MRUCM 22

Chapter 22

The barren desert of Nevada, USA.

In the middle of it stood a building like a massive fortress.

It was the headquarters of Black Iron, the world’s largest mercenary company.

—

“50 million dollars….”

An executive with his legs up on the desk said cheerfully.

“To think they’d throw this much money just to catch one Awakener from the East. Those Koreans must have nowhere else to spend their money.”

Even toppling a small African nation wouldn’t fetch this much.

As expected, rich countries were clearly different.

“Money’s rotting over there, so we might as well take it. Don’t you think?”

The executive put a cigar in his mouth and turned his head.

On the sofa opposite, a large-built man was leaning crookedly.

Black Iron’s elite strike team leader.

Code name: War Hound — Kyle.

His official rank was SSS-class.

A legendary figure who once annihilated 3,000 rebels in a single night in a South American dictatorship.

A walking disaster that single-handedly devastates national-level military power.

That was Kyle.

“Kyle. You need to go personally.”

“What a pain.”

Kyle cracked his neck.

*Crack.*

The heavy sound echoed through the spacious office.

“Just to catch one lowly Awakener grunt, you want me to go all the way to that cramped peninsula country? Just send some underlings.”

“The client’s requirements are clear. They want an absolute, definitive end. Plus, 40 billion won has already been wired as advance payment. If we fail, the company’s reputation takes a hit, doesn’t it?”

“Tch.”

Kyle stood up with an annoyed look.

“Double my bonus. I absolutely hate hearing those East Asians whine. I’ll finish this quick and head to Miami for vacation.”

“Alright. Put together an elite team and leave immediately.”

—

At the same time.

An underground abandoned factory in Vladivostok, Russia.

Pools of red blood had formed on the concrete floor.

Among the bodies hanging from iron hooks, a man was scrubbing his bloodied hands with a towel.

Affiliated with the Red Mafia.

He was Ivan, the captain of the execution unit, also known as “Blood Bear.”

“Captain. An interesting request came in from Korea.”

A subordinate handed over a report.

Ivan scanned it with indifferent eyes.

The target’s photo and the amount were written on it.

“Korea?”

Ivan’s beast-like eyes flashed.

If Black Iron was a force operating in the light, Ivan’s execution unit were butchers operating strictly in the shadows.

No one was more skilled at eliminating targets quietly and horrifically.

“The sum is quite generous.”

Ivan tossed the bloodied towel to the floor.

“Pack your bags. It’s time to go hunting in a warm country for a change.”

“The target’s information is quite lacking. There’s almost no data on combat style or total mana output.”

“Doesn’t matter.”

A cruel smile spread across Ivan’s lips.

“Once you break their bones and spill their guts, they’re all just meat.”

—

A few days later.

An abandoned logistics warehouse on the outskirts of Seoul, South Korea.

The atmosphere was tense as thin ice.

In the center of the humid, musty warehouse, the three guild masters of Shinwa, Geomho, and Ares stood with their nerves taut.

Flanking them on both sides were two groups of foreigners, positioned as if facing off.

One was Black Iron’s elite squad, armed with cutting-edge magical equipment.

The other was the Red Mafia’s strike team, radiating killing intent from every pore.

Oil and water.

Hired for the same money, they glared at each other with contempt.

“Hey. Korean bosses.”

Kyle from Black Iron spoke up.

In his hand were Baek Kang-jin’s photo and the report on the Kang Chul-min incident.

“Monster taming? What kind of ridiculous nonsense is this target?”

Kyle snorted.

The report summarized Baek Kang-jin’s ability as merely controlling monsters.

To an SSS-class mercenary who revered pure physical force, he looked like nothing more than a tamer.

“Don’t let your guard down.”

The Ares guild master wiped his cold sweat and warned.

“Kang Chul-min fell to that man. His mana circuits were even completely annihilated. He’s by no means an easy opponent.”

“Destroying mana? He must have used some cowardly trick like poison or curses.”

Kyle clicked his tongue.

“My durability isn’t at a level where such petty tricks work. No need to worry about that.”

