At the same time, Incheon International Airport’s VIP terminal.
The cool air of dawn lay faintly over the asphalt of the runway.
Association President Park Jeong-ho stood before the gate exit, pulling his coat collar closed, while his attendants, security team, and Association vehicles waited behind him.
It was protocol to welcome the head of the world’s No. 1 guild, but Park Jeong-ho’s expression was unexpectedly relaxed.
‘I have no reason to feel inferior. Their purpose is obvious.’
The announcement of the treatment list drafted by Zero Point would go out under the Association’s name. The Association would also bear the diplomatic pressure and dissatisfaction from all over the world.
Just as Song Ji-hu had said, Park Jeong-ho had spoken against it with his mouth, but the calculations had already been completed in his head.
Not only USAA, but anyone, whether they brought blank checks or gold bars, would have to go through Park Jeong-ho if they wanted to contact Song Ji-hu directly.
‘A breakwater, an intermediary, and I take some profit in the middle.’
It was the role Park Jeong-ho was best at.
THRUM-
USAA’s private jet, its white body marked with a blue eagle crest, came to a stop on the runway.
The stairs descended, and the first to come down were bodyguards in black suits wearing earpieces.
And after them, Rick Wesley appeared.
He was in his early fifties, with short-cropped blond hair and a strongly defined face.
His solid physique was so sturdy that his age was hard to believe, like that of a soldier, but his conduct was closer to that of a politician than a soldier.
“You must have had a tiring journey, Guild Leader Wesley.”
When Park Jeong-ho extended his hand, Rick Wesley gripped it firmly.
“Association President Park, it’s good to see you again. The air in Korea is fresher than I expected.”
He was flawless and full of confidence without being arrogant, filled with the composure that came from both position and ability.
The interpreter quickly overlaid his words in Korean, but Park Jeong-ho understood him before that and nodded.
“Was the flight comfortable?”
“It was fine. Sitting for that long did make my back a little….”
As Rick Wesley tapped his back and laughed, Park Jeong-ho answered lightly and studied Rick Wesley’s expression. But it did not take even three seconds for that smile to stiffen.
Because of the object four agents were dragging down behind Rick Wesley with visible effort.
Thick magic power suppression devices were fastened to both hands and both feet. There was even a special restraint covering more than half of his face.
He was a tall man.
Golden-brown hair covered half his face, and dark-red veins writhed on the forearms visible through his loose protective suit.
But his eyes were the greatest problem.
His pupils rolled in every direction without focus, and he kept letting out constant mutters that no one could understand.
Clank- clank-
Every time the man moved, the restraints gave off a rattling sound.
“…….”
Park Jeong-ho’s expression hardened sharply.
“Guild Leader Wesley, what exactly is the meaning of this?”
His voice dropped. The diplomatic smile vanished without a trace, and sharp wariness showed itself.
“A patient who came to receive treatment.”
“A patient? Is that not Ollie Barclay? An S-rank Hunter of USAA. And mental contamination on top of that! Dangerous factors that were not discussed in advance are subject to denial of entry!”
Though, right now, his appearance was closer to that of a death-row prisoner, making the title of strongest Hunter sound hollow.
“What do you intend to do if he goes berserk while uncontrolled?!”
As Park Jeong-ho’s voice rose, the tension among the attendants around them rose as well.
An S-rank going berserk was a Calamity.
No, natural disasters could at least be predicted, but once an S-rank began rampaging, it took only an instant for a city to become ash.
And they had dragged such a being onto Korean soil without any prior discussion.
Rick Wesley calmly turned his head to glance once at Ollie Barclay, then looked back at Park Jeong-ho and lowered his tone as much as possible.
“We will control that on our side.”
Rick Wesley’s voice was as calm as if he were talking about the weather.
“Even so…!”
“We have him under perfect control. The suppression devices are the latest model, and we have brought personnel who can subdue him immediately if signs of rampage are detected. Also, sufficient compensation will be provided to the Korean Hunter Association.”
Rick Wesley smiled at Park Jeong-ho again. It was unspoken pressure not to make this an issue any further.
“Ugh….”
Park Jeong-ho closed his mouth with a groan.
“By the way, did Hunter Song Ji-hu not come with you? Could it be that news of our arrival was not delivered?”
At that one sentence Rick Wesley spoke while looking behind Park Jeong-ho, cold sweat ran down Park Jeong-ho’s back.
‘These crazy bastards….’
Inwardly, resentment toward Song Ji-hu surged up.
No matter how arrogant he was, the guild leader of USAA had come, yet he had not even come to greet him, let alone show any sign of awareness.
Put bluntly, this guild was no different from the American government, yet Song Ji-hu had truly prioritized his own schedule.
But Park Jeong-ho was a seasoned politician. Without any sign of panic, he replied coldly.
“Hunter Song Ji-hu is currently carrying out a personal schedule.”
His voice was calm, and his expression was composed. As if that were only natural.
“Zero Point is an independent guild, not a subordinate organization of the Association.”
“A personal schedule?”
Rick Wesley’s eyebrow rose slightly. It was not mockery. Rather, it was admiration.
This was the first time USAA had ever received treatment like this since its founding.
“Zero Point has scheduled the meeting for 3 p.m., so please rest comfortably and wait.”
“That must mean he is that confident in his ability. Very well. I am used to waiting.”
