Wang Jun-gul, who had locked the door and checked the soundproofing items, cautiously approached the lowered screen. A growling sound, like that of a beast, flowed from beyond the screen.

“Usually, we should start by signing a confidentiality agreement, but…”

He muttered with a tense expression and lifted the screen with a swish. A familiar face often seen on TV came into view. It was a miserable sight, with thick blue veins protruding over the skin.

The half-exposed upper body was even worse. Beneath the torn shirt, blackish-brown hair had grown bushy. As if a shapeshifter hunter had applied a beast transformation skill. The problem was the eyes that had lost their rationality.

Bloodshot white of the eyes, pigmented irises, pinpoint pupils, and drool flowing between sharply grown teeth. The Chairman’s appearance, firmly fixed to the bed with mana control devices, was truly shocking.

“…Did he consume a magic stone?”

Wang Jun-gul nodded a couple of times at Ryu Seo-ha, who asked with a hardened expression, looking at the typical manifestation of demonization.

“Yes. We suspect an attempted poisoning… Could Hunter Ryu Seo-ha treat this?”

His expression was desperate, as if begging him to say yes. Was it out of loyalty, or a calculated attitude considering political standing? Maybe he’s showing enthusiasm because his own life is at stake.

It was already an open secret that the leader of the Taliban, who had taken control of Afghanistan, was holding the lifelines of his close associates with sworn statements. The situation wouldn’t be much different for powerful countries like China or Russia.

Instead of a hasty confirmation, Ryu Seo-ha quietly looked around the bedroom. Items with geometric patterns were installed in various places. They seemed to have the effect of suppressing the rampaging mana.

“Before that, could I hear the explanation you were going to give?”

Wang Jun-gul hesitated, then lowered the screen again to hide the disfigured Chairman.

“To get to the point… We detected the planned terrorist act in advance but ignored it. No, we deliberately intervened.”

The following confession contained honest admission. The apologetic expression also gave a sincere feeling.

“We were already wondering how to bring Hunter Ryu Seo-ha to our country… We thought it was fortunate. The dispatch was delayed more than expected, resulting in unfortunate casualties… There’s no room for excuses. I apologize once again.”

A faint sigh escaped at the sight of the figure equivalent to the head of the Chinese Hunters Association showing his crown without hesitation. To think he would come out with such a clear submissive attitude. It must be part of a tailored strategy.

“You didn’t give the terrorist orders from behind the scenes?”

Perhaps because the presence of items interfering with mana flow felt unpleasant. Choi Gang-hu, who had been frowning since entering the room, asked mockingly as if picking a fight.

“A rabbit doesn’t eat the grass around its burrow. Even now, I desperately want to keep Hunter Ryu Seo-ha in our country if possible, how could we plan something that would make us fall out of favor?”

“People do anything when they’re desperate.”

“Hmm…”

Wang Jun-gul showed a troubled expression at the distrustful attitude.

“I don’t think Director Wang is lying. I just can’t understand. What benefit did those people have in attempting to hijack the aircraft?”

Wang Jun-gul, who had been fidgeting, immediately brightened when Ryu Seo-ha addressed him with a formal title and gave him a chance to explain.

“You know about the recent intensification of Sino-Korean conflict over North Korean territory issues, right? I think the extremists might have been trying to make political and economic demands using the hijacked chartered flight as an excuse.”

The carefully added words reminded me of recent news reports. The trigger was the revelation that plant-type non-aggressive monsters, Strengthened Wild Ginseng, were growing naturally in places like the DMZ and Mount Baekdu.

Although one-time use, it was a rare organism that could increase stats by as much as 10 points. Its effectiveness was proven even for non-awakened. Naturally, it was bound to have astronomical value.

In fact, for several years, neighboring countries had been eyeing the precarious North Korean territory. Some extreme hardliners were even directly advocating for absorption or conquest theories.

Especially due to high interest within China, which shares a border, anti-Chinese sentiment was growing stronger day by day in South Korea. In China, anti-Korean sentiment was also on the rise in response.

“Isn’t China’s punishment for illegal awakened quite severe?”

China was a country that exceptionally diligently executes the death penalty system. While there are always those who cleverly operate by evading the law, illegal awakened are beings that can threaten the one-party system. From the Chinese government’s perspective, they would be top priority surveillance targets. Unregistered awakened would also know that their lives would be in danger if their actions became too conspicuous.

