The Returnee Wants to Live Comfortably

It's All Just Desserts (1)

As befitted China's top hunter organization, the Sura Guild was equipped with all the most thorough facilities.

There were convenience facilities and accommodations—additionally, there were play areas and even childcare centers for children.

The scale was so immense that it almost made corporate headquarters of major companies look shabby by comparison; there was virtually nothing it didn't have.

In particular, there were not only helicopters, which any large guild might have, but also a hangar that housed a plane exclusive to the guild. Countless hunters were boarding the airplane one or two at a time.

"Is this definitely our destination?"

"It's certain, sir. It's an A-rank gate managed by Korea's Hwasan Guild and Poison Guild."

Someone projected a map and coordinates on a large pad.

Yoo Hwayeon, an executive from the Sura Guild commanding this airship, pointed to the coordinates on the map and gave her orders.

"Let me ask just in case. What kind of group is the Hwasan Guild?"

"It's a major Korean guild that cooperates with the Poison Guild, who are our adversaries."

"Then what about that Poison Guild?"

"They were recently discovered to be close associates of the Holy Church."

"And the Holy Church?"

The subordinate hunter swallowed hard and replied.

"They're traitors."

"That's right, they're traitors. Once, they were our people, but blinded by shortsighted delusions, they turned away from wise decisions. Anything that cooperates with or is connected to them is our enemy."

When it came to crushing them, Sura Guild spared no means or method.

That was one of the guild's mottos.

"Never forget that. Understood?"

"Yes, Ma'am!"

"... Or at least, that's what I'd like to say."

Yoo Hwayeon, who had seemed so resolute, suddenly made an awkward expression.

"Surprisingly, they contacted us first."

A short while ago, someone from the Hwasan Guild had gotten in touch and sent an email.

Of course, since it was interference from the hostile Hwasan side, they were wary, but the other side had made a proposition.

"What kind of proposal did they make?"

"This boy right here."

Yoo Hwayeon swiped away the map on her tablet to bring up a photograph.

It was a picture of a boy attached in the email they'd received.

"Amazingly, they're saying this boy is participating in their combat force."

"Huh? He looks like he's just a middle schooler..."

"To be honest, I agree."

It was as if the enemy had handed over confidential information. Naturally, Yoo Hwayeon had to wonder about this.

"They said this: let's start the battle after killing this boy first."

"What are the Hwasan Guild thinking?"

"It must mean this boy is a significant threat. There's a reason they'd want to eliminate him, even if it means leaking crucial information to us, their enemy."

In the war between the two guilds, one side had leaked information about the other.

No one in their right mind would do such a thing.

Revealing your strategy outright was the same as asking to be killed.

Unless, of course, it was a coded message being sent to a spy infiltrating the opposing side.

"Are we really going to go along with it? No matter how you look at him, he's just a kid."

No matter how long they looked at the photo, they couldn't see the value in putting a target on the kid's head.

Even if they killed one child, how big a loss could it be to the Hwasan Guild?

Maybe this was just bait to lure them in—who would fall for such a foolish offer?

"Well, there's nothing we can do. It's by His request, after all."

"...."

"In any case, we eliminate anything that poses a threat to our guild. Understood?"

"Yes, Ma'am!"

On her command, the subordinates boarded the aircraft to prepare for departure.

The airplane, shaped as though a fox were baring its fangs, started its engines.

Soon, a mighty roar echoed as they began to take off, one after another.

"Huhuhuhuhu."

Watching the scene, Yoo Hwayeon laughed quietly and muttered slyly to herself.

'Everything is for the holy guardian deity!'

Even though she was an executive in the Sura Guild, Yoo Hwayeon did not worship Sura.

Her true identity was that of a spy sent from the Poison Guild.

"Who is it you intend to eliminate?"

"...!!"

At that moment, a girl's voice spoke from behind Yoo Hwayeon.

Startled, she turned around to see a girl draped in a white veil.

