EPISODE 129
“So…”
Someone tried to say something but quickly realized that no one else was speaking and decided against it.
In fact, it didn’t need to be said. Everyone was surely thinking the same way.
Unless what had happened was just a freak coincidence, what they were currently looking at was a Single. And there was only one of his kind in Korea.
This man could immediately silence hundreds of emergency notifications with just a single phone call.
This was someone who had the ability to completely close cracks below Typhoon-class by himself.
If only anyone had been thinking about anything other than Yoo-seong… they would have been sympathizing with Han Jae-gyu.
Han Jae-gyu did not even move an inch. Then finally…
“Well, there…” he said, trying to break the silence with a trembling voice. “Are you really Oh Yoo-seong?”
Yoo-seong did not answer. It wasn’t that he was ignoring Han Jae-gyu. He just had to focus on the matter at hand.
“I just… earlier… I was mistaken… I wouldn’t have said that unless I was mistaken,” said Han Jae-gyu, clearly trying to hide the tremors in his voice.
Considering the shock and embarrassment he felt, he deserved praise for his quick response.
Taking a step toward Yoo-seong, Han Jae-gyu spoke out even more urgently. “I would like to apologize for my mistake. If you have the time…”
“I’m sorry, but I don’t.”
Yoo-seong did not even let Han Jae-gyu finish, much less look at him.
His eyes were fixed on his phone. “I’m reading a briefing right now.”
Yoo-seong’s low voice rang heavily through the silent room.
“I have to close the crack alone. To do that, I need to devote all of my remaining time to preparations.”
window.pubfuturetag = window.pubfuturetag || [];window.pubfuturetag.push({unit: "64ce79d606107d003c23ea27", id: "pf-5140-1"}) Of course, Yoo-seong had closed larger and more dangerous cracks in the past. However, as always, even if he could block the crack by himself, civilian safety was a more important issue.
No one could ever be sure of what might happen.
“I don’t want to waste time talking about things that don’t matter. If you are a hunter, you will understand.”
Indeed, everyone agreed right away.
“It is definitely different.”
“Yes, there is weight to his words.”
The hunters wearing the Hankwang uniform were no exception. They, too, agreed with Yoo-seong. It was an example of how easy it was for people to change their stand.
On the other hand, what Yoo-seong had said was an irrefutable argument.
A while ago, Yoo-seong had been treated like an idiot for pointing out the line cutting committed by Park Kang-min and Han Jae-gyu. However, their opinion of him had shifted as soon as his identity was exposed.
There was a big difference between what a freelance beginner said and what a hero declared. After all, in this time of industry, position and power mattered the most.
However, their opinion of Yoo-seong wasn’t the only thing that had changed.
Han Jae-gyu was a young man who had been considered a dark horse who could potentially overwhelm Korea.
Right now, no one was seeing him that way, for he had just made a fool out of himself. He had been reduced to a nobody by his own mouth.
Han Jae-gyu, who had never received such looks in his life, felt uneasy all of a sudden. Meanwhile, Yoo-seong kept his eyes fixed on his phone as he walked around.
He stepped right in front of the hospital entrance. The automatic door recognized him and opened to let him pass through.
“Ha, my grandfather!”
After moments of contemplating and weighing his options, Han Jae-gyu had chosen his best weapon, something he had never used before.
Didn’t Han Jae-gyu say it himself?
He was the grandson of the Hankwang Group president, but whatever he had right now, it was all because of his own ability. However…
window.pubfuturetag = window.pubfuturetag || [];window.pubfuturetag.push({unit: "64cc9e79c7059f003e4ad4b0", id: "pf-5109-1"}) “The Hankwang Group President Han Kwang-ho wants to meet Oh Yoo-seong!”
He was trembling more than ever.
At this very moment, he had resorted to using his grandfather’s name in order to establish his position. Han Jae-gyu himself was unconsciously admitting it, though to everyone else it was rather obvious – he had been relying on his name all along.
The Hankwang Group’s influence held so much weight that a few bluffing words could not easily shake it.
“It doesn’t have to be today. But sooner or later, we’d like to set up an appointment with you.”
Even when he had never felt so disappointed with himself, Han Jae-gyu felt some sort of relief, for he had managed to stop his voice from shaking.
Chin-!
Yoo-seong stopped walking.
He turned his head to look at Han Jae-gyu, and Han Jae-gyu simply sighed with relief. The hunters all around them held their breath for what might become a part of history.
However, Yoo-seong remained still. He just glanced over his shoulder, looking at Han Jae-gyu.
“Something… please say something…”
Just like that, Han Jae-gyu’s voice started to tremble again. All because of Yoo-seong’s eyes.
He stared at Han Jae-gyu without any interest, without an inch of respect. It was a gaze that made Han Jae-gyu feel utterly small.
“As I said, my grandfather…”
Looking at the pathetic Han Jae-gyu, Yoo-seong pondered for a moment. Did he have to say exactly what was going on in his mind right now?
Soon, he came to a conclusion.
Push-
Yoo-seong took out his phone and pressed the call button. Then he went on his way.
