《Solo Leveling- Ragnarok》 Prologue

Chapter -1: Prologue

A world without its God is nothing but a tasty prey! Outer Gods Absolute beings who created countless universes since their existence. ITHARIM! Itharims scattered across multiple dimensions¡ªfaraway dimensions. Eyes lit up upon realizing that the master had disappeared. The death of their own kind is the least of their concerns. To them, the only thing that matters is the enormous mana remaining in that world! Power that loses its master belongs to the one who finds it first! ...Hence, the start of ''The War of Outer Gods''. * * * Keuhhaaa! Multiple universes are connected by dimension gaps. The strong walls of the dimension were torn apart with force, and envoys of Itharim came out at once. A man stood in front of him. The greatest fragment of brilliant light, shadow monarch Sung Jinwoo, opened his mouth with a ck air current wrapped around his body. "Arise." Gooooo! With that word, millions of Light Angels and Shadow Armies raised their weapons in unison. Soon, the war began. The extraterrestrial invaders continue to attack endlessly no matter how many of them were killed. With no space to take a breath, the tense battle continued for a long time. [...The end is not in sight.] [Honestly, it''s a miracle we''re enduring this much. From the start, this war is against us.] [I agree. Without the shadow monarch, our defense line would have been wiped out right away.] The rulers, six-winged angels, paid their respects to Sung Jinwoo. They are fragments of brilliant light born as apostles of God. At some point, they realized the cruelty of the Gods and became God-yers by their own will. Perhaps from then on, this war may have been a predestined step. [The apostles of Itharim are still being born.] [On the other hand, our forces are steadfast.] Since ancient times, the heavenly soldiers led by rulers were born from the fruit of the World Tree. However, after the death of the God, the World Tree gradually ceased to bear fruit. ordingly, replenishment of troops was impossible. As the Rulers said, if it wasn''t for Sung Jinwoo''s shadow army that continues to resurrect even after dying, this war would have ended in an instant. In other words, the absolute end of this world''s demise. [Master, we''re in trouble.] Commander Igrit appeared urgently in front of Sung Jinwoo. [Our backline defense has been wiped out!] "Which area?" [The thing is... They were aiming for the area with the weakest magic...] "You mean, Earth?" [I apologize. Too much focus was given to frontline defense that the backline became insufficient.] Sung Jinwoo let out a deep sigh. The Earth, which had barely regained peace, was once again exposed to danger. [...The Gate to Earth will open again.] The Rulers looked at Sung Jinwoo and muttered simultaneously. At one point, Earth has been invaded by extraterrestrial inhabitants. The rulers, who were the main culprits of the incident, urgently made excuses. [That situation was different from ours now.] [Surely, our purpose was to nurture the Earth and protect it from Monarchs.] [But, the purpose of Itharim this time is pure aggression!] [To confuse us, they are targeting our weakest point, the backline!] [Master! We must send troops to Earth as soon as possible!] The Rulers strongly opposed Igris. [We can''t! If we divide our forces, the bnce we barely maintained so far will be at risk!] [That could be Itharim''s main goal!] [If we protect the backline at the expense of our frontline defense, we will eventually be defeated!] Sung Jinwoo, who was listening to their fierce argument, finally made a decision. "Beru." [Khiiikk! Your Majesty!] The Ant King, who was tearing his enemy''s limbs excitedly, responded to his call. [High Commander Beru! Listen to mymand!] "Go to Earth.." [Khiik! Could it be...?!] Sung Jinwoo nodded sternly. "That''s right. I think it''s time to unleash Suho." [...!] Beru''s eyes widened with full anticipation. "Come back as soon as you can." [Your wish is mymand!] After which, Beru immediately bes like a ray of light and flies to Earth. Sung Jinwoo who had been watching him silently, returned to the approaching enemies. Mouth tightly closed. His eyes burned fiercely. "Come here, apostles of Outer Gods." The war continued. Chapter 1 - 01

Chapter 1:

"Do you like ants that much?" Korea University Art Museum. Lim Dokyoon, an assistant professor in the Art Department, shed a tired expression upon seeing Suho''s painting. The ant painting was tightly attached to the wall of the exhibition hall. It includes all kinds of sketches made with oil and watercolors. There were various kinds of ants with different forms as well. Assistant Professor Lim attached the name tag he had brought under it. [KOREA UNIVERSITY ART DEPARTMENT PROJECT EXHIBIT] [3RD YEAR SUNG SUHO] "There would be a truckload of drawings if we include all the ones you made since you were a freshman. Why not go to the Entomology Department instead?" "I also considered that but there''s no separate Ant Major." "So you only like ants and not insects?" "Yes, Sir. Strangely, I have liked ants since I was a kid. When I found a swarm of ants, I walked carefully so as not to identally step on them..." "Since you were little? You have an unwavering taste then." Assistant Professor Lim smiled and continued to look around Suho''s painting. Until something caught his attention. "This ant looks different." In front of him is a painting of a human-shaped ant with a ck haze. "Hmm. The strokes are dynamically great. You draw monsters, too?" "Monster? No. I just draw what I dreamt of when I was little." "Pft. You''re really something. Just how much did you like ants that you even dreamed of them at a young age?" "Before the Cataclysm." Cataclysm. It was a term used for the catastrophic event that suddenly came to Earth 2 years ago. Unidentified gates appeared all over the world. Terrifying monsters entered through those gates and invaded Earth. Fortunately, very few humans happened to awaken their ability, and mankind managed to ovee the crisis. That was only two years ago. At that time, Suho was just 20 years old and was a freshman. He started having consistent waves of ''ant dreams'' when he was in middle and high school, or long before that. "Anyway, you''re also a weird one." Assistant Professor Lim smiled and carefully looked at Suho''s painting again. "You drew it really well though. It feels like it would pop out of the picture and bite me. Ah, is that too much? I guess that''s just how vivid your painting is." Suho silentlyughed at that. ''It has to be.'' It wasn''t simply an art or depiction of his dream. But, because it was a monster that would rush to kill him as it appeared in his dreams. ''...Looking back, it was a really terrible dream.'' Suho said as he recalled it. [Your level increased!] [Your level increased!] In that dream, Suho had to fight for his life with the monsters without knowing why. There were armored knights and ant legions that endlessly blocked his way, and a giant dragon appeared after. Upon killing those monsters, he leveled up, just like in games. Even if he dies, everything would instantly reset. He had to go back to the beginning and restart everything from level 1. The only way out of that dream was to somehow survive and reach the final boss'' room. After fighting non-stop like that, he managed to reach that room and to his surprise, the face of the final boss... ''Resembles my father.'' Smirk. Suho smiled bitterly as he considered it only an absurd dream in his puberty. However, from some point on, he never dreamed of it again. ''That''s probably...around that time.'' Yes, to be exact, summer in the 10th grade. Ever since his parents went missing. ...Suho''s daily peaceful life copsed. * * * Around that time. Unusual things were happening in the corner of the museum building. "You left them here?" "Yes, Senior. The assistant professor told me to keep them here." Squeak. The Art Department students opened the door to collect the paintings. Their eyes widened as they saw ''it''. "Huh?" Crackle! Crackle! A ck portal floating in the air. "Ack! Isn''t that a gate?!" "Hurry and report it!" The students panicked and backed away. One took out his cell phone with trembling hands to report it right away, but the 4th Year senior urgently stopped him. "Calm down! It''s a closed gate!" "Ah, that''s right. The blue mist hasn''te out yet." "Yeah. The dungeon break is still a long way off." "Ha. That freaked me out." They sighed in relief upon theirte realization. Dungeon Break is a term used to refer to the phenomenon of monsters pouring out of the gate. The appearance of a gate does not immediately trigger a dungeon break. Prior to that, a "blue mist" flows out of the gate and pollutes the surrounding area, so that the gate could open and monsters coulde out. "That means, we''re still safe. Hehe." "S-Senior. Why are youughing like that? It''s still dangerous. Shouldn''t we report it immediately?" "You idiots. Haven''t you heard the rumor? You can be ''awakened'' if you consume the blue mist." "Ah!" The senior''s words made the juniors'' ears perk up. Theposition of the blue mist has not yet been rified. However, such a rumor spread secretly on the Inte like an urban legend. It said that the mist was actually vaporized magic, and it was rumored that even ordinary people could awaken their magic skills immediately by consuming it. "Wasn''t that just a baseless rumor?" "It wasn''t proven to be one." "Well." "Hehe. So, let''s check it out this time. Who knows? There might be an S-ss Hunter among us." "...!" The junior''s eyes changed rapidly due to the senior''s words. The unimaginable amount earned by S-ss hunters came to their minds. Since the corpses of the demons and the ores of the dungeon became popr as new materials, the job of a hunter who can sweep all the goods has be a symbol of wealth and glory. However, it has been only two years since the cataclysm urred. It was not clear yet how to awaken one''s magical power. "Besides, you guys know that Assistant Professor Lim awakened as an E-ss hunter, right?" "Of course. He alwaysined that he couldn''t make money because he was an E-ss hunter. That''s why he''s working as an assistant professor for the semester." "Tsk, tsk. You''re really clueless. That''s a lie, man. Do you know how much one earns just by entering the dungeon as a mining team?" "How much?" The senior spoke in a low voice as if revealing a huge secret, and immediately after that, the eyes of the juniors widened. "What? They earn that much?" "Even for E-ss hunters?" "That''s right, dude. You''re lucky enough if you be a low-level hunter. Are you still going to blow this great opportunity? Huh?" "Wow, being a hunter is really the best. I mean, why is Professor Lim still stuck in here if he''s earning that much?" "He probably wanted to make money in the dungeon and spend it on art. There''s nothing better than being a professor in order to see a lot of artworks." "That''s really awesome." E-ss ie became much more persuasive than S-ss awakening, which was said to be much rarer than winning the lottery. After the senior''s continued persuasion, the juniors quietly put down their hands holding their cell phones. "Well, hmmm. It''s still safe for a while after the blue mist appears..." "S-So, shall we wait for it? Just for a while?" "You punks. Now we''re talking. Besides, it''s a once-in-a-lifetime experience. As soon as the mistes out, take just one sip and report it. There won''t be any danger." After some time. Finally, a blue mist began to seep out from the gate. * * * Rumble! The building suddenly started to shake. ''Huh?'' Suho, who was in the exhibition hall, raised his head. ''What''s that? Earthquake?'' Something is weird. It feels like the entire space is shaking. However, Suho was the only one who felt it. No one else in the exhibition hall noticed. It was then. Thud. "Uhh." A student was scurrying into the exhibition hall. Assistant Professor Lim, who was near the entrance, approached him and talked to him. "Youngchul, why did youe sote when I told you to go to the storage room and..." "I-I...tried to stop him." "...Youngchul?" "S-Senior kept on..." "Park Youngchul?" "He kept on..." Chills. ''Something''s wrong.'' After checking Yeongchul''s condition up close, Assistant Professor Lim''s expression hardened. His eyes are wandering and lost while he''s trembling. He keeps muttering nonsense. "Park Youngchul? What''s that in your mouth?" After Professor Lim asked him, Youngchul finally came to his awareness. Swoosh. Before he knew it, blue smoke slowly seeped out of his mouth and nose. "Ah, t-this shouldn''t...be happening. Ack." Youngchul was embarrassed and covered his mouth with his hand. But, the more he did, the more smoke came out between his fingers. Then. Roar! Along with the hot air, blue smoke engulfed Youngchul''s body. "Professor!" Just in time, Suho, who ran from behind, pulled Professor Lim''s body away. "Ack! It''s hot...!" "...!" Professor Lim stepped back and opened his eyes wide. Youngchul''s body was engulfed in blue smoke and began to burn. "Kyaaaah!" "W-What is that?!" Students nearby witnessed the terrible sight and screamed in horror. It was then. Wiiiiiiiing-! The school rm rang through the school speakers. [This is an emergency!] Students began panicking. [A gate has appeared in our school!] "...?!" "G-Gate?" [The current identified location of the gate is at the museum building...!] "Fuck! It''s in this ce!" "Aaack!" "Kyaaaah!" Panic arose. Students started to run for their lives. Seeing a person burn to death right in front of their eyes, the horror was indescribable. However, there was one problem in getting out. The ce where Yeongchul''s body was burning was in the middle of the exhibition hall entrance. They had to pass by the body to get out. Roar! One of the students running ahead was startled by the heat and flinched. ''Where are the other exits...?'' He hurriedly looked around, but there was nowhere to be found. There''s only one exit. While the students are frightened and wandering around. [Keeuuhhh...] Something unbelievable happened. "Huh?" "T-That person...!" Yeongchul''s body, which had turned into a lump of charcoal, was getting up again. As it was engulfed in blue smoke. "W-Wait. Is that perhaps...?" Professor Lim''s eyes widened at the sight. "A monster! Get out of there right now!" Professor Lim shouted urgently. [Keuhaaa!] But, it was toote. With the magic of blue mist, the demonic monster took Youngchul''s body as a wick and swung its arms like a whip. g-! "Ack!" The students'' bodies rolled on the floor while vomiting blood. As the blue smoke clung to their clothes, their bodies also began to burn hot. "Ack! Fire! Fire!" "Kyaaaah!" Students scattered in panic. There are desperate cries and screams everywhere. "It''s a monster. A Mist Burn..." Professor Lim hurriedly took out his cell phone Mist Burn is not something an E-ss hunter could handle alone. Suho hurriedly asked Assistant Professor Lim, who sent a request for support. "Mist Burn? What kind of monster is that?" "Once we get hit by that creature..." Professor Lim bit his lip. "We''ll turn into something like him." [Grrrr!] With that, the bodies of the students attacked by Mist Burn were on their feet again, surrounded by blue smoke. Chapter 2 - 02

Chapter 2:

"Kyaaah!" The situation got worse. Howling and screaming all over the ce. Along with the frantic emergency evacuation orders. The Mist Burns, which had multiplied in an instant, continued to create new victims. "If this goes on, we''ll end up like them!" Professor Lim screamed in panic. Mist Burn is a monster he couldn''t catch with the level he has. Of all things, Mist Burn... was the one that stimted his most painful trauma. Dash! "Huh? Professor! Where are you going?!" Suho was shocked. The only hunter here right now, Professor Lim, is running away!! Professor Lim who barely escaped Mist Burn''s attack exits the exhibit hall alone. ''Should I follow him?'' Suho, who had been thinking for a while, soon moved his body. But, towards the direction opposite to where Professor Lim ran off to. Grab! Suho ran to the corner of the hall and picked up the fire extinguisher. ''I don''t know if this will work but...'' He couldn''t bear to run away and leave the others. Holding a fire extinguisher, Suho ran to the ce where the Mist Burns were gathered. Swoooosh! White powder spurted out and covered the Mist Burns. [Kheuuu!] Of course, since it''s an attack that doesn''t contain magical power, there won''t be any significant damage. However, it was enough to temporarily suppress their firepower. ''This will do for now.'' After confirming that the fire extinguisher was fortunately working, Suho continued to move the tip of the fire extinguisher and sprayed other Mist Burns as well. Swooosh! [Kheeuu!] [Aaaaack!] He looked around. Suho found his fallen friend and helped him. "Are you okay?" "Ack." His friend''s face was covered with tears and a runny nose. "Hey, get back to your senses!" Suho shook his body, but he remained unfazed. p! p! He was forced toe to his senses by a p. "S-Suho?" His friend''s eyes barely got focused. Suho looked down. ''Did he get sprained?'' "Let''s get out of here first." Suho lifted up his friend and carried him. Thanks to the fire extinguisher, the attacks of the Mist Burns temporarily weakened. There''s no other way to escape from here. "Ack. W-Where''s the professor?" The student asked Suho. All art students knew that Professor Lim is a hunter. But, in such a situation, no one knows where he is. "He asked for assistance from the Hunters Association earlier though." Suho thinks it''s not necessary to mention that the professor escaped alone after that. ''He could be scared.'' At Suho''s words, a sigh of relief escaped from his friend''s mouth. * * * They got out of the exhibit hall. But, things didn''t stop there. Rather, it''s a lot messier outside. Roar! [Grrrr!] ''They weren''t just inside the hall.'' Suho bit his lip. It seemed like the entire museum was filled with Mist Burns. ''Proliferative monsters. They''re really terrible.'' He thought he would just have to get out of the exhibit hall. "Aaack!" "H-Help...!" "When are the huntersing?!" People were all over the ce trembling. The Korean National University Art Museum building has a clear passage. Both the stairs and elevators. But, Mist Burns are buzzing all over. ''At this rate, mankind could be at risk.'' Suho quickly assessed the situation. All retreat routes are blocked, and the number of monsters is increasing. The situation will only get worse if they turn into monsters by recklessly jumping out of the window or running around. ''Maybe things will get better if I can give them means to protect themselves.'' Suho raised the fire extinguisher he brought and shouted. "Everyone! Listen up!" Some of the frightened people looked at Suho. "There''s a way to deal with those !" "...!" More people then turned their heads his way. They looked at the fire extinguisher in Suho''s hand. "I-I see!" "That''s right! Fire extinguishers!" "We can kill the monsters!" The light returned to the eyes of the helpless. Suho felt quite embarrassed. ''Ahh, it couldn''t kill the monsters though. Well, does it matter?'' It gave people hope. That is what''s important. People scattered and frantically searched for fire extinguishers. "Here, I found one!" "I found one, too!" The people who found fire extinguishers cheered. At the same time, those who could not find a fire extinguisher became contemtive. There was no way there could be that many fire extinguishers on one floor in the first ce. But, that was enough. Suho shouted. "Not everyone needs a fire extinguisher! Those with fire extinguishers, please follow me!" "What?" Disappointment shed on the faces of the people holding the fire extinguishers. They realized, that only those who hold fire extinguishers will take the frontline of the battle. Suho took the lead and aimed the fire extinguisher at Mist Burns. Swooosh! From now on, action will speak louder than words. [Khheeuuu!] Mist Burn''s firepower has noticeably weakened. Theplexion of the people who saw that brightened. "A-Amazing!" "Great! I''ll do that, too!" Swoooosh! They started spraying their fire extinguishers as they gained confidence. "Nice! Let''s keep moving this way!" Suho kept the lead and continued attacking forward. Meanwhile, people followed Suho and moved through the gaps and down the stairs. [Kyaaaah!] The problem is, there were also Mist Burns attacking from behind. "Aaack!" "At the back!" The people who were barely stable fell into panic again. Rush! People ran down the stairs in fear. Suho gritted his teeth. ''We were almost there.'' If this continues, they might all copse down the stairs. Suho put down his friend and asked him. "You can go alone from now on, right?" "Huh? What will you do?" The friend looked at Suho with a confused face. Suho shouted at the people holding fire extinguishers with a firm look on his face. "I''ll take care of the back, so those at the front can clear the way!" "A-Alright!" Suho eventually turned around and climbed the stairs again. ''I don''t know what I''m doing.'' A person who wasn''t awakened began acting like a hunter. But, there''s nothing he can do otherwise. His body moved ahead. Swoooosh! [Khheeuu!] Suho''s fire extinguisher attacked the Mist Burnsing from behind. But then. "Huh?" [Seriously?] The white powder that had been spouting vigorously suddenly stopped. Right then, the helplessly pushed Mist Burn, and Suho''s eyes met awkwardly. "Ha." Suho sneered miserably. "I''m doomed." [Grrrrrrr!] The Mist Burn came towards Suho. Whiff! The blue smoke engulfed him. He was also about to be a new Mist Burn. But, right then. Swish! [...?!] At that moment. He came face to face with the Mist Burn. And, fell gradually deep into the abyss as he lost consciousness. * * * Born from remnants of mana, Mist Burn was a feeble creature that only moved by instinct. It was also a troublesome monster that could be stronger as long as it had enough to consume and endlessly increase its alter ego. Which is best for them to consume? Just simply, living things. Among them, humans with abundant vitality were good prey that could burn well like dry firewood. In that sense, Suho was the perfect prey for Mist Burn. However... Swiish! The moment it engulfed Suho''s body. The Mist Burn fell into a pitch-ck abyss hidden within Suho. [Kheuu?] The bewildered Mist Burn looked around. No matter where it looked, there was no end to the abyss. But, in the deepest part of the abyss, someone was watching. Mist Burn growled ferociously, standing still with the blue smoke. [Kheuhaa! Kkkk! Khaa...?] No matter how much it growls, all thates back is an empty echo. The Mist Burn then realized. It was not someone, rather, it was the entire abyss looking down on him. It''s like drooling over a piece of prey. [Kyaaack?!] The abyss opened its mouth wide at the Mist Burn, which was startled, and tried to run away. Gulp. * * * Swoosh. "Huh?" Suho shed a puzzled expression. The Mist Burn that had been attacking him suddenly... Crackle. The human body, which had been the wick, also copsed on the spot as ashes. Right then. [You got rid of the Mist Burn.] ["Secret Quest: Courage of the helpless" has been aplished.] "...What?" Suho''s eyes widened at the message that suddenly appeared in front of him... [Your level increased!] Sparkle! A brilliant light enveloped Suho''s entire body. * * * Suho''s friend, Kim Daehyun, managed to escape outside the museum. Slump. As soon as his limping foot touched the ground outside, he lost strength. Sitting helplessly in front of the art museum, Daehyun''s gaze instinctively searched for Suho. "W-What about Suho? Have you seen him?" "Who is that? Ah, that guy?" The people remember the student who took the lead and fought with a fire extinguisher. However, Suho was nowhere to be seen. Someone hesitantly opened his mouth. "That person went back to attack from behind." "N-No way..." "He hasn''te out yet?" Everyone began mumbling. Someone spoke in a hopeful voice. "He''s a hunter so, wouldn''t he be fine?" "Suho is not a hunter!" Daehyun screamed. That fact was even more shocking. "What? He''s not a hunter?" "He is not one but how did he..." Their gazes simultaneously turned to the art museum. Suho...wasn''t able to get out yet. The hunters arrived just in time after receiving the report. "In here!" Professor Lim, who ran away first, brought the hunters. He let out a sigh of relief when he saw the people who had escaped the museum safely. ''Ha, such a relief. I guess everyone got out somehow.'' As an E-ss hunter, he convinced himself that he had chosen the best way, but when he saw the people, he felt guilty for being cowardly. "By the way, how did you manage to escape?" Professor Lim and the hunters looked at the crowd with puzzled expressions. Mist Burn attacked such an isted ce yet a lot were able to survive. As fortunate as it was, they couldn''t help but be curious about what had happened. "More than that, there is still someone left in there!" Daehyun shouted desperately. "Suho is still...!" "Suho? Suho is still inside?" Assistant Professor Lim was taken aback and turned his gaze to the museum. "If it wasn''t for Suho, we would all be dead! The faces of all the survivors turned gloomy at Daehyun''s depressing words. "Is that person a hunter? What ss?" "...He''s a civilian." "What? How could a normal person do that...?" Hunters were ready to throw more questions. Rumble! An ominous roar came from the museum building. "...!" Everyone turned their heads toward the sound. Hazy magical power began flowing out of the building. "Oh, dear. Is disintegration going to start?" Chapter 3 - 03

Chapter 3:

Disintegration is a phenomenon in which the blue mist flowing from the gate contaminates the surroundings. Areas contaminated by the magical power of the other world be a good environment for demons to live in. If the area beyond the gate is called a ''dungeon'', the area around the gate that was contaminated is called a ''field-type dungeon''. First of all, this polluted ce was like a dungeon, and considering that, the Korea University Museum of Art was like and of death. "I guess that student..." The hunter couldn''t say it. But, anyone could tell what he was trying to say. * * * On the other hand, Suho... [Your level increased!] ''Is it...that thing?'' Something unbelievable happened. Letters floating in the air The level-up notice he only saw in his dreams a long time ago appeared in reality. ''Geez. Is this a dream again?'' No. This is definitely not a dream this time! The vivid sense of reality passing through his skin was proving that fact. In addition, the moment the level-up message appeared, the umted fatigue he felt had disappearedpletely. Even the minor burns caused by the Mist Burns were all healed. But, what is this? [''Secret Quest: Courage of the Powerless'' has been aplished.] [There are unread messages.] The level-up notice he saw in his dreams was only that and nothing else. There was an authentic feeling in it. When Suho looked at the message, the message box opened automatically. [There are two unread messages.] [Wee to being a ''yer'' in real life.] (Unchecked) [The quest has transpired.] (Unchecked) ''Real-life... yer?'' He checked the first message first. [Secret Quest: Courage of the Powerless] You have demonstrated your qualifications by gaining experience while non-awakened. You have now leveled up from level 0 to level 1, and can now check the status window. [INFORMATION] This system supports the growth of the ''yer''. This time it''s not ''tutorial mode''. Please note that in reality you only have one life. ''Tutorial mode? Was it perhaps my dream?'' Suho realized instinctively. All the dreams he had in his teens were practice games, and now he''s going to y for real. Just like a game, some features that were not avable in tutorial mode are now added. For instance, the ''status window''. [STATUS WINDOW] Name: Sung Suho Level: 1 upation: None Title: None HP: 100/100 MP: 10/10 [STATS] Muscle Strength: 10 Body Strength: 10 Agility: 10 Intellect: 10 Senses: 10 (Divisive Ability Point : 0) [SKILLS] Passive Skill: None Active Skill: Ruler Power Lv.1 Information on Suho was briefly disyed on the status window. Just like a game. Suho immediately checked the next message as well. [Quest: Rescue the victims.] There are people waiting to be rescued nearby. Rescue as many of them as possible. The reward depends on the number of people rescued. -Current number of survivors: 52 -Current number of rescued victims : 0 The second was the quest window. This quest window was also a feature that he had never seen in his dream. ''The reward varies depending on the number rescued?'' It was like a real game. Except that this is a stark reality. Even at this moment, people are still dying in real life. [Current number of survivors: 52 ¡ú 51] [Current number of survivors: 51 ¡ú 50] Suho suddenly came to his senses when he saw this notice board. Right then. [Kheuuu!] ''Oops!'' He must have been too preupied with the status window. A Mist Burn, which came close to him, started attacking. "You!" Suho just swung his arm everywhere. Smack! Something incredible happened. [Ack!] Mist Burn, who had been hit by Suho''s fist, bounced back in agony. "...Huh?" Suho looked at his hand and was even more appalled. He hit the zing blue smoke with bare hands, but it wasn''t even hot. Another Mist Burn attacked from behind. Suho immediately threw a fist without hesitation. Smack! [Ack!] It was the same this time too. Mist Burn helplessly bounced backward at Suho''s normal punch. [Khheuu?] At this point, the Mist Burn was also taken aback. Suho is obviously a person who doesn''t look like much, but it hurts when he hits. However, Mist Burn is a creature driven solely by instinct. [Kheuhaaa!] As the Mist Burn screamed, more of its kind around the area rushed towards Suho. However, Suho was not shaken in the slightest by the menacing sight. Because he realized... That the moment they pose no threat to him is the time for him to strike back. Thud! Suho charged forward immediately. Smack! Thud! [Kheuhaaa!] [Aaaack!] There''s apletely different thing from usual games. The tank originally receives the monster''s attack and blocks the frontline, while the damage dealer will carry out the strategy while attacking. However, Suho ignored all that and just swung his fist toward the monsters. Still, the effect was certain. [You have killed a Mist Burn!] [You have killed a Mist Burn!] [You have killed a Mist Burn!] ... Suho kept moving, defeating them one by one. [Current number of survivors: 37 ¡ú 36] In the meantime, the number of survivors continued to decrease. This means that the number of Mist Buns increased. ''The higher their numbers, the faster people will die.'' He must hurry. Suho scoured the museum for survivors. "Get out of here!" He searched all corners of the Art Museum and sent them out. [Current number of rescued victims: 12] * * * "What? How are these people escaping?" The hunters outside the museum were shocked. They were just checking the equipment before going in, but people kepting out one by one. "Someone saved me." "A student inside helped me!" The hunters who heard them were even more surprised. "Who could be fighting the monsters inside?" "Is another hunter already in there?" Hearing this, Professor Lim shook his head. "There''s no way. Not only that there are no hunters among the students, but the other hunters haven''t arrived yet." Daehyun, who was listening next to him, said in a hopeful voice. "Could it be Suho?" "Suho?" Assistant Lim and the hunters, doubtful at those words, exchanged nces with each other. The odds of an ordinary person surviving in a field-type dungeon were extremely rare. But, they couldn''t bear to tell Daehyun that his friend could be dead. However, one of those who just escaped knew Suho. "That''s right! Senior Suho saved us!" "What?!" "Suho? How on Earth?" "He''s beating up the monsters with a bare fist." "...Bare fist?" The words made the hunters feel sorry. Those people must have seen it incorrectly out of fear. Fighting Mist Burn with bare fists was too risky. ''His hands would burn.'' ''It''s a suicide move.'' Unless you are a hunter who can cover your fists with magic, at least you must protect your hands with a gauntlet to avoid getting burned. It almost sounded certain that a student named Suho was alive and saving people. The hunters murmured with serious expressions. "Maybe that student...has awakened." "Suho awakened?" Professor Lim turned his gaze towards the museum. Even at that moment, victims rescued by Suho were stilling out. The hunters murmured with serious expressions. "Team leader, we''re done measuring the mana. It seems to be a D-ss dungeon." "Alright. We must hurry." Knowing that it was a D-ss dungeon, the hunters felt more determined. If it were a D-ss dungeon, there would be monsters much stronger than Mist Burn. Even if Suho, a student, had just awakened, no one could guarantee how long a beginner with no dungeon experience could hold out in there. * * * Ting... [You have killed a Mist Burn!] After clearing all visible Mist Burns, Suho let out a deep breath. ''Almost done.'' He was so exhausted he wanted to lie down, but his mind was empty. Ring! [Your level increased!] Suho''s whole body was wrapped in transparent light, and energy surged into his body. ''I''ll be able to continue with this much!'' The moment Suho tries to find the remaining people and move forward. Bang! "...!" Suddenly, the ceiling exploded. Piles of stones scattered in all directions, along with a huge amount of dust. Suho was startled and rolled on the floor, but he couldn''t avoid it. Red blood flowed from his forehead where his previous wounds had just healed when he got into level 2. But, that wasn''t the problem. A giant wolf descended from a hole in the ceiling. [Growl!] Thud! As soon as Suho saw that enormous thing, he stood up. ''I can never win against this.'' He thought while looking at it. A survival instinct that all living things possess. He felt an instinctive fear that was different from Mist Burn. [Grrrr.] The giant wolf arrogantly looked down at Suho. Its eyes looked at the wounded prey with nowhere to run. A tremendous sense of intimidation oppressed Suho. "Kkk." Suho clenched his teeth. I had no intention ofing this far only to be weighed down by fear. I''ll just do whatever I can. ''If I can''t escape, I''ll attack first!'' Thud! Suho took a rock he could get his hands on and threw it at the opponent. However, the giant wolf raised its front foot and shook off the attack as if it were so ridiculous. ''Now!'' Suho jumped towards it quickly. Then he swung the fist that had killed dozens of Mist Burns. It wasn''t enough. [Growl!] Crash! The giant wolf bit Suho on the shoulder. "Ack!" Suho clenched his teeth and hit the wolf on the head with his body bitten. That was also insufficient. g! In the end, Suho was thrown to the ground. His body was pressed down by the giant wolf''s front paws. It was a losing fight to begin with. Knowing that the wolf enjoyed the victory as if it were only natural. Just as the wolf''s ferocious teeth were about to bite Suho''s neck. It was then. A miracle happened. [Khiiiiikk-!] Swooooooosh-! From a distant universe. Suddenly, a ck bolt of lightning struck vertically from the sky above. Grumble-! [...!] The ceiling exploded and a space between the giant wolf and Suho separated them apart. As the dust cleared, the Ant King appeared with its whole body covered with ck haze. [Beru Lv. Max] Marshal ss Beru was looking down at Suho, holding down the wolf''s mouth with one hand. Chapter 4 - 04

Chapter 4:

"...!" Suho was greatly shocked. The monster that suddenly appeared was wrapped in a pitch-ck exoskeleton-like armor, and ck haze flowed from its entire body. It formed into a giant ant with wings. The ck smoke billowing nonstop from his body was like a shadow swaying in the light. The moment Suho saw it, certain memories passed through his mind. ''Was it ever in my dreams...?'' He was so sure it was some sort of witchcraft. All kinds of ant creatures appeared in his dreams for a long time. So that''s what their master looked like...! But, what is this? The ant king suddenly approached Suho and knelt down on one knee. [Young Master! I, Beru, have arrived now! You are now safe!] "...Who?" Suho''s eyes widened. What does that mean? It was so huge that Suho had to look up even if it was on its knees. But... Suho stood up. Before Suho could say anything, the ck monster''s expression changed. He discovered Suho''s body, in a state of ruins after being attacked by a giant wolf. The ck monster raised its head, bursting into a storm of flesh from its entire body. [How dare you bite this precious noble body?! I''ll rip your mouth open!] A loud roar came out of its mouth enough to shake the whole building. [KHHIIIIIIKKKK-!] At that moment. The world turned into hell. Kwakwakwakwak! [Grrrrr...!] A horrible prowess that engulfed the wolf''s body. The giant wolf that had been trampled on by the ck monster raised its head with courage. Then, it bit off the ck monster''s leg. Doom. The monster then looked over to the giant wolf. [You dare try to ovee me?!] It boiled in rage. The ck monster kicked the giant wolf quick enough and hit thetter''s torso. BLAG! [Ack!] The giant wolf bounces back helplessly as it screams. The monster again outpaced the wolf and mmed the huge one to the ground. BLAG-! It then grabbed the wolf''s legs with both hands. Rip! And, torn its body into two. [Krrrkk!] ck blood sttered in all directions along with a desperate scream. It was no longer a battle. Just one-sided ughter. The tyranny of a predator. [KHHIIIKKKK!] The overpowering predator let out another maddening roar as it trampled the wolf''s carcass. That brutal murder stiffened the entire body of the hunters who had just entered the first floor of the art museum. "W-What the hell was that?!" "They said it was a D-ss dungeon, but what is this?!" Shock and awe! The building was shaking as if it would copse at any moment. ...What is this? For some reason, Suho wasn''t afraid of that cruel monster. Instead, it seemed like he was longing for its presence... It gave him a nostalgic feeling digging deep into his hazy memory. ''What''s this? I feel like I remember something...'' -Annnt... Annnt...! What is this memory? In a faint memory, he could hear the voice of a child who liked to draw ants on a sketchbook. ''Who was...'' Tiiing! "Ack!" A sudden excruciating headache struck him. In the midst of this confusion, he was sure of one thing. ''I guess, I''m still alive...'' [Body Strength: 1/140] Slump. As all the tension was released from his body, Suho copsed on the floor. [Khiikk! Y-Young Master? Young Master! Please wake up!] Suho felt then. The embrace of the monster, who puts everything aside and runs to hug him urgently, is so warm.... A smile formed across Suho''s lips as he passed out. Ring. [You havepleted ''Quest: Rescue the Victims''.] [Number of rescued victims: 33] [Your level increased!] * * * Suho had a dream. It was a dream about a newborn baby being carried on the back of an ant. The baby in the dream wasughing so much that no one knew what was making him that happy. When the babyughed, the antughed too. There were always ants wherever the baby went. The ant was wearing an apron, holding the baby bottle, and feeding the baby. It was also helping the baby learn the numbers. There was also a part where the ant was taking a nap with the baby covered in a small nket... If the ant was nowhere to be seen, the baby cried. Quickly, the ant appeared and rocked the crib to soothe the baby. Then, the baby stopped crying and smiled again as if nothing had happened. The ant, wearing an apron, approached the baby with wide eyes as if it could shed tears at any moment. [Young Master, when did you grow so wonderfully? Beru can''t help but feel emotional.] ...! Then, the baby suddenly grew up and stood in front of the ant in the form of a 22-year-old Suho. Beru. Beru looked at him proudly and wiped the tears. [My main goal ining here was to unseal your skills. I didn''t know you''d be able to do it yourself.] Whimper. He was so emotional that tears couldn''t stop falling. [Sniff. But, that''s not everything. The most important one is kept here.] Beru took out something and held it in his hands. Ring. [''ITEM: Shadow Dungeon Key'' has been obtained.] ''Shadow Dungeon? What is that?'' Suho felt a strange feeling at the sudden message. But, this is a dream. Beru couldn''t hear him at all. The ant squeezed the key into his hand and said. [Please use this key whenever you are ready. It contains everything that should have originally belonged to you, Young Master.] Saying that Beru got down on one knee and grabbed Suho''s shoulder with both hands. [Just keep in mind this one thing.] He said in a solemn tone and friendly touch. The two eyes that felt the conflicting emotions were facing Suho. [Great power requires arge vessel. When a person who is not prepared is given strength that he cannot handle, his vessel may break without enduring the weight of that force.] Great power. Large vessel. Suho repeated those words in his mind. [It only means, you would need a bigger vessel.] Beru''s eyes narrowed and then he painted a mischievous smile on his face Oops. After speaking, Beru stood up again and bowed his head respectfully. [Then, Young Master. My mission ends here. I want to protect you more, but even at this moment, there are others who are waiting for me.] Then he winked his one eye. [Even if I look like this, I have great skills simr to that of a Healer.] ''What? Healer?'' It was the most absurd thing Suho had heard recently. [I will leave now, Young Master. Until the day we meet again, please...] Please stay healthy... Beru''s faint voice gradually echoed. ''Wait! There''s more I need to ask...!'' Suho hurriedly called him, but no voice came out of his mouth. At that moment, he woke up. * * * "Huh! Ant?!" Suho jumped up and quickly looked around. White walls and the smell of disinfectant. A calm air surrounded him. "Oh, dear. You''re awake now?" The nurse who was adjusting the IV drop looked at Suho. "Where..." "You''re in the hospital. Don''t you remember? A dungeon appeared in your school." ''...Weren''t all those just a dream?'' Suho got up, but he had a nk expression for a while. ''From where did I start dreaming? Ant? Dungeon? Or, was it leveling up?'' Everything was unclear to him. Just in time, the news was ying on the TV in the hospital room. -Two days ago, the gate that suddenly appeared at Korea University was almost closed down... -Despite the urrence of a dungeon break in the middle of the city, experts say that the number of casualties is miraculously small... ''It''s been 2 days?'' Everything that happened in the art museum must have not been a dream. ''Were my dreams before real, too?'' Suho finally remembered. His childhood memories of ying withrge ants. How could he have forgotten those happy moments until now? When Suho recalled ''Beru'', whom he had seen in his dream, he felt bummed out. ''We couldn''t even have a proper conversation, yet he left like that.'' Suho raised his head. The words floating in front of him had been there all along. [''Quest: Rescue the Victims'' has been aplished.] [The questpletion reward has arrived.] [Do you want to check the reward?] (Y/N) ''Yes.'' Suho confirmed without hesitation. He almost died several times, which he felt was unfair, but it''s still right to check on it. [These are the rewards that were prepared.] Reward 1: Ability Points +5 Reward 2: Muscle Strength Stat Points +3 ''They''re giving me 8 points?'' It was more than what he expected so he was surprised. Apparently, every time he levels up, his stats seem to go up by 1 point. So, the additional stats of 8 points were much more than leveling up once. ''It was worth risking my life doing good deeds after all.'' Suho checked the status window right away. [STATUS WINDOW] Name: Sung Suho Level : 3 upation: None Title: None HP: 140/140 MP: 14/14 [STATS] Muscle Strength: 15 Body Strength: 12 Agility: 12 Intellect: 12 Senses: 12 (Divisive Ability Point: 5) [SKILLS] Passive Skill: None Active Skill: Ruler''s Power Lv.1 Certainly, many features have been addedpared to the ones in the dreams he had in high school. Back then, only the level was disyed, and there was no status window of some sort. ''Hmmm. Which stat do I need to level up?'' Muscle Strength Stat of 3 points was applied automatically, but he was wondering where to allocate the remaining ability stats. He did not choose right away and studied the stats carefully first. An information window then popped up in front of him. [INFORMATION] Muscle Strength: A stat that increases strength and speed. Attack power increases. Agility: A stat that increases body vision and reaction speed. Increases reflexes and defensive rate. Body Strength: A stat that increases maximum HP and recovery speed. Intellect: A stat that increases maximum MP and recovery speed. Senses: A stat that increases the sensibility of the five senses. Crisis detection ability increases. Looking at all this, Suho finds them equally significant. ''I''ll think about it some more and make a decisionter.'' After turning off the status window, Suho suddenly felt that he was thirsty. He hasn''t drank water for two days since he passed out. Suho opened the door of the small fridge next to his bed to get some water. ck. There was something. "...Huh?" Suho''s eyes widened. Surprisingly, Beru, who had shrunk to the size of a fist, was slicing an apple inside. "Y-You!" [Kehehe.] [Beru] Lv.1 Pawn ss Beru, whose enormous body had be very small and cute, held out an apple with a shy expression. It was shaped like a rabbit. [I couldn''t go back because I ran out of mana.] "...." Chapter 5 - 05

Chapter 5:

