting the SCPD precinct responsible for Jamsil.

I waited for around ten minutes in a soundproofed visitation room.

Before long, the door opened and the elf siblings entered wearing police uniforms.

Kim Cheol-su and Kim Young-hee.

“I was told you were safe, but seeing you with my own eyes puts my mind at ease.”

“I’m glad you’re safe too, Cheol-su. I thought you might’ve gotten caught in the explosion.”

“There was no data left behind at our location in the first place. We were already in the middle of withdrawing immediately, so the damage was minimal.”

“It’s a shame you didn’t get any leads. By the way, are the kids doing well?”

As both of them sat down, Kim Young-hee answered my question.

“Yes. They’re energetic and well-behaved children. Other than asking every day when you’re coming to see them.”

“Hah, those kids just arbitrarily decided I’m their guardian...”

Feels like being adopted by a stray cat.

I smiled bitterly at the thought, and Kim Young-hee laughed as well.

Once the brief exchange of greetings ended.

Kim Cheol-su bowed to me, giving me a sense of déjà vu from when we first met.

“I haven’t even fully repaid you for what happened before, yet you saved Young-hee and the other team members again. Thank you.”

“It just happened along the way.”

“Normally, dealing with an Awakened who suddenly barges into the middle of an operation isn’t something people call ‘just happened along the way.’”

“Ahem, Kim Young-hee.”

“Yes.”

Kim Young-hee, who had been chuckling, straightened up at Kim Cheol-su’s cough.

“When I heard Young-hee’s report and went to clean up the scene, you really had defeated an Awakened... a scholar. Are you all right?”

I burned the corpse.

Looks like after hearing Kim Young-hee’s story, they used a mana detector on the remains or something.

“He tried to kill me first, so it was self-defense. And this is something I’m only telling the two of you...”

I had already requested a perfectly soundproof room, but just in case, I lowered my voice.

“That scholar seemed to have come specifically for me from the beginning.”

“A scholar from the Dohwa Foundation targeted you, Mr. Gang-sik?!”

“He said it himself. He came to deal with me. So technically, you two were the ones dragged into my personal matter.”

“Huh...”

Kim Cheol-su’s expression turned serious as he seemed to roughly grasp the situation.

“Then the children in our custody could also be in danger.”

“I’m glad you understand quickly.”

I grinned and continued.

“I heard you were planning to pay additional compensation on top of the original reward...”

As I said that, I pointed at Kim Cheol-su and Kim Young-hee at the same time.

“Instead of that additional compensation, would it be possible for me to temporarily hire the two of you?”

“Hire us...”

“...You mean?”

Kim Young-hee looked puzzled, still trying to follow the conversation.

“I have to leave Jamsil for a while on a request.”

I needed to find the tunnel first.

Then perform maintenance and travel all the way to Incheon, which would take several weeks at minimum.

Saetani had a safe house, but the younger sibling still had a long way to go before being discharged from the hospital.

And their movements would be restricted during the Awakened registration process.

“Someone from our side will stay with them too, but I’d like you to watch over those kids in the meantime.”

“In that case... you don’t need to give up your additional compensation just to hire us, Mr. Gang-sik.”

“Hm? You mean...”

“As part of the investigation into the factory incident, my brother and I were assigned to those children personally.”

“Isn’t the Special Affairs Unit usually responsible for managing unregistered Awakened?”

“That’s true. But―”

Kim Young-hee continued with a broad smile.

“My brother pulled some strings! He personally negotiated with the Royal Inspector Special Affairs Commander...”

“Ahem, Kim Young-hee.”

“Ah, yes.”

After silencing Kim Young-hee.

Kim Cheol-su spoke.

“That is how things stand, so you are free to use the additional compensation however you wish.”

“That works out well.”

So I saved money.

Then―

“In that case, as my compensation, how about one Haechi...”

“?!”

“A-a Haechi?!”

“...Just kidding. What would I even do with something that huge?”

Though I was half serious.

Seeing both their faces turn pale, I hurriedly withdrew the suggestion.

Even as a chief superintendent, handing a Haechi over to a civilian would probably be impossible.

“Instead, could I receive a few of the special alloy plates used to build Haechi?”

“The material used for Haechi armor plates?”

“It isn’t impossible, but...”

The alloy plates used in Haechi armor were specially treated and had the ability to disrupt mana.

Even that shaved-ice machine I fought before could probably be taken down with two or three Haechi.

Naturally, such high-performance alloy plates weren’t available on the market.

A material only those directly under the Imperial Household could obtain.

Just how delicious... no, useful would that be for raising proficiency?

“...Understood. Since it’s a request from you, Mr. Gang-sik, I’ll do my best to secure some.”

“The quarterly supply request is coming up soon, so if we request them as spare repair parts, there shouldn’t be much trouble.”

“Thank you. Please send whatever you obtain through Saetani.”

After finishing that, I stood up.

I should go see the kids’ faces before heading to Sector 30.

“By the way, you said you were leaving Jamsil. Where are you going?”

“Hm? Why do you ask?”

“Ah, it’s nothing major. Gang conflicts and terrorist incidents have been frequent lately, so the bridges are often closed.”

Come to think of it, Jamsil Bridge was closed during the tutorial too.

Thanks to that, I crossed by hanging from the rebar beside the bridge. I never expected those orc bastards to follow me.

