James Reed’s words were interrupted by Anna Christine.
“What’s wrong with him being the Eraser? Isn’t that a good thing?”
All eyes turned to her.
“The actions of the Eraser were pretty simple. ‘After disbanding the villain organization that was operating in Ansan, he never appeared again. Several copycats appeared later, but it is estimated that it was not the Eraser.’ The Eraser only appeared once, and that was merely to eliminate a villain organization. Is it because of what he did to the vice mayor? From the beginning, the vice-mayor should be the one to be criticized because of his association with that villain organization. Calling the Eraser a villain is a bit hasty, in my opinion.”
“Anna, we call them villains when they act outside the control of the state.”
“I have a different opinion. The global trend is increasingly suppressing the Awakened. This allows the League’s ideology to flourish. We need to look at the bigger picture. If we keep saying this can’t be done, that can’t be done, eventually, only villains will be left, right? That’s what the League is encouraging.”
“The League...”
“Well, what we’re talking about isn’t about the League, is it?”
With the Vice President’s timely intervention, Anna Christine and James Reed took a step back.
“Does Christine still believe in recruiting Choi Jun-ho?”
“We should bring him in even more. The fact that he has two different aliases, Head Breaker and the Eraser, means he’s likely a dual Gift user.”
“...It’s true that there’s no dispute about his talent.”
Even James Reed, who opposed Choi Jun-ho’s recruitment, praised his talent.
His talent was the real deal.
It was a pity that the talent that could become the strongest was not of American origin. The Vice President felt a sense of regret but decided to take comfort in the fact that the other had not appeared in an enemy nation.
The Vice President, after organizing his thoughts, spoke.
“This is what I think. America is vast, and there are many places that need to be protected. We need to recruit talented Awakened to protect one more citizen. If it’s for the good of America, it doesn’t matter if their past is a bit questionable.”
“I agree.”
“In that sense, Choi Jun-ho is a talented Awakened. If he can kill more monsters, even if he’s the Eraser, we should bring him in. And if he’s not the Eraser, we need to draw him in even more. The possibility of him becoming a villain is just a possibility, and it’s the job of the think tank to ensure that doesn’t happen. We can do it.”
“......”
“James.”
“I just conveyed my concerns. I have no objections to the Vice President’s decision.”
“Good. I’ll leave it to Christine to contact Choi Jun-ho.”
“I’ll do my best.”
After the traffic was cleared, the Vice President nodded.
“I’ll have a conversation with the President tomorrow.”
***
The next day, the President and the U.S. Vice President held a meeting at the Blue House.
“The strength of South Korea is always impressive. I was amazed.”
“There’s nothing we can show off in this small land except for its people. We’ve been faithful to our duty.”
“The exchange was also impressive, especially Yang Joo-hyuk, who seems to be a very promising talent. I’m sure the students who came to this exchange also gained a lot of enlightenment.”
“We share the same sentiment. We believe that students have come to realize the challenges of the world and have been inspired to put in more effort.”
The atmosphere of the conversation was warm.
But that was just a facade. Beneath the surface, intense maneuvers were happening.
‘What’s on your mind?’
The President raised his guard, thinking that the Vice President had suddenly requested a meeting for a reason.
After some light talk about personal matters, the Vice President brought up his true intentions.
“I heard that a villain equivalent to Level 8 appeared a while ago.”
“Are you talking about the Berserker? Fortunately, he wasn’t a significant threat.”
“Rather, I’m talking about the Eraser.”
The president narrowed his eyes and set down the teacup he had been holding.
“...A villain who only appeared once. Why are you bringing them up?”
“It’s a cause for concern because no one has been able to find him in a place like South Korea, which has a tightly knit border security network.”
“It’s been quiet since their first appearance.”
“Does that mean you couldn’t find any traces?”
“So, are you suggesting we work together to find the Eraser?”
“To put it bluntly, yes.”
Why search for the Eraser who hadn’t even appeared after that one time?
The Vice President’s actions raised suspicion instead.
There was clearly something going on.
“I’m not sure if there’s a good reason to do that.”
“Perhaps the Eraser is a hunter deeply embedded in society, according to our analysis.”
“Ha, even so, he’s estimated to be at Level 8, right?”
“Didn’t a Level 8 Transcendent appear recently?”
“......”
Unlike the President’s stern expression, the Vice President gave a relaxed smile.
“According to our analysis, Choi Jun-ho, the Transcendent who recently appeared, could also be the Eraser.”
“Now, that’s something that could cause a major dispute.”
