The Regressed SSS-Rank Supporter Who Turned Dark - Chapter 13

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

#Episode 13
“Since you’ve put it that way, I suppose I can grant you one more exception. This will be the last time.”
“Th-thank you so much.”
“Think nothing of it.”
“Then, I’ll report this immediately and get back to you, so could you wait just a moment?”
“Of course.”
Oh Yu-hwa disappeared somewhere and then reappeared.
“Cha Eun-sung, the Minister will be here shortly, so please wait just a bit. I’d say about thirty minutes should do it.”
“Understood.”
“Would you care for some tea?”
“I had some earlier.”
“Then perhaps a light dessert—”
“That won’t be necessary.”
I thoroughly rejected Oh Yu-hwa’s kindness and waited silently for Ahn Guk-seon.
Meanwhile, Oh Yu-hwa wore an expression of utter vacancy.
Had she presented favorable terms from the start as a negotiation officer, this wouldn’t have happened. But she’d grown greedy, thinking she could exploit a fool, and now the situation had spiraled beyond her control. Her world must have gone dark.
But did she understand?
That if she didn’t break that habit, she’d eventually be murdered in pieces and become the laughingstock of hunters?
‘You should be grateful to me. If you correct your attitude now, you won’t have to face anything worse.’
While I smiled coldly inwardly, I maintained an outwardly displeased expression.
After waiting about ten minutes or so—
The door opened, and a white-haired gentleman in impeccably tailored formal attire appeared.
True to his epithet [Iron Blood], meaning iron-blooded resolve, he looked as though not a single drop of blood would spill even if pierced.
“At your service!”
Oh Yu-hwa snapped a salute toward Ahn Guk-seon.
I rose from my seat and met Ahn Guk-seon’s gaze.
His eyes, burning with intensity, resembled a dormant volcano on the verge of eruption.
“Pleased to meet you, Cha Eun-sung. I’m Ahn Guk-seon.”
Ahn Guk-seon extended his hand for a handshake with utmost courtesy.
“I’m Cha Eun-sung.”
“Did you wait long? I came as quickly as I could—I hope I wasn’t late.”
“I didn’t wait long. It’s fine.”
“Well, that’s a relief then. Heh heh. Shall we sit and talk?”
“Yes, Minister.”
I felt a slight tension.
Just as I am a monster, so too is Ahn Guk-seon a monster.
If he’s one of the few surviving first-generation hunters still alive, he must be someone who has walked through carnage as much as I have.
And a man responsible for a nation’s defense against monster invasions wouldn’t be someone to trifle with.
“First, I want to thank you for coming all this way. You’re an awakener of a class that didn’t exist before, yet you’ve extended your hand to South Korea first.”
“That’s not the case.”
“Still, I’m grateful for your gratitude. As Minister of Defense, I appreciate it.”
Ahn Guk-seon smiled broadly and continued.
“But according to the report, there were issues with the contract….”
“Major Oh’s proposed conditions seemed unreasonable to me, so I was attempting to void the contract entirely.”
“A young man with such exceptional patriotism that he aspires to become a Navy officer would find conditions unreasonable? Now listen here, Major Oh.”
Ahn Guk-seon turned to look at Oh Yu-hwa.
“What exactly were the conditions you presented to Cha Eun-sung?”
“Y-yes, here it is.”
Oh Yu-hwa handed the contract to Ahn Guk-seon with trembling hands.
“Hmm.”
Ahn Guk-seon’s face twitched involuntarily for a moment.
Right, it must have been absurd.
Ahn Guk-seon seemed to have caught on that Oh Yu-hwa was trying to take advantage of me.
“Major Oh.”
“Yes, Minister.”
“Do you know what ‘penny wise, pound foolish’ means?”
“….”
Oh Yu-hwa hung her head low.
At least she knew enough to feel ashamed.
“You seem quite skilled at negotiation, but you have no idea how to invest properly.”
“….”
“I understand your devotion to the nation well enough. I’m always grateful for your accomplishments. But don’t you think this is going too far? Even I wouldn’t sign a contract like this.”
“…I apologize.”
“Do it reasonably. This borders on fraud.”
“M-Minister!”
“When you make others weep, blood tears fall from your own eyes. Void the entire contract and accommodate all of Cha Eun-sung’s conditions. I’m authorizing it by my authority as Minister.”
“Yes, Minister.”
Ahn Guk-seon glared at Oh Yu-hwa as though he couldn’t bear to look at her, then apologized to me.
“I apologize on behalf of Major Oh. Let’s clear the air, Cha Eun-sung.”
“No, it’s fine.”
“As you just heard, we’ll accommodate all your desired conditions, so I hope you’ll contract with South Korea. Whatever conditions you want, South Korea will invest in you.”
“I’ll review it positively.”
My words were ambiguous, but I had already decided to contract with South Korea unconditionally.
Just as I’m not a fool, neither are Ahn Guk-seon and South Korea.
There’s no way South Korea would sit idly by if I made contact with another country—say, Japan or the United States.
They would interfere, obstruct, and in the worst case, assassination couldn’t be ruled out.
Since the Minister himself came forward to apologize and promised maximum conditions, it was only courteous for me to make a concession.
At least for now.
“I’ll be waiting for good news then. Of course, I’ll respect whatever decision you make, Cha Eun-sung.”
“Yes, Minister.”
“Cha Eun-sung and I will take our time discussing things. It would be uncomfortable with the Minister present, so I’ll step aside.”
Ahn Guk-seon rose from his seat, adjusted his uniform, offered me a benevolent smile, and then departed.
Flinch!
Oh Yu-hwa’s body trembled slightly, as if her knees had buckled.
It was clear that Ahn Guk-seon had shot her a withering glance as he passed by.
* * *