Suho looked at Beru with a confused expression. "You left just like that and now you''re saying, you couldn''t go back?" [Actually, the journey to Earth was very long and difficult. Numerous enemies stood in my way, but I had no strength to go back after ripping them apart...Khuhm.] Beru made excuses while looking embarrassed. [If His Majesty were by my side, my power would have been charged in an instant, but it was impossible to recharge because He was so far away from here.] "..." Suho looked at Beru in silence. Compared to how Beru originally looked, he was far smaller now that he had run out of power. ''He looks like a doll.'' Suho picked him up with one hand. [Ehh?] Mini Beru looks like a keychain dangling in Suho''s hand. He was so light he looked like a prize from a w machine. Beru continued to chatter while clinging to Suho''s hand. [I don''t know if your memory has returned, Young Master is the only heir to the great and mighty Shadow Monarch.] "Shadow Monarch? Who is that?" [Sung Jinwoo. I''m talking about your father, Young Master.] "My father?" [Yep!] Suho doubted his ears for a moment. "Father? The one who left home?" [He did not leave your house, rather, he went out into outer space.] "...?" Outer space? Seeing Suho''s confused face, Beru talked in a calm voice. [Let me exin it briefly.] Swoosh! [There is a huge war going on in the universe right now.] A shadow formed from Beru''s hand, made up of ck energy, creating a vision. The shadow illusion turned into numerous soldiers the size of a fingernail, and more and more monsters attacked them. And, at the center... There was a man who glowed with a particrly strong energy. Of course, the size of a nail as well. [This war is now beingmanded by your great father Sung Jinwoo.] Beru''s hand then pointed at the enemies that ''Sung Jinwoo'' was blocking. [These guys are the henchmen of Itharim who came to devour our world whole.] "Itharim?" [Itharim are the Gods of outer space far away from Earth.] Beru continued talking with a solemn expression. Just vicious and tenacious these guys called Itharim are. Most of them were just cursed, but anyway, they were enemies who came to invade the Earth. "So, you''re saying that the demonic monsters that gushed out of the gates from two years ago were because of Itharim?" Suho, who was listening to the exnation, felt strange. Both of Suho''s parents were missing. They had been reported missing a long time ago, and yet the police never found any clue. It was as if they had disappeared with no traces found, so he had given up halfway and lived on. But, now they were just in outer space? It was hard to believe, but the fact that there was a stuffed doll, or talking ant, in front of him was also an unrealistic situation to begin with. Oh well, in a world where monsters and demons exist in dungeons, adding universe stuff into that is nothing more surprising. Suho suddenly asked. "What about my mother? Did she also go to outer space?" [Ehh? No.] Beru shed a puzzled look on his face. "What? She did not?" [Yes, she didn''t. Where did Ms. Haein go?] Suho''s face stiffened with Beru''s reaction. "She disappeared on the same day as my father so of course I thought she went with him..." [Eeeeckk?! Has Ms. Haein disappeared? When? Where to?] It was Beru who was more surprised with thete realization. "I have no idea." Suho sighed deeply. * * * Beru flew to Earth from outer space while the war was ongoing. The process was really tough and not an exaggeration. It was a huge thing to leave for a battlefield alone as the High Commander. He barely managed to get to Earth after oveing the enormous military force, and now he discovers that the whereabouts of Sung Jinwoo''s wife, Cha Haein, were unclear. Beru was shocked. [Keeek! I have to find Ms. Haein right now!] "Do you know where to find her?" [It''s obvious who would do this! Itharim! The apostles of Itharim on Earth could have set an evil trap for her!] Suho''s mother, Cha Haein, received the protection of the Shadow Monarch so she shouldn''t be in danger. But, what if something happened? She must''ve encountered forces counter to that of the Shadow Monarch''s power. Beru made a fuss like that, but Suho was not very worried about his mother Cha Haein for some reason. Of course, he was very worried at the time of her disappearance, but the shock of knowing his father''s identity was so great that his mother did not look like an ordinary human anymore. "Come to think of it, I''ve never seen my mother be flustered ever since." After all, she decided to marry Suho''s father despite knowing his true identity. [No, that was just because parenting was so hard...] Beru muttered something next to him, but Suho didn''t hear. The kind of mother Cha Haein was that Suho remembers was always a rxed and unwavering firm person. Could that be why? It may be just a vague belief, but he couldn''t imagine his mother to be in danger. Still, it was very fortunate to find a clue to his parents'' disappearance, which had been an open case for so long. "Beru, what can I do to find my mother?" With that question, Beru shouted strongly while hanging onto Suho''s hand. [Of course, you need to be strong as soon as possible!] "Be strong?" [Yes! His Majesty cannote to Earth for now because of the ongoing war. The only one who can save Ms. Haein is you, Young Master. But, right now you are weaker than a caterpir!] "C-Caterpir...?!" Suho was a bit offended. Regardless of whether he was or not, Beru removed all the shadows he had created, escaped from Suho''s hands, and soared high into the air. He pointed at Suho''s and chuckled. [That''s why you should level up.] Ring! [The quest has arrived.] At that moment, a message window appeared in front of Suho''s eyes. [Quest: Trials of the Shadow] You are the son of the great Shadow Monarch. But right now, all of your innate skills are sealed. You will have to prove your qualifications to receive that great power. Enter the Shadow Dungeon and prove your worth. "Shadow Dungeon?" The quest window unfolded before his eyes. As soon as Suho read that, he remembered the Shadow Dungeon Key that Beru handed over in his dream. [The shadow dungeon is the ''Realm of Peace'' given to the Young Master. It is thend of the dead, where the living cannot set foot without the owner''s permission. Please open ''Inventory''.] Right then, a translucent window opened in front of him. [INVENTORY] Shadow Dungeon Key (Unchecked) ''There''s an inventory? It''s totally like a real game.'' It was fascinating. ordingly, the dream he had was a tutorial, but this time, all the features like the ones in a real game were added. Suho reached out and took the key. Then, an information window appeared above the key. [ITEM: Shadow Dungeon Key] Obtaining Difficulty: ?? Type: Key This is the key to entering the Shadow Dungeon. Can also be used on Sung Suho''s shadow. ''Can be used on my shadow?'' Following that exnation, Suho''s gaze went down to his feet. He got down on one knee and gently held the tip of the key over his shadow. Swook! Strangely, the key went into his shadow. Beru''s eyes widened. [Come on! Go inside and take all the power that should have belonged to you, Young Master.] "Wait." Suho pulled out the key again and hurriedly changed his clothes. After taking off the baggy hospital gown and slippers, he found his own clothes and put them on, then tied his shoces. A determined light shone in Suho''s eyes looking down at his shadow. "Great. Now, let''s go." [Khiiikk! Let''s go! I''ll be by your side to assist you! Well, even though all my power is gone!] Suho didn''t expect much. He shoved the key back into his shadow. ck. [Do you want to enter the Shadow Dungeon?] ( Y / N ) "...I will enter." Shwaaaaa-! After he answered, Suho''s shadow spread all over the ce. It began to devour everything in sight. The walls and ceilings, and even the entire hospital building. [You have entered the Shadow Dungeon.] Before he knew it, Suho had arrived in a ck-and-white world covered in shadows. ''Here?'' Calm stillness where no human presence could be felt. A dense forest dyed in ck and white was waiting for Suho. No, it was actually a ruined city turned into a forest. The outer walls of the towering buildings were covered with moss and vines. Suho suddenly remembered a book he read as a child. ''The title was probably...Was it The Earth Where Mankind Disappeared?'' The book was a documentary about the so-called self-purification of Earth. Roughly summarizing the contents, a city that has been neglected and unmanaged for a long time grows grass and trees, tearing down all the buildings, and eventually bing a forest. Just like this ce. ''It also felt like a field contaminated with mana.'' In the midst of that silence, Beru, who followed Suho, flew up and made a salute. [Wee to the Shadow Dungeon!] "Is this the Shadow Dungeon?" Suho looked around and felt strange. It felt like stepping into an old horror movie. ''...Why does it somehow feel familiar?'' Like everyone else, it is impossible to keep clear memories during childhood vividly. However, the emotions and atmosphere that he felt at that time still remained deep in his heart even after he became an adult. This ck-and-white world, which might seem very sinister to some, felt like the most warm embrace of a mother to Suho. Right then. Swoosh! ''Goosebumps!'' Suho''s senses stat sent a warning. Whoop-! An axe flew from behind him. [Hikkk! The trial has begun! Avoid it!] Suho moved swiftly upon hearing that and immediately turned around. He kicked as much as he could! Thuck-! "Hiikk!" After being hit by Suho''s kick, a monster tumbled unsightly to the floor. A name tag floated on top of his head like that of Beru''s. [Goblin Spectator] "Khiiikk!" Green skin. It was a hideous monster about a meter tall. ''Spectator?'' As soon as Suho confirmed its name, his nerves bristled. ''If it was a spectator, there could be lots of them around!'' Suho had already fought numerous battles in his dreams when he was a teenager. The survival instinct engraved in him moved his body. ''I need to kill it because it could attract more of its kind!'' Thud! Suho threw it around before it could even get up. [Khiikk! It''s dangerous with bare hands! Goblins are weak creatures but right now, Young Master is weaker!] "I know!" Kwak! Suho proceeded and hit the Goblin Spectator''s hand making it drop the axe. [Kyaaaaah! You''re doing great! Really great!] Beru flew upwards and pped excitedly. ''Ah, so noisy.'' Grab! [''ITEM: Imp''s Stone Axe'' has been obtained.] Suho swung the axe as soon as he grabbed it. Kwadeuk! [Iiikk!] [You have killed the Goblin Spectator.] Suho cut off the goblin''s head at once. But, there was no time to rest. Swiiish! A chilling sound of wind came from behind. ''I knew it, there''s more of them!'' Arrows were flying in the air. Suho instinctively stretched out his hand. ''Ruler''s Power!'' Kwak! At that moment, a transparent hand extended from Suho''s hand and caught the flying arrow. [Khiiikkk! Is that power perhaps...!] Seeing the arrow stopped in the air, Beru was so happy that he didn''t know where to look. [As expected, Young Master! You finally awakened the power you had when you were a kid!] Beru eximed. It was his ability to walk on air when he was a baby. Chapter 6 - 06

Chapter 6:

Sung Suho was then a year old. The day the cute baby finally took his first steps. Like all parents, Suho''s house was very chaotic. In a slightly different way from others. -H-Honey! Suho! Our dear Suho! -What''s wrong with Suho? Suho''s mother, Cha Haein, was screaming in disbelief. -He''s floating on air! -...What? -Suho is flying around the house right now! Suho took his first step in the air, not on the floor. In fact, it was one of the special powers that Suho inherited from his father, Sung Jinwoo¡ª the ''Ruler''s Power''. [...Heuk. It''s been so long.] 1-year-old Suho learned how to fly before he could even walk. Beru sniffed as he recalled how that sight was like the story of the extraordinary birth of a hero in mythology. Back then, Earth was a very peaceful world. The power that Suho inherited was created to destroy everything and was of no use in a peaceful world. No, it wasn''t just futile but rather, it has the potential to make a life impossibly normal. Sung Jinwoo decided to seal that power until Suho could control it. [The apostles of Outer Gods are invading Earth! Now is the time to use that sealed power of Young Master!] [SKILL: Ruler''s Power Lv.1] Active skill. No mana is required. Can physically affect objects without touching them. Leaving Beru''s fuss behind his ear, Suho fired the arrow he held with his invisible hand in the opposite direction. "I''ll give it back to you." Swoosh- Tak! [Krrrk!] [You have killed a Goblin Archer.] The goblin archer fell down with an arrow stuck in his throat. Meanwhile, the other goblins behind him were startled. They turned their backs and started running away. Dash! [Krrrk!] ''Do you think I''d let you escape?!'' Suho also chased him right away. But, swoosh! Huh?" [Krrk?!] With just a single leap, Suho outran the fleeing goblins He looked at one of the goblins. Their eyes met awkwardly in mid-air. [Kehehe! As much as your muscle strength has increased, your jumping power will also change! You''ll get used to it soon!] Beru''sughter while exining sounded annoying for some reason. Suho immediately hit the goblin''s head with an axe. Tuck! [Kiiikk!] [You have killed a goblin spectator.] Suho took down two goblins at once. He wiped the goblin blood off his face with the back of his hand and looked around with a sullen gaze. He didn''t have time to think it over because he was fighting here and there, but now he realized that this ck-and-white world was never favorable to him. The malevolent gazes could be felt all over the ruined city. The flesh he cut through was stimting his senses stat. "That''s a lot." [That''s right. This is thend of death. A world that had been abandoned without an owner for a long time. In that period, wild monsters have built their habitats on thisnd.] Beru''s smirk while exining was truly evil. If it wasn''t for that cute mini size, it wouldn''t be hard to believe that the true owner of this ce was Beru. [But now!] Choo! Beru spread his short arms and spoke. [Finally, the true owner of thisnd has returned! I hope you will win! Take back thend that was taken away by those foolish invaders with your own power!] Ring! At that moment, a new quest window opened in front of Suho. [Quest: Survival] The inhabitants of the Shadow Dungeon will never acknowledge you as the owner of thisnd because you are weak. Prove yourself worthy by surviving within the required time. Required time: 4 hours Remaining time: 4 hours 0 minutes 0 seconds [Quest: Survival] ''Survival?'' After reading the quest, Suho''s eyebrows twitched. With that... Bbbuuu! Bbuuu-uuu-! [Goblin Captain uses ''Item: Horn'' to call his subordinates.] [Goblin Captain uses ''Item: Horn'' to call his subordinates.] Hee hee! Kereukkereuk! Blub blub! Along with the roaring voices, the goblins hiding all over the city began to appear one by one. Expecting that there would be a lot, but still, there''s too much. Suho shed a tired look on his face. "You''re kidding, right? I need to hold out for 4 hours like this?" [Of course, you don''t have to kill them all. Right now, Young Master is only at level 3. Try to survive somehow. The more you struggle hard, the more you will naturally level up and be stronger.] Beru winked and raised his thumb. His face was filled with a smile like that of a father looking proudly at his grown son. ''...Why did that sound quite mean?'' But now was not the time to overthink. Kereukkereuk! They areing. Kwak! Suho hurriedly took the second axe from the hand of the goblin he had just killed. [Item: Goblin''s Stone Ax] Difficulty to get: E Type: Axe Attack Power +5 Hand axe used by goblins Item information floats above the axe. ''One for each hand.'' Holding two stone axes in each hand, Suho''s eyes glimmered. But, something made him more anxious. The approaching goblins are all now holding axes on both hands. Suho immediately opened the status window and allocated all 5 remaining stat points into muscle strength. [Muscle Strength: 15 ¡ú 20] Whooop! Suho''s hand holding the axe felt strong. Muscle Strength stat increases strength and speed. Considering that his strength stat at level 1 was 10, his strength was now twice as strong. ''With this power...'' He can jump faster! Poof! Using that strength, Suho swiftly turned around and started running away. He looked for a terrain that was advantageous for a battle with multiple opponents. [Kehehe! You are brilliant! After all, the weak have their own way of fighting!] "..." [It''s like watching arva seed in its first wriggling!] Ha, he was so annoying. As Suho ran, he recalled all the great impressions he had with Beru when he saw him for the first time and erased them all. Even his past where he lived as an ant lover for a long time has also been wiped out. ''When I go back, I''ll burn all the ant pictures first.'' Suho was determined to draw anteaters from then on. * * * Suho definitely felt the effect of added strength. Holding a pair of axes, Suho ran wildly. Whoop- Tak! He hit a goblin axe with his right axe. Swoosh! He hit the neck with the left one. Buuung, tak! He turned around and cut off the ankles of the goblins that attacked from behind. sh! Throats got cut. [You have killed a goblin assassin.] [You have killed a goblin spearman.] "Khiiikkk!" He killed two of them at once, but the counterattack was worse. Axes and spears flew in from all directions, aiming for Suho. Half of them were dodged, but half were not. Swoosh! Swoosh! "Kkj!" [HP: 160/190] It hurts. As his body strength level decreased, the wounds on his body started increasing. As his physical strength decreased, so did the number of wounds on his body. However, Suho gritted his teeth and ran towards them again. Buuung- Kwak! Thud! This time, he shed 3 of them. Meanwhile, Suho also got 4 more attacks. [HP: 118/190] Spat! Cut one more head. This time, he received 3 attacks. [HP: 84/190] Before he knew it, his body strength level was reduced to half. That''s how much Suho''s body turned into a bloody mess. Right then. Ring! [''Skill: Endurance Lv.1'' was acquired.] ''I got a skill?!'' Suho''s eyes widened. Usually, hunters live their whole lives with only the skills given at the same time as their awakening. In order to acquire additional new skills, they needed the expensive ''runestone'' that are found very rarely. But, he was able to get that precious skill for free during a battle! [Skill: Endurance Lv.1] Passive skill. No mana needed. You have invincible tenacity. Increases physical defense by 20%. He was able to feel the effect even before checking the skill description. The pain from the wounds on the body was alleviated. [Kehehe!] The intimidated goblins screamed and scattered in all directions. At the same time, the sound of horns calling more of theirpanions rang from all areas. Suho hid behind a pir and caught his breath. "Wow. It hurts." Beru jumped up and stomped his feet. [Khiikk! Are you in so much pain, Young Master? Well, you''re young so it would hurt. You''ll get stronger as you get hurt. I''m so happy to know that you''ve acquired an endurance skill as much as the attacks you received!] "..." Suho, who had been pressing his wound with his hand to stop the bleeding, red at Beru. [Kehehe?] There was an ant the size of a fist smiling brightly cluelessly. "Why don''t you help me instead of just watching?" Beru was a strong monster who tore apart the huge wolf with his own strength. He looked so reliable back then. After his body got smaller, he seemed to have no intention of helping Suho. But, Beru had his own circumstances. [Of course, I want to do that. But, I must conserve my strength as much as possible in order to return to outer space where His Majesty is waiting for me.] Beru was still in the process of restoring his lost strength in preparation for his return, which he was doing on his own. It''s all because Sung Jin-woo, who could recharge his mana, was too far away. [Besides, if I participated in the battle, the amount of experience that was for Young Master would be drastically reduced. At a time like this, how about killing at least one more of them and aiming for a level-up?] There was nothing wrong with Beru words. The problem is that it sounded too much like a mockery. He had been talking nonsense on top of Suho''s head since earlier, which made thetter annoyed. Although, it didn''t seem like Beru was doing it on purpose. It was just purely an evil nature thatcked humanity. Maybe that''s why he was not human in the first ce. [Keeek! Young Master! They''reing again! Stand up and fight! It wouldn''t be long until you level up!] Suho gritted his teeth and stretched out his hand. ''Ruler''s Power.'' An invisible hand flew forward and lifted a stone axe from the goblin''s corpse. Suho noticed during the battle that the Ruler''s Power could lift a weight of 10 kg. It has the power to easily lift a baby who has just taken its first steps. Of course, a stone axe would also be possible. Besides, when he was young, he used this ability to fly around. Suho rotated the stone axe that floated in the air around his body. This would solve his minimum defense. Seeing that, Beru''s eyes sparkled. [Kyaaahhh! He used the ruler''s power in such a way? It seems to be working!] ...That mini ant is no doubt evil. * * * [Your level increased!] [Your level increased!] Time went by slowly. Still, after being bloody and struggling for a while, his level was gradually increasing. When he finally leveled up, the wounds from the goblins'' axes werepletely healed and the blood flow stopped. His body strength, which seemed to dry out at any moment, quickly got replenished. Most of all, as his level went up, Suho became stronger and stronger. Finally... [Remaining time: 0 hours 0 minutes 0 seconds] [You havepleted the quest.] [Your level increased!] [Level: 7] Dash! [Krrrrk!] [Krrrrk!] When the timer stopped, the goblins who had been ferociously chasing Suho until now, scattered and hid in the darkness. "...Is it over?" Suho looked around without putting his guard down. Before he knew it, the corpses of goblins were all around him. A heavy silence fell, just like when they first came here. [Kheeuuu! Good job! I''m so proud of you!] p p p p! It was Beru who broke the silence and pped like a seal excitedly. [Finally, those wicked bastards acknowledged Young Master! Now, they must have realized deep within that Young Master is not as weak as he looks!] As he looks? "How did I look back then?" [Well, initially you were at the level simr to arva that can easily get killed when stepped on! Now, you''re already at level 7!] "Larva..." He still wouldn''t stop it. Suho shouldn''t have asked. Right then. Ring! [The questpletion reward has arrived.] [Do you want to check the reward?] (Y/N) "...Yes." As soon as Suho finished answering, the message unfolded. [The following reward has been prepared.] Reward: ''Runestone: Shadow Fragment'' Chapter 7 - 07

Chapter 7:

Shadow Fragment. This is the kind of reaction Beru expects from Suho in receiving simr power to the Shadow Monarch. -Oh, amazing! -They''re giving me this as a reward? -In thest quest, they gave me stat points, and this time they are giving me runestone to acquire skills?! -Wow! Is it okay to get it like this? Beru thought of something to say before that. ''Khmm. I told you. Everything in this ce is for you, Young Master!'' Beru''s lips formed a smirk along with his condescending look. [Khmm! This level-up system is an auxiliary guide for the stable growth of the Young master. It is an improvement system used by His Majesty in the past, to fully receive the power of the great monarch in the weak body of a human being...] Suho cut him off and opened his mouth. [...!] "Wait, what? It was a summoning skill?" [...!] The look on Suho''s face was pure disappointment. Beru was surprised. What kind of reaction is that?! [W-What are you talking about?! How can you react like that after receiving such great power?!] "No, it''s just that summoning skill is kind of..." Suho tried to exin. These days, summoning skill is treated indifferently among hunters. The dungeons beyond the gates are a bloodbath. Hunters could never let their guards down even for a bit or else, the monsters''s ws would rip their necks apart. The floor and the ceiling were full of dangerous traps. They could only be responsible for their own respective lives in that ce. Combat hunters have strong bodies so it didn''t matter, but mage hunters are nowhere far from ordinary people in terms of physical abilities. Among them, mage hunters with summoning skills were even more vulnerable. As they entrusted all the battles to the summoners, they were no different from helpless baggage following them. "That''s not all. It consumes a lot of mana, it''s difficult to look for a useful summoner. Even if you do find one, it''s not as strong as you think." [No-!] Beru stomped his feet with a sad and frustrated look on his face. The image of him mocking Suho for being weak disappeared and all there was left was anger Seeing that, Suho felt a little sorry. "Hmm. I''m sorry, but what can we do if that''s the reality? But, it''s definitely a good thing to acquire skills." [No-! Don''tfort me by pretending to be so considerate! This is genuinely a good thing!] "Oh? You seem to have changed your tone a bit?" [Huff huff.] It was a moment when Beru''s retained concept and historical drama tone were suddenly gone. "Okay, okay. Anyway, I''ll ept the reward." A runestone appeared in Suho''s hand. [Runestone: Shadow Fragment] Breaking the runestone lets you absorb the skill. Suho broke the runestone without hesitation. [You have acquired ''Skill: Shadow Fragment''.] Swoosh! At that moment, a shadow rose up from under Suho''s feet, wrapped around his whole body, and then disappeared. Ting! A skill window opened in front of him. [Skill: Shadow Fragment Lv.1] Shadow power. No mana needed. Drains mana from dead bodies and transforms them into shadow soldiers. The probability of shadow release failure increases proportionally to the target''s ability level and the psed time of the target''s death. Number of shadow fragments: 0 / 3 "...Transforms into a shadow soldier?" After reading the information, Suho''s gaze turned back to Beru. It''s a shadow demon with ck smoke surrounding its entire body. [That''s right.] Beru answered. [It''s a skill that makes soldiers like me. Shadow fragmentation or release is an essential power that made the current Shadow Monarch Sung Jinwoo exist.] At that moment, Suho realized that there were numerous goblin corpses surrounding him. ck smoke slowly arises from the corpses that he killed in the past four hours. [Shadow release is possible on this target.] [Shadow release is possible on this target.] [Shadow release is possible on this target.] Every time he looked at the ck smoke, the same messages appeared over and over again. ''Shadow soldier...Is this some kind of a necromancer?'' The concept of creating soldiers from corpses was simr to necromancersmonly found in games. ''As expected, it wasn''t really something good.'' He had seen it on the inte before. There are several types of summoning skills. Like, summoning spirits from nature and taming them. Or, taming a living animal. Among them, the role he hated the most was the necromancer. ''Because there are a lot of restrictions.'' First of all, the part where there had to be a body was the most problematic. ''I would need to hunt for a body first just like now. That means I can only control those that are weaker than me.'' He thought he had to try it out himself to know for sure. "Shadow fragment." A message appeared after Suho''s words. [Specify a shadow-releasing skillmand.] "I need to specify a separatemand for that skill? Hmm." Suho thought for a moment. Beru beside him kept moving his body. [Kuhm. Khhmmm.] "Why? Do you have something to say?" When Suho looked at him, Beru sighed. [Oh, hmmm. Nothing. Krrk! Krrrkkrrrkkk!] "...?" Why is he acting like that all of a sudden? Suho squinted his eyes. He didn''t know what Beru was going on about, but he uttered themand without hesitation. He thought it would be better if themand was intuitive. "Arise." [Khhiiiikkkk!] As much as he waited, Beru clenched his fists and said strangely, ''This is it!''. Then. An extraordinary thing happened. Kehehehehe-! Suddenly, theughter of the goblins echoed through the air. Shadows began to wriggle from the corpses of the goblins that had fallen on the floor. They seem to be alive! ''Oh, God.'' Suho''s eyes widened and he looked around. Kihh! Krrk krrk-! From all sides, there was endless vileughter like that of viins, and ck hands were stretching out of the shadows. The hands began to crawl out of the shadows. Like demons who came back alive from hell. [Shadow release seeded.] Kwak! Kwaak! [Krrk!] [Krrrrk!] Three ck goblins whose bodies were made from hazing ck smoke appeared in front of Suho. [Shadow Goblin Lv.1] Basic ss The three shadow goblins lined up waiting for Suho''s orders... "You surely don''t look very strong at all." [...] Beru also noticed the same thing. Even with the simr shadow fragment skill, the difference when the Shadow Monarch Sung Jinwoo uses it was too evident. That''s also true when Sung Jinwoo first acquired that skill. He was at level 50, while Suho is only at level 7 now. If the yer''s level is low, the effect would inevitably be weaker even with the use of simr skills. [T-That''s how it usually is... Shadow soldiers who were just released are downgraded versions of their original form.] "They''re also smaller?" [T-That''s right, I guess.] "Then obviously, the same goes with their strength?" [Very slightly?] "Even the speed..." [...] Beru muttered in a very small voice. [Shadow fragments are affected by intellect stats and levels. This is a really good skill if you use it forter...It''s a really, really good skill... Haa, there''s no other way to exin this better...] "O-Okay." Suho looked at the shadow goblins waiting for his orders. He then prepared to return back. [Wait! Shouldn''t you be giving your orders right now?!] Beru was surprised. At that moment, a sound came from Suho''s stomach. Rumble-! "...I haven''t eaten for two days." Suho said seriously. Beru no longer argued. [A-Alright.] It was all about eating and surviving regardless if you were a hunter or a shadow monarch. [Anyway, if you use the key to the Shadow Dungeon, you cane in and out of here anytime. Get some rest.] Suho took out the key and hovered it into his own shadow, just like when he entered. [Are you sure you want to leave the Shadow Dungeon?] (Y/N) "Yes." nk. The moment he turned the key, a shadow engulfed Suho. Swoosh! [You have exited the Shadow Dungeon.] * * * As soon as Suho returned to the hospital, he copsed on the bed. Slump. ''Haaa. I''ve really worked hard.'' Suhoys down on the bed for the first time in a while and lets out a deep sigh. In reality, it was only 4 hours, but it felt like 4 days. Although all of his body strength returned to normal as he leveled up, he waspletely exhausted mentally. The door of the ward opened and people in suits came in "Excuse us. Is this the room of Mr. Sung Suho?" ''Hmm?'' Suho immediately noticed who they were. There would only be one group of people who would look for him in that kind of situation. "We are from the Hunters Association." As expected. The people in suits approached and bowed their heads in front of him. "Sung Suho, first of all, we would like to express our utmost gratitude." "Huh? What did I even do...?" Suho made a puzzled expression. "Thanks to Mr. Suho, many people''s lives have been saved. We would like to thank you on behalf of them." "Well, I didn''t do anything that great." "You did something really great." Thud! ''Ohh, that scared me.'' The man who seemed to have the highest rank turned his face towards Suho. Then, a soft smile formed on his lips. "Mr. Sung Suho, you are verymendable. Such a young man risking his life to save people in today''s harsh world! Ehem!" "Oh, No...Sir?" Seeing the older man take out a handkerchief to wipe his tears made Suho feel ufortable. "Khm." The employee next to him patted him on the back as if he was used to it. "Team Leader, you should stop crying and focus." "Ah, right. Haha. It''s probably because I''m getting older, so I have a lot of tears. Mr. Sung Suho, I am Han Jaehyuk, team leader of the Hunter Association. The purpose of our visit is...." Dun. Team leader Han Jaehyuk smiled as he held out the thick mana meter he brought. "This is to measure your mana level." They had no doubts that Suho had awakened. He was found passed out in the Korea University Art Museum, which had be a field-type dungeon. There were even corpse fragments that were confirmed to have been monsters lying around. "Even the reporters are constantly asking for information to write on their articles." Han Jaehyuk gave him a wink. "Ah. Okay, Sir." Suho gently puts his hand on the mana meter. The magic crystal embedded in the center emitted a subtle light. After waiting for a while, the measurement result came out. "Hmm. Wait, this is..." Team Leader Han Jaehyuk scratched his chin as if he was seeing something unexpected. On the other hand, Suho''s expression did not change, as if he was not curious about the result at all. Obviously, it''s because the status window in front of him is already showing his mana level. "Mana power level 46. You are an E-ss hunter." The other men in suits felt disappointed but did not show it on their faces. They expected a hunter who was able to do all those things to have fairly high results. But, he was only in the E-ss. Team Leader Han Jaehyuk have different thoughts. ''The value of a hunter is not based on ss. Even though one is an E-ss, if they risked their life to save people, there''s nothing even greater than that.'' The old man smiled warmly and patted Suho on the shoulder with his hand. "Mr. Suho, We''re looking forward to your good performance in the future." "Yes, Sir." Thud. The association members bid Suho goodbye and left the hospital room.. Beru then peeped out from Suho''s shadow after waiting. [Alright! Let me give you a briefing. From now on...] Thud! "Suho!" The door of the hospital room opened again. Beru went back into the sullen shadows. Chapter 8 - 08

Chapter 8:

"How are you feeling? You''ve been unconscious for two days!" The person who entered the hospital room was none other than Assistant Professor Lim. He checked theplexion of Suho sitting on the bed and met the student''s gaze. "I''m so sorry! I''m sorry for running away alone!" He apologized immediately. To be fair, there was nothing a single E-ss hunter could do in the same situation at that time. The first thing that Professor Lim learned after awakening as an E-ss hunter was to run away as far as he could if he meets a monster." However, Suho, who was just an ordinary person at the time, was extremely heroic. ''He rescued people from such a dangerous ce risking his life!'' Professor Lim was greatly embarrassed of himself thinking how cowardly he was aspared to Suho. Suho felt resolved with the professor''s apology. "It''s alright, Sir. A professor is in no ce to apologize to someone like me." "No. Even if I had ten mouths, I still have no excuses." After repeatedly apologizing, Professor Lim took out the hot porridge from the shopping bag he was carrying and served it in front of Suho. "Alright. You''re hungry, aren''t you? You must eat porridge if you have an empty stomach. Here, the spoon." "Oh. So quick-witted." Rumble-! As soon as Suho saw the food, his stomach made a loud noise. It smelled like sesame oil. It''s a beef porridge that looks and tastes good. Suho grabbed the spoon and started scooping up the porridge. Having starved for two days, the food tasted marvelous. "After you finish that, would you like some apples?" Somehow, there were apples in the fridge. It turns out that Assistant Professor Lim had been visiting the hospital since the day Suho passed out. ''Professor had been taking care of me all throughout my life. But, after leveling up, I don''t feel sick at all.'' Suho was thinking of getting discharged today when Professor Lim asked something. "Those guys who just left seemed to be members of the Hunters Association. What did they tell you?" "They measure my mana power level." "Huh? Measure? Did they confirm that you have really awakened?" Professor Lim''s eyes widened. "What was your mana level? They said the dungeon was D-ss so, you must be..." "E-ss, ording to them." "Eh? Really?" The older one couldn''t believe it. Suho unfolded the mana level result sheet left by the association member a while ago. "Oh, what? It''s true. With mana level at 46, it''s even on the lower range among E-ss." "Why do you look so disappointed? Were you expecting something? Wow, goosebumps. Were you really thinking I was going to say that I am a superb ss hunter? No wonder you were being so kind." "No, you rascal! If you were such a great hunter, you wouldn''t have fainted in that dangerous ce to begin with. I just thought you were at least D-ss." "See? You were expecting something else." Professor Lim felt so wronged that he even stood up. He put down the result sheet and tried to appease Suho. "Hey, it''s rather better. E-ss is great, you punk. Don''t you know that being an E-ss hunter gives more stability than D-ss?" "No." "Hehe. Of course, you wouldn''t. You also just gained your consciousness." "From now on, trust and follow me. As an E-ss old man, I will lead you to the world of E-ss hunters." * * * Dungeon raids are conducted with thorough division ofbor. The raiders are the first to attack. The Collectors follow from behind to retrieve the bodies of demons or monsters. The Miners dig dungeon resources in the backline. Among those, E-ss hunters take on any job except as raiders. "In other words, E-ss hunters are the most flexible in covering a task." It''s true that they have more stability than half of D-ss ones. D-ss hunters are the weakest among the hunters who can enter the dungeon raid. In a way, they can be considered as the ones most exposed to risk. Meanwhile, E-ss hunters are excluded from allbat activities, so they can earn their wages and at the same time, be safe while doing so. "Of course, some of them need urgent money, so they take risks and volunteer for the raider squad, but it is notmon. Their hospital fees get more expensive. Maybe if they have an acquaintance who is a Healer, or so." The next day, Suho was discharged from the hospital. He arrived at the Korea University Art Museum. ''...I never thought I''de here again.'' Suho looked up at the art museum, which was horribly half-destroyed ''because of Beru'', and self-reflected. He went there today to work as a miner. Except for the Shadow Dungeon, it''s the first real-world dungeon he went to just because Professor Lim offered to assist him. "Oh, for your information, all sses are temporarily non-face-to-face until the dungeon ispletely raided. Suho, you''re going to take a leave of absence since you are now a hunter, right?" "Of course, Sir. Besides, the exhibit is now over as well as the semester." "Okay. I''ll stop by the assistant''s officeter and apply for a Hunter leave of absence, too. Should we start now?" Assistant Professor Lim''s eyes glimmered as he looked at Suho with full motivation. His stance posed a senior figure. "Hehe. Today I will give you a quick guide on the life of a wise E-ss hunter! First of all, miners!" [Showing off too much like a know-it-all.] "EHH?!" Beru muttered as he jumped out of Suho''s shadow. Professor Lim was so startled he fell on his butt. "M-Monster?!" Beru looked at the professor with a condescending gaze. [Tsk. Scaredy cat. Professor, I know more about hunters way better than you do. Better learn from me instead.] He then jumped in front of Suho and spoke loudly with his arms spread wide. [Hunters are described by their name itself, they hunt! Their goal is to ughter, ovee, and devour the enemies! So they must kill again and again in order for their power to be...Ehh?] Suho''s grabbed Beru like a ball. "Why did you suddenlye out?" [Kuhm. I felt the energy of the dungeon nearby. Right now, Young Master is as weak as arva, so I''d be relieved if I could stay close and protect you.] Swook-! Beru''s body stretched out and escaped from Suho''s hand. He jumped on Suho''s shoulder and shed a pitiful look on his face Suho could no longer be deceived. ''If I let this pass again, he''d never stop talking.'' Professor Lim who finally collected himself carefully pointed at Beru and asked. "Suho, Is that a summoner?" [No.] Beru answered sternly in ce of Suho. To be urate, Beru was his father''s summoned monster and not his. "If you are not a summoner, then what are you...sir?" Professor Lim seemed to be so intimidated that he started speaking with honorifics. Beru red at him. [I''m a guardian.] "...Guardian?" The professor tilted his head. [That''s right. In human terms, should I say...Uncle?] "...?" [Hehe. Well, I had those moments.] The professor didn''t understand what Beru was talking about. Beru muttered an iprehensible sound and nced at Suho''s face. Professor Lim ignored Beru and asked Suho directly. "Did you awaken as a hunter with summoning skills?" "Well, yeah. I guess that''s how it went." "Hmm. Interesting. I have never seen an E-ss hunter with that skill before." Professor Lim was lost for words. He didn''t bother to talk about that skill being the most irrelevant anymore. Not to mention Suho is an E-ss on top of that. ''Minor among the most minors.'' The professor turned his gaze to Beru who was on Suho''s shoulder. He was just simply surprised at Beru''s sudden appearance, but looking at him now... ''He didn''t look useful though?'' [Those gazes of yours are very offensive. Do you want me to pluck those eyes?] "..." Professor Lim lowered his gaze. He seemed to be very observant seeing how he''s very sensitive with his surroundings. Surprisingly, he can also talk. That''s pretty useful. "Hmm. Not all E-ss hunters have that skill. You are still considered lucky. Just to share with you, my skill is escaping." "Ohh. So that''s why you''re good at running away." "..." Professor Lim felt hurt by Suho''s remarks. It hurt because it was true. * * * Suho became a miner through Professor Lim''s rmendation. "Alright! Let''s work hard!" Miners consist mostly of E-ss hunters who looked like they were working at a construction site. "Newbie! Come and take your pickaxe." Grab. Suho held the dungeon pickaxe with his hand. The man handing out the pickaxes smiled at him. "If it breaks while you''re working, you cane back and get another one. But, we would need to deduct the cost from your daily wage, so be careful. You''re very young but already verymendable. I heard you''re still a student." "Hey, do you know this student?" Surprisingly, most of the miners recognized him. ''Most likely because of the news.'' Suho smiled bitterly as he recalled the news that was posted on the Inte yesterday and today. Was the headline something like ''Hero of Korea University, Be an E-ss Hunter''? It was vague so he didn''t know if that was apliment or not. If he had be a hero of the art museum as an ordinary person, he would have won a brave citizen award. But, he awakened midway, so he was just recognized as a hunter. On top of that, he turned out to be part of the lowest hunter ss. That kind of situation seemed to turn out well for these uncles though. "Haha. What a shame. If only I had awakened a ss or two higher, my situation must bepletely different." "Don''t be too sad because your ss is low~ We also eat and live well, don''t we?" "Right. Right. It''s quite hard physically but at least we don''t need special skills aside from being good at using the pickaxe." Everyone was eager to give Suho words of advice as it had been so long since there was a neer. Beru didn''t like the warm atmosphere. [Young Master, go and level up instead of dealing with these idiots. Don''t waste your time.] "Oh! Is that a summoner?" "Kyaaah. It''s my first time seeing something like this." "It would be cute having him around." "But, it''s too small to be useful for mining." Miners gathered in awe at the sudden appearance of Beru. Beru was too cynical and ferocious. [Hey! Don''te near me, you rude creatures! Young Master is very weak, and he could die if he gets hurt! Young Master, rest assured. I will protect you!] "...?" Suho stared nkly at Beru. He didn''t know if Beru was just being protective or sarcastic. "Wahaha. This summoner is reliable." "Might as well try to work, too." Beru''s cuteness(?) made the miners chuckle as they moved away in 2s or 3s holding their pickaxes. Suho got a brilliant idea. "Beru." [Yep. Just give me your orders and I will slit the throats of those sphemous bastards.] "...Don''t do that." [What can I do for you then?] "Take the goblin corpses out of the shadow dungeon and bring them here." Chapter 9 - 09

Chapter 9:

[Yes, Young Master!] Beru, who responded to Suho''s orders, tried to ask once more. [Are we going to stab those men behind their backs and kill them?] "What are you talking about? They are going to work. [...!]" Beru jumped down and was enraged. [What is he saying?!] He couldn''t believe it. What on earth is this all about?! The Shadow Monarch''s power ability was so great and mighty only to be used for mining! [In outer space, those millions of troops are fighting in a war. Such a futile thing to use it for mining here!] "I get that, but right now, we only have 3 weak shadow goblins. We need to be practical. I''m pretty sure my father also worked this way before when he was weaker." [Haa, but still...] "You also told mest night." Suho recalled the conversation he had with Beru the other day. * * * They were on their way home after being discharged from the hospital. Beru spoke with a serious expression. [Young Master, I will briefly summarize our mission.] What the fist-size creature said was too grand. [Firstly, protect Earth from the monsters of outer space.] "You mean to go into the dungeon and catch the monsters, right?" [Yes. As you hunt monsters, your level will gradually rise, Young Master. The stronger you be, the safer Earth will be. Secondly, we must somehow find Ms. Haein .] "Right. Do you have ways on how we can locate my mother?" [Unfortunately, there''s none. But, who knows? As we catch those extraterrestrial monsters, we might find some clues.] In the end, this also meant entering the dungeon. [Lastly, this is the most important one.] Beru pointed at himself. [I need to recover as soon as possible and return to the battlefield where His Majesty is. The bnce being maintained there must be at stake as I, the core power, is missing.] Suho was also curious. Beru''s current small form was just a way to conserve his strength as much as possible, but his original form and power were a living nightmare itself. With such a huge amount of power missing, he couldn''t imagine what the war was like. "What should we do to regain your strength?" The corners of Beru''s mouth rose. [Of course, I need to eat.] It was an absolutely evil and dreary smile. It''s been so long. In the fragments of a world long forgotten now. He remembered the queen of ants. ¨C I''m going to make the strongest soldier. The queen needed the strongest soldier to rebuild the kingdom that was being destroyed by humans and lead the kingdom''s inhabitants. It went on for 6 months. She eventually conceived a life by gathering all her mana and nourishment. That determination and the main goal of exterminating all humans werebined, creating a terrible monster beyond imagination. The monster''s innate skill is ''predation''. It could make some of the mana and intellect of the target its own just by consuming the target. ...Beru spoke after recalling those memories. [My natural skill is predation. Continuously devouring either human or mana gradually replenishes my strength. It''s an inefficient method that was used in the past, but it''s nothing much now.] Both for humans and monsters. Suho felt it again. Beru definitelycks humanity. ''He''s not a human after all.'' The sight of Beru drooling as he mentioned eating humans, was the perfect devilish image itself. Suho spoke firmly. "But still, don''t eat any humans." [Huh?] "If you do, only eat bad people." Beru''s eyes squinted at those words. [As expected, like father, like son. His Majesty mentioned the same thing. A long time ago, He also ordered me to eat only the wicked if I were to consume humans. "My father, too? What''s your standard for being wicked then?" [Well, of course...] Bell smiled faintly. [The ones who harm Young Master.] * * * Back to the present. "That was what you told me." Beru brought up Suho''s words. [So, of course, shouldn''t you be entering the dungeon and leveling up?] "How can an E-ss hunter enter a dungeon alone? You know very well that E-ss hunters cannot be raiders." Suho was being extremely realistic. Professor Lim also exined that the only tasks E-ss hunters can take are for production work. He was thinking of going for reassessment after his mana power level reaches D-ss range. ''The division of hunter ss was also a system that has recently been established, so there are still errors in the meter.'' "So, let''s start with what we can do now." Suho smiled as he said that. Beru didn''t feel good about that smile. [Why are you smiling like that at me?] "Our 3rd mission." Suho recalled what Beru said with a knowing smile. "You must regain your mana as soon as possible, so you need to eat. Right?" [Y-Yes. Whether humans or monsters...] "What about mana stone?" Flinch. Beru''s expression hardened. "You said your skill is predation. Wouldn''t your mana be recharged if you eat mana stone?" [That''s right but...the stone has very little mana, so it only fills my stomach and the efficiency is not so..] "Is that a problem? You can just eat more than that." Suho smiled brightly at him. "You can pick them up freely here." [Khhiikkkk.] * * * Suho passed through the gate with the miners. The appearance of the dungeon he entered waspletely different from the Shadow Dungeon. The Shadow Dungeon was a vast ruined city that was so wide no one could even guess its size. This ce, on the other hand, was a winding cave. In addition, each person had a pickaxe in their hands, so it felt like they were here literally to mine. Suho and the miners moved slowly as they moved forward. Inside the dungeon, the view was not very dark thanks to the luminescent mushrooms and moths everywhere. Kwang, Kwang, Kwang, Kwang! The sound of mining works echoed loudly. Perhaps because everyone had experience, the sound of pickaxing was very uniform and rhythmic. Suddenly, all of those sounds stopped at the same time. "...Huh?" "What''s that?" Everyone turned in that direction. There was Suhomanding the shadow goblins. [Krrrk! Krrrk!] [Kehehe!] Three shadow goblins were pickaxing whileughing. There was Suho nagging them from behind. "Amazing." "So, that''s how the summoning skill works." No wonder people were surprised. The said skill was well-known to be used in assisting inbat with the help of useful creatures. However, the summoners just followed behind Suho, who was giving instructions like a Pokemon trainer. "It works though?" Kwang, Kwang, Kwang, Kwang! [Kehehe!] The shadow goblins that Suho was givingmands to looked a little smaller and weaker than normal goblins. But, they had enough strength to wield the pickaxe, and most of all, they never got tired no matter how much they worked. Whereas Suho needed to drain a bit of his mana to replenish his used strength. "Wow. Look." "Those newbies are amazing! Hahaha!" Suho shouted andughed at Suho. "It was all nonsense to say that the summoning skill is useless! It was such an incredible skill!" "Even now as we''re distracted, they might be able to dig up everything by themselves!" "We can''t let that happen! Let''s show our seniority in terms of experiences!" The miners chuckled and started pickaxing again. It felt quite pleasant to see the short goblins working together next to each other. [Such a nuisance...] Seeing that warm situation, Beru at the back chewed the mana stone like a cookie. * * * Meanwhile, at that same time. The raiders, made up of D-ss or higher-ss hunters, were raiding a ce far deeper than the mining area. "This dungeon is absolutely empty." "I know. Only wolf monsters have been popping up since earlier." "Wolf skins don''t pay." The collectors, who were following the raiders and skinning the monster corpses, weren''t too happy. Of course, that''s what they said, but that didn''t mean that wolf skin was not worth any money. Besides, sometimes there were corpses with mana stones, so they had no choice but to work hard. "Phew. We need to earn money either way." Wolf skins piled up on the wagon he had brought. Right hen. "Huh? It seems like there''s something here." One of the hunters who was walking in the cave in the lead called hispanions. Unexpectedly, there was a huge ruin in front of them. The hunters who saw that became very nervous and wary of their surroundings. ''Could it be that there''s a Boss-ss monster here?'' Normally, there was little chance of powerful Boss-ss monsters appearing in D-ss dungeons. However, the appearance of such a structure meant that something extraordinary could have happened. And that particrity would never have been a pleasant situation for the hunters. "What''s this?" "Did something happen to have a ruin like this?" "Shouldn''t we go out and ask for more support?" The hunters were making small noises. However, the leader of the raid intervened and looked around with a cautious expression. "Shh. be quiet. For now, I haven''t detected any monster in my radar skill." "Really? How could there be a structure like this without any monsters?" "That''s what we need to find out." A small smile formed on the captain''s lips. "Who knows? Maybe a treasure is hidden instead of a boss monster." "Treasure...!" The hunters'' eyes suddenly changed. Not only monsters'' corpses and the mana stone could be found in the dungeon. There were also rare items. Those items were the only way to increase the strength of hunters whose levels would not increase once their ss was determined. "Captain! There''s something here!" Looking around, a sword was found stuck in the center of the ruins. It was a sword emanating unusual energy. "This is crazy." The hunters'' eyes were filled with greed at the same time. "We hit the jackpot!" "Wow, what a weapon!" They would have to take it outside and do an assessment to find out, but it was a weapon that looked great at first nce. "Captain! I will get it!" Among the hunters, the strongest man took the lead, spitting on both of his hands. "Oh? Wait, Kim Yongjun! Take precautions...!" The captain tried to dissuade him, but his hand had already grabbed the handle of the sword. Right then. A humming voice came into Kim Yongjun''s head. -Who dares covet the sword of the Monarch? Chapter 10 - 10

Chapter 10:

