Chapter 56 Part 2: Cooperation
“Hmm…. read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there.Then why did you suddenly ask about the missing hunter?”read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there.
“Because I recently went to a gate, and I found something a little strange.”
“Like what?”
“Well, I can’t give you an exact number, but a small group of less than ten people were nowhere to be found, as if they… had disappeared.”
“Maybe they’ve already been eaten by monsters?”
“Maybe.”
Twenty of the thirty were found.
Alive, or dead.
Of the remaining ten, how many had been eaten by the spider and how many had disappeared?
I wasn’t sure about that, either.
Maybe all ten had just been eaten by the spider.
“But if this only happened at this gate. read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there.If this isn’t an anomaly, then there must be a trend.”read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there.
It was no longer a suspicion. read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there.Baek Mok-Ryeon sighed.read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there.
“…It must be true, this time.”
Of course. read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there.I nodded.read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there.
“We’ve only recently begun to recognize it… as Ms. read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there.Han Seo-Ha had said, it’s a very small number, around single digits, so we haven’t noticed it until now and it’s been a while since we’ve attempted to classify the dead hunters from the missing ones. read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there.It’s hard to say how long it’s been going, but we finally see some clues…. read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there.And I understand there’s been an attempt…”read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there.read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there.read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there.
She suddenly lowered her voice to a whisper,
“Of a Hunter abduction.”
It was, indeed, unprecedented.
We’ve seen people kidnap Hunter’s family for ransom, but no one has ever tried to kidnap an enhanced human being.
Until now.
“We don’t know what’s going on yet, we’re just guessing, and we’ll be investigating other gates to see if there are any similar cases.”
“How long do you think this has been going?”
“Well, they can’t have been taking multiple Hunters since the beginning. read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there.So it’s hard to say for sure, since we can’t even figure out if one or two people are taken but… Yeah, I’d say since then.”read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there.
With a snap, Baek Mok-Ryeon tapped her fingers on the table.
“Since the Yeonhwado Gate.”
I wondered if it’s because I’ve changed something..
“Ever since then, the numbers suddenly increased, to the point where it’s starting to become statistical.”
The new developments that had begun to spiral out of control were holding me captive.
The Yeonhwado gate had changed a lot because of my intervention.
So maybe the Hunter abduction that started after that…. read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there.Could have been caused by me.read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there.
‘Did this happen before the regression, and did I just miss it?’
I don’t know, I can’t remember.
It’s possible that the government kept it a secret.
“Anyway. read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there.There are a lot of things but… right now I feel like borrowing even a cat’s hand, so I can’t help it.”read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there.
Baek Mok-Ryeon lifted her chin haughtily.
“Why don’t you cooperate with me?”
It was an unexpected offer.
Considering what we’ve talked about so far, the cooperation she was now proposing was probably…
“Unfortunately, I’m a researcher, not a hunter. read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there.I don’t know much about what goes on inside the gates, and my statistics are limited. read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there.I need you to be my eyes.”read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there.read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there.
“That…”
I felt somewhat cautious. read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there.I don’t want to reveal too much about which gate I went to.read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there.
“I’m not saying I’ll just take your word for it, but for every one you bring back, I’ll share my findings with you. read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there.You get access to government data, and I can get raw data from inside the gate, so it’s a win-win situation. read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there.What do you think?”read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there.read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there.
I thought about it for a moment, but then nodded.
I needed to find out more about this case.
If I could get the government’s side of the story, it would speed up the investigation.
And if I didn’t want to, I wouldn’t have to give anything to them.
“Okay, I’ll cooperate.”
“Alright. read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there.Please Take good care of me from now on, Ms. read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there.Han Seo-ha.”read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there.read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there.
We clasped hands.
I must have been mistaken in thinking that all normal people have soft hands.
Baek Mok-Ryeon’s middle finger was studded with calluses from holding a pen. read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there.It was a sign of a fierce life.read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there.
『Kim Cheon-hoon, a member of the South Korean parliament, criticized the current government, saying, ‘The current pro-hunter policies is turning a blind eye to the large number of non-hunters.’』
This comment has gained a lot of traction as anti-hunters have become an increasingly controversial issue in modern society.
I was watching the news while having dinner when an interesting topic came up.
The TV screen then showed a clip of Representative Kim Cheon-hoon expressing his views.
The political giant was being bombarded with questions from reporters, and he was selectively answering them.
『Magic generators using magic stones are the main source of energy in modern society, but magic stones are the exclusive monopoly of hunters, and… The current regime’s pro-hunter policies are doing little to stop the immediate problem. read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there.Hunters have an undeniable vested interest in the relative deprivation felt by non-hunters and…』read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there.
Then a familiar face appeared behind the enthusiastic ranting of Kim Cheon-hoon.
Black hair and a clean-shaven face.
He was a man with gentle eyes and a wistful expression.
‘Kwon Seong-min?’
‘Of course, I heard he was going into politics, but I didn’t expect to see him on TV like this….’
He was following behind like an entourage. read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there.It was funny.read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there.
