Chapter 116: Gate

Hocheol climbed into the passenger seat, fastened his seatbelt, and shifted his posture a few times to get comfortable.

His eyebrows twitched as he leaned back against the seat.

No offense to Boongboong or Sohee, but.

“This is definitely what you get with an expensive car.”

From the seats to the legroom, it was unmistakably different from an ordinary vehicle.

At his words, Se-ah’s nose tilted upward with pride.

She spoke boastfully.

“You should feel blessed. You’re the first person to sit in the passenger seat of this car.”

“Yeah, yeah. Thanks.”

With a half-hearted thank you, Ho cheol rolled down the window.

The fragrance lingering in the car was nice, but nothing beat the wind wrapping around him when speeding along.

He glanced at the reflection of the backseat in the window and asked.

“What’s with the stuff back there?”

“Equipment for this job. It’s not a subjugation or repulsion mission, just a simple investigation, but since we’re entering a gate, we need to be thorough.”

The equipment case in the backseat looked like something an artist might carry for art supplies.

However, its size—larger than an average adult man’s torso—was strikingly unusual.

“Looks like gear you used when you were a hunter.”

“Yeah. Stuff from the storage. You wouldn’t believe how much dust it had collected.”

At that, Ho cheol bent his index finger and rubbed it against his cheek.

Then.

“It was you.”

A short but confident statement.

“The one who got me put on the investigation team.”

“Yep.”

Se-ah admitted it readily, as if she had nothing to hide.

“Why?”

“When I saw the investigation team list, I didn’t recognize a single name. I felt a bit awkward.”

“Seriously.”

Ho cheol lowered his hand for an unexpectedly trivial reason.

Then a new question popped into his mind.

“By the way, you must’ve been a pretty big deal as a hunter, huh?”

The Hero Association had requested support from Se-ah, someone working at the academy rather than an external figure.

Even if academy personnel were closer than external hunters, the association wasn’t so sentimental as to make decisions based on emotions.

Se-ah had quit being a hunter years ago.

Naturally, she’d lack the real-time combat sense or knowledge of the latest strategies compared to active hunters.

That meant she had something that more than made up for the gap.

Moreover, having the influence to affect personnel assignments suggested she was at least a squad or team leader level.

“Yeah. If I hadn’t quit being a hunter midway, I’d probably be a big shot by now.”

“Why’d you quit, then?”

As he asked, Ho cheol realized belatedly.

Come to think of it, despite knowing Se-ah for months, he had barely heard anything about her personal story.

“Well…”

Se-ah gave a bitter smile, trailing off.

“I got sick of things that calculated and judged people’s emotions or lives as mere numbers or money.”

She had quit being a hunter because she grew disillusioned with the strong.

“So, I thought I’d use my experience to try being a hero. But that wasn’t easy either.”

Unlike her time as a hunter, which she endured for quite a while, she couldn’t last even a few years as a hero.

“I quit pretty quickly.”

Se-ah, the hunter, hadn’t realized that the weak were never inherently good.

She quit being a hero because she was disappointed in the weak.

Her voice sounded far weaker than usual, so Ho Cheol offered some light comfort.

“Sounds like quite a rollercoaster.”

“Yeah.”

Her past wasn’t something that could be summed up in such a simple phrase.

At one point, she had been consumed by misanthropy, cynicism, and complete collapse.

The harsh reality, the absurdity, and the futility of it all had crushed her to the point where she could barely breathe.

Yet, she stood back up.

To ensure that no one else would become a victim like her, to prevent her failures from repeating, she took up teaching.

“I want to change Clington’s curriculum a bit so that no more victims like me are created.”

She pouted her lips.

“But the dean is too strict. No matter how young the kids are, they need to know a bit about reality before graduating. Honestly, internships or job experiences aren’t enough.”

It wasn’t for nothing that she took on the role of union leader and got involved in power struggles.

“There’s always a difference of opinion.”