"Who dares covet the sword of the Monarch?" "Yongjun? What are you talking about?" Strange words came out of Kim Yongjun''s mouth as he grabbed the handle of the sword. The captain, who tried to stop him, instantly felt frightened. Swoosh. Yongjun took the sword. "I''m asking who dared covet the sword of the Monarch." His eyes were stained red as he repeated the same words. "Y-Yongjun? Are you alr..." sh! "...!" He slit the Captain''s throat. A fountain of blood gushed out. Silence passed over that absurd scene, as if time had stopped momentarily. Then. "W-What-!" "Ack! Captain!" The hunters behind came running in fear. "Y-Yongjun! Why did you...!" sh! Another head got cut. "Yongjun!" Only then did they realize. Blood flowed from Kim Yongjun''s eyes as he pointed the sword towards them. "Who dares covet the sword of the Monarch?" He thenughed wickedly seeing the bloodbath. Grumble! A wolf howl began to resonate around the ruins. * * * Chills. Beru''s eyes changed in an instant. He turned his head and stared hard at the darkness of the dungeon. [...What was that?] "What''s wrong?" Suho asked Beru whose gaze was fixated in that area. [I suddenly felt the presence of a Monarch.] "Monarch? My father?" [No. There used to be not only one monarch.] Beru exined. Originally, not only the Shadow Monarch but several Monarchs existed in this universe. However, when they invaded Earth, all of them were annihted by the Shadow Monarch Sung Jinwoo. "Then, that wasn''t my father?" [If that was the case, my power would have been recharged in an instant. But my mana is still the same, and this energy... It''s something that I know very well.] Right then. Awooooooh! There was again another wolf howl. Starting with that, the howls of ferocious monsters began to be heard simultaneously from all directions. Grumble! Awooooooh! "W-What''s that?" "What is happening?" The miners''plexions turned pale and they looked around anxiously. -Aaaaaaahhh! Finally, screams were heard. It was the voice of people who went further to go mine. -Ahhhhh! T-There''s...! Every minute the screams were getting louder and closer. Then. "Awoooh!" A wolf suddenly attacked Suho from behind. [Young Master!] "I know!" Suho thrust the pickaxe he was holding into the wolf''s mouth. Crack! "What the hell?" Its teeth were so hard that the pickaxe was crushed to pieces. But, that was able to buy some time. Spit-! As the wolf chewed up the pickaxe and spit it out, Suho gave an order to the shadow goblins. "Attack!" [Krrrrk!] The 3 shadow goblins attacked the wolf at the same time. "Kreureung!" But it was not enough. The shadow goblins were also holding the same mining pickaxe that Suho used, and the wolf also chewed those up. The bodies of the goblins were bitten and torn apart, too. But. Swoosh-. Right then, the magic that escaped from Suho''s body returned the bodies of the shadow goblins to their original state. [Khiiiikk! The shadow goblins are immortal. They can be revived with Young Master''s power!] In an instant, the revived shadow goblins clung to the wolf''s body. Then they stabbed the broken pickaxe into the wolf''s body mercilessly. sh! sh! sh! "Grrrr!" The wolf, which had been charging vigorously, tumbled on the floor, screaming unsightly. [You have killed a Steel-Tooth Lycan.] "No wonder it can chomp the pickaxe." However, just killing one isn''t enough to alleviate the situation. The number of wolves that appeared was dozens, and the miners were being bitten helplessly by the wolves'' steel teeth. "Ackk!" "Their teeth...!" The pickaxes were of no use inbat. ''Inventory!'' Suho hurriedly took out the goblin''s stone axe he had acquired in his inventory and gave it to the shadow goblins one by one. [Young Master! Even these stone axes will be shattered if bitten by the wolves!] "I have as many axes as I can!" Suho shouted as he threw a stone axe at the wolf that was attacking the miner. Thuck! The stone axe flew and hit the wolf''s body. "Grrr!" [It''s not dead yet!] ''Ruler''s Power!'' A transparent hand stretched out from Suho''s hand. It then picked up the stone axe that had fallen on the floor and struck the wolf''s head. Thuck! The monster burst out in agony and died. [You have killed a Steel-Tooth Lycan.] That was just the beginning. "Everyone, gather here!" Suho screamed so that the confused miners could hear it. To save them, he jumped between the wolves without hesitation, holding a stone axe in both hands. [Krrrrrrk!] The three shadow goblins following him raised their axes. However, the order that Suho gave to them was different. "Don''t attack, just bite and distract them!" [Krrrk?!] The shadow goblins were confused. "Keep running away and lure all the wolves down that passageway!" [Krrrrrrrrk!] Killing the wolves one by one wouldn''t be efficient. At Suho''smand, the shadow goblins began to scream and lure the wolves away. In the process, their body was constantly bitten and torn, but they kepting back to life eventually weakening the wolves. "Grrrrr!" "Awooooh!" In the end, most of the wolves became frantic chasing the three shadow goblins. And when they all went into the passageway in the corner. "Close the passage now!" The miners who were sitting on the ground covered in wounds hurriedly got up. Then, they brought all the carts of mana stones he had collected so far and piled them up in front of the passageway where the wolves entered. "Huff." After somehow blocking the passage, the miners copsed on the ground helplessly. "What just happened? How did those monsterse all the way here?" "What happened to the raiders in front?" Anxiety appeared on their faces. It was rare for monsters to reach the mining area far behind the raiders. Not unless... "Could it be that all of the raiders died?" "No, because when they went inside, they knew that there were only wolves inside." "This was only a D-ss dungeon as well." Grrr! Awoooh! The wolves growled from behind the blocked passage. "What should we do?" At this rate, there was no guarantee that the way out would be safe. "Beru?" Suho called Beru, who had been staring into the depths of the dungeon ever since. Beru''s expression was serious. [Young Master, it seems that something serious has happened. After all, I''m sensing the energy of the Beast Monarch.] "Beast Monarch?" [He is the king of the beasts who were killed at the hands of the Shadow Monarch. It seems that there is someone who is working behind those wolves.] "Are you saying that someone who has already died hase back to life?" [...I can''tpletely figure it out. The power to rise from the dead is something only the Shadow Monarch can do in this universe. However, even with the shadow power of monarch-level beings, they could not be resurrected. They are not simply dead, but their existence itself has vanished.] So, it was nonsense that the extinct monarch woulde back to life. [This aura is most likely to be the remnants of the Beast Monarch that flowed through the dimensional rift.] Beru, who finished exining, looked at Suho resolutely. [Young Master, let''s run away from here.] "Run away?" Suho made a puzzled expression. Beru, who had been aiming to fight and kill all the time, is now showing the exact opposite. [I''ve been constantly saying this, but Young Master''s strength is less than that of Larva right now. It''s so weak that if you fall into it and the monarch ss hits you, you''ll die in an instant. We need to get out of here as soon as possible.] "...Aren''t you just upset that I gave you some mana stones instead?" Suho remembered clearly. Since earlier, he had been calling Suho arva, but now he''s saying that Suho is at a level lower than that of arva. Right then. Grumble! The hole they had been trying to block suddenly exploded. "Aaaahhh! The passage opened!" The miners, who were relieved that they had barely contained the wolves, moved immediately and grabbed their pickaxes. However, unlike the expectation that the wolves woulde out all at once, a familiar face walked out of it. "Mr. Kim Yongjun!" A miner who recognized his face called him. He said that Yongjun was an acquaintance who was among the raiders. "What the hell happened inside? We all almost died!" "...." He approached naturally, but Kim Yongjun just looked at him expressionlessly. The sword in his hand moved. sh! "Move out!" Grab! Suho''s Ruler''s Power grabbed the back of the miner. But, just like a sh, Kim Yongjun''s sword already slit his neck. sh. As a thin red line formed on his neck, hisplexion turned white and he fell to the ground. "Grrrr." Red eyes staring at them arrogantly. Kim Yongjun opened his mouth. "Who dares invade the habitat of the Beast Monarch? This is the sanctuary where the king of the great beasts dwelt." Thud! "...!" At that moment, an enormous amount of energy exploded from his whole body. "Fwoosh." An ominous aura making it impossible for everyone to even breathe covered the area. [''Effect: Fear'' has been activated.] [The yer''s ability is reduced by 50% in 1 minute] Suho''s body became heavy. [We need to run away right now.] Beru whispered hastily. [Khhhk. If only I had my strength intact, there would have been no problem...] It''s not an exaggeration. Beru''s power waspletely exhausted from unlocking Suho''s seal. Beru, who was muttering as if he were angry, looked at Suho''s face and paused for a moment. Suho''s gaze towards Kim Yongjun was burning hot. Right then. [A quest has arrived.] The quest window appeared in front of Suho. [Urgent Quest: Defeat the enemy!] There are beings with intent to kill the ''yer'' around. Kill it to secure the yer''s safety Number of enemies to kill: 1 Number of enemies killed: 0 Beru spoke in an urgent tone. [Young Master! Just ignore this quest. The weak have their own way of fighting. Like before, let''s run away using the shadow goblins as a shield.] "Okay." Suho muttered in a soft voice. Beru''s eyes brightened. [I will guide you on the way out!] "...Let''s fight this." [What?!] Chapter 11 - 11

Chapter 11:

Suho''s eyes wandered around. The miners were frozen in fear. They were the same smiley, chatty, and hardworking people earlier today. That man was the man who handed him water, saying that he must have been having a lot of trouble. And that man was also the one who demonstrated how to pickaxe. "You want me to leave these people and run alone?" [Young Master, I don''t care about the lives of those humans. I have a mission.] Beru said firmly. The life of Suho, the son of the Shadow Monarch, was more precious to Beru than the lives of anyone on Earth. Even if all the humans in this ce died, it was Beru''s mission to keep Suho alive and return. "I''m not just saying this out of a sense of justice." Suho nced around. "All passageways are blocked anyway." Grrrrr. Before they knew it, numerous wolves were camped in the passage leading out of the dungeon. In order to escape from this ce, there was no choice but to defeat the enemy. "Also... it doesn''t seem like there''s any other way." Suho smiled faintly as he saw Kim Yongjun leading countless wolves. Seeing this, Beru suddenly felt strange. Looking at Suho, who he thought was weak, the appearance of Sung Jinwoo from a long time ago ovepped. * * * The ''ghost'' of the Beast Monarch was feeling a sense of exaltation. When he woke up from a long sleep, his master was nowhere to be seen and he was surrounded by insignificant humans. ''That''s funny. They''re like weak worms.'' Even though I only shed a little bit of my energy, they were already shaking with fear. ''Ah, just how weak are they?'' They must be killed then. In this world, the weak get eaten and the strong take everything. Drool. Kim Yongjun''s body was dominated by hunger. He licked his lips looking at the small creatures. "You weak bugs, you guys don''t deserve to live. It would be much more useful if you die and be wolf food." At that moment, Kim Yongjun''s hand moved by itself. Then, he swung the sword at the humans. "Die." sh! But it didn''t go as nned. Suddenly, a shadow goblin jumped in between and got cut instead. [Krrrrk!] Its body was split in half and then shed a wronged expression on its face. It was as if it wasn''t sacrificing on its own will. "...What''s with you little ones?" The ghost looked at the goblins blocking his way with a puzzled expression. [Krrrrrrk!] The ghost thought that those little guys seemed to have lost their fears looking at how they attacked him. "Your kind are the ones who don''t know the strong. Well, it''s only natural to see such a survival instinct seeing the Beast Monarch." sh! He swung his sword mercilessly and cut down the goblins again. But what is this? The bodies of the fallen goblins were instantly healed and they stood up again. [Krrrk!] "Huh?" The useless attack made the ghost look annoyed. The wolves under hismand rushed at the same time and tore the goblins'' bodies again without mercy. He stopped paying attention to them and looked back at the humans. The miners were running. "Funny. Are those buggy-like insignificant creatures struggling to survive?" Unfortunately, however, the direction they were heading was not the way out, but a passage deeper into the dungeon. "Go after them." "Grrrrrr!" At hismand, numerous wolves ran after them. The ghost looked in the opposite direction. It was outside the dungeon, where there was a gate to Earth. ''What is that ce?'' There could be countless lives out there. Each one of them was weak, but because of that, his appetite grew even more. ''The weak should be eaten.'' The ghost looked down at his own body. A hunter named Kim Yongjun. The human''s body was already dead, but from now on it would be his own body and be used for his own advantage. s, what an honor for this lowly fellow! ''I will eat your fill. I will personally eat all the creatures in that world beyond.'' The ghost''s eyes glowed greedily. He walked slowly, dragging a number of wolves with him. But that was then. Swoosh-! "Ah." A stone axe suddenly flew past the back of his head. Sensing the presence, the ghost shook his sword with a disapproving expression and brushed off the attack. "Such a pity! I almost hit him!" "...Almost?" The ghost looked at the human who threw the stone axe with a puzzled expression. Right then, another stone axe flew from Suho''s hand. "Is this a struggle of the weak?" Grab. The ghost raised his sword again and deflected the attack. When he blocked it, another came flying again. Swoosh! "No." Bounced off again. Then it flew again. "Hey." Bounced off again. Then again... "How many axes do you have?!" In the end, the ghost couldn''t stand it and burst into anger. Meanwhile, axes came flying again. "Kill him first!" Growl! The wolves, who were about to leave the gate at themand of the ghost, turned around at the same time and started chasing after Suho. [Young Master! Now you have to run!] "Okay, let''s hide!" "Stay there, you bastard!" Growl! Awoooh! Suho escaped the wolves and hid in the cave again. However, there were too many wolves chasing them, and the speed was so fast that they were surrounded in an instant. "Tsk. In the end, small things end up being eaten like this." The ghostughed at Suho and ordered his death. "Kill him. Tear that bastard limb from limb and chew to the bone." Grrrrr! The wolves attacked Suho all at once. At that moment, Suho smiled and inserted the key into his shadow. ck! [Do you want to enter the Shadow Dungeon?] (Y/N) "Yes!" [Entering the Shadow Dungeon.] Swoosh! At that moment, Suho''s shadow engulfed him. Whiff! "Huh?" The ghost looked around in bewilderment. Right in front of his eyes, the prey had disappeared without a trace. "What? Where the hell did he hide? Find him!" At those words, the wolves sniffed and began tracking Suho''s scent. "Krrrrrk?" Of course, he couldn''t find him. "W-What was that? How can he hide without leaving even a bit of his scent?" The ghost dragged the wolves around to find Suho''s whereabouts. Peek. At the spot where Suho had disappeared, Beru peeked out and looked around. He took advantage of that moment and whispered to the shadow. [... You cane out now.] Swoosh! [Exited from the Shadow Dungeon.] Suho appeared from the shadows again. And as soon as he came out, he threw a stone axe at the back of the ghost''s head. "W-What?!" The ghost looked back in surprise. Swoosh ¨C Ting! He managed to deflect the stone axe and his face stiffened when he saw Suho who suddenly appeared. "There you are, man! You must be hiding somew... !" Swoosh! "Ah-oh! Stop throwing those!" The ghost lost hisposure at Suho''s throwing a stone axe whenever he had a chance. "Kill him! Kill him!" Growl! The chase started again like that. However, when Suho was surrounded by them, he immediately hid in the shadow dungeon. Whiff! "Where did you go again, bastard?!" The ghost was enraged. Right then, a stone axe flew into the back of his head. Swoosh-! "I''m telling you, that won''t work!" * * * Meanwhile, the miners who watched Suho from a distance were at a loss for words. "How did he..." "What kind of skill is that...?" They knew that Suho was an E-ss hunter. They were also well aware of the fact that the E-ss was of no use inbat. But, what was happening didn''t make sense. "I don''t know anymore if he''s weak or strong..." "Something is strange, but..." "How can he fight so well?" "But, isn''t this for the better in the first ce?" At least one thing was clear. Suho''s skill was very specialized in mocking enemies. Besides, it wasn''t just skill. That image of him provoking without being intimidated at all against the existence that exudes fierce energy... "It may not be a skill, but it''s good to have innate guts." "Or maybe he just has a bad personality..." In a desperate situation like now, Suho was the only hope. "By the way, wasn''t that new recruit a summoning hunter?" "Ah, yes. Even up until now, he hasn''t used any summoning skills." "You saw it earlier. The summoners disappeared at once." "This is why the summoning skill isn''t good..." "If only it was abat skill rather than a summoning skill..." The miners who saw Suho''s skill firsthand burst into sighs of pity. He has a fighting sense. Just like what happened in the art museum just a few days ago. Suho had a natural sense as a hunter. Even if they had awakened high abilities, there were one or two hunters who died in battle because they did not have that sense of battle. They pitied Suho. If only he wasn''t a summoning hunter... ''He would have been a really great hunter.'' Beru, who was listening to their conversation from afar, burst into anger. [Keeek! They''re treating shadow powers like this!] But it wasn''t the time yet. At the current level of Suho, the shadow soldiers would not be able to demonstrate their abilities properly. In addition, Suho''s remarkably low mana was also a problem. The true capability of the shadow soldiers was to be an immortal army that resurrects endlessly. However, that was only possible when Suho''s mana could sustain it. Due to the previous battle, Suho''s mana was almost exhausted. And because of that, the shadow goblins who worked hard today with a pickaxe had already disappeared. [But.] Beru''s eyes shone brightly. At the same time, Suho smiled and muttered. "Creating a shadow soldier itself does not cost any mana." It was then. Among the many wolves that followed the ghost that was chasing after Suho, he felt a suspicious presence. [Shadow Wolf Lv.1] Basic ss [Shadow Wolf Lv.1] Basic ss [Shadow Wolf Lv.1] Basic ss Their identities were none other than Suho''s new soldiers wearing wolf skins that the collectors took care of. [ck!] "What?!" The shadow wolves gnawed at the ghost''s leg while he was busy trying to hit the flying stone axe. The startled ghost cut them down with his sword. As the wolf''s skin was cut, it revealed the shadow wolves hazing with ck energy. [Grooowl!] "How dare you, insignificant bastards?!" The specter, who was extremely enraged, swung his sword and shed the shadow wolves to pieces in an instant. They could never be resurrected again with the exhausted mana of Suho. But... "Checkmate." Suddenly, Suho, who hade close to the ghost, mercilessly struck down the stone axe in both of his hands. sh. Chapter 12 - 12

Chapter 12:

"kkkk!" The ghost looked down at his body in disbelief. Two axes were stuck in his chest. "This is why a weak human body..." Thud. The body of Kim Yongjun fell backward. [Number of enemies to be defeated: 0] [Number of enemies killed: 1] The quest is over. [You havepleted ''Urgent Quest: Defeat the Enemy''.] [Your level increased!] Phew! Suho''s exhausted strength quickly returned to its optimal condition. However, Suho was not vignt. He killed Kim Yongjun, but it was the sword he was holding that controlled his body. ''Ruler''s Power!'' sh! A stone axe fell from the air and cut off the arm of Kim Yongjun, who was holding the ''sword''. [Great! This sword is the main thing!] Beru flew over and lifted up the sword that Kim Yongjun was holding At that moment, a piercing voice echoed in Beru''s head. -Who dares covet the sword of the Monarch! [Young Master, can I eat this sword?] --W-Wait a second. Won''t we settle it through a nice conversation?-- The voice of the sword suddenly became friendly. Beru''s expression as he looked at it and licked his lips was so genuine. Meanwhile, Suho was not in a situation where he could answer Beru''s words. Growl! The ghost was taken care of. However, with his previous order, the wolves were attacking Suho all at once. Suho regained his strength and mana because of the level up and as all of his stats went up by 1, his movements were improvedpared to before. sh! aash! [You have killed a Steel-Tooth Lycan.] [You have killed a Steel-Tooth Lycan.] Suho shouted at Beru as he killed the attacking wolves one by one. "This weapon is too short! Can I use that sword?" --Who dares cov...-- [Of course, it is possible! It is absolutely impossible for a ghost-like this to corrupt the mind of Young Master!] "Okay!" Suho took the sword from Beru. [''Item: Rakan''s Fang'' has been obtained.] As if waiting for that moment, the ghost of the sword roared ferociously. --Who dares covet the sword of the Monarch! I will devour your body!-- Swoosh! Red energy radiated from the sword and attacked Suho. Then, a shadow rose from under Suho''s feet and engulfed the sword. --W-What is this energy?-- The disconcerted ghost''s voice grew smaller and smaller. --This can''t be the Shadow Monarch...!-- The ghost couldn''t believe it. He got the sword of the Beast Monarch. It wasn''t just a normal sword, it was an alter ego created by the Monarch. It was absurd that there was a human being who inherited that great power. Even more so, doesn''t this human look weak at a nce? [Heh. No matter how weak Young Master is, there''s no way he''ll be overpowered by something insignificant!] ¨C- What, what! Insignificant...?!-- "Oh, so noisy." Suho ignored the ghost''s screams and swung his sword at the wolves. sh! The wolves were cut by the sword. Its sturdiness is on a whole different level than pickaxes and stone axes that were shattered by their steel teeth! "Still, the weapon is good." ¨C Of course, it''s good! Do you know whose sword it is?-- In the midst of this, the ghost still showed pride. Suho was still surrounded but he had a little more time to spare, and immediately checked the reward. ''Come out with anything that helps! The stats are good too!'' [Thepletion reward has arrived.] [Do you want to check the reward?] (Y/N) ''Yes!'' [The following reward is prepared.] Reward. ''Runestone: de Storm'' ''It''s a skill!'' It was the best reward. Suho immediately checked the reward. [Runestone: de Storm] Breaking the runestone absorbs the skill. Ting! [You have acquired ''Skill: de Storm''.] When the runes were broken, the power of the storm came throughout Suho''s body. Whoooo! "This is...?" Suho instinctively realized. How to use this skill? How should the skill be used? The situation was urgent, so Suho used the skill right away. "Ha!" [''Skill: de Storm'' is used.] Whooosh! At that moment, a fierce wind blew from the sword held by Suho. The de storm attacked the wolves in front of Suho at the same time. "sh! sh!" [You have killed a Steel-Tooth Lycan.] [You have killed a Steel-Tooth Lycan.] [You have killed a Steel-Tooth Lycan.] ... Multiple messages appeared. "Wow." Suho was amazed. More than ten wolves died at the same time. The wolves who barely survived the tremendous destructive force were frightened and started to run away. Suho had no intention of chasing them anymore. It was because the mana used for this skill had run out. [Skill: de Storm Lv.1] Active skill. Requires 50 mana. The power of the raging wind dwells in the sword. Can attack multiple enemies simultaneously. It required an enormous amount of mana. But the effect was just as great. Suho was looking at the Skills window. That sight made Beru speechless. [Are you amazed by that skill? Shadow power is thousands or tens of thousands of times greater than that!] --What are you talking about?! That power came out because of a great sword and not a skill!-- The ghost of the sword was no less proud than Beru. "Both of you, be quiet. It''s a historic moment that I finally got my attack skills." [No-!] --No, I am more...!-- Suho ignored the two quarreling with each other and went back to the miners who were hiding far away. "Are you okay?" "N-Newbie, you..." The miners were astonished at the skill they saw right in front of them. It''s a skill that causes a storm. "If you had such a skill, why haven''t you been using it...? ''Ah.'' At the reaction of the men, Suho put on an embarrassed expression. They most likely wouldn''t believe it if he told them that he acquired a new skill during the battle. "If I use it even once, I will run out of mana. That''s why I saved it until thest minute." "Ohh." They admired him even more because of those words. Suho just awakened as a hunter a few days ago. It was also his first time inside a dungeon. But, he nned to use his greatest card at the very end. He seemed like an experienced hunter who went into dungeons hundreds of times. ''No way. If that was the case, was his mana level even thoroughly measured.'' ''Even that running away and hiding ns...?'' "Just...how big was the picture you were drawing?" "What?" "Haha. Nothing, nothing. You don''t really have to tell me." "We asked you something we shouldn''t have." "Anyway, thank you for saving us. If it weren''t for you, we really wouldn''t have seen the sun tomorrow." The miners let out a sigh of relief, wondering if they could finally feel the fact that they were alive. * * * It was that evening that the ident at the Korea University dungeon became known. "What? The raiders have been wiped out?" "Only in a D-ss dungeon?" "Wasn''t the leader of the hunters who entered there C-ss?" "What the hell happened?" Reporters rushed to Korea University to find out the truth of the incident. However, the miners who managed to survive there had long since left. "Haha. We will let you know." Of course, Professor Lim was still working in the assistant office. Thanks to his escaping skill, it was once again put to good use. He looked in good condition without a single wound. ''Great. This is my chance to pay off my debt to Suho.'' Assistant Professor Lim told reporters everything he knew about the incident in the dungeon. In particr, more details about Suho''s performance. It was up to the reporters to believe or not believe. "What? An E-ss hunter?" "And a summoning hunter? Does that make sense?" "We heard that one C-ss hunter died in this situation, how can such a low-level hunter..." "Wait! What''s wrong with being an E-ss hunter, or even a summoning hunter?! Are you looking down on us?!" Assistant Professor Lim was furious at the reporters'' reactions. "I''m going to write down all of yourments and post them to the E-ss huntermunity!" "Eyyy. Why are you so angry?" "Alright, alright. Calm down." In response to Assistant Professor Lim''s reaction, the reporters began to appease him while having cold sweats. The E-ss huntermunity was a tricky thing for reporters. "There are really a lot ofments. There are no areas where E-ss hunters weren''t mentioned. As a result, themunity was a ce where trivial information came and went, and they got hated just once, it would be quite too much to handle for reporters. "Hmm. Anyway, that hunter named Sung Suho yed the biggest role, right?" "He used the summoned creatures to divert the attention and cut off the arm of the hunter who became a ghost." To sum it up, it was an extremely summoning hunter-like battle method. It did seem that what happened was too good for a summoning hunter, but the reporters perceived it as a favoritism of Assistant Professor Lim, who defended his art student. "Well, whatever. We have secured content for the article anyway." The content was that an E-ss hunter used his wits to solve the case, but people''s reactions were outrageous. -Summoning skill? Plus, an E-ss hunter? -Worst of the worst. -Are they making a summoning hunter go viral? -Do the reporters have nothing to write about these days? -Anyway, that E-ss hunter is a summoning hunter, too. But, didn''t he save students there a few days ago? ¨C Looks like he used that skill back then, too. -Ah, he''s now called the Viral Summoning Hunter~ And some of the guilds who saw the article showed interest in Suho. "Are E-ss good enough?" "Even if the journalists exaggerate a little bit, there is still a lot beyond expectation among the E-ss." "Isn''t it about time to select some of our porters?" "Besides that, the collector team asked for more staff." "Good. These days, E-ss hunters are all taken from here and there, so there aren''t many frencers to ask." "We also have to hire a few E-ss hunters as full-time workers." "A full-time job? Hmm. Am I too old-fashioned? Still, E-ss hunters seem to be perfect for contract jobs or day jobs. Anyway, young guys these days." "Hmm. Anyway, I will send a scouting offer to this hunter named Sung Suho." "Alright then. How happy would he be if we called? He''s a lucky one." With that, the Hyunmoo Guild, a fairlyrge guild in Korea, offered a full-time job to Sung Suho. ''What a great opportunity for a newbie who just awakened. Other E-ss hunters might be envious if they knew.'' * * * After some time. "What?" Manager Lee Yeongho of the Hyunmu Guild''s 2nd Management Division doubted his ears. "He said no? To our offer?" "Yes..." "Does that make sense? An E-ss newbie rejecting Hyunmoo''s offer? No way! Did Baekho got him first?" "Maybe." "Hmm. Right, the Baekho guys can do that. But, isn''t it too much if they offered something higher than ours to an E-ss hunter? Do they have money rotting somewhere?" Manager Lee Youngho can only curse at the clueless Baekho Guild. Chapter 13 - 13

Chapter 13:

Meanwhile... [You have killed a Steel-Tooth Lycan.] [You have killed a Steel-Tooth Lycan.] ... Right after Suho acquired the sword of the Monarch, he continued to hunt wolves and move forward in order to clear the way out of the dungeon. Since the raiders were wiped out, there was only one hunter who could fight. Suho kept swinging his sword while protecting those who were carefully following him. [Your level increased!] He leveled up again. "Hey... Aren''t you tired?" "Yeah. I think I''m still fine." "Wow." The miners were amazed beyond admiration at Suho''s ability to wield the sword without rest. In the eyes of those who did not know that strength is restored when you level up, Suho was seen as a huge monster with infinite power. ''I mean, how couldn''t he be? He''s just a human like us.'' ''Don''t tell me he also has great mental fortitude?'' ''Tsk. It''s clear that he''s not showing any signs of distress because he''s afraid we''ll worry.'' They remembered that Suho was a young hero who had rescued people until he fainted in this very art museum just a few days ago. But this time, they are in a situation where they are being protected. ''How can the same E-ss hunter be so different?'' ''Even how fast he levels up.'' There was really no other way to exin this other than that his mental strength and will are great, regardless of his ss or ability. Well, of course, he''s also leveling up. [Young Master, I can see the gate.] Beru pointed at the far end of the cave. "W-Were saved!" The miners, who were filled with tension and fear, were finally relieved. Watching them run away, Suho also wiped away his sweat. "Aren''t you going out?" One of them turned around and called for Suho. "Ah, no. I will stay here and bring out any remaining hunters if there are any." "Are you okay? You must already be at your limit..." "I can still hold out." In fact, he was in a very good condition, but he had no choice but to pretend to be overdoing it due to the current situation. [...] He could feel Beru''s gaze from behind, but Suho pretended otherwise. * * * Suho, who remained in the dungeon, looked at the sword and asked. "Take me to where you were." --...-- Suho pretended to pass the sword to Beru. "Beru, would you like to just eat this?" [Khmmm.] --Just a moment.-- The voice answered urgently. It was because from earlier on, he kept seeing Beru picking up nearby mana stones and chewing them. --Why do you want to go where I was?-- "If there are any survivors, I will try to save them." --I killed them all... No, there might be someone who is still lucky enough to survive.-- When Suho handed the sword back to Beru, the voice was quick to change its words. ¨C- Go left.-- Suho moved along with the guidance of the voice. In the process, monsters continued to attack, but now there was no need to protect people, so there were no restrictions on his actions. After a while. Unidentified remains of people bleeding and dying appeared in front of Suho. "Here you are." Suho checked people one by one. [They are all dead.] --What did I say... I couldn''t help it either. I have a mission to protect this sanctuary. Besides, since I''m such a good one...-- Feeling the gaze of Suho and Beru, the voice made an excuse. At that time, information about this sword appeared in front of Suho''s eyes. [Item : Rakan''s Fang] Difficulty to obtain: ?? Type: Sword Attack Power +30 A sword made from the fangs of Rakan, the king of wolves. The ghost of Rakan dwells in it, so if someone of a lower level possesses it, the body may be taken away. -''Contempt for the Weak'' Effect: Puts the designated opponent into fear for 1 minute. (All stats -50%) -''Mortal Wound'' Effect: Inflicts more than twice as much fatal damage with a 15% chance. Compared to the goblin''s stone axe, it was a sword with considerably higher attack power. It could also be that the hunters here were killed abruptly due to panic as they did not expect that their colleague''s body was possessed. [It''s a pretty good sword, but with such a petty skill. It exerts more power when dealing with those weaker than of their own level.] ¨C- You''re being mean! What''s wrong with the strong preying on the weak? What kind of hunter in the world would go after a prey stronger than himself?!-- Suho listened to the conversation between the two and collected the bodies of the hunters one by one. He removed all the monster goods in the carts that the dead collectors were pulling and put the bodies in it. Surprisingly, Suho saw ck smoke rising from the corpses. Those... were their shadows. [Shadow Extraction is possible on this target.] [Shadow Extraction is possible on this target.] [Shadow Extraction is possible on this target.] Aaaaaaa-! Suho heard the grievous cries of the dead hunters. [If you wish, these people can also be recruited as your soldiers, Young Master.] "It''s okay." Suho listened to their screams and silently collected the corpses. After things settled down, Beru looked around the area and then went to Suho. [I''ve been looking around to see if there are other relics of the Fang Monarch besides this sword, but nothing special.] "Fang Monarch?" Suho asked. Beru then pulled out ck shadows from his hands and created small shadow puppets the size of fingernails. The dolls stretched one by one and took on a certain shape. [At some point in time, there used to be several other monarchs in this universe besides the shadow monarch Sung Jinwoo¡ª your father. The beast monarch, fang monarch, insect monarch, gue monarch. All those monarchs flocked to Earth.] Among them, one doll the size of a fingernail exudes a particrly strong energy, mercilessly cutting down the other dolls. [The shadow monarch killed them all.] ¨C- Keugh. He dared to do that to my master...-- After that, ''Rakan''s Sword'' trembled in Suho''s hand. -¨C I''m angry. If only my strength had been in perfect form, I would have torn all of you to pieces and thrown away as food for the wolves. No, if I had known that you were the offspring of the Shadow Monarch. I should have been vignt from the start.-- "What do you mean?" Suho looked at the sword. "You mean you''re not in your best shape now?" --Of course. I am the strongest weapon created by Rakan, the king of beasts, with his own fangs.-- [Your attack power is only 30 to say it''s the strongest though?] Beruughed. --That''s why I said it''s not perfect! My mission was to protect this sanctuary. In this sanctuary, I was able to exert almost equal strength as Rakan. But...-- "But?" --In the end, I couldn''t protect it. A deity that loses its sanctuary loses its power.-- The ghost muttered in a somber tone. [That is an expected result.] Beru said. The world that has lost its master, the ''monarch'', is torn to pieces and wanders through dimensional rifts. Remnants of war. That was the dungeon. [As the apostles of Outer Gods cracked the dimensional wall to invade Earth, it became connected to the dungeons.] Beru''s eyes shimmered. [Those defeated soldiers who held a grudge against this world were the ones who were killed by the Shadow Monarch. Of course, it was those guys who attacked first.] "After all, this is the remains of a defeated world, and there is nothing we can do about it." [Don''t worry, Young Master. Please leave it to me.] Beru looked at the sword greedily. [Even a dried squid squeezes water out. I will try to tear it apart somehow.] --Hmm. Even if you try to threaten me, you won''t get anything.-- Rakan''s sword responded firmly. 10 minutester. Rakan''s Sword spilled everything he knew. * * * A few dayster. [Young Master, what''s bothering you?] Beru asked Suho. [Is it because you rejected their offer?] Aftering out of the dungeon at Korea University, many things happened to Suho. He met the Hunters Association after they received reports from miners. When the hunters entered the dungeon, there were only monster corpses that died at the hands of Suho. Because of this, Suho received recruitment calls from various guilds. All of those were offers to sign contracts as collectors or porters. "No. It''s not like that." Suho had no intention of epting any offer. Unlike other hunters, Suho improves through the level-up system. If he was an ordinary E-ss hunter, he would have epted an offer from arge guild even if it was a porter contract, but it was an offer that Suho could not feel the slightest attraction to. "I was thinking of the things Rakan''s Sword told me." Rakan''s Sword said that the sanctuary he guarded was torn into several pieces and scattered through the dimensional rift. As a result, his power has greatly weakened. Even when he took Kim Yongjun''s body and he was able tomand all the wolves around him, even that ability disappeared the moment he came out of the sanctuary. It still wasn''t very sessful. In the dimensional rifts, there were more sanctuaries like this dungeon, and in them, relics like Rakan''s Sword were kept. The ghost in the Rakan''s Sword, who gave in to Beru''s persuasion (?), eventually blew one of the sanctuary''s locations. The problem was that they had to enter the dungeon as quickly as possible. Rakan''s Sword said that it was impossible to guarantee that the artifacts would still be preserved intact. Even at this very moment, it must be wandering aimlessly through the dimensional rift, gradually weakening. "But, of all ces..." [It''s because it was a dungeon upied by another guild.] "That''s right. And that, of course, is the infamous Hyena Guild." The Hyena Guild was famous as a guild formed by former gangsters. In the era of hunters, awakeners emerged among gangsters. And the guild they created was notorious for not hiding its nature and choosing only dirty activities. [It could be dangerous if you get into trouble with other hunters because you''re weak, Young Master] Beru agonized. On that of that, the Beast Monarch''s power scattered over Earth wasn''t such a good thing. It was clear that most humans would fall prey as soon as the practice of thew of the jungle, which ismon in the world of the Beast Monarch, was applied to Earth. However, that did not mean that Suho, who was still at a low level, should take a risk. [Young Master, you need to level up and build up your strength first... Hmm? What are you doing?] Suho was packing his luggage. "Ah, preparing to enter the dungeon?" [What about the Hyena Guild?] "I can just sneak in." Chapter 14 - 14

Chapter 14:

The field-type dungeon was a contaminated area that was created when the dungeon break was notpletely blocked. This mainly happened because of the uniqueness of the terrain rather than the strength of the monsters that appeared. China and Russia were the pioneers of this. Because thend is so wide, it is difficult for the hunters to search for the monsters individually when the gate is open, so they end up being neglected. In addition, it was difficult to find the location of the gate where the disintegration started, so it took several times longer to attack. For a simr reason, Korea has a lot of rugged mountains instead of a narrownd, so field-type dungeons tend to appear quite often. [Gwanaksan Field] ¡ù Only Hyena Guild Allowed The entrance to Gwanaksan Mountain is thoroughly blocked from entering and leaving the area with barbed wire. Gwanaksan Field was a field-type dungeon upied by the Hyena Guild for a year already. Suho was watching Gwanak Mountain from afar, covering his face with a hood and mask. [This is the right ce.] Beru licked his lips as he was standing on top of Suho''s shoulder. He could feel the energy of the sanctuary that Rakan''s Sword told them about. However, even Rakan''s Sword didn''t know what was inside the sanctuary. [We''re already here yet you still don''t know?] -No matter how many times you ask, my answer is the same. I''m just a sword that was stuck on the floor. It is possible to detect the energy of the sanctuary, but what''s in it is not known exactly. The Rakan''s Sword said feeling wronged. In response, Beru chewed on the mana stone and gave it a threatening look. [I hope that''s not a lie. Otherwise, I''ll chew you down from the tip to the handle. Very, very slowly...] -Can you stop threatening me? [Why so?] -You''re scaring me. [...] Rakan''s Sword was straightforward. There was no pretense, perhaps because it was a sword. The sun was setting just in time. Suho, who had been waiting for this moment, nced up at the sky and his eyes lit up. "Great. Now, let''s go inside." Suho pulled his hood and slowly walked towards the barbed wire. Maybe it was because his senses stat went up, his vision was clear to some extent even in the dark. At this level, it seemed that there would be no major obstacle to fighting. Rather, it was better because it was dark. ''The priority is not to be caught by the Hyena Guild.'' It was illegal for an unauthorized hunter to enter a dungeon upied by another guild. However, he was not going to make money from someone else''s business. He was only going to quietly go in and get the relics of the Beast Monarch, so there was no problem as long as he didn''t get caught. If the Beast Monarch''s artifact fell into the hands of an ordinary awakener, that hunter could have been taken away and turned into a Berserker, just like Rakan''s Sword. ''Is that CCTV and barbed wire?'' Suho''s gaze looked around calmly. It was impossible for people to guard each and every corner of the vast field-type dungeons. The only thing guarding this ce were barbed wire and CCTV cameras standing in the middle. ''Ruler''s Power.'' Swoosh. Suho slowly lifted the ck stic bag he had brought into the air. Then, it moved naturally as if blown by the wind, covering the entire camera. ''Now.'' Thud. Suho jumped over the barbed wire in one leap. It was the moment when the strength stats he had put up so far mattered most. Thunk. Landing lightly inside the field, Suho immediately searched the surroundings. There was a thick blue mist hovering all over Gwanaksan Mountain. In fact, it was this mist, not the barbed wire, that separated the fields. [This blue mist is the magic of outer space. It is used to forcibly prate the dimensional wall and cause cracks in the world.] -Right. Because of this mist, the sanctuary I was in also wandered through the dimensional rift and connected to Earth. [After all, what the outer creatures want is to spread the mist all over Earth and cause a great rift. They''re trying to drill a hole big enough for their army to cross the dimension.] "Shh." Suho held his breath for a moment and squinted his eyes. ''There''s something.'' Less than a minute after he set foot on the field, there were already more and more red eyes staring at him. [Razor-wed Briga] [Razor-wed Briga] [Razor-wed Briga] Monster monkeys appeared one by one under the cold moonlight. Now, Even Suho knows. The level up system showed different colors of names above the head ording to the strength of the beast. White is rtively weak. Orange is equal or stronger. Red is much stronger. And those monkeys were ''orange''. [We are surrounded by weak monkeys. Still, Young Master is weaker, so please be careful.] "Your support is so annoying." Suho smiled faintly at Beru''s support(?) and grabbed Rakan''s Sword. Considering the difficulty and number of them, it''s a bit risky. ''This is enough.'' Rather, it''s good. If he only caught easy ones, he would get less experience. Suho blinked and moved. Now it''s time to level up. Monkeys started to fall from the trees. Their de-like long ws flew into Suho''s body trying to tear it apart. In response, Rakan''s Sword in Suho''s hand cut through the cold night air. aash! [You have killed a Razor-wed Briga.] [You have killed a Razor-wed Briga.] ... "Kiiik! Kiiiiik!" Like that, Suho continued to move forward, trampling on the corpses of the monsters that attacked endlessly. He had no intention of wandering aimlessly thiste at night. "Guide the way. Which way is the gate?" -...Amazing. Are you familiar with this kind of mess? Rakan''s Sword was genuinely surprised. The situation was obviously the worst. If you kill one, two wille running. Kill two and five will fall from above your head. Those mean monkeys climbed the trees and the darkness confused Suho. sh-! There were even ones throwing rocks from the trees and giggling. "Kyak! Kyak! Kyak!" However, Suho showed no signs of panic at all as he ran back and forth in that hectic mess. -Even considering that he is the Shadow Monarch''s offspring, isn''t he too skilled inbatpared to the power he possesses? What mess have you been through so far? "Give me directions." Suho who smiled wryly at those words. What was too special about it?, he thought. It was all because of a dream he had when he was a teenager. In order to wake up from the dream, those terrible experiences where he somehow had to survive and reach the final boss were deeply engraved in his body. If he died in the middle, he had to start all over again. ''The tutorial was too hard.'' No matter how bad this situation was, it was heavenpared to that time. [Khm. Kkkm. Hooot. Hoot.] It was just that Beru, who kept shrugging his shoulders with a proud expression on his side, hated to look at him. The tip of Rakan''s Sword in Suho''s hand moved by itself and pointed in one direction. -For now, this way. But, the path to sanctuary will be hell. It looks like you''re quite familiar with this kind of mess. Even so, it would be hard for you to get there by yourself... "Who said I am alone?" -What? Suho smiled and looked around. Just in time, ck smoke started creeping up from the corpses of the monkeys who had died miserably on the floor. [Shadow release is possible on this target.] [Shadow release is possible on this target.] ... Suho stretched out his hand toward the shadows. "Arise." Kiik kiik kiik- The giggles echeod through the cool night air. Along with them, pitch-ck hands began to stretch out from the shadows of the dead monkeys on the floor. Kwadeuk Kwadeuk! The hands were on the ground, crawling out of the shadows and arising themselves. [Shadow release seeded.] [Wookiikiik!] [Wookikik!] There were 5 in total. ck monkeys oozing ck steam appeared in front of Suho. [Shadow Monkey Lv.1] Basic ss [Shadow Monkey Lv.1] Basic ss Seeing that, Beru gave a round of apuse. [Ohh. There''s 5! As much as the intellect stat has risen, the number of shadow soldiers has also increased! Butpared to the tens of millions of legions of the Shadow Monarch...Ehh?] "You''re too noisy." Suho caught Beru and threw it to the beasts. [Kehehe. This much isn''t overwhelming.] Beru spread his sharp ws as he flew. He tore all the monsters in one move...! Thud! [Hmm?] Jump. "Kkikkikki!" The monkeys who kicked Bere down attacked Suho again. However, in the gap, the shadow monkeys approached from behind and thrust ded ws into their necks. "...Kkk." [You have killed a Razor-wed Briga.] [You have killed a Razor-wed Briga.] [Your level increased!] Suho''s body was filled with vitality. Shadow monkeys trampling on the other monkey corpses and giggling meanly. ''Now that I think they''re on our side, I think they''re a bit cute.'' "Let''s keep going." It was like breaking up before getting to know each other. The steeper the mountain slope, the stronger the monsters blocked the front. [ck Shadow Razan] [ck Shadow Razan] Shashak! A stealthy assassin hiding in the dark. Red-eyed beasts resembling ck panthers mercilessly bit the shadow monkeys'' necks. [Squeak!] The shadow monkeys died helplessly. The difference in power was very prominent. "Phew." However, Suho felt more exhilirated. ''They are mine too.'' Swish! At that moment, something emerged from Rakan''s Sword. [''Skill: Contempt for the Weak'' has been used.] "...!" ck Shadow Razan''s body instantly became heavy. [''Effect: Fear'' is activated.] [All stats of the targets are reduced by 50% for 1 minute.] However, Rakan''s Sword ''Contempt for the Weak'' was a skill that only worked well against weaker opponents than Suho. "Kyaoooooo!" [''Effect: Fear'' is canceled.] ck Shadow Razan''s name is in color orange. Since they were equal to or slightly stronger than Suho, the fear effect was removed just by a strong roar. But that brief break was enough. In an instant, Suho''s appearance disappeared from their sight. Then. sh! "Kyaaaagh!" A ck panther was decapitated, spurting ck blood. [You have defeated ck Shadow Razan.] Swoosh! The others then quickly hid in the darkness, but this one was enough. Suho stretched out his hand towards the corpse. "Arise!" [Shadow realease seeded.] One of the shadow monkeys disappeared, and the shadow of Razan, the ck shadow, rose up instead. [Kyaoooooh!] [Shadow Leopard Lv.1] Basic ss Suho smiled contentedly. "Great. It''s a new family member." [Khhmm.] The guy who had been trying to bite Suho''s neck just a moment ago, rubbed his body against Suho''s leg with his tail drooping as if he had always done that. Then he turned its head and bared its teeth at its own kind, who red Suho''s way in the darkness of the forest. "Are you lonely? Go and bring your friends too." Suho said. [Kyaaaaaagh!] At that, the shadow leopard immediately ran out to hunt its own kind. Suho moved forward while upgrading the shadow soldiers one by one to stronger ones. -...This is why we lost the war. Damn guys. Rakan''s Shadow murmured dejectedly. * * * After a while. "Everyone, stop." [Krrrrk.] At Suho''smand, the shadow leopards held their breath and fell t on the spot. -That''s right. The one in front. Rakan''s Sword didn''t even need to say it. The Hyena Guild members'' outposts were built there. Chapter 15 - 15

Chapter 15:

