Chapter 313

"Hello."

In that case, let’s begin the conversation politely, following Earth’s customs from here on out.

"Are you available to talk right now?"

If I wasn’t, I wouldn’t have answered the call, would I?

Soon, a man’s voice came through the speaker.

"For a mere mammal, he sure has a sharp tongue."

Giryeo briefly pulled the phone away from his ear and cast a dissatisfied glance at the screen. But that small, silent expression of annoyance lasted only a moment.

"Pardon the sudden call. I apologize for the intrusion, but I have something to ask you."

Incidentally, this wasn’t merely a polite greeting. At first, he had even considered aggressively demanding, "Get to the address I send you right now," without offering any explanation. But after thinking it through carefully, he realized that no matter how he tried to summarize it, this incident was anything but ordinary.

A government official who had been bribed. The mysterious guild [QuantumPulse]. And criminals who had emerged disguised as Beasts after Brooklyn Morgan’s death?

"The flow of events is strange. It would be best to gather as much information as possible before getting involved."

Come to think of it, even aside from brute-force support, Kang Changho was particularly useful in situations like this. That Earthling possessed an oddly vast amount of information—far more than any other mammal Giryeo knew.

"If I had to choose among the Hunters I know, he’s probably the most knowledgeable about illegal activity."

So Giryeo promptly asked the Hunter surnamed Kang a question. For now, he omitted the part about the gate’s unique nature. He began by asking whether Kang Changho had heard anything about a suspicious armed group appearing inside a gate in the capital, then moved on to a deduction of his own.

"But it turns out the identity of that armed group has been confirmed to be the ‘Beasts’ everyone’s been talking about lately."

"..."

"Hunter Kang Changho, with the amount of information you have, you may have heard something about them. I’m only asking, but... do you happen to know the true identity of those Beasts?"

Kim Giryeo finished speaking and leaned closer to the speaker.

Now that the question had been asked, Korea’s third S-rank remained silent for a noticeably long time before finally answering.

Hmm?

He spoke in an unusually doubtful tone.

So the Beast causing chaos in the middle of the U.S. just a few days ago is suddenly in Seoul now?

"Yes, yes. It seems you’ve seen this morning’s news as well, Hunter."

But why are you asking me about the identity of those petty criminals?

Sask.

A faint sound came through the speaker, like fabric or a collar brushing against something.

If Giryeo had to guess, the person on the other end had probably just shifted into a posture with his arms crossed.

I’ve been living honestly, ignoring all the magic right in front of me even though there’s no one here to test me...

"Yes. Thank you."

I didn’t say that so I could hear some soulless thank-you. I clearly warned you to avoid getting involved with me as much as possible from now on, so it’s troublesome if you keep testing me like this. Or perhaps learning the Beast’s true identity is your wish, Hunter Giryeo? Or is this your way of protesting because you’re dissatisfied with the delayed compensation?

As Korea’s third S-rank let out a sharp sigh, clearly displeased, Giryeo hurriedly added an explanation before the other man could grow even more irritated.

"Not at all, no. I actually have another request. That’s the main reason I called. Since this involves freaks like the Beasts, I’d like to prepare as thoroughly as possible in advance, if I can..."

The person on the other end made a sound of understanding.

"It’s the last favor I have left anyway. Sir, I’m asking sincerely—please. If you know anything related to this, share that information too while you’re being generous."

When the alien adapted to Earth’s customs and used the most respectful tone he could manage to keep the man in a good mood, the soft acknowledgment from the other end came almost as a bonus.

Ah, when someone younger goes that far, it’s difficult for me, as the elder, to simply ignore it.

Wait.

Hmm.

However, compared to usual, the connection seemed strangely poor.

Just as Kim Giryeo tilted his head, trying to make sense of the muffled sound, a new voice came through.

For now... let’s clarify that point first. Unfortunately, your request to reveal the Beast’s identity is ‘impossible to fulfill’ at the moment.

What are you talking about?