“There’s another problem.”

The Geomho guild master swallowed and cautiously interjected.

“Behind the target stands Go Jin-hyuk, the head of the Korean Awakener Association. If this goes wrong or causes a commotion, the Association will launch full-scale defense and retaliation.”

The Association President’s name.

In Korean Awakener society, it meant absolute power.

A heavy warning that state authority could intervene.

But Kyle and Ivan’s reactions to those words were cold.

“Puhahahaha!”

Kyle burst out laughing, clutching his stomach.

Ivan, standing with his arms crossed on the other side, shook his head.

“Association? Did you say the Korean Association just now?”

Ivan glared at the guild masters with murderous intent.

“You mean that little shop that plays neighborhood gang leader with a few S-class Hunters? That weakling association that sits hunched over without a voice at International Hunter Federation meetings?”

The guild masters’ faces burned hot.

It was insulting.

But they couldn’t argue back.

Because it was the cold reality of the international stage.

South Korea had no SSS-class combat power, so it was always pushed aside by the logic of force.

And the monsters before them knew that fact better than anyone.

“Even if the Association President brought the entire main force, they couldn’t stop one of our strike teams. Drop the talk about flimsy public authority. We don’t care about that stuff.”

Complete disregard.

It was absolute confidence that their military power overwhelmed a nation’s system.

The three guild masters clenched their fists but had to remain silent.

Even while enduring this humiliation, they had to eliminate Baek Kang-jin.

Because that was the only way they could survive.

“Enough of the useless chatter.”

Kyle stood up from his seat.

“We’ve been paid, so we’ll make sure it’s done. Just get the target in front of us. We’ll handle things properly.”

—

“Before we get to the main point, this is an obvious trap. Do not ignore this.”

“What is it?”

Association President Go Jin-hyuk said with a vein bulging on his forehead.

“The three guild masters contacted me saying they want to arrange a reconciliation meeting through me. They said they’d apologize for their past rudeness and pay a substantial compensation.”

“Reconciliation, huh.”

Baek Kang-jin chuckled.

“What a classic repertoire.”

“Anyone can see it’s a trap. Our background checks have already detected signs that mercenaries have infiltrated the country. If you go to that meeting place, you’ll almost certainly be ambushed by them.”

Go Jin-hyuk was genuinely burning with anxiety.

He wasn’t doubting Baek Kang-jin’s power.

But the opponents were international mad dogs who would ruin an entire country for money.

And walking right into enemy territory where a trap awaited.

That was something no sane person should ever do.

“No matter how rich the three major guilds are, they won’t be able to keep paying the mercenaries’ fees forever. So let’s drag it out. That alone is to our advantage.”

Go Jin-hyuk’s proposal.

But Baek Kang-jin lightly shook his head.

“No, I’ll go personally.”

“Excuse me? Baek Kang-jin. Did you not hear what I just said?”

Go Jin-hyuk shouted in horror.

“I said it’s a trap! Why would you willingly step into such an obvious snare!”

“The rats are offering to set the table for the cat themselves.”

Baek Kang-jin replied dryly.

“It’s only polite to go, considering their sincerity. Won’t they feel hurt if I don’t show?”

“Still, at least take an escort—”

“Too much trouble. I’ll go alone.”

Leaving Go Jin-hyuk’s protests behind, he walked out of the office.

*’Still, they did pick a pretty excellent venue.’*

A bitter smile spread across Baek Kang-jin’s lips.

The meeting place they’d designated was inside a gate on the outskirts of Seoul.

A dungeon left abandoned after safety inspections.

A completely isolated dimension cut off from the outside world.

A place where no CCTV, no witnesses, no state authority could intervene.

In other words, the perfect place to kill a target and dispose of the body without anyone knowing.

That must have been the guild masters’ calculation.

*’Quite convenient for me too.’*

He could unleash his magic without holding back.

The perfect battlefield to avoid annoying clean-up afterwards.

Baek Kang-jin left the mansion and stopped by a convenience store on the way.

He poured hazelnut coffee into a plastic ice cup.