There was an outpost to guard the gate. [They must''ve gone into the dungeon and collected mana stones.] "I guess." Lots of mining carts were left outside the gate. Seeing that the cart was full of mana stones, it seemed that the miners had just left work. Thatrge amount of mana stones would not have been left unattended, but it was also possible because it was a field-type dungeon. ''There shouldn''t be a thief who would climb the mountain, where monsters roam at night, just to steal some mana stones.'' Just then, the thief was here. Beru jumped to the cart and started picking up the mana stone. At first, he expressed disapproval, but now he seems to enjoy eating those. [This is said to be quite chewy.] Beru chewed on the mana stone and looked around. After confirming that there was no presence anywhere, he called Suho. [It seems that everyone has left work. I can''t see a single ant.] -Count the numbers correctly. You are the ant here. [Young Master, isn''t the handle of the sword a bit long? How can I bite from the tip?] -Come on. If you eat me, you''ll have a hard time entering the sanctuary and finding artifacts. "That''s right, so stop drooling, Beru." [Chomp. Alright.] Beru responded quickly and threw the pieces of mana stones into his mouth. In fact, eating Rakan''s Sword would have been much more energizing than eating a truckload of mana stones like this. However, after a long time, Suho finally has a weapon that he can use so Beru couldn''t ask for it. He has no choice but to eat those mana stones. Chomp, chomp, chomp, chomp. -... The Rakan''s Sword trembled in fear. Even as Beru chewed on the mana stone, he was watching the sword with eyes dripping with regret. Suho''s hand holding the sword wasn''t strong enough. -Now, go into the gate. There will be a sanctuary beyond. "Wait a second." Suho suddenly turned and hid behind the outpost. He squinted his eyes and focused on the gate. ''There is someone.'' Just in time, he saw someone walking out of the gate. But it wasn''t just one or two. ''Haven''t the miners left yet?'' There''s no way. If they stayed there until this dark, the way out of the field-type dungeon would be too dangerous. Besides, mining wasn''t something that would take a day so there was no reason to work sote. On top of that, they are raiders. It made things even more strange. ''With all the monsters outside the gate, what could they have done inside the gate?'' At that time, Beru jumped up on Suho''s shoulder and whispered in a small voice. [Young Master, something is strange. They smell like beasts.] ''Beast?'' It was then. "Grrrrr." The faces of the hunters who came out of the gate were revealed in the moonlight. They look like... ''Werewolves?!'' Messy hair covering the face. Pointy teeth. The identities of the hunters were werewolves in human clothes. ''Is it a beast transformation skill?'' The first thing Suho thought of was skill. There were various types of skills, and sometimes there were hunters who could transform into non-humans like that. However, it was extremely rare for hunters with the same skills to gather in one ce. ''I wonder if it''s the White Tiger Guild.'' However, no matter how many beast hunters there are, even the White Tiger Guild couldn''t have gathered such a number of beasts of the same type. -It seems like they drank the blood of our n. ''Blood?'' Suho looked at Rakan''s Sword. -The blood of the canine n contains great power. Even if lowly humans drink a few drops of the n''s blood, they gain powerful power that surpasses the species. "Like how if someone touches you, their body gets taken away?" -No, rather the opposite. It''s not like those guys were taken away, it''s because the n''s power was taken away. "They stole it?" -Yeah. I don''t know which idiot from the alternate n fed them blood, but theck of blood must have diminished their strength. Suho made a strange expression. You can get the beast transformation skill by drinking blood. Other than runestones, I had never heard of a skill being obtained in such a strange way. However, since it''s only been two years since the cataclysm, new situations are bound to arise at any time. -But, I don''t understand. Rakan''s Sword muttered in a voice that sounded somewhat displeased. -Who the hell made such cross breeds of dogs by allowing their power to get consumed... What is going on? That''s when Rakan''s Sword expressed his doubts. A really strange thing happened. The werewolves went into the warehouse they had built near the gate, and dragged out the people tied up with duct tape. ''What?!'' Suho''s eyes widened. "Mmmmp...!" People who had their mouths sealed with duct tape were trembling in fear. The corners of the werewolves'' mouths formed a smirk. "Grrrrr. Were you bored waiting all day long?" "It will be your final moments so, we''ll let you breathe?" "In return, can you be quiet? We hate noise." Swish. Duct tape was ripped out of the people''s mouths. As if they had been waiting for it, desperate cries could be heard all over. "S-Save us!" "Please! Please send us back home!" "Oh, so noisy. Do you want to be eaten now?" Thup. The tapes were again put back on their mouths. "Huppp." They were so afraid that they wouldn''t even want to breathe just not to make any noise. "Great. How nice is it to be quiet?" "We hate noise because our senses are sensitive." "So, everyone? If you do that one more time, we might just go ahead and bite your necks. Grrrr." Those words didn''t sound like a joke. The people''splexions turned white. One of the werewolves spoke. "Alright. It looks like you have a lot to say after being held captive for a few days, so I''ll listen to yourst will. Can you speak softly instead?" A middle-aged office worker in the middle hurriedly opened his mouth. "Hey, over there! If you need money, I can somehow...!" "Tsk." "N-No! Just listen to me for a second! You shouldn''t just do this, you have to tell us what you want so we can...!" At that, the werewolf stared at the subordinate with an expression like he could die of annoyance. "Hey. Just kill him." "Should I?" "Let''s take at least one guy for ourselves." "Grrrr." Looking at the werewolf approaching him, the office worker shouted in panic. "N-No, wait! It''s a crime to do this...!" "Oh, really." Annoyance appeared on the face of the werewolf who grabbed the office worker by the nape of his neck with one hand. "I hate noise." Then, he pulled the dagger from his waistband and was about to lunge it into the office worker''s neck. sh! "...?" However, Something was strange. Thud- It was the werewolf who had his head cut off. An axe suddenly flew from somewhere and separated the werewolf''s neck from his body. "Hey..." The office worker who narrowly escaped death saw the werewolf''s head falling in front of him and wet his pants. The werewolves, startled by the sudden situation, raised their guards and pulled out their weapons. "Who are you!" "Who dares-!" It was then. Stealthy assassins approached from hiding in the dark, shing the wolves'' legs with sharp ws. "Ack!" [Shadow Leopard Lv.1] Basic ss "Ra-Razan?!" The eyes of the werewolves widened wide after confirming the identity of their enemies. ck Shadow Razan was one of the most dangerous beasts in this forest. However, due to their dislike of bright light, they did not even go near the gate full of torches. "Why is Razan here?!" "No, something''s a little different from the normal Razan...!" [Grrrrr!] The shadow leopards lunged at them like crazy. "What the fuck! L-Let''s kill them first!" "Don''t panic! There are only five!" sh! Although they were taken aback by the sudden attack, they were veteran hunters who had been here for a year. It wasn''t easy enough to give up their lives to only five monsters. But there was something they didn''t know. The fact that the owner of those five beasts from behind is now wishing for their death. Thud. He suddenly remembered the first werewolf''s head that was cut, and the axe falling on the floor. Then... aaaash- Cut! "...Ackkk." Another werewolf head got separated from its body. "This is crazy!" "What''s with those axes!" The stone axe that had beheaded two of theirrades flew like a boomerang and was aiming for their necks too! "Skill! That''s definitely a skill!" "Where is he?! Don''t be a coward ande out!" The owner of the axe had no intention of continuing to hide as well "For whatever circumstance..." The eyes of Suho, with his face covered with a hood and ck mask, reflected the cool moonlight. "Save the victims first then think afterwards." [You are truly a hunter.] Swoosh! A tremendous force emerged from Rakan''s Sword. [''Skill : ''Contempt for the Weak'' has been used.] "...!" At that moment, the werewolves'' bodies temporarily stiffened. [''Effect: Fear'' has been activated.] [All stats of the targets are reduced by 50% for 1 minute.] "Grrrrr!" Then, with a roar, some of the werewolves let go of their fears. [''Effect: Fear'' is canceled.] But that was enough to buy some time. [Kyaaaaoooo!] Swing! The shadow leopard cut the wolf''s achilles tendon. sh! Through the Ruler''s Power, the axe was stuck on its chest. And... -Well, they''re such low breed dogs. Suho''s sword shed their throats. "Grrrr...!" The other surviving werewolves looked at Suho. "There was only one guy!" "Die! Grrrrr!" They turned their focus on him. Ring. [An urgent quest has arrived.] The quest window opened in front of Suho''s eyes. [Urgent Quest: Defeat the Enemies!] There are people around who have the intent to kill the ''yer''. Kill them all to be safe. Number of enemies to kill: 10 Number of Enemies Killed: 5 The quest had already started with half the target already cleared out. [It''s a good thing.] Even in the midst of this, Beru, who was eagerly chewing on the mana stone in the corner, was letting out a pleasantugh. [Ah, I can''t stop my mouth. Why is the mana stone here so high in power? Is it because it''s from a sanctuary?] Unfortunately, no one answered that question. Everyone was busy. But that was then. [...!] Beru then turned his gaze towards the gate. [This smell...] Someone with a smell simr to the Beast Monarch was walking out of the gate. Chapter 16 - 16

Chapter 16:

It was about a year ago that the name of the Hyena Guild became widely known. It is said that they were originally backstreet bullies who were active in the Gwacheon area. But after awakening, stories said that they were originally from a popr group of gangsters, exaggerating their past history. Indeed, it was a shallow bluff, but after they became awakened, theymitted a lot of real gangster-like activities. Such as making debts against low-level hunters for usury. As a condition for foregoing the interest, they throw them into a dungeon and have them pickaxe without pay. It would have been unimaginable now, but at that time, there was no Hunter Association. There were no hunter-rtedws to prevent their evil deeds. While researching about them, Suho found out a strange fact. All of them, who were only bullies in the neighborhood, awakened almost at the same time. Even the ce where it happened- at Gwanaksan. ''Does that make sense?'' Suho felt puzzled. A year ago, a dungeon break broke out in Gwanaksan. The porters who came to bury the bodies in Gwanaksan ordered by the gangsters ''identally'' all awakened. And right away, they created a group called the Hyena Guild. They took control of the Gwanaksan field, and were making money by mining mana stones. Until now, a yearter. ''It''s just too coincidental.'' Opinions were still divided as to the reason for those ordinary people to awaken their magical powers. There were talks about heredity. Some are saying that it was pure luck, like winning the lottery or the chance of being struck by lightning. These guesses could have been all bullshit, or they could have been all right. For some it''s heredity, for others it''s luck. In the end, it was said that if the awakening came in any way, this ability would be obtained. ''After all, nothing quite makes sense anymore.'' It seemed that the Hyena Guild members awakened because they drank the blood of the canine n. If so, it would be understandable that they awakened at the same time. ''The problem is that there is a separate canine n that is said to have given that blood...'' Suho doesn''t know if it''s good luck or bad luck, but he thought he would soon find out who the canine n really was. Because right now, a tremendous sense of intimidation was emerging out of the gate. [Grrrrr.] Chills! The breath of a terrifying beast. The vicious life inside it shook the air of Gwanaksan covered with blue mist. "...!" At that tant and obvious presence, Suho turned to the gate as he was fighting the werewolves. [Young Master, it is dangerous.] Beru climbed onto Suho''s shoulder and hurriedly whispered. Beru''s expression changed. [We need to get away from here as soon as possible. With an opponent like this... Young Master can''t handle it yet!] It wasn''t that easy. [''Skill: Extreme Command'' increases the abilities of werewolves by 50%.] [As a side effect of ''Skill: Extreme Command'', werewolves are cursed with madness.] "Kyaoooo!" Suddenly, the werewolves that Suho was dealing with grew in size and their movements became incredibly fast and powerful. Their madness started to put more pressure on Suho. "Roar! Do you think I''ll let you run away?!" "Die!" Grrrrrrr! "Ah! Kill that bastard!" sh! Thud! [Young Master!] "Ack!" Suho''s body began to umte wounds at a rapid rate due to the unprecedented situation. [''Skill: Endurance'' level increased!] [Physical Defense +20% ¡ú +40%] It''s good that the skill level has risen, but that doesn''t mean the battle has be easier. -Tsk. I knew this would happen so I warned you from the beginning. The closer you get to the sanctuary, the more dangerous it is. Rakan''s Sword was displeased. -This energy... Apparently, not only artifacts lived here, but also filthy hybrids. "Hybrid?" Suho, who managed to take down a werewolf, asked back. -Yes. The great canine n had numerous tribes following it. There was one of them that gave off this dirty aura. It was then. Swoosh. [Grrrrrr!] The roar of a bloody beast shook Gwanaksan. -...Right. That''s him. Broki, the head of the hyena n. Just then, a huge monster appeared outside the gate. "...!" Messy mane, mottled pattern, pointy teeth. A hyena the size of a house appeared. [Extreme Commander Broki] A red name tag appeared above his head. That color meant one thing. That hyena is a monster with power that Suho could not dare to handle. ''...The boss of the dungeon was alive.'' Suho shuddered at the pressure he felt from him. Apparently, the Hyena Guild had been intentionally hiding information about this ce for a year. A field-type dungeon with boss mobs is a disaster in itself. If the other hunters knew this fact, they wouldn''t have left this ce alone until now. ''Is this the reason why the guild''s name was Hyena?'' It was really odd. The hunters who had to hunt the monsters would rather be the servants of the monsters. Catching humans and offering them as food? Clench. Suho, who grasped the situation, gritted his teeth. Seeing that, the giant hyena opened its mouth and yawned. He then recognized Rakan''s Sword in Suho''s hand and giggled. [I had been feeling this familiar energy? Was it Rakan''s Sword?] -... Broki. [What''s it like? Howe that the great Beast Monarch''s remains is being held captive by a mere human?] Rakan''s Sword felt humiliated. Even at this moment, he is caught in Suho''s hand and is swinging around like crazy. Of all the ones, why did it have to be Broki? -It wasn''t easy for you to be like that. Have you lost all your original strength? [Isn''t it just the same for both you and me as defeated soldiers who lost their monarch?] ''It looks like the two of them aren''t close.'' Even at this moment, Suho was still fighting fiercely against the werewolves. The problem is that even after killing all the wolves, that hyena still remains. No matter how much the defeated soldiers who lost their monarch lost their original strength and became weak, Suho was still much weaker than them. ''But I don''t intend to die quietly.'' Even in this bleak situation, Suho kept his fierce eyes. sh-! [You have killed a werewolf.] [Number of enemies to be defeated: 10] [Number of enemies killed: 9] Only one werewolf left. But Broki didn''t even bat an eye at the sight of his minions dying. [Tsk. Weak guys. Can''t even stand a single human.] Rather, heughed at their deaths and spoke to the sword in Suho''s hand. [Alright. Rakan''s Sword, join me to kill that human. Just in case you need a useful one, I''ll be your new master.] -Bullshit. A mongrel like you dares to be my master? My master is only Rakan-nim. [Isn''t Rakan already dead?] -W-What? How dare you! [Hahaha. Don''t be angry. If you''re weak, you die. The one who survives is the strongest. Just like me.] Rakan''s Sword erupted in anger at Broki''s mockingugh. It shouted at Suho. -Human! Kill him right now! Insert my de into the throat of that bastard who insulted Rakan! [Kyahahaha! You sound funny. Try whatever you want! Such a weak...] Before he could finish his words, Rakan''s Sword lunged from Suho''s hand. sh! -...! The cold de of the sword lodged in Broki''s throat, who wasughing. [Kheeuuk...?] In an instant, an airy voice escaped from Broki''s mouth. Suho appeared in his widened field of vision. The man stood in a calm posture looking at the beast. With his other hand, he grabbed the remaining one by the neck. "Are you okay?" Broki''s eyes curved like crescent moons. [...You''re interesting.] Even with Rakan''s Sword stuck in his neck, he had a rxed expression. [But you can''t kill me with just this kind of attack...] "I know. But I can still make it painful." Suho clenched his hand. ''Ruler''s Power.'' Swoosh. ''Twist.'' At that moment, Rakan''s Sword stuck in Broki''s neck started spinning like a drill on the spot. Fiercely. Krrkrrkrrk-! [Kheheuk?!] The pain Broki felt in his neck startled him as he struggled. ''Faster.'' More fiercely. Krrkrrkrrk-! [ckk!] ''More!'' Deeper! [''Skill: de Storm'' has been used.] Grumble-! [Arrrgghhh! This is-!] Rakan''s Sword whirled around like a storm and burrowed into Broki''s body! The more he did, the more Broki struggled in pain. -...I''m enjoying this, bastard. Suho could hear the delight in Rakan''s Sword''s voice. -Is it really okay to do this? It was still absolutely impossible to kill Broki at the current level of Suho. No matter how much Broki became weaker than before, his regenerative power far exceeded Suho''s attack power. But... It was refreshing. ''Isn''t Rakan already dead?'' How dare he! A servant who insults the death of his master, the great beast monarch! It was a sin that would not be forgiven even if he was to be beheaded right away! But the reality is that he had to be content with just giving him that much pain. Eventually... [Aaackkk! You bastard! I''m going to kill-!] Suho received all of Broki''s wrath. Grumble! Broki, who had be a wounded beast, stomped his feet, spewing ferocious flesh. His strength is so great that Gwanaksan shook! [Kyaaoooo!] A huge pressure like a rock hit Suho. It was then. -...I''m sorry. But, thank you for protecting thest pride of a defeated soldier. The determined voice of Rakan''s Sword echoed. Rattle! [Keukreuk?!] Broki''s body, which was about to trample on Suho, temporarily stopped. [Rakan''s Sword, You bastard-! Ack!] Rakan''s Sword, which forcibly controlled his movements inside his body, urgently shouted to Suho. -Run away! I''ll try to buy some time! However... Suho didn''t seem to have any intention of backing down. sh! Just then, thest werewolf died in Suho''s hand. [Number of enemies killed: 10] Then the messages followed. Ring. [You havepleted ''Urgent Quest: Defeat the Enemies''.] Ring. [Your level increased!] Ring. [The following rewards are prepared.] Reward 1. Ability Points +5 Reward 2. Title: ''Wolf yer'' "ept the reward." Ring. [''Title: Wolf yer'' has been acquired.] Thuck. Suho picks up a weapon used by werewolves from the floor. With two swords in each hand, Suho''s eyes shed like a hunter''s. At that moment. [Title: Wolf yer] A title given to hunters who are good at catching wolves. All stats increase by 40% when facing beast type monsters. "The hunt begins." Suho''s whole body was engulfed in intense contemtion. Chapter 17 - 17

Chapter 17:

[The ''Title: Wolf yer'' buff effect is activated.] Thud! Suho''s feet hit the ground. Swoosh- His new image emerged. Broki''s face was then stained with astonishment. [What...!] Something unbelievable happened. Suho''s strength and speed, along with momentum, bursted out of his whole body. All of that changed in an instant. His new stats were due to leveling up by +1. Extra stat +5 from the quest reward. Furthermore, a title that boosts all stats by a whopping +40% against beast-type monsters. All of that synergy was concentrated on the sword of protection. Twin Swords. de Storm. [''Skill: de Storm'' has been used.] Grumble-! Suho really became a storm. The two swords crossed and a strong wind blew. [''Skill: Twin Swords Lv.1'' has been obtained.] It was truly ruthless violence. A one-sided ughter. sh! [Aaaaackkkk! Bastard-!] Broki tried to counterattack, but that too was nothing more than a desperate struggle. Crash! With that, the guard posts built by the Hyena Guild copsed and were smashed. [How dare y...!] Even before Broki finished his words, a red light formed in a straight line from its wide open mouth. Rakan''s Sword was picked up by the Ruler''s Power. Suho''s hand grabbed the sword. And just like that. sh! He took the beast down. [You have defeated the Extreme Commander Broki.] g! Finally, the huge beast copsed. [Your level increased!] [Your level increased!] "Phew." Suho was on the floor. [You''ve done it! You killed it! Young Master-!] Beru shouted as if he had been waiting for this moment. -... Wow. Did it actually work? A human defeating Broki? Beruughed at that and replied. [Didn''t you know? The world is, after all, a weakling. The strong are devoured by the stronger. Young Master will be stronger in the future as well. Oh, and Young Master? Can I have some of this?] Beru licked his lips and pointed at Broki''s corpse. Suho looked at it. [Shadow release is possible on this target.] ck smoke billowed above it. Confusion appeared in Suho''s eyes. ''Shadow release is also possible on this beast?'' ''Then, it''s too bad I can''t give it all to Beru now.'' "Just one bite. Eat the rest after shadow release." [Alright!] Whoop! As soon as permission was given, Beru jumped happily. Broki''s corpse was a good source of mana. [Hehe. It''s just one bite.] Beru''s mouth opened wickedly. [If it''s just one bite, which part would I have to eat to get the word that I ate it well?] It was right there. Brain. [The weak meat. I really like it, too.] Beru muttered and dug into Broki''s head. * * * Suho released all the people who were tied up. "I reported it to the Hunter Association, so a rescue team wille soon. Beasts are still roaming the mountain, so don''t go anywhere else and stay here for a while." "Heuk! Thank you! Thank you!" They were covered in tears and snot while wailing loudly because of how long they had been tied up. [Young Master, these are all debtors to the Hyena Guild. They couldn''t pay their debt, so they signed a waiver and were arrested.] "Beru, how do you know that?" [My skill is Predation. I ate Broki''s brain and stole some of his memories.] "You do all sorts of things." [Khm. I am a very useful species in many ways.] Beru was so proud he stood up with both hands on his waist. [Oh, by the way. When I looked at Broki''s abilities, there was no such thing as the power to create werewolves by feeding them blood.] "What? So how did those guys..." Suho''s gaze turned to the werewolves lying dead on the floor. -It was the strangest thing for me from the beginning, too. Rakan''s Sword said. -The hyena n is just one of many tribes that followed the canine n. Feeding blood to create minions is something only the canine n can do. "Then..." -Somehow, it seems that there is a real one besides Broki. Suho and Beru''s eyes simultaneously looked at the gate where Broki came out. "There''s a real boss mob." Suho fixed his sword with determined eyes. Then Beru, from the side, shrugged and said. [It wouldn''t be a boss mob.] "Really?" Suho gives him a puzzled expression. [Yes. If Broki''s memory is correct, it seems that the battle will no longer take ce.] Beru''s expression was a bit bitter. [You''ll find out when you get inside.] * * * Suho entered the gate. He found a small and fragile creature. "This..." His expression stiffened. There was a bloodstained wolf cub lying helplessly. Scruffy gray hair. Roughly wrapped bandages. It was a very small wolf, only about a hand in size. Syringes from which blood was drawn were rolling around randomly. Seeing this, Rakan''s Sword trembled with fury. -Broki, how dare you! Crazy bastard! -Could it be that the descendant of the n was tied up and blood was drawn forcibly? Flinch. Did you hear his anger? The wolf cub tied to the dog cor lifted its head helplessly. The unfocused eyes stared nkly at the empty space where Suho was standing. Then it sniffed with its little nose. A human stranger. There was a smell of blood on his clothes. "Hnnggg..." A weak cry. After that, the wolf cub lowered his head again. There was not even a speck of will to live or hope left in the small body that had lost its strength. -Broki, you crazy hybrid-! Extremely angry, Rakan''s Sword cursed Broki, who was already dead and gone. Beru muttered calmly as he read Broki''s memories. [Shortly after losing the war against the Shadow Army, Broki left the battlefield before anyone else. In fact, he was more like a deserter than a defeated soldier.] Broki''s next move was really low. [He hid in the Sanctuary of the canine n, which was considered the safest ce, and found the n''s young wolf there.] A wolf cub living there alone after all the adults went to war. That little one in the memory waggled his tail in delight when Broki entered the sanctuary. But... [Seeing that, Broki came up with an idea.] ''Yes, this is it! With the blood of this canine n, I can create any number of protectors!'' ''I''ll make them protect me!'' ''My own army! I''m creating a new tribe here that only serves me!'' ''You like it, too, right? Hahaha'' Broki smiled at the wolf cub wagging its tail at him. [... After that, the sanctuary was torn into several pieces and wandered through the dimensional rift. One day, a hole connected to the earth appeared in front of Broki.] He found a group of humans. [Without hesitation, Broki drew the blood of this young wolf and fed it to those people.] The next thing was something Suho knew very well. The protectors that were created became Broki''s army under the name of the Hyena Guild. They hunted humans and sacrificed them to Broki. For one whole year. However, there was one problem. That was the reason Rakan''s Sword was furious. -The power of the protectors is not eternal. Ten days at most. After that period, the power of blood engraved on the body of the protectors disappears and returns to its original state. That means...! "Once every ten days, blood was drawn from this guy and fed to the guild members. For an entire year." -Aaaahhh! Broki! Broki! Suho picked up the limping wolf cub with one hand. He was a little surprised at how light it was. [Ehhh? You''re going to take it?] Beru''s eyes widened. This young wolf was a direct descendant, if not the direct descendant, of the canine monarch. [If you keep him alive, he may grow up to be the second Fang Monarch and threaten Earth again.] "You said we won anyway back then?" [That''s... right. Hmm.] Beru looked intently at the wolf cub in Suho''s hand. Seeing how much blood had been drawn, he couldn''t even breathe properly. Beru nodded. [Haha. There is no need for us to antagonize each other in a situation where the monsters are attacking.] Even though they were defeated in the war, the children who survived were innocent. It was rather amazing how it survived so far with its small and light body. However, Suho did not intend to take the wolf with such a dramatic reason. ''I think it will help me in some wayter on. Also...'' "If you die here and now, yourst memory will be very unhappy, right? You were caught by the man you trusted, and you had your blood sucked for a whole year." Saying so, Suho took him into his arms. "So, let''s just eat some food first and think about it after." * * * Suho immediately returned home with the wolf cub. As for the Hyena Guild and Gwanaksan Field, he reported it to the association and just put it behind. Civilian survivors will give much more specific testimonies than Suho anyway. More than that, the cub seemed like it would die right now. "Beru, you said you''re a healer. Can you heal something like this?" [Healer''s recovery magic can only heal wounds. I can''t do anything aboutck of blood or hunger.] "Even recovery skills are not flexible. Alright then." Suho turned on the electric stove and put it in front of the wolf cub. "Hnngggg." "why? Is it good because it''s warm?" The wolf cub looked quite perplexed. Its tail was curled up and it was trembling, but its gaze was staring at the red light of the electric stove as if possessed. "Well, you may be seeing fire for the first time in your life." Suho left it alone and immediately cooked seaweed soup. He let it cool and served it on a small te. "I know you are really enjoying yourself today. This is a recipe my mom used to make for me on my birthday." Suho showed condescension and held out seaweed soup in front of its short snout. "Eat it. They say that seaweed soup is good when you don''t have enough blood." Sniff sniff. The wolf cub''s tail twitched when it smelled the seaweed soup. "It''s alright. Try it." When Suho forcibly smeared seaweed soup on its snout, its tongue flicked instinctively. Huh? ...! "Oh, I didn''t know. Even wolves have astonished looks, like humans." The wolf cub puts its nose into the te and licks the seaweed soup. Its hairless tail waggled helplessly. Rakan''s Sword watching silently muttered in low voice. -...Thanks. For everything. He had mixed feelings. The reason they became like this in the first ce was because they lost the war against the humans. But even though the war was over, the children who survived were innocent. They had to survive in the present and stand up to live in the future. And maybe... This young wolf was the only survivor of the canine n. As Beru warned, he was a petty monarch who would one day grow up to inherit the lineage of the Fang Monarch. To think that the heir of the Shadow Monarch would lend a helping hand to such a child. What kind of irony is this? "Do you like it?" Suho smiles as he crouches down in front of the little wolf cub licking the warm soup. Rakan''s Sword, who''s watching them, had no choice but to ept the fact that the war was over. -...Okay. You won. I will entrust all of our recruits to you. He sighed softly. The will of the greatest beast, the Fang Monarch Rakan, dwelled in Suho. Ring. [''Pet: Fang Wolf Lv.1'' has been obtained.] Chapter 18 - 18

Chapter 18:

"A pet?" Suho made a puzzled expression when he saw the message that suddenly appeared. [Pet?] Beru asked the same. chump chump chump. Before I knew it, a name tag appeared on the head of the wolf cub who was licking seaweed soup. [?? Lv.1] Fang Wolf The system sent a message. Ring. [You can give your pet a name.] [Please name your pet.] "Name my pet?" When Suho looked at Beru who had a troubled expression. [Hmm? There was nothing like this in the past.] "Which one? A pet?" [Yes. When His Majesty was leveling up, there was no such function.] Beru exined. The level-up system currently applied to Suho was originally inherited from the Shadow Monarch, Sung Jinwoo, which he used in the past. Of course, it was improved to some extent from then, but that was to remove the ''malevolence'' that dwelled in the system. "Malevolence?" [Yes.] The purpose of the system at the time was to forcibly develop a human named ''Sung Jinwoo'' to use as a vessel for the Shadow Monarch. As soon as the goal was aplished, the soul of named Sung Jinwoo was bound to disappear. [Anyway, Sung Jinwoo ended up defying the purpose of the system and became the Shadow Monarch himself. He became a great being who no longer needed to level up.] The person who inherited the system was Suho. "But why is there a pet system now that didn''t exist back then?" [Hmm. Maybe it wasn''t just now. It might have been there from the beginning.] Beru squinted and stroked his chin. [Besides, the designers of the level-up system were not us, but the shaman of the fantasy realm who dreamed of immortality.] "Shaman?" [Yes. He''s the only one who knows exactly what functions are in the system.] A long time ago, the shaman of the fantasy realm wished to escape from the fate of a finite creature and be an eternal existence. As a result, the level-up system was created after making an agreement with the angels of God. [However, the purpose of the system at the time was only toplete the Shadow Monarch''s vessel, so there was no need for a pet. Killing everyone and turning them into Shadow Soldiers was enough. But, the purpose of Young Masters'' system now ispletely different from that time.] Suho made a puzzled expression. "The purpose of the system was not to make me a shadow monarch?" [Yes. After all, Young Master can''t be one.] Beru said emphatically. [There is only one Shadow Monarch in this world.] In short, it means that only when Sung Jinwoo dies and the position of the monarch is empty that Suho can get the chance to be the shadow monarch. But Sung Jinwoo was the ruler of death. He would never die. [In fact, he is the one who is truly immortal.] "I know very well that my father is great." Suho was curious about another thing. "Then, what is the purpose of my system?" Beru smiled faintly and looked into Suho''s eyes. The existence of Sung Suho, born from the marriage of a shadow monarch and an ordinary human, was an unusual existence in all dimensions. So, even the designer who created the system would not have dared to guess what kind of existence Suho would grow into in the future. Would he simply live as the Young Master who inherited the skills of the Shadow Monarch as he does now? Or... would he escape from his destiny and find his own way, just like Sung Jinwoo did a long time ago? [The system merely acts as a guide for Young Master whichever path you take. If there is a function that did not exist before, it will surely be helpful.] Beru was already looking at Suho''s face, the face of a man who had long been alone and fought against everything in the world. He... He survived by constantly struggling in a ce closer to death than anyone else in the world. In the end, even that death was won by his own power. The Earth now was at peace built through his noble sacrifice. But, that peace has been threatened again by the Outer Gods. "Status window." Suho, who was listening to Beru, suddenly opened the status window. [Status Window] Name: Sung Suho Level: 16 upation: None Title: Wolf yer HP : 2,350/2,350 MP : 235/235 [Stats] Muscle Strength: 35 Body Strength: 25 Agility: 25 Intellect: 25 Senses: 25 (Divisive Ability Points: 0) [Skills] Passive Skills: Strength Lv.2, Twin Swords Lv.1 Active Skills: Ruler''s Power Lv.1, Shadow Fragment Lv.1, de Storm Lv.1 After hearing Beru''s words, Suho also understood why his upation was stillbeled as ''none''. There will probably never be anything written on that spot that says ''Shadow Monarch''. Suho paid more attention to the other numbers below. ''This is my current level.'' Compared to the 1st level, when he was being chased by the Mist Burns, the figures had gone up tremendously. There were already so many useful skills. But... ''I am still weak.'' Suho was never overconfident with his own strength. It''s not humility, but a mere fact. He had already reached level 99 several times in his childhood dreams. Looking back on the sensations he felt at that time, his current power was too insignificant. If he didn''t obtain the title of wolf yer at the right time, he might not have defeated Broki. Suho also checked out new skills during the battle. [Skill: Twin Swords Lv.1] Passive skill. No mana required. You can use dual swords more proficiently. 33% additional damage is applied when using two swords. (This also applies to weapons other than swords.) ''It''s Twin Swords...'' Come to think of it, he had always been fighting with a weapon in both hands. An axe at first, and sword this time. Perhaps this skill was created based on his fighting method so far. "In order to be stronger here, I will continue to use double swords." -...? Suho''s gaze stayed on Rakan''s Sword. Experience proved that the attack power of Rakan''s Sword was quite satisfactory. Once caught, the necks of the beasts of Gwanaksan were cut immediately. It seemed that he would need another sword,parable to Rakan''s Sword, to bnce his two hands. ''I need to earn some money. Hunter weapons are very expensive.'' Suho''s gaze turned downward. "And this little one..." "Hnngggg." Before he knew it, the wolf cub had finished eating the seaweed soup and was sticking out of its stomach. He was still lying on the floor weakly, as if he had no energy to crawl. "I will have to raise it for a while to use itter on." [Please name your pet.] A system message had been urging Suho from earlier. Suho decided on a name without hesitation. "Gray because it has gray hair." [Will you go with ''Gray''?] "Yes." As soon as Suho finished speaking, the question mark on the wolf cub''s head was erased and a new name was engraved. [Gray Lv.1] Fang Wolf "Hnnnggg." Gray, who had officially be Suho''s pet, raised his head with unfocused eyes and sniffed. He smelled Suho. Suho tapped the cub''s nose with his fingertips and asked Rakan''s Sword. "Hey, let me ask you one thing." -What? "How do I raise him to be useful?" -Is there anything special about raising that? Just let him eat well, sleep well, and y well. "Don''t say something so obvious. He is a descendant of the Fang Monarch. Is there any special method?" -Eating is very important. The reason why he became so weak in the first ce must be because Broki kept starving him because he was afraid of this little one''s growth. Rakan''s Sword raged again as he remembered what Broki had done. If the child of the canine n had grown normally, there would have been no way he would have been held captive by someone like Broki. -So, feed him consistently. If you give him enough sleep and let him y freely, he will grow into a much stronger predator than Broki. "Really? What can I feed him?" -Right, he''s a magical beast. It''s even better if he is a monster that is self-hunting. Originally, children of the n y hunting from the moment they are born. "It''s called hunting. Hmm." It was absurd. To make a guy who doesn''t even have the strength to walk on his feet go hunting. [Ugh. They are worse than ants. Still, our ants can be left alone when they arervae.] Suho came up with a good idea upon hearing that. Who was it that raised Suho, who was a baby in the first ce? "Beru, you take care of him from now on." [Out of nowhere?] "Yeah. You are the best nanny I know." [Kehehehe. I don''t know what to do after hearing suchpliments from Young Master.] Beru twisted his body and was embarrassed. "Let''s go, then." [Ehh? Where?] Clueless Beru. Suho picked up Gray''s and inserted the key to the Shadow Dungeon into his own shadow. [Would you like to enter the Shadow Dungeon?] "Where else? Here, of course." ck. [Entering the Shadow Dungeon.] Swoosh! * * * After entering the Shadow Dungeon, Suho put Beru on Gray''s back. "From now on, you guys are a team." [Ehh?] No matter how small Gray was, he was twice as big as Beru. Of course, even if you put the two together, they were still just a handful. -This ce can''t be... Rakan''s Fang, who hade along unintentionally, felt a strange feeling while looking around the shadow dungeon. -Is this the world of the Shadow Monarch? [To be exact, this is the world Young Master inherited. Of course, it was neglected so much that the wild monsters hid in it.] Beru realized why Suho had brought them here and his eyes lit up. Disquieting gazes were ring at him from all over the dungeon. [These are wild goblins. They are perfect opponents to train a pet.] Beru smirked and tapped Gray''s butt. [Now, wake up! Descendant of the Fang Monarch! Show those ridiculous guys your ferocity!] "Hnnggg..." Whine. [Hmm?] Gray seemedpletely unwilling to fight. It was as if he didn''t even have the will to get up, he crouched t on the floor. Seeing that, Rakan''s Sword couldn''t hide his anger. -Keugh! You have lost all of your innate fighting instincts due to your life in confinement! What should we do with this?! "Well, then." [Ah, right.] Suho and Beru''s reactions were resolute. Beru''s skill is Predation. He was able to absorb some of the power and memories of the monster he consumed. [Arise, young warrior.] Beru, the best nanny Suho knew, tapped Gray''s butt once more. Harshly. [''Skill: Harsh Command'' has been used by Beru.] [''Skill: Harsh Command'' increases Gray''s stats by 50%.] [As a side effect of ''Skill: Harsh Command'', Gray is cursed with madness.] "Grrrrr!" Gray''s eyes, which had no motivation at all, suddenly changed. Beruughed evilly and continued tapping Gray''s butt. [Good! Start with that momentum!] "Growl!" Chapter 19 - 19

Chapter 19:

The inte has been buzzing for a while. -Breaking news! The hidden reality of the Hyena Guild! -Werewolves of Gwanaksan! -Survivors who almost became sacrificialmbs! The survivors of Gwanaksan Field, rescued by Suho, revealed everything they had experienced to the media, and the public was shocked. -Crazy;;; What was that;;;; -They caught their own kind, human, and sacrificed them?? -How could they do that?? -Hunters were living as ves of demons; -Aren''t they a traitor to humanity at this level? Trantor: Anom Citizens reacted extremely to the fact that the same humans were hunting humans and feeding them to those beasts. Along with them, other guilds that had been involved with the Hyena Guild were also criticized. -Wasn''t the Reaper Guild behind the Hyena Guild? -Yepyep, that''s right. Even if they deny it now, everyone in the industry knows otherwise. -Where did that huge capitale from when the Hyena Guild were milking from low-level hunters'' loan in the first ce? -I heard they were originally neighborhood gangsters. -100% sure a certain guild gave them that money. -That guild might be very anxious now. g! "Are we going to keep looking at all this nonsense?!" Lim Taegyu, the guild leader of the Reaper Guild, hit his fist hard with an angry face. The force had split the marble desk in two, but no one in the conference room cared about it. "I-I''m sorry. We are also responding with urgency, but as you can see, the public opinion is too strong..." "nning Director." Chills. A cold voice held the nning director''s breath. "Do you think I hired you to make that excuse? To gather in this room and rely on thements?" "... I''m sorry." "Pheeew." Lim Taegyu leaned back in his chair and let out a long sigh. "Let me ask you one thing. How did our image end up like this? Untilst year, everything was good, right?" "..." In response to Lim Taegyu''s question, the executives only looked at each other with embarrassed expressions. In the previous year, Reaper Guild was on the rise as Korea''s No. 1 guild in name and reality. The reason was Lim Taegyu, the guild leader. It was thanks to him being one of the few S-ss hunters in Korea despite being middle-aged. There was one more person. Aside from Lim Taegyu, there was one more S-ss Hunter in the Reaper Guild. It was only up untilst year. "That''s right, Sir. When Vice President Baek Yunho went on his ownst year..." "Shh." The head of the nning Office hurriedly shut the subordinate''s mouth. ''Such a tactless person! Who wouldn''t know that and ask?'' S-ss Hunter Baek Yunho. He was the person who established the ''Baekho Guild''st year after bing independent from the guild he was previously in. The moment he left, an S-ss hunter, the power of the Reaper Guild was virtually cut in half. But, that wasn''t the real problem. The thing is, everyone in the room knew the underlying reason. They just couldn''t speak about it. If they do, their throats would be cut in half. After Baek Yunho left, Lim Taegyu brought an A-ss hunter from outside and put him in the Vice President position in a fit of anger. Judging from the fact that he was a close acquaintance with Lim Taegyu even before the cataclysm, he was a so-called paratrooper. Of course, the executives of the Reaper Guild strongly objected to that decision. Because an A-ss hunter couldn''t take the ce of an S-ss hunter. The A-ss hunter ''Lee Minseong'' he brought was a beginner who had never entered a dungeon. However, Lim Taegyu did not bring Lee Minseong for no solid reason. Lee Minseong... just had a lot of money. He was already a businessman with a lot of money born with a golden spoon even before awakening. When he was younger, he was a movie actor who was so popr that he made a name for himself as an Asian superstar. Regardless of dungeons or hunter things, Lee Minseong''s life has been that of a rich man who has only walked the morous road from the time he was born. Lim Taegyu''s real purpose? Money. ''If power is weak, why not buy an expensive weapon through an increase in financial power!'' In fact, Lee Minseong was more of a sponsor with strong financial power rather than a Vice President. The n worked to some degree. After Lee Minseong became the vice president, the guild members started to get more and more expensive and shy equipment. But, ironically... ''Since then, the guild''s image has deteriorated.'' The head of the nning Office had no choice but to press down on what he wanted to say and endure it. Just then, the door of the conference room opened and Vice President Lee Minseong in question entered. "Hey! Sorry for beingte, sorry! There was so much traffic~" Lee Minseongughed and joked even though he was an hourte for the meeting. As a handsome and famous actor when he was young, his face was covered with a pitiful act. Lim Taegyu''s cold eyes red at Lee Minseong. "Vice President Lee Minseong." "Ooh, what is this? Did you break the table? Your strength is great." "Vice President Lee Minseong." "Hey, Secretary Kim! Change this table to something better sometime today, okay?" "Hey! Lee Minseong!" Thud. Lim Taegyu couldn''t hold his anger and shouted. The smile on Lee Minseong''s face disappeared. "Hey?" Lee Minseong''s head turned and he looked at Lim Taegyu with a raging gaze. "Doesn''t that title sound a little rude?" Lim Taegyu ignored the words and asked, ring at Lee Minseong. "Vice President Lee Minseong, why are youte for the meeting?" "I told you, there was a traffic jam." "Aren''t youte because you''re taking care of the mess with Hyena Guild?" "..." At those words, Lee Minseong''s brow flinched. However, he soon smirked. "What are you talking about again? What hyena? The one you can see at the zoo?" "Don''t change the topic, Minseong." Chills. The mask was removed from Lee Minseong''s face. "I''m not liking your tone." Even in the face of wrath with Lim Taegyu, an S-ss hunter, Minseong only has a mockery look on his face. "When did our Taegyu grow up like this? The bastard who used to be my driver?" "..." At those words, anger welled up in Lim Taegyu''s eyes. However, Lee Minseong did not care and rather approached him. He pulled Taegyu''s cor then he nced up and down at him with a scanty nce. "Tsk. Do you really not know what people do? How did you get lucky enough to wake up as an S-ss? So you could be arrogant in only two years? Was it like this with the old owner as well?" "Lee Minseong..." "Oops. Come to think of it, you weren''t the previous owner. Our Taegyu, don''t you still have two years left on your driver''s contract?" "Lee Minseong... Do not test my patience." "Why? You''re going to kill me? Oh wow, that''s scary. The dog ??is trying to bite its owner. I gave money to a guild that was going down, but you don''t even know how to return the favor." If a person could be killed with a gaze, everyone in the conference room might have already died. ''Please go outside and fight...'' The battle of nerves between the two people, who had aplicated rtionship, made it impossible for the executives and staff to even breathe properly. Fortunately, Lim Taegyu was not hot-tempered enough to cloud his mind with anger. "... Whew. Let''s stop this." "You were going to do something, weren''t you?" "Vice President Lee Minseong, I already know that you have had some kind ofmission with the Hyena Guild. Sooner orter, the association will also know about it." "... Association?" Lee Minseong''s expression hardened. Lim Taegyu let out a deep sigh. "Yes. So tell me what the hell you were doing behind our backs. We have to know so we can clean it up somehow." "Hmm. Clean up?" Lee Minseong rubbed his chin and was lost in thoughts. He didn''t want to be specific. ''He couldn''t do it either.'' In the end, Lee Minseong smiled and shrugged. "Well, nothing special. Just running light errands and ying with money?" "Is that really all?" "Yes. Even if the association decides, I can solve it on my own, so don''t worry." "I hope that is true." "Or else, what? The Hunter Law is so weak so there won''t be any problems if I mobilize mywyers." "Thew..." The Hunter Law is definitely out of date. Lim Taegyu pondered on those words. It was natural. It has only been two years since the cataclysm urred. Even now, the Association was working hard to pass Hunter-rted legition, but there were still holes in it. That''s why guys like Hyena Guild were still able to y to their heart''s content. "Satisfied now? If you don''t have anything more to say, I''m leaving." Lee Minseong turns around and leaves the conference room without even listening to the answer. Behind him, Lim Taegyu issued thest warning. "Vice President Lee Minseong, it would be better not to be overconfident. Even if thew is weak, the president of the association is never an easy person." Thud. The conference room door was mmed shut. Lim Taegyu shook his head and sat back in his chair. It was only then that the employees were able to breathe out. Lee Minseong came out with a rxed gait... His expression was contorted like that of a demon. ''A bastard who doesn''t even know the subject dares question me!'' He didn''t show it, but in fact, his whole body was drenched in cold sweat from Lim Taegyu''s killing gazes. More than the fear he has, he couldn''t tolerate getting his pride stepped on. ''I only got in because he begged me to be the vice president, but he treats me like a servant? Lim Taegyu, how dare you?'' But he had no right to express this anger. After all, Taegyu was an S-ss hunter, and he was only an A-ss. He couldn''t help but control his anger. Hyena Guild? No. ''The guy who destroyed the Hyena Guild!'' Lee Minseong called someone with a scary look on his face. "Yes, it is me. Did you figure out his identity?" -No, Vice President. I''ve been trying to find out about him from all the survivors... A voice without confidence came from the other side of the phone. -None of the survivors knows what he looks like. "What? They don''t know what he looked like? Howe?" -The hunter was covering his face with a mask and hood the whole time. What is noteworthy is that he used twin swords, and it is said that he picked up the sword used by werewolves and used it. Hmm. "... Find out more about who that bastard is and bring him to me." -Yes, Sir. Well understood. Thud! Lee Minseong couldn''t hold back his anger and threw his phone on the floor. * * * Meanwhile at that time. Suho was spending a peaceful time in the Shadow Dungeon. Of course, only Suho is at peace. Gray, the wolf cub of the canine n, was about to die. "Growl!" [Oh, that''s great. Finally, our wolfie hunted a goblin alone. Although the opponent is of course a baby goblin.] "Kyao-!" At Beru''s praise, the palm-sized wolf cub howled sadly¡ª no, howled ferociously. The way he stepped on the young goblin''s corpse with his paws looked extremely pitiful¡ª no, brave. [Now, eat! A true hunter eats all his prey without leaving any!] "Growl!" [Ugh! Open your mouth wide and chew!] "Thud!" Chomp! Chomp! Gray showed signs of exhaustion, but couldn''t disobey the harshmands of Assistant Professor Beru. As he was told to do so, he opened his mouth wide and bit the goblin he hunted... Ring! [The level of ''Pet: Gray'' increased!] A message arrived in front of Suho. "Oh, he also levels up?" -Didn''t I tell you? If you let him eat, sleep and y, he''d grow up. "I know he''d grow up. But, I thought I was the only one leveling up." Another message arrived. [''Pet: Gray'' offers 50% of its experience as a sacrifice to its owner.] "What?" [Ehhh?] Suho and Beru looked at each other. They turned their gazes to look at Gray, who was lying t on the floor. "Hnnnggg." [Young Master. How could you steal this little one''s power?] "No, I..." Suddenly, a feeling of guilt came flooding in. Chapter 20 - 20

