Chapter 11 : Obsession, stalking, pure love is the truth

“No hunters allowed.”

Jin-young Kang gritted her teeth.

She couldn’t back down here.

“Mother!”

“Don’t you dare raise your voice at your parents, you immature brat! Lower your eyes!”

“……”

“This b*tch is acting up because she hasn’t been beaten enough. What’s with those defiant eyes! Do you know what your gaze looks like, Jin-young Kang? It’s the same look commie bastards have when they ask for money!”

Crash!

A thick vase hit Jin-young Kang’s forehead squarely.

“Get up.”

“Mother.”

“Get up, I said. Are you not listening? Stay there if you want to get beaten to death like a dog.”

“…I’m sorry.”

Usually, when people face impossible tasks, they try a few times and give up when they get tired.

Although a few determined individuals have changed that perception.

The social trend is to quit when things get tough and exhausting.

It’s an act to avoid being ostracized for acting selfishly.

Relationships are the same.

It becomes easier if you give up your opinions.

Family relationships even more so.

Even if it’s a life like a marionette on a string, it’s physically easier.

Jin-young Kang realized it too late.

Blood trickled down her forehead from where the vase hit.

Jin-young Kang said in a shaky breath.

“Please reconsider, Mother. This is the only way. What do you expect from an awakened one?”

Jin-young Kang lowered her head pitifully.

Her mother, sitting in a recliner.

She rolled a cigarette and lit it.

“This is the only way? The only way?!”

A large, luxurious mansion.

Despite being filled with all sorts of gold and valuables, there was no sign of life.

Jin-young Kang lowered her head at the deathly color scheme.

“Do you know how our Kangcheon Group has maintained its position at the forefront of the business world? We fought against those damn commies and Japs to build this great empire.”

Jin-young Kang wiped the blood and calmly replied.

Her biological mother was rational enough.

She wanted to believe that.

“Mother. As the second daughter of this family, I also want to decide my own life.”

“Shut up. You either carry on the family business. Or it’s patriotism, patriotism!”

Her voice was hoarse as if she had swallowed her anger.

Her mother pointed at Jin-young Kang.

“I didn’t invest money to support you.”

Tap tap tap.

Her mother tapped the wooden round table nervously.

“You don’t have a choice. You never did! The education was wrong, it was wrong. I shouldn’t have let that bastard educate my children.”

Bang!

“Now, will you prove your skills for the country, carry on the family business, or be made into a retard like your defiant, crippled sister? Do you want me to make you a retard?!”

“…I’m sorry.”

“Get lost.”

Jin-young Kang was born as a doll. She realized it too late.

When she was just graduating from middle school and thinking about her career path.

She accepted that she was born as a doll.

She couldn’t become a hunter.

That was the only way to escape from her parents.

“As a public servant who performs national security duties and protects the country from magical beasts, do you swear to serve the country with unwavering patriotism and a sense of duty?”

“I swear.”

The doll hated humans.

Because even though it resembled humans, it could never become one.

It was in its nature.

Jin-young Kang was the same.

On the outside, she looked like a person, but on the inside, she was a doll without free will.

The feeling of being controlled by an insurmountable being for the first time was humiliating.

Having lost everything to her sister, she hated everyone, including people.

Hope.

The right path.

Free will.

She struggled to regain what she had lost, but it was meaningless.

“…f*ck, f*ck, f*ck!”

Jin-young Kang wanted to cry.

The youngest section chief of the National Intelligence Service.

That was her title.

But it made her uncomfortable. A parachute appointment using her mother’s influence. That title always followed her.

Jin-young Kang’s house was filled with all kinds of filth.

Furniture was placed strangely without any sense of living.

Beep.

-Today, I met with the troops operating in Cheorwon! Hello, Hunter Mi-young Kang.

-Hello.

Jin-young Kang turned on the 4K television. She frowned and threw the remote control weakly. I should be there, in that place.

