Chapter 194 – Two Scoops

Go Du-sik is a reporter who has been working for four years now.

With this much experience, one might expect him to have broken at least one major story by now, but he had never brought in anything noteworthy.

Even in the most cooperative company, people are treated differently according to their abilities.

In that respect, Go Du-sik was always the one getting scolded.

That is, until he published the article about Min Do-jun.

[Ranking 1st Shin Kyung-min offered Hunter Min Do-jun a contract worth 200 billion won, only to be flatly rejected…]

Five months ago, this article, written with information received from Hunter Min Do-jun, was a massive hit.

Daily ranking 1st, weekly ranking 1st, media outlet ranking 1st, and so on.

Though it has died down now, at the time it was blazing hot, with firewood constantly being added to the flames.

People were that interested in Hunter Min Do-jun, who had received an absurd offer of 200 billion won.

At the same time, some criticized his ignorance for rejecting the offer from the 1st ranked Shin Kyung-min and kicking away 200 billion won that had rolled his way.

‘Min Do-jun Hunter got a lot of hate back then.’

He still didn’t understand why Min Do-jun had asked him to write such an article.

Who in the world would want an article published that would obviously lead to criticism?

Even Go Du-sik, who wrote the article, was surprised by the flood of insults in the comments.

Of course, that’s not the case now.

Hunter Min Do-jun, who had prevented the dungeon break in Hongdae and saved many lives, was now being treated as a hero.

The fact that he had previously prevented dungeon breaks also resurfaced, leading to a reevaluation of his character and his profession as a Magic Swordsman, but…

‘I know. I know Hunter Min Do-jun’s true character.’

Go Du-sik couldn’t agree that Min Do-jun’s character was good.

After all, just five months ago, his life had been threatened.

‘But now he’s strangely quiet.’

Recently, he hadn’t experienced the skull-splitting pain, nor had he received any calls from Hunter Min Do-jun.

‘Seeing that he recently went to Russia, Hunter Min Do-jun hasn’t stopped his activities…’

The story of him solo-killing a named boss in Russia’s S-rank dungeon and lifting a curse was known to every reporter.

‘Is he finally letting me go?’

There had been many nights when he couldn’t sleep, thinking that Hunter Min Do-jun was always watching him.

The initial pain had been so severe that sometimes he would experience twitching under his eyes.

‘If I were to write an article about these unspeakable circumstances…’

An article about being threatened by Hunter Min Do-jun, his ability to inflict pain remotely and monitor people, and his own trauma-filled situation?

For all he knew, an article headlined “The Two Faces of Min Do-jun” would be another massive hit.

‘Regardless of whether it’s true or not, it would definitely get a ton of views.’

But that might also be the last article of Go Du-sik’s life.

‘Well, looking at the current public opinion, no one would believe me anyway.’

He might even be criticized for slandering a hero who had saved the country.

In fact, that was the most likely outcome.

That’s why Go Du-sik had never exposed Min Do-jun’s wrongdoings.

‘I might die if I speak out unnecessarily.’

He wasn’t sure if Min Do-jun was still monitoring him, but there was no benefit in rebelling.

‘If he leaves me alone when I stay quiet, why bother?’

In fact, thanks to the scoop Min Do-jun had given him, Go Du-sik’s declining career had gotten back on track.

Though he hadn’t had any hit articles since then.

‘I wish Hunter Min Do-jun would throw me another story like before…’

Recently, as the effect of his previous article had worn off, his department head had started pressuring him to bring in another exclusive.

In this situation, ironically, Go Du-sik was hoping for a call from the hunter who had tormented him.

And finally.

Ring ring-

As if his desperate wish had reached the heavens, the call he had been waiting for came.

It was from Hunter Min Do-jun.

“H-hello?”

-Reporter Go Du-sik. You know who I am, right?

“Of course I do.”

Not only did he know, he had been waiting for this call every day.

‘Seeing that he’s calling me, he probably wants me to write another article, right?’

