NOVEL NEXT Chapter 24: Heo Jeong-Tae (2)
He had seen hell.
Could there be a more apt phrase to describe the current situation?
Heo Jeong-tae was stunned by the explosion that erupted from his shoulder the moment Kang-hoo flicked his finger.
There had been no bomb planted, nor had anything explosive been thrown.
It was merely Kang-hoo’s finger flicking as a signal, and then, as if by magic, blood fountains spurted from both of Heo Jeong-tae’s shoulders.
Chakang!
A mighty spear clattered to the ground.
It hadn’t been dropped willingly; his fingers could no longer muster the strength to hold it.
His shredded shoulders twitched erratically like those of a broken joint doll, and his arms dangled uselessly.
No matter how fiercely he grimaced and strained, he couldn’t summon any strength in the areas below his shoulders.
“Just one more hit.”
“You son of a…!”
Amidst Heo Jeong-tae’s expletive, Kang-hoo lunged forward and smashed his elbow into his adversary’s face.
The force was enough to snap the neck backward completely, and Heo Jeong-tae had no chance of resisting.
Heo Jeong-tae, flung backward in a semi-circle mid-air, lost consciousness then and there.
It was a total knockout.
…or so it seemed, but Kang-hoo, ever vigilant, pressed on the fallen Heo Jeong-tae’s palms,
Poouuk! Puk!
embedding the spare practice daggers he carried. With this, he had neatly resolved the situation.
Without delay, he made a call.
“Yes, this is Yoon Kyeong-hwi, the officer in charge at the Yangpyeong Hunter Public Safety Bureau. How may I assist you?”
“Here in front of Munseong Villa. I’ve apprehended the wanted criminal Heo Jeong-tae.”
“Excuse me?”
“He’s bleeding out, so he might die if you’re too late. You should hurry.”
“Oh! Understood! We’ll send a team immediately!”
It appeared that, unlike the Public Safety Bureaus outside Seoul which were often ‘inactive,’ this one was actually operational.
No sooner had he hung up the phone than he received a text confirming the report was filed, along with a notification that five officers had been dispatched.
There seemed to be no issue in securely transporting Heo Jeong-tae.
Kang-hoo then picked up the mighty spear that Heo Jeong-tae had dropped.
After all, only Heo Jeong-tae’s custody (身柄) had to be handed over to the Hunter Public Safety Bureau, not his items.
There wasn’t a report of stolen items, and there was an unwritten rule about it.
[Mighty Spear - Weapon]
[Grade: 4th Grade]
[Strength +100]
[You can freely adjust the length of the spear as much as you want. However, the maximum length is fixed.]
It might not become his main weapon, but it seemed suitable as a spare weapon for emergencies.
A dagger, depending on the situation, might not be easy to remove from a target or could fly far away.
In such cases, having a spare weapon to buy time could be beneficial.
The spear seemed to fit the role of such a spare item.
Then,
Kang-hoo also removed a ring from Heo Jeong-tae’s blood-stained finger.
Normally, rings were worn without much thought, but this time, only one was on his finger.
[Hunter's Blood - Ring]
[Grade: 5th Grade]
[Health +50]
[When health falls below 50%, recovery ability increases to 2.5 times the normal rate.]
“There’s nothing else to see.”
Kang-hoo immediately put on the ring.
The mere addition of 50 health points made him clearly feel a change in his body’s condition.
Health 197.
At this level, he was comparable to a high-level athlete, similar to a level 80 physical-type swordsman in terms of stats.
Of course, the base he had steadily built would be chipped away by mana hypersensitivity, but it was still quite high.
Since health was a stat Kang-hoo had coveted from the start, he couldn’t pass up an opportunity to increase it.
He also acquired a few miscellaneous ‘junk items,’ but none were of use to Kang-hoo.
These items were intended for sale to Lee Ye-rin or on the black market.
He roughly estimated their sale price to be around 200 million.
“Phew.”
Only then did Kang-hoo exhale the breath he had been holding and sit on the unconscious Heo Jeong-tae.
It was somewhat comfortable, like sitting on a cushioned chair, since there was no proper place to sit.
A vividly bald head.
The scent of perfume was strong enough to sting the nose.
And paradoxically, cheerful A-line skirts with stockings…
“What a ridiculous sight.”
Kang-hoo, seated on Heo Jeong-tae’s stomach, frowned at the stark contrast between the man’s upper and lower appearances.
It was a hideous sight he hoped never to see again.
The officers who arrived on the scene were initially shocked to discover that Heo Jeong-tae lived so close to the Public Safety Bureau.
At the same time,
Everyone’s gaze naturally shifted to Kang-hoo.
Yoon Kyeong-hwi, who had handled the call with Kang-hoo, was the first to show appreciation.
“We sincerely thank you for your help in this matter. There will be a reward, as publicly announced by the Public Safety Bureau. There might also be an additional commendation.”
Kang-hoo just nodded indifferently to the expected statement.
He had found a candy in Heo Jeong-tae’s inner pocket and was now busily chewing on it.
“Do you wish for this case to be made public, or would you prefer to keep it private?”
“Just ask. It’s not a big deal.”