“If it weren’t for me, my sister would have been worse off than a dog.”

She hated Mi-young Kang, who was active in the limelight.

While she was fighting against all sorts of strange things with her body.

Her sister easily monopolized the glory.

Everything she should have had.

Wealth.

Honor.

Fame.

Beautiful looks.

Excellent skills.

And even the love and trust of her family.

One of the few S-rank hunters in Korea. Who wouldn’t like her?

One day, while Jin-young Kang was living like a shadow.

“S-survivors… are they all dead?”

An accident occurred during an inspection of the front lines.

The truck she was riding in overturned, the supplies were lost, and she was isolated in the middle of a mountain. The troops following behind also disappeared.

All the passengers were seriously injured.

They showed no signs of waking up.

She, who was sitting in the passenger seat, crawled out of the overturned truck.

As soon as she got out, she felt a sticky warmth on her stomach. It was blood. Considerable bleeding.

“Are you okay? Hunter.”

“…Don’t talk to me. It’s distracting.”

“You’re bleeding heavily. Your face is pale. If you keep going like this, you’ll really die. Let me check.”

Clang.

“Don’t touch me. How dare a lowlife like you. I can snap your neck in an instant. Just stay still.”

Jin-young Kang glared fiercely, coldly pushing away the helping hand.

All sorts of things were scattered on the unpaved road.

It wasn’t the 5th standby group that rescued the survivors, but a private who was riding with them.

He leaned against the truck and carefully examined Jin-young Kang’s condition.

The only soldier who suffered minor injuries in the accident.

He was an ordinary soldier. In other words, despite being a non-awakened, he was said to be skilled.

But his surgical skills were unknown.

“We need to hold out here until the rescue team arrives. Do you have enough mana?”

“It’s enough.”

The private’s brow furrowed.

“Don’t lie. You’re struggling, aren’t you?”

“…Haa. Yeah, I’m on the verge of death. So what? If I die, I die.”

“You can’t. Don’t give up! You have to live, don’t you? If you die like those guys.”

He’s got a sharp eye.

His judgment isn’t bad, rather commendable.

Jin-young Kang stopped the bleeding from her abdomen with a leather-gloved hand.

“It’s the same even if I live. This will keep happening.”

It’s true that her condition is bad.

‘Wind of Regeneration’

[Your internal mana is depleted. Canceling the use.]

‘Damn it.’

She leaned against the half-overturned truck.

Her mana circuit was strained.

Her internal mana was also depleted.

It would be nice to have a potion, but in this situation, it was like pouring water into a bottomless pit.

If she didn’t receive treatment soon, she could have her organs removed due to dysfunction.

‘I’ll be abandoned. I can’t be abandoned.’

She had grown up as a tool of the family since birth.

What if she lost the family that protected her?

She had made too many enemies. It wouldn’t be a big deal to be stabbed in some back alley.

By the way, why is this guy keep approaching me?

Jin-young Kang took a deep breath and gestured with her chin.

“Stop.”

“I’ll stop the bleeding.”

“Can’t you hear me? D-don’t come any closer…”

“Um, I don’t know what to call you, but you’re an awakened one, and you can’t even deal with a mere private like me? How are you going to fight?”

The male private sitting next to her subdued her in an instant.

It was humiliating.

She was used to losing to someone, but this feeling of defeat was different.

“…Are you going to report me to the authorities? Because I damaged the dignity of an awakened one.”

“Report? What nonsense. Just keep your mouth shut. I’ll be done soon.”

The private tilted his head. It’s an emergency, and she’s talking about maintaining dignity.

The higher-ups were like that, but if you followed the rules exactly, you’d only hurt yourself.

Jin-young Kang didn’t know, but.

“There’s this thing about maintaining the dignity of awakened individuals. I know, I’ve done a lot of bad things too. I just wish I didn’t have to serve only as a private.”

“I won’t report you.”

“You won’t?”

“I’m not the type to screw someone over.”