He’s an awakener but he follows closely behind someone who closely criticized the current regime’s pro-Hunter policy…
Of course, he’s only an awakener not a real hunter, but Kwon Seong-min is more of a hunter than ordinary awakeners.
『I decided that I could no longer ignore this situation… and I strongly appeal to you!』
Lim Chun-hoon’s words did not even sound right, he’s actually urging the current regime to reflect on its own actions, which seems to be taking care of its vested interests while ignoring the interests of other citizens who are non-Hunters.
I could only see Kwon Seong-min standing behind him with a calm face.
He was neatly dressed, which was very refreshing. read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there.Although it was not obvious that he was an Awakener, he looked unusually like a normal person. read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there.Or, more accurately, like a non-hunter.read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there.read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there.
“Why are you watching this?”
“Oh… I just saw it.”
Hye-won interjected, “Don’t pay attention to that.”
“It’s all a political stunt. read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there.I don’t know how many of them would actually stand up for the rights of non-hunters, anyway. read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there.Hunters have it easy now that the system is in place, but just a few generations ago, there were more Hunters dying than surviving.”read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there.read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there.
… There was emotion in her grumbling tone. read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there.As a 2.5 generation Hunter, she’d probably seen more disorganized meetings than I have.read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there.
“During the first generation, no one wanted to be a hunter, but we couldn’t all die together, so we persuaded them to give all kinds of benefits.. read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there.Now they’re changing the subject!”read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there.
It’s true that…
Hunters make a good living selling byproducts, but nowadays, when you can get a state-sponsored Hunter test at age 16, the percentage of truly pure “Normal” people who aren’t “Awakened” isn’t that high.
The likelihood of becoming a purely ordinary person is like when one scratch their lottery ticket and actually won a prize.
“If they think that hunters are only there to look good, then they can do it themselves. read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there.They don’t want to die, but they still want to make a lot of money, seriously?”read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there.
Meanwhile, on the TV, Representative Kim Cheon-hoon’s criticism of the vested interests of the hunters was intensifying, and Hyewon-unnie’s words against him were also rising.
I turned my attention to Kwon Seong-min in the middle.
‘What are you thinking?’
You know that the people you grew up with dreamed of becoming a Hunter, and actually became one.
Why are you standing behind a political bigwig shouting anti-Hunter protests, with a calm face. read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there.What is he thinking inwardly.read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there.
“Oh, right. read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there.I forgot the point.”read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there.
“What?”
Hye-won said while turning off the TV.
“I got a call from the Blue Serpents.”
Chapter 56 Part 2: Cooperation
“Hmm…. read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there.Then why did you suddenly ask about the missing hunter?”read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there.
“Because I recently went to a gate, and I found something a little strange.”
“Like what?”
“Well, I can’t give you an exact number, but a small group of less than ten people were nowhere to be found, as if they… had disappeared.”
“Maybe they’ve already been eaten by monsters?”
“Maybe.”
Twenty of the thirty were found.
Alive, or dead.
Of the remaining ten, how many had been eaten by the spider and how many had disappeared?
I wasn’t sure about that, either.
Maybe all ten had just been eaten by the spider.
“But if this only happened at this gate. read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there.If this isn’t an anomaly, then there must be a trend.”read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there.
It was no longer a suspicion. read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there.Baek Mok-Ryeon sighed.read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there.
“…It must be true, this time.”
Of course. read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there.I nodded.read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there.
“We’ve only recently begun to recognize it… as Ms. read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there.Han Seo-Ha had said, it’s a very small number, around single digits, so we haven’t noticed it until now and it’s been a while since we’ve attempted to classify the dead hunters from the missing ones. read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there.It’s hard to say how long it’s been going, but we finally see some clues…. read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there.And I understand there’s been an attempt…”read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there.read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there.read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there.
She suddenly lowered her voice to a whisper,
“Of a Hunter abduction.”
It was, indeed, unprecedented.
We’ve seen people kidnap Hunter’s family for ransom, but no one has ever tried to kidnap an enhanced human being.
Until now.
“We don’t know what’s going on yet, we’re just guessing, and we’ll be investigating other gates to see if there are any similar cases.”
“How long do you think this has been going?”
“Well, they can’t have been taking multiple Hunters since the beginning. read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there.So it’s hard to say for sure, since we can’t even figure out if one or two people are taken but… Yeah, I’d say since then.”read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there.
With a snap, Baek Mok-Ryeon tapped her fingers on the table.
“Since the Yeonhwado Gate.”
I wondered if it’s because I’ve changed something..
“Ever since then, the numbers suddenly increased, to the point where it’s starting to become statistical.”
The new developments that had begun to spiral out of control were holding me captive.
The Yeonhwado gate had changed a lot because of my intervention.
So maybe the Hunter abduction that started after that…. read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there.Could have been caused by me.read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there.
‘Did this happen before the regression, and did I just miss it?’
I don’t know, I can’t remember.
It’s possible that the government kept it a secret.