Publicizing the matter would only bring him nominal fame, which was of no interest to him.
The right time to leave his mark would come; it wasn’t when dealing with such an insignificant individual.
“If it’s not too much trouble…”
“Just one question.”
“Yes. How did you find Heo Jeong-tae? His whereabouts have been unknown until now.”
“Isn’t the result what matters?”
“…Yes, it is. But it’s just so astonishing. We had issued a wide search warrant.”
“That guy might worsen if he loses more blood, so see to him first. Then we can discuss the reward.”
Kang-hoo steered the conversation away.
It was neither appropriate to explain with a plausible lie nor was there any reason to explain.
“Understood. Then.”
Following Yoon Kyeong-hwi’s instructions, the five officers dispersed.
Two took charge of Heo Jeong-tae’s hospital transport and treatment, while the other two searched his house at the scene.
And Yoon Kyeong-hwi, taking charge of Kang-hoo, returned to the Public Safety Bureau and first issued the cash reward.
Only after seeing the exact 300 million won credited to his account did Kang-hoo’s stiff face slightly relax.
In this world, until the substance is delivered, no matter how sweet the words or how nicely they are wrapped, they hold no meaning.
But now that the reward was confirmed, he felt somewhat relieved.
Of course, there was still one more reward left.
“This is the list of dungeons that were previously announced. They are all under level 100, with detailed information.”
“May I take a look?”
“Of course. How could we rush someone who has done such a great deed? Please take your time.”
Yoon Kyeong-hwi had been thoroughly humble from the start. Such was the position of the Hunter Public Safety Bureau.
In the early days of hunters, they used to have a significant presence, but now they were as insignificant as the dirt under one’s nails.
One could say they were even worse off than alley cats.
Kang-hoo skimmed through the list.
With a one-month lease, he could raid a dungeon at least a dozen times.
What caught his interest were dungeons with numerous middle and main bosses.
Since skill plundering was indispensable, he wanted to gain substantial benefits in this area.
Then,
Kang-hoo’s gaze stopped at one of the dungeon listings.
‘This dungeon. It undergoes characteristic changes.’
It was a dungeon mentioned in the original work.
Characteristic changes.
A complete shift in the dungeon’s internal ecosystem and structure for unknown reasons.
In such a case, not only did the middle and main bosses change entirely, but the terrain structure changed as well.
‘Middle boss, main boss—each one, but with characteristic changes, a total of four. Four different skills.’
Coincidentally, the timing of the change was set for the end of April, aligning perfectly with the current early April and the one-month lease.
Other dungeons had at most one main boss and two middle bosses.
There was no need to look further.
No lineup could beat this dungeon, offering up to four skills to plunder.
“Gwangju Songjeong Station. Dungeon near exit 3.”
“When would you like the lease to start? We’ll secure exactly one month from your desired date.”
“A week from now.”
Kang-hoo decided on the timing,
considering plans for Ground Zero, Lee Ye-rin’s proposed infiltration offer, and the need to relearn the beheading skill.
He planned to tackle these before attempting the dungeon.
Moreover, the area near Gwangju Songjeong Station, located in Gwangsan-gu, Gwangju, required an understanding of the power dynamics.
It was because that area was currently embroiled in a fiercely competitive struggle for rights, almost on par with Daejeon.
Conflicts like those between Eclipse and Heuksaja, or Lee Ye-rin’s mercenary group Cheong-an, were rather mild in comparison.
“Then, a week from now, at midnight, we will issue the dungeon lease license. It will expire after 31 days.”
“Confirmed.”
Kang-hoo entered his hunter registration number and checked the waiting status through the license search app.
All rewards had been received.
Yoon Kyeong-hwi would have learned his real name during the reward process, but Kang-hoo wasn’t overly concerned.
To claim government funds and rewards, one cannot hide their identity.
Leaving the Yangpyeong Hunter Public Safety Bureau,
Yoon Kyeong-hwi, who had seen Kang-hoo out to the entrance, asked,
“Which request was it?”
“Cheong-an.”
“I see. If it’s from that mercenary group, they’re trustworthy.”
“Thank you for your hard work.”
“I hope we’ll meet again if fate allows.”
Kang-hoo, hoping that would never happen, left the Public Safety Bureau.
Leaving Yangpyeong early seemed wise to avoid unnecessary trouble.
The movements of the Jeonghwa Guild were always a few steps ahead of what one might expect.
Fifteen minutes later.
While Heo Jeong-tae received emergency treatment under the supervision of the officers, Chae Gwanhyeong received a report from his subordinate.
It concerned Heo Jeong-tae.
The report was organized succinctly, in line with Chae Gwanhyeong’s meticulous nature.
His expression twisted as he read it.
“He got ambushed right after talking to me? Couldn’t even fight back, and his arms are crippled?”
“…Yes, that’s what happened.”
“Was it the officers’ doing?”
“No. There’s no one in the Yangpyeong Hunter Public Safety Bureau capable of overpowering Heo Jeong-tae to that extent.”
“Then who?”
“I don’t know. What’s certain is that someone completely overpowered Heo Jeong-tae and handed him over to the Public Safety Bureau.”