The private answered simply and brought a first aid kit and a surgical kit.

Items from the cargo.

Since it was an emergency, no one would complain if he used them.

Well, it’s to save lives, and he saved most of the soldiers here.

‘With this achievement, my discharge period will be shortened, right? Hehehe. I’ll get a commendation too. Hehehe.’

Jin-young Kang wouldn’t know the private’s inner thoughts.

The private skillfully unpacked the tools and took off Jin-young Kang’s coat.

“I can take it off with my strength.”

“Now, now, move your arms a little. I may look like this, but I was in the medical corps when I was 5. I’ve also completed training. I can do basic first aid.”

“You don’t sound very trustworthy.”

Hehehe. Oh, thank you. I wonder if you brought the medical fees.

The private skillfully countered the sarcasm and applied medicine and gauze to the visible wounds.

“I’m going to unbutton your shirt. It’s completely covered in blood. The wound here is probably the biggest.”

“W-wait a minute.”

Jin-young Kang, who had been still, jumped up like a spring.

“Isn’t it shameful? For a man to see a woman’s naked body.”

“So? You’re not going to do the surgery yourself, are you? Even if you’re stubborn, you need to be flexible to do well in society. You have to get married. Well… if you want, I can do that for you.”

“You were a complete psycho.”

“Do you not want to?”

Jin-young Kang groaned and looked away.

“…Apply the medicine. Before I rip that mouth off.”

“Yes, yes~”

When he took off her shirt, a well-proportioned body, abs, and toned muscles were revealed.

The private finished the first aid without a care.

‘It’s fine.’

Jin-young Kang swallowed gloomily.

‘If I hadn’t joined the National Intelligence Service, I would probably be a rank slightly lower than that private?

I don’t know. Maybe a private first class.

What am I thinking? Jin-young Kang, aren’t you being too soft? Getting interested in a guy like that. He’s got a decent face but a soft personality.’

You can tell a person just by looking at their face.

He’s softer than me.

But she hated owing a debt to such an inferior guy.

“Name.”

“Huh?”

“Name. Tell me. There might be something good in it for you, you know?”

“It’s Seong-han Lee.”

“I’ll remember that.”

She was slightly curious that he wasn’t afraid of her.

National Intelligence Service Headquarters.

The 10th Bureau’s Anti-espionage Division was always bright.

Especially thanks to Jin-young Kang, who was rising as the youngest section chief.

Bam-ba-ba-bam~!

With a fanfare, Jin-young Kang entered the office on crutches.

“Woooooow!”

“Ah, Section Chief. Welcome back! Did the surgery go well?”

Her subordinates hugged Jin-young Kang.

She was truly well-regarded as a commander.

“It went well. Who would have thought a digger would attack the vehicle. Right. Give some notice to the 9th Bureau.”

The aide coughed.

“Do you need information on magical beasts?”

“It’s related to magical beasts, but it’s not a magical beast. I need to check something. There were a lot of holes during the front-line inspection. There are many issues that the 10th Bureau needs to deal with. I’ve already received approval, so deal with these coordinates.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

Having returned to the National Intelligence Service headquarters from the front lines, Jin-young Kang gave instructions to her subordinates and headed to the 9th Bureau’s information room.

The 9th Bureau.

It handles scientific information.

The Counterintelligence Policy Office under it was Jin-young Kang’s destination.

The Counterintelligence Policy Office was in charge of domestic security issues and possessed a large amount of personal data.

“Hello, what brings the 10th Bureau’s Anti-espionage Division here?”

“I need to check some information.”

“Information?”

“Personal data. Non-awakened.”

At that moment, Jin-young Kang performed her first act of free will after realizing she was a doll.

“Seong-han Lee, Army 3rd Division. Private. Here’s a photo. Do you need his resident registration number too?”

“No, I can look it up quickly. May I ask the purpose?”

“Purpose…”

She wanted to repay the debt.

“Let’s just say it’s a special recruitment.”

