Chapter 193
J: Chapter 2 of 10.
Edward looked at me with an astounded expression.
"Why are you looking at me like that?"
"Did you really think she doesn't wear makeup?"
"Are you telling me she had makeup on?"
"Tut. Men."
"You're a guy too. You b.a.s.t.a.r.d."
"Urg. Why did you hit the back of my head?"
"You have to get hit if you say things like that."
"Kuek. If I become independent……."
"Check your bank account. Money should have been transferred.
"Hm?"
He hurriedly took out his phone and checked his account and closed his mouth.
I could see the tip of Edward's mouth rise. It was a figure that barely held back laughing. I had transferred quite a bit since he worked hard for quite a few months.
At the very least, I put in more than the yearly salary of a normal businessman.
There was the suffering he went through during a few months and since he did his job as a scout it was a reward for that.
Of course, it's nothing compared to the money I earned this time around. I did want to give more if I could. However, if I gave too much from the beginning it was obvious that he would become arrogant so should I say that I controlled it a bit.
Since I had to mix the whip and carrot appropriately if I wanted to control him properly it was better to leave some margin for his salary.
With the thought that he would be shocked if he heard that, I slowly entered the house.
Once I entered, Soo-ah who had been sitting on the living room table in an awkward position shot up to her feet.
"s...o...b..e oppa!"
She ran with enough force to destroy the table.
I lightly dodged her and opened my mouth.
"You just saw me so what are you doing?"
"I was a mess because of all the sweat."
Now that I look, it seems she hurriedly changed her clothes. There's moisture in her hair too.
"Did you wash in that time?"
"Yep. I'm fast right?"
"That's amazing. But, where's Yeon-gyeong?"
"Ah. She went home for a bit."
"Her home?"
"Yeah. Her brother caused a bit of a problem."
Yeon-gyeong's family was what you would call a wounded hunter. They were people that did minor work due to a disease or injury they received while working as a hunter but there are many cases where they can't endure staying at home when they used to work and cause a problem.
Yeon-gyeong didn't say so but it seemed like she was concerned about her family and it seems one of them caused a problem.
"Is it something we should help with?"
"If it was like that wouldn't she have said so first?"
Soo-ah said.
Since she was close to Yeon-gyeong it might be true but thinking about her personality she might be agonizing over it on her own.
But since there weren't many problems that couldn't be solved with money I wasn't particularly worried.
Yeon-gyeong was a high earner who earned billions on her own after all.
Even in terms of brute strength, there was no one that could look down on her. There wouldn't be anybody that would want to mess with someone that has a level 10 item after all.
Squish.
After feeling something, I turned my head to the side to see Soo-ah holding my arm and looking up at me as if expecting something.
"Hehe……."
"What is it."
As I tried to take out my arm she stuck to me even more.
It was a blatant plan to not let go.
"What is it."
"It's because it's nice to see you after such a long time."
She sent a straight ball.
I couldn't get used to it because it had been such a long time.
I used psychokinesis to place a black box that was in the bag on her head.
Tap.
"Ahh? What is this? Why is it flying on its own?"
"It's psychokinesis. Also, I picked this up on the way."
I could see Soo-ah's pupils expanding.
Pupils were an involuntary muscle so the size couldn't be changed by one's will. In other words, this girl was seriously surprised.
Why did I know this kind of thing in the first place.
She pulled my wrist.
"s...o...b..e oppa. Go to the hospital with me first."
"What are you talking about?"
"You have me a present so there's no doubt that there's something wrong with your head."
"Don't use the opportunity to use informal speech. Also, I did give you something before you know."
I had definitely spent a lot of money to buy her an earring before. I did give it to her for a reason though.
"You gave that to me because I snored."
"…… You knew?"
"Later."
Soo-ah said so and held the black box.
It wasn't anything much but just sports shoes. Things like necklaces or earrings seemed too meaningful and it didn't seem right for me who didn't have fas.h.i.+on sense to buy clothes so I ended up buying a common white sports shoes.
Soo-ah opened her mouth in surprise.
"My size……."
"I asked Yeon-gyeong."
"You could have just asked me."
"Whatever. There's some for the others as well. It's not
She was carefully putting them back into the box.
"I'm planning on safekeeping them."
"I gave it to you to use."
"It'll wear down."
"You can just buy another one."
"I will safekeep this and buy the same one and wear that instead so no worries."
I think you're not right in your mind to safekeep something to wear though.
After the short reunion ended, Han Joon-suk visited later.
"The situation is proceeding interestingly."
I opened my mouth first.
During the time I was hurrying, China had already begun to take over part of the Yellow Sea. The news was condemning China's use of force.
It wasn't on the broadcast but news on the white haired Baek Gyeong was already completely spread on the internet. Although not clear, there's also a video of it using Hadron Cannon. The problem was the number of Baek Gyeongs.
I'm wondering if it's because they haven't all been released yet but according to rumors going around there's only about 10 of them active.
It was uncertain as to whether they made all 1,000 already but it can be predicted that they're already in the final stages already.
There was no way the Chinese government would come out this strongly without that kind of conviction.
The problem is that the country's border is collapsing here and there even though only 1/100 were released.
It was said that Korean hunters were powerful but was that a lie?