Of course, Hocheol agreed to some extent that Clington’s education system needed changes.

However, he knew the dean wasn’t just a conservative educator rejecting their opinions outright, so he couldn’t openly criticize him.

Se-ah tapped the top of the steering wheel sharply.

A cat-shaped spring accessory on the dashboard wobbled back and forth.

“Ugh, why are we talking about depressing stuff! By the way, didn’t you say you were getting some licenses and certifications?”

Deliberately shouting cheerfully, she blatantly changed the subject.

Since it wasn’t a topic worth dragging out, Hocheol complied and listed the licenses and certifications he was preparing for.

“I even made a study notebook for it these days.”

Hocheol pulled a palm-sized booklet from his pocket.

How could there be so much to memorize?

If it were purely practical, he wouldn’t be worried at all, but the practical exam came only after passing the written one.

“Hmm.”

Se-ah let out a meaningful chuckle, lightly tapping her fingers on the steering wheel.

“It’s not just about getting certifications.”

With her wide network and vast information, far surpassing Ho cheol’s, Se-ah quickly picked up on the dean’s hidden intentions.

She waited for Hocheol to ask about the second reason, expecting him to be flustered.

But he was unfazed.

No.

“I kind of figured that much.”

“What?”

Instead, he reacted as if he already knew the second reason, treating it as no big deal.

Se-ah, caught off guard, asked back.

“You knew?”

“That old man. Whenever he assigns me something, there’s always this greedy glint in his eyes.

I figured it wasn’t just about one thing, so I looked into it.”

Se-ah, who had planned to tease him if he got curious, felt deflated.

She puffed out her cheeks in dissatisfaction.

“So, what is it?”

“Most of these are national licenses, but they’re poorly regulated. Probably a lot of fraud or corruption involved.”

Ho cheol flipped a page in his notebook.

“He probably wants me to shake things up a bit.”

The certifications and licenses essential for hero-related industries were national licenses, but they were managed by regular civil servants.

If Awakened individuals set their minds to it, they could easily manipulate or commit fraud.

The dean must have gotten that information through some channel and found it quite distasteful.

“Tch. You knew.”

Making a deflating sound, Se-ah unpuffed her cheeks.

“The reason he specifically picked you is obvious too.”

“His network is wide, but to take these exams, you need to not already have those licenses or certifications. He probably doesn’t have many contacts like that.”

The dean’s network consisted mainly of highly capable individuals.

It was strange for them not to have these licenses.

More importantly, solving it this way had to be done in a ‘legal’ and ‘clean’ manner.

“But knowing all that, you’re pretty cooperative.”

“It’s all for a good cause. He didn’t say it outright, but he must’ve distinguished between what can and can’t be said, even in private. That said.”

He flipped another page and added briefly.

“I’ll do it my way.”

“All I hear is you planning to beat everyone up and flip everything upside down.”

Ho cheol didn’t respond.

He just smirked.

* * *

They arrived at the rendezvous point for the gate investigation team.

In the distance, the gate was visible, surrounded by no-entry signs and armed soldiers standing

guard with sharp eyes.

Getting out of the car, Hocheol looked around and muttered quietly.

“A lot of people showed up.”

Association agents were bustling about, while others were busy setting up or checking equipment.

A man approached them.

He wore a lanyard with an Intelligence Department badge.

“Which group are you with?”

“We’re from Clington. Two of us.”

At Se-ah’s response, the agent lightly tapped the tablet tucked under his arm.

“Confirmed. I’ll guide you to the operations headquarters. This way.”

They followed him toward a large field tent.

Ho cheol asked from behind the agent.

“How many people are in the team?”

The agent answered without looking back.

“On-site, we have 12 association heroes, 3 external heroes, 4 guide hunters, and 2 from Clington. Detailed organization, command structure, and support team numbers will be explained inside.”

Ho cheol frowned.

“Overkill.”

