The Hero Has Returned

Chapter 11 - The Approaching Mastermind

The headquarters of Dikaiosyne, located in Gangnam, was a skyscraper that seemed to pierce the sky.

[Information Division]

"Did you even look properly? Are you sure?"

The female employee of the Dio Guild's Information Division expressed her annoyance, smacking her gum loudly.

"How many times do I have to say it? There are no clues besides the vehicle's dashcam!"

"This is driving me crazy! Fuck!"

"Why are you taking your anger out on me? If you keep this up, I'll have no choice but to call Team Leader Lee-nim."

"Th-This b... Aish."

Seo Gwang-pal roughly scratched his bald head with his fingernails.

His scalp turned red, following the path of his nails.

Two weeks had passed since he'd begun searching for the so-called 'Purple Devil' under the orders of Combat Team Leader Lee Yu-seol.

He had run his feet off chasing the bastard's whereabouts, but he couldn't see any leads to a solution.

The man's tracks were, quite literally, as faint as a ghost's.

Seo Gwang-pal was getting anxious.

At this rate, it was as clear as day that not only would his year-end performance review be ruined, but he would also fail to get his contract renewed next year.

Feeling rushed, he decided to change his strategy.

"Supervisor Kim. We're all family here, so cut me some slack. Here, here, this is a bribe. First, down this in one go."

Seo Gwang-pal took a can of coffee from his breast pocket, popped the top, and held it out.

The female employee, called Supervisor Kim, was beyond stressed out from some bald bastard harassing her since the morning.

At times like this, high-caffeine is the best.

Pretending to give in, she spit out her gum and accepted the canned coffee.

"Please, just look for me one last time! I'm begging you like this!"

Seo Gwang-pal put his hands together and bowed his head.

At this point, Supervisor Kim's resolve weakened.

No, she just got tired of it.

"Fine, I get it, so just back off a bit. It's hot."

Supervisor Kim grabbed her mouse.

After a few clicks, the screen changed.

"Here, look."

A man in a purple mask appeared on the pixelated screen.

As the masked man lightly swung the back of his hand, Seo Gwang-pal was sent flying, slammed into a car, and passed out.

Supervisor Kim suppressed a burst of laughter.

"Pfft! Hunter Seo-nim. Are you aware that this part is making the rounds as a meme?"

A vein popped on Seo Gwang-pal's shiny head.

'Pfft? Has this bitch lost her mind.'

The scene of Seo Gwang-pal being attacked by the Purple Devil had, in fact, become a meme and was circulating on the internet.

The contents were bad enough, but the comments were a real spectacle.

└ lolololol Seo Gwang-pal getting sent flying without any resistance is fucking hilarious lolololol

└ Haven't they revoked that bastard's Hunter license yet? Tsk tsk. This is karma! This is what you call a proper lesson!

└ The fact that they're still keeping trash like that just shows you the level of the Dio Guild.

As it is, the Dio Guild's reputation had already fallen, and now, because of Seo Gwang-pal, it was taking even more of a beating.

Before he knew it, Seo Gwang-pal had been pushed to the edge of a cliff.

'This is all because of that bastard Tinky Winky!'

Seo Gwang-pal struggled to maintain his composure.

"Skip this part. Is there anything after this?"

"This is all there is."

Afterward, the masked man moved in the opposite direction of the people heading for the ambulances.

And in the middle of the city, he vanished in the blink of an eye.

Seo Gwang-pal spoke.

"This doesn't make any sense. Did he soar into the sky, or disappear into the ground? What is that bastard, a god?"

"Ah, I don't know. Just go now. I have a mountain of work to do."

Gate analysis, tracking Villain movements, reviewing recruitment data for new Hunters, etc.

The Dio Guild's Information Division was so busy with all sorts of tasks they didn't have a moment to spare.

She had only been playing along because Seo Gwang-pal was throwing a fit.

The task Seo Gwang-pal had given her was far down on the priority list.

'Damn it. Can't be helped.'

Seo Gwang-pal took out his secret weapon from his pocket.

It was another can of coffee.

"Here, drink this first."

"No, thank you. Do I look like someone who's crazy for coffee?"

"Hey. This isn't just any coffee. It's the T.O.P. of the bribe world."

Looking closely, next to the can of coffee, ten 50,000-won bills were held together with a rubber band.