Chapter 20:

[I get it now.] Beru realized. [The pet system seems to be a kind of prisoner of war.] The shadow fragment skill was the ability to release shadow soldiers from the corpses of enemies. On the other hand, the pet system allows enving enemies without killing them. The difference between the two was the presence of ''growth''. [If you kill wolfie right now and release him as a shadow soldier, he will be a wolf cub forever.] Gray''s situation was different from Beru, who was temporarily downsized due tock of mana. The moment he bes a shadow soldier, he would be released from his current weak and young form. [Of course, as the level of Young Master rises, wolfie will be affected to some extent as well. But, the limit will be clear. On the other hand, if you let them live like this...] "He''ll keep on getting bigger andter might be a huge wolf like Broki." [Yes. By that time, he will be of help to Young Master.] "Really?" Hearing that it would help him, Suho smiled and looked at Gray. [Gray Lv.2] Fang Wolf "Hnnggg." As soon as the madness from ''Skill: Harsh Command'' disappeared, Gray returned to being a worthless one-day old cub. At first, it seemed like he would die right away, but thanks to the level up, his condition looked much better. However, the image of him crouching in the corner and turning his gaze in a different direction seemed to be unfamiliar with Suho. Suho sighed. "How long will it take until I can use him?" [He''s insignificant right now, but wouldn''t he be helpful if he was bigger? He will earn experience on his own.] "It''s like an automatic hunting game." The problem was that the game was at the level of a mini-game at the moment. "Alright. Then, let''s keep raising Gray here." -I agree. Since he had to be fed three meals a day anyway, an environment like this would be perfect. "Huh?" [Hmm?] -Why? What? Aren''t we on the same side now? "..." Rakan''s Sword casually added his opinion. He had been floating around Suho by the Ruler''s Power. Snatch. Suho snatched the handle and said. "Okay. Then, should I slowly level up, too?" It wasn''t just Gray who entered the Shadow Dungeon. Even after finishing the 4-hour survival quest the other day, the Shadow Dungeon was still infested with wild goblins. Even if there was no quest, experience would be gained as Suho hunts. ''Last time I was too weak to run away, but things are very different now.'' It was also rewarding to level up during that time. Most of their name tags had turned white. Suho was confident that he could deal with them no matter how many they were. However, he had no intention of looking for each one of them hiding in the dark. "Inventory." Suho took out an item from his inventory that the goblins had dropped during thest survival quest. Beru, tilted his head. [Young Master, what is that?] "This?" Suho smiled. [Item: Horn] Difficulty to get: E Type: Instrument The horn used by the Goblin Commander to summon his men. "It''s an item I''ve already obtained, so shouldn''t I use it?" Suho put the horn in his mouth and blew vigorously. Woo-woo-! [Use ''Item: Horn'' to call nearby goblins.] That moment. Kiek-! The ck-and-white world became noisy. The goblins hiding in the darkness began to jump out at the same time. They were angry at the fact that the one who summoned them was a human. Krrrk, Krrrk! Krrrk! [Oh! You are truly brilliant! This is kind of reusing!] Suho fiercely showed his teeth as he watched the goblins attacking him from all sides. "Beru." [Yep!] "Now, it''s your turn to eat." [Krrrk!] Beru smirked with greedy eyes at those words. The mana stone was good, but eating the magical beast directly was much more efficient to recharge his mana. Right then. Ring! [''Daily Quest: Cleaning the Shadow Dungeon'' has arrived.] "Huh?" A message suddenly appeared in front of Suho''s eyes. [Daily Quest: Cleaning the Shadow Dungeon] 100 Goblins: Iplete (0/100) 10 Goblin Commanders: Iplete (0/10) 1 Goblin Main Commander: Iplete (0/1) "A daily quest?" Suho''s eyes widened. He was going to hunt anyway, but a timely quest just arrived. "This is great." Since it''s a quest, there will of course be a reward. For a daily quest, it meant that the reward would be given every day. [Anyway, the system seems to want to make this cepletely the territory of Young Master.] "... It''s the system my father used." Suho murmured with a longing expression. ''I remember when I was little I used to shine my dad''s shoes and get pocket money.'' "Okay! Let''s see how much pocket money he will give me this time!" Suho swung his sword [''Skill: de Storm'' has been used.] A violent storm raged. * * * After a while. "Khiikk!" [You have killed a Goblin Archer.] [100 Goblins: Iplete (89/100)] "Krrrk!" [You have killed a Goblin Commander.] [10 Goblin Commanders: Iplete (9/10)] Suho was ughtering goblins like a madman with two swords. But, he wasn''t fighting alone like before. Suho selected only thergest goblinmanders among the goblins and used them as shadow soldiers. Seven of them. [Number of shadows that can be released: 7/7] It was thanks to his intellect stat rising after catching Broki. However,pared to the past, Suho was still feeling regret despite the changes that could be called great development. "At times like this, it''s a pity that the shadow soldiers disappear on their own over time. You mentioned that my father said he also had a shadow storage skill, right?" [Yes, that''s right. His Majesty hasmanded eternal soldiers.] "Can I have itter too?" [I don''t know that much.] Suho licked his lips. ''Anyway.'' Despite this, no notice of level-up has been up yet. As the battle bes easy, the experiencees in less. ''This is practically like a morning exercise.'' It would still be a problem even if the daily quest was too difficult. He would be stressed fighting for his life every day. But... ''Isn''t it worth it?'' Suho took out the horn again. Woooo! Woo-woo-! [Use ''Item: Horn'' to call nearby goblins.] Then, immediately. Krrrk! Krrrk! Krrrk! Krrrk! From the darkness, a new army of goblins began to emerge. Beru opened his eyes wide and looked at Suho. [Young Master? Aren''t you almost done with the daily quest?] "Who cares? We have a lot of time today anyway, so let''s go on until we level up." [Heuk. Young Master is born to be a soldier ant.] "Is that apliment?" Suho smirked and was surrounded by the new goblins. After which... [Daily Quest: Cleaning the Shadow Dungeon] 100 Goblins: Complete (107/100) 10 Goblin Commanders: Complete (10/10) 1 Goblin Main Commander: Complete (1/1) [You havepleted ''Daily Quest: Cleaning the Shadow Dungeon''.] [Thepletion reward has arrived.] [Do you want to check the reward?] ( Y / N ) "... Yeah." Suho checked the quest window and opened his eyes wide. Ha didn''t check the message about the reward as he was frantically fighting with the goblins. But, he found something strange. [100 Goblins: Complete (107/100)] ''Why does the record keep umting even though I have reached the target?'' For a moment, Suho''s eyes glimmered. Is this really a coincidence? sh! Suho cut the head of the goblin who was just about to attack. [You have killed a Goblin Commander.] [10 Goblin Commanders: Done (11/10)] ''Again!'' Likewise, the other counts continued to umte. He was puzzled. ''Up until how much would it count?'' Suho started hunting the goblins with more enthusiasm than before. He eventually leveled up in the middle but he did not stop hunting. As a result... [100 Goblins: Complete (200/100)] [10 Goblin Commanders: Complete (20/10)] [1 Goblin Main Commander: Complete (1/1)] When it reached exactly twice the target number, no more counts were umted beyond that. ''There''s something about this.'' Suho''s curiosity had now turned to conviction. [1 Goblin Main Commander: Done (1/1)] Now all that remains is the mainmander. "Krrrk!" Killing that guy doubles everything. ''Then, what will happen?'' He wanted to see for himself. "Catch him so he can''t escape!" [Krrrk!] At Suho''smand, the shadow goblins rushed at the same time and seized the limbs of therge goblinmander. "Kyaaaagh!" It struggled a lot. Suho ran and cut off its head. Right then. Ring! [You havepleted ''Hidden Quest: Cleaning the Shadow Dungeon''.] [Thepletion reward has arrived.] [Do you want to check the reward?] ( Y / N ) "Hidden Quest?" The moment all counts doubled, the type of quest changed. Suho was delighted that his intuition was correct. After killing the mainmander, there were no goblins attacking anymore so he decided to check the reward right away. "Check the reward." Ring! [The following rewards were prepared.] Reward 1. State Recovery Reward 2. Ability Points +3 Hidden Reward 3. 1) Blessed Random Box (Select) 2) Cursed Random Box (Select) [Are you sure you will ept all?] ''There are three rewards?'' He decided to check the first reward first. He leveled up in the middle, but after fighting 200 goblins, his body waspletely exhausted. "ept the first reward." At that moment, Suho''s whole body was enveloped in a faint blue aura. Just like when leveling up, his conditions were back to normal and everything was replenished. "Oh, this is good." The moment he felt it, he realized how to use this reward in the future. He would save this reward and use it in a timely manner so he won''t have to wait vaguely to level up when he''s in the middle of a battle. "ept the second reward." The second reward, ''ability point +3'', was also very good. He tried it today, but the higher the level, the more difficult it was to level up. But since this was a daily quest reward, he thought that from now on, he could be stronger every day this way. And finally... Only the reward for the hidden quest remains. Hidden Reward 3. 1) Blessed Random Box (Select) 2) Cursed Random Box (Select) Options wereid in front of Suho. Chapter 21 - 21

Chapter 21:

Fancy chandelier. Expensive liquors set on the table. Vice President Lee Minseong was again drunk in the VIP room today. Normally, the ce would have been busy with boisterousughter and intense skinship, but today the atmosphere was somehow different. Crack! "Kyaaah!" The girl who was hosting him screamed in surprise at the bursting sound of the ss he threw. "Oh, dear. Why is my sweetheart in such a bad mood today?~" After a while, ady entered the room and sat next to him with an elegant smile. Right then, he sent all the other staff out. They quickly get out of the room. The room became dark in an instant. Thedy poured the wine into a new ss and nced at Lee Minseong. He had been staring at his phone for a while. ''What''s going on?'' Thedy nced at the screen of his phone. ''Comments?'' Thedy''s eyes furrowed slightly. -So, who was the hunter who destroyed the Hyena Guild? -I''m also curious. I heard he went into Gwanaksan alone and saved everyone. -That was amazing. Who was that? -Report) He was wearing a mask, survivors said they couldn''t see his face. -Just what kind of strength does he have? Why did he hide his face when he did such a good job? -Isn''t that obvious? There are rumors that the Hyena Guild''s backer was Reaper Guild. Of course he had to hide his identity. -Right. Whoever you are, don''t ever get caught. Reaper Guild will get their revenge right away haha On the Inte, there was still a lot of noise about the Gwanaksan Field incident. People were eagerly guessing the identity of the hunter who solved this case alone, but the evidence was toocking. -But, who was it really? -Since he caught the boss mob by himself, he must be at least an A-ss hunter, right? -If he has good skills, he can theoretically be ss B. -No, if he has good skills, it is possible to be in the C or D ss. -ss D? Bullshit haha -Ah~ Write novels in your diary. Thousands and tens of thousands ofments were all curious about the hunter''s identity. There was a lot of nonsense and a lot of jokes among them, but the general public opinion eventually came down to one word. -Hero. The more the Hyena Guild''s vicious behaviors were revealed one by one, their image became increasingly demonic. In return, the favorability towards the hunter, who destroyed them alone, was soaring nationwide. "What? You still haven''t found his identity?" Chills. Lee Minseong''s expression darkened. He gritted his teeth and red at thedy. "Are you mocking me?" "Oh, I''m kidding. Of course I''m worried. If our dear vice president''s informants can''t do their job, you would surely try to get a hint from thements." Clench. "That''s going to hurt your teeth. You told your informants to go find the survivors. What did they say?" "... He used twin swords." "What?" "They said he summoned beasts." "Summon? Oh my goodness." Thedy covered her mouth with a surprised look at Lee Minseong''s answer. "It''s a big deal after all. Are there any hunters who can do that?" "No one." "No one?" "A summoner or something killing that beast Broki is absolutely impossible." Lee Minseong, who had seen the giant hyena Broki in person, was sure of it. "The summoning skill must have done something to blur the reality. It could be an illusion skill, or it might not actually be a summoning skill. The summoner was hiding behind. That''s for sure." No matter how much he thought about it, this was something that one individual could never do. The most significant fact was one thing. He killed Broki with his twin swords. "If that''s the case, you just need to have those twin swords in your hand." "That''s right. But, as I was saying, there is no information." "What~? That''s no fun." The disappointeddy held up the wine ss on the table and drank it down. ''I thought it was something great because he was making a fuss, but it was something annoying. Something really childish.'' But, she understands him. Lee Minseong has always lived a winning life. He was born with a golden spoon. A young Hallyu star. When the cataclysm broke out, he immediately awakened as an A-ss hunter. Great luck. At this point, it was no exaggeration to say that the entire universe revolved around Lee Minseong. ''But suddenly, his driver became an S-ss hunter.'' When Lee Minseong awakened, the whole world congratted him. That same evening, his old friend and driver Lim Taegyu suddenly became an S-ss hunter. At that moment, Lee Minseong... was blinded by jealousy. The hierarchy, which seemed to have never changed, was overturned in an instant. ''Well, that''s why it''s good.'' There is no other person who is easy to deal with like a person with a superiorityplex. Thedy smiled and poured a drink into Lee Minseong''s ss. "Don''t be too anxious. He''ll get caught someday. Rather, shall we talk about business now?" "Hmm." Lee Minseong became calm. "Star dust." Thedy asked with the most seductive smile. "Were there some problems in the prototype?" "... There were no defects in the product but the human itself." "Human defect? Just how bad it was that one dies after taking a mana amplifier? Are you now afraid to use it?" Contrary to that, thedy did not look frightened at all. And, Lee Minseong too... "Who and how many died?" "Hmm. 30 people from what I heard. But strangely, only low-level hunters died. Was it really a human defect?" "Only the lower ss died... After all, star dust is also affected by the manaposition. Hmm." Lee Minseong focused only on the effect of the prototype even though a person had died. "So, when will the next batche out again?" Thedy went a step further. "Besides, people who haven''t died are still waiting for the next batch." "Soon." Lee Minseong coldly red at thedy who smiled and teased him. "Let''s hasten the demons." * * * At that time, Suho was facing an important decision-making situation. [You must select one of the two random boxes.] [Blessed Random Box] We give the desired item to the ''yer''. [Cursed Random Box] We provide the necessary items to the ''yer''. [Which one would you like to choose?] "Want vs. Need? What''s with these?" [Even though these two options for the hidden reward seem like a game at first, there is a distinct difference.] Beru exined. [The ''what you want'' may not be necessary once you receive it. Simrly, if you actually receive ''necessary things'', something you don''t want maye out.] "That''s why it''s called a cursed random box." [That''s right. For example, in a situation where you need a powerful weapon, a terrible bomb maye out instead which will blow up the whole area including yourself...!] "Is that possible? It''s a system passed down from my father, so there''s no way they would put me in danger with a quest reward, right?" [Kehehe. That is also true.] Suho had nothing to worry about. "Cursed random box." [Oh! that? You are brave!] "Maybe it''s because I''m still at a low level, or I''m still not sure what I want specifically. But, there''s so much that''s needed." He didn''t even know what items were beyond the system, but the categories he could imagine were too vague. Suho smiled and chose the reward. "Besides, my father knew my needs better than I did ever since." [This reward is given by the system, not by His Majesty...] "It is what it is." Suho shrugged and held out his hand. A small box appeared on top of it. It was a box tied with a ribbon in in wrapping paper. He carefully opened the box. Ring! [Obtained ''Item: Vulcan''s Horn''.] The box disappeared, and a sword fell on Suho''s hand. "This?" [Item: Horn of Volcan] Difficulty to obtain: ?? Type: Sword Attack +40 A sword crafted from the horns of the greedy demon Vulcan. Vulcan''s powers are embedded, dealing more damage. -Effect ''Destruction Desire'': Increases physical damage by [30%]. -Effect ''Demon Predator'': The power of Vulcan bes stronger as it devours the demon''s soul. [Devoured Demon Soul: 0] As he read the item description, Suho''s eyes widened. "It is a growth type item!" [Wow!] The description saying ''increases physical damage by [30%]'' must mean that it increases as Suho hunts demons! In addition, the basic attack power itself was 10 times higher than Rakan''s Sword! -Hmm. I have the effects ''Contempt for the Weak'' and ''Mortal Wound'', so if you think about it, I''m a bit more... Rakan''s Sword muttered something, but no one listened. "Isn''t it great? The items you really need are here." Suho smiled contentedly and lifted Vulcan''s Horn with one hand. Swooooooosh-! When he turned around with great force, the sound of the wind cutting like a windmill was very intimidating. However, the weight of the sword was a bit heavy. Suho immediately allocated all the ability points he received from daily quest rewards into strength, and it became easier to handle. "I really like it. All I need now is a demon." But so far, he hasn''t heard of a dungeon with demon-type monsters. ''It seems that they were subjugated in the past.'' Should we go out and do a search on the Inte? Suho immediately took out the key to the Shadow Dungeon. Swoosh! [You have exited the Shadow Dungeon.] When he came out, there were 5 missed calls on his cell phone. The caller was Assistant Professor Lim. "Why was he calling?" Suho was puzzled and called him back right away. He received an unexpected proposal from Assistant Professor Lim. -Suho, do you want to do a part-time job? "Suddenly?" -Uhh. Some of the porters who were supposed toe suddenly went off grid. * * * "Thank you so much foring, Suho! I''m alive because of you!" Professor Lim was ready to bow down to Suho as he arrived on time. "No, this really doesn''t happen much, but today, several people went offgrid at the same time." "After signing a contract?" "Yes! I know, right?" Professor Lim clenched his fists, recalling the hunters who had lost contact without a word. "Those people must have gone somewhere and drank alcohol in groups and fell asleep." Lim''s anger was justified. Collectors and miners usually worked together in teams, so in this case the entire team was fined for breach of contract. But, no worries now. Because, Suho came right away! Lim ced his hands on Suho''s shoulders and said seriously. "Suho. Today, you really have to give your all. I only believe in you." What he believed in was none other than Suho''s summoning skill. He remembered Suho''s summoning beasts during the mining operation days ago. "Since you were hired in a hurry, I''ll take care of your daily wage." [You will?] Beru, who suddenly appeared, widened his eyes and red at Professor Lim. Lim was surprised and hurriedly corrected his words. "I-I''ll give it to you, Sir. No, I will be honored to give it to you, Sir." [Right. Since you have brought a precious person to this humble ce, please continue to maintain that attitude.] [Or I''ll chew your whole head off...] Beru red at Assistant Professor Lim sharply. Suho slightly turned his head and looked at the dungeon he would enter today. [Seoul Station Field] ¡ù Dangerous Area It was the entrance to the subway station where blue mist slowly rose. The Seoul Station Field has been neglected for a year already because the basement is too deep and the structure isplicated. Seeing that ce, Suho suddenly had this idea. The cursed random box that was said to give necessary items. Vulcan''s Horn came out of it. The reason why the sword that devours the devil came into his hands was because he really needed ''two swords''. Or, if not... Was it because he would have to deal with a ''demon'' sooner orter? "Teacher, what are we catching here today?" Suho smirked and asked Assistant Professor Lim. Chapter 22 - 22

Chapter 22:

"Suho, don''t you have a personal protective suit yet? Wear this." Professor Lim handed over a thick coat to Suho. It was an all-in-one work clothes with top and bottom connected. "These gloves and work boots are a set, wear them." "Thank you." "Thank you for what? It''s only natural that you didn''t prepare anything because I suddenly called. Learn this time that a protective suit is a must for collectors." Following the exnation of the roles of minersst time, herees season 2. Assistant Professor Lim''s lecture on collectors continued. "Being a collector is a much more dangerous job than a miner." A miner''s job was not dangerous unless it was a special case like the previous Korea University incident. It was because all miners had to do was pick up a pickaxe safely at the back end of the dungeon after all the hunting was over. "It''s different for collectors." The position of the collector is right in the middle of the raiders and the miners. In order to collect the corpse of the beast that the raiders had hunted, they had to follow closely behind. There were frequent idents where the raiders were attacked by monsters and they couldn''t hold out. "There are only one or two at most cases, so if you''re careful when they suddenly pop up at first, the raiders wille running to rescue." "So, it''s a protective suit for just that moment." "That''s right. But actually, it''s more useful when collecting the corpse of the monsters. If they have sharp thorns or scales, ordinary clothes will be scratched and ruined while working." "Teacher..." "Ah, it''s alright. No need to feel touched about it. This is nothingpared to what you did." "No, this reeks of a widower." "... It''s because I live alone." * * * After a while. Raiders arrived at the scene. Suho calmly observed them. A total of 10 members. ''4 D-ss mage hunters, 5 D-ssbat hunters, and 1 C-ss healer?'' It seemed that that C-ss male healer was the leader of the raid. However, the raid leader strode towards Suho and red at Assistant Lim. "Why are there so few collectors?" Assistant Lim lowered his head with an apologetic look on his face. "I am sorry. For some reason, the collectors went offgrid all at the same time. Instead, today this friend..." "What? That''s all you can say? After making a contract, what kind of irresponsible thing is that? Do you know how much it will cost if the schedule goes wrong?" "No, no. There will be no disruption to the schedule. This friend actually has a summoning skill, so there won''t be any problems with work..." "What? Are you kidding me now? Summoning skill?" The longer Lim''s words continued, the more stern the expression of the raid leader became. He nced at Suho, then looked up and down. Suho was standing at a distance. Professor Lim quickly stepped in front of him. "Oh, boss! You really don''t have to worry. This friend can summon ones who will make up for the shortfall. I specially invited someone who is good at work." The raid leader let out a deep sigh. "Is that all you have to say? So you didn''t add more people because you trusted him? Just take the daily wage and leave!" As his voice grew louder, other raiders flocked to the area. "Captain, what is it?" "What''s this? Where are the other collectors?" "Is this going to work out with this number?" Surrounded by their cold eyes, the collectors couldn''t help but feel intimidated. The raiders'' anger was actually reasonable. If the number of collectors is small, the work will be slowed down. The raiders in front would have to slow down as well. The purpose of hunting itself was to make money from the corpses of monsters, but it would be meaningless to abandon the collectors and hunt by themselves. Even here at Seoul Station Field, there are no mana stones, so they had to earn money purely from monster corpses. "Captain, that''s enough. This doesn''t happen every day anyway. We can''t change our schedule now, so let''s just go in as nned." "Yes, Chief. We have no other choice." At the persecution of the members, the raid leader finally let go of Assistant Professor Lim. "Anyway, just try to fall behind today. I will file a formalint to the association. You''ll take responsibility and I''ll make sure you don''t collect again." "Yes, yes. We will do our best. Trust me." As the 10 members of the raiders took turns speaking one by one, Professor Lim, who was standing in the center, lowered his head with a mentally drained expression. Since he hadmitted a sin, whatever he said was bound to be an excuse. He was also unhappy. ''I''m not even the collector leader, so why am I...'' In fact, the real collector leader was also one of the collectors that disappeared without notice. That''s why Assistant Professor Lim, who was nominally the deputy team leader, took the me and bowed his head instead. It seemed that the raid leader''s anger had eased a little. "Tsk. This is why they are low-level hunters." The raid leader turned around. "Arise." Kehehehe- "W-What?!" The hunters looked around in shock at the sound of evilughter that suddenly hovered in the air. [Krrrk! Krrrk!] ck monsters suddenly rose from the floor! The evil goblins with ck steam all over their bodies giggled and red at them. But their sizes... were much bigger than a normal goblin. "G-Goblin Commander? No, the Main Commander!" "Why are they out of the field...?!" The raiders hurriedly took out their weapons. ''God! They are slowly approaching!'' "I don''t think they are normal ones!" "Everyone ready for battle!" "Captain! Fall back!" The goal of the raid is to protect the healer! They quickly mobilized to fight off the goblins...! [Krrrk?] Fight... [Kerreuk?] "... Huh?" However, the goblins had no will to fight. [Keruk, Keruk?] "... What?" The ck goblins tilted their heads, confused as to why the raiders were so angry. When they didn''t move forward, the raiders stood hesitantly holding their weapons. "Hmm." Professor Lim cleared his throat and intervened. "What''s the problem, Chief? These are the summoned beasts I talked about earlier." "... Ah" It was only then that the raiders understood the situation. Looking around, the collectors were standing there staring nkly at them, as if this had already been discussed. In the end, only the raiders were surprised and made a fuss. "That is... uhh, yes. Okay." "The numbers... That''s a lot." "One, two... seven." "Yes. That''s twice as many as the missing collectors." "Kuhm-hmm." At Lim''s words, the raiders felt embarrassed and averted their gazes. In response to their reaction, Assistant Professor Lim secretly raised his thumb toward Suho. Suho smiled at him. These seven shadow goblins were released in advance during the daily quest, so there was no need to pick up the cumbersome bodies again. "Okay then, let''s go in." As Suho moved, the shadow goblins followed. Suho murmured as he passed by the raiders, who were still standing hesitantly. "Don''t fall behind for nothing." "..." * * * That''s how they entered the Seoul Station Field urgently. The interior of Seoul Station, which had already been eroded, was full of darkness as the electricity was cut off, and the walls and floor were filled with unknown vines and moss. "It''s slippery, so watch your step." The raid leader walking aheadmanded hisrades. "Secure the line of sight." Fire. Fireballs rose from the hands of the mage hunters all at once and circled around. Thanks to this, the surroundings became brighter, and the blue mist lightly covering the field was slightly cleared. At the same time, the identities of the monsters hiding in the darkness were revealed. "Shaaak!" Spiny lizards crawling all over the walls and ceilings! "Everyone ready for battle!" At themand of the raid leader, the hunters ran out and started using their skills. And as a healer, the leader of the raid, who was protected from behind, looked back at the collectors. The embarrassment from earlier still lingered on his face. "Collectors... follow along carefully and start working. Collecting the corpses of spiny lizards makes some money." ''He''s not the demon.'' Suho licked his lips, feeling disappointed. It seemed that the cursed random box had no other purpose than to bring a useful sword needed to have a twin sword. Still, it was rewarding toe here with Assistant Professor Lim. ''It''s the first time I''ve seen other hunters battle.'' Suho moved the lizard corpse to the cart and watched the battle of the raiders with his eyes. It was definitely fun to watch the way several hunters fought by linking different abilities and skills. ''So, this is how raids are done.'' In order to efficientlymand the seven shadow soldiers, it was necessary to learn groupbat when an opportunity like this arose. Up until now, he had only released and used the same type of monsters, butter he wanted to fight strategically while wielding various monsters at the same time. To do so, it was necessary to obtain various types of monster corpses in advance and store them in the Shadow Dungeon. ''Being a collector would help.'' It was the reason why Suho readily epted Assistant Professor Lim''s proposal in the first ce. Collectors were the perfect job to save the corpses of monsters. Besides, from Suho''s point of view, there was nothing difficult about being a collector. "Pick it up." [Keruk!] "Put it on the cart." [Kerruk!] The shadow goblins move in perfect order at Suho''s words and collect the dead lizards. It was enough for Suho to leisurely walk along as if he were taking a day walk. Meanwhile, Beru was sneaking one or two dead lizards into the Shadow Dungeon. There were too many lizards anyway, so even if he stole a few, it wouldn''t even matter. Well, of course, there were lizards that disappeared as Beru''s snacks. Then a problem arose. Suho had been doing well. The collector''s job was basically to pick up the corpse of the monster and put it in the cart. However, if it was a huge one, it had to be cut into pieces with a saw or knife. It was actually the most difficult and it took a long time. It was never easy to cut through the tough skin and bones of monsters with the power of an E-ss hunter. That was nothing to the shadow soldiers that were goblinmanders and mainmanders. [Krrrk, Krrrk!] Thanks to them, the collectors'' work speed eventually overtook the raiders'' hunting speed. The collectors eventually had nothing to do, so they only waited and watched for the hunting to end. "Haaaa." "Ughhh." The sight of Professor Lim''s yawning from behind made the raiders'' faces reddened. If they hadn''t told him not to fall behind at the beginning, they wouldn''t have been in such an embarrassing situation. It was then. "For a moment. Stop what you''re doing." Suddenly, the raid leader stopped the hunting and strode toward the collectors with a determined expression. Suho stood exactly at the end. ''What now?'' ''What kind of fight is he going to make again?'' The expression of the collectors became serious at the situation. Thud. The raid leader then arrived in front of Suho. "Hey." He stared at Suho''s face intently and opened his tightly closed mouth. "Do you have ns on signing a contract with our team?" [Whoops.] Beru nodded with a very proud expression behind. [As expected, Young Master''s extraordinary talent shines anytime, anywhere. This guy has an eye for great...] "Be our exclusive collector!" [Wait, what?] "You have the gift of a natural collector... Your sry would be the highest in the collector industry..." Assistant Professor Lim barely stopped Beru from saying that he would kill those bugs with a fiery gaze in his eyes. Chapter 23 - 23

Chapter 23:

"Captain!" There was an urgent call for the raid leader in front. "I found a human body!" "A corpse?" The raid leader, who was talking to Suho, hurriedly returned to the hunters. His eyes widened when he saw the body. "Is it a real corpse?" "But this... doesn''t look like an ordinary corpse." Their expressions became serious. The condition of the body was certainly strange. A corpse that was burned like ck charcoal. It was an unnatural corpse to be found at Seoul Station. "I''ve never heard of a monster who used fire here." "That''s what I''m saying." Just in time, Suho came to see the condition of the body with the collectors. ''Huh?'' Suho''s eyes widened. The state of the body was very familiar. He turned his head to the side and looked at Assistant Lim. "Suho, this corpse..." "Yes. It looks like a Mist Burn." Suho nodded to confirm. The raiders turned their attention to Suho all at the same time. "Mist Burn?" "That blue fiery demon?" "Are you sure?" Unless it was arge guild, hunters didn''t know all the types of monsters. "I am sure." After Suho digged through the Korea University incident, he had been looking for information about Mist Burn on the Inte. And he found out one surprising fact. Mist Burns... weren''t naturally monsters. Suho calmly muttered the information he had read then. "Mist Burn self-ignites when a non-awakened person inhales a certain amount of blue mist." "W-What?!" "Mist Burns were originally humans?" Among the hunters with a short career, there were people who didn''t even know about it. That''s also because it wasn''t long before the Hunter Association revealed the truth about Mist Burn. It was a well-known fact that Mist Burns attacked humans and increased their clones. However, there was hardly any way to assert how the first Mist Burns were formed. One of the hunters realized something and murmured. "Wait. If that''s how Mist Burn first appeared, what about the rumor that you can awaken by drinking blue mist?" "Obviously, it is nonsense. Or, the information about Mist Burn has been misrepresented." -You can awaken by drinking blue mist? It''s already been over a year since this rumor started circting on the Inte like an urban legend. However, no one has yet been able to uncover the truth of the rumor. ''... Everyone who drank it as an experiment would have burned to death.'' But, that didn''t matter now. "Then this corpse... How the hell did it get down here?" This was exactly what the hunters were curious about. This ce was on the 4th basement floor of Seoul Station. It didn''t make sense for a non-awakened person to have gone through the lizards all this way by himself. Also, it was even more strange that he walked down here on his own after bing a Mist Burn. If he had gone out of the station to burn other people, it would have made sense. But, he would not havee down to this ce where there were only monsters. "Captain! Here too!" At that time, a new body was found some distance away. The condition of the body was the same as before. It was the charred remains of Mist Burn. "Over here too!" Even after that, the hunters were able to find several more bodies. The more this happened, the more serious the raid leader''s expression became. ''... Something''s wrong.'' As a person responsible for the safety of the hunters, it was difficult to just ignore this strange situation. However, the matter was too personal to stop hunting just because of it. Besides, they only found a few corpses. Also, with this amount of people gathered, even if dozens of Mist Burns appeared, it would be manageable. "Let''s keep hunting first." The raid resumed. "Suho." Professor Lim approached Suho with an uneasy expression. "I''ll tell you in advance this time." "What?" "If there is danger, can I run away first?" "...?" [Huh, what''s with this coward?] Suho and Beru looked at Assistant Lim with ridiculous expressions. But, Professor Lim was really sincere. "You know I have escaping skills, right? If something happens, you can use your summoning skill to run away. I will run away on my own, too." Assistant Professor Lim kept looking around like something was unsettling while he was talking. Suho looked at his face and asked. "Teacher... You seem sure that something will happen." "No, it''s not that. Of course, it''s a lot better if nothing happens. But, just in case..." In response to Suho''s words, Assistant Professor Lim finally let out a deep sigh and confessed his thoughts. "In fact... My mother was killed by Mist Burn." "..." "She herself became Mist Burn and tried to kill me." "..." "That''s why I''m so scared of Mist Burn. It feels like my mother is trying to kill me again." Suho couldn''t say anything against that. * * * Right then. "Aaaaackkk!" From the depths of Seoul Station, a loud scream erupted. "Hot, hot...!" "Aagh! Aaaagh! Aaaaagh!" Screams! A group of people chained together were struggling in agony. Their bodies were wrapped in blue mist. "Help! Please spare me! I''ll say I didn''t see anything! Really nothing...!" Behind them, people who weren''t burned yet were begging for their lives, sobbing in despair. Pure fear. Madness. It didn''t make sense. Why did they have to suffer in a ce like that? No one could answer the question. It was obvious. Because there was no reason for it in the first ce. They were just terribly unlucky. For just that reason alone, they were being burned alive. "Is it that hot?" There were people in front who were calmly watching their screams. "Hmm. It should have been hotter. The firepower is not good." They were a group of people wearing masks and ck robes. Their faces were covered with crow masks, like something out of a medieval movie. "Hey, can we not increase the firepower?" "We are running out of fuel." "Tsk. The fuel is always the problem. Can''t we get more?" "Since all the Hyena Guild members were caught this time..." "Argh. How can something like this happen?" The crow-masked babbled. Meanwhile, the screams that seemed to go on forever were suddenly cut off. While they were tied in that ce... [Roooaaar!] Mist Burn. The blue mist monster, burning with the ck corpse as its wick, was roaring ferociously. [Grrrrr!] "Oh, hey. Nice to meet you, too." A crow-masked waved his hands nonchntly while wearing thick gloves. "Okay then, let''s start working before the firewood goes out." "What should I do when I''m done?" One crow-masked in the corner raised a hand and asked. Next to himy the remains of a Mist Burn that had cooled off. "Oh, that one. We will be doing the work ourselves, so throw it away ande." "Yes, Sir." "You know you can''t throw it away nearby, right?" "Of course." The crow-masked loaded the remains of Mist Burn onto the cart one by one. He grumbled as he dragged the cart outside. "Ugh. So bothersome. Where should I throw it away this time? If I could, I''d just like to pile them all up near the factory." "Hey, haven''t you heard about this location? Throw it away as far as possible!" "I know." The crow-masked shrugged and disappeared into the darkness, pulling the wagon as it creaked. The other crow-masked who were watching from behind clicked their tongues as if they didn''t like it. "He keeps on beingzy." "Even though he says that, he is a good guy. Now, let''s start slowly." "Yep. The 13th star dust work will begin." The eyes of the crow-masked became extremely cautious. Meanwhile, the eyes of those chained behind them were full of desperation. ''Please save us.'' ''Anyone please...'' They begged and begged. But their voices did not reach anywhere. * * * [Ehhh?] Beru''s antennae pricked up. He turned his head and stared into the darkness of the subway tunnel. [Young Master.] "I felt it, too." Suho was also looking in that direction. ''Is it because my senses stat have increased?'' [Information] Sense: A stat that raises the five senses. Crisis detection ability increases. In the darkness of long subway tracks, somewhere in that deep tunnel, he felt a gloomy aura. ''It''s creepy.'' He could tell without looking. There must have been something powerful lurking at the other end. The first thing that came to his mind was the existence of the boss. However, Seoul Station Field was an old dungeon that had already been there for a year. That means other hunters have already been wiping out monsters that make money like boss mobs. As a result, the only monsters left were lizards with high numbers and excellent fertility. ''If it''s not a boss, what is this energy?'' Suho looked at the raiders who were hunting the lizards. ''Has no one else noticed but me?'' Something was ring their way from the dark. Like... Like an eagle watching its prey from afar in the sky. Its target was the raiders who were making noise in the area. Also... "The fuel came to me." Suddenly, a voice muttered in the dark. "...!" Suho and Beru''s eyes widened and shouted at the same time. "Avoid that!" [An enemy!] Bang-! "...!" An explosion urred. Then, there appeared something wearing a ck robe. An unidentified man wearing a crow mask. But no one thought of him as human. The monster''s forearm, abnormally swollen, was sticking out of the ck robe. "It''s a humanoid monster!" The hunters quickly regrouped. "Oh. Avoid?" The monster slowly stood up and pulled out his fist stuck in the tunnel floor. "Great." Crack. A piece of cement crumbled in his truly bizarre-looking hand. Then... Swoosh. In an instant, his figure disappeared from everyone''s sight. "...!" The eyes of the surprised hunters became busy looking for him. But it was already toote. ''The troublesome healer first.'' Wedge-! Suddenly, his bloated fist appeared from behind, aiming for the defenseless back of the raid leader. The raid leader''s eyes widened when he realized he was a stepter. Then. Swish-! "...!" The eyes of the monster widened. Someone jumped in front of him and blocked the attack. sh! ck blood gushed out like a fountain. "Argh." Suho blocked the fist with the ''Vulcan''s Horn'' and red at the monster. "Look who''s this?" The corner of the mouth of the monster rose wickedly. Chapter 24 - 24

Chapter 24:

Suho pulled out two swords from his inventory immediately and blocked the attack. The monster and Suho''s eyes crossed each other in the air. ''It''s a tremendous power.'' ''Is this the right way?'' Suho''s current muscle strength is at 39. Because ability points were distributed based on strength stats, Suho was most confident in strength among other stats. However, the power of this one-armed monster was no less than that. Thud! The two fell back at the same time. They then gushed towards each other with even greater speed. sh! Swish! Swish! Suho''s twin swords swung hard. The monster''s bloated arms blocked the attacks, crushing the walls and floors. "Ack!" 2 seconds away from death. Thanks to Suho, the raid leader managed to get out of the crisis and immediately fell back. ''What happened? How did he...'' Suho''s fighting power was momentarily stopped, but he did not forget his duty. The most important skill as a raider was having a keen eye to grasp the level of the demonic beast. In other words, it was the ability to sense a crisis. "It''s a D-ss monster! Everyone, attack!" The raid leader quickly assessed the mana level of the monster and shouted to everyone. "D-ss?" The hunters came to their senses and prepared to attack all at once. "There would be no problems!" "Die!" sh! They focused on the monster that was fighting Suho. However, the enemy easily dodged all those attacks and jumped backwards. "D-ss?" He smirked, clinging to the tunnel wall like a spider. "What happened to the quality of evaluation you do to someone in front of you?" His other hand was tucked into the robe. Swoop. A small potion came out of his chest. "That''s...?!" Assistant Lim was the first person to find out what the potion was. A blue liquid that sparkles with brilliant starlight. "Stardust! It''s stardust! Don''t let him eat that!" The eyes of the hunters widened at Assistant Professor Lim''s words. "Stardust?" "Could it be the infamous mana power booster?" There was a rumor that had been spreading secretly among hunters since some time ago. -I heard that there is a mana enhancer called stardust. ording to the rumors, it was a medicine that would keep your mana power up for about a week if you consume it. They even said that there were no side effects. The price was too expensive, but that didn''t matter. It was because they could earn more money by entering a higher dungeon and hunting by using the mana power amplified by stardust. As a result, it was always unavable. Even if they wanted one, they could not find it. "Correct." The monster grinned and bit the potion bottle with his mouth exposed under the mask. "Stop!" Gulp. By the time the hunters rushed at him, it was already toote. Damn it! After swallowing the stardust, his body began to swell rapidly. As if bncing that one arm that was already bloated. "Roar!" He roared ferociously and bounced off the wall. Following that, two huge arms swept the bodies of the hunters. "Aaaah!" Hunters bounced in all directions like bowling pins. "No way." The raid leader couldn''t believe his eyes. It was a mistake to judge that the monster was D-ss. "C-ss... monster?!" It waspletely unexpected. He could never have imagined that stardust could amplify mana to such an extent! "Everyone, run away! He''s something we can''t handle by ourselves!" [No. You have to do that.] "...!" Beru went to the raid leader''s side smiling. [Young Master is now activated.] "...!" There was no need to ask who Beru was referring to. Suho was already attacking with the shadow soldiers. "Use the Shadow Goblin skill!" [Krrrk, Krrrk!] Currently, the seven shadow soldiers led by Suho consisted of five goblinmanders and two shadow mainmanders. And as they were the captains who led the normal goblins, they each had their own skills. [Krrrrk!] [Shadow Goblin uses ''Skill: Ice Arrow''.] Swoosh! A cold ice spear flew and froze the legs of the monster. Great! The same guy who was pressuring Suho with his tremendous strength and size temporarily stopped moving. [Krrrk!] Swoosh! The evil redness fell on him. [Shadow Goblin uses ''Skill: Curse of Blood''.] [The physical damage is increased by 15% for 1 minute.] "...!" The monster, who had been cursed with decreased mobility and increased damage received, was taken aback. [Krrrk!] The shadow goblins rushed at him trying to butcher him to pieces with daggers and saws. "Haha! This kind of trick...!" sh! He shook off his frozen legs and tore the shadow goblins to shreds. But... [Krrrk!] The shadow goblins giggled even more ridiculously, their body that had been cut in half stuck back on the spot. They clung to the body of the giant monster and began stabbing their daggers mercilessly. "Ouch! W-What is this...?!" His face was filled with embarrassment for the first time. The weapons the seven goblins were holding were at most knives and saws trying to cut him to pieces. Even if a curse that amplifies damage by 15% was added, it did not cause significant damage to him. However, when the madness of the infinitely regenerating goblins was added, the synergy was not negligible. [Kehehe! Kehehe!] [Krrrk! Krrrk!] sh! sh! [Kehehehe!] "These leeches!" The monster, covered in instant ck blood, continued to tear and beat those who clung to him angrily. The more the goblins did, the more tenaciously they regenerate their bodies and bit him. "W-What the hell is that..." The hunters who watched the horrendous and brutal battle were stunned. "How could he summon..." The skill of a summon hunter they were familiar with was not like that. They thought it was only like hitting an insect the size of a fingernail to kill it. Or, summoning sleeping butterflies to put one or two monsters to sleep. Of course, there were hunters who made useful summons from time to time. But, there were never ones dealing with demon-like monsters ying infinitely and fooling opponents. Suho''s mana was not infinite as well. ''Mana is consumed when you regenerate a shadow soldier. The more time it takes, the more I have to lose.'' sh! Suho''s Rakan''s Sword and Vulcan''s Horn cut through the giant body again and again. sh! It went on faster. [Effect ''Mortal Wound'': Inflicts more than twice as much fatal damage with a 15% chance.] The skill of Rakan''s Sword shone. "Ah! Bastard-!" The monster was furious and red at Suho, the culprit behind all this. And then! "...!" Ignoring the small attacks of the goblins, he grabbed the weapon from Suho with his big hands. "Ha. I finally got it. You little rat." Blood burst from his grasp by squeezing the de of the sword, but it was okay. He struck Suho in the side with his other fist and with an evil smile on his lips. Boom-! There was a sound of drums exploding. [''Skill: Endurance'' reduces damage.] Suho just red at him with provocative eyes. "Try more." [Skill: Endurance Lv.2] Passive skill. No mana required. You have indomitable tenacity. Increases physical defense by 40%. "This bastard!" m! He lifted Suho''s body with his sword and smashed it to the floor. "Ack!" The shock caused Suho to vomit blood from his mouth and let go of the sword. "Oh, no!" "Suho!" His ears buzzed. It was as if the voice he heard was clouded. "Tsk. Dare to speak to a weak summon hunter." Suho somehow heard the mocking voice of the monster. "Now, I will use this sword." He seemed to be quite pleased with Suho''s sword that drove him to a bloody mess. Suho was pleased just the same. -What the hell? "Huh?" That moment. Suho, who was lying on the floor, smirked. -Who dares covet the sword of the Monarch! "...!" Swoosh! Red veins swelled up on the arm of the monster that was holding the Rakan''s Sword. "W-What is this...!" He was frightened and tried to shake off Rakan''s Sword, but it was of no use. The sword clung to his hands as if they were glued, and began to eat away his body. -You dare to intoxicate me? Give me your soul and body, then die! "This crazy sword!" The monster tried to counter it. Then the cold energy suppressed deep in him pushed out the energy of Rakan''s Sword. -What are you doing? You were already consumed. Rakan''s Sword burst intoughter. -You bastard, you must have already lost your body to the devil. "Arrrggh!" The monster roared and managed to shake off Rakan''s Sword from his hands. But then. Ack- Suho approached and pierced the monster''s heart with the Vulcan''s Horn. He let out a heavy breath with his eyes wide open. "Checkmate." Suho cut him using the Vulcan''s horn and tore his body in two. sh! ck blood sprinkled like rain. Thud. The mask fell off his face as he tumbled across the floor. A face so distorted that it could not be called a human was revealed. "Khhhh...!" He let out hisst breath. "You only managed to kill me... Don''t be too happy." "What?" "Sooner orter, you guys will all be dead anyway." He left such a curse-like will. "... Just as how the Radiru n perished." He lost the light in his eyes. That moment. Swoosh! [Vulcan''s Horn devours the demon''s soul.] Vulcan''s Horn sucked evil energy from his body. [Devoured Demon Soul: 1] [Effect ''Destruction Desire'': Increases physical damage by [31%]. "Demon?" Confusion appeared in Suho''s eyes. So this is the reason why the cursed random box gave a Vulcan''s Horn. [Your level increased!] Swoosh! Suho''s whole body was enveloped in a soft blue light, and all the wounds he had suffered werepletely healed. Suho recalled thest words the monster said. "... Radiru n? What did he mean?" [About the Radiru n perished?] Beru came to Suho''s side and tilted his head. "You know that?" [I know. Radiru n was a demonic aristocrat. Even if they were noble families, they were one of the weakest in the 20th ce in the demon hierarchy. But...] Beru red at the corpse of the demon. [It is also a family that suddenly became the number one in the hierarchy because the 1st to 19th ranks were all destroyed by the Monarch a long time ago.] Chapter 25 - 25

