Yakup paused briefly in front of the wide wooden door. He took a deep breath, straightened his shoulders and made sure there was no emotion on his face. When he pushed the door and entered, the silence in the room fell on him like a wall. Göktuğ Kandemir was waiting for him in the center of the room, as usual, leaning back in his large leather armchair.
Göktuğ's desk was made of heavy walnut wood. There were no papers or personal belongings on it; it was empty and perfect, just like the man sitting behind it. Yakup took a few steps towards the desk. Even the thin sound of his shoes on the wood echoed in the dim atmosphere of the room.
Göktuğ Kandemir was a retired intelligence officer, currently serving as the Vice Governor of Ankara Province. He was also the man who had been Yakup's mentor for the last year, teaching him how to live in the underworld.
"By completing my last mission, I have fulfilled my part of the agreement between us."
The file hit the table with a low, full voice, echoing like a disrupted rhythm. Göktuğ raised his head slightly as if he had noticed Yakup for the first time. His gaze behind his glasses was dull and deep. The smile on his face was as thin as a crack; it was neither warm nor sincere.
"You did your job perfectly again, Yakup."
Although his voice was soft, it had a strange timbre that would squeeze the hearts of those who heard it.
Göktuğ tilted his head slightly and looked at the files, then that familiar, wry smile settled on the corner of his lips.
"Nighthawk..."
"The Nighthawk is dead."
Göktuğ looked at Yakup from behind his glasses.
"Yes, I killed it."
"Why?"
Nightbird was one of the most skilled mercenaries under Göktuğ's command. Although he had not yet reached the level of a Senior Hunter, Nightbird was a Hunter who had proven himself with every move. His presence was important to Göktuğ. That's why Yakup was hesitant to stand in front of Göktuğ.
"When he brought the bag to me, the biometric lock was already unlocked. When I checked the files, I realized what was missing. Your orders were to keep an eye on the betrayal and act accordingly. Even though Nighthawk is a very functional man, he was going to turn his sword on us in the end. It was necessary to nip the snake in the bud."
"I guessed he wanted to retire."
He didn't seem surprised.
Of course, this did not surprise Yakup. He had been learning from this man for a year, and if there was one thing he had learned, it was that this man could smell betrayal a thousand kilometers away. He had never met anyone better at acquiring and using information than this man.
"It was his own decision. He should have known something like this would happen to him."
"You're right," Vice Governor Göktuğ Kandemir said and looked over his glasses, which he wore even though it was night. "What do you know about the Hunters?"
"I know what is explained to people like us."
Unlike soldiers, Hunters were gifted humans adapted to the ecosystem of that dimension, also known as Paradise. They had reached the next intermediate evolutionary stage of humanity, the Overhuman. This is why individuals with Hunter abilities were referred to as 'Overhuman' in society.
Unlike ordinary humans like him, the Overhumans had the ability to hunt the monsters native to Eden and integrate their biological code into themselves. This adaptation was made possible by the assimilate of a special organism called the Breath - colloquially known as the Beast Core.
Beast Cores were microscopic carriers of biological code that lived in the bodies of monsters, were symbiotic, and formed the basis of the physical or sensory characteristics of the creature. With a molecular structure more complex than DNA, the Beast Core was both the carrier and the catalyst for the beast's unique abilities. These organisms were dependent on the life functions of the host creature.
Eighty years ago, with the success of the Great Offensive, humanity entered a new era. The technologies left behind by the Arkar Race were not shared, but hoarded by those who considered themselves to be Overhumans. As a result, the gap between the common people and the Overhumans widened, creating an aristocratic system based on the Overhumans.
"Have you ever been to Paradion before?"
"Are you kidding me?"
Yakup frowned, not understanding whether the other party was making fun of him or not. Vice Governor Göktuğ Kandemir smiled slightly.
"You know Ankara is a buffer zone. To enter the Paradion, you have to have leveled up in the biological system. That's why you are also aware that there are many Breaths on the black market. One of my sources there told me that Paradion has what you are looking for."
Yakup was attentive.
Göktuğ Kandemir threw a file on his walnut desk. 'Ankara Province Special Warfare Department' was written on it. Along with the seal of the province, there was another seal; the seal of the Paradion Armed Forces.
Only one fifth of the one billion human population had the ability to become Hunters. Two hundred million of them were separated from the other four-fifths by a city system called Paradion.
"The wife you seek everywhere is at the Predarium Hunter Academy."
Yakup froze in place. Only a few days after Leyla's birth, his girlfriend had disappeared. The two had met in high school and had become lovers. In the last semester of high school, his lover had gotten pregnant with Leyla.
"In Paradion, in order to go to Paradise, one must obtain a Hunter's License from the Hunter Academy. In this academy, you also learn all the skills you need to fight the Arkar Race and monsters in Paradise."
After reading the detailed information about his lover in the file, Yakup proved this information to himself.
"I've been looking for her for a year. I can't believe she abandoned our child to become one of those bastards."
"Preferences... I don't know how she evolved, but the rumors suggest that she had an affair with one of the Paradion nobles." Göktuğ said, looking at Yakup stoically. "What are you going to do?"
Yakup looked at the Deputy Governor's stern face before answering.
"What are you planning for me?"
"You plan to go after your lover, but there is no way they can legally take someone like you in. Fortunately, I see you as my son and I am giving you an opportunity that no one else will give you."
Yakup was not impressed by the word 'son'.
"What kind of opportunity?"
Göktuğ stood up from his leather chair and clasped his hands behind his back, looking at Ankara beneath his feet. A few kilometers away was the Akdoğan Gate, dwarfing the city in size. The soldiers moving around the military compound built around the Akdoğan Gate looked like ants.
"You are nothing and will remain so unless you act. The rules are clear, take what they give you and give what you have to give and then be grateful."
"Do you really think so?"
Göktuğ turned his head and looked at Yakup.
"My father knew your grandfather. Ali Cemil Karakurt was the head of the suicide squad sent to capture the Akdoğan Gate. To ensure the success of the Great Offensive, he destroyed the resources of a Warlord two and a half kilometers from the Akdoğan Gate in one day with only thirteen men. Twelve soldiers and their families paid the price."
Ali Cemil Karakurt... his often heard stories about his grandfather from his father. He would always say that he should be proud to bear his name, Cemil. Because his grandfather was a hero who put his life aside and worked for humanity.
"After the Akdoğan Gate was taken, humanity had some time to breathe and managed to steal the technology of the Arkar Race. They created their own Hunters and raided Paradise. And what happened then? They became rich. The average lifespan of each of them was 200 years! Whereas the average life expectancy in their buffer zones is 30 years. Did your ancestors, my ancestors and many others sacrifice themselves for such days?"
"I don't know what you mean. What's this got to do with me?"
"The Special Warfare Department has launched an in-house Hunter training program. It's a brutal, deadly year-long training program, and at the end of it, successful trainees will be given the Beast Core."
Yakup raised his eyebrows, "Do you really think it will work?"
"Why not? There are many like me who think so."
"You know the consequences if Paradion finds out about this, don't you?"
"Paradion thinks we are idiots and shitty cattle. They want us to look after them from the barn. They want us to serve them. They don't care about us, they look down on us: they think they are a god. They sit so high that they don't even see us as an enemy."
"Do you want me to take this course and become a Hunter?"
"No," Göktuğ shook his head from side to side. "Just becoming a Hunter is not enough. You have to finish the course first place. Only then can I get you into Paradion."
There was no need to think any further.
"If we talk about Leila, I will agree."
"You don't have to worry about that. I can give you an hour each week to see your daughter."
"I accept."