“We only suspect it at this point, and I will provide you with our analysis accordingly. I offer it to you out of no other self-interest, but purely because I want you to know, so please don’t take it the wrong way, and let me know in writing what your decision is. I will do my best to work with you as an ally.”
The president relaxed his expression and smiled.
“Thank you. I will take note of it. I won’t forget the kindness of the United States.”
“Aren’t we eternal allies?”
“Yes, eternal allies.”
With their swords concealed, they smiled at each other and concluded their conversation.
***
“......”
Cheon Myeong-guk, who had been summoned by the president’s call, listened to the conversation he had with the vice president and nodded quietly.
“What do you think?”
“It’s a reasonable assumption. I’ve also submitted a report to the President.”
“True, that’s why I sometimes mentioned it as a joke.”
“I thought the President was sincere about it.”
“You think so? Anyway, it seems that the United States has sensed something unusual.”
“They’re probably more interested by the fact that Eraser had never appeared since, and then Choi Jun-ho became a Transcendent. If the two of them are the same person, it proves that he is a Dual Gift wielder. Maybe...”
“Go on.”
“They could have expressed this interest in Choi Jun-ho, believing him to be the person closest to reaching Level 9.”
Level 9.
A realm that had yet to be reached even once.
It’s a stage where one could only speculate how extraordinary the strength of the person possessing it might be.
An unknown realm where they couldn’t even grasp how to categorize or measure it.
But one thing was clear.
The country that possessed a Level 9 Transcendent would become the closest to world domination.
Could the United States be looking that far ahead?
The president felt a shiver run down his spine.
“What should we do if it’s revealed that Choi Jun-ho is the Eraser? Should we arrest him?”
“Are you serious?”
“I’m kidding. Of course, we should bury it. Why should we capture Choi Jun-ho just because the deceased vice-mayor was from our party? They’re not even comparable in terms of value.”
“......”
“However, the U.S. can move to manipulate public opinion. So change the image of the Eraser quietly behind the scenes. Make him a dark hero who took down villainous organizations and rescued human trafficking victims.”
“I understand.”
Watching the back of Cheon Myeong-guk, who was moving right away, the President laughed.
“We should take strong precautions to prevent any manipulation or deceit, maybe even go to the extreme to ensure it doesn’t happen.”
It was a seriously troubling matter.
***
As the U.S. delegation was winding down to its final event, I was meeting with Lee Se-hee, who had visited the National Security Agency.
“How was the exchange battle?”
“It was higher level than I expected.”
“Because it’s the world’s strongest country. They educate their people much more rigorously and give them real-world experience early. Otherwise, they wouldn’t be able to handle the number of monsters there.”
“Because they have a lot of land to protect.”
“That’s right.”
In countries with vast territories, Awakened inevitably leaned toward practical experience.
Especially in cases where the territory was vast, and the population was small, some places had reduced their substantial control area to less than 20%.
“You came to talk about Heartworker?”
“Yes. Heartworker’s mother isn’t in good condition.”
“In what sense?”
“It’s too late for treatment, and the treatment she was receiving in Busan is narcotic, so the side effects are overlapping...”
She explained that the only treatment available was life support.
Was it too late?
I didn’t particularly feel anything about that news. I already did the best I could. Even if it was Oh Jong-su in the same situation, I would have felt the same way.
“If that’s the best option, there’s nothing we can do.”
“And speaking of Kim Jong-hyun...”
“Go ahead and tell me.”
“His work attitude is not good.”
According to Lee Se-hee, Heartworker was extremely free-spirited to the point of being overly casual in his work attitude and didn’t follow his supervisor’s instructions at all. He had become a troublesome figure in the research institute.
“He has the skills to make up for it, but I don’t know when he’ll cause trouble.”
“It’s a problem.”
“Yes.”
The reason I brought Heartworker here was purely because I saw potential in him, both in his skills and his creativity.
“Talent is undeniable.”
“But if he becomes more of a hindrance than a help, there’s no need to keep him. If it turns out to be more of a loss than a gain, contact me.”
“Yes, thank you.”
Only then did Lee Se-hee’s expression brighten.
While discussing the progress of the new drug, they transitioned to talking about the processing method.
It was said that the progress had noticeably improved since I brought Heartworker on board.
While I pushed with an immense amount of Force, he relied on delicacy and sensitivity. Lee Se-hee’s task was to make this approach more widespread. Based on the samples created by Heartworker, significant progress had been made, and commercialization was imminent.
“You should prepare yourself soon.”
“What do you mean?”
