Chapter 274: Chapter 274
Fortunately, what Jeong Cheol-min and Lim Cheol had feared didn’t happen.
The President and the other attending VIPs didn’t raise their voices or cause a scene.
Instead, as if it had been prearranged, they quietly offered brief apologies upon arrival, listened to the briefing as if nothing had happened, and approved every part of the plan without protest.
Of course, no one knew their true intentions.
They were old—old enough to harbor a vague fear and contempt toward Awakened individuals. But at the same time, they were far too calculating not to act rationally when it benefited them.
They weren’t children.
Once the briefing ended and the VIPs left, President Lim Cheol gave a long sigh of relief, thanked Su-ho and the team for their efforts, and left the hotel alongside the Vice President.
Only two people remained.
Jeong Cheol-min was the first to speak.
“Seriously... I still don’t know what the hell that all was.”
“Well, at least the worst-case scenario didn’t happen.”
The worst-case scenario being the classic boomer-type officials making outrageous statements, refusing to admit fault, and provoking Su-ho’s wrath.
But that hadn’t happened.
Like he’d said—those people were too skilled at playing the game.
They knew when to concede and when to take advantage.
For people who survived by their tongues, saying a few appeasing words wasn’t a big deal.
“That’s why I let it go, too.”
Su-ho wasn’t some kid who needed them to bow and scrape for him to feel better.
As long as they didn’t become obstacles to what he wanted to accomplish, that was enough.
He didn’t want to turn everything into a war of attrition.
“Honestly, there’s no country I’d even want to immigrate to.”
Every so-called leading hunter nation had stabbed Su-ho in the back in his past life.
Sure, there were countries that hadn’t been part of the final stand against extinction... but those?
Knowing what skeletons they had in their closets—and what their futures held—Su-ho had concluded that staying in Korea was the best course of action, both in the short and long term.
“Worst-case scenario? If I’m lucky enough to wipe out all the Gates, I’ll need to live somewhere. Might as well be Korea.”
Jeong Cheol-min spoke up.
“Well, thanks to you, we got most of the approvals we needed. Time to really get this rolling.”
This was where the real work began.
Su-ho summoned Jo Jin-hwi and shared the full details of the North Korea Project with him as they began preparing for the official public announcement.
Simultaneously, under the Association’s authority, he issued invitations to every guild leader in the country.
It wasn’t a forced summons.
They were simply told that the North Korea reclamation project was underway, and that interested parties were welcome to participate.
As a result, representatives from guilds both large and small gathered at the Association’s main auditorium.
There were no special seats or VIP sections for the large guilds.
In Su-ho’s eyes, they were all just guilds.
As the day approached, a female Special Division staff member handed Su-ho the attendance list, her voice full of excitement.
“Chief! This time, 98% attendance!”
“Damn... I thought we’d hit 99%. Surprising.”
“Nothing. Good work.”
After checking the list, Su-ho stepped up onto the podium. At the sight of him, the crowd quickly quieted.
The only sound in the silent hall was the shutter of Jo Jin-hwi’s camera.
He wasn’t here today as a PBS journalist, but working a one-day gig as Su-ho’s assistant, helping with documentation.
Su-ho scanned the room, then took the mic.
“Ahem. Good afternoon. Thank you all for coming, despite the short notice. I’m An Su-ho, Chief of the Special Division's Special Affairs Department at the Grand Hunter Association.”
He gave a polite nod, and the guild reps returned it with obligatory applause.
Immediately, Su-ho clicked the remote to display the opening slide of his presentation.
[North Korea Reclamation]
“As previously announced, the reason I’ve gathered all of you here is to discuss the officially declared North Korea Reclamation Project. The operation is officially named ‘Purification Unification.’ The reason for that name is simple—North Korea’s interior has been overrun by Gates, mana, and monsters. It’s polluted.”
A map of the Korean Peninsula appeared. Clicking once more zoomed in on the northern half and overlaid a series of red inverted triangles marking key locations.
“As some of you may know, North Korea collapsed when the Kim regime recklessly exterminated all its own Awakened in the early days. They lost their ability to defend against Gates, and that led to their downfall. So the core of the ‘Purification Unification’ project is simple—extermination.”
“Like, kill everything?”
“Is that even possible?”
The word extermination stirred a murmur among the crowd. ɴᴇᴡ ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀʀᴇ ᴘᴜʙʟɪsʜᴇᴅ ᴏɴ 𝓷𝓸𝓿𝓮𝓵·𝕗𝕚𝕣𝕖·𝙣𝙚𝙩
Su-ho answered in a calm, flat tone.