That was 21 people on-site alone.

Association heroes, unlike external heroes, often didn’t have ranks or, at most, were B or a few A ranks.

However, the association didn’t hire anyone below a certain skill level, so their abilities were guaranteed regardless of rank.

Guide hunters, meanwhile, were typically limited to two at most.

Four was double the norm.

Moreover, hiring external heroes suggested this was far more serious than a simple investigation.

“What’s this? It’s way bigger than what I heard.”

Se-ah, puzzled by the unexpected lineup, asked.

No matter how you looked at it, this wasn’t just an investigation team.

Sensing the atmosphere, the external heroes and hunter teams were consulting with nearby association agents with serious expressions.

The agent stopped in front of the operations tent.

“You can confirm the details inside.”

As they entered the tent, all eyes inside turned toward them.

Ho cheol quickly counted the people.

Excluding them, there were over 20 heads.

The gender ratio was about 7:3.

Association heroes, hunters, external heroes.

Distinguishing them was simple.

Suits, heavy protective gear, and flamboyantly eccentric outfits—these clearly separated the three groups.

A large round table stood at the center of the tent, with everyone gathered around it.

Se-ah remarked, sounding surprised.

“Looks like we’re the last ones here.”

“Seems so. But we’re not late, so it’s fine. Stand at any empty spot.”

A middle-aged man in a suit standing by a monitor inside responded.

Judging by his Intelligence Department badge, he was likely a higher-up.

Having grasped the tent’s ecosystem, Hocheol moved to an empty spot.

Then, seeing Se-ah beside him, he froze momentarily.

The table was set for average adult height, making it cruelly high for her.

Even on tiptoes, she could barely rest her chin on it.

Ho cheol glanced around, grabbed a suitable box from the floor, and placed it at her feet.

“Thanks.”

With that, she could match the height reasonably well.

Once they settled, the Intelligence Department official spoke again.

“Everyone’s here, so we’ll start the situation and strategy briefing. First, I’m Han from the Intelligence Department.”

Before he could finish introducing himself.

“Hold on.”

Someone raised their hand, cutting him off.

Judging by the yellow full-body tights and the cape with various rags, it was clearly an external hero.

“I heard there’s an ex-convict, a former villain, on this operations team.”

She asked, arms crossed.

“Who is it?”

It was obvious that answering would lead to trouble.

So, neither Hocheol nor Se-ah showed even the slightest reaction.

But the Intelligence Department official couldn’t stay as composed.

“The personal details of the investigation team are entirely separate from this operation, so I

can’t disclose that.”

He said as much, but for a split second, he showed an instinctive reaction.

The blink of his eyes, the position of his tongue, the act of exhaling and inhaling—things that

were instinctive but noticeable when conscious.

His gaze briefly flicked toward Ho cheol before returning.

Feeling the gaze, Hocheol clicked his tongue softly.

Useless idiot.

The hero looked at Hocheol and let out a small gasp.

“Oh, it’s him.”

Then she uncrossed her arms, raising her palm toward Hocheol.

Kwang—!

A bright beam shot from her palm, striking Hocheol.

Everyone in the room froze in shock.

It happened too fast, and it was utterly absurd.

Black smoke rose around Ho cheol’s face.

“Seriously.”

Hocheol’s low voice came through the smoke.

“You took that hit and you’re still conscious?”

The hero asked, surprised, but Hocheol didn’t answer.

Instead, he muttered, as if he couldn’t comprehend it.

“So, in the years I was locked up, did they remove basic personality and aptitude tests from the hero exams?”

As the smoke cleared, Hocheol lightly clenched and unclenched the hand covering his face.

Everyone thought he’d been hit directly in the face, but he had blocked the beam with his hand first.

“No, they’re still there.”

“Really? Then it seems your parents didn’t raise you right.”

Hocheol turned his head toward the tent’s entrance and jerked his chin.

“Follow me.”

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