“A formidable villain is going to visit Jun-ho-ssi.”
“I’ll just kill them.”
“You can’t kill them.”
Lee Se-hee chuckled confidently.
“It’s a villain called ‘taxes.’”
When the processing method becomes widespread, licenses would be sold to countries around the world, so Lee Se-hee explained that a substantial amount of money would come my way.
The Sacred Group would become even richer.
Lee Se-hee suggested that I established a corporate company as a tax-saving method.
It’s different from what I had in mind.
“I’ll just pay it all.”
“What? You still need to save on taxes...”
“Why bother? It’s fine.”
Since I already had enough money to last a lifetime, I didn’t want to go through legal and illegal means for tax savings.
If I had time to worry about that, it’s more profitable for me to catch one more monster.
I’d rather pay my taxes so I could go out and beat up a villain with dignity.
“If you think about it that way, there’s nothing I can do.”
“I’m more concerned about other aspects.”
I asked Lee Se-hee if I should give Heartworker a share, but she firmly shook her head.
“That seems a bit premature. How about we observe until there’s revenue, and then make a decision slowly?”
“Alright. But can that really make a lot of money?”
“Yes.”
It was said that this processing method, which could increase the efficiency of monster cores, was something that anyone would want.
At that moment, a knock on the door was heard, and before anyone could respond, the door opened.
Entering the room was Anna Christine. How did she get into the National Security Agency?
The mystery was solved when Jung Ju-ho, who was chuckling behind, met my eyes and raised his thumb before turning away.
“Hi, Jun-ho. Princess Lee is here.”
“What brings you here?”
“I came to see Jun-ho, and the Director guided me here.”
Anna Christine, who was grinning, sat down nonchalantly next to me.
Lee Se-hee’s eyebrows twitched.
“Why are you sitting there?”
“I have something to talk to Jun-ho about. Besides, I thought sitting next to Princess Lee might be distracting.”
“...I don’t like it.”
“How strange that our thoughts align.”
As I felt before, the two of them didn’t seem to get along well.
I intervened, “We’re in the middle of a discussion here, so it would be great if we continued this after we’re done.”
“Oh! I see. I thought the Director had guided me here because your discussion was already over. I apologize, Princess Lee.”
“......”
Clearly, Lee Se-hee wasn’t in a good mood.
Anna Christine winked and walked away. Lee Se-hee let out a deep sigh.
“Phew! I can’t stay calm when I see that thing.”
“It’s just her style.”
“Jun-ho-ssi, be careful with that woman. She’s a real piece of work.”
“She’s going to leave with the delegation, anyway.”
“Well, maybe I said something unnecessary. But one thing is for sure.”
Lee Se-hee gave me a meaningful look.
“That woman won’t hesitate to use any means and methods to get you to come to the United States. And...”
The smile at the corners of her mouth deepened.
“She will fail miserably.”
***
Anna Christine, who was waiting outside the meeting room, waved her hand at Lee Se-hee as she came out.
“Is the conversation over? It ended early. Or was there nothing to talk about?”
“We already had quite a deep conversation. It was about various things you wouldn’t know.”
“Is that so?”
“They are things that can’t be separated from me.”
There was nothing as tenacious as relationships intertwined with money.
She threw out bait to be misunderstood, but Anna Christine was nonchalant.
“It doesn’t matter. A man’s past is a trace that tells he’s attractive. I want to leave plenty of traces like that, too.”
“Anna, I know what your purpose is. But it won’t be easy.”
“You never know, even the most level-headed of men can see things differently when it comes down to it.”
“We’ll see.”
With a face exposed to the biting cold wind, Lee Se-hee got up from her seat. Anna Christine licked her lips with her tongue and checked her makeup at lightning speed before entering the meeting room. There, she saw Choi Jun-ho.
His face had always been attractive, and now he had the skills to establish himself as the best in the world. She had employed the honey trap on countless targets, but this was the first time she felt such temptation.
That’s why she really wanted to have him.
“Do you have something you want to say?” he asked.
“Yes, I heard Jun-ho signed a contract with the Korean government. I’m curious about your future plans.”
“It hasn’t even been half a year since I signed the contract.”
“Still, wouldn’t it be a good idea to make future plans?”
Choi Jun-ho gazed intently at her own face. It felt like her face was unnecessarily heating up. Could she be blushing? She should have applied a thicker layer of makeup.
“Are you suggesting I come to the United States?”
“Frankly, yes. I would like Jun-ho to come to the United States and do whatever he wants.”
Anna Christine listed the advantages of coming to the United States.
