Ch. 226 - There Must Be a Surprise Waiting

Kang Mu-hyuk returned to the hotel with Thomas. Thomas was unconscious, so Kang Mu-hyuk tried to avoid drawing attention by entering through the underground parking lot.

"Not that one. Let's take the employee elevator."

Kang Muhyuk led Jang Deuk-goo to the secluded corner elevator. At the elevator, a hotel employee was about to board. Kang Mu-hyuk raised his hand, stopping everyone from getting on. Jang Deuk-goo frowned from behind, and they then took the next elevator.

"He has a high fever," said Jang Deuk-goo, holding Thomas in his arms.

Kang Mu-hyuk felt Thomas's forehead and cheeks and was startled. His skin was burning at a temperature unimaginable for the human body, like the hood of a car under the midsummer sun.

If Jang Deuk-goo hadn't been a hunter, an ordinary person might have suffered burns just by touching him. Quickly, Kang Mu-hyuk called the hotel front desk on his smartphone.

"This is room 4701. Do you sell ice? Commercial ice cubes? No? So you provide it as a complimentary service with drinks? Fine, please bring me 300 bags. Charge me if necessary."

The call ended just as the elevator reached the 47th floor. They quickly opened the door and entered one of the four luxury suites on the floor.

"Take him to the bathroom. Put him in the tub and turn on the cold water."

Jang Deuk-goo laid Thomas in the bathtub and turned on the cold water. Moments later, mist clouded the bathroom mirror. For a second, Kang Mu-hyuk thought someone had mistakenly turned on the hot water.

"Guild Leader, this isn't normal. No human body is able to produce this kind of heat---unless it's a hunter with a fire trait."

"It was wind just earlier. And now it's fire."

"Yes, while he was awake, his powers were manifesting outside. Now, it's turning inward, seething inside him."

"Do we need to wake him to control it?"

"I tried, but he wouldn't wake up. Even if we did manage to wake him, there's no guarantee he'll stabilize. It seems like a mana rampage."

Occasionally, hunters would be blessed with extraordinary talents. But when their bodies couldn't handle those powers, it brought them trouble. There were cases where the body could not keep up with the development that was too fast, and the mana would run wild.

While Kang Mu-hyuk had only heard of such cases from Jang Deukgoo before, this was his first time witnessing it. So he wasn't sure. As he deliberated over  Thomas's symptoms, room service arrived with the ice. Jang Deuk-goo ensured the staff didn't enter the room, carrying hundreds of bags of ice into the bathroom himself.

He poured them into the tub. But the ice melted almost instantly, boiling around Thomas like hot water. Even dumping more than half the bags directly over his head brought no relief.

Seeing no improvement, Kang Mu-hyuk called his father, Kang Chang-soo, keeping the phone on speaker as he continued to pour ice into the tub.

-What is it that you called me in the middle of the night? The negotiations didn't go well?

"No, it's Hunter Thomas. He used the suppressant, and now he's experiencing mana rampage. He's passed out and his body temperature is boiling hot. It's not a normal fever. It seems that the fire-property mana is staying in his body and raising his body temperature. I gave him the side effect relieving palliative you gave me 17 minutes after he used the suppressant, but it hasn't helped. Is there a solution?"

Despite the lack of detailed context, Kang Chang-soo answered without hesitation.

'The palliative reduces the uncomfortable side effects of the drug. But I don't think that's the problem. If the suppressant is the problem, then you have to eliminate its effect."

"So a stabilizer."

Kang Moo-hyuk also understood immediately and spoke.

-How long has it been since the suppressant injection?

"47 minutes. Just about to hit 48."

-About an hour...

"From what I know, the stabilizer is a diluted version of the injectable drug. Thomas took the undiluted solution, so how many pills should I give him?"

"No, it's a weaker formulation---half potency since there was no telling how it'd affect a hunter. Of course, as for you, you use the 0.08% injection. Even that's not safe to use, without a stabilizer. But that's the minimum concentration you'd need to show effect."

