Chapter 51: The Corrupted Mountain

The moment Victoria and Lucien stepped out of the private jet, the humid coastal air of the Haneul Republic wrapped around them. The sky was slightly overcast, and the distant sound of waves could be heard beyond the city.

Waiting near the landing platform was a broad-shouldered middle-aged man with sharp eyes and a warm, familiar smile.

Kang Min-jae.

The moment he saw Victoria, he walked forward without hesitation and pulled her into a firm hug.

"You didn’t even invite your uncle to the wedding," he said, half scolding and half laughing.

Victoria smiled helplessly and returned the hug.

"Even if I had told you, would you have come? I know you and Aunt both love work more than anything else."

Kang Min-jae paused for a second, then nodded with a slightly guilty expression.

"That’s... true."

Victoria laughed softly at his honesty.

After exchanging a few light conversations with Lucien, Kang Min-jae led them toward his private vehicle. The drive to his residence was short but scenic.

The house itself was spacious and modern, sitting on a quiet hillside with a clear view of the distant ocean. The moment they arrived, the front door opened.

Yuna Kang was already waiting.

The moment she saw Victoria, she ran forward and hugged her tightly.

"I heard about your husband," Yuna said with bright curiosity. "I’m impressed so far. I really want to see him if possible."

Victoria’s expression softened instantly. Whenever someone mentioned Daemon in a positive way, a quiet pride always appeared on her face before she could stop it.

"You’ll meet him eventually," she replied with a small smile.

Standing a few steps behind them, Lucien’s brain worked at full speed.

Confirmed. Daemon is not innocent. He is definitely a player.

He silently swore that, if possible, he would never allow Yuna to meet Daemon in the future.

Yuna turned toward him with a teasing smile.

"You two always fight whenever you meet. How did both of you end up coming here together?"

Lucien’s face stiffened immediately.

"Don’t mention that," he muttered quickly.

Yuna burst out laughing at his reaction.

Inside the house, Kang Min-jae placed a thick file on the table and pushed it toward Victoria and Lucien.

"This is everything we currently have."

As the two of them opened the documents, Kang Min-jae began explaining in a serious tone.

"The problem is centered around the Corrupted Mountains along the coastal region. At first, villagers only reported mild symptoms, headaches, nightmares, sudden weakness, and strange hallucinations.

Then the situation escalated. Some people became aggressive without any clear reason. Others collapsed and never woke up."

He tapped the next page of the report.

"We sent several Hunters to investigate the area. All of them went missing inside the forest. After that, residents from the surrounding villages started disappearing as well."

Victoria’s fingers paused on the edge of the paper.

A mission involving continuous disappearances and an unknown source of corruption was no longer a simple investigation.

If the situation continued to worsen, she might be forced to use her bloodline power openly, something she preferred to avoid unless absolutely necessary.

Kang Min-jae noticed her hesitation.

"I already have several A-Rank Hunters stationed near the mountain," he said. "What I need is someone capable of commanding them properly under unstable conditions. That’s the help I’m asking for."

Victoria was silent for a few seconds.

People were still missing. Some of them might still be alive.

"...Alright," she finally said. "I’ll take command."

Preparations began immediately.

When Yuna tried to follow them out of the house, both Kang Min-jae and Lucien firmly blocked her path.

"Absolutely not."

Yuna puffed her cheeks in protest but eventually obeyed. Before they left, she grabbed Victoria’s sleeve with a serious expression.

"Protect Lucien. He’s not a combat-type Hunter."

Lucien straightened his back with exaggerated pride.

"I’m still more reliable than that player Daemon."

Victoria shot him a sharp glare that made him shut his mouth instantly.

By the time they reached the base of the Corrupted Mountains, the area was already filled with activity. Temporary camps had been set up along the outer perimeter, and groups of Hunters were preparing search formations.

The atmosphere was tense. Everyone present understood that previous teams had failed to return.

Kang Min-jae gathered the A-Rank team and formally introduced Victoria and Lucien. Once the briefings were complete, the group entered the forest.

The deeper they went, the heavier the air became.

The trees looked drained of life. Leaves hung limp and colorless, and patches of blackened bark spread across several trunks like a spreading disease.

Even the ground felt strangely soft in some places, as if the corruption had seeped into the soil itself.

Victoria turned toward Lucien.

"Use Astral Resonance. Find the missing people."

Lucien nodded and tied the red cloth firmly over his eyes. His breathing slowed as his consciousness expanded outward, stretching through the dense forest like invisible threads.

After nearly a minute, his voice came out steady.

"I found several survivors. They’re alive... but heavily injured. There are also monsters hiding in the surrounding area. I’ll mark the locations."

He continued guiding the group deeper into the forest, calmly pointing out hidden threats before they could ambush them.

Thanks to his guidance, the team avoided two potential traps and eliminated a small group of corrupted beasts without suffering casualties.

Victoria quickly divided the team.

"One group will focus on rescuing the survivors. The second group will handle the monsters.

We still don’t know their exact ranks. Considering how many Hunters failed before us, treat every enemy as a potential A-Rank threat."

The Hunters moved according to her orders without hesitation.

Lucien, however, remained completely still.

His brows slowly furrowed behind the red cloth. The deeper his perception stretched into the heart of the mountain, the clearer a strange and dense presence became.

At the center of the corruption was something unnatural.

A Corruption Core.

Black energy continuously leaked from it, seeping into the rocks, trees, and even the air itself. The surrounding plants had withered under its influence, and the atmosphere around that area felt thick enough to choke on. Even from a distance, the pressure was unpleasant.

Then Lucien’s expression changed sharply.

The energy signature was familiar.

It was the same strange force that had blocked him every single time he tried to locate Kassia through Astral Resonance.

His pulse quickened.

This corruption... was connected to the secret dimension she was trapped in.

For the first time since Daemon asked for his help, Lucien had found a real lead.