After confirming that Ollie Barclay had been placed in a waiting vehicle, Rick Wesley gave Park Jeong-ho a light nod and climbed into the car.
‘Song Ji-hu.’
For a moment, a very brief moment, desperation not to lose a comrade flashed through his eyes.
‘If even half the rumors are true, Ollie can be saved.’
***
After Rick Wesley’s vehicle disappeared from view, Park Jeong-ho roughly loosened his tie.
“Hah… What nerve does he have, really… Let’s go.”
Park Jeong-ho’s vehicle split off in the opposite direction from Rick Wesley’s escort convoy.
Tap- tap-
Had he deliberately not come? Or was his own business truly more important?
Thinking about it, it could be both.
“I knew long ago that he wasn’t sane, but….”
If Song Ji-hu had personally come out, the side going out to greet them would have become the subordinate party.
But by not coming out.
‘You’re the ones who want to meet me, not the other way around.’
Without saying a single word, he delivered that message and solidified the relationship. Whether it was intentional or coincidence, Park Jeong-ho could not know.
“And I was the one who filled that empty seat.”
The corner of Park Jeong-ho’s mouth twisted. The first person Rick Wesley met in Korea would not be Song Ji-hu, but Park Jeong-ho himself.
“So the gift comes back like this.”
This fact would soon spread across the whole world, and it would surely plant the perception that anyone who wanted to approach Song Ji-hu in Korea would have to go through Park Jeong-ho.
‘What a dreadful bastard… He never gives up even a single step….’
Every time Song Ji-hu took one step back, a situation repeated where Park Jeong-ho had to step one step forward.
And that one step always gave Park Jeong-ho profit and burden at the same time.
***
2 p.m., Song Ji-hu’s apartment.
Song Ji-hu was sitting by the window, checking his skills, while Eun Seo-jin silently polished his swords.
“They say USAA is scheduled to arrive at the Association around two-thirty. And….”
Yoon Yeong-su, who had ended the call, turned back to Song Ji-hu.
“Did Ollie Barclay come as well?”
“Yes, he did… come with them. How did you know?”
“The reason Rick Wesley came in person is obvious. He is probably late-stage mental contamination.”
“They say he looks severe. Apparently, his body is practically wrapped in restraints. To bring in a late-stage mental contamination Hunter without even discussing it….”
At Song Ji-hu’s indifferent answer, Eun Seo-jin’s hands stopped.
“How did you know? Has USAA not been thoroughly hiding Barclay’s condition?”
“They must have fabricated it. Since Emilia Jones exists, people would have believed them. America is a country of heroism, after all.”
Song Ji-hu looked back through the memories of his previous lives.
At the end of his mental contamination, Ollie Barclay had gone berserk and wiped one mid-sized American city off the map. That tragedy had become the starting point of USAA’s fall and the strengthening of Hunter regulations across the world.
‘And thanks to that, that bastard the Abyssal Monarch was able to run even wilder.’
The problem was that in his previous lives, there had been no way to solve it.
But this life was different.
“Are there any negotiation conditions I need to know separately?”
At Yoon Yeong-su’s question, Song Ji-hu shook his head.
“No. I’ll speak with them myself.”
Song Ji-hu toyed with the brass compass tucked against his chest.
“It is time. Let’s go.”
Yoon Yeong-su stood with a tense expression.
“It will probably be very chaotic.”
“I suppose so. It is Rick Wesley, after all.”
Of course, that also included himself. This was a meeting between the largest guild and the smallest guild.
***
The road to Association Headquarters was already pandemonium from the main street.
Countless reporters gathered in front of the Association shouted Song Ji-hu’s name while camera flashes burst.
“Hunter Song Ji-hu!”
“Is mental contamination healing real?”
“Please give us a statement!”
After that fact became known on the community, countless media companies requested interviews, but Song Ji-hu refused every interview on the grounds that he was busy.
Song Ji-hu merely waved lightly, then passed them without any change in expression and boarded the Association elevator.
“They say the USAA side has already arrived.”
There were about ten minutes left until 3 p.m.
“They must be in quite a hurry.”
The conference room door opened, and Rick Wesley and other USAA personnel were already seated inside.
“It is good to meet you, Hunter Song Ji-hu.”
When Song Ji-hu entered, Rick Wesley slowly rose from his seat and extended a hand.
“It is good to meet you, Rick Wesley.”
Song Ji-hu gripped Rick Wesley’s extended hand in fluent English. Then he slowly looked around at the people inside the conference room.
“It seems he did not come with you.”
“Of course not. It is strictly confidential, after all.”
Rick Wesley kept his smile as he sat down.
“In any case, negotiation comes first, does it not?”
“Negotiation….”
Ollie Barclay’s healing was immensely important, but in exchange for that healing, Rick Wesley could not hand USAA’s leash into the other party’s hands.
“How much do you want in exchange for the treatment? $100 million? $1 billion? Name whatever you want.”
If it could be solved with money, that would be best. Problems always arose from matters that could not be solved with money.
Rick Wesley looked at Song Ji-hu as if telling him to hurry and name his terms.
“Hmm… $1 billion….”
USAA was willing to accept even if Song Ji-hu named $10 billion. Because the gains they would obtain by treating Ollie Barclay would be worth more than that.
Song Ji-hu remained silent, stared intently into Rick Wesley’s eyes, and slowly opened his mouth.
“I… do not need money.”