Seeing this, the look in Supervisor Kim's eyes changed.

"Honestly. What do you take me for?"

Contrary to her refusing words, her actions were the opposite.

Supervisor Kim quickly checked the location of the CCTV and then naturally opened her desk drawer.

"I'll drink it later. Thank you."

"Right. Right!"

Seo Gwang-pal tossed the can of coffee into the drawer.

With that, the deal was made.

Supervisor Kim hung an IC card around her neck and stood up from her seat.

"Wait here a moment. I'm going to the Transportation Division."

The Republic of Korea is a small piece of land.

If you're limiting it to the metropolitan area, it gets even smaller.

The Dio Guild's Transportation Division was a place that tracked road congestion caused by Gate occurrences.

On the surface, that is.

In reality, they hacked into the National Police Agency's Traffic Investigation Unit, which was under the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, to gather information advantageous to the Dio Guild.

"Take your time. I'll be waiting, darling."

"Ugh. What's with him?"

As soon as Supervisor Kim disappeared, Seo Gwang-pal plopped his wide ass down in the chair she had been sitting in.

He then proceeded to gulp down the can of coffee that Supervisor Kim had been drinking.

Seo Gwang-pal glanced around, then whistled as he opened the drawer.

And then he retrieved the 50,000-won bills he had attached to the can of coffee.

"Gave it and took it right back. You bitch."

At the end of his chuckling gaze.

On the monitor, the scene of Seo Gwang-pal being sent flying by the man in the purple mask was still repeating.

Watching it, his anger began to boil over.

Without realizing it, he crushed the coffee can he was holding in his hand.

"You purple-headed son of a bitch. Just you wait until I catch you."

Team Leader Lee Yu-seol had ordered Seo Gwang-pal to recruit the masked man into the Dio Guild.

However, Seo Gwang-pal had no intention of listening to her.

"I'll kill you with my own hands. I swear it."

A short while later, Supervisor Kim returned.

"What the. Did you drink my coffee? After you're the one who gave it to me..."

"Aish! I'll buy you another one! I'll buy you a whole box! Anyway... did you find anything?"

"Aish."

The female employee sat down at her desk and tapped at her computer.

"The Transportation Division found a man with a similar description. We couldn't pinpoint his exact route, though."

After the First Gate burst open, the recovery of Seoul's inner-city traffic network was slow due to monster appearances.

In particular, once you left the Seoul area, there were many blind spots where CCTVs weren't installed.

"This is the person, right?"

A figure who had hopped on the back of a motorcycle was captured on the black-and-white screen.

His back was to the camera so his face wasn't visible, but looking at the old jumper he was wearing, his description was similar to the man Seo Gwang-pal was looking for.

"Found him."

The corners of Seo Gwang-pal's mouth lifted.

"This is the final piece of data. We can't tell where he went after this."

"This is enough. Just print me a copy of this."

Supervisor Kim held out a piece of paper that she had printed.

Seo Gwang-pal stared intently at the tuned motorcycle in the photo.

On the motorcycle, along with flashy LED lights, a flag was attached.

— Dalbong Quick Bullet Service!

Seo Gwang-pal sneered and gritted his teeth.

"You rat bastard. Just you wait."

......

My grandmother was admitted to the Sejong Cancer Center.

Dressed in a hospital gown, my grandmother earnestly pleaded with me before we parted.

"Don't you dare tell Seong-min. Tell him Granny went on a trip. Got it?"

It was because she didn't want to needlessly worry my younger brother.

"A trip? If you're gonna lie, at least make it believable."

"Then I ain't gettin' admitted right now!"

"Fine, I get it. Now hurry up and go inside."

After a long back-and-forth with my grandmother, we finally parted ways.

After she receives the heavy-ion therapy, my grandmother will be completely cured.

Returning to my daily life, I went to work as always.

VREEE!!

Wearing a helmet, I focused on welding, sending sparks flying.

The president had become quiet since that day.

He didn't verbally abuse the employees, and as promised, he replaced the press.

It was an old, secondhand model, but the safety risk was significantly reduced.

In any case, it was a good thing.

Kkalkki approached me.

"Cap'n. What's the work schedule for the after-noon?"

"Let's manufacture the parts on A-line and assemble them on B-line."

"Got it, Cap'n!"