Chapter 25:

Beru recalled an old memory. Twice in total. The demon world has been destroyed twice by the Shadow Monarch Sung Jinwoo. First, in the Demon Castle Dungeon. Then one more time after everything has been reset. In the war between Sung Jinwoo and the Monarchs, the existence of the demon was just an experience point that Sung Jinwoo took on. That was how demons die and die again... In the end, only one family could survive in the demon realm. That was the ''Radiru'' n, the 20th in the rankings. They were the only one among the countless demons who sided with Sung Jinwoo. But, that family was destroyed? [... It seems like something has happened to the demon world.] Beru''s eyes narrowed as he stared at the corpse. In order to know the inside story, ''predation'' was the best. He can read the memories of the ones he eats. [Young Master, can I eat that demon?] Suho''s gaze turned to the demon''s corpse. [Shadow release for contaminated shadows is not possible.] Suho tilted his head at the message floating in front of him. "Can''t demons be released as shadow soldiers?" [It seems so.] Apparently, since the shadow fragment releases the opponent''s soul, it seemed that it was impossible to release the demon''s soul that had already been corrupted. Suho nodded. "Then, eat." [Okay!] When permission was granted, Beru''s mouth parted long and bit the corpse. He wanted to swallow it in one bite. Chomp chomp chomp! ... He has a small mouth, so it took a little longer. [Kehehehe!] Beru left behind quite a horrible scene that seemed needed to be mosaiced. Suho looked back at the eyes focused on him. Since earlier, all hunters, regardless if they were collectors or raiders, were looking at him with a shocked expression. "Uhh..." "H-How..." They were so lost they didn''t know what to say. Assistant Professor Lim stepped forward as he was the only one among them who had not seen Suho like this for the first time. "Suho, are your wounds okay?" All wounds were healed as he leveled up, but the blood on his body did not disappear. Right now, he was covered in blood and looked like he was on the verge of copsing. "Ah, yes." Suho casually wiped the blood off his face with the back of his hand. "Uhh, hey..." The raid leader approached him hesitantly. "Go to the association and take a re-assessment..." Regardless of his skills, Suho, who defeated C-ss monsters alone, could never be an E-ss hunter. There must have been some big mistake. "It doesn''t matter now." Assistant Professor Lim picked up the empty potion bottle that the demon had consumed and looked at it carefully. "Normally, the effect of stardust isn''t that great... What the hell is this?" "Are you familiar with stardust?" The captain''s expression became serious. He had been feeling strange about it since earlier. Assistant Lim nodded. "That''s because there are so many people who use it among low-level hunters. Just a few days ago, the collectors who disappeared today said that they had obtained star dust with difficulty..." Stardust was mostly used by low-level hunters rather than high-level hunters. Why? It was because the amplifying power of stardust was limited. Stardust is an amazing medicine that can make an E-ss hunter instantly be a D-ss, but not to the extent of turning a D-ss into a C-ss. It was possible for D-ss hunters because their mana power was only slightly less than that of C-ss. That''s why D-ss hunters were the main customers of stardust. After consuming it, they visit the association instead of the dungeon. They would have their mana power re-measured and their ss would be revised to C-ss. "... Among stardust users, there were those who became more greedy and tried several bottles at the same time. However, everything failed and they only wasted money." There were rumors that the development team was continuing research to increase the amplification power of stardust. But, no one knew who was developing it. "Actually..." [Oops-] Beru, who was beside him, burped loudly and stood up. Then he murmured as he went through the puzzles of memories that came into his head. [That''s natural. After all, stardust is a drug created by demons, so it must be more effective for them.] "W-What?!" "Demons made stardust?" The hunters were shocked by the revtion. "Is that true?" [Yes, it is.] Beru nodded with a serious expression at Suho''s question. [But, that''s not the problem.] Although it was difficult to read off the memories of his prey, Beru found that piece of information quite shocking. [Apparently, the ingredients for the star dust...] Beru''s next piece of information was even more interesting. The manufacturing process of stardust was as follows. 1) Making Firewood: Catch non-awakened people and forcibly inject blue mist to make ''Mist Burn''. 2) Increase firepower: Throw ''humans as firewood'' to Mist Burn to maximize its firepower. 3) Roasting: Roast the ''mana stone soaked in demon''s blood'' over the zing wood fire that was made. ... Star dust was made by crushing the resulting charcoal lumps into powder. "And the solution made by diluting the dissolved powder in water is distributed in this potion bottle?" [Yes.] After hearing Beru''s exnation, the hunters shivered. "This is nonsense." "Did you say stardust was made by burning humans alive?" "Then why is this demon here...?" It seemed like he already knew without even asking. Beru turned his gaze and stared into the tunnel where the demon had first appeared. [If you follow that path, it seems that there is a ''factory'' of demons. Even the civilians who were captured to be used as firewood.] Right then. Ring! [Quest: Rescue the Victims.] There are people nearby waiting for your help. Rescue as many of them as possible. Rewards vary depending on the number of people rescued. -Current number of victims: 7 -Current number of rescued victims: 0 ''There are still 7 people alive.'' There was no reason to dy the quest any longer. Suho''s eyes shed. "I''m going to go get them." Thud. The moment Suho steps towards the tunnel. "Wait a minute! Suho!" Assistant Lim urgently grabs Suho''s shoulder from behind. Suho turned and looked at him. "Teacher, run away first." "... No, I want to go too this time." ''Hmm?'' Suho was quite taken aback. Lim''s mouth trembled in fear, but he spoke firmly. "With my skill, I can carry at least one person on my back and run." To where Suho was going now, there would be much more demons like there were just before. It was clear that Suho wouldck hands alone to save the people caught there. Smirk. ''Pick up and run... That''s a good idea.'' Suho picked up the crow mask from the floor and looked at the hunters staring at him. "Let''s make a n." * * * A long stretch of railway at Seoul Station. Walking along the long tunnel, there was a huge air defense shelter prepared for war or disaster. Usually it was used as a work space for construction purposes. The demons'' factory was located there. "Why is the youngest sote?" The demons at the factory started to get concerned when the youngest, who went to take out the trash, didn''te back. "He must have encountered a demon on the way." "Lizard..." Right then. The iron door opened and the youngest wearing a crow mask walked into the factory. However, a group of humans were randomly loaded into the wagon that the youngest had dragged in. Confusion shed from the eyes of the demons. "What''s that?" "Where did you get those firewoods?" "I came across them." The youngest stopped the cart in the corner of the factory. Rattle. Even when the wagon was shaking, the hunters whose bodies were covered in blood did not move, let alone groan. The demons asked. "You didn''t kill them, did you? If you did, the effect goes down." "They''re still breathing." "Oh, they are. Our youngest is also good at this." The firewood just ran out, and the conversation that everything''s going well went back and forth between the demons for a while. The identity of the ''youngest'' standing in front of the cart and watching their conversation was Suho. He covered his face with the mask of the demon he had just killed and entered that ce on his own will. Those who pretended to be human firewoods and piled up inyers were the hunters. The reason why they were able to attempt such a bold infiltration was thanks to Beru''s memories roughly figuring out the situation at the factory. ''Demons identify each other through crow masks. They don''t pay much attention to details like appearance or voice.'' The reason this was possible was because the demons in the factory were not the main body right now. ''The demonic souls that wandered through the dimensional rift possessed humans and stole their bodies.'' Beru said that even monarchs once hid themselves on Earth by possessing human bodies. To get directly into a body with such a strong force, one had to drill a huge hole to the Earth, because it was a much more cumbersome way. However, it seems that the demons really did not want to see the weak human body they took away. They were ashamed to even show their faces to each other, so they usually hid themselves tightly with ck robes and masks. Besides, the demons identified each other''s identities not through visual or auditory information, but with the demonic energy they felt from each other. "Hmm? Youngest..." One of the demons tilted his head, feeling the energy from Suho. Suho swallowed hard. "Yes?" "What is that sword? Looks good." The Vulcan''s Horn that devoured the ''youngest soul'' was tied to Suho''s back. The demons instinctively noticed that the material of the sword was unusual and approached Suho. "That sword..." But then. "Stop chatting." A crow-masked having the most powerful energy among demons, pped once and drew everyone''s attention. "Everyone get ready. The gate is slowly opening." ''What?'' Suho opened his eyes and looked at them. Even the hunters who were pretending to be dead on the cart had no choice but to open their eyes and stare. Crackle! The space where red aura shimmered on the empty wall was forcibly torn apart. ''This is crazy.'' This information was not even in the memory of the youngest. They don''t know if it''s because his memory was lost, or because he was the youngest, so he didn''t know what was happening until now. ''Damn it.'' They realized everything in that moment, what the demons had been up to in the factory. ''Thest ingredient for stardust.'' A mana stone soaked in demon blood! However, since the demons here were now taking human bodies, they were directly summoning the demons to draw blood from within. Crackle! The Red Gate was surrounded by an ominous aura! A dimensional hole connecting the demon world and the earth was created. ''These crazy people are real!'' "All right, prepare for battle. We don''t know what wille out, but we have to kill whatever it is at once!" Seeing the red light swirling at the Red Gate, the demons prepared for battle. Finally... An unidentified demon that wandered in the demon realm was summoned in front of them. "..." Thud. Fluttering purple hair. Slender arms and legs. ''Female?'' The red gate closed again, and the condition of the female demon who descended in front of it was miserable. She was covered in blood, as if she would copse at any moment. However, even with the flowing blood, her eyes were shining brightly. "Who summoned me?" The purple-haired looked at those demons surrounding her with haughty eyes. The corner of her mouth rolled up at the obvious hostility she felt from them. "Ha. Are you aiming for my life, too?" Swoosh! She pointed the spear she was holding at them. "Alright. Attack all you want! I am Esil, the eldest daughter of the Radiru n! Until the moment my life runs out, let''s fight to the end." Chapter 26 - 26

Chapter 26:

Those words filled the eyes of the demons with greed. "Radiru?" "The Radiru n?" The corners of their mouths were torn long and theughter burst out. "Was there still a demon who survived from the Radiru n?" "Ha ha! It''s a big fish this time!" The blood of demon nobles is precious. Especially in the demon world where all noble families are destroyed and only hybrids are left like these days! "Don''t give her a break!" The demons attacked Esil, the demon of the Radiru n Their size grew exponentially, and evil demons emerged from their long nails, aiming for Esil''s life. "You dare say that, low-level demons!" Esil lightly jumped up to dodge all of those attacks and swung the spear without hesitation. But the low-level demons snorted and continued to push Eshil. "Haha! The world has changed a lot to even have divided levels!" "I never thought the day woulde when we would hunt down a demon noble!" Esil, on the defensive side, gritted her teeth with a look of resentment. It''s been a long time since she has been chased by many demons in the demon realm. To make matters worse, she was forcibly summoned to Earth in that state of her body, so her power was restricted. The way to get rid of that restriction is ''possession''. Those low-level demons had possessed humans stealing their bodies, and they also developed stardust to amplify their power. A battle between a demon noble with weakened power and a low-level demon with amplified power. It was obvious who would prevail. "Ha ha ha! She is pure blood noble! Pureblood!" "We can make stardust with pure blood!" [Young Master.] Beru quietly whispered to Suho''s ears. Suho slipped behind in the midst of a sudden battle. "Yes. It''s time." Suho nodded and exchanged nces with the hunters on the cart. The hunters also nodded and secretly moved their bodies. ''Something unexpected happened, but it worked out rather well.'' Their initial n was this. 1) Infiltration: Wearing a crow mask and ck robe, Suho will infiltrate the factory pretending to be the youngest low-level demon. 2) Distraction: After that, Suho will create ''something'' inside and attract the demons'' attention to himself. 3) Escape: The hunters covered with blood will then rescue the people captured in the factory and escape. However, the situation right now happened even before Suho made a fuss. ''We will move ording to n.'' All of the hunters on the wagon, including Assistant Lim, possessed ''speed''-rted skills. Swoosh. Suho, including them, disappeared from the spot at the same time. They immediately arrived next to the people who were tied up in a corner and shut their mouths. "Shh." "...!" After quickly exchanging nces with them, those who understood the meaning nodded in fear. Suho tore off the chains that bound them with force. ''Done!'' Lim''s heart raced, wanting to run away right away. ''Now all we have to do is put them on our backs and run!'' Right when he carried a civilian on his back. "Huh?" One of the low-level demons who was fighting Esil saw the scene. "Youngest, what are you doing there without fighting?" A light of doubt shed in the demon''s eyes through the crow''s mask. Instead of answering, Suho shouted. "Run!" Dash! Just in time, the hunters with civilians on their backs rushed out at full speed. The goal is to reach the exit! "How dare you!" At that moment, several demons fighting Esil quickly stopped. Swish! The demons rushed towards the hunters. Suho shouted from behind. "Don''t stop and keep running!" The hunters spurred on their speed with determined eyes. The faster the demons moved, the lesser chance the hunters would reach the exit. ''Trust!'' They believed in Suho and kept running. Suho did not betray them. "Arise!" Then. [Krrrk!] "...!" Bite! Bite! Bite! Bite! Bite! Bite! The shadow goblins that Suho had nted near the exit rose up from the floor, biting the legs of the demons. "What...?!" The demons were startled. But it was too early to be surprised. [Kehehehe!] Shadow Goblins have bad tempers. They mercilessly cut the demons'' ankles with the butchering knives they were holding. "sh!" The bodies of the humans now possessed by demons are indeed weak. Even if their Achilles tendons were just slightly injured, they won''t be able to use their strength. The demons screamed and copsed on the spot. ''In here!'' The hunters quickly passed by them and eventually seeded in escaping out of the factory. Assistant Professor Lim, who was leaving the iron gate for thest time, turned his head and looked at Suho who was left behind. ''Is he really going to be okay?'' Suho understood what he was trying to say just by looking into his eyes, and nodded with a smirk. Then. ng! The iron door was closed. 3 seconds to escape. 2 seconds for the demons to tear apart the Shadow Goblins and rise again. 5 seconds total. All ns are going well. ''All that''s left is...'' ''It is my turn.'' Suho quickly counted the number of demons. Except for the purple haired demon that was summoned a moment ago. ''A total of 9.'' The problem is that each one of those guys is on a simr level to the ''youngest'' he managed to defeat earlier. But... ''It would be worth it.'' Suho''s gaze went down to his own shadow. Right then. "Arise." He called the shadow soldier. "Broki." ...! At that moment, a huge shadow rose in front of Suho. Swoosh! [Broki Lv.1] Knight ss A gigantic hyena beast with its whole body turns into ck steam. This was Suho''s initial n for ''Distraction''. Although the order was reversed now, it was a better situation for hunting demons. [Grrrrrr!] Broki''s murderous roar shook the factory. "W-What?!" The demons who were onught to hunt Esil were greatly taken aback. "Why is Broki here?!" "No, something is different..." The demons already knew Broki, who led the Hyena Guild. Just up to recently, the Hyena Guild were the ones who had been kidnapping and handing over people as ingredients for stardust to the demons. This made the situation much better. Although, problems still remained. Based on Suho''s experience of fighting both Broki and a low-level demon, it was clear that one on one, Broki was stronger than thetter. However, there are 9 of those demons in front of him. There was no chance of winning. How about this? "Beru!" [Kieek!] Evil energy spreads from Beru''s small body in all directions. [Beru uses ''Skill: Harsh Command''.] [''Skill: Harsh Command'' increases Broki''s stats by 50%.] [As a side effect of ''Skill: Harsh Command'', Broki is cursed with madness.] [Grrrrr!] Broki attacked the demons without hesitation. g! "Ack!" The demons bounced helplessly from Broki''s huge forepaw, which swung like a baseball bat. Then, Suho''s twin swords whirled at those who were dashingly driven into the concrete wall. ''de Storm!'' [Use ''Skill: de Storm''.] Swish-! Suho''s body whirled around like a typhoon and drove them away. [You have killed a low-level demon.] [Defeat the low-level demons...] "Haa...Ha..." Thanks to that, Esil, who was fighting a grueling battle alone, managed to breathe a sigh. Rather than being relieved, her eyes widened at the sight of Broki raging. "Is this real ?" [Grrrrr!] A ck beast that drives demons with its massive body like an anti-tank. As far as Esil knew, there was only one person in the world who couldmand a beast that looked like that. The one who destroyed the demon realm alone long ago. He who blocked the front and destroyed all demons, eventually overthrowing the King of Demons, Baran. That frightening and great name. "... Sung Jinwoo is here?!" Esil''s face, which had been exuding frost-like aura all along, suddenly brightened. She hurriedly looked around to find Sung Jinwoo. "Where?! Where are you? Jin..." She finally found... "...woo?" Although it wasn''t Sung Jinwoo. A face very simr to Sung Jinwoo in his childhood. "Ehh?" Esil tilted her head. [Long time no see.] Beru slowly appeared in front of Esil. "Is... Is that you, Beru?!" Esil was surprised to see Beru''s changed appearance after a long time. "Why are you so small?" The Beru she remembers was a demon more terrible than the one who took the lead in ughtering his enemies by the side of Sung Jinwoo. For some reason, Beru''s current form had changed into a cute figure the size of a fist. On the other hand, Beru was equally curious. [You have gotten a lot weaker. What happened?] "Hehe. I had a hard time." Esilughed and whimpered even while shedding blood. Beru snorted as if that figure was pathetic. [Your carefree personality is still the same despite being on the verge of dying.] "As long as I''m still alive, that''s what matters. Hahaha." [What happened in the demon realm...] Thud. Esil copsed to the ground even before Beru could finish his words. The moment he saw Beru, all the tension she was feeling got relieved. Esil whimpered while lying t on the floor and called out to Beru. "Beru, I really feel like dying, can you heal me?" [Too bothersome.] "Why?" [It''s a waste of mana.] Seeing Beru''s sudden refusal, Esil realized. "Ahh. Are you weak too?" [Kieek! I am not!] Beru answered irritatedly. Meanwhile, Suho''s battle continued. [You have killed a low-level demon.] [You have killed a low-level demon.] [Vulcan'' Horn devoured a demon''s soul.] [Vulcan'' Horn devoured a demon''s soul.] ... The situation was already almost leaning towards Suho. The Harsh Command, which increased Broki''s ability by a whopping 50%, had a much higher amplification effect than stardust. In addition, the more demons were killed, the stronger Suho became. [Devoured Demon Soul: 3] [Devoured Demon Soul: 4] ... [Effect ''Destruction Desire'': Increases physical damage by [33%]. [Effect ''Destruction Desire'': Increases physical damage by [34%]. ... [Your level increased!] [Your level increased!] "Keep it up!" sh. Suho''s sword decapitated thest demon. Just like that, Suho''s level reached exactly level 20. Great. Ring! [Your level has exceeded 20, so you can use ''Shop: Purchase''.] "Huh?" After checking the message that arrived, Suho tilted his head. "There''s a shop system, too?" Chapter 27 - 27

Chapter 27:

Ring! Just in time, the quest was alsopleted. [You havepleted ''Quest: Rescue the Victims''.] [Number of rescued victims: 7] ''Looks like they got out of the dungeon safely.'' Suho thought, remembering the hunters who carried the survivors on their backs. He promised to let them get out as soon as possible so as not to be caught by the demons, and now only Suho had to escape on his own. ''But, before that.'' [The questpletion reward has arrived.] [Do you want to check the reward?] ( Y / N ) "Yes." Ring! [The following rewards are prepared.] Reward 1: Ability Points +3 Reward 2: 1 Random Box "Random box?" Suho got curious. An ordinary ''random box'' without the word ''cursed''? He had no idea what was inside. Suho epted all of the rewards. All the ability points were allocated in the muscle strength stat, and after a while, a small random box appeared in Suho''s hand. ''What''s in it?'' He quickly opened the wrapping paper, and unexpectedly, there were several shiny golden coins inside. Clink. [You have acquired ''700 gold''.] "Gold?" Did they give him 700 gold because he saved 7 victims? It was very coincidental to receive gold for use in shops as soon as the shop function was activated. ''A coincidence... of course not.'' Suho was also dimly aware of it now. In the level-up system inherited from his father, he felt the ''goodwill'' toward him. ''... Thank you for the allowance, father.'' All gold coins received went into the inventory. At the bottom of the inventory, there was a mark that said 700 gold. "Open the Shop." A new shop window opened in front of Suho. [SHOP] Buy / Sell The shop window was extremely simple. The moment Suho was about to check the purchase list to see what items he could purchase. [Young Master.] Beru suddenly appeared and asked. [What will we do with that demon?] Suho''s gaze returned to the dying female demon who copsed on the floor. ''Come to think of it, there was still that demon.'' The enemy of an enemy is a friend. She was a devil who fought hard against low-level demons until a while ago, so he left without killing her. But now, it was time to make a choice. He needed to check something first. "I saw you a little while ago, and you were talking. Do you two know each other?" [That''s right. The Radiru n was the only one that did not attack His Majesty when he subdued the demon realm.] The Radiru n were demons who acknowledged their weakness and volunteered to be Sung Jinwoo''s ves. However, their surrender would never have been epted if it had not been for Sung Jinwoo''s whims. In fact, most of the demons that Sung Jinwoo encountered were dead. Or, just like the low-level demons they encountered today, only the cowards who ran away from the battlefield early and hid out of Sung Jinwoo''s sight were still alive. [His Majesty forcibly captured that demon named Esil and used her as a guide.] "Excuse me..." Esil, who had fallen on the floor, called for Suho with a dying voice, bleeding profusely. "I''m sorry to disrupt your conversation, but could you please save me first? I really feel like dying." Right then. Rumble-! A sound echoed from Esil''s belly. "Huh?" As Suho and Beru''s gaze focused, Esil caressed her sunken belly with an embarrassed expression. "I starved for a few years because I was being chased..." Ahh. When she said she was going to die, she must have meant that he was going to die of hunger. * * * In conclusion, Suho saved Esil in the end. There were many reasons, one of which was to test the effect of the ''potion'' he bought at the store. [Item: Healing Potion] Difficulty to get: E Type: Consumables A potion that can restore health. Drinking it slowly restores 500 HP. It can be stored in the inventory, but cannot be transferred to others. ''It can''t be transferred to someone else. But, is it possible to feed it to them directly?'' Suho approached Esil and poured the potion into her mouth. "Ah...!" After drinking the potion, Esil''s wounds began to heal gradually. "Wait, you''re a healer? How are you rted to Jinwoo, by the way?" Suho was quite surprised and yet ignored Esil''s gaze. He just focused on the potion''s effect. ''Hmm. The healing effect is a bit slow. It would be difficult to use it in a hurry during battle. Still, leveling up is the best.'' After a while, Esil''s condition improved to the point where she was able to move. But, the sound from her stomach was still loud. "I''m so hungry I have no energy..." ''She fought well a while back though.'' For the second reason why Suho saved Esil... It was because the energy he felt from Esil was not that great. In other words, it would be easy. Even after drinking the potion and recovering, the energy he felt from Esil was still at most C-ss. ording to Beru''s exnation, demon nobles originally had to have S-ss strength to be normal. However, due to variousplex reasons, Esil''s power was reduced in half. ''But no matter how weak she is, I can''t just keep a demon out of the dungeon.'' For that reason, Suho made a choice. [Would you like to enter the Shadow Dungeon?] "Yes." Swoosh! Suho took Esil to the Shadow Dungeon. The Shadow Dungeon is a space that is not freely essible except for shadow soldiers. It was the perfect prison to confine the demon. However, upon entering the Shadow Dungeon, Esil''s reaction was not what he expected. "Ah, I can''t believe I''m back in the world of rest!" Esil eximed with an ecstatic expression after seeing the world in ck and white. Then, looking back at Suho, she asked. "How can you go into the world of rest through your shadows when you are not even the Shadow Monarch? What kind of rtionship do you have with Jinwoo?" "I''m his son." "Son? Oh, you were Suho?!" Esil said in a louder voice. "Oh my god! That little baby is already this big? Humans grow really fast." "Do you know me?" Suho tilted his head. No matter how much of his sealed memories returned, he didn''t remember all the faces he had seen when he was young. On top of that, there were so many soldiers living in Sung Jinwoo''s world. Suho looked away from Esil, who was happy to see him, and asked Beru. "What is the world of rest?" [It''s another name for the Shadow Dungeon.] Beru answered. The identifiers referring to the world ruled by the Shadow Monarch varied greatly. Shadow World. Realm After Death. And, the World of Rest. Other monarchs who are now dead had their own worlds like this. However, the Shadow Monarch was the only one who carried an entire world in his shadow. "Is this Shadow Dungeon a world I rule?" [To be precise, it is the world ruled by His Majesty. But somehow, when the Young Master was born, that world was split in two. It would be more urate to say that it proliferated.] "So, one of them has be my shadow." Suho nodded. The small talk was over, and it was time to get to the main point. Suho looked at Esil and asked directly. "Did you say your name is Esil? Anyway, I saved your life, so now tell me everything you know. What are the demons up to on Earth? Did something happen in the demon realm?" "The thing is..." Esil was hesitant. "After the war, everything was fine at first. Sung Jinwoo killed all the other nobles, our dear Radiru n became number one in the demon hierarchy. He made our homeless family stay in the world of shadows." At that time, the demon realm had already lost its demon monarch and was torn to pieces, wandering through the dimensional rift. In such a situation, Sung Jinwoo let the demons of the Radiru n who helped him live in his world. But that was only for a moment. "We couldn''t be inhabitants of the Shadow World after all." "Because they are contaminated souls?" "You know very well." As Suho experienced, demons were basically mana-tainted spirits, so they could not be extracted as shadow soldiers. "As a result, we had no choice but to return to the demon realm. No, to be precise, the devil realm called us." "Demon Realm?" "Yeah. A red gate leading to the demon realm suddenly opened in front of us who lived in the shadow world. And suddenly it started sucking us in." A world that has lost its monarch calls for a monarch. It was natural for the demon realm to call the Radiru n, the only existing demon nobles. However, the demon realm was a world maintained by strictws for the weak. Had it not been for Sung Jinwoo''s help, the Radiru n, who were only ranked 20th, would not have the power to dominate the demon realm. The demons who had been hiding from the Shadow Monarch throughout the war crawled out again when the war was over, and began to challenge Radiru''s seemingly formidable authority. ''If only the Radiru n is gone!'' ''We can be nobles too!'' ''Let''s eat the nobles and drink their pure blood!'' ''If we consume pure blood, our demon energy will be amplified!'' ... All the demons became one and started attacking the Radiru n. They were the weakest among the nobles in the first ce, so theycked the strength to stop the rebellion. "A demon with weak power does not deserve to live. The Radiru n was overpowered just like that, and their blood was consumed. Now, Esil was the only surviving Demon Noble." [Is that why you became so weak?] "... Yeah. I almost died several times, and I lost a lot of blood. That''s why my strength has weakened." Beru, who was listening by the side, spoke. [The order of power for the tribe of demons was determined from the time they were born. It''s not like they''re purebloods or hybrids for nothing. Since the basis of power is in the blood, they are frantic to drink blood.] ''It''s simr to Gray.'' Suho seemed to have understood. Esil nodded enthusiastically at Beru''s statement. "That''s right. For that reason, demons are extremely afraid of their power being weakened. Whether you''re a noble or a hybrid, it''s a world where if you''re weak, you''ll be eaten. That''s why the people who summoned me earlier are really strange." "Is it strange?" "Yes. Because they came to Earth even possessing the bodies of people weaker than themselves. To have a weak body is not a demonic behavior." Suho understood what Esil was trying to say. "Are you saying that there is someone else behind the demons?" "That''s right. Actually, the way they summoned me earlier was also strange. We demons are good at destroying and killing, but they don''t know how to use a magic skill that forcefully opens a dimensional wall." "Then what? Did someone teach the demons? Who?" Beru, who was listening to the conversation from the side, let out a long sigh. [... Could it be a transfiguration?] "The chaos world?" [Gate magic was originally a method often used by Yogumunt, Monarch of Transfiguration.] "A spectre." Suho pondered Beru''s words and drew a picture in his head. "Then the defeated soldiers from the demon world and the chaos world joined hands." One more thing. ''Stardust.'' Mist Burn, one of the ingredients for stardust. No, ''blue mist'', the mainposition of Mist Burn, was the magic of the universe that seeped through the boundaries of dimensions. "... It seems that they are plotting something using the defeated soldiers here." [Yes. I think so, too.] Beru nodded with a calm expression. [Who knows... They might have already gotten on Earth.] It seemed that the invasion had already begun. Chapter 28 - 28

Chapter 28:

"Wait." For a moment, Suho felt a certain deja vu. Looking back, all the recent events were connected. Gwanaksan Field. Hyena Guild. Seoul Station Field. They all had one thing inmon. "... These are all ces that were created a year ago." [Ehh? Come to think of it! It seems that the aliens have been hiding on Earth since a year ago!] "A year ago..." Suho decided to start from there. "Then shall we go in reverse order? If we search the dungeons, fields, and guilds that were created a year ago, will wee up with something else?" If they find a demon, they might be able to strengthen Vulcan''s Horns more.If any other traces of outer space are found, that would be enough. [Oh! As expected, our Young Master is very clever! You''ve grown well. It seems like it was only yesterday when I was teaching addition and subtraction...] Beru said. It just urred to him. "Right. It was there." The most famous area in Korea a year ago. The scene of that horrific tragedy. "In Magok." Suho''s eyes glimmered. * * * Hunter Association Surveince Division. "... No matter how much I brush some things off, other things keeping out." The more Han Jaehyuk investigated the base of the destroyed Hyena Guild, the more absurd it became. Even 100 reports were not enough to list all the evil deeds the Hyena Guild had done. Among them, matters rted to crime were transferred to the police hunters. The areas of intensive investigation by the association were those outside the boundaries of thew. For example, things like ''stardust''. ... Stardust was not a drug per se. So it wasn''t really illegal to use it. That means one can keep taking that unknown medicine. The Hunter Association has continued to investigate how stardust was made and who made it, and this time they finally got a clue from the base of the Hyena Guild. Ledger of transactions. When and how much stardust the Hyena Guild purchased. They found a ledger that recorded who sold it and how. This made it clear that the Hyena Guild was one of the distributors of stardust. Although, they weren''t sure if they could even find out the main source of stardust. "I didn''t expect some people to buy stardust even when they were in debt." "It could mean otherwise. If they went to a higher dungeon using stardust, they would have been able to pay off that much debt right away." "So they were earning money to keeping back to Hyena and buy stardust?" "In the end, only the Hyena Guild kept sweeping up the money in the middle. What a really creative economy." The real problem was that most of the hunters in the ledger were among the ''missing people for the past year''. Most of them probably fell prey to the boss mob that controlled Hyena from behind. However, as they continued to examine the ledger, they found one strange thing. Among those missing were marked with a red line. They were debtors who were not hunters. "Who are these people? Is there something different about them?" "Oh? Team Leader! Look here!" A subordinate showed some data to team leader Han Jaehyuk. "If you look here, the date when stardust was received inrge quantities from Hyena and the date when these checked missing people disappeared are the same day. Each and everyone of them." "... You''re right." "Does it have something to do with their disappearance?" "Hmm." There was only one thing that came to their minds right away. "... Could it be that they were traded for stardust?" "Humans for stardust?" Team Leader Han Jaehyuk looked through the ledger from the beginning. He eventually found something out. "Most likely. There''s the quantity of stardust bought from Hyena, but there''s no indicated actual amount of money paid for it. It means they didn''t pay." "T-That''s right. Could it be that they paid using people instead of money for stardust? Why?" "We''ll have to figure it out. If Hyena didn''t make the stardust themselves, those who made it..." Right then. An urgent phone call arrived at the surveince department. "Team Leader! There''s a new report!" "What report? I''m busy right now..." "Someone discovered the Stardust Factory..." "Let''s hurry up!" * * * When Han Jaehyuk received the report and arrived in front of the Seoul Station Field, everything was already over. "What the hell just happened here?!" There sat the survivors who were held in the factory and the hunters who rescued them, exhausted. "It''s a long story but..." The raid leader exined everything that had happened. "Factory? You mean they were making stardust in here? Who? Demon?" The more he listened to the exnation, the more and more the puzzles of the case that he had been investigatingtely were being put together in his head. Right now, there was no time to sit quietly and ponder. "What? Is that true? Are you saying there''s still someone down there fighting the demons alone?" "Yes. He said he would buy us time to escape... Please... Ack. Please hurry up and go in and save him!" Meanwhile, Assistant Professor Lim had been stamping his feet, worrying about Suho''s safety. At least in his eyes, Suho seemed to have barely ovee the first demon he encountered. However, there were as many as 10 such demons in the factory. ''I shouldn''t worry, Suho said he would get out of there on his own. Although, he must have said it to reassure us. That rascal, seriously...! Just like in the dungeon at Korea University, he tried to sacrifice himself for us!'' Han Jaehyuk, who heard all the exnations, held the weapon he had brought with a grim expression. "All right. We''ll go right in." Thud! His weapons were two steel shields huge enough to cover half of his body. The moment those two shields were lifted in his hands, a transparent shield was oveid on his whole body. ''Iron Wall?!'' The moment he saw that, Assistant Professor Lim btedly recognized who Team Leader Han Jaehyuk was. He is a C-ss tanker whose skills were recognized enough to receive offers from various famous guilds. Looking at it now, the hunters lined up behind him all looked great. ''Everything''s going to be alright now! Suho will survive!'' Han Jaehyuk led the association''s hunters into Seoul Station with a more reliable appearance. Then, suddenly, looking back in front of the entrance, he asked onest time. "Ah, by the way, what ss is the hunter who remained below?" "Uhh. That..." The raid leader opened his mouth hesitantly with a slightly embarrassed expression. "He''s an E-ss collector." "... What?" "..." The raid leader was embarrassed. Suddenly, the association hunters felt like they were useless. It was really embarrassing. * * * "I''ll have to find out about Magok as soon as I get back." Suho finished all his errands and got out of the factory. However, when he tried to go up to the ground, he felt something regrettable. It was because of Broki. "I just had released such a strong guy as a shadow soldier, so it''s a pity to send it away just like this." The said shadow soldiersted only for a day. Its shadow release became futile. Also, since Suho doesn''t know when he''ll be able to get a monster of this level again, he wanted to use it as efficiently as possible. [Do you want to turn around? There are still many lizards nearby.] "I should." He decided to clean out the field. "Broki." [Grrr!] Broki, who became a shadow soldier, lost his ability to speak. However, his intellect was still the same, so there was no need for lengthy exnations. "Catch them all." [Grrrr!] Like a typical beast, Broki had a very good sense of smell. On Suho''smand, Broki searched for lizards hiding all over the field and killed them all by biting them. Then, he brought the bodies and arranged them in front of Suho one by one. Suho''s level was so high that the lizards don''t give much effect any longer. "All of these are money." [Uhm. Young Master, since there are so many, I''d like to take a bite...] "One bite..." [This small one is definitely a worm.] Beru tilted his head. Suho,who had been hunting lizards with Broki, was wearing a crow mask. Previously, he used it to pretend to be the youngest demon, but this time it was for apletely different reason. In fact, this item had one minor function. [Item: Crow Mask] Difficulty to get: E Type: Misceneous Item A suspicious mask worn by demons. Provides vision if used in a dark ce. Can be kept in inventory or sold in the shop. ''It''s better than night vision goggles.'' Thanks to the increased senses stat, he was able to identify objects even in the dark. It was nice that the stuffiness wearing the crow mask disappearedpletely. Since each of the demons had one of these nice items, Suho brought all the masks of the demons in the factory. But, the problem started from there. "A demon!" "Huh?" [Ehh?] The association hunters who entered the field just in time encountered Suho wearing a crow mask. They had already heard from hunters outside that demons were wearing crow masks. On top of that, a huge hyena, Broki, was standing next to Suho, looking absolutely evil. "Attack!" "No, wait..." Before Suho could even open his mouth, the hunters'' attacks started pouring in, aiming at Suho. Ring! [An urgent quest has arrived.] Ring! [Urgent Quest: Defeat the Enemies!] There are people around who have the intent to kill the ''yer''... "Oh, not this. Reject, cancel." For his survival, there came an emergency quest. Suho hurriedly refuses the quest and takes off his mask to reveal his identity. "I''ll be in charge of this guy!" Team Leader Han Jaehyuk, who hade close, swung his shield at Suho. Meanwhile, the other hunters attacked Broki all at once. "Wait, I mean..." "Iron Wall!" sh! A transparent shield came towards Suho like a huge barrier. [Young Master!] Beru shouted. Suho eventually rolled up his hand to take off his mask. "I''ll just have to suppress it for now." Right then, a ck smoke was oveid on his fist. Swoosh. He pierced himself into the transparent shield that was pressuring him. With that one punch. [Strength: 45] Bang-! "Huh?" Han Jaehyuk''s body bounced off along with the shield. Then. g-! He was plugged right into the wall. "... What?" Suho was dumbfounded. The eyes of the association hunters who witnessed the scene widened. "Team Leader...?" "What is that..." Crack. The wall where Han Jaehyuk was plugged in copsed, revealing his face with his eyes turned upside down. He just fainted. [Hmm. Can humans only do this much? Well, he invested all his stats only in strength.] Beside Suho, Beru was nodding his head, saying that it was an expected result. Suho took off his crow mask with an awkward expression. "Can we resolve this through a proper conversation?" "..." With that, all the hunters nodded their heads coldly. Chapter 29 - 29

Chapter 29:

Although there were minor(?) incidents, the post-processing was carried out in an instant. The Association Hunters realized that Suho was not the demon, and he guided them to the factory. "... Where are all the demons?" When they arrived at the factory, there were only traces of battle, but no demons were visible. When the hunters'' curious eyes focused on him, Suho made an awkward expression. "Haha. I know, right. Did everyone run away?" [Oops.] Beside him, Beru was openly burping, but no one suspected anything. They just thought the pet was the size of a stuffed toy. "Hmm. It seems like they noticed using, so they all got away." "Well, we came too soon. We just heard the report and went to the scene right away." [Oops.] Beru was grinding his teeth beside him, but no one particrly doubted him. His stomach was protruding, but they thought it must have been his usual t-bellied stomach. "Still, I''m d we secured the site." In fact, that alone was a great pleasure. They found a factory that manufactured stardust. Above all, it has even revealed the shocking fact that people''s lives are sacrificed in the manufacturing process. "Thank you." The association hunters who came out of the field gathered all the hunters, including Suho and Assistant Lim, and thanked them. "Thanks to your tip, many future crimes can be prevented. From now on, our association and police hunters will do their best to investigate." He added one thing. "And, you will be paid a reward for this work." As usual, there was a small reward for those who reported crimes. ''Good. I''m going to use this money to buy meat for the two.'' Suho nodded, remembering the ones left behind in the Shadow Dungeon. Whether they were thest descendants of the canine n or the only surviving demon nobles, they were just hungry refugees to Suho. * * * ... When he opened his eyes, it was an unfamiliar ceiling. "Uhh." "Team Leader, are you feeling better?" Han Jaehyuk got up from the bed with a heavy feeling. White walls and the smell of disinfectant. It was a hospital. He looked at his subordinate with a confused expression. "Why am I here?" "Don''t you remember? You fainted." "Faint?" "Yes. One punch." "Ahh." Then there was a memory that passed through his mind. ''That crow mask!'' He hurriedly got up from his seat and shouted. "That demon! What happened to the demon?!" "He''s not a demon." "What? H-He''s not?" "Yes. The hunter we went looking for was him." "...?" Seeing the confused team leader, the subordinate sighed and said, "It was all our misunderstanding." The subordinate told him everything that happened when he passed out. Han Jaehyuk''s expression hardened. "... What? What did you just say?" "I just said it, clearly." "A summoning hunter? Who the heck would be a summoning hunter?" "Who else? Of course, the hunter who knocked you out with one punch." "What?" He realized he didn''t hear it wrong. An expression of absurdity appeared on Team Leader Han Jaehyuk''s face. "I was beaten by a summoning hunter and passed out? But, I am Han Jaehyuk." "Yes. So from now on, please don''t let your guard down and use your quick-witted skills first." "I-I did though." "You did?" "I used a skill!" The subordinate was even more surprised. "Why did you pass out? You''re a C-ss tanker." "That''s what I''m saying!" "Then, you passed out in one hit even after using your real skills? Does that make sense? Was he really an E-ss hunter?" "E-ss? Are you kidding me right now?" He red at his subordinate with a grim expression. However, the subordinate only shrugged his shoulders calmly. "Why would I joke around? I also checked the hunter''s ID, and he was really E-ss. What was his name again? Sung Suho?" "Sung Suho?" When he heard the name, there was a face that shed through Han Jaehyuk''s head. Coincidentally, the name of the rookie E-ss hunter whom he had personally measured his mana power back then was Sung Suho. ''There''s no way that would happen.'' "Right. That person." "...!" "It''s not that I''m reading your mind but I was also with you at the time. Sung Suho, the E-ss hero of the Korea University dungeon, whose mana we measured directly, is the one who knocked you out." "R-Really? Wasn''t he a college student? How?" Han Jaehyuk couldn''t believe it. However, the subordinate responded indifferently. "There must have been a measurement error. He punched you who even used skills with his bare fists. How could such a hunter be only an E-ss? I expect that at least he''s a C-ss." "Even so... How could he just..." "Anyway, I apologize on his behalf. I told him to visit the association again and get a re-measurement. That''s the end of the briefing." "..." "Then I''ll get off work." "..." Prestige, once lost, never returns. Team Leader Han Jaehyuk, who left all the work and just slept, muttered dejectedly as he looked at the back of his subordinate''s head as he left. "Things these days..." He suddenly remembered the moment he fainted. ''E-ss was a measurement error?'' Well, it was fine. It was a rare ident, but it happened asionally. But, one question still remained. ''He must have been a summoning hunter, but...'' Seeing that there was an enormous beast that looked like a hyena right next to him, it was certain that he''s a summoning hunter. But how? ''How did he have such superpowers? Could that power be some kind of transformation of the summoning skill?'' Hmm. He stroked his chin and thought of Sung Suho''s appearance that he had seen at the hospital. An ordinary college student who looks quite decent. He was tall and had a moderately muscr body. But that was it. Looking at the outside, he didn''t look like a hunter with absolute strength. ''... Well, I''ll find out someday.'' More than that, there''s something he''s thinking of. The words he left on the day Sung Suho''s mana was measured. ¨C Then, Mr. Sung Suho, I look forward to a good performance in the future. Just like that time, a warm smile appeared on team leader Han Jaehyuk''s lips. "... I''ll really look forward to it." He was looking forward to seeing what kind of hunter Suho would be in the future. * * * Reaper Guild. Vice President Lee Minsung was angry to the core. "What?! Why did the factory that was running fine suddenly disappear!" "T-That... With the information from the hunters, the association..." Fuck! "Ack!" Lee Minsung kicked the stomach of the man in front of him. He screamed loudly as he got trampled on and flown into the wall. "So what? What association? What do these bastards know me as? If they took the money, they should have brought the goods properly no matter what!" "Oh, Mr. Vice President! We''re really victims, too! The demons in the factory disappeared without a trace." The actions of the A-ss hunter, who was angry to the top of his head, was too terrible to be called a simple vent. If it wasn''t for hunter capabilities, even the man being trampled by those feet would have died in an instant. After venting his anger like that, the man finally passed out. Minsung pped him on the cheek to wake him up and grabbed him by the cor. "Ha. So what happened to all the demons?" "Ack. T-That..." The man hurriedly spilled out everything he knew. Lee Minsung squinted his eyes after hearing all the information. "The location of the factory was discovered by hunters passing by by chance?" "Yes. It is said that they fought the demons and rescued the civilians there." "Do you think that makes sense?" "I-I..." "What?!" He grabbed the man by the cor. "It''s not arge guild, and 10 demons were killed by raiders led by a C-ss? Only the captain is C-ss, the other nine are D-ss, and fucking E-ss collectors?" "I a-also..." "Also what?!" "I also don''t think it makes sense!" The man closed his eyes and shouted. Only then did Lee Minsung let go of the man''s cor. "Then what do you think? This time, you have toe up with some more useful suggestions. If you want to live." "... I think it must have been a prank on the part of the association." "Hmm?" "As you know, the guys from the association have been chasing the source of the stardust. But this time, somehow, they found out the location of the factory." "So?" "If they openly investigate stardust that is not yet illegal, they will have to check guilds that handle stardust like us. Then... " "We put the clumsy ones up front and move as they report to us?" "Yes! That''s it!" "Okay. That makes some sense." Minsung nodded his head in agreement. "I''ve seen those demons myself. They were absolutely impossible to deal with for low-level hunters." "That''s right." "So?" "What?" "That must be a great solution, right?" Again, a terrible murderous spirit emanated from Lee Minsung as he strangled the man. "Of course! There is not just one factory. The Seoul Station field was only convenient for delivery because of the subway line, but if you look for it, demons will hide here and there and set up star powder factories." "Here and there? Why are there so many demons?" Only then was Lee Minsung giggling as if satisfied. However, the eyes looking at the man were not smiling at all. "I''ll say it again, you know that the only reason I took you guys was because of the stardust, right?" "Yes, of course... We are also always grateful to you, Vice President." "Then, do your thing. Shouldn''t you repay the favor?" "Grrr!" As he answered, hair gradually grew on the man''s face and transformed into a werewolf. The man''s identity was none other than the remnants of the Hyena Guild that was being chased by the Association. But now he had nowhere to go, so he became the faithful follower of Vice President Lee Minsung. However, it was only his appearance. The inside was different. ''Damn, that''s a big problem. In a few days, the power of blood willpletely disappear.'' The ability of the hyena guild members to turn into werewolves by drinking the blood of the canine nsted only ten days. If they don''t drink blood regrly every 10 days, they would go back to being an ordinary normal person, let alone the beast transformation skill. It was clear that if Vice President Lee Minsung found out about this, he would ruthlessly throw them out. ''Before that, I have to do something. Either find the lost wolf cub in Gwanaksan, or... find traces of other monarchs simr to him.'' Two options. * * * Meanwhile, Suho went to the butcher shop with the reward money he received. "Yes, pleasee in~" The butcher, who was preparing the meat, talked to Suho with a friendly tone then smiled. "What kind of meat would you like?" "One pig... Do you sell them whole?" "...?!" "Ah, no. I need two." "...!" Chapter 30 - 30