The Beasts possess rare psychic abilities, so of course I’ve kept an eye on them. But it’s not as though I’ve been desperate enough to uncover their identities at any cost.

"Hmm."

Besides, until earlier this year, someone in the industry—Mr. Kim—was even mistaken for one of them because of that.

"Yes?"

Anyway, to get straight to the point, I don’t know the Beast’s identity either.

Useless...

The moment he heard Kang Changho’s answer, the dead black eyes of his reincarnated body narrowed further into a fierce glare. Giryeo stared into empty space with frustration written all over his face, swallowing his irritation—

when a single remark suddenly changed the mood.

...I don’t know everything. But one thing I do know for certain—there isn’t a single Korean among that strange group wearing bone masks.

That was odd.

Giryeo had personally seen the Beasts’ real faces, so naturally, he already knew they were foreigners.

But how could Kang Changho be so certain of that without ever having seen them directly?

The instant that doubt crossed his mind, Kang Changho simply continued in his usual tone.

If I were to share the information I gathered back then: when the Beasts seized the gate in France, every S-rank Hunter from our country was inside Korea. Oh, and just so you know, this wasn’t based on rumors or speculation. I confirmed it through official immigration records, so you can rest easy.

"Sorry, but I’m genuinely asking because I don’t know—did you just say you accessed someone else’s immigration records without permission? Are we really sure that’s something I should feel reassured about?"

Anyway, that’s roughly how it is. A report confirming that the newly emerged second-generation Beasts aren’t Korean—now that’s something.

But the fact that the Beast group suddenly set their sights on a dungeon on the Korean Peninsula... that truly was unexpected.

Kang Changho ignored the brief interruption from his former contractor’s idle chatter and continued.

Since you’ve just given me some interesting information in real time, I suppose I should conduct a light investigation.

"How long will it take?"

Things in this world don’t always go the way we want, so it may take some time. But since I’m in the rare mood to share information without even deducting a wish, try not to be too picky about the quality of service, alright?

Giryeo had held fairly high expectations, but surprisingly, he had gained almost nothing in terms of useful information.

‘If I can’t immediately uncover the fake Beasts’ identities, then political maneuvering is out of the question for now. In that case...’

Still, even with events unfolding this way, the ultimate goal remained unchanged.

The dungeon occupied by the Beasts had to be reclaimed, no matter what.

Giryeo adjusted his grip on the phone and finally moved on to the main point.

"Alright. I understand about the investigation for now. I’ll send you the address, so please come here."

Where? Seoul?

"Yes. Actually, my real request is for Kang Changho to come here and help us reclaim the stolen dungeon."

Unlike the situation in Kagoshima, where the circumstances had been entirely unfavorable, this time was different.

Right now, they could gather quite a few A-rank Awakened by securing cooperation from Jung Haseong, Esther, and even other guilds.

Therefore, Giryeo calculated that Kang Changho would not surrender immediately like he had last time, and made his request.

That’ll be difficult.

But I didn’t expect things to end up like this from the beginning.

"What?"

His blunt tone slipped out before he could rein it in.

‘No, I didn’t ask him to take down all three Beasts by himself, but this delusional jerk...’

However, regardless of whether the alien was angry or not, the other man maintained a calm tone.

It’s not for some petty reason you’re imagining. I’m in India right now, so I can’t get to Seoul immediately.

"What?"

I’m in India right now.

Kang Changho, too, had circumstances of his own.

Wait a minute. More importantly, why are you so determined to reclaim a dungeon someone else entered in the first place? Did you explain that part?

Kim Giryeo answered while holding the phone.

"Because it’s a dungeon on the verge of a full break. From what I can tell, they’re even pushing the monster population inside close to its limit."

He chose his words under the assumption that someone in the same profession would understand with only that much explanation.

But surprisingly, the tone that came back was no different from before.

Hmm. You know a lot, but talking to you can be frustrating sometimes...

Just as the alien was about to ask what on earth he meant by that, Kang Changho spoke first.