Sure enough, his prediction was correct.

-I need you to write an article like before.

“Yes. What kind of article?”

When he responded immediately, laughter could be heard from the other end of the call.

-Come to think of it, you must have benefited from the article you wrote before.

“Y-yes, I did.”

-Were you waiting for my call?

“……”

When his true feelings were exposed so easily, Go Du-sik’s face hardened.

‘H-he’s definitely not someone to be taken lightly.’

Go Du-sik decided to be honest since things had come to this.

“Honestly, I was waiting…”

-Why? Hoping I’d bring you another scoop?

“That’s right.”

-What if it’s not a scoop?

“Even then, if you tell me to write it, I have to, don’t I?”

His tone suggested he had no choice.

Perhaps because of this, Min Do-jun made a different proposal than before.

-Alright. I’ll give you a choice.

“A choice?”

-Listen to the information I bring, and then decide whether to write an article about it or not. I promise I won’t cause you pain even if you don’t write the article.

In other words, he was giving him the right to decide whether to write an article after hearing the information.

Not forcing him like before.

“Really? Will you really not retaliate if I choose as I please?”

-Yes.

“What if I filter out the information after hearing it? You’re providing the information hoping it will be published, right?”

-Then the opportunity will go to another reporter. I don’t necessarily have to go through you; I can spread the information to media outlets and get it published.

That was true.

-The reason I’m providing you with information is to skip all the other troublesome processes. That’s the only reason.

Go Du-sik thought.

Perhaps he was receiving special treatment.

-Anyway, I’ll give you the information, and you can decide whether to publish it or not.

After that, Min Do-jun calmly shared the information.

‘T-this is…!’

Go Du-sik, who was listening to the information, hurriedly typed it into his computer.

With eyes full of surprise.

-That’s all the information I’m providing. If you’re not going to publish it immediately, I’ll look for other media outlets, so decide for yourself.

With those words, the call ended, but Go Du-sik still couldn’t calm his surprised feelings.

‘T-this is huge.’

The information Min Do-jun had brought was no less valuable than what he had provided five months ago.

Because of this, he could be certain.

‘If I write an article with this, I’ll get more than my money’s worth.’

Moreover, the information Min Do-jun had provided could be used to write not one, but two articles.

‘Both of them could be massive hits.’

Go Du-sik’s eyes flickered with greed.

Although Min Do-jun had given him a choice, there was no need to choose.

‘I can’t pass this opportunity to another reporter.’

Go Du-sik, who had decided to publish immediately, pounded away at his keyboard.

* * *

Kim Pil-young, who had returned home, frowned at the messy bedroom.

“That woman left without even cleaning up the room. Well, after being kicked out, I guess she didn’t have time to clean up.”

Kim Pil-young chuckled and lay down on the bed.

Though he had sent away the woman he had been with for a few days, he had no lingering attachment.

After all, he had only met her briefly to satisfy his lust.

He never intended to date her in the first place.

‘If I’m going to date someone, it should be with a woman of my caliber.’

He was about to become an S-rank hunter.

He wasn’t at a level to date ordinary people, was he?

‘Was that woman at the Guardian Guild a hunter too?’

Kim Pil-young suddenly recalled the woman he had encountered at the Guardian Guild.

‘She was pretty, just my type.’

As he was imagining what her bedroom skills might be like, Kim Pil-young fell asleep, perhaps from fatigue.

“Mmm.”

Kim Pil-young opened his eyes again after 10 hours had passed.

“Is it morning already?”

He stretched and got up, bathed in sunlight through the window, and habitually checked his phone.

There was a missed call and a message from the advertising company he had contracted with.

[Hunter Kim Pil-young. Unless there’s a change, we will proceed with the contract modification as discussed over the phone.]

“Damn. Starting the morning with this crap. Tsk!”

Though he was being pushed around because he had been displaced from becoming the twentieth S-rank hunter, there was nothing he could do.

The contract had been written with that premise.