Chapter 30:

"Grr..." Gray was crouching down and keeping an eye on his prey. [Gray Lv.4] Canine Wolf His level had risen a little, but his size was still like that of a palm. As a descendant of the great canine n, he had grown up enough to easily hunt one or two goblins. Thanks to that, Gray has recently been strong enough to walk around with his tail standing upright. If three goblins n to attack at the same time, they would quickly roll up their tails and take refuge in a small pre-dug burrow. Gray would eventually give up and go back because the den was too small. One day, a big crisis came to Gray who was adapting to the life of the shadow dungeon while ying with such big and stupid goblins. An uninvited guest suddenly came to the Shadow Dungeon! "Hnnggg..." Gray was secretly approaching the uninvited guest with an extremely cautious look. The guest looked pretty strong, but didn''t seem to have any strength, probably starving for a long time. ''I can do it.'' That part aroused sympathy in Gray. ''I can do it.'' It was a very honorable thing to hunt a prey stronger than oneself. Gulp. Gray held his breath and waited for an opening with a tense expression. And finally! Excited. The guest moved! "I can see you." "Hnnggg?" Esil''s hand lifted Gray''s nape and red at him. "Hnngg! Hnnngggg!" Oh! Got caught! Gray was startled and kicked his short legs. When he realized that no matter how hard he struggled, he could not escape Esil''s clutches, he howled fiercely with his defiant eyes. "Awooo!" "Oh, really. If it wasn''t for you being Suho''s pet, I would have eaten you." Esil looked at Gray and licked her lips, saying that it was such a pity. ''I never thought that the descendant of the Fang Monarch would remain in a ce like this.'' Although he was no more than a bite in size, the blood and flesh of the Fang n is itself a very precious elixir. "Hnnnggg!" "What? You want to taste it?" Gray twisted his snout around and eagerly licked Esil''s hand that was holding his back. Even so, his eyes continued to re at Esil with a bold expression. "Oh my. You''re a funny puppy." Esil finallyughed. "Well, you know instinctively. If you eat me, you will gain strength." ''Because we''re actually in the same position.'' She was the only demon noble alive in the demon realm. In other words, she was the only legitimate person who might one day be the Demon Monarch. Just as the demons were aiming for Esil''s blood this time, the pure blood flowing through Esil''s body had precious power in itself. ''... And the same goes for you.'' This cheeky little cub was the only one of the canine n who might one day be the Fang Monarch. Esil suddenly had a strange feeling. ''To think that two pure-bloods from a n destroyed by war are gathered here. For what purpose did Suho gather us?'' "Oh, c''mon! Stop licking!" Right then. [You have entered the Shadow Dungeon.] Swoosh! Suho and Beru enter the Shadow Dungeon just in time. There was a fresh whole pig in their hands. Two whole pigs! "Oh!" "Ehh?" Esil and Gray''s heads turned at the same time. Rumble-! A loud noise echoed from Esil and Beru''s stomachs. Suho chuckled and pushed the whole pig forward. "I heard demons like meat." "Yes! Anything but grass!" Esil quickly threw Gray and took the whole pig from Suho. Gray came back and greedily exposed his teeth in front of Esil. Rumble! "Hnnnggg!" Gray suddenly turns over on his stomach and starts twisting his body around. However, Esil was adamant. "No. Go back. This is my meal." "Huff huff huff!" "There''s no use wagging your tail now!" "Grrr!" The wolf cub and the demon noble were arguing over a whole pig. Suho, who watched the scene from behind, couldn''t hide his dejected expression. ''Why do carnivores seem to be gathering around me more and more these days?'' Chomp! [Kehehe! It is delicious!] "..." Two whole pigs were brought. From behind, Beru was clinging to the remaining one and was eating it. Even the brave Gray did not dare to take Beru''s food. "Thank you for the food!" Esil shoved her hand inside the pig''s body. Therge whole pig began to shrivel around Esil''s hand. ''Oh.'' Beru appeared next to Suho, who was curiously looking at him, and exined. [They suck in the mana that was in the pig''s body. Each demon has a different way of eating, but demon nobles usually prefer a clean method.] "Oh, you scared me. Are you an exnation worm or what?" [You are the worm, Young Master.] Beru said casually. Then he went back to his pig and opened his mouth wide. Chomp. Beru, contrary to Esil, seemed to prefer a sloppy way of eating. Suho smiled and slowly looked away. "So, while I..." Sniff sniff. Krrrk, Krrrk. Wild goblins who smelled the meat were gathering around them one by one. Suho stretched out his hand. "Hmm." One of them suddenly floated up in the air and struggled on its legs. Ruler''s Power. A faint smile crossed Suho''s lips. "Should I be doing the daily quest?" [Daily Quest: Cleaning the Shadow Dungeon] 100 Goblins: Iplete (0/100) 10 Commander Goblins: Iplete (0/10) 1 Main Commander Goblin: Iplete (0/1) * * * [Thepletion reward has arrived.] [Do you want to check the reward?] ( Y / N ) Suho felt that his abilities had risen again. ''Now, even a hundred goblins does not seem to be morning exercise.'' Suho lightly brushed his hands among the dead bodies of the goblins. The two swords, Rakan''s Sword and Vulcan''s Horns, were stuck into the ground. ''Looks like a hidden quest won''t appear likest time.'' He caught a few more this time, but somehow the hidden reward seemed to be a one-time thing. Still, the normal daily quest rewards were also good enough. [The following rewards are prepared.] Reward 1. State Recovery Reward 2. Ability Points +3 Reward 3. 1 Random Box Suho decided to keep the first reward, ''status recovery'' unepted. ''I''ll save this and use itter in case of an emergency.'' He could recover his HP with potions, but the recovery amount was small and the speed of recovery was slow. On the other hand, the ''status recovery'' reward restores HP immediately. It was good to use in an urgent situation. ''All stats are invested in strength.'' The higher the strength stat, the higher the power and speed. ''Random Box.'' This time it wasn''t a hidden reward, so an ordinary random box appeared in Suho''s hand. When the box was opened, a small ring rolled out. [You have acquired ''Item: Gray Ring''.] "Ring?" When Suho took out a dull colored ring, the description of the item appeared. [Item: Gray Ring] Difficulty to get: D Type: essory Sense +5 "It raises the senses stat by 5 points?" Suho''s eyes widened. It was a pretty good item for what it looked like. Sense stat is a stat that raises the five senses, and increases the ability to detect danger. In other words, the sense of catching an unexpected event rises. Suho quickly put the ring on his finger. The size was loose, but it was not a problem. [''Item: Gray Ring'' is worn.] The gray ring disappeared from the finger, and the stats were added immediately. [Senses: 29 (+5)] ''A normal random box is also very good. It feels like they were giving away prizes.'' Suhopleted the daily quest just like that. [Oops.] The meal was already over. Esil, who had been watching Suho hunt the goblins from behind, was making a puzzled expression. It wasn''t polite to help someone else hunt, so she just watched him. She found the situation itself with goblins wandering around here as something strange. "It''s a big deal." "What?" "How did the dimensional refugees get here?" "Dimensional refugees?" "I mean those guys. After the War of the Outer Gods, the surviving defeated soldiers were caught up in the dimensional rift and mixed here and there. They are called the dimensional refugees." In a way, it was quite expected. Since all the monarchs who were the central point disappeared, the monsters under them were scattered. "But, I don''t think this is a coincidence." [What''s not a coincidence?] Beru also showed interest in Esil''s words. "That''s uh... In fact, breaking through the dimensional wall is a very difficult task." [I agree. If it was easy, I would have gone back to His Majesty right away.] Beru nodded. In the old days, you had to be at least the Spectre Monarch to break through the gate to another dimension. Even that was never easy. "It was such a case for Beru, but can only the defeated soldiers of the ware over the wall of dimension so easily?" [What?] A strange glimmer appeared in Beru''s eyes. Suho also noticed what Esil was trying to say and nodded. "Could it be because of the blue mist?" "That''s right. The blue mist from outer space began to tangle the walls of our dimension. How severe was the disintegration that even such weak goblins flowed into the world ruled by the Shadow Monarch?" Esil shrugged, saying it was ridiculous. -I agree with that statement. Rakan''s Sword in Suho''s hand suddenly interrupted the conversation. -There is no way that the defeated soldiers would have entered the world ruled by the victor of the war on their own feet unless they have gone mad. It must have been that the dimensional rift was really tightly twisted. ''Ah.'' During the conversation, Suho suddenly realized an important fact. "Beru, let me ask one thing." [Yep.] "Didn''t you say that the strength of my father''s soldiers and the apostles of outer gods are simr?" [That''s right. It was so tense that even the monarch didn''t dare toe to Earth himself, so he sent me.] "If you think of it the other way around, wouldn''t the outer space side all the more dare toe over to Earth right now?" [What?] Beru''s eyes widened. [... Oh?] There, his eyes widened once again. "Right?" [Young Master is right! Of course they will!] Beru nodded frantically. Suho also nodded and murmured. "That''s why they use dimensional refugees. Since they couldn''te on their own, it''s clear that they gathered dimensional refugees and sent them to Earth instead." And this was not a bad situation at all from the perspective of the dimensional refugees. Because from their point of view, Earth was a perfect ce. To kill, steal, and conquer as much as they want. ''And another one.'' Suho finally realized the meaning of the daily quest given to him. [Daily Quest: Cleaning the Shadow Dungeon] "We need to clean up the goblins as soon as possible and find the gap in the dimension they crossed over to and block it." [You''re right. If we continue to leave the dimensional refugees alone, they will keeping. No, to be exact...] "They will find out about my existence." [...] Suho was clearly aware of his situation. "Because, I am my father''s only weakness." He found another reason to be stronger. Chapter 31 - 31

Chapter 31:

The enemies of outer space were not aware of Suho''s existence until now. However, if one day they eventually found out that the Shadow Monarch had a son, Suho would literally be the only weakness that would change the game of war. Just taking him as a hostage can make Sung Jinwoo''s forces slow down. ... So, Suho had to be strong. "After all, it''s just a matter leveling up." Suho looked back at the shadow dungeon. The daily quest was over, but he thought it would be better to hunt more goblins. Besides, the contents of the hidden quest hunting was ''more'' than the prescribed amount. ''Maybe this was the direction the system wanted him to go in the first ce.'' "Gray." "... Hnggg?" Gray shook his head at Suho''s words. "Esil." "Yeah?" Suho smiled at Gray and Esil. "If you ate everything, shouldn''t you pay for the meal now?" "Hnnggg." Gray, who couldn''t even eat a whole pig, made an unfair expression. But, for him, it was more helpful for him to grow by hunting and eating the prey himself. * * * [You have killed a Goblin Shaman.] [You have killed a Goblin Archer.] ... [Your level increased!] For a while, Suho went around the Shadow Dungeon with Esil and Gray and defeated the goblins. Sniff. Gray was weak, but he had an excellent sense of smell, befitting a hunter''s n. He could find the smell of goblins hiding everywhere. Swish! Esil, on the other hand, was a master of spearmanship. No matter how weakened the demon noble was, the goblins were nothingpared to her. She inserted her hand into the goblin''s body and sucked out its mana like a snack. "Yuck. It doesn''t taste good." ... She ate with her bare hands so she thought it would taste better. She then brushed her nails instead of her teeth. ''Anyway, it''s very interesting. A demon.'' "...?" Esil frowned and tilted her head. For some reason, Suho was looking at her like a strange animal. After some time... "There are no more goblins in this area. I guess we killed them all." "I can''t see any either." Suho also stopped walking and put the sword down. Swoosh. Rakan''s Sword rose in the air with the Ruler''s Power. On top of the handle, Beru flew like a sparrow andnded on it. [Young Master, I went around and it seems like you have really killed them all.] "Great job." [What are you going to do now?] "We have to wait here until they ''regen'' again." Suho took a seat in an empty lot open on all sides established as a base. It was a so-called base camp. "We don''t know when or where they mighte in again, so let''s continue scouting the surroundings, centering on this. Not just me, but you two as well." "Us?" Gray and Esil were taken aback. "They will help too." [Krrrk Krrrk!] [Krrrk!] The shadow goblins wandered around and started scouting. They looked like bandits plundering a vige, but they were on Suho''s side. His goal was to witness the sight of new goblins reappearing in the Shadow Dungeon. Considering the existence of daily quests, it was certain that they woulde in again before the day ended. "Okay. I got help, so I have to pay for the meal." Esil unconsciously licked her lips as she answered. Thanks to Suho, she was able to eat for the first time in a while, but the hunger she had been struggling with for a long time could not be resolved overnight. ''Because goblins don''t taste good, although the quantity isrge.'' She suddenly looked to the side and saw Gray also making the same expression. "What?" "..." Esil felt conflicted because she felt like she was on the same level as the little one. * * * [Are you sure you want to exit the Shadow Dungeon?] Suho left the Shadow Dungeon with Esil and Gray. ''Even though I caught so many goblins, I only leveled up once.'' In order to be stronger, he had to enter a stronger dungeon. Suho now had many options. One is to ckmail Rakan''s Sword and look for the location of the new sanctuary. But, Rakan''s Sword didn''t know everything. He said he would let Suho know when he sensed signs of a new sanctuary. The second is to find a stardust factory somewhere and hunt demons. Suho has no clue on that at all. ''And the third...'' Just Magok. ''I''d better go there first.'' Magok Vige, Gangseo District. Originally, the area was called Magok because it produced a lot of hemp. But a year ago ever since the worst dungeon break ever urred, people have been calling the area Magok or Demon Land. Since then, Magok has been designated as one of the most dangerous field dungeons in Korea, and civilians have stopped visiting. ''Gwanaksan Field and Seoul Station Field were both created a year ago. Magok Field was also created just a year ago.'' It was suspicious. Looking back at what had happened, Suho was sure that Magok was involved in some way. "Let''s go." * * * Slide. The bus door opened and Suho walked out. He arrived near Magok using public transportation. Even though the world has be like this, the trains and buses were still running well. So it became a more bizarre world. Only a few steps from an extremely ordinary civilized city, a hell road infested with demonic beasts suddenly unfolds. Even at that moment, the hunters were diligently attacking and purifying those areas, but at the same time, a new gate was opening somewhere. [This ce...] As they got closer to Magok, Beru''s eyes became serious. The fields of Magok that stretched out beyond were a jungle with blue mist and dense forest. [It''s a ce where you can feel the dangerous energy just by looking at it. Of course, it''s not dangerous at all to me. Khm.] Beru seriously boasted about himself and tilted his head. [Young Master, why is there no barbed wire here?] Like Gwanaksan Field or Seoul Station Field, most of the field dungeons were surrounded by long barbed wire to prevent the monsters froming out. However, when they arrived in Magok, they could not see such barbed wire anywhere. "This ce is too wide to be surrounded by barbed wire, and barbed wire is meaningless in the first ce." [Why?] "Most of the monsters here are nt-type monsters, so they can''te out anyway." nt-type monsters couldn''t root in and without blue mist. It was truly fortunate for the people of Earth. If it wasn''t for that, the nts in the dungeon would have covered the Earth a long time ago. [It''s a really fun ce.] Beru looked at the scenery of Magok with an interesting expression. Suho said they were nt-type monsters, but Beru sensed signs of other beings. [Young Master, isn''t this field upied by another guild?] "Not to my knowledge. I searched on the Inte, but I found nothing." As it turned out, Magok Field was a hunting ground open to all hunters. It was because it was very troublesome to manage for guilds if the ce was nt-type monsters infested. Also, they could make money by selling the corpses of the monsters, but the nt-type monsters don''t cost much. Since they say they are still researching, no one knows what will happenter. It was an area that hasn''t received the attention of hunters yet. "Besides, there are ghosts here." [Are you talking about ghosts?] Beru became more excited. By ghost he didn''t mean a ghost from a horror movie. Ghost monster. In this forest, there were not only nt-type monsters, but also ghost-type monsters that couldn''t be obtained no matter how hard anyone tries. So it was only natural that the hunters hated this ce. There''s no money there. ''But I am different. Because experience is more important than demon corpses.'' Thud. The moment Suho had set foot on Magok Field... -It''s a sanctuary! "...!" The Rakan''s Sword suddenly told Suho. Suho immediately pulled out Rakan''s Sword and held it. "What? A sanctuary?" -Yeah. This area is full of the energy of the sanctuary! It seems that this dense forest and blue mist were preventing the energy of the sanctuary from flowing out. Beru looked at Suho. [There could be an artifact simr to Rakan''s Sword somewhere around here.] "Or there could be a boss mob like Broki." [Whichever of the twoes out, it would be beneficial.] "Right. Whether it''s an artifact, it''s an item, a boss mob, or a shadow soldier with experience." Suho looked at the dense jungle with a glimmer in his eyes. Thebination of the jungle and ghosts was too much of a bother for hunters. Suho had a sanctuary-limited navigation. He raised Rakan''s Sword forward. "Do you know where it is?" -This way. Rakan''s Sword moved the tip of his sword, pointing to the center of the sanctuary. Suho ventured into the jungle with Rakan''s Sword at the forefront. * * * Suho wasn''t the only one exploring Magok Field. "Vice President, it''s already the second day." "How long are we going to be here?" "Rather than it being difficult, we need to know exactly the schedule and purpose..." The hunters of the Baekho Guild had been wandering the jungle aimlessly for two days already. The reason was Baek Miho, Vice President of the Baekho Guild, who is now leading them. However, no one dared to express their dissatisfaction with her. Baek Yunho, the president of the Baekho Guild, was out of the country. Baek Miho, the Vice President and daughter of Baek Yunho, was pretty simr to her father. "Someone keeps calling me." Baek Miho has been hearing strange hallucinations for some time now. -Prove your qualifications. The voice spoke out of nowhere. -Prove your qualifications. At first, she thought it was just hallucinations. However, the voice grew louder and louder as time passed, and eventually led Baek Miho to this ce in Magok. ''What the hell is going on here? What kind of qualifications do I have to prove?'' Baek Miho was equally frustrated. It was clear that there was something. The moment she stepped into the jungle, she stopped hearing things. Right then. Stand! The hunters who saw Baek Miho''s face trembled. ''The Vice President''s eyes...'' Vertically slit pupils. Suddenly, Baek Miho''s eyes were shining yellow like those of an animal. ''The eyes of the beast.'' The beast transformation skill made her like that. Even though only a fraction of power was revealed, the pressure was enormous. -Prove your qualifications. "... Has it started again?" The voice returned to Baek Miho''s brain. However, the contents were slightly different from before. -Prove your qualifications to be the King. Baek Miho took off the hair tie she was wearing on her wrist and tied her hair. With the beast''s eyes, she red fiercely in the direction the voice came from. "Everyone, be ready for battle." Chapter 32 - 32

Chapter 32:

-Prove your qualifications to be the king. "...!" Dun. Suho''s senses stat sensed an abnormality taking ce in the forest. The forest was agitated. Suho stopped walking and looked at Rakan''s Sword. "Did you just say that?" -It''s not me. "Does the voice sound the same?" -It has to be. It was said by a being just like me in this sanctuary. Suho tilted his head. "Are they the same as you?" -Yes. You probably didn''t think that the king of beasts, the Fang Monarch Rakan, would only have one fang, right? "Usually four." -Two. "..." -It means that there are only two fangs made of holy material. As Suho stared at him, Rakan''s Sword hurriedly defended himself. -I don''t know if I said it, but to be precise, I''m Rakan''s ''baby tooth''. Baby teeth are those that fall out during adolescence. -I am the one who received the tooth that Rakan lost as he grew up and made it into a sacred object for the lower tribes. Since the fangs I received back then were two, the holy relics were also two. Then, again, the voice prated Suho''s brain. -Prove your qualifications to be the king! Suho asked again. "Then what the hell is this asking if I''m worthy to be king?" -At that time, the lower tribes created me in hopes that a future monarch would be born from them. But now that Rakan is dead, it''s finally time to elect a new king. The so-called ''Trial of the King'' has begun. "Oh." Suho was then tempted to ask. "So you''re saying that if I pass the test, I can be the Fang Monarch too?" -Of course it is possible. If you want to be a beast. "Beast?" -They were going to elect the king of beasts, shouldn''t the candidate be prepared to be a beast? "I kind of hate that." At Suho''s disgusted expression, Rakan''s Sword giggled and continued. -So, in the first ce, you are not qualified. And that voice is not talking to you either. It''s just a notice scattered throughout this sanctuary. [Young Master.] Just in time, Beru, who was flying around and scouting, returned to Suho. [There are other hunters roaming around this field besides us. Each of them look...] Thuck! Listening to Ver''s words, Suho stepped on a tree branch and jumped high. From there, he looked down in the direction themotion wasing from. An interesting sight was unfolding there. Strangeness appeared in Suho''s eyes. ''They''re choosing the king of the beasts.'' [... Everyone was using the beast transformation skill.] ''I guess this is what it means.'' Kyaoo-! Thud! g! All over the forest, fighter hunters who fought by changing part or all of their bodies like beasts were fighting. There was one with wings like an eagle on his back. There was also a person who became furry like a bear and grew in size. It was really diverse. -Prove your qualifications to be the king! Each and everyone were fighting an entire forest steeped in madness to prove their worth. -Anyway, the holy relics here seem to have gathered all the beasts qualified to be king. It was then. Swish-! Thuck. Suho suddenly felt a presence under his feet and immediately turned around and jumped off the tree branch. Swish! Surprisingly, it was the tree itself that attacked Suho. ''Tree trunk?'' Even while jumping to the ground, countless tree trunks attacked Suho like a whip. ''Ruler''s Power!'' The ruler''s power was not enough to lift Suho''s weight. However, it was possible to double jump, stepping on the air momentarily and leaping again. Suho did somersaults avoiding the whip vines andnded safely on the ground. The battle began in earnest. Swish! sh! nt-type monsters started attacking Suho from all sides. Suho grabbed Rakan''s Sword and Vulcan''s Horns with both hands and hacked them to pieces. -Prove your qualifications to be the king! In the meantime, the voice continues to be heard. Suho felt conflicted. "No, I don''t have the qualifications, so why are you making me take the test?" -It''s a matter of timing. It was because you entered the sanctuary and was caught up in the Trial of the King''s ordeal. Or perhaps the ordeal has just begun because I, a holy relic, have entered this ce. "So that holy relic is the problem in the first ce." Suho decided to think simply. "It''s a test, and so we start looking for the examiner." [Find it and destroy it. Who dares to test Young Master?] Beru''s eyes shone insidiously. -This way. The direction Rakan''s Sword had been pointing to was the ce where the examiner was. Suho continued to cut down the nt-type monsters and ran to the ce where the other holy relic was. * * * The deeper the jungle, the thicker the blue mist. At first nce, it gave off a dreamlike feeling, but it was the beginning of a nightmare. Swoosh- "The ghost ising." The hunters, who were being tested for their qualifications as kings, hurriedly alerted their surroundings. The chilling sound of the wind was blowing everywhere. In fact, nt-type monsters aren''t very strong if you look at them individually. However, if you look at the forest as a whole, the risk level changes. Regardless of whether the ss is E or S, hunters are also human beings made of flesh and blood. If a sharp tree trunk suddenly flies in and pierces the throat or heart, life can be lost in vain. The forest was full of such creepy assassins everywhere. In addition, now ghosts have been added. "This is why this field is not popr." "I know. There is only risk and nothing to be gained." Untilst year, there was a big city here. It boasted a huge floating poption, not only because it was home to arge number of people, but also because it had a sizable business district. But one day, the gate suddenly opened in the said area, and a catastrophe urred. Many died, and those who were lucky enough to survive lost their livelihoods. The ghosts of the dead still haunted thend. Aaaaaaah-! "Damn it! It''s Banshee" "Everybody cover your ears!" The Ghost Species Beast Banshee. Banshee''s wailing is disorienting. It was the worst for the hunters who were already wandering in the jungle. Besides, all the hunters there now had their hearing developed using the Beast Transformation skill. In the end, there were even a number of people who vomited. -Prove your qualifications to be the king! A voice that whips them even at this moment. When the voice stuck in their heads while temporarily losing sight and hearing, the hunters finally realized the truth of this test. ''I get it.'' Smell. There was a smell calling them from somewhere. It was the smell of magic that could only be felt by maximizing wildness. "Right! It was a smell!" Hunters focused all their nerves on their sense of smell. But there was a tree trunk that squeezed through that gap! sh-! "Chuck!" As they tore the vines stuck in their thighs, their eyes were zing wildly. ''I must find it.'' ''I''ll find it and be the king!'' Not knowing who could be the king, they were blindly taking the test as if possessed by something. "... Something is off." Thud. Baek Miho suddenly stopped walking. The Baekho Guild hunters who were following her made puzzled expressions. "Vice President, what''s the problem?" Baek Miho looked somewhat displeased. Even in this chaotic situation, the ''Eye of the Beast'' was watching from far away. She already knew that there were quite a few other hunters roaming around in this forest. They were also in the process of movingpetitively to find the same ce using the Beast Transformation skill like herself. Baek Miho having a wild nature is just the same. From the moment she stopped walking, she felt something, saying that this was not the time. That part touched Baek Miho''s pride. "I feel like I''m being yed by someone. I don''t like it." "Huh? What do you mean by that?" "For now, our Baekho Guild will retreat from this mysterious test." "...!" Her sudden deration shocked the members of the guild. When they entered the forest yesterday, they couldn''t understand why the vice president had gone there. After the King''s Trial began, the worries disappeared. They don''t know what awaits at the end of the test, but the power of the word ''King'' spurred their desire. However, Baek Miho suddenly stepped on the brakes and stopped their momentum. "It makes me feel dirty to be seduced by such unknown desires, as if I had be a real beast. It''s not like I''m a dog in heat that gets swayed by some kind of pheromone." Baek Miho clicked her tongue and even red with the eyes of the beast. "Are we going back now?" "No." It was a no-brainer to fight with others without knowing the purpose. But, she wanted to see with her own eyes who would be the final winner. "Move and search high terrain with an open view." "Alright." The subordinates follow her decision without any words. But then. "Grrr." There was a group of werewolves who appeared in front of the guild while moving past through the bush. "Hmm?" In an instant, Baek Miho''s eyes changed when she recognized their identity. The Baekho Guild was the most famous guild in Korea for its Beast Transformation skill. As a result, they had separate lists of hunters with beast transformation skills from other guilds. The purpose was, of course, to offer a scout someday. So she was well aware of the identities of the werewolves she encountered. "The remnants of the Hyena Guild." They said that there were some guys who hadn''t been caught by the police yet, and it seemed that they, too, were enticed by the king''s trial and came into the forest. However, the problem was that their nature was evil, and they understood the king''s test better than anyone else as they had served Broki for a long time. ''There is only one king!'' Growl! The moment they identally encountered Baekho Guild, the werewolves showed their teeth. Theyunched an attack without hesitation. "Kill them!" "Grrr!" The Baekho Guild was the most likely candidate for the title of king. If they don''t get killed now, they will take the throne. However, the tant intent to kill by the werewolves rather awakened the wildness that Baek Miho had been barely suppressing. "... Tsk." ''One-day old puppies who don''t even know what they''re doing.'' Tick. At that moment, her hair tie broke off. Growl! Baek Miho''s hair, which protruded like a lion''s mane, was bleached white. ''Beasts!'' Half-human and half-beast. Baek Miho''s ws, revealing her true power, rip off the heart of the leading werewolf. -Prove your qualifications to be the king! "... Ha?" A voice seemed to rejoice at the ughter made by Baek Miho. -Kill more! -Those who survive to the end are truly strong! "Was it like this?" Baek Miho realized what that voice really wanted. "It''s a battle royale." She didn''t really like it. Forcing people to kill each other. In addition, because of the five senses maximized by the Beast Transformation skill, screams of dying and killing could be heard from all over the forest. A battle royale was already taking ce elsewhere. "I really don''t like it." Baek Miho gnashed her teeth with a disapproving expression while fighting the Hyena Guild members. All of a sudden, she noticed a person walking far away. His carefree appearance, walking around with two swords in each hand, was so foreign to her. ''Why is that person alone?'' ''Could it be that he killed all of his teammates and survived alone?'' ''If so, he was the worst human being.'' ''Blinded by the king''s power, he even killed hisrades!'' ... But. Sniff Sniff. ''He doesn''t smell like blood.'' ''Didn''t he kill someone? Then, why is he alone?'' Baek Miho kept ncing at him even while fighting. He kept walking until she could no longer see him. Chapter 33 - 33

Chapter 33:

"There are more people with Beast Transformation skills than I thought." Far from other hunters, Suho was crossing the jungle without hesitation. Of course, numerous specters appeared in front of him and attacked. Everywhere, tree trunks contaminated with magic were relentlessly seeking lives. Aaaaooooh- [Banshee used ''Skill: Wailing''.] [You lose your sense of direction for 10 minutes.] Ghost Banshee howled overhead, disturbing Suho. ''Ruler''s Power!'' Tuck! Suho''s invisible hand reached out and grabbed Banshee''s neck and snapped it. ...! [You have killed Banshee.] [''Skill: Wailing'' has been canceled.] "You shouldn''t cry. Santa doesn''t give presents." Suho smirked and killed Banshee. The ghosts infesting the ce were all taken care of at once! Suho''s twin swords turned like windmills. [Use ''Skill: de Storm''.] Swoosh! [You have killed a specter.] [You have killed a specter.] [You have killed a specter.] ... de Storm is very useful in battles with bunch enemies. However, even after catching so many specters, there was no sign of his level rising. ''I just need to catch more!'' He had no choice but to catch them all to move forward anyway. [Use ''Skill: de Storm''.] [Use ''Skill: de Storm''.] Grumble-! [You have killed a specter.] [You have killed a specter.] ... The days when mana ran out with just one storm cut were a thing of the past. If it was the same now, he could use it eight times. But something was strange. ''I don''t level up even after catching this much?'' It felt like he did not gain any experience at all. ''Could there be more?'' Suho''s eyes explored the surroundings. His increased sensory stats now had the same senses as beast hunters. ''There.'' Suho found the ce where he felt the most dangerous energy in theplex jungle. He immediately turned and started running towards it. -Where are you going? Rakan''s Sword asked. "Let''s stop by there for a while." It was slightly different from the direction to the holy relic, but it wasn''t quite the opposite, so it was enough to stop by briefly on the way. "What is this again?" Suho found a bizarre-looking tree. [Wraith Tree] "A ghost tree?" -It is a sacred tree that protects the sanctuary. Rakan''s Sword recognized it. "Sacred? This?" Suho raised his head and looked up at the tree. Rather than being sacred, it was a mysterious tree that looked haunted. Just then... Aaaaaaahhh-! Kihihi! Even at that moment, new ghosts were growing like fruits from the twisting branches of the Wraith Tree. [It''s like a ghost tree that grew up sucking the corpses of people who died on thisnd.] Beru exined. "As expected, there was a separate main body." That''s why no matter how many ghosts he caught, he didn''t level up. He seemed to have found the right one. Suho smirked andunched Rakan''s Sword into the air with the Ruler''s Power. Then he raised Vulcan'' Horn and mercilessly struck the side of the Wraith Tree. sh-! A great roar erupted. But, the Wraith Tree was still standing there. ''Is it because it has a high defense?'' ''Let''s see who wins.'' Suho gritted his teeth and began striking the Wraith Tree. sh...! It was then. "Grrrr!" Chills! Evil red shadows attacked Suho. Suho quickly fell back and hit their ws with his sword. [Dungeon Jackal] [Dungeon Jackal] "Krrrk." The dungeon jackals whonded on the floor surrounded Suho from the front and rear to prevent him from escaping. They were already looking at Suho as prey. As befits the guys who guard the trees that protect the sanctuary, the atmosphere felt different from the typical dungeon jackals. That made it even more interesting. "Great. You guys will be of some use." Suho was exuding explosive energy from his entire body. Swoosh-! [The ''Title: Wolf yer'' buff effect is activated.] [All stats increase by 40% when dealing with beast-type monsters.] "Krrrk?!" Dungeon jackals instinctively lowered their stance. The prey, which seemed weaker than them just a moment ago, suddenly burst out with the intimidation of a predator! "... Grrr!" Suho swung his sword at the dungeon jackals who were attacking at the same time. * * * [Shadow Jackal Lv.1] Basic ss [Shadow Jackal Lv.1] Basic ss [Krrrk!] Shadow magicians shimmering with ck energy. Beru, who was riding on top of them, nodded with a haughty expression. [Yes, from now on, serve as a loyal dog that protects Young Master.] -This is why we lost the war... A low voice came from Rakan''s Sword. Suho ignored the voice and was diligently cutting (?) the side of the Wraith Tree. Tuck! Krrrk-! Numerous specters jumped to hinder Suho, but the shadow jackals reliably guarded his back. Suddenly, a groaning voice was heard. -Why are they protecting the intruder instead...? [Whose side are you on?!] -That wasn''t me. [Hmm?] It seemed that someone was watching Suho from afar. And finally. sh! "Ah, that''s it." Grumble! With a loud noise, the enormous wraith tree fell backwards. [You have destroyed the Wraith Tree.] [The ghosts around disappear.] Swoosh. The ghosts that hovered around Suho scattered and disappeared. [Your level increased!] "I leveled up right away?" Suho''s eyes widened. He leveled up just from cutting down a tree. Suho''s eyes quickly searched the surroundings. He climbed up a nearby tree and checked the situation elsewhere from that view. Ghosts were still roaming around and attacking the hunters far away. ''There''s not just one ghost tree!'' Suho''s eyes shed. And that location would be best known to insiders. "Lead ahead!" [Kyao!] At Suho''smand, the shadow jackals took the lead and ran to the second Wraith Tree. * * * Grumble! The sound of something copsing was heard. "... What?" Baek Miho already dealt with all the hyena guild members and looked around. She turned her head in the direction of the roar. ''Is that where the man went earlier?'' She felt as though the ghosts around her had suddenly decreased slightly. ''No, it''s not just a feeling.'' It definitely decreased. About one-third. Thanks to that, she could have some spare time. Baek Miho looked back at the hyena guild members she had defeated to gather information. Most of them died, but only one was bloodied and tied up. Baek Miho asked while looking at his fear-stricken eyes with her vertically split eyes of the beast. "Do you want to live?" "Ack, I want to live!" The werewolf desperately replied. "Then, prove it. Why should I let you live?" "W-What?" "Tell me everything you know." "Ack." Grrrrr. When Baek Miho revealed her teeth, the werewolf felt like it was prey in front of a predator. Then... "... Monarch?" Baek Miho made a strange expression. She didn''t expect much, but surprisingly, the value of the information the werewolf gave was great. "Are you saying that a king who ruled over the beasts existed?" "Y-Yes! But the king died a long time ago and the throne is now said to be vacant!" "So, is this a fuss about choosing a new king?" "That''s right. We also suddenly heard auditory hallucinations, so we rushed here." The werewolf, who didn''t want to die like his other colleagues, confided in the information he knew. In fact, the hyena guild members thought that only they could hear the hallucinations. They thought that because they were awakeners who drank the blood of the canine n, they were qualified to be king. But when they got there, that wasn''t the case. Any hunter with the power of a beast deserved to be king, and all of them were rushing and fighting. "Hmm." King... Baek Miho was lost in thought for a moment. Of course, it would be a lie if she''d say she wasn''t greedy. Even at that moment, the hallucinations asking to prove her qualifications were stimting her desire. -Prove your qualifications to be the king! ''... But it''s also suspicious.'' No matter how much she thought about it, she couldn''t imagine that the monsters would have approached humans with a good intention. How much more if they would choose their king from among humans? ''That''s interesting.'' Baek Miho sneered and folded her arms. It was also right not to step up. However, she wondered what results this test would eventuallye to. Actually, she was kind of scared. What kind of scheme are the demon beasts here plotting under the pretext of having a King''s Trial? ''My father was away at a time like this.'' Baek Miho sighed as he remembered her father, Baek Yunho. In fact, if they were to choose the king of beasts among real humans, there would be no one more qualified than Baek Yunho, an S-ss hunter. But, there was something she was sure of. ''If my father were here, he would have made the same decision as me.'' -Prove your qualifications to be the king! "Argh. It''s really noisy." Even at this moment, Baek Miho''s head was pounding because of the voice that stimted her desire. -Kill more! Right then. Grumble! Again, like before, she heard the sound of something copsing somewhere. A strange thing happened. -The one who survives until the end... Whoa! Please stop! "Huh?" ''What''s going on?'' The voice that had been heard on repeat all of a sudden sounded annoyed. All the hunters in the forest, including Baek Miho, raised their heads in bewilderment. Even the werewolf who was begging Baek Miho for his life perked up his ears with a puzzled face. The auditory hallucinations that they had been hearing repeatedly all along then stopped. Suddenly, the number of ghosts decreased by half. ''What happened? I hope the King''s Trial is over...'' Of course, not. After a while, the hallucinations resumed as if nothing had happened. -Prove your qualifications to be a king... Ah! Stop! Just please! Now there is only one tree left! "... Hmm?" What the hell is going on? Chapter 34 - 34

Chapter 34:

The Holy Relic was genuinely perplexed. An uninvited guest came to the King''s Trial and was messing around. Wraith Tree. It grows by absorbing the spirits that died in thatnd. There were a total of three trees guarding the sanctuary. Now, there is only one left. That remaining tree was also being destroyed terribly by the uninvited guest. Thuck! -Stop! Please stop! Ah, the power of the sanctuary...! The King''s Trial...! Suho let the screams of the holy object go to the back of his ear. [Krrrk!] The shadow jackals were guarding him with a proud and upright posture like guard dogs. sh! ''As long as I destroy this, I will level up again!'' Unfortunately, he didn''t level up when he destroyed the second Wraith Tree. This was because the higher the level, the more required experience points. It was something he was sure of. Thuck! Suho moved faster. Unlike Suho who was excited, ''the other Holy Relic'' kept begging earnestly in his head. -This can''t be. That''s thest ghost tree! Imagine how diligently I nurtured that tree! "I can''t hear. I can''t hear anything." -Listen! sh! -Don''t interfere with the King''s Trial, something you don''t qualify for! Suho suddenly stopped. "... qualified." Suho raised his head and smiled faintly. He moved toward the Holy Relic that he must be watching somewhere. "You weren''t going to pick a real king anyway. What''s the problem?" -... All that came back was silence. Suho already knew about it a long time ago. He was certain because he already had Rakan''s Sword. "Aren''t you nning on taking over the body of a human who survived until the end anyway?" The Rakan''s Sword initially wanted to take away the body of a lowly human and possess it. But this time, the standard of the other Holy Relic was ''royal status''. No matter how much humans on Earth try to fly and crawl, there''s no way they''ll ever be satisfied with something like being a Fang Monarch. Grumble! Just in time, Suho destroyed thest Wraith Tree. [You have destroyed the Wraith Tree.] [All the ghosts disappear.] [Your level increased!] All the ghosts in Magok Field disappeared. A heavy silence fell over the forest. At the end of that suffocating silence, the Holy Relic finally opened its mouth. -... You know me too well. Who are you? It was a question for Suho. However, the heavy sense of intimidation in that voice made all the hunters in the Magok field nervous. Aoooooh! The forest was howling. Even the ground shook as if it would copse. "What is this!" "What is going on!" As an unusual earthquake began to ur, the hunters in the forest turned pale. Suho smiled and asked Rakan''s Sword in his hand. "Do you think the Holy Relic here is stronger than you?" -No way. You must have found a bean sprout. The sarcastic voice of Rakan''s Sword was obvious. -But, it was better. It found someone worthy of being a real king. Gray, now in the Shadow Dungeon, was the only descendant of the canine n. Even though he became Suho''s pet, that didn''t matter too much. It was already convinced that Gray would grow into a stronger monarch by being by Suho''s side. -Do you know the reason for the existence of the holy relic? "What?" -To prove the qualifications of the king bypeting with each other''s chosen sessor. Swoosh. Rakan''s Sword moved the tip of the sword, pointing back in the direction of the other relic. -Go that way. Go to him and prove that you are more worthy. Instead of answering, Suho turned his gaze to the shadow jackals. "Jackal!" [Krrrk!] "Take me!" The shadow jackal quickly approached and carried Suho on his back. Then, it started running through the dense forest at a blinding speed. * * * Grumble- The closer they got to the source of the earthquake, the denser the forest became. nt-type monsters of various colors were everywhere. Until now, no hunters would have reached that far. It was extremely dangerous with no money to gain. [The nts here are full of life. They have already tasted human blood.] Beru''s words were true. Magok Massacre. The fundamental reason why thisnd has turned into such a terrible jungle. It was because the location where the gate opened was quite bad. Magok is home to thergest and most extensive botanical garden in Seoul. The gate to the other world opened in the middle of the said garden. Blue mist flowed out of it and permeated the various vegetation then achieved a bizarre evolution. ... This ce has turned into hell. If this was an ordinary mountain like Gwanaksan, it would have been a little different. The types of vegetation growing on the mountain would not have been as diverse as those in the botanical garden. If only this ce hadn''t been downtown. Monsters tainted with magic wouldn''t have eaten so many humans in the city and evolved into something more grotesque. The result of all that bad luck was right there. [Magok Botanical Garden] In the ce where the botanical garden was originally located, a strange giant tree wriggled as if it were alive. Suho narrowed his eyes and looked closely at the giant tree, and soon recognized its identity. "Is this... a tree?" It wasn''t a tree. Thousands of nt species that grew in the botanical garden were intertwined with each other and wrapped together taking the form of a giant tree. -It''s a nest for the king. Rakan''s Sword said. -The other relic has grown the sanctuary this much. I have no choice but to admit this one thing. It was then. Wow! Suddenly, the door of the botanical garden, covered by numerous vines, opened wide in front of Suho. "Let''s go in." [Young Master, it may be a trap.] The corner of Suho''s mouth went up at Beru''s concern. "If it''s a trap, we just have to break through." Swoosh. With two swords in both hands, Suho stepped into the entrance. [Entered the dungeon.] Suho entered the botanical garden dungeon. After that, the vines wrapped around the passage again to seal the door. * * * The garden was quiet and dark. It is pitch ck without a single point of light. Suho maximized his senses and adapted to the darkness. To secure more visibility, he put ''Item: Crow Mask'' on his face. A lot more became visible. Spider web. "Woah. See this?" Suho smiled and looked around. The whole ce was wrapped in a pure white spider web. "Was this a trap?" Large and small spider beasts crawling on the web were ring at the intruder. [Grave Spider] [Grave Spider] ... ''A grave.'' That was a very fitting name. There were already guests who got there before Suho. While he was handling the Wraith Tree, the beast hunters first smelled the ce. "Oops!" They were all hanging, entwined in spider webs. As Suho got inside, those among them whose mouths weren''t covered screamed desperately. "S-Save me...!" "Please let us go...!" -They are sacrifices for the king. Listening to Rakan''s Sword, Suho red into the deep darkness far away. A huge spider was crouching there. Body the size of a house. Dozens of eyes. Ugly mouth. Pair of giant ws. [Grave Spider Arachne] It was an enormous and intimidating spider. -I can feel the energy of the Holy Spirit in that monster''s body. Suho''s eyes narrowed. "Then, I''ll have to cut him open and get it out." Thud! Suho didn''t waste any time and immediately jumped out towards the monster. Grave spiders poured down from the walls and ceiling towards Suho. "Take care of the small ones!" [Krrrk!] At Suho''smand, the shadow jackals jumped up and struck the grave spiders. They tore the spiders apart with their strong ws and killed them with their teeth. [You have killed a grave spider.] [You have killed a grave spider.] [You have killed a grave spider.] ... Numerous messages appeared simultaneously. Suho ignored them all and just ran forward. He only has one goal! The arachne spewed white spider webs towards Suho. sh! Two swords swung. [Use ''Skill: de Storm''.] The spider''s web was torn by the raging sword strike. A giant spider appeared. Its huge pincer mmed down from above Suho''s head. Bang-! If he hadn''t turned his body instinctively, it would have been crushed. The spider that smashed the stone floor rose up again. Suho''s eyes widened. ''Come again!'' sh- Bang! He turned around and dodged the attack. Bang! Dodged again. "Khhiiiiiii!" The monster was enraged. Countless smashes were pouring in. It felt like fighting an excavator at a construction site. But... ''Seeing.'' No, feeling. Using items to increase his sensory stats, Suho''s ability to detect danger has gotten a lot better. He dodged the attacks one by one and gradually closed the distance between him and the monster. sh! He hit its leg with the Rakan''s Sword. Suho went to the other side of the monster who was staggering from the impact, and once again attacked with the Vulcan''s Horn. sh-! Suho''s twin swords began attacking nonstop. [The level of ''Skill: Double Swords'' has risen!] The monster howled at the continuous attack. "Keeeeek!" -There''s no way! No matter how hard you try, you will eventually be my prey! A voiceing from inside its body echoed. ''Was that not enough?'' ''Its skin is quite thick.'' But, it doesn''t matter. Even if it had a strong defense, Suho thought he could just keep on attacking. ''I''m your food?'' Sounds funny. Suho smiled. ''You are my prey.'' He was already excited. Thinking of killing this guy and using him as a shadow soldier. [Use ''Skill: de Storm''.] "Khiiiik!" Chapter 35 - 35