“Yes, ma’am!”

“Yes, ma’am.”

Jin-young Kang sat on a stool, waiting for the staff member who went to copy the data.

The air conditioner was on, making it cool, but why was she sweating so much?

Ring.

[‘Seong-han Lee’ is interested in you.]

[You are attached to ‘Seong-han Lee’.]

“Shut up.”

[You are surely attached.]

“Do you think I’d like a guy I’ve only seen once? It’s a relationship that will end once the debt is repaid. A relationship that will be severed. This isn’t that kind of dirty emotion. Patriotism, yes. It’s for the country. I can’t let such talent go to waste, can I?”

[Understood.]

“…Sigh, let’s just look a little. I need to know what he likes.”

Something she could handle on her own, not taken by her sister.

“It might not be so bad.”

****

Seong-han Lee was continuing a strange game of hide-and-seek with Jin-young Kang.

In fact, Seong-han Lee also had a plan.

The best move, at that.

As he ran, he rechecked his plan.

‘Find Mi-young Kang and buy time. That’s the only way out of this hell!’

It was impossible to hold out for 3 hours.

It had barely been 30 minutes.

He hated the idea of facing a madwoman whose stats had been increased by 6 times.

There was no condition that said someone couldn’t stop her.

In other words, if he found Mi-young Kang, everything would be solved.

‘Footsteps behind me.’

[‘Jin-young Kang’ is chasing you.]

Seong-han Lee’s sharp senses detected the pursuit.

He quickly entered a nearby hospital room.

He held his breath.

If he made even a single sound, he was dead. Luckily, the hospital room was empty.

[‘Jin-young Kang’ has found your trail.]

[She calms her excited breathing.]

“Mr. Seong-han? Where are you? Come out quickly.”

[The target is currently in a state of ‘Charm+’.]

[She cannot control herself.]

[Conversation is impossible.]

I know.

Who wouldn’t know that in this situation?

“I won’t do anything, I promise.”

“……”

“I’m a woman who keeps her promises.”

“……”

“Discharge? If you want, I’ll make it happen.”

Tap.

Tap.

Tap.

The sound of heels echoed in the hallway. Seong-han Lee hugged his sword, preparing for an unexpected situation.

“Mr. Seong-han? Are you here? The mark was definitely there. But I don’t see any traces. Hmm, where could he have gone? Is he hiding?”

Damn it. Did she find me?

She’s like a Russian brown bear hunting for fun.

Ferocious.

Strong.

And relentless.

One second felt like an hour. He wondered what would happen if he got caught. The outcome was certain, but the process was always the problem.

Jin-young Kang’s footsteps grew louder.

He crouched down, sticking close to the wall, in case she saw him through the window.

It wasn’t for nothing that they said not to approach her.

[Where did you go, you human? I want you so much. My body feels strange. I want to know more.]

Bang!

A sound was heard in the distance. It wasn’t close. Jin-young Kang started running, making a lot of noise.

“Is it over there?”

Time passed.

The footsteps echoed faintly and then disappeared.

…She passed.

Seong-han Lee raised his head.

A pink heart was visible above his head.

5 minutes left.

[You are currently marked with ‘Eros’s Mark’.]

[Your coordinates are transmitted to ‘Jin-young Kang’ at regular intervals.]

Eros’s Mark.

A high-level magic that allows one to know everything about the target of their love.

It’s difficult to deal with.

And there’s no easy way to remove it.

She can use this.

‘Is she being controlled?’

It’s highly likely.

‘There must be a monster.’

But he had never heard of a mental barrier being broken.

Then it means she cast it herself.

“I almost died. Haa.”

A sigh naturally came out.

It had only been a few hours since he was discharged.

In fact, he hadn’t even completed the discharge procedures.

[「Eros’s Mark」 is indicating the location.]

“Damn it.”

Suddenly, the hospital room door flew off, and light came in.

“You’re here.”

It’s time to pray to God.