Auto Hunting

“Ahhh!”

“That’s…!”

The committee was composed of the heads and directors of different government agencies. Each one was in their late forties, with dignified and respectable appearances. However…

All the dignity that came with their age and position meant nothing before what Yoo-seong had just thrown at them.

“A-A-Alien!” an ambassador screamed.

With its large, deformed head, disproportionate to its slender limbs, and eyes that seemed to be deep pools of black liquid, a Gray would undeniably be an “alien” to anyone who saw it.

Clap-!

Yoo-seong brought his hands together, and the sharp, unexpected sound silenced the screams.

As soon as the room fell silent…

-Help me!

A clear voice resonated in each person’s head.

“This… this is…”

It was a desperate telepathic message.

-Please save me! I will do anything!

Everyone in the room recognized what it was immediately, despite this being their first time experiencing it.

“I think everyone knows what this is, even if I don’t bother explaining it,” Yoo-seong began. “This creature, based on my experience, has intelligence and learning abilities that are almost no different from those of humans.”

As he spoke, he raised the index and middle fingers of one hand and pointed them down toward the Gray on the floor.

Papat-!

-Save…!

At the same time, the telepathic messages stopped.

The Gray, which had been twitching and trembling on the ground, also halted its movements.

Yoo-seong had petrified its blood, as he’d done to the fourteen hunters he met beyond the crack.

He looked around at the still-shocked faces in the room. He wasn’t about to tell them that there was actually nothing in the crack he’d just made.

The Gray in front of them was the very same Gray he’d caught in Nashville, which he had petrified and placed inside his Slot. The moment his hand had gone inside the miniature crack he’d torn open, he’d taken it out of the Slot.

In other words, Yoo-seong had not actually brought anything out of the crack. He’d just wanted to make a point: beyond the cracks, there were creatures like the Gray, who could speak with humans.

Only Yang Chang-guk, who had the most experience with cracks, had doubts.

‘Did that thing really come out of the crack Yoo-seong just made?’

‘Still, regardless of whether or not he really caught it just now, it must be true that these creatures exist on the other side.’

Yang Chang-guk chose to keep quiet and silently watch Yoo-seong’s “act.”

“Up until yesterday, even I didn’t know that we had these ‘friends’ inside the crack. But as I got caught up in a more complicated case in the United States, I learned a lot of things.”

As he spoke, the tattoo on Yoo-seong’s chest constantly consumed CE. However, there was no noticeable change in Yoo-seong’s outside appearance. What was its purpose?

After the situation inside the Nashville rift was over, Auto-Hunt had used the tattoo on his chest for the first time. Before that, Yoo-seong hadn’t any idea about its use. However, shortly after the tattoo Tech had been activated, the surviving Grays began to approach him.

‘Provocation,’ he’d thought.

As a result, he had been able to finish off every remaining Gray in the area.

The purpose of the tattoo inscribed on his chest was to draw the attention of the creatures within a certain radius. In a sense, it was similar to mental manipulation, albeit to a lesser degree.

Of course, within the Nashville crack, the Tech had been used in a very wide area.

Perhaps that was the reason the effect had seemed weak.

However, in a room such as this, it was a very powerful tool. Just a little gesture, such as a single clap, was more than enough to draw and hold attention.

As such, despite the shock and the questions in everyone’s heads, Yoo-seong was able to convey everything that had happened in the United States without interruption.

After he finished describing the complex situation he had gotten involved in abroad, a heavy silence hung over the hall.

“……”

“……”

“How…” Someone had finally managed to open his mouth.

Unfortunately, it was someone who was linked to Hankwang and harbored ill feelings against Yoo-seong.

“What have you done?! Fighting in the United States… smuggling Miracle Boy to Korea…”

“Miracle Boy is a person, not some contraband,” Yoo-seong answered the red-faced Minister.

“Still! You did it on your own without any report or authorization? Have you thought about the consequences? You…”

Yoo-seong stared at the Minister.

His eyes had a look that made the Minister swallow back the words he was about to spit out.

“I don’t understand…” Yoo-seong’s voice was expressionless, as was his face.

“What? What do you mean?”

“Do you understand what I have said so far, Minister? I almost died. Would you prefer I had died instead?”

“I’m not saying that…”

“Then what are you talking about? I almost lost my life for the nth time, but I survived nonetheless. In the process, I met American hunters and saved their lives. How should I have acted from there?”

“Well, you could have returned here without making a fuss…”

At the next moment…

Poop-!

“Heeook!” The Minister made choking sounds as he flew towards Yoo-seong, who grabbed him by his collar.

It wasn’t telekinesis. Yoo-seong had stretched out a spider web and snatched him.

“Let go of me! Don’t you know who I am?!”

“Shut up!” Yoo-seong snapped at him.

The Minister turned pale and shut his mouth as Yoo-seong growled.

Everyone in the room froze. Even Yang Chang-guk turned pale as he thought of what Yoo-seong was about to do.

Fortunately, Yoo-seong wasn’t planning to do anything other than hold the Minister, who now looked like a terrified rat.

“Really… I have suffered enough rudeness here,” Yoo-seong said calmly as he looked around the room.

“I want everyone to understand that what I am doing right now is for everyone’s sake, even this person.”

“What… nonsense,” someone from the Minister’s gang muttered.

Yoo-seong stared at him and calmly asked a question. “Can you tell us why this was a bad move? What kind of damage would we get from bringing in American hunters?”

“That… I mean…” the official stuttered.

“Through the rapid action of the Special Defense Agency, Agent Chae Shin-young and the American hunters are now traveling across the Pacific without being detected. As long as no one leaks out this confidential information, there should be no diplomatic problem, at least for the time being.”