Yet, it didn’t make sense that they made such a reckless and aggressive attempt. Whether the motive was twisted patriotism or greed for wealth, it seemed they had more to lose. Moreover, it was also a high-risk endeavor.

“To begin with, they are not a kind that we, who think normally, can understand. Also, in this incident, domestic individuals were only at the level of collaborators, and it’s suspected that Chinatown survivors who entered from Korea led the terrorism.”

That was something that could be roughly guessed just by looking at the composition of the personnel. It would have been an absurd collaboration between a tiny minority of Chinese with distorted ideologies and Chinatown survivors addicted to murder, rape, and violence.

“We’ll need to investigate more for details, but I think it might have been an expression of animosity towards the Korean government and media.”

Suddenly, I remembered that the media had been reporting haphazardly about Chinatown survivors recently. The main trigger was Ryu Seo-ha’s past, who had gained attention as an S-class healer.

As a result, since the sealed zone was lifted five years ago, the evil deeds committed by numerous Chinatown survivors who joined international criminal organizations were also brought back into the spotlight. Public opinion also heated up regarding their treatment.

Perhaps there was no deep thought behind their moth-to-a-flame behavior. If they believe a world without law is a world that guarantees freedom. I still can’t fully accept it, but I can roughly understand.

“I will strive to ensure a thorough investigation and strict punishment regardless of nationality and background.”

Wang Jun-gul recited as if making a vow and quickly pulled out a sworn statement.

“Then, I’d like to guarantee compensation for the treatment with a sworn statement…”

The chaos that would ensue from the death of one Chairman, the ripple effects from the power restructuring within the Communist Party, the practical benefits that could be gained through treatment, the situation that would unfold if treatment was refused… My mind became complicated with all sorts of possibilities.

I realized that my decision alone could drastically change the political situation in Northeast Asia. I absolutely hate getting involved in political issues. If I refuse, it would be difficult to leave China without any trouble.

“Ah, I need the Guild Master’s permission first.”

For now, I passed the decision-making power to Choi Gang-hu. It was to buy time to think while clearly showing my current affiliation. I saw Choi Gang-hu unfurrow his brows and slightly curl up the corners of his mouth.

“You can choose as you wish. I’ll handle any problems that arise.”

A large hand gently caressed the white cheek. It was a touch as if trying to reassure a very tense small animal. Have I been tamed already? Strangely, my mind quickly settled.

Status: Remaining lifespan 19 days 12 hours 23 minutes

He was in no position to consider political repercussions. Whether China maintains its dictatorship or faces near-civil unrest. It’s uncertain if he’ll even live to see the results of his choice. He decided to erase secondary concerns from his mind. He decided to think only about the direct personal benefits he could gain in this situation. Once he lightened his mind, the decision was made surprisingly quickly.

After carefully examining the contents of the sworn statement, he added a few additional requirements. Party A was Ryu Seo-ha, Party B was most of the top officials in the Chinese Communist Party. The content was unilaterally favorable to him.

The effect of the item ‘Sworn Statement (S-class)’ is applied.

If the oath is broken, the status ailment ‘Blindness’ will be applied.

“Thank you so much! Hundreds of millions of people will be eternally grateful!”

Wang Jun-gul expressed his gratitude repeatedly with a noticeably brightened expression. He must also know well that the penalty attached to the sworn statement is essentially only meaningful to them, a mere formality.

Unless extreme penalties like instant death from heart attack as with YH Capital or mana restrictions like Promhell Guild were imposed, there was no sworn statement that could force Ryu Seo-ha, who possessed the characteristic [Sanctification].

He received the exaggerated greetings with a smiling face and approached the Chairman tied to the bed. As he lifted the screen and placed his hand on the furry skin, the growling sound grew louder.

The characteristic ‘Sanctification’ is activated.

The buff ‘Healing Regeneration’ is applied to the designated target (1 non-awakened individual).

The buff ‘Status Ailment Removal’ is applied to the designated target (1 non-awakened individual).

The characteristic activated as usual, but mana drained in larger chunks than usual. Immediately after activating the characteristic, a strange repulsion was felt from the mana. He tried to remove his hand immediately, but even that wasn’t easy.

“…!”

The Chairman’s body began to inflate like a balloon.