He stuck in a straw and took a long sip.

As the sweet caffeine hit, his brain started working actively.

“Sweet stuff is the best.”

He casually swung the convenience store coffee in one hand.

And flew toward the gate with magic, like a man going for a stroll.

—

A barren rocky mountain terrain.

Inside the gate was a desolate dimension tinged with red.

Sharp dust stung the skin whenever the wind blew.

In the middle of that silent rocky mountain, a luxurious long conference table sat incongruously.

At the head of the table sat the guild masters of Shinwa, Geomho, and Ares, sweating profusely.

Their gazes were fixed on the blue entrance of the gate.

*Zzzzzing.*

With a surge of mana, the entrance rippled.

“He’s here.”

The Ares guild master swallowed dryly.

A man walked through the blue light.

It was Baek Kang-jin.

Not a single escort.

“…”

Every time Baek Kang-jin took a step, the dust on the ground rose ever so faintly.

At that moment.

*’Viral Synapse deployment.’*

Deep within Baek Kang-jin’s eyes, blue light flickered.

Microscopic particles emitted from his pores covered a radius of several kilometers in an instant.

All the information of the world poured into his brain.

*’Twenty meters into the northern rock crevice. Three snipers.’*

*’On the eastern blind spot cliff. Five large-built assault units.’*

*’Five meters underground. Signs of burrowed ambushers. Two assassins using stealth skills.’*

The computational system in his head perfectly mapped out the battlefield.

Total: 50 personnel.

Among them, two mana signatures equivalent to SSS-class.

The rest were veterans at least A-class or above.

A tense situation where a single gap could cost him his head.

*’They put quite some effort into this.’*

Clear signs that the global hirelings had paid top dollar.

But not a single change appeared on Baek Kang-jin’s expression.

He merely stifled a yawn, as if bored.

*Thud. Thud.*

Baek Kang-jin, absorbing all 50 killing intents aimed at him with his entire body, strolled leisurely to the table.

He pulled out the chair opposite the three guild masters and sat down with a thud.

“Welcome.”

The Shinwa guild master forcibly pulled up the corners of his mouth and offered a formal greeting.

His voice trembled slightly.

“I didn’t expect to have to bring you to such a remote place. In order to arrange a meeting for apology and negotiation…”

An excuse-laden greeting.

Baek Kang-jin didn’t even respond.

He simply scanned the table.

“Shouldn’t you at least prepare some light refreshments?”

“…Pardon?”

“You called me here to negotiate, and you don’t even have basic hospitality?”

“W-Well…”

The Geomho guild master stammered in embarrassment.

He hadn’t expected Baek Kang-jin to be so composed in front of them.

Could he really not sense the mercenaries positioned all around?

Or was he acting arrogant even knowing they were there?

“Stop beating around the bush and get to the point.”

Baek Kang-jin crossed his legs and leaned back.

“What apology are you offering me? And how much compensation are you paying?”

A dry and direct question.

The Ares guild master clenched his fist and gritted his teeth.

There was no need to keep up the act anymore.

After all, this table was merely a stage to kill Baek Kang-jin.

“Apology?”

The Ares guild master’s eyes flashed like a viper.

“You cut off our livelihood, and you want an apology?”

“Is that wrong?”

“What?”

“We live in a capitalist society. What’s wrong with selling good products at a low price?”

“KYAAAAH!!”

The guild master’s eyes turned vicious.

As expected, this wasn’t something that could be resolved with words.

But they were too afraid to act directly.

Wasn’t that why they’d brought the expensive mercenaries in the first place?

“You’re going to regret this.”

With those words, the guild masters hastily retreated backward.

Their own lives were apparently quite precious.

Watching them, Baek Kang-jin said one thing.

“What a pathetic sight.”

Following that.

The ambushing elites of Black Iron and the Red Mafia began moving in unison.

With mana waves erupting from all directions, the curtain rose on the fierce battle.

But.

Baek Kang-jin merely sat in his chair, unconcerned.

Like a viewer watching a boring variety show.