The First Hunter

Chapter 21. National Treasure, Part III

Translator: Khan

Editor: RED

6.

Lieutenant Colonel Yoo was silent on a wide runway. In front of him, a man and a woman stood at attention. Their silence was long.

“I don’t believe it.” It was a word like the sigh of Lieutenant Colonel Yoo that broke the silence. When he opened his mouth, Kim Joo-hyuk and Kim Yu-ri flinched.

“I thought I wouldn’t change my faith in you, but now I can’t believe what you just said.”

“I’m sorry.” They asked for forgiveness at once.

But Lieutenant Colonel Yoo told those seeking forgiveness. “I believe you, but I just can’t believe the story about Kim Tae-hoon.”

“There is no lie!” “Yes, there is no lie!” At the words of Lieutenant Colonel Yoo, who said he could not believe it, both of them emphasized again that the words they spoke were true.

Lieutenant Colonel Yoo closed his eyes, and then reassessed the ridiculous information they had told him. ‘He killed a yellow-grade monster without lifting a hand.’

He knew that Kim’s ability was great. He could guess that fact with the skills Kim showed to Oh Se-bum. In addition, Lieutenant Colonel Yoo was generally able to maximize the possibilities and abilities of those who did not know themselves.

The Battalion Commander of the 35th Commandos should do that. He was the head of the Commandos that had to deal with terrorist groups targeting the capital of the Republic of Korea. The damage caused by underestimating an enemy was endured not by the soldiers, but the civilians. Therefore, the enemy had to be portrayed properly in his mind.

However, Kim’s ability to learn based on the reports of the two was more than he had expected. No, no one would have expected Kim to be so strong.

‘It’s not more than expected, it’s more than common sense.’

It was literally beyond common sense. In front of that fact, Lieutenant Colonel Yoo’s heart began to run faster and faster.

‘Crisis is a chance.’

Lieutenant Colonel Yoo was the only one who had contact with Kim. Of course, if Kim’s force increased, the influence of Lieutenant Colonel Yoo, who was in contact with him, would grow.

‘If he does this mission, my position can be changed.’

If Kim performed this mission, his achievement would naturally be the achievement of Lieutenant Colonel Yoo.

‘In the end, it is going to follow Kim’s scenario.’

At this moment, Lieutenant Colonel Yoo decided to bet all of his own on Kim.

“You two stay in Bucheon and watch Kim. No, you can’t watch him.”

Their expressions immediately distorted at the order. They went to watch, but they were caught, and cooperated with Kim; therefore, it was not at the level of asking for forgiveness.

“Rather, it came out well.”

But Lieutenant Colonel Yoo was rather satisfied with the fact now, as he was able to put a person next to Kim.

“If Kim secures her from Incheon, please attach to her.”

Kim Joo-hyuk asked for clarity, “You mentioned ‘her’…”

“Kate Kennedy. This time Kim’s mission is to rescue her from Incheon.”

7.

“Who is Kate Kennedy?” On the way back to Bucheon, Jang Sung-hoon asked questions while walking the long distance.

“Who on earth is she, and the Capital Defense Command is giving us a national treasure to save her?”

The demand of Lieutenant Colonel Yoo was simple: to rescue Kate Kennedy, a woman in Incheon.

When her name came out, Kim did not ask a single question about her identity, as if he knew the name, but it was natural for Jang to ask questions.

“She is a daughter of Douglas Kennedy.”

“Who is he?”

Kim did not hide her identity. “The U.S. Ambassador to Korea.”

Without a moment of hesitation, he immediately told Jang the identity of the woman they had to find.

“Yes?” The problem was that Jang dared not even imagine it.

Jang stopped his steps with his head tilted, and after a little silence, he opened his eyes wide enough to burst and said, “The U.S. Ambassador to Korea?”

A name beyond all expectations. On the contrary, it was a familiar name to Kim, and it had to be a familiar name, because he knew what it would be like to the Republic of Korea if the U.S. Ambassador to Korea and his family were threatened.

“But why the daughter of the U.S. Ambassador to Korea…?”

“It’s evidence that they secured the U.S. Ambassador to Korea.”

Jang, who heard the words, looked bitter.

“She is not a Korean, but they’re paying a national treasure to save an American daughter. No, not just an American, not just himself, but a national treasure to save his daughter… a natural treasure of the Republic of Korea…”

From the point of view of Jang, a national treasure was something that he could not approach by himself. It was an admirable thing just to look at.

“Well, I think that the U.S. Ambassador to Korea would really appreciate it if we could save her, and I hope he’s a man who can draw a line between public and private matters so that it’s worth saving her.”

It was not pleasant to see such a national treasure paid for the lives of other countries. Kim was not very happy with this fact in a different sense.

“I’m sure he will be happy if he finds a family member who is precious in this hellish world.”

“Yes, I’m sure he will be very happy that they will find his family when others can’t even check their families out there.”

“So, the threat will work well.”

“Yes, and the threat will work… what do you mean?”

“If they put a gun to the head of the U.S. Ambassador to Korea and threaten him, the threat won’t work, but if they put a gun to her head in front of him, the story will be different.”

Jang could not say any words at the words of Kim. He stared at Kim blankly.

What Kim said was so appalling.

On the other hand, Kim, who spoke the eerie words, painted the situation of Seoul in his mind.