"Sura... ma'am?"

Yoo Hwayeon caught her breath at Sura's sudden appearance.

Could her identity as a spy have been found out?

But she had only said those words in her mind. Even Sura, whose animal-like senses were developed, couldn't read minds.

"How did you get here? This battle... I thought Sura wouldn't be involved in today's confrontation...."

"Let me see the tablet you were just holding."

"Why do you...."

"Hurry up."

When Sura cut her off, Yoo Hwayeon reluctantly handed over the tablet.

Her manner was so overbearing that a cold chill spread through Yoo's entire body like spider webs.

'But even if she checks inside, there's no information about me being a Poison Guild spy!'

Reassured of that, Yoo kept a close eye as Sura tapped the tablet.

Unexpectedly, Sura didn't look over it for long.

But upon seeing the photo of the boy that Yoo Hwayeon had just shown her subordinate, Sura's hand stopped.

"Ms. Yoo Hwayeon."

"Yes?"

"Are you departing as well?"

"Yes... I'll be on the second aircraft."

After reading the email containing the photo, Sura returned the tablet and said,

"I don't know how to fly a plane, so..."

At this absurd suggestion, Yoo Hwayeon broke into a cold sweat.

****

Sang-ah suddenly made a painful expression and collapsed.

Though she seemed to be in agony like someone experiencing a certain biological phenomenon, I calmly responded as if I had expected it.

'Is it molting?'

I immediately took Sang-ah to the church and laid her on a bed.

The pastor and the nuns recognized the symptoms as molting at a glance.

They then closed the door, saying no one was allowed inside.

It was just like a patient rushed into the ER and put on the operating table.

'I guess there's nothing for me to do here.'

This part was something only they could handle, so I left the church.

Outside, a helicopter was waiting for me.

Today was the day for the showdown between Hwasan Guild and Sura Guild.

.

.

"Where are we going?"

"A-rank gate in a valley in Gangwon province. The Sura Guild is targeting a gate managed by us."

The hunter sitting next to me replied to my question.

He seemed to be avoiding my gaze, almost as if he was afraid to meet my eyes.

It was understandable, considering my past actions in Hwasan Town.

Even the helicopter pilot seemed extremely tense as he flew.

'Maybe I raised too much hell?'

Anyway, according to the briefing, the Sura Guild's raid was going to kick off by attacking the A-rank gate, then going for a full-on assault on our side.

It was an obvious provocation—of course, our side couldn't just sit by and watch.

'Honestly, it's unfair for the Hwasan Guild.'

If you think about it, the Sura Guild's target was the Poison Guild.

All they wanted was to get rid of Poison, but since we're allies, they're coming after us too.

Of course, given the current situation, Hwasan Guild is acting as a shield for Poison Guild.

From Sura Guild's side, it would be wise to get rid of that bothersome shield first.

You could say Kang Minji married well.

'Though who knows where that husband's affections are headed these days.'

There were just five of us in the helicopter: me, the pilot, and three others.

While larger helicopters carried more than twenty, this one felt almost pathetic in comparison.

Maybe that was my fault.

"Times have really changed. Who would've thought we'd have helicopters that can carry dozens of people?"

"...."

"Ever heard of the game StarCraft? It reminded me of a unit from that game."

"...."

"I guess we're able to make stuff like that thanks to mana stones, right? The gates have actually advanced humanity a lot, huh?"

"...."

What's with these guys?

Would one word kill them?

Not a single person responded to my bored chitchat.

Were they afraid that talking to me would bring disaster on themselves?

In the end, I had to spend a boring amount of time in silence until we arrived at our destination.

It was so unbearably dull because nobody replied to me.

And I couldn't exactly cause a scene.

It was a situation where I couldn't do this or that.

'Maybe Kwon Yongha always felt like this?'

Time passed, and out the window, I saw our destination.

Around the gate, the Hwasan Guild alliance and Sura Guild hunters were already facing off.