Han Joon-suk opened his mouth as if knowing what I was thinking.
"High level players haven't taken action yet. The government would have to promise them an astronomical amount to be able to move their heavy b.u.t.ts after all."
"So that would mean the ones currently at the border are second grade."
"That is so. It's just that there's not much information about level 10 hunters so it's uncertain how much ability they actually have."
"The main point would be whether they can fight Baek Gyeong or not."
"Baek Gyeong?"
Han Joon-suk tilted his head.
"The unknown hunter, it's the name the white hair that fires an energy cannon."
"So you call that Baek Gyeong?"
"It seems the detailed information hasn't been spread yet."
Certainly, there wasn't any information on Baek Gyeong on the news or on the internet. Looking at how An Gyu-b.u.m knows, the majority of the higher ups should know so I predict that it should be leaked to the general public soon.
I told all the information I knew to Han Joon-suk.
He listened with a serious expression and slowly opened his mouth.
"It seems like it would be better to lay low for a while. Since they aren't people that we, excluding team leader, can handle after all."
"I think it would be possible to fight one if team 1 moves together."
"Even if we do win, if someone were to get hurt, it would be a loss."
I nodded at Han Joon-suk's words.
There was no need for us to be obsessed with the Yellow Sea. We had the Red Hole so there was no problem with item supply you see.
Also, level 9 dungeons were still alive. They would disappear since my proficiency surpa.s.sed 80 but I just had to create more Red Holes.
Either way, team Delta could take a step back from all the series of events currently occurring.
I opened my mouth just in case.
"There's no damage on our side yet right?"
"Yes. We're currently using the dungeons in North Korea after all. It's just that, I don't know how long that can continue."
His explanation was like this.
Our country and China was currently confronting each other. It couldn't be called a full scale war but enough to be a limited warfare. North Korea had autonomous rights so their borders weren't restricted.
However, if the Chinese government put pressure on them, they would have no choice but to block the roads.
Also, it's said that dungeon management had visited the dungeon surroundings of the dungeons team Delta was using.
It was a situation where they would block the roads and take the Red Holes at any time.
"Let's worry about that when the time comes for now. There's a person I know after all."
In the end, it was up to how Kim Sung-hyun would come out. We had a good relations.h.i.+p due to saving him at the time but there's a possibility that he is blinded by greed and blocks the border.
It was a scenario that could be thought of since the dungeons would return to his possession if I am unable to declare rights over them.
Thankfully, he didn't show such movements yet.
Han Joon-suk asked.
"What are you planning on doing from now on?"
"I am planning on opening the rest of the Red Holes."
"There might be universal chaos then. The hunters that had been starved for dungeons would try to enter indiscriminately and each country's government would freeze just trying to manage that."
"That's exactly why."
"Yes?"
"I will open all the dungeons. But just in China. Everywhere else will proceed slowly as planned."
"That is……."
I could hear the sound of blood draining from Han Joon-suk's face.
The reason he made such an expression was simple. The number of hunters China had publicly was 3.5m. However, there's word going around that there's double that number since they would be regulated by the government once they issue a license.
If they suddenly went to the Red Holes, China would undoubtedly fall into chaos.
Whether they liked it or not, the attention of the hunters that got forced into the Yellow Sea would turn to the Red Holes and the Chinese government would have to bring back the Baek Gyeongs to their country to control them.
In that situation, they would have no choice but to pull out of the Yellow Sea.
It is true that the items or ores that pour out of the Red Holes would help them in the beginning, but it honestly couldn't compare to the strength of 1,000 Baek Gyeongs.
What was important right now was to stall for time. That's because Baek Gyeong naturally breaks down as time pa.s.ses.
Han Joon-suk opened his mouth with a serious face.
"There will be a large amount of casualties."
"I know."
"Even if it's an enemy country there's no need to go so far……."
"It's not entirely because it's an enemy country."
"It's because of Baek Gyeong I see."
I nodded my head.
China created Baek Gyeong. In the first place, I thought there was that much of a reason as to why they created a large number of them in secret. I opened the Red Holes in hope that they would use their strength there.
Of course, it was a small number of 100.
However, it can be suspected that more would open with that as a start.
If the Chinese government were to throw away their greed for the Yellow Sea and concentrate on Red Holes, I would have chosen to slowly increase the number of Red Holes.
There was no need to fight among humans when there was a common enemy called monsters after all.
If they had done so, there would have been no need for me to use such a dangerous method.
However, they didn't hesitate to use force on another country.
They had actively started taking over the Yellow Sea.
Also, if they were to succeed, they would greed for more with that power and confidence as the base.
It was the Yellow Sea for now, but it could lead to the invasion of the Korean peninsula itself.
It's too exaggerated of a prediction?
Even just looking at how they deployed Baek Gyeongs to New Alaska to block America's trade routes, it could be known that they had the ambition of becoming a super power.
After shutting out America after that.
There was a high chance it would be our country that was monopolizing the item market.
"I might have made a mistake. However, we have already experienced their power in the forest region. If we don't cut them down once, there's no telling how far they will go."
"I will respect team leader's decision. I also support it your thoughts after all."
"Thank you for understanding."
Han Joon-suk was relatively moderate person compared to me.
That kind of guy supported my decision. It meant that China's activity was that dangerous.