The Imperial Hunter

“One more thing.”

I touched my temple with my finger.

“These eyes. They have no means to visually observe magic power and mana. Research based on observation is difficult. So even if our thoughts align, our priorities may differ.”

Humans, being the most superior beings in the natural world, probably won’t degrade their greatest wisdom, magic, by comparing it to the primitive magic of beasts and plants, especially since they consider themselves exceptionally superior.

Instead, they would explore the ancient “Golden Age” with its rich relics and traditions. The Round Table in London places all standards related to magic in that era.

The results would determine whose approach was more correct, theirs or mine.

“I understand that the risk is surprisingly low.”

Kyung-tae nodded.

“Still, it won’t hurt to be cautious. The kids who were receiving comprehensive combat training in the 4th quarter are about to return. With your permission, I’ll bring them back and utilize them.”

“How many are we talking about?”

“Just a moment, Hyungnim.”

Kyung-tae checked his phone.

“191.”

“That’s too many. It’ll be overly conspicuous in a quiet town.”

“Yes. Should I select the top twenty by performance and have them on standby?”

“Go ahead.”

I accepted the modified proposal. 191 was a number suitable for assaulting the Mexican cartel’s stronghold, even if it was not a full-scale battle.

The members of my organization’s strike force regularly received combat training in the United States. Any country where training was possible could handle as many recruits as needed, but the United States was unique in that it was the only nation where civilian access to high-level tactical academies was allowed.

Of course, the United States wasn’t foolish; it monitored these training centers through the State Department. However, all members of the organization’s strike team were registered as employees of security firms, bodyguard agencies, or private military companies (PMCs) in name only. They were divided among several training centers, so there was no reason for suspicion. Moreover, many of these centers didn’t inquire about their clients’ identities. The only drawback was that they were somewhat expensive.

Nevertheless, Kyung-tae was one of those talents who stood out in such training. His evaluation reports from experienced instructors always included the word “top.”

It was only a hypothetical scenario, but even in a full-scale confrontation with the “Rokudaime Yamaguchigumi (Sixth Yamaguchi-gumi),” Japan’s largest designated yakuza group, I had full confidence that the strike force alone could overwhelm them. The 11,000 “Imhyeop” groups, which the crime syndicate boasted about, were meaningless in the face of my subordinates’ qualitative superiority.

‘Half of them are aging.’

It might be true for criminal organizations, but as a violent organization, the Yakuza had long since lost its vitality. This was a case where both the country and the violent organization had aged. If necessary, they wouldn’t even be comparable to the Mexican guys with whom we might have to engage in a real battle.

Kyung-tae asked.

“So, what’s the specific location you’re heading to?”

“The mushrooms are in Oregon, but I plan to check out the Sequoia forest in California first.”

“Could you mark it here?”

“Sure.”

Kyung-tae handed me his phone with a map application open. I marked the journey from the Sequoia National Forest just south of the Sierra Nevada mountain range to the national forest in Oregon and then on to a small city in Utah. Although I had planned the route in advance, I couldn’t recall the exact location, so I had to look up the information on my own phone.

After I handed the phone back to Kyung-tae, he looked puzzled.

“It’s quite a coincidence. Why are all these ‘giant things’ you mentioned located in the United States?”

I felt the same way.

“I don’t know. There might be more undiscovered things in places like the Amazon.”

Regardless, it wouldn’t be all good news for the United States. These giant entities would likely pose both a significant mystery and potential threat in proportion to their size. Not only the United States, but any country with vast territory and abundant wildlife would face challenges. However, I wished I could see such landscapes more normally.

The “Eye of the Golden Age” granted me an exceptionally high-resolution vision, allowing me to see even with my eyes closed. Although I could adjust it to some extent, I couldn’t completely block my vision. That’s why falling asleep was a challenging daily task. To make matters worse, I often woke up from nightmares, and there was a time when sleep deprivation almost drove me insane.

Even now, when I was accustomed to it, the occasional moments of feeling overwhelmed by fatigue and excessive information were still quite frequent.

However, it was better to view a quiet landscape like this rather than be in a crowded place. For me, a crowded place was no different from a mysterious temple of organs and muscles filled with the turmoil of internal processes and chemical signals. Even after becoming accustomed to it for a long time, there were still moments when I felt like my mind was going crazy.

…I should sleep.

Reluctantly, I shook off my hesitation to lie down and covered myself with a blanket, trying not to think about the impending nightmare. If I couldn’t get rid of those thoughts, tonight’s sleep would be impossible.

What should I occupy my mind with instead?

I tried to focus on something other than the disturbing thoughts, gazing at the ceiling where the blood vessels on my eyelids overlapped.

This chapter will be cut into 2 part. The reason for that is the Author, I don't know why, put another title in the middle of the chapter.