“Damn, but I can’t terminate the contract either.”

He wanted to contract with another advertising company, but that would require paying a substantial penalty fee.

“To minimize losses, I have to follow the modified contract.”

In fact, the best option would be to persuade Min Do-jun, but…

“Who would have thought he’d be stronger than Woo-jin…”

Now that he knew Min Do-jun was stronger than even an S-rank hunter, persuasion had to be abandoned.

“There’s no choice.”

After eating a simple breakfast, Kim Pil-young lay down on the bed.

While scrolling through news articles on his tablet, an interesting headline caught his eye.

[S-rank Healer Lee Min-ji, The Story Behind Her Becoming a Devil.]

After the Dongmak Station kidnapping incident, people remembered Lee Min-ji not as an angel but as a devil.

She had mercilessly killed students and kidnapped their families, leaving no room for sympathy.

But no one knew the motive behind Lee Min-ji’s murders.

Because the perpetrator was dead, there were only various speculations.

“Is this article also speculation?”

With that thought, he tapped on the article, which turned out to be more detailed than expected.

[People believe that Hunter Lee Min-ji killed without reason.

But an S-rank healer who was praised as an angel wouldn’t have suddenly turned into a devil without reason.

Under this assumption, this reporter thoroughly investigated the incident.

I discovered one significant piece of information: two of the deceased victims were in the same school and class as Lee Min-ji’s younger sister.

Sensing a lead, this reporter visited the school and asked classmates about their relationship.

The result was surprising.

Lee Min-ji’s younger sister was being bullied by the deceased victims.

That’s right.

The victims were what we call “illjin” (bullies).

A few days before the incident, they assaulted Lee Min-ji’s younger sister at the ghost platform of Dongmak Station.

There was a reason why Lee Min-ji kidnapped the victims to Dongmak Station.

It was to exact the same revenge.

According to testimonies from hunters who were close to Lee Min-ji, she adored her younger sister dearly.

Although they were half-siblings, they were the only family who had stayed together since their parents’ divorce.

When her beloved sister came home after being beaten by bullies, it must have been difficult for Lee Min-ji to contain her anger.

While murder cannot be justified, hearing the story makes it somewhat understandable.

Some may disagree, but I’ll leave the judgment to you.]

└Is this a fact? Or just speculation?

└Seems like a fact. Looking at the detailed investigation process.

└The police couldn’t figure it out, but a reporter could?

└LOL He could quit being a reporter and open a detective agency.

└But hearing the story, I can understand.

└Yeah, I’m starting to feel sympathy for Healer Lee Min-ji that I didn’t have before.

└So she took bloody revenge on the bullies who assaulted her sister and their families, right?

└LOL That’s real discipline!

└If this is really true, I have to acknowledge her even for the murder.

└Seriously. Those bullies deserve to die.

└I’m sorry for cursing you. Healer Lee Min-ji.

└I only realized it was spring after the flowers had withered.

└But did the victims’ families not know about this?

└They probably pretended not to know when the police asked?

└I understand them protecting their families, but making Lee Min-ji the only villain is a bit much.

└Like father, like son. The bullies’ families probably have the same character, right?

└Lee Min-ji, who was demonized, is the only one who’s pitiful. Tsk tsk.

└Still, you shouldn’t justify murder, you fools!

Once the story was revealed, public opinion flipped instantly.

Comments defending Hunter Lee Min-ji were overwhelming.

“Wow… there was such a story behind it?”

After reading the article, Kim Pil-young belatedly reflected.

He too had hurled all kinds of insults when he heard that Lee Min-ji had committed murder.

He had been even more vehement because he had once tried to hit on her.

“I almost dated a murderer and cursed her a lot, but there was a reason for everything?”

As Kim Pil-young was reading the article with understanding, another headline caught his eye.

[Former Gangster Hunter About to Become S-rank?]

Kim Pil-young’s eyes widened as he clicked on the article.

“What the hell? What is this?”

It was none other than a story about himself.