“Are you taking Hankwang for granted?!”
window.pubfuturetag = window.pubfuturetag || [];window.pubfuturetag.push({unit: "663633fa8ebf7442f0652b33", id: "pf-8817-1"}) Han Jae-gyu was near tears.
No one knew who Yoo-seong had called on the way out; they weren’t able to overhear the conversation.
In truth, Yoo-seong had not ignored Han Jae-gyu.
He’d just tried to convey his thoughts in a slightly different way.
Yoo-seong walked out of the hospital.
“You will find out soon,” he muttered.
His response was not just for Han Jae-gyu.
It was for everyone.
***
“Let’s go!”
The Hankwang Medical Center was experiencing unprecedented chaos years after the building had been built.
“Where are you? Can I go to the West Building?”
“No, I’ll have to go to the roof of the East Wing or Annex to see you!”
The hunters who had previously been waiting for their medical treatment inside the hospital began to pour out. Their reasons were all the same.
“Wow! Are the railings already full?”
“It can’t be helped. This is a one-of-a-kind opportunity.”
Everyone wanted to be in a position where they could clearly see Yoo-seong closing the crack, which was about to happen anytime soon.
The location of the hospital itself was just across from the crack’s barrier area. That was why almost everyone in the hospital had been summoned before Yoo-seong made his call.
In the past, only the general public loved watching hunting operations.
For professional hunters, watching their colleagues working was not much of an attraction, even with hunters more skilled than they were.
Hunters already had so much work on their hands.
No matter how exceptional those hunters were, their colleagues didn’t have the time to seek out whatever operations they were participating in.
Even if they had, they didn’t have time to chase them around. However, today was different. This situation was different. The hunter participating in the operations was definitely someone worth spending that time on.
“Let’s go down!”
“Huh?! Are you not going to watch?”
“No, there’s no more room for us up there! Let’s drive up to a higher place nearby!”
Everyone was looking forward to seeing Yoo-seong in action. Did he really have the skills and abilities worthy of being called a Single?
Could he really face a ten-star or higher monster alone?
He had worked in the vicious Chinese industry. Was he really as formidable as they were? What was his Tech like? What about that legendary suit, which was rumored to be reinforced with unknown material?
Up until now, they had only seen him in action through action cam videos.
They wouldn’t miss the chance to watch him with their own eyes if they could.
The exceptional hunter named Oh Yoo-seong. However…
“Huh?”
It turned out they didn’t have to try so hard to see it.
Dudududu-
The noise from the sky distracted them. It was a helicopter. In fact, on closer look, it was actually a little smaller and flatter than a typical helicopter.
A total of six such sleek-looking machines were flying into the operation area.
“Broadcast stations?”
“Can it fly that low?”
In the case of large-scale operations, broadcasters who wanted to get coverage used to send in competitive dispatch filming teams for live broadcasting.
However, after the emergence of Shantiga last year, it had been difficult for the broadcast stations. Permits for helicopters were rarely approved, but this case was different. No one was manning the helicopters.
“It’s not a broadcasting station.”
People then realized to whom the helicopters belonged, and they started to murmur among themselves. They were unmanned drones for operation video shooting, belonging to the Special Defense Agency, special equipment deployed to record exceptional operations, those worthy of future research and study.
They were used to supplement the action cams used by hunters and provide a wider view of the action. However, no matter how large the operation was, the Defense Agency only deployed one to two units at most.
Since it was ultra-high-priced equipment, it was very risky for the Defense Agency to fly it at such a dangerously low altitude.
“Uh? Hey, hey! Everyone, check the website!”
Beep-
As it turned out, the reason the drones had been mobilized in the first place was quite different from their original purpose.
“Website?”
“On the main web page for hunters. “
-Multi-angle real-time streaming.-
-Hunter Oh Yoo-seong – Operation Live Stream released.-
-Anyone can watch freely after authentication.-
Beep-
Immediately, the broadcast began. However, the video’s angle was not that of an action cam like everyone had expected.
Six high-resolution cameras were showing Oh Yoo-seong from different angles.
“Is this Oh Yoo-seong?”
“I think it’s him.”
The broadcast exceeded everyone’s imagination.
“That doesn’t make sense!”
***
Click-
Feeling the presence of six major drones orbiting him from a certain distance, Yoo-seong checked the equipment he wore. This set of equipment was much more specialized than he’d used in the past.
He had contacted Yang Chang-guk and requested the mobilization of the drones. In addition, he’d also directly requested to use the state-owned equipment.
Yang Chang-guk had agreed to the livestream using the drones without hesitation. However…
“You mean to use these? Really?”
He’d trembled upon seeing the list of equipment that Yoo-seong wanted to use.
‘It can’t be helped,’ Yoo-seong thought to himself as he looked up at the crack.
This was what he wanted to show everyone. This was what he wanted to spread all over the world for the upcoming broadcast.
What he was about to do using this equipment would soon change the industry.
Jiiiiiing-!
The crack began to fluctuate. Yoo-seong prepared himself. He wanted to show his new equipment in earnest.
Worth 1.36 million won and accessible to any licensed hunter through a simple phone order.
Today, everyone would see it.
These were not just special; these were exceptional.
And with that, Yoo-seong pressed the button.