‘The U.S. Ambassador to Korea is definitely a good key, but it is too much to offer a national treasure that has become a relic to threaten him.

‘I understand why they want to get the daughter of the U.S. Ambassador to Korea. It is a good key for them to keep her in their hands.

‘However, from a diplomatic point, to pay a national treasure, which has become a relic, to threaten one U.S. Ambassador to Korea is too much.’

But Lieutenant Colonel Yoo said he was willing to pay the price. This meant that the situation was not simple.

‘If it could affect the US Forces in Korea, it would be a good idea.’

And if there was a problem with the USFK command system now, and the U.S. Ambassador to Korea had considerable influence on the USFK, they do not need to begrudge a national treasure or twp.

‘If we define the current situation as wartime… Even if there is no president or prime minister, the presence of the USFK alone will be enough to get a pretext.’

‘The power of the USFK is so powerful. If we look at the bigger picture than anything else, if the US moves in earnest with enough power over time, the group that is in conflict with the USFK is virtually finished for.’

‘If we could secure her… there would be nothing to lose exchanging her for the national treasure.’

‘Obviously, even if we do not receive a national treasure, securing the daughter of the U.S. Ambassador to Korea is not too different from holding a strong card in our hands.’

“Boss.” Jang now came to his senses and spoke to Kim, who had been focusing on the name of Kate Kennedy. “Do you think they are saving the daughter of the U.S. Ambassador to Korea to make a real threat him?”

“It’s hard to find a reason to pay a national treasure, because at this point the national treasure is similar in value to fighters.”

“So, they’re buying a hostage by paying the national treasure to threaten him?”

This time, Kim paused to briefly survey Jang. At the moment he heard that, he remembered what Lieutenant Colonel Yoo had said: that he had changed.

However, Kim did not fall into the mood.

‘I need to change more.’

‘I know better than anyone else that there came an era when people could not survive without changing.’

‘I’ll change as much as I can.’

8.

“Gasp, gasp, gasp!”

The man running down the road looked like a steam train. He ran like a crazy man, and the breath he gave off every time he ran looked like the steam of a steam locomotive running on a railway track.

The difference was that behind him, something as scary as a steam locomotive followed.

Kaaah!

They were unidentified monsters screaming. Their appearance was quite strange. It was similar to a monkey, but it had to be called a floccus because its whole body was covered with dirty fur that reminded him of a mop. Only one body part was visible, a club-like nose that protruded through the fur-covered face.

A Big-nosed Orangutan.

They were active in packs, and they were one of the monsters that made the city of Incheon, which was like a jungle with the collapsed buildings and abandoned cars, their home. And they were very nasty and cruel.

‘Fuck, damn it!’

They made a plaything of the humans that they caught. They didn’t just eat humans, they played with them. In some cases, they crushed human limbs and prevented them from escaping, threw their urine and feces, tortured them, or raped men and women. So, the condition of the humans who had been caught by the Big-nosed Orangutans was always terrible.

‘I can’t get caught! I’d rather die!’

The man who ran, Bae Sung-joon, had seen such bodies several times. That was why he was desperate.

“Shit!”

At that moment, Bae saw a collapsed building. It was virtually a dead end, completely covering the road.

‘Why is the road blocked here? Perhaps, the roar the other day?’

Bae turned his head to the side.

Kaaah!

At that moment, one of the Big-nosed Orangutans that were chasing him threw a stone in its hand.

The stone hit Bae’s shoulder.

“Argh!” He fell to the ground with the scream. His mind turned white as he fell.

‘Aaaaaargh!’

In his white mind, he began to imagine his fate.

‘Oh, no…’ It was a desire for life that made Bae wake up. He forced himself to rise. Then he turned and looked behind him. He looked at the Big-nosed Orangutans that were coming furtively toward him. He shouted with all his might, “Go away! Go away!”

At the shouts, the snaky cry “heuheuheu” came from the moppy heads of the Big-nosed Orangutans. One of them threw a stone in its hand at him, as he was about to get up.

Whack!

The stone hit his chest. His face crumpled, and he fell to the ground again. Some of the Big-nosed Orangutans began to pick up the stones on the roadside, slowly walking toward him as he lay on the ground.

The playing began.

‘The fucking bastards…’

Bae, who knew the intentions of the Big-nosed Orangutans, was angry at the fact and also frightened. At the same time, he knew what would happen in the future.

The Big-nosed Orangutans would throw stones and scare him until he peed his pants. And at the moment they got what they wanted, they would break his limbs and drag him back to their nest. His suffering would not compare to right now

“Aahhhh! Aahhhh!”

In the end, he shouted at the sky with a desperate feeling.

“Please, please save me! I’ll do anything!”

There was no God.

He, who had hated God hundreds and thousands of times after December 31, hated God and found God at this moment.

Of course, there was no God.

Shh…

There was only a monster.

“Please! … Uh?”

It was a moment.

With a sound like a passing wind, five of the Big-nosed Orangutans that were approaching him stopped. After they stopped, they fell to the ground in succession. Five consecutive thumps were audible.

The fallen Big-nosed Orangutans began to shed mixed blood and brain fluids out of both temples. He stiffened in front of this incredible sight. A shadow began to fall over his head and looked up.

The monster who had saved him, said, “I have a question.”

Kim Tae-hoon had appeared in Incheon City.