“I personally went on an unofficial tour of North Korea. And after what I saw, I came to one conclusion: extermination. Of course, this applies only to monsters and Gates. North Korea’s collapse happened a while ago—almost no humans remain. If we do find survivors, we’ll rescue them immediately. Everyone else? Treat it like monster hunting, and go wild.”
Someone raised a hand.
“Wouldn’t it be more efficient to just bombard everything?”
“Yes, we’ve considered that. But we can’t blindly bomb the entire region. There could still be survivors.”
Once the room quieted again, Su-ho continued.
“As you can see on the screen, our forces will advance north from the 38th parallel. Our final objective is the Amnok River. Along the way, we’ll secure key locations and establish strongholds to ensure safe progress.”
Several regions on the map turned orange, their inverted triangle markers growing in size.
“These marked areas—Pyongyang, Kaesong, Sinuiju, Hamhung, Rason, Baekdu Mountain, and Mount Geumgang—are the seven critical zones in this operation.”
“What makes them critical?”
“They contain the hardest Gates. Think of them as sealed dungeons we’ve avoided in the past because of how dangerous they were.”
That shut everyone up.
Sealed Gates were no joke.
“Once we reach the Amnok River, a different operation will begin. As you know, those things are waiting for us up there. Now then, let me explain why you were all invited.”
Su-ho stepped forward and looked around.
“This Purification Unification project is a state-run initiative. Unlike private gate auctions where guilds bid for rights, participating guilds will have unlimited access to North Korean Gates. In addition, your contributions—clearing Gates, slaying monsters—will be tracked and ranked. Based on your contribution level, you’ll receive priority rewards and various benefits.”
That was what they’d all been waiting for.
The crowd began to stir again.
But this much had been expected.
What mattered was the details.
“Are there any mandatory participation conditions?”
State-run projects often meant profits—but they also came with strings attached.
Su-ho shook his head.
“No. This is an unprecedented type of national initiative, so we’re prioritizing autonomy. The goal is territory recovery. That said, due to staffing limitations, we won’t be able to provide support units like Healers or specialized personnel.”
In other words—there would be no safety net. Prepare your own damn teams.
But from a business standpoint, that was better.
It was pure capitalism and open competition.
Cheers erupted from several corners of the room—especially the larger guilds.
“While the goal is territory recovery, please prioritize the safety of your Hunters over speed. If your guild is small and lacks manpower or supplies, feel free to form temporary alliances with other small guilds.”
More surprised reactions echoed through the crowd.
But it wasn’t time to celebrate yet.
Su-ho looked at the buzzing room and raised the mic again.
“And finally, during the operation—and for three years after it concludes—participating guilds will be exempt from both personal income tax and corporate tax. We ask for your enthusiastic participation. That concludes the briefing.”
That was the bombshell.
The hall, which had been murmuring with polite curiosity, exploded into excited chatter.
As Su-ho gave a final nod and exited the stage, the room buzzed like a stock exchange floor.
Now, it was up to them.
As expected, it caused a frenzy.
Though the briefing had been limited to guild leaders, no embargo had been placed—and word spread like wildfire.
Articles flooded the internet, and people spent the entire day buzzing about the Purification Unification operation.
“Gate market’s been crap lately—what a golden opportunity.”
“As long as you don’t die, this could be your last big break.”
“Shit, should we start stockpiling potions right now?”
“Lol too late, prices are already going up.”
“Not just potions—everything’s surging.”
“We need to lock down a Healer first.”
It was a natural reaction.
And Su-ho had no intention of interfering.
To end the North Korea reclamation efficiently and cleanly through full participation from guilds and Awakened individuals.
Jeong Cheol-min, watching the public reaction, nodded.
“People are really fired up.”
“Wouldn’t you be? No income or corporate tax? Who’s going to turn that down?”
“True... Gate earnings can vary wildly depending on the hunt.”
Hunters already received generous tax breaks due to the danger of their profession.
But tax breaks weren’t the same as tax exemptions.
And here, they were being promised three full years of zero tax after the mission.
Most saw monetary reward as important—but Su-ho believed motivation was even more vital.
That’s why he’d pushed for tax exemption.
Of course, he’d received approval first.
The reason he hadn’t blown up at the VIPs during the earlier briefing was precisely to secure benefits .
“They’ll take care of it now. Let’s get ready for the next step.”
“Agreed. We pulled off a big one today—coffee?”
The two men smiled and headed for the nearest café.