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Du Kyungtak repeated his pleas. That’s all he could think of in his head. Kang Hyuk’s cold voice made him forget even those words. 

“Bring the list of names you have.” 

“L-list?” 

Clink- Du Kyungtak’s head was turned sideways, and his gaze met Lamur’s. The skulls on his cane clinked against each other. Lamur bared his rotten front teeth to speak. 

“List of those related to the death of Young Master Kang Min.” 

Du Kyungtak’s eyes widened. The Charnel House Sect had collected and kept various information about the hunter society. They were an organization that used hunters’ personal information of those known for being strong and information about the association and popular guilds against them as a weapon. 

There was something that Kang Hyuk had seen in Goo Changwoo’s memories. Du Kyungtak realized what Kang Hyuk wanted. He hurriedly pushed a desk to the side and patted down the wall. Click. 

The wall opened up to reveal a hidden room inside. Du Kyungtak went ahead to unlock the huge safe in the room while Kang Hyuk watched. Once the safe was opened, Du Kyungtak ran back with a box in hius arms. 

“I-it’s here!” He showed Kang Hyuk the account books containing the list of names Kang Hyuk had mentioned. 

“Good job,” said Kang Hyuk, checking the account books. 

“Th-then what should I do now?” asked Du Kyungtak, a light smile spreading on his lips. 

Having read Kang Hyuk’s gaze, a skeleton soldier from behind stepped up and sliced Du Kyungtak’s neck with a bone blade. Blood flowed from where the head had been. 

Lamur touched Du Kyungtak’s body with his cane, and a semi-transparent fog-like material escaped Du Kyungtak’s body. It was his soul. The soul was sucked into the cane full of skulls. One of the skulls opened up its jaw to swallow the soul. 

Oh Taeho watched, swallowing his saliva. What is he gonna use it for...? Kang Hyuk’s skeleton soldiers had mercilessly massacred all the members of the Charnel House Sect after invading the office. The organization’s members had strongly resisted despite the sudden ambush, but it was no use. 

Lamur was following Kang Hyuk around, sucking out the souls of each dead body. Oh Taeho felt a stronger sense of ominous energy each time the souls were taken into the cane. What is that person planning to do with all of those? He could see the back of Kang Hyuk from where he was. Kang Hyuk was flipping through the account book to compare the information he had seen through Goo Changwoo with the book’s contents. 

Oh Taeho had just been watching as the massacre occured. Suddenly, a beeping sound came from his pocket. Huh? What is it? The watch he took out from his pocket was something called a ‘hunter watch’. Having checked the notification, Oh Taeho turned on the huge TV on the wall of the office. Kang Hyuk continued to flip through the account book as Oh Taeho switched through channels. While watching the TV screen, Oh Taeho glanced at Kang Hyuk. “Excuse me! I think you need to see this.” 

Kang Hyuk turned towards the TV. The association president Kang Chansoo was on the screen. His press conference was live, and the subtitles on the screen said, “Public kill order out for returner Kang Hyuk”. Kang Chansoo’s voice came from the TV. Kang Hyuk is a serious criminal who has committed serial murder for no reason, and after having completed the investigation on him, we are telling the citizens now. 

Kang Chansoo’s gaze met Kang Hyuk’s through the screen. His voice was booming throughout the press conference room. Kang Hyuk refused to adjust to the life in Earth after returning. He is committing merciless massacre of innocent people because of a delusion he has about his brother’s murder. Gargoa Guild will also be making an announcement about this soon, but we, as the association, are telling you firsthand. Please make a judgment for yourself and carry out justice so that Kang Hyuk, as the older brother, cannot disgrace the honor of Kang Min. 

Most humans of Earth as of now were ability users. Kang Chansoo put out a bait that would interest the people watching the press conference. Please report to the association if you find the serial killer Kang Hyuk. It’ll be best for your safety to not face him alone as he is a returner. We promise a grand reward for those who manage to arrest Kang Hyuk. We won’t hold you responsible if you end up having to kill him. 

They could feel through the screen that that comment had stirred up the press conference room. Oh Taeho spoke while watching the press conference. “Everything that’s happened at the incineration plant and the club must have been reported. We have to get out of here quick!” 

Kang Hyuk focused on the account book despite having seen the press conference. Oh Taeho felt frustrated watching Kang Hyuk. What is he doing? He should be setting up a plan right now. What is in that account book that he’s as focused as Hwang Kyuho is when he’s watching porn? It gets harder to understand him the longer I’m with him. 

Kang Hyuk was quickly flipping through the pages and organizing the information in his head. They sure wrote in detail about the bastards that killed Min. It was a secret account book that had every little dirty detail on the top hunters of South Korea. As the manager of Charnel House Sect, Du Kyungtak had kept this in a personal safe. He had used information that could be a weak point for hunters to manage relationships with various guilds and clans. 

And now that account book was in Kang Hyuk’s hands. The contents were more than what he had seen through Goo Changwoo. Hwang Kyuho’s activities, personal relationships, and those affiliated with him in any way. Kang Hyuk was quickly memorizing the names and information of those that he had to kill. Is this all of the people that killed Min? Kang Hyuk learned there were many hunters that had killed Kang Min and also about those involved without having been in the battle itself. He learned that there were hunters all over the world who had strategically planned to get rid of his younger brother. I’ll just find out about the rest after killing them. 

