December 30th.
In just five days, over a hundred Rifts had appeared and been cleared.
I traveled across the United States, assisting in Dungeon clears.
Not only did I personally enter and clear A-rank to S-rank difficulty Dungeons, but I also helped others by sharing strategies I'd gained from decades of accumulated knowledge.
The results were as follows:
“Thank you so much, Hunter Kim Dojin.”
“If it weren’t for you, clearing all of them would have been impossible.”
“We owe you a debt, and we will surely repay it someday.”
The U.S. government and major Guilds all expressed their gratitude. They said that without my help, they wouldn't have been able to quell the chaos so quickly. They promised that if any problems arose in Korea or if help was needed, they would assist without hesitation—all I had to do was ask.
“Thankfully, the New Year’s celebration can still go on.”
“Hmm, good thing. If the New Year’s celebration hadn’t gone smoothly, an even bigger disaster would have ensued.”
“……”
The Rifts, which had been sprouting like mushrooms just two days prior, began to slow their appearance on the 29th, and by the 30th, none were appearing at all. It was as if someone had decided 'that's enough' and ceased their activity.
It was only natural. If the Dungeons hadn't been cleared on time, the plan itself would have been disrupted. Fortunately, thanks to completing the clears a day early, the New Year's celebration was decided to proceed as planned.
Shouldn't such an event be canceled in an already chaotic situation?
That's a fair point. If it were an ordinary event, holding it in such a turbulent atmosphere would draw criticism. But this wasn't just any event; it was a celebration to conclude the old year and welcome the new. It was an event that had continued for a long time and was now considered one of the most prominent in the United States.
Canceling such an event due to a chaotic atmosphere? That would be tantamount to showing weakness, like saying, 'We don't have the capacity.'
“Still, shouldn’t it be canceled?” Shin Yujeong asked, seemingly struggling to understand despite my explanation.
“You’re right about that.”
He was right. Even if it meant showing a weak front to the international community, such an event should be canceled. It was right to eliminate any situation, even one with a 1% chance, that could cause a problem.
“Then why aren’t they canceling it?”
“That’s… because our higher-ups hate being looked down upon in the international community more than they care about the safety of their citizens.”
Not all of them, but most of America’s influential figures are arrogant and conceited. Because their country is the strongest in the world, they swagger around, believing they are the strongest too. It’s a classic example of the fox borrowing the tiger’s might.
What’s important to them isn’t the safety of citizens or anything like that. They merely wish for the nation of America to constantly prop them up as a leader in the international community.
“Sigh… politicians are a problem everywhere.”
“You could say that.”
Shaking his head, he asked me, “Is power really that good?”
“Well…”
It was one of the questions I always wondered about. Did these people have a strong desire for power from the start, or did they change after grasping it? I didn't know if power was truly worth coveting so much, but one thing was certain.
“It certainly makes things convenient to have power.”
“How convenient?”
“They’re all considerate and grant favors for almost anything.”
Even if it goes against laws or regulations, those who want to curry favor with the powerful readily commit illegal acts or violate regulations. Thanks to this, those who wield power can easily accumulate wealth, acquire information, and lead convenient lives more than anyone else.
“That’s it?” he asked with cold, indifferent eyes. His gaze suggested it was pathetic to covet power for such trivial reasons.
“Well… they probably see the consideration and favors given only to them as a privilege. Everyone crawls on the floor and bows their heads in front of them, so they get drawn into it.”
When you hold weak power, one person bows their head.
When you hold slightly stronger power, ten people avert their gaze.
Everything you say becomes the truth, and even your unreasonable demands or complaints are accepted as a matter of course.
A person above others.
An outlaw operating outside the law.
They find pleasure in that. They don’t have to follow what everyone else follows, and the moment their words shatter existing common sense, they feel a pleasure more intense than drugs.
The guy, who had been listening intently to my explanation delivered in a flat, even tone, asked me, “What about you?”
“What about me?”
“Do you feel good when people bow their heads?”
“No.”
The National Hunter.
That nickname wasn't just an illusion of empty honor. As a Hunter backed by the greatest support of the people, I naturally gained power, which could exert tremendous force on its own. Whatever I said came true, and even minor mistakes were treated as if they never happened. People called it a natural consideration for the guardian who protected this country, but…
“It’s not good, that.”
I wasn’t particularly pleased.
“Why?”
Why?
“Conversation should be done looking each other in the eye, but those in power are always talking to the back of people’s heads.”