Anyway.

But Kim Giryeo never got to hear what came next.

Hmm?

Because with that sudden exclamation—

the call abruptly ended.

Startled, Korea’s fourth S-rank immediately tried calling back.

But all that came from the phone was a long series of ringing tones.

Ring-ring.

Eventually, they were replaced by a prerecorded operator’s voice.

[The number you have dialed cannot be reached. After the beep, you may leave a message...]

The call disconnected again.

Since reincarnating on Earth, Giryeo had spent roughly a year and three months building rapport and trust with that man.

And so, the conclusion that instantly surfaced in the archmage’s mind was this—

‘This cunning mammalian b*stard!’

For a moment, he suspected Kang Changho had deliberately turned off his device simply to avoid honoring his promise.

But the more he thought about it—

considering the temperament mammals generally displayed—

Kang Changho was the type to refuse outright if he didn’t want to do something, not sneak away in such a petty manner.

Which meant...

why had contact with that S-rank suddenly been cut off?

***

At that very moment, just after the international call had been forcibly severed—

—Hmm?

Southeastern India, Mannaral.

It had never been a densely populated region to begin with, but after suffering a major dungeon break several years earlier, it had entered a state of near-total depopulation.

Its desolation remained unmistakable.

More precisely, however, what changed was the scenery reflected in the eyes of the man who had been speaking on the phone there.

Swish.

Only moments ago, a beautiful sunrise had been reflected in those glossy green irises.

It looked almost like something taken from the treasure hoard of a Western dragon.

But in the blink of an eye, Kang Changho found himself facing a dark, damp cave.

An alien landscape.

An overwhelming surge of mana.

And now, a complete loss of signal, severing him entirely from the outside world.

One by one, unmistakable signs of an otherworld appeared.

"Gate?"

Kang Changho was now inside a dungeon.

Yet even after being dragged into a pitch-black cave, the towering man showed no sign of intimidation, as though the situation exerted no pressure on him whatsoever.

His imposing presence remained utterly undiminished.

The Korean quickly swept his gaze across his surroundings.

And when his eyes finally landed on another Earthling standing there—not himself—he even let out a laugh, his face filled with disbelief.

"Did I just fall for the exact same trick you used yourself?"

The dragon-like eyes shifted in a certain direction.

"And on top of that, I just got stabbed in the back by the same broker who was patiently taking my call until a moment ago?"

Across the cave stood another Earthling, though built somewhat differently from him.

A person like Kang Changho, who rarely left his own territory, usually set clear objectives whenever he did venture outside.

And this wasn’t even Korea.

He had traveled all the way to distant India with firm resolve, so naturally, there had been a considerable plan behind the trip.

"Oh my. No wonder they were charging such high prices for the items."

In a black market where weapons and shady deals changed hands, stabbing someone in the back could lead to only one outcome.

So what exactly had they hoped to gain from this?

He couldn’t understand it.

Kang Changho muttered that things had gotten out of hand and reconsidered his situation.

‘I wonder if the cult researcher’s notebook spread this far, or if the same verification had already been completed overseas.’

He had suddenly been transported into a subspace, and the method was identical to the research findings of Su Yehwi that had been used in a certain kidnapping incident in the past.

"Kang Changho-ssi."

Soon, the person who was supposed to be his trading partner spoke from ahead.

"Please, calm down first. I have no intention of causing you harm..."

But Korea’s S-rank Hunter completely ignored the words coming through the other party’s translator and spoke on his own terms.

"Let’s see... the best way to escape from a rigged gate like this is usually... some kind of thread-type item."

"Unfortunately, there’s no one in this world who has my coordinates."

The muscular man casually folded his arms and tilted his head.

"And, of course, there’s no one worth that."

The man with dragon-like eyes rolled them so dramatically that only the whites nearly showed.

Meanwhile, Kang Changho, who had been conversing directly in English only moments earlier, no longer bothered with the foreign language at all and began muttering in his native tongue.