“Anyway. read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there.There are a lot of things but… right now I feel like borrowing even a cat’s hand, so I can’t help it.”read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there.
Baek Mok-Ryeon lifted her chin haughtily.
“Why don’t you cooperate with me?”
It was an unexpected offer.
Considering what we’ve talked about so far, the cooperation she was now proposing was probably…
“Unfortunately, I’m a researcher, not a hunter. read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there.I don’t know much about what goes on inside the gates, and my statistics are limited. read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there.I need you to be my eyes.”read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there.read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there.
“That…”
I felt somewhat cautious. read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there.I don’t want to reveal too much about which gate I went to.read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there.
“I’m not saying I’ll just take your word for it, but for every one you bring back, I’ll share my findings with you. read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there.You get access to government data, and I can get raw data from inside the gate, so it’s a win-win situation. read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there.What do you think?”read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there.read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there.
I thought about it for a moment, but then nodded.
I needed to find out more about this case.
If I could get the government’s side of the story, it would speed up the investigation.
And if I didn’t want to, I wouldn’t have to give anything to them.
“Okay, I’ll cooperate.”
“Alright. read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there.Please Take good care of me from now on, Ms. read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there.Han Seo-ha.”read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there.read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there.
We clasped hands.
I must have been mistaken in thinking that all normal people have soft hands.
Baek Mok-Ryeon’s middle finger was studded with calluses from holding a pen. read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there.It was a sign of a fierce life.read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there.
『Kim Cheon-hoon, a member of the South Korean parliament, criticized the current government, saying, ‘The current pro-hunter policies is turning a blind eye to the large number of non-hunters.’』
This comment has gained a lot of traction as anti-hunters have become an increasingly controversial issue in modern society.
I was watching the news while having dinner when an interesting topic came up.
The TV screen then showed a clip of Representative Kim Cheon-hoon expressing his views.
The political giant was being bombarded with questions from reporters, and he was selectively answering them.
『Magic generators using magic stones are the main source of energy in modern society, but magic stones are the exclusive monopoly of hunters, and… The current regime’s pro-hunter policies are doing little to stop the immediate problem. read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there.Hunters have an undeniable vested interest in the relative deprivation felt by non-hunters and…』read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there.
Then a familiar face appeared behind the enthusiastic ranting of Kim Cheon-hoon.
Black hair and a clean-shaven face.
He was a man with gentle eyes and a wistful expression.
‘Kwon Seong-min?’
‘Of course, I heard he was going into politics, but I didn’t expect to see him on TV like this….’
He was following behind like an entourage. read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there.It was funny.read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there.
He’s an awakener but he follows closely behind someone who closely criticized the current regime’s pro-Hunter policy…
Of course, he’s only an awakener not a real hunter, but Kwon Seong-min is more of a hunter than ordinary awakeners.
『I decided that I could no longer ignore this situation… and I strongly appeal to you!』
Lim Chun-hoon’s words did not even sound right, he’s actually urging the current regime to reflect on its own actions, which seems to be taking care of its vested interests while ignoring the interests of other citizens who are non-Hunters.
I could only see Kwon Seong-min standing behind him with a calm face.
He was neatly dressed, which was very refreshing. read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there.Although it was not obvious that he was an Awakener, he looked unusually like a normal person. read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there.Or, more accurately, like a non-hunter.read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there.read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there.
“Why are you watching this?”
“Oh… I just saw it.”
Hye-won interjected, “Don’t pay attention to that.”
“It’s all a political stunt. read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there.I don’t know how many of them would actually stand up for the rights of non-hunters, anyway. read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there.Hunters have it easy now that the system is in place, but just a few generations ago, there were more Hunters dying than surviving.”read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there.read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there.
… There was emotion in her grumbling tone. read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there.As a 2.5 generation Hunter, she’d probably seen more disorganized meetings than I have.read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there.
“During the first generation, no one wanted to be a hunter, but we couldn’t all die together, so we persuaded them to give all kinds of benefits.. read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there.Now they’re changing the subject!”read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there.
It’s true that…
Hunters make a good living selling byproducts, but nowadays, when you can get a state-sponsored Hunter test at age 16, the percentage of truly pure “Normal” people who aren’t “Awakened” isn’t that high.
The likelihood of becoming a purely ordinary person is like when one scratch their lottery ticket and actually won a prize.
“If they think that hunters are only there to look good, then they can do it themselves. read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there.They don’t want to die, but they still want to make a lot of money, seriously?”read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there.
Meanwhile, on the TV, Representative Kim Cheon-hoon’s criticism of the vested interests of the hunters was intensifying, and Hyewon-unnie’s words against him were also rising.
I turned my attention to Kwon Seong-min in the middle.
‘What are you thinking?’
You know that the people you grew up with dreamed of becoming a Hunter, and actually became one.
Why are you standing behind a political bigwig shouting anti-Hunter protests, with a calm face. read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there.What is he thinking inwardly.read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there.
“Oh, right. read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there.I forgot the point.”read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there.
“What?”
Hye-won said while turning off the TV.
“I got a call from the Blue Serpents.”