“Heh heh…!”
Shin Yujeong burst into laughter at my unexpected answer. It might sound like a joke, but I was serious. The more unwanted power I gained, the harder it became to have conversations with people. My very presence made them uncomfortable.
What was it like…? Like a division commander or corps commander suddenly dropped into a battalion or company?
So, I felt a bit lonely. The people and moments where I could speak my mind freely diminished. That’s why I had struck up various conversations with the guy disguised as a designated driver.
“Anyway, I don’t like people bowing their heads in front of me.”
Of course, there were exceptions.
“Except when you’re between my legs.”
“Hmm…?”
The guy reacted to my suggestive words by licking his lips with his tongue.
“Shall we… go in again, then?”
“No.”
This time, it’s my turn to go into you.
“Ahhh♥”
The room filled with heat.
*
Early morning.
A call came in from Chris. He wanted me to show him the hundred sacrifices to be offered to open the Abyssal Gate before the main plan began.
Leaving my team members at the hotel, I went out alone and got into the waiting car. Chris, already inside, greeted me with a smile.
“It’s been a while since we met in person, hasn’t it?”
“It has.”
“I heard the news. You’ve been clearing Dungeons for the past few days.”
“Yeah. Thanks to someone, I worked my ass off.”
“Hmm… was there a particular reason you went through all that trouble?”
To his question, which seemed to be testing me, I gave him the answer he wanted.
“Because the event itself couldn’t be canceled due to a failure to clear the Dungeons on time.”
He chuckled.
“Hahahaha! You’re right. I went a bit overboard. I was just… excited, thinking that this was the real beginning.”
“……”
It didn't seem like a lie. Indeed, his face was overflowing with a vitality I hadn't seen before. A plan he had prepared for a very long time was finally beginning, so it was understandable.
By the way, wasn't he revealing the fact that he could open Rifts too easily? Since things had come to this, I asked him to resolve a past doubt.
“If you can open Rifts, wouldn’t you have to go through the trouble of orchestrating all this?”
“That’s right.”
The guy nodded and continued, “But unfortunately, I can’t open Rifts wherever and whenever I want.”
“…So there are limitations.”
“Yes, there are. To be precise, I don’t open Rifts.”
“If not open, then what?”
“I merely accelerate the timing of their opening.”
“……”
I roughly understood what he meant.
“You’re saying you brought forward the timing of Rifts that would appear in the future to the present?”
“Exactly. As expected, Mr. Dojin, you understand immediately.”
He could accelerate the timing of Rifts opening. That meant…
“…You can see when and where Rifts will open.”
“That too… yes.”
“Huh.”
Even if he couldn't open them at will, it was an incredibly overpowered ability. However, I didn't take his words at face value. More precisely, I suspected there were likely more limitations he hadn't told me about. Otherwise, he could have accelerated the world's destruction, not just chaos, by mercilessly opening Rifts and moving through them.
While we talked and I was lost in thought for a moment, the car had already arrived at New York Harbor. It was impossible to transport a hundred people by plane. So, after rendering them unconscious, they were loaded into containers and brought to the United States.
Naturally, transporting people by ship wasn't easy either. But Hexagram's connections made it possible. They must have recruited various influential figures in preparation for such events.
I pushed open the door of a container placed at one side of the harbor.
Screech!
Through the gap of the loudly creaking door, I saw people sprawled haphazardly inside.
“Hmm… they’re not dead, are they?”
“I put them to sleep with a sleeping spell. I cast it strongly, so unless they’re forcibly awakened, you can rest assured for at least four days.”
“Good.”
I closed the container door, which I had opened just enough so no one would see. Turning around, I saw Chris looking at me with an unpleasant expression.
“That’s unexpected.”
“What is?”
“I actually thought Mr. Kim Dojin wouldn’t accept my mission.”
“Is there a reason for that?”
“Yes, there is.”
He curled his lips into a smirk and continued, “I thought Mr. Kim Dojin was the type of person who would always uphold the convictions he held.”
“……”
“But it seems I was wrong.”
He turned his back with a relieved expression.
“With this, all preparations are complete. I’ll see you at midnight, then.”
I stared blankly at him as he walked away with leisurely steps, clenching my fist tightly. So hard that my fingernails dug into my skin and blood trickled out.
“Hmph.”
I wasn’t feeling particularly good.
No.
“This is fucked up.”
Because his words weren't wrong.
That's why I was even angrier.