Kang Mu-hyuk felt relieved at his father's precautions. If Thomas had been given the full-strength suppressant when just half potency suppressant did this to him, he might have been dead by now.

-How many stabilizers do you have on hand?

"The ones I got before coming to the US, so enough for almost two months."

-Use them all.

"Alright."

Kang Mu-hyuk fetched the stabilizers---liquid capsules he had prepared without hanging up on the phone call.

"Hunter Jang Deuk-goo, hold his head and open his mouth.''

"Guild Leader, isn't this your medication?" Jang Deuk-goo asked, grabbing Kang Mu-hyuk's hand before he could administer the dose. He shook his head.

"We can't risk putting you in danger because of medicine, like what happened in Sinuiju. I know this mage is important, but you're more critical to our guild."

"It's okay. Let go. I can manage without the stabilizers for a while with just the injections. We need to keep him alive for now."

"How long can you manage?"

-One week.

When Kang Mu-hyuk didn't respond, the speakerphone answered for him.

"At best, he can last a week. At worst, barely five days.''

At those words, Jang Deuk-goo tightened his grip on Kang Mu-hyuk's wrist. It wasn't painful, but it made it impossible to move.

"See? Even your father says you'll only last a week. If it weren't for him, you'd probably just brush it off or lie."

"You can't find someone more truthful than me in the world. I hate lies.''

"Isn't bluffing your speciality?"

"I only bluff a little, that too in official matters only."

"That doesn't count. You never know what official matters are in your book."

"Can't you just let it go?"

"The Guild Master strongly advised me to stop you if you tried anything reckless."

Jang Deuk-goo was old-fashioned when it came to guild affairs. He'd do whatever it took to catch villains. When it came to orders from Ju Se-ah, he followed them with unwavering dedication.

To Kang Mu-hyuk, Jang Deuk-goo was one of the hardest people to persuade. He had no particular personal greed, and his loyalty lay solely with Ju Se-ah and Association Chairman Han Byung-gu.  His steadfast principles made him immune to Kang Mu-hyuk's usual tactics, who was merely a civilian.

'If we were enemies, he'd be impossible to deal with.'

On the flip side, as an ally, there was no one more reliable. After the brief argument, a suggestion came from the speakerphone.

-I'll send more stabilizers by air.

Such a simple solution was forgotten. At those words, the tense atmosphere between Kang Mu-hyuk and Jang Deuk-goo became a little awkward.

"He says he'll send them right away. Now, let's get started. Open Hunter Thomas's mouth."

This time, Jang Deuk-goo followed the order without hesitation.

***

Kang Chang-soo's diagnosis was spot on. After Thomas swallowed dozens of capsules, his fever subsided soon. After confirming his body temperature had returned to normal, Kang Mu-hyuk laid him on the bed and resumed the call with Kang Chang-soo.

He detailed the events at the café and Thomas's condition.

-Mu-hyuk, the symptoms you described are nowhere near the side effects I expected.

"Then why did they happen?"

-Well, the fact that he's a hunter is probably the main issue. More specifically, it's likely due to Thomas Hunter's unique trait.

-The phenomenon seemed to stem from a combination of mana sensitivity- arising from mana poisoning, his mana-related traits, and the suppressant's effects, which had triggered the mana rampage.

Kang Chang-soo explained.

-Decades have passed since the Gates appeared and Hunters emerged, yet humanity still doesn't fully understand the mechanism behind their awakening.

"I heard there's a fairly systematic theory in Mana science though."

-All of what exists in academia is just speculative. There's no definitive proof. Even the verified parts are incomplete, and there are many gaps in our understanding.

"So, in the end, we don't know the exact cause for this."

-To be honest, mana poisoning itself is still a mystery. I've started questioning whether it should even be called a disease. As I've explained before, mana poisoning is too complex to approach with traditional medical knowledge or general science.

Kang Mu-hyuk recalled the detailed explanation his father had given him in the past. It was like attending a seminar. For three long hours, he had listened to how mana particles spread through the atmosphere after the Gates opened, how they entered the human body through breathing, and how they altered the body.