“Above all, there’s freedom. That’s something Jun-ho needs.”
“Freedom...”
“Yes, freedom. It’s different from Korea, which is heavily regulated by law. Freedom, treatment, respect, and even dating.”
Anna Christine’s eyes twinkled as she spoke. After her humiliating failure last time, she had patiently prepared for today.
This man would never be swayed by what’s right in front of him. She had to build unshakable trust by gradually winning his favor.
In a short period of time, Lee Se-hee had established herself as a business partner. There’s no reason to believe she couldn’t do the same.
“The United States doesn’t sound bad.”
“I’m not asking you to make an immediate decision. It’s a suggestion to consider the United States when your contract ends, slowly.”
“That shouldn’t be difficult.”
“But there might be something good if the decision is made faster.”
Anna Christine held the front of her shirt and slightly opened it. It was a more overt seduction than before. Whether she crossed the line or not, leaving a trace alone would be a great success.
She felt his gaze. Success. No matter how cool-headed, a man was still a man.
It was during this self-congratulation...
“But.”
“Yes?”
“How old will you be when my contract ends?”
“......”
Anna Christine’s expression stiffened at the sudden attack on her age.
***
The U.S. delegation returned.
Although it was a short visit, the U.S. delegation left a lot behind.
Especially James Reed. This guy pretended to be innocent with his awkward Korean, but I could feel that he was a clever fox. He seemed to want to scrutinize me thoroughly, but he didn’t seem to realize that curiosity could kill the cat.
Anna Christine’s proposal seemed like a useful card for later.
Aside from that, looking at the Vice President and senators, they seemed to operate systematically and rationally.
During the exchange battle, Yang Joo-hyuk showed his presence. But I felt bewildered due to the continuous expressions of gratitude from Go Myung-hak, who said Yang Joo-hyuk had completely changed.
“The next thing is the problem.”
“China won’t be easy.”
The President and Cheon Myung-guk exchanged words and then looked at me with worried eyes.
After the United States, China was next.
From the start, the Chinese were full of demands, one of which was a demand for me to come out to meet them.
I readily accepted the proposal. I wanted to see who these guys were.
“I’ll do it.”
“Yes.”
The visit of the Chinese delegation was three days after the United States departed.
The scale was much larger than that of the United States. Leading them was Zhang Zedong, China’s Transcendent and guardian of the three northeastern provinces.
He had a weathered appearance that looked older than his early forties, with sharp sports hair and sharp eyes.
He appeared to be in his early 40s but had an older-looking appearance, with a sharp sports haircut and sharp facial features.
He must have aged about 20 years from the time I saw him last when he died in my hands. Even back then, he looked cantankerous, and his appearance now was still far from ordinary.
He stepped off the plane at the head of the line and walked right up to me.
“You must be the immature Transcendent.”
If he came to Korea, he should speak in Korean.
I didn’t know what he was saying, but just by looking at the change in the surrounding expressions, I could tell the meaning.
I smiled sarcastically and replied.
“The guy who was exiled to the border is now acting wildly after breathing the city air.”
At my instruction to interpret without reservation, the interpreter conveyed it as it was.
“How dare you...!”
Showing that he had heard the message correctly, Zhang Zedong’s expression hardened, his eyes lit up with murder, and he put out his hand first.
It reached my face in an instant and swiped at me like a claw.
I ducked my head slightly to avoid it, and the hand veered off course, aiming for my throat.
I raised my left hand to grab his wrist, but he swatted it away. Ignoring the backlash, I tried to squeeze his wrist.
The collision of raging Forces clashed, and a battle ensued. I tenaciously pursued the hand that approached like a snake. After five rounds of combat, Zhang Zedong’s wrist was firmly held in my hand.
Clang clang!
Zhang Zedong’s Force desperately resisted the Land Mine trying to penetrate inside. However, the Land Mine’s penetration speed was faster. Among the Gifts that could destroy the opponent, none were as persistent as the Land Mine.
Finally, just as the Land Mine was about to penetrate the skin, Zhang Zedong’s body blurred, then disappeared, reappearing at the rear of the envoy team.
It was his Gift, Transition. The Transition I had was obtained from him by killing him in my previous life.
I chose not to pursue and just watched his figure.
“Tell him thanks for the Gift.”
The expression on his face when he heard my words remained stiff.
Since we’re already here, it wouldn’t hurt to finish it right now.
Was he scared? If he’s not, then he should come at me.
But he didn’t react any further.
“...I’ll follow the schedule.”
Too bad.