Once Ahn Guk-seon left, the contract negotiations proceeded at lightning speed.
Where I wanted to live, what vehicle I needed, my monthly salary—everything and anything.
I stated everything I desired, and Oh Yu-hwa documented it all in the contract.
1. Contract duration: 1 year, mandatory deployments: 3 times, spoils distribution ratio: 10:0
2. A 100-pyeong Tier-1 penthouse in Seocho District and vehicle support
3. Monthly salary of 100 million won and various benefits
4. Promotion for my father and security detail for my family
5. Maximum support from the military and Defense Strategy Department upon request
In truth, these were conditions a rookie hunter could never dream of.
Had I awakened as a supporter like before, it would have been impossible. But now things were different.
Having awakened as an entirely new type of role, I had every right to enjoy all these benefits.
It was an investment, after all.
From the government’s perspective, there was little to lose.
They could observe me for a year, and if I proved disappointing, they simply wouldn’t renew the contract.
“I request that information about me cannot be demanded by South Korea, and I wish to add a special clause stating that any surveillance or tailing without my consent will result in immediate contract termination.”
“That, that’s…”
“The Minister…”
“I understand, I understand.”
Oh Yu-hwa clearly didn’t want to agree, but the moment I mentioned Ahn Guk-seon, she gritted her teeth and revised the contract terms.
The fact that she was still objecting even after Ahn Guk-seon had ordered her to grant all my demands using his ministerial authority suggested that perhaps her ruthless negotiator persona wasn’t calculated—it was instinctive.
‘So being stingy is just her nature.’
I shook my head inwardly, read through the contract again and again, and pointed out any potentially problematic clauses.
“This wording here bothers me a bit.”
“I-I’ll fix it.”
“This part too.”
“Ugh.”
As a result, Oh Yu-hwa had to call in a legal officer and spent hours revising the contract—it was clearly agonizing to watch.
After nearly six hours and nine minutes of marathon negotiations, I signed the contract.
“Congratulations…”
Oh Yu-hwa was clearly exhausted, her eyes rolling back to show the whites.
“Yes, you’ve worked hard as well, Major Oh.”
I made sure not to show any displeasure, greeting her with a smile.
“You’ll receive official notice soon to attend training and education—you must attend that.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
Oh Yu-hwa’s mention of educational training referred to the series of training courses conducted at the Special Military Training Center.
Having worked as a Hunter for ten years in my previous life, I didn’t really need any training, but I figured I’d go through with it anyway since people were watching.
If I pulled off everything like a veteran without ever having received any formal training, it would definitely raise suspicions.
“Then, I’ll be on my way.”
“Cha Eun-sung, I’ll show you the way.”
I left Oh Yu-hwa, who seemed half out of it, and followed Lim Captain’s guidance toward the helipad.
“Where should I take you, Hunter Cha?”
“Since I haven’t even received the training yet, calling me a Hunter feels a bit off. I’d appreciate it if you’d just call me Cha Eun-sung.”
“Understood.”
“Before heading home, I’d like to buy a few cars first. My family doesn’t have any vehicles.”
“I’ll take you there.”
Lim Captain had soldiers load Du-hyeon’s delivery motorcycle onto the Black Hawk, then helped me aboard.
“Since it’s a military helicopter, there are no doors. If you could move toward the inside….”
“It’s fine.”
I skillfully fastened the harness, secured the safety carabiner, and dangled both my legs outside the helicopter.
As if I were sitting on a railing.
“You’re quite experienced.”
“My father is a military officer, so I’ve had the chance to ride in helicopters a few times.”
“Ah, I see. That’s fitting for someone whose father aspired to be a Navy Special Operations officer.”
“You’re too kind.”
“Then, we’ll depart.”
As Lim Captain waved his hand, the helicopter lifted off.
Thump-thump-thump-thump-thump-thump!
The Black Hawk carrying Du-hyeon’s delivery motorcycle headed toward Gangnam, where car dealerships were densely concentrated.
* * *
A few hours later.
Thump-thump-thump-thump-thump-thump!
The Black Hawk descended onto an open area near the Refugee Camp.
Beside it, three Chinook helicopters—colloquially called “rubber shoes”—gently lowered the vehicles they’d been carrying before landing in a more spacious area.
“Maintain strict perimeter security!”
“Strict security!”
A platoon from the 88th Special Operations Battalion under the Capital Defense Command stood guard around the area.
“You really didn’t have to go to all this trouble….”
“That’s not true.”
When I expressed an apologetic look, Lim Captain dismissed the notion outright.
“You are a vital strategic asset to South Korea. This level of protocol is hardly excessive for someone of your importance.”
“Still, there’s no need for this next time. It makes me uncomfortable….”
“I’ll keep that in mind. Then, I’ll be taking my leave. Please contact me anytime if you need anything.”
With those words, Lim Captain boarded the helicopter and departed, while I headed toward the Refugee Camp with the soldiers of the 88th Special Operations Battalion.
“Cha Eun-sung, you bas—wait!”
Doo-hyun was about to unleash a barrage of curses when he clamped his mouth shut.
He’d come out wondering what was happening, spotted me, and now stood frozen—clearly startled to see me surrounded by armed soldiers.
“Doo-hyun!”
“Y-yes…?”
“Come here.”
“Ah, okay.”
Doo-hyun approached me with hesitant, faltering steps.

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————