Yoo-seong looked around the room once more before continuing.

“Even if the news comes out, however, the hunters’ decisions are firm. There is no possibility that them coming over will be a problem because they have not been forced to do so. Now, don’t we gain a tremendous benefit if America’s top hunters choose to work on our side? Not to mention the Miracle Boy version 2?”

As soon as Yoo-seong’s explanation was over, Yang Chang-guk voiced his support.

“I agree. Having dozens of veteran American hunters is an indisputable advantage, especially in this situation. Even if we don’t deploy them in operations, they would be helpful in auxiliary roles, such as equipment development or manpower training.”

Everyone in the room slowly began to nod.

Not because they were afraid of Yoo-seong, but because what Yoo-seong had said, combined with Yang Chang-guk’s agreement, made such perfect sense that even bureaucrats who didn’t understand hunting were compelled to accept it.

Ironically, it was the only moment when an understanding had been reached throughout the Emergency Committee’s meeting.

“Once again, I apologize for all my unreasonable actions here, including my intrusion on your meeting.” Yoo-seong bowed slightly. “With the urgency of the situation, I had to do it,” he added.

Then, his polite and humble expression changed once more as he looked at the Minister hanging from one of his arms.

“But this man, even after my explanation, continued to insist on my negligence. I’m not saying that my achievements are great, but… I can only think that there may be an underlying motive to his actions.”

“I… I can’t breathe… put me down…” the Minister gasped.

“Alvin Hawkins,” Yoo-seong said. “It’s certainly unbelievable. How can such a powerful and influential person do something so cruel? But it is true. Agent Chae Shin-young can testify for it when she returns… And based on the Minister’s reactions… how can I be sure that this person is not under the control of Alvin Hawkins or the United States?”

The people in the room fell silent at Yoo-seong’s question.

The Minister struggled desperately as he felt the suffocating atmosphere around him.

“Of course, I may be judging prematurely, but I think that we should take preventive action, even if we’re not sure. How about detaining this man until the situation is clear?” Yoo-seong suggested.

“….”

“….”

Silence.

No one argued for the Minister’s release.

Those who were on his side had already recognized the seriousness of the situation. Why would anyone try to defend him at this point?

“Mr. President,” Yoo-seong turned to the chief executive. “I will ask you again. What did the US tell you about me?”

“…”

President Kwak Seong-cheol seemed to be hesitating. Then…

“I understand now…” The President nodded with a serious expression.

“Yes?”

“It does not matter anymore, because as you said, it was all a bunch of crap.”

The old fox’s thin lips had the shadow of a smile. What was happening right now could change the game around the world. No matter which side he chose, he would be taking a risk. However…

Yoo-seong seemed to have a greater chance of success than the United States itself.

The seasoned leader placed his bet.

“Then, Oh Yoo-seong, do you have anything else to convey to the people in this room… or do you need help with anything?”

Rather than Yoo-seong, it was Yang Chang-guk who felt a burst of excitement. He knew the President’s language habits very well. What he had just said was the equivalent of handing Yoo-seong a blank check from the Blue House.

“Well”—Yoo-seong thought for a moment—“efficiency is of the utmost importance right now. All the reports that have to be filed, meetings, etcetera…”

“That’s right, continue.” The President leaned forward to listen.

“I ask for the expansion of Director Yang Chang-guk’s authority. In the future, he should be able to deal with an emergency without unnecessary hold-ups or reports.”

Suddenly, Yoo-seong blinked as if he had just remembered something. The Minister of Defense was still hanging from his arms.

Plop-!

“Akk! Ugh…”

“First”—he stared down at the Minister he’d just dropped to the ground—“let’s send this person away before we continue.”

***

Yang Chang-guk’s face was blank as he walked down the corridor with Yoo-seong.

“I can’t believe it…” he whispered.

“But it’s done. It happened.” Yoo-seong cheerfully patted his back.

The Director of the Special Defense Agency was also the new Chairman of the Special Defense Countermeasures Committee. It wasn’t just an honorary appointment. The members, along with the Korean President, had unanimously agreed to give him the position.

With it, Yang Chang-guk’s existing power had grown beyond words.

For example, Yang Chang-guk could now mobilize the military after the Blue House’s approval. In the past, he would have had to go through the Minister of Defense and the generals before reaching the President.

‘-We now face an unprecedented emergency. How we deal with this will determine Korea’s future.’

No one had objected to the President’s declaration.

“The new person assigned to be the Minister of Special just became a little less powerful,” Yang Chang-guk realized.

Yoo-seong smiled. “In the future, the Director’s…”

Suddenly, his expression hardened.

“Yoo-seong? Are you okay? What happened?”

“Ah, no. No big deal.” Yoo-seong smiled and waved his hands in front of Yang Chang-guk.

“But your face just now…”

“I need to run to the bathroom.” Yoo-seong looked a little embarrassed. “I haven’t been in a while, so please leave first. I’ll follow you soon,” he added.

Then, without waiting for the Director’s response, he began running to the bathroom.

However, he didn’t rush into a cubicle. Instead, he stopped in front of the sink, where a man was washing his hands.

“That’s pretty good,” the man said. “Have your senses developed to the level where you don’t need to use your eyes anymore?”

“Well… it’s been a while. They have grown a little.”

The man turned the faucet off and shook the water from his hands as he faced Yoo-seong.

“But you… you haven’t changed,” Yoo-seong said. “Especially your fashion sense.”

The man before him didn’t look like a king who had lost his throne.

Jin Wei-baek was still in perfect shape.