Hunters were the positive outcome of that and the worst-case outcome of this process was mana poisoning.

-Still, one of my hypotheses seems correct.

"Are you saying the upper limit of his rank has been lifted?"

-Not exactly. The rank boundaries are being lifted. For lifting the upper limit, it'd mean the hunter would need to rank up separately. Either way, for now, avoid using suppressants. I'll send stabilizers by air along with medication specifically tailored for Hunter Thomas.

"Understood. Thank you."

As the call ended, Kang Mu-hyuk's phone rang again. This time, it was an unknown number.

He hesitated briefly before answering.

-You are Kang Mu-hyuk, Guild Leader of the Korean Iron Will Guild speaking, right? This is Martin McGitch, Class 1 agent of HCF.

"Is this about Hunter No Songrin?"

-It seems like you know quite a few people up there.

"It's nothing to brag about."

Kang Mu-hyuk assumed the Federation had already taken action, but Martin's remarks caught him off guard.

"The White House isn't worth bragging about? You must be quite the big shot."

"!!"

The mention of the White House made Kang Mu-hyuk tense. Even though the Hunter Crime Force was a national organization, Thomas's mana rampage wasn't significant enough to get the White House's attention.

Typically, the Federation's influence would suffice to handle such matters, either by dealing directly with the offending nation or through influential politicians.

'But The White House? This can't be something the Federation started. Better not let it show.'

Kang Mu-hyuk remained silent, but it actually made Martin anxious, so he tried to backtrack on his sarcastic remark earlier.

-Don't misunderstand. I'm not complaining---I just wanted to confirm.'

"So, are you releasing Hunter No Songrin?"

-I think you'll need to come in person for that. After all, Mr. No used to be a prisoner in a facility meant for Korean villains. He's the kind of hunter that can't be released through normal procedures.

Kang Mu-hyuk nodded in understanding.

"Alright, I'll head over immediately," he said, ending the call.

Jang Deuk-goo, who had overheard the peculiar conversation, spoke up.

"I worked with the HCF back in my days at the investigation bureau, and I know these 'procedures' are usually just formalities. If someone up top gives the order, they'll follow it---whether it's in Korea or the U.S. If they're asking for a face-to-face meeting, something's fishy."

"I agree. It feels like there's going to be a surprise waiting for me."

"A surprise?"

"Most likely someone from the White House. Now that I think about it, there's one reason they might want to meet."

"What reason?"

"Rider Wolf."

"Wolf?"

"In Washington, a lot of political money comes from the Eastern guilds, similar to how old defence contractors used to operate. It's no secret that two Eastern guilds running Dragon Horse Ranch are closely connected to the White House."

"No way. It hasn't been that long since we started this, and already...?"

"I didn't expect it to happen this quickly either. That means the Eastern Guild must be quite anxious right now... I should talk to them."

***

"This doesn't feel right."

Powell, the Vice-Guild Master of the Ithaca Guild, muttered, noticing strange traces of a secret brewery in Skid Row. He turned to his right-hand man, Grant.

"How many people were supposed to be here?"

"Two guards at night."

"It makes sense that they drank some alcohol--- this is a brewery, after all. But they disappeared? And left behind a scene like this?"

A long trail of blood stretched across the ground as if something had been dragged away.

"The blood obviously came from humans... but this thick liquid? That's not from a human.''

"It's a monster.''

"Not just any monster," Powell replied, pulling out a dagger, scraping some of the liquid off the floor. The blade turned black on contact.

"Is it poison?"

"Search for poisonous monsters that drag their prey instead of eating it on the spot. These creatures usually feed their young by bringing prey back to their lairs."

"Understood. What should we do with the scene?"

"Burn it down. Now that monsters are involved, this place will be discovered sooner or later."

Powell followed the blood trail with his eyes. It led to a sewer where the manhole cover had been removed.

"Handle things here and we'll follow this trail."

"Are you chasing it right away?"

"At the very least, we need to identify what we're dealing with so we can decide how to respond."

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