Chapter 72
Only an empty soup bowl remained on the table.
Cha Mu-jin rubbed his face several times as though trying to recover from the shock the soup had given him.
A faint layer of cold sweat still covered his forehead.
The cold, rational mind he had maintained throughout his life had collapsed helplessly before a single bowl of soup prepared by Hong Man-gi.
He forced himself to regain his composure.
Soon, the sharp face of the Inspection Department Team Leader returned.
"Even after thinking about it again, that was an excellent... soup, Hunter Hong Man-gi."
Hong Man-gi bit his lip and asked,
"Continue what you were saying about Hunter Cha Gang-il."
"Hmm... very well. The meal is finished, so I suppose it's time to get to the real matter."
Cha Mu-jin straightened his posture and looked directly at Hong Man-gi.
"I'll confirm this once more. You entered the Forge of Chaos. And inside, you encountered the final traces of the late Hunter Cha Gang-il. Correct?"
His tone was so certain that Lee Yu-han, who had been quietly watching from the kitchen entrance, suddenly interrupted.
"Team Leader! You've already eaten the soup, so can't you tell us now? How exactly do you know that? We never told anyone!"
At Lee Yu-han's desperate question, Cha Mu-jin turned toward him.
His expression was calm, almost like an adult correcting a child.
"You're Hunter Lee Yu-han, correct?"
"What? Yes."
"I believe I already said this. The Inspection Department sees far more than you imagine."
He turned back toward Hong Man-gi.
"Changes in the unusual mana pattern produced when an S-rank dungeon gate opens. And more importantly, Hunter Hong Man-gi, the faint traces of Hunter Cha Gang-il's mana still lingering within your body."
Cha Mu-jin's eyes sharpened.
"Those things don't lie. You inherited his legacy. Whether through an artifact or some other method, you did inherit it, didn't you?"
Hong Man-gi no longer denied it.
He silently nodded.
Before this man, everything seemed transparent.
"Then this conversation will be much easier."
Cha Mu-jin leaned forward and lowered his voice.
"Hunter Hong Man-gi. The death of Hunter Cha Gang-il that you know about... may have happened for another reason."
"...What do you mean?"
"His official cause of death was mana rampage caused by excessive transmutation work inside an S-rank dungeon. But was it really nothing more than an accident?"
A cold smile appeared on Cha Mu-jin's lips.
"Hunter Cha Gang-il knew too much, and he was trying to create something far too great. Even within the Association... there were forces uncomfortable with his very existence."
Hong Man-gi frowned deeply at the calm way Cha Mu-jin stated it as a simple fact.
"That doesn't make sense. I personally experienced what happened there. The mana released by the Primordial Furnace was difficult even for an A-rank Hunter to endure. A mana rampage could easily happen naturally."
Hong Man-gi remembered the moment he had stood at the edge of death.
Cha Mu-jin shook his head.
"Of course. That is possible."
He paused.
"But what if someone sent him there knowing that the mana rampage would happen?"
"Knowing... it would happen?"
"Hunter Cha Gang-il was a hero of the Association and a living legend. But at the same time, he was too powerful, knew too many secrets, and above all, possessed a stubborn personality that was difficult to control."
Cha Mu-jin's voice became colder.
"To certain people... he may have been an obstacle they wanted removed."
"...Wait, Team Leader."
Hong Man-gi interrupted.
"Let me make sure I understand this correctly. You're saying Hunter Cha Gang-il's death may not have been an accident, and that there may be a faction within the Association connected to his death."
He stared sharply at Cha Mu-jin.
"And you're telling me this because that faction is now targeting me?"
Cha Mu-jin nodded.
"Now do you understand why I came here, Hunter Hong Man-gi?"
His eyes were more serious than ever.
"The upper ranks of the Association are watching you. They see you as another uncontrollable threat following Cha Gang-il, and they may attempt to eliminate you somehow."
Cha Mu-jin continued.
"Now that your name has become known to the public after winning 'Blue and White Cooking King,' their movements will only become more subtle and persistent."
He paused and carefully watched Hong Man-gi's reaction.
"But I see you differently."
For the first time, a faint heat entered Cha Mu-jin's voice.
"Cha Gang-il's legacy, and the weapon you completed, Full Moon. Perhaps they are the only keys capable of fighting the invisible enemies threatening the Association and this country from both inside and outside."
"What exactly are you saying?"
Hong Man-gi asked.
From his perspective, the conversation was heading toward something far greater than anything he should have been involved in.
Cha Mu-jin stood and approached the moonlit window.
"I'll say it clearly."
He turned around.
"Hunter Hong Man-gi. Become my blade."
"...Excuse me?"
"I'm asking you to become my double agent."
Cha Mu-jin spoke each word clearly.
"On the surface, you'll act as a troublesome Hunter under special surveillance by the Inspection Department. That will serve as camouflage against suspicion from the Association's upper ranks."
He stepped closer.
"But secretly, you will communicate directly with me and cooperate."
Hong Man-gi said nothing.
"You will have two missions. First, through your restaurant and the people around you, gather information on the corrupt faction within the Association and the unknown forces threatening us from outside."
Cha Mu-jin's eyes moved toward Full Moon at Hong Man-gi's waist.
"Second, complete the true power of Full Moon, the weapon Cha Gang-il left behind."