It was a typical conversation we had at the factory.

However, I lowered my voice and asked again.

"What about the 'real' work?"

Kkalkki secretly moved his head closer.

"The proto-type is fini-shed."

He then gestured with his chin toward a rusty container on the outskirts of the factory.

That was a place that had been abandoned for a long time.

It was originally for the employees' break room.

But after an incident where an employee died of heatstroke in the middle of summer because there wasn't even a fan, let alone an air conditioner, it was shut down.

It was the optimal place to use as our secret base.

"Show me after work.”

"Got it, Cap'n!"

As we were having our secret conversation, someone walked over from the distance.

A height of well over 190cm and a scrawny frame.

I recognized who it was at a single glance.

It was the gang's second-in-command, the lanky guy.

In an instant, the atmosphere inside the factory froze.

Everyone's gaze turned to the president.

The president, startled, waved his hands in denial.

"It wasn't me! I didn't call him!"

He didn't look like he was lying.

If that's the case.

Why did this man come here?

For revenge on me?

Or to cause trouble?

'That's possible.'

However, there was something strange.

Unlike before, the lanky guy had come alone.

He hadn't brought a single one of his underlings.

The lanky guy stood before my eyes.

We had a huge brawl, but to be honest, I didn't dislike this lanky guy all that much.

I'm not trying to glorify the gang, but should I say I felt a strange sort of attachment to him?

'I have a bigger dislike for the cowardly types who bully the weak, like Seo Gwang-pal.'

I took off the safety gloves I was wearing.

"Why? Here for another round? Let's take it outside."

The lanky guy shook his head.

"I didn't come here to fight."

He looked at the president.

"President Kim. It's okay if I talk with Choi-ssi here for a bit, right?"

"Oh, of course."

The president groveled before the gang member.

"Cap'n."

I patted the shoulder of Kkalkki, who was making a worried face.

"It's fine."

Even if the lanky guy tried a surprise attack, I didn't think I would lose.

If I used , he wouldn't even be able to lay a fingertip on me.

I headed toward the nearby wisteria trellis with the lanky guy.

The pillar I had broken back then had been crudely repaired with some leftover wood.

We sat side by side, sipping the coffee.

"I was sorry for what happened before. I'm sorry for pushing things so recklessly without properly understanding the internal situation."

When I didn't say anything, the lanky guy continued.

"Do you believe in a thing called karma?"

"......"

"I believe in it. I've done too many bad things in my time. That's why I'm trying to get on a new path, even if it's late."

The lanky guy chewed on the rim of his paper cup.

"I'm going to quit the gang. I realized it for sure this time. I'm not cut out for this kind of work. I'm thinking of going somewhere quiet and just farming."

So, was this what he came here to say?

To repent in front of me?

"Hey, Choi Yong-gi."

The lanky guy said, looking at me.

"You should run. Our boss is coming back soon. That man..."

He shuddered as if a chill ran down his spine.

"How should I put it? He doesn't have the scent of a human."

"Are you saying he's that strong? Stronger than me?"

"No, that's not what I mean. It's like... looking at a living, breathing devil. Though it's not my place to say, being his subordinate."

The image of the gang boss running wild with a sashimi knife flashed past my mind.

"Thanks for the concern."

I crumpled the paper cup and threw it into the trash can.

After confirming the perfect shot, I dusted off my butt and stood up.

"I'm not going to run."

"What? Did you even hear me? Our boss is...!"

"I don't know about karma or bosses or any of that shit, but there is one thing I'm sure of."

The lanky guy tilted his head.

"What's that?"

"That bastards who do bad things will one day get it all back in kind."

And even if karma doesn't work on those bad guys.

In this life, I'll become a hero myself and become the karma for the villains.

At those words, the lanky guy let out a smirk and stood up.

"Yeah. That's the kind of answer the man who defeated me should give. I just came to say my final goodbye. Make sure you survive. Don't die."

Leaving behind words you would only expect to share on a battlefield.

The lanky guy walked away with staggering steps.

In the red sunset, I had the illusion that his form was flickering indistinctly.

......

That night.

After all the factory workers had gone home, Kkalkki and I were left alone.

The container door opened with a dreary sound.

Kkalkki spread his hands proudly and shouted.

"Ta-da!"

There, in a place full of cobwebs, a costume made just for me revealed itself.