“So if you need to cross one of the bridges, I was going to issue you a travel permit under my authority.”

“Ah, I see. For now, I’ll cross the Han River and head to Sector 30. Toward the Grand Park.”

“Oh...”

At the mention of Sector 30, Kim Cheol-su made an uncomfortable expression.

Behind him, Kim Young-hee smiled brightly in the exact opposite manner and added.

“Then you might get to meet our godmother! If you see her, please send her my regards!”

“Your godmother...? Ah. Yes, I will.”

The phrase godmother of the elves made me remember.

The oldest group in Neo Seoul aside from the Imperial Household and the Families.

“There’s elf mafia in this district too. Do they want to start a war or something? Those crazy battle maniacs.”

Sector 30, which I visited when finishing the tutorial, was the territory controlled by that elven mafia.

The territory of the Foresta Family.

_____________

“Next. The matter concerning Saetani’s rookie hunter.”

Countless monitors and holographic keyboards were gathered together in a space that looked like a massive table.

At the center of the table grew a tall golden tree.

Around it were ten large chairs.

And several smaller chairs stood behind them.

“An F-rank hunter encountered an eighth-junior-rank scholar from the Dohwa Foundation during a request. After an engagement, he hunted the scholar and completed the request... We summoned him to verify the authenticity of that report.”

One of the chairs continued in a voice mixed with mechanical static.

“Why did you appear in his place, Ma Cheol-sik?”

A deep voice flowed from the chair opposite.

“Our management office’s precious talent is still having difficulty moving due to his injuries.”

“So you attended in his place?”

“That is correct, Great Elder.”

“Hmm.”

Then another chair suddenly erupted in anger.

“Absurd sophistry! What local administrator in the world attends an Association meeting in place of a mere hunter?!”

“Now, now, Haeryong. Don’t raise your voice like that. The Great Elder is present.”

“In the first place, how could a mere F-rank hunter possibly defeat a scholar―”

“―Both of you, quiet.”

The old man’s voice silenced the room.

“First, the ranks the Association assigns to hunters merely prove their achievements and reliability.”

The old man’s calm voice echoed through the space.

“There are some exceptions, but rank itself does not directly correspond to an individual’s combat power or superiority. Have you forgotten that, Jin Haeryong?”

“...No, Great Elder.”

“If you have not forgotten, then enough. Now, Ma Cheol-sik, can you prove it?”

“Yes, Great Elder. We attached footage recorded by one of our people to the report.”

“Hmm.”

A video immediately began playing in the center of the round table, drawing a low hum from the old man.

It had been filmed from atop a high-rise building.

The angle had been cleverly restricted so Lee Gang-sik’s abilities could not be identified.

“―Indeed. He defeated the scholar alone. I see no signs of manipulation either.”

“What?!”

“Kahahah! See, Haeryong?”

Leaving behind the voice that fell silent in frustration, the old man continued.

“I will render a conclusion. Hunter Lee Gang-sik hunted an eighth-junior-rank scholar alone. The Association hereby certifies this.”

“Thank you, Great Elder.”

“However, because that occurred outside the scope of the request, his consecutive promotion is rejected. Let him fairly accumulate request achievements and advance step by step.”

“We will do as you say.”

The moment Ma Cheol-sik finished answering, Haeryong erupted again.

“Great Elder! He deserves punishment, not official certification from the Association!”

“Haeryong, punishment for what?”

“Lee Gang-sik hunted a scholar despite that having nothing to do with the request! That violates regulations!”

“Are you saying that if danger strikes outside the scope of a request, he should simply stand there and take it?”

“That isn’t what I mean, but there are limits even to self-defense! How could he dare interfere with the Dohwa Foundation―”

“―Haeryong.”

The old man’s voice rang heavily.

“The Association takes no one’s side. It exists solely to protect and manage the hunters whose names are engraved upon the Golden Tree.”

The old man clicked his tongue and continued.

“That is the Association’s authority and reason for existence. Yet your words now sound as though you are defending the Dohwa Foundation.”

“Ugh!! Th-that’s not what I...”

“If you understand, restrain yourself. I will not say it twice. This round-table meeting is adjourned.”

With those words, the light faded from the chair where the old man’s voice had come from.

The lights on the other chairs disappeared one after another.

Only two remained until the very end.

Jin Haeryong and Ma Cheol-sik.

“...Next time, it won’t end like this.”

“I’ve already heard you say that more than ten times.”

Then Ma Cheol-sik added one last remark.

“No matter how sweet the Foundation’s fruit may be... you are a man of the Association, Haeryong.”

“Worry about yourself, Ma Cheol-sik.”

With a scoffing sound, the light in Jin Haeryong’s chair disappeared as well.

Soon, Ma Cheol-sik’s chair went dark with a small sigh.

Before long, only the golden tree at the center remained, brightly illuminating the empty round table.

I Became an Immortal Who Chews on Steel

Author |

Mwiu

Publisher |

Samyang C&C Co., Ltd.

Managing Editor |

Editorial Department

Published by |

Samyang C&C Co., Ltd. - Dream Books

Address |

Rooms 806-810, Kolon Science Valley I, 187-10 Guro-dong, Guro-gu, Seoul

ISBN |

G720:N+A063-20261006118

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Twitter (X) |

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