Finally he got to the pages with the faces of the hunters involved in the murder of his brother. Having checked the entirety of the account book, Kang Hyuk got up. 

“Wh-where are you going? You should at least let me know beforehand!” yelled Oh Taeho. 

A skeleton soldier opened the door of the office that had been dirtied by the bloodof the dead Charnel House Sect members. 

“Go wherever you want to,” replied Kang Hyuk. 

“Sorry?” 

Oh Taeho blankly looked at the door Kang Hyuk had left through. Wherever I want? What? Was I just abandoned? Oh Taeho hurriedly checked the notification on his hunter watch. A short message popped up repeatedly. 

Notification to all attack squad members of Gargoa Guild. Check Kang Hyuk’s profile and notify guild members at once if you see him. 

Oh Taeho’s smartphone was now ringing. 

“H-hello?” he answered. 

“What? You were alive? Hey, where are you?” 

It was Hwang Kyuho. 

“Me? ...Why?” asked Oh Taeho. 

“What? Do you want to die? Weren’t you with Kang Hyuk at the club? And at the incineration plant too?” 

“Ah... That’s...” stammered Oh Taeho. 

“You piece of shit! You’re dead. How dare you stick to him just because he’s Kang Min’s older brother? You think that will get you a better position in the guild?!” 

“Ah, Captain Hwang Kyuho, don’t be like that. I really didn’t do anything.” 

“Fucking bastard. Don’t bullshit me. Hey, where are the rest of the guys? Did Kang Hyuk kill them?” 

Oh Taeho didn’t know how to reply to Hwang Kyuho. He did not have Kang Hyuk by his side anymore. Kang Hyuk had left him after telling him to go wherever he wished as if he didn’t care anymore. Fuck, he must have seen me and that monster enter the club together, and the security camera in the incineration plant might have gotten me too... I can’t die like this. 

As Oh Taeho continued to consider his situation, Hwang Kyuho’s voice ripped through the phone. “You fucking shithead!! Aren’t you gonna answer me? You must feel guilty, huh? You’re dead! I’ll cut you to pieces along with that Kang Hyuk bastard! Look forward to it, you bastard! Kang Hyuk is gonna become a dead body in front of you, and your sister’s gonna become my toy. You know what I mean, right?” 

Oh Taeho pressed the button on his phone to hang up. As if having made up his mind, he left the office without word. 

***

Kang Hyuk was entering the high-class apartment building his younger brother had lived in. Only a sole skeleton soldier guarded him; none of his other dead soldiers could be seen. 

A hunter discovered him from afar, and turning on his walkie-talkie, he discreetly whispered into it. “He’s here. It’s Kang Hyuk. What should I do?” 

“Don’t do anything until Vice Master gets there. Just keep your eyes on him.” 

As the hunters watched on, Kang Hyuk entered the huge apartment lobby. 

“As expected, he’s here.” 

“But it’s a bit weird. Did he not see the association president’s message? If I were him, I would never set foot in public again.” 

“What do we care? We just need to watch him. Vice Master will take care of it himself.” 

“But that guy. How strong is he that the association president is on the move?” 

“He’s Kang Min’s older brother. It’s obvious.” 

“Yeah, I know, but just because his younger brother is strong doesn’t mean he is too, don’t you think?” 

“He’s a returner.” 

“I already know that too, but it’s not like returners are rare. The association president Kang Chansoo is a returner, and Vice Master is too. Isn’t it a bit of am overreaction to have the whole attack squad on the move just because he’s Kang Min’s brother?” 

“Dumbass, Kang Min talked about it before that he got summoned with his brother, but that he just came back alone. I don’t know what kind of place it is, but having seen Kang Min, it must be a terrible place. Do you think a person who returned from that kind of place will be weak? Use your brain if you have one, for fuck’s sake. Isn’t it a burden to have a brain without any use?” 

“Everyone, quiet. Don’t forget our mission. Don’t get noticed by Kang Hyuk while we’re here and make sure to keep your eyes on him.” 

“Yes, sir.” 

They looked towards the apartment building Kang Hyuk had entered. The apartment that Kang Min had lived in was a very expensive one, and there weren’t many of the buildings. The attack squad members of Gargoa Guild were positioned all over. 

Kang Hyuk opened the door to his brother’s house. His skeleton soldier closed the door behind him and stood guard by the big front door. Kang Hyuk went outside onto the terrace of the spacy penthouse. The setting sun was decorating the cold atmosphere. Kang Hyuk felt the wind get colder as he said in his mind, resurrection to the dead, and death to the living. 

As soon as he finished his sentence, insects from the apartments’ gardens crawled out discreetly. They wriggled around, spreading their wings, and flew into the air. They scattered throughout the apartment buildings, and flew towards all the buildings in the complex. As the insects popped to their deaths on impact with the building, leaving behind bodily fluids on the exterior of the buildings, the hunters on the ground could not see it. Having sensed the death of the insects, Kang Hyuk said in his mind, Respond to my call, Gargoa’s 7th legion. 

The moment he finished talking, a huge shadow grew around the buildings where the insects had crashed into. The shadow spread into a large mass, looking as if it was going to swallow the buildings whole into its void. Seoul’s sky was darkening, but only this apartment complex alone, facing the sparkling Han River, was being painted darker than any of its surroundings. The hunters just assumed it was the night. 

Towards the darkness painting the apartment complex came the attack squad of Gargoa Guild.