Just as I was elated the boredom was finally over and I could finally move—

"This is car 10. We've just arrived."

"...."

"So the Angel Guild is on the move? Understood."

I was puzzled by the hunter's radio conversation.

I'd heard that Angel Guild's support had been canceled when I showed up.

So why were they joining the battle again?

"Hey, kid."

"Yes?"

"This is your just desserts."

At that moment, the hunter sitting next to me spoke.

At the same time, with a metallic click, chains shot out from under my seat.

Already strapped in, I was instantly bound tightly by the chains.

I could feel the magic power within my body drastically weakening—it wasn't just any chain.

'Is this a binding device for awakeners?'

It was the same kind of handcuffs government agencies used to restrain murderer Awakened.

I looked at the hunter as if to say, what the hell are you doing?

But it wasn't just him.

Everyone on the helicopter was smiling at me.

"Well then—die well!"

With grins, the group opened the door and jumped out of the helicopter.

Even the pilots fled the same way.

Clutching safety gear for landing, they left, leaving me alone in the helicopter.

And out the pilotless front window, I could see a massive airship.

The muzzle on the airship opened, and an enormous beam shot toward the helicopter.

KWA-AAAAANG!!

With an immense roar, the beam engulfed the helicopter.

****

Suddenly, a flash split the sky.

With a thunderous rumble, a massive beam tore through the air.

The ray swallowed a helicopter whole, stabbed into the ground, and exploded fiercely.

With an ear-shattering blast, an entire mountain disappeared without a trace.

"What on earth...!"

Kwon Yongjun, who had witnessed the scene, could only stare in shock.

He had a rough idea of what it was: a bombardment of magic power using an S-rank mana stone.

Magic stones varied in power by rank, but an S-rank could keep the city of Seoul running for a week.

Erasing a mountain with it was nothing.

Vrrrrrrrrm—

But in exchange for releasing that much firepower, the Sura Guild's airship lost propulsion and began to fall.

S-rank mana stones were so rare, you might only find one every five years.

To Sura Guild, firing that shot was essentially wasting a priceless treasure and their strongest weapon at once.

Even if they had just declared war, it was reckless to use such precious power so soon.

Like spending your ultimate attack gauge on stage one instead of saving it for the final boss.

There was a reason Sura Guild had suddenly done something so stupid.

"Looks like the Poison Guild spies did a good job from the inside."

"Did they...?"

Kang Minji patted her son, Kwon Yongjun, as she gazed at the aftermath of the explosion.

The Poison Guild had been stealthily active inside Sura Guild for a long time.

Because both guilds had ties to Mewzealand, infiltrating had been much easier than with other guilds.

"Now that the most worrying weapon's been wasted, we can fight with peace of mind."

"I get that, but... why did they fire at our helicopter, though?"

"...."

If they were going to waste it, they could have just shot it into the air or at the ground.

Why target the Hwasan Guild's helicopter?

If Poison Guild spies had aimed for that, it was a true team-kill.

"Maybe they messed up while aiming. That isn't a normal mana stone, you know."

"You think so?"

"Besides, there was no important person on that chopper. It's a shame for the people inside, but still."

As Kang Minji said this, she was laughing internally like crazy.

No matter how odd that brat Ma Seongjin was, nothing could have survived that attack.

She'd always eliminated anyone who might threaten her son by any means necessary.

That was how Kang Minji had lived her whole life.

Anyway, thanks to Yoo Hwayeon who'd infiltrated Sura Guild, everything had gone perfectly—

KUUUUUNG-!!

Suddenly, the ground shook.

Something was violently trembling at the site of the destroyed mountain.

"What is that?"

Both she and her son were startled by the sudden disaster.

Even the hunters on the verge of battle froze for a moment in surprise.

From the rubble of the destroyed mountain, a jet-black, ominous magic power surged into the sky.

At the same time, the once-clear sky turned pitch black.

It was as if they had provoked the wrath of a god by meddling with something humans should never have touched.