Chapter 35:

It was an endless attack. [''Effect: Fatal Wound'' is activated.] An option appeared for Rakan''s Sword. A special effect with a 15% chance of inflicting more than twice as much critical damage was activated. That was just the beginning. sh! [''Effect: Fatal Wound'' is activated.] [''Effect: Fatal Wound'' is activated.] ... As the number of Suho''s attacks umted, the critical hits continued to increase. Thuck! In the end, the monster couldn''t stand the force and broke one of its leg. "Krrrrwwkk!" Arachne screamed and staggered. Suho did not miss that opportunity. sh! He jumped on the broken leg and went on the monster''s back. Holding the two swords, he stabbed them into the hard shell of the monster. To be precise, in the joint that can be seen between the shells. Green blood sttered and screams erupted. "Kurwarrk!" Swoosh! g! g! Arachne struggled wildly to get Suho off its body and hit the wall here and there. However, the more it did, the more persistently Suho clung to its back and stabbed his sword deeply into it. Right then. "Khhiiikk!" [The Grave Spider Arachne uses ''Skill: Puppet Show''.] [The Grave Spider Arachne uses ''Skill: Puppet Show''.] Swoosh! ''On its back!'' Suho instinctively turned over and jumped high. Then, a sharp attack cut through the space where Suho was. Thud! Landing on the arachne''s back again, Suho turned his head to confirm the identity of the attackers. "S-Sorry!" "Our bodies are moving on their own..!" The hunters, whose limbs were wrapped in spider webs, were attacking Suho unwillingly. ''They said they were puppets.'' The bodies of people hanging from the walls and ceiling were forcibly controlled by spider webs floating in the air. The movements were bizarre like that of a zombie. "Beru!" Suho screamed while clinging onto Arachne''s back swaying here and there. Beru suddenly showed up. [Yes? Did you call me?] That was all he could ask. Beru had taken a step back from the battle fearing that he would steal Suho''s experience points. Conversely, there was no reason not to participate in battle as long as it didn''t take away experience points. Beru turned his head and howled ferociously at the hunters attacking Suho. [What kind of bugs dare to disturb Young Master''s great crusade-!] [Kehehehehehe!] Beru''s ws ripped the webs apart at an incredible speed. "Aaaaaagh!" "Please save us...!" The hunters were startled and started screaming. The... "... Oh?" Thuck...! The cobwebs tying them all together snapped. At that moment, the bodies of the hunters floating in the air plummeted to the floor like puppets with strings cut off. Crash! "Ahh! Ouch..." Huntersnded on their buttocks and whined in pain. Their gazes followed Suho and their eyes widened. "... Crazy." An absurd sight was unfolding. sh! "Krrrkk!" Suho was... ripping off Arachne''s shell with his bare hands. ''If its defense is high, I just can tear off its shield!'' [Strength: 51] The tendon in his forearm swelled like it was about to burst. Sweat poured down. Suho continued as the monster struggled. He was barely enduring everything. Right then. ''Daily Quest!'' He took out the reward he had been saving for this very moment. [The following rewards are prepared.] Reward 1. Status Recovery (Unchecked) ''ept the reward!'' Swish! A refreshing energy swirled around, and his condition returned to its best form. "Great!" Suho smirked and put more strength into his grip. But, it still was not enough. ''More strength...!'' Suho instinctively came up with a way to fill theck of strength. ''Ruler''s Power!'' Swoosh! The invisible hand floating in the air momentarily ovepped Suho''s right arm. Just like back then when he blew away Team Leader Han Jaehyuk of the Hunters Association with Ruler''s Power. Dark energy prated into Suho''s arm. Swoosh! In the end, thergest shell came off like a crab shell. Underneath, Arachne''s flesh was exposed. Suho punched his fist straight in. Gumble-! [You have learned ''Skill: Strike Lv.1''.] Arachne''s heavy body was crushed in half. "...!" [You have defeated Arachne, the Grave Spider.] [Your level increased!] [Your level increased!] Arachne copsed without even screaming. Stepping on the body, Suho''s hand pulled out the ''holy relic'' that was parasitic in the body. Swoosh! [''Item: Rakan''s Sword-2'' has been obtained.] A sword that looked exactly like Rakan''s original fangs came out of Suho''s hand. Even their personalities were simr. -Who dares covet the King''s sword! An evil voice echoed in Suho''s brain. -I''ll possess your body! Swoosh! Red energy radiated from the sword and attacked Suho. Then, a shadow rose from under Suho''s feet and swallowed the sword. The red aura that had been attacking vigorously faded. -W-What is this energy?! Could you be the Shadow Monarch''s...! "You guys... Shouldn''t you change yourmon statements already?" Suho smiled as he spoke to Rakan''s Sword-1. Dun! ...! Suddenly, the two relics, fangs of Rakan, resonated with each other. Ring! [''Item: Rakan''s Fang'' recognizes each other.] [''Sanctuary of Beasts'' is activated.] The system messages started appearing in front of Suho one after another. Ring! Ring! [You have learned the passive skill ''(Unknown)''.] [Passive skill ''(Unknown)'' is activated.] A passive skill was added in the skill information window. [Skill] Passive Skill: (Unknown) Lv. Max ''What is this...?'' Suho expressed some doubts about the unexpected situation. Swoosh-! His shadow spread in all directions. ... Time stopped. * * * ''What is this ce...?'' Suho looked around. A world ofplete nkness. He stood alone at the edge of the empty horizon while wearing a crow mask. The Rakan''s Swords in his hand were also missing. ''Beru.'' Suho tried to call Beru, but no voice came out of his mouth. ''Is it a dream?'' He suddenly heard a voice. [You are not in your dream.] ''...!'' Suho opened his eyes wide and looked ahead. At the end of the empty horizon, he saw a man looking at him. A giant man that looks well over 2 meters. The wild-looking man was dressed in clothes made of animal skin. No, he wasn''t wild-looking but simply wild in nature. [Nice to meet you. You are his descendant.] The man smiled at Suho, revealing his sharp fangs. ''Who are you?'' [My name is Rakan, an eternal specter that was killed by the Shadow Monarch.] He answered Suho''s question. A system message popped up in front of Suho. [The King of Beasts, Fang Monarch, is watching you.] ''...!'' Suho opened his eyes wide. Suddenly, the man felt a tremendous presence. Bear? Tiger? Lions, sharks, crocodiles, venomous snakes, what predator in the world can radiate such an overwhelming sense of intimidation? ''King.'' Suho realized. He was the true king of beasts. Suho realized just now. In Suho''s field of vision, the man''s silhouette grewrger andrger. ''...!'' He could finally see everything. Behind the man in human form, a huge snow-white wolf was looking down on him. [Whew. Can you see my true self? It is indeed a mysterious skill.] Rakan, the great wolf, was intrigued. [Well, to the extent that you have summoned me. I was only wandering in the world of emptiness. Is this level of ability natural?] ''I called you?'' Suho made a puzzled expression. [Right. I don''t know how, but you woke me up. Because of that, my soul, which was in eternal rest, dreamt of ''you''.] ''Dream?'' [Yes. This is my dream.] Rakan chuckled and looked around. [... There''s nothing.] Rakan suddenly burst intoughter. It was a really emptyugh. [Is this normal?] Originally, the dead do not dream. Hence, this dream of his was also empty. [Isn''t it really fun? Those were the words of the Fang Monarch, who killed and trampled so many beasts in his lifetime.] He turned his eyes to Suho again and realized... A young human has inherited the power of the Shadow Monarch. That small, weak human child was the only spectacle in his empty dream. [... Hmm.] Rakan''s gaze at Suho deepened. [From now on, you will be my only pleasure.] Smirk. The corner of Rakan''s mouth went up. When a monarch dies, he falls into eternal rest. It was a world of emptiness where all selves disappeared and there was no dream. But, that wasn''t the case now. [The King of Beasts, Fang Monarch, is watching you.] The same message as before appeared. [From now on, I will be able to watch your life through dreams. I''m really looking forward to it.] Suho frowned at Rakan''s words. ''You can spy on me? Why?'' [Why are you asking me that? In the first ce, I was only called by your power.] ''My power?'' He remembered the new skill called ''Unknown'' that he acquired. Rakanughed at Suho''s unsatisfactory reaction and continued. [Don''t worry. I can''t see every moment of you. The only time I can look into you is when you use my power.] ''If it''s your power... Are you referring to Rakan''s Sword?'' [That''s right. Ah, I can see you when you are with my descendant.] ''Gray?'' [Yeah, you gave him that name. Thank you for keeping my descendant without killing him. This will add joy to my empty rest.] Rakan smiled at what came to his mind. Soon, a mysterious light emanated from his huge body. Beam! That light came down to Suho. [The King of Beasts, Fang Monarch, blessed you.] Suho looked at the light covering his body with a puzzled expression. [''Prophecy: Rakan''s Protection'' is received.] Chapter 36 - 36

Chapter 36:

[Blessing: Lakan''s Blessing] Blessing of the King of Beasts, Fang Monarch. The Fang Monarch Rakan has chosen Suho to be the King''s Pontifex. Pontifex can imbue their bodies with the living spirits of beasts. -Effect ''Pontifex'': Possession of ''Pet: Gray'' in your body. ''Pontifex?'' Rakan spoke with a satisfied smile at Suho, who looked at the information window that appeared in front of him in a puzzled way. [Right. You are now the pontifex of our n. I''m already dead, so yoy will serve Gray, my only remaining descendant.] ''Are you asking me to serve Gray?'' Suho made a strange expression. Gray was his pet. A pontifex serving a pet as a king, what a strange situation. ''Is it like a cat butler? Thinking about it, it seems to make sense...'' Suho understood and nodded. Besides, it came along with his new ability. After all, Rakan''s purpose was to dream of Suho more often. To do that, Suho had to stay with Gray even a little longer, but the problem was that Gray was so weak and young that he waspletely useless. Suho wondered what if he would use the Pontifex'' ability, ''Spirit''? [If you use that ability, you will be able to borrow the power of the beast for a while. As Gray grows, the power you can borrow will be stronger.] ''Are you asking me to grow along with Gray?'' [Well, something like that.] Suho and Rakan faced each other and smiled at the same time. It was new to both of them. ''I heard my father killed you. He''s much cooler than I thought.'' [What now? It is only natural for a weak beast to be eaten by a stronger one.] Recalling that time, Rakan chuckled. [Your father was terribly strong, and I struggled in fear and was eventually eaten. That''s all.] A weak one. The king of beasts, who reigned at the pinnacle of the ecosystem, epted even his own death. [Oh. Has the time allowed for me already ended?] Suddenly, Rakan looked up at the sky and licked his lips, feeling bummed out. Before he knew it, the world filled with pure white was gradually being colored with ck shadows. A terrible emptiness wasing. The space in which he could move became increasingly narrow, and Rakan''s body became smaller and smaller. Eventually, Rakan, who returned to the huge man he showed at the beginning, approached Suho and handed him something. [Now, take this and get out of here. This is my death and rest realm. You can go back and live your life.] There was only one Rakan Sword in Suho''s hand. ''But, why only one?'' [Twobined. The fangs were pulled out when they were young, so they were too shabby to be the relics of the king. Now that they''re put together, it''s probably more useful.] Swoosh. Right then, a ck shadowpletely engulfed the world. The corner of Rakan''s mouth revealed through the gap in the shadow gave a final goodbye with a smirk. [See you again, Pontifex.] Time, which had stopped, began to move again. * * * "...Ah." Thendscape changed in an instant. Suho was still standing on Arachne''s body. What had just happened felt like a dream. However, evidence proving that meeting the Fang Monarch was not a dream remained in Suho''s hands. Apparently, the two fangs of Rakan, which were held in both hands, had be one and changed into a slightly stronger and sharper form. And above all, the ability has changed so much that it cannot bepared to before. [Item: Rakan''s Fang] Difficulty to obtain: ?? Type: Sword ATK +60 A sword made from the fangs of Rakan, the king of beasts. Rakan''s heroic spirit dwells in it, so if someone of a lower rank possesses it, the body may be taken away. -Effect ''Contempt for the Weak'': Puts the designated opponent into fear for 1 minute. (All stats -50%) -Effect ''Fatal Wound'': Inflicts 3 times more fatal damage with a 20% chance. ''He said the two merged into one, so the stats increased too much.'' The damage effect that was +30 was changed to +60, and the fatal wound effect was also increased from 15% to 20%, from 2 times to 3 times. [Young Master?] He tilted his head as he looked around to see Beru, who had just arrived. [Your energy suddenly changed a little.] -You. Did you go meet the king''s heroic spirit? I feel the power of a pontifex in you. The Rakan''s Sword in his hand. "That''s right." [Keeek! You met the Fang Monarch? Oh, how?] Beru was stunned by Suho''s answer. It was absolutely impossible to meet the heroic spirit of the monarch who fell into eternal rest. That was impossible even for Sung Jinwoo, the Shadow Monarch. Suho looked at Rakan''s Sword and said, "You were the fang I originally had." -Right. I took in the holy relics here. Was it because he became a Pontifex? The sword was able to recognize his identity just by hearing his voice. ''Should I go back now?'' Suho suddenly looked around. Most of the hunters who were tied to the spider web and controlled seemed unharmed. However, all of them sat down on the floor with bewildered faces, staring at Suho. ''It''s the king.'' ''That hunter got the power of the king.'' They all witnessed Suho defeating Arachne. Even the appearance of him pulling out the holy relic directly from the body. But, no one dared to approach Suho. It was because of the pressure of the situation. And Suho, who had achieved his goal, didn''t care about them at all. When he turned his head, there were shadow jackals sitting upright on the ground after killing all the small spiders. But, as if Beru had ordered them, there was a heap of mana stones extracted from the bodies of dead spiders in front of their neatly gathered feet. Compliments,pliments,pliments,pliments. Compliments,pliments,pliments,pliments. The jackals that brought their prey were eagerly hoping for something with their twinkling eyes. "Ah, yeah. Good work." [Hehehe!] At Suho''s reluctant praise, the shadow jackals stuck out their tongues and smiled like sunflowers. They were really cunning guys. Moments ago they were just biting necks. "Let''s go back." [Yes.] Suho left the botanical garden without hesitation. The hunters, who had been watching the back of him nkly, sighed in relief the moment Suho''s appearancepletely disappeared from their sight. "Whew..." "W-We''re alive." There was a reason the hunters couldn''t breathe properly and were nervous all along. Even if they were tied to a spider web and controlled, they were all the people who attacked Suho. And that, of course, was at the moment when Suho was most in danger. If they were going to retaliate against him, they would not be able to withstand it. Suho only managed to defeat the giant spider and then quietly disappeared. Someone spoke first. "I guess that person just got the power of a king?" "Most likely." "Ha, I really envy him. What a great skill he must have received." "Is that the issue now? Let''s just thank him for saving us." Realizing that they had finally survived, the hunters sighed once again. They had a question. "Who was that hunter though?" "I don''t know either. I couldn''t see his face because he was wearing a strange mask." "It was also very dark. It looks like he''s dragging a few animals around, maybe he''s a summoning hunter?" "That''s nonsense. What kind of summoning hunter in this world could fight so hard? Didn''t you see how he killed a spider with his bare fists earlier? He also just tamed a few jackals." The hunters gathered there all had Beast Transformation skill. Among them, there were quite a few people who had a good affinity with animals, so they didn''t care too much about the shadow jackals. In addition, the shadow jackals were only seen as silhouettes because the ce was too dark. "Then why did he hide his identity?" "I know, right. It''s not like he''s a criminal?" Of course, Suho, the party involved, had no intention of hiding his identity. He only used the mask because it was dark inside the botanical garden. He took it off as soon as he left. However, because of that, the hunters had more doubts about Suho''s identity. All of a sudden... "... Oh?" Someone looked around. "Where have all the spiders gone?!" The corpse of the giant spider, which had died miserably in the dark, had disappeared without anyone realizing it. Even the corpses of tiny spiders. "Are they the ones whose bodies degrade when they die?" The hunters who thought they would take the corpse of the monster sighed deeply. Today, it was aplete waste of hard work. [Kehehe.] Somewhere, Beru wasughing. * * * At that time, outside the botanical garden. "W-What?!" "The smell suddenly disappeared?" The hunters who were wandering in the jungle to be king sniffed at the same time with puzzled expressions. The smell that stimted their instincts that guided them to the King''s Trial disappeared. "Ahh." At the same time they realized ''The king has been decided!'' They lost the position to someone else. Upon realizing that, extreme dejection and jealousy surged up in their hearts. "Damn..." The hunters were greatly discouraged. Baekho Guild hunters asked Baek Miho, who was watching the scene from a high ce. "Vice President, what do you want to do now? Would you like to go back?" "Before I go back, I want to see with my own eyes who became the king." "But there is no way to find out who he is in this wide area..." "You can tell that much by scent. That person would have a strong and distinct animal smell..." Sniff. Something was captured by Baek Miho''s superhuman sense of smell. When she turned her head to check, the man he saw earlier was walking back to where he came from. However, unlike before, a smell of blood lingered on his body. Sniff? ''It doesn''t smell like human blood. As for the color...'' Baek Miho''s sense of smell was able to distinguish between the smell of demons and human blood. The smell that emanated from that man''s body was a beast''s blood. ''Huh?'' Baek Miho noticed something strange and tilted her head. ''Was there magic in this forest?'' Did he fight a bleeding demon in a forest full of nts or ghosts? ''How many were there deep into the forest?'' Suho, feeling a certain gaze just in time, turned his head and looked her way. His eyes met Baek Miho''s, looking at him from afar. Their gazes intertwined in midair. ''...No. It''s different.'' Baek Miho, who was staring into Suho''s eyes with superhuman eyesight, stopped specting. This was the ce where the ''King of the Beasts'' was chosen. But the man did not smell like a beast. Baek Miho eventually took her eyes off Suho. "Let''s wait... a bit more." "Yes, Vice President." Even after that, the Baekho Guild stood guard there for quite a long time. It continued until Suho arrived home by bus, took a shower, and ordered chicken to eat. ''...Why did she look at me like that?'' Suho was eating the chicken leg when he suddenly remembered Baek Miho''s face with whom he saw earlier. ''I think I saw her somewhere. Was she a famous hunter by any chance?'' He tried to look on the Inte to see if anything woulde out. His eyes widened. "What is this?!" The Inte was aze with articles about Magok Field. However, the problem is that the protagonist of all those issues is Suho himself. -(Hot News) Beast King Crow! -An unidentified hunter who gained the power of the king, Crow! -Why did Crow wear a crow mask? -(Ad) This year''s hot item, crow mask -(Rted search term) Strong breathing "What? Beast King Crow? Breathe?" He was given all kinds of shameful nicknames. "What the hell is this..." Suho covered his face in shame. A line of messages appeared as if it had been waiting. [The King of Beasts, Fang Monarch, was giggling saying that it is a perfect nickname for a pontifex.] Chapter 37 - 37

Chapter 37:

Bang! "What is this bastard doing again?!" Lee Minseong, the vice president of the Reaper Guild, smashed the table in anger. -(Hot News) Beast King Crow! -Unidentified hunter, Crow, who gained the power of the Beast King! -Why did Crow wear a crow mask? Articles on the Inte were all about the Magok Field incident. Knock knock. "Vice President." Just in time, secretary Kim knocked and came in to deliver a report. "It is said that all the Hyena Guild members who entered Magok Field were found dead. ordingly, they just finished recovering thest corpse." Crash! Lee Minseong''s fist clenched and shattered the armrest of the chair he was holding. "I knew it would be like this." He gritted his teeth with a fierce expression. "Now all the pictures fit together." They were remnants of the Hyena Guild. It was only two days ago when the werewolves suddenly disappeared to visit Magok Field. -We''ll check if there is a factory in Magok ande back. Their excuse was good. After all, Lee Miseong had been trying to find a new stardust factory. However, he did not trust them at all, and had several hunters with stealth skills to follow them. They had a good sense of smell, so he just watched what they did from a distance. Then again. Their lies were quickly exposed. In addition to the werewolves in Magok, beast hunters who had flocked to show the ''qualification of a king'' were already roaming around. "It seems that they went to Magok to obtain the Beast King''s power or something rather than to look for a stardust factory." After getting that unknown power, they must''ve thought of escaping from Lee Minseong Technically, their n was sessful. Because in the form of ''death'', they finally became free. Secretary Kim continued to report. "After securing several of their bodies and looking at the cause of death, they were killed by the weapons of hunters, not witchcraft." "No. It wasn''t the hunters." "What?" Lee Minseong bit his lips and red at the Inte article with a confident look. -Why did Crow wear a crow mask? "It must be the demons who killed them. The crow mask is like a symbol of demons." As soon as he saw the word ''crow mask'', what came to his mind was the factory demons. For some reason, demons always wore crow masks on their faces. Just like ''Crow''! "Crow, that guy must be the demon. The demon that killed the hyenas and took the power of the Beast King." "Is that so?" "I''m sure of it. In the first ce, only those with the Beast Transformation skills were qualified to be kings. But do you know what demons must do to gain that power?" "..." "You don''t? Is your brain not really working?" Lee Minseong clicked his tongue in frustration at the appearance of Secretary Kim who kept making a puzzled expression. "It''s my fault for having such an idiot as my secretary. Do you remember how the Hyena Guild became werewolves in the first ce?" "They were awakened by drinking the blood of the wolf demon... Ah, blood!" Secretary Kim suddenly came to a realization and shuddered. Lee Minseong nodded his head. "Yes, it''s blood. Even humans be beasts when they suck blood, so what can a demon not do? That demon killed them and drank their blood. And by meeting the king''s qualifications, he stole the king''s power." "Woah..." After hearing all of those words, Secretary Kim looked up at Lee Minseong with a very thrilled face. "As expected of your insights, Vice President...! How did you have such a wide field of vision? It is a picture I could not have imagined even after looking at the same information." "Tsk. It''s not a big deal. You don''t have to act like that." With Secretary Kim''s sincere ttery, Lee Minseong had a slightly rxed expression. "Anyway, now that we have a full picture of the situation, it is important to use this information. Now that the Hyena Guild are all dead, we have to go out and make a stardust deal with the demon. You know that, right?" "That''s right. Then, we have to find the location of the factory first, but the clue is..." "Magok." Lee Minseong pointed to an article on the Inte with a sharp and wise look. "Besides, how did the demon without the Beast Transformation skill know about the King''s Trial and went to Magok? There are no coincidences in the world. It is logical to assume that the demon was there from the beginning." "Ah, I see! Then it must not have been a lie that the werewolves went to Magok Field to find the factory." "I suppose so." "All right. Then I will take responsibility and search the Magok Field." "Alright. Also, if you want to make a deal with a demon who has gained the power of the King of Beasts, prepare plenty of meat." "Ah! Yeah, well, even werewolves eat lots of meat. As expected, Vice President is wise!" "Enough." Secretary Kim once again admired Lee Minseong''s wisdom and bowed down. ...Of course, the reality waspletely different. "Ah, by the way." Lastly, Lee Minseong confirmed the other tasks entrusted to Secretary Kim. "What happened to the doctor?" "Sorry. I haven''t convinced him yet. He''s a very stubborn man." "Hey...! What the hell are you doing for your high sry? If money can''t do it, do it by force!" "Ah, yes. Even if I were to do it day after day..." After answering, Secretary Kim hurriedly left the vice president''s office. Seeing that, Lee Minseong put the cell phone in his hand back to throw it at him. "It''s my fault for having that idiot as my secretary." This is why the hunters are the problem. Because they are ranked based on fighting skill order, not intelligence order. Before bing a hunter, he was an elite who ran a business. ''I am different from other hunters. Since birth.'' Lee Minseong gritted his teeth as he recalled the hunters who boasted that their petty mana power was a bit high. * * * [You have entered the Shadow Dungeon.] Around that time, Suho bought 10 chickens and returned to the Shadow Dungeon. Goblins for daily quests were not yet regenerated, so it was quiet. Perhaps it was because the day hadn''t passed yet. "Wow! What is this delicious smell?" "Hnnggg?" Esil and Gray, who smelled the chicken, quickly approached Suho. Suho handed over all the chicken he brought to Esil. "Eat." "Thank you for the food!" "Hnnggg?" "Gray, even if you look at me like that, I can''t give you one." "..." Gray bowed his head sullenly. This time too, Gray had no share. Right then, a message from Rakan appeared in front of Suho. [The King of Beasts, Fang Monarchins that you are being very mean to what Gray eats.] Suho protested, saying it was a false usation. "Who''s being mean here? Gray says that he grows stronger by eating what he hunts himself. Rakan''s Sword said that he couldn''t be stronger if he was being spoon fed." Besides, the corpses of the goblins that were caught this time were piled up like a mountain. Even if Gray shared that huge amount with Esil, he wouldn''t have to worry about starving for a while. [The King of Beasts, Fang Monarch, said you are right, but he feels sorry for Gray, who has never eaten a chicken in his life.] "Hmm." Hearing those words made Suho suddenly feel like he was a very bad person. In the end, Suho lost. "Esil, pass the chicken to Gray." "Ahhh~..." Esil shed a whining look on her face not willing to share. In the end, it was sad to see Gray receiving the lightest box of chicken with his trembling hands. Esil still had 9 left. However, Gray lowered his body with fierce eyes. "Growl!" [No. You don''t have to hunt that. You''re not fighting that chicken.] Beru looked at Gray pathetically. There was a message from someone who enjoyed watching it from afar. [The King of Beasts, Fang Monarch, nods in satisfaction, saying that he is indeed a valiant heir.] "Just unlucky." Suho smiled. He left Esil and Gray sitting together while eating chicken. This time, he decided to check his abilities, which had leveled up a lot. "Status window." Then, a long status window unfolded in front of him. [STATUS WINDOW] Name: Sung Suo Level: 25 upation: None Title: Wolf yer HP : 5,860/5,860 MP : 586/586 [STATS] Muscle Strength: 53 Body Strength: 34 Speed: 34 Intellect: 34 Senses: 34 (+5) (Divisive Ability Points: 0) xxx [SKILLS] Passive Skills: Strength Lv.2, Double Sword Lv.2 Active Skills: Ruler''s Power Lv.1, Shadow Fragment Lv.1, de Storm Lv.1, Strike Lv.1 xxx [ITEMS] Rakan''s Sword Vulcan''s Horn Gray''s Ring "Also..." Suho had a satisfied expression. Great level and stat increase! There were also a lot of skills. "It''s worth the effort." And this time, he checked the newly acquired skill. [Skill: Strike Lv.1] Active skill Requires 300 mana. Coats the body with the ''Ruler''s Power'' to amplify attack power. This was the skill he learned while delivering the final blow to Arachne, the grave spider. "Required mana is 300. No wonder it was powerful." It was a skill that could not be used twice in a row with the current amount of mana required. ''Ruler''s Power.'' Suho decided to use the skill as an experiment. The order was like this. First, use Ruler''s Power. Superimposing that invisible hand on his hand. Ohh...! Then, Suho''s hand was covered with ck energy. "Oh." Suho looked around at his hands, which seemed to be wearing arge translucent ck gauntlet. ''It''s the principle of merging the Ruler''s Power and my hand into one.'' Suddenly, he remembered the proverb saying that two heads are better than one. If you hit with one hand, or if you hit with both hands ovepping, it''s a skill that doubles, triples, or quadruples the attack power. Suho nced at his own mana. [MP : 586] Considering that his magic power was 10 at level 1, it was a huge amount of mana. ''If I increase my level one more time here, it will be over 600. Then I can use this skill twice in a row.'' Just imagining it was thrilling. Suho clenched his fists. This time, he knew for sure. ''To level up, I have to enter a real dungeon.'' It''s been a long time since his level surpassed the goblins in the Shadow Dungeon. In order to be stronger, he had to go to a ce where there is a stronger demon like Magok Field. To do that... ''I''ll have to raise my hunter rating.'' Currently, he is an E-ss hunter, so at most he could only participate in dungeon raids as a miner or collector. He knows that there are not many field dungeons like this one in Korea, so there are more opportunities to enter higher dungeons by raising his rating. Suho suddenly remembered what the association hunter he met the other day said. Since the initial measurement seems to have been in error, a suggestion to visit the association for a re-measurement. ''Should I go?'' Suho decided to visit the association. Chapter 38 - 38

Chapter 38:

''I hate ants.'' It''s already been decades. That was something ''he'' used to say. The reason was... He had been having nightmares. Once every 1 or 2 years. A vivid nightmare thates back whenever he forgets about it. In that dream, he was always running in the dark being chased by countless ants. ''Oh, don''te! Don''te!'' ''Kiiik! Kiiiih!'' ''Ahhh!'' He ran and ran and ran like that. But no matter how hard he tried, when he woulde to his senses, he would find himself on a dead end. Ants were surrounding him. In the middle of it was a giant ant, as tall as a man, walking towards him. And... ''Kiiiik-!'' Its mouth was torn open and his whole head was cut... Swoosh! "Aaaaagh-!" A middle-aged man jumped out of bed screaming. At the noise, his wife who was sleeping next to him rubbed her eyes and looked at him anxiously. "Honey, did you have another nightmare?" "Huff huff.. ." Cold sweat broke out on her husband''s forehead. He gulped down the cold water he had ced on his bedside table. Cough. He was a bit nervous so he had to drink it in a hurry, but thanks to that, his mind returned to reality. Then he looked back at his wife, who suddenly woke up because of him, and put on an apologetic expression. "Sorry. Did you wake up because of me?" "Mmm... It''s been a while this time." "Right. It''s okay now, so don''t worry about me and sleep more." When he gave her a gentle pat on the back, his wife''s eyes slowly closed again. "Whew." The man sat on the bed and covered his face with both hands. ''I guess I won''t be able to fall asleep for a while...'' The man sighed and repeated something to himself like an incantation. Yes, it was a dream Just a dream. I''m still... alive. Fortunately, the spell worked. His heart, which had been beating like it was going to explode, gradually calmed down. ''Anyway, that ant dream seemed real...'' For some reason, he felt like he would have a rough day today. He couldn''t go back to sleep so he decided to get ready for work, although it was a little early. He quietly got up and went out so his wife wouldn''t wake up again. His wife was a school teacher. She was teaching Korean history. When he was younger, he also worked as an academy instructor for a while and taught Korean history, so he knew how hard it was. ''It''s a big deal if she would have trouble sleeping because of me and get confused while teaching.'' Thinking about this and that, he got ready for work and put on his clothes. ''Oops. I almost left it again.'' He wore a name tag issued by the association around his neck. [Korea Hunter Association] Min Byeonggu (Consulting Doctor) Glimmer. His name engraved on the namete glistened under the morning sunlight. * * * "I''m here for mana power re-measurement." As soon as morning came, Suho visited the hospital designated by the association. "Please sit down and wait for a moment." After hearing the nurse exin this and that, Suho sat down on a chair and waited for his turn. Suho came to the association to measure his mana, but he was asked to get an awakening test. The Hunter Association had designated hospitals in each region where mana can be measured. At first, it was only in Seoul, but as those awakening began to appear from all over the country, these hospitals gradually increased in each ce. However, there was still only one hospital in Korea that could do ''mana re-measurement'', because they had the most precise measuring device in the country. "Sung Suho, pleasee in." After waiting for a while, the nurse called Suho. He went into the re-measurement room, and inside was a nice-looking middle-aged doctor. "Sung Suho?" "Ah, yes. Hello." Suddenly, Suho''s eyes stayed on his name tag while greeting him. [Korea Hunter Association] Min Byeonggu (Consulting Doctor) ''Consulting doctor?'' As much as it was a difficult re-measurement procedure, he seemed to be a doctor assigned by the association. "You may have heard the exnation from the nurse earlier. Stardust has officially be illegal so before re-measurement, you will have some tests first." It was a so-called doping test. After a while, the inspection began with a brief exnation. Suho suddenly asked a question. "By the way, Doctor. Wasn''t there originally a way to determine stardust doping?" "There was, but recently, as some of the ingredients of stardust have been revealed, research has progressed. Based on that research, a clever doctor developed a doping test in no time. By the way, that doctor is me. Haha." Min Byeonggu shrugs and points at himself with his thumb. He was a pretty great doctor. ''Ahh.'' Hearing this, Suho understood. ''It''s thanks to me.'' That doping tests could be developed in recent years. It was because of Suho who discovered the factory and reported to the association how the demons had been making star dust. ''The butterfly effect is on, and I''m actually sitting in for a doping test.'' It was a situation where he could justugh thinking how ridiculous it was. Doctor Min Byeonggu, who was conducting the test, looked at Suho''s expression curiously. "Hmm? Suho, you have a different aura than other people." "Really? What was my aura like?" "You''re too calm." Min Byeonggu was curious about Suho. Usually, the reaction of people who came to him for a re-measurement was one of two things. Someone who is overly ambitious and dreams of rising in status. Or, one who would say Dr. Min was a lot better being overly self-conscious, unable to distinguish reality. ''Even though they''re just simr people after all.'' Honestly, that was a natural reaction. If the re-measurement was sessful and the hunter''s rank went up, the digits of their annual sry would change overnight. But, Suho was different. There was no feeling of great anticipation or nervousness about the re-measurement results. ''Was he originally a person who doesn''t have much greed?'' After a while, the results of Suho''s doping test came out. "There is no stardust doping. You worked hard. We''ll do a mana re-measurement right away. Put your hand here." The result of Suho''s mana power was the same as the status window. [Mana: 586] An exmation burst out of Min Byeonggu''s mouth as he checked the results. "Oh. Congrattions! I really think the first measurement was an error. With this much mana power, you can be a C-ss hunter." While exining, Min Byeonggu looked at Suho''s reaction once more. Suho''s reaction was calm. As if he already expected it. ''Interesting. Are young people these days really like this?'' Min Byeonggu tilted his head and immediately entered the test results into theputer. "Oh, and I need to upload skill information to Hunter Data. Could you show me some of your skills?" Skill information was important data. This was because the hunters had to know each other''s skills quickly in order to n smoothly when attacking the dungeon. Min Byeonggu brought Suho into arge space and asked. "What skills do you have?" "Hmm. I use a sword, and I also summon." "You are a summoning hunter? Let''s start with the summoning skill first. Would you like to show one you have summoned?" "Yeah." Suho nodded coldly. However, to use the shadow fragment skill, a corpse was required. It was troublesome to retrieve the goblin corpse from the Shadow Dungeon, so there was only one guy he could call the easiest. "Beru,e out for a second." It''s scary to say that. Swoosh-! [Did you call me, Young Master?] A shadow the size of a fist jumped out from under Suho''s feet. "Aaaaaaaagh-!" [Eh?] Min Byeonggu was so shocked when he saw Beru. Beru tilted his head and looked back at Min Byeonggu. His eyes widened. [Oh? You can''t be...] "Y-You...Y-You are..." Min Byeonggu pointed his trembling fingers at Beru and then he passed out on the spot. "Huh?" Suho looked at Beru with a puzzled expression. "What did you do to the doctor?" [No, I... Hmm.] Beru looked at Min Byeonggu''s face once again. He was right. Min Byeonggu. [He... was eaten by me once.] "What? Who ate who?" [Me. I ate this human.] Beru scratched his head with an awkward expression. * * * Before the Earth was reset. The era when Shadow Monarch Sung Jinwoo was active as a hunter. At the time, there were only a handful of S-ss healers in the world living in Korea. Min Byeonggu was an S-ss hunter. One time, he cooperated with other S-ss hunters and participated in a massive beast subjugation. Jeju Ind. The ind of hell that was upied by countless ant beasts. In that unprecedented battle, Min Byeonggu fought against the beasts more courageously than anyone else. He made a heroic sacrifice for hisrades by getting eaten by Beru, the king of ants. After that, the world resets. All those memories disappeared from Min Byeonggu''s head. [... I still remember you.] Beru''s bitter voice prated the mind of Min Byeonggu, who fainted. Predation skill. Beru''s ability to absorb the power and memory of the target he ingested. He had just woken up from the egg at the time and ate Min Byeonggu with that ability and swallowed up his talent as an S-ss healer. [Perhaps that''s why you couldn''t awaken this time.] But that wasn''t all that Beru learned from Min Byeonggu. Memory. Knowledge. The heart that hated war and loved peace. It was the first ''humanity'' thing that Beru had acquired since he was born. [Perhaps if I were human, I would have called you father.] Min Byeonggu was the person who had the most influence on Beru''s personality. [It''s because of you that I also came to like historical dramas.] Min Byeonggu shuddered when he heard Beru''s giggle, even in a state of unconsciousness. [... Right.] He seemed to have read his mind. Beru murmured bitterly. [I have be your nightmare.] In fact... It wasn''t only Min Byeonggu. Beru was the nightmare of all the humans he had eaten. But among them, only Min Byeonggu was quite special. Could it be because he was the first human Beru caught and ate? Or is it because the humanity he learned had a profound impact on his current identity? Beru was finally able to understand why. nce. Even though the world has been reset... Even if he doesn''t have the ability of an S-ss healer like back then. [Your life is still noble.] He wanted to quit being a hunter and be a national history teacher and healer so much that he chose a medical field in this life. [You were still saving people''s lives even now.] Beru smiled brightly. The reason why Beru was willing to feel that emotion is probably because he hase to know that his ''root'' is still shining brightly. Since Beru had only walked the path of ughter and struggle from the moment he was born, Min Byeonggu''s brilliance was all the more dazzling. [I won''t say I''m sorry. Because we were at war then. But...] Beru''s warm voice reached Min Byeonggu. [I will support you in this life of yours.] Swoosh! And the small seed that flowed from Beru prated into Min Byeonggu''s body. [I will take away your nightmares.] My... father. * * * Meanwhile, Suho was surrounded by hospital staff. "No, did he really pass out alone?" "I called the police now, go and exin at the station." "Just as a reference until the truth is revealed..." "Great. Because this is really a misunderstanding." Suho felt unfair, but the nurses'' response to the situation was natural. Dr. Min Byeonggu was a talented doctor and the only stardust researcher in Korea. Even though stardust wasn''t a good thing to use as a material for humans, the effect itself was still worth researching. What if he can remove the wrong things and save only the good ones? Stardust might be something that could change the current era. In that sense, Min Byeonggu could be said to be a very important national financial resource. However, what the hell did the hunter who was getting the re-measurement do? Min Byeonggu suddenly passed out screaming. Usually in such cases, the hunter couldn''t have liked the remeasurement result... "Okay." Min Byeonggu, who had fallen on the floor, suddenly stood up. "Dr. Min!" "Doctor is awake!" Surprised, the nurses rush to Min Byeonggu. But something surprising happened. "... This?" Min Byeonggu, who had been struggling toe to his senses, suddenly looked down at the pure white light on his hands. It was mana. "A-Awakening?!" Everyone who witnessed the scene widened their eyes. All of those gazes turned to Suho, who was standing next to him. "No, this is also a misunderstanding." Because he didn''t really do anything. Chapter 39 - 39

Chapter 39:

There was an uproar for a while. Doctor Min Byeonggu suddenly fainted, woke up, then awakened. Because of that, he had to measure his mana power by himself in front of everyone watching. And the long-awaited result... [ss C] "Oh oh! ss C!" "Awesome!" "Congrattions on your awakening! Dr. Min!" Min Byeonggu was showered with congrattions from the association''s staff. "On top of that, you''re a healer!" Healer was a very good job that could make a lot of money safely without going into battle. Min Byeonggu was okay with that. He was already over 60 years old. An age to pursue stability rather than heart-racing challenges. He had no intention of going into a dungeon and fighting with demons just because he had awakened. He thought of leaving the dungeon to other young people and be more faithful to his job. ''Good. Now that I can handle magic, I can elerate my research on stardust.'' Min Byeonggu smiled contentedly as he moved his magical energy around with his hands. * * * "... Well, something like that could happen." Suho came out after hearing the inside story from Beru then nodded. He got a question though. "How the hell did you awaken that doctor? Did you return the power you swallowed?" [No. It is impossible to return power. That power is alreadypletely digested in my body.] "Then?" [I gave him ''protection''.] Protection. The way Beru awakened Min Byeonggu was aplete imitation of the way the Fang Monarch bestowed his blessings on Suho. [Usually, the conditions are very difficult for this to be possible. As in the case of the Fang Monarch, he needed ''qualifications'' for the power.] Min Byeonggu was not qualified enough. However, divine protection that Beru had bestowed on him was his from the beginning. After hearing the exnation, Suho licked his lips. "Hmm. Too bad." [Too bad?] "I was wondering if I could get a healer skill from you, but if it was that way, I wouldn''t be qualified." [Ehh?!] Beru jumped up and fell t on his face, iming that he had heard something very absurd. [How could someone like me dare to bestow blessings on Young Master? Even imagining it was disrespectful.] Protection was usually something like a grace bestowed by a far higher being on a lower one. However, Suho and Beru''s ranks were reversed, so it was not a situation to talk about qualifications in the first ce. Suho was just curious... "Should we go back now?" Suho looked back at the re-measurement room where Min Byeonggu was. Due to the sudden awakening of Min Byeonggu, there was amotion, so Suho went out for a while while he was being re-measured. Also, his most important skill information was registered in the association data. ''I haven''t even talked about things like de Storm and Endurance skills yet...'' At this rate, only the summoning skill would be listed as information about Suho in the Hunters Data. He would only be known as a summoning hunter. Even if he was C-ss, being a summoning hunter was still an unpopr job in dungeons, so he wanted to register more skill information. There were some hunters who hid their skill information from the association, but most of them were criminals doing dishonorable things. While Suho was out for a while, there was an uninvited guest who came to Min Byeonggu. "I refuse." ''Hmm?'' Could it be because of his increased senses stat? Suho overheard the conversation in the re-measurement room with his superhuman hearing. "To be clear, I will not be reconsidering Secretary Kim''s proposal." Min Byeonggu was rejecting the offer of the uninvited guest with a firm voice. "Oh, Dr. Min. Can''t you think it over? Please reconsider and..." "My stardust research is entirely for the public''s benefit and society''s wellness. There is absolutely no reason to coborate withrge guilds pursuing private interests." [Young Master, the atmosphere is a bit strange...] "Shh." Suho covered Beru''s mouth. "It''s of no use to carelessly intervene in the conversations of adults like that." [Okay. I was wrong...] "You have to listen quietly." [Ahh.] Beru covered his mouth with both hands and only his antennae pricked. Listening to the conversation further, it seemed that the person Min Byeonggu called "Secretary Kim" was a hunter from the Reaper Guild. "Dr. Min, I know very well that stardust has be illegal. How could I not? But if you research further with us, wouldn''t it be possible to develop legal stardust someday?" "I don''t know why you''re trying to develop stardust to such an extent." "Of course, to protect the world''s peace. The stronger the hunters be, the more citizens will be able to feel less anxious and be able to sleep." ''Reaper Guild wants stardust?'' Suho''s eyes narrowed. "Beru." [ording to Broki''s memory, the Reaper Guild was the main customer of the Hyena Guild.] Beru immediately noticed what Suho was going to ask and quickly answered. However, fearing that the person named Secretary Kim would overhear their conversation, he resonated his voice directly into Suho''s head. [And it seems that the person named Secretary Kim was mainly in charge of contact with the Hyena Guild.] "It''s a very convenient exnation." [Of course, it''s me.] Suho nodded and used his senses to gauge Secretary Kim''s level. ''Is he enough to be B-ss?'' Compared to himself, who is in ss C, his mana was at least twice asrge. The measure of strength could not be judged simply by the amount of mana. In particr, Suho''s stat higher than mana was actually his muscle strength. As Suho was estimating his opponent''s ss like that, Beru noticed that and stopped him. [Young Master, don''t. Your opponent is from arge guild. With your current power, if you lose against a him, you will be in great trouble.] Beru''s words were right. Suho wanted to level up a lot but if he had to confront arge guild, his future hunter activities could be quite troubled. Right then, Min Byeonggu implied farewell to Secretary Kim. "I have nothing more to share with you, Secretary Kim. It''s still business hours, so could you please leave now?" Secretary Kim didn''t want to go back empty-handed, so he ended up using a different approach. "Beast King Crow." ''Hmm?'' [Oh?] Suho and Beru looked at each other. Suddenly, something unexpected came out of Secretary Kim. "Dr. Min, you must have seen the news about the Beast King Crow, right?" "What are you talking about?" Min Byeonggu frowned. "Yes, of course I saw the news, but..." "Crow is the demon." "What?" ''What?'' [Huh?] They were all confused with the secretary''s words. "ording to the information obtained from Reaper Guild members, the Crow''s symbol, the Crow Mask, is an item of demons. They said that all the demons in the factory wear that mask." It was all true. Except that Crow isn''t a demon. "What do you think that means? The power of the Beast King has been passed over to that demon in Magok Field. With that power, the demon must have be stronger, and in order to fight against him, we humans also need to strengthen our power by all means." ''Wait... Why did the story turn out that way?'' Suho looked perplexed. It seemed like something oddly right, but it didn''t fit at all. "So, Dr. Min! Join us! You are a must-have to our guild. For the payment..." "I refuse." The reason Min Byeonggu has continued to study stardust was not to make money, but for the public''s advantage. Even if his current ie wasn''t high, it was enough to live with his wife, and he''s satisfied with that. He wasn''t going to be shaken no matter how much money he was offered. As Min Byeonggu repeated his resolute refusal, Secretary Kim let out a sigh. Secretary Kim spoke in a cold voice which was contrasting to his earlier tone. "Your wife is a middle school teacher." "...!" Min Byeonggu doubted his ears. Looking at Secretary Kim''s face again, he was smiling. Min Byeonggu''s expression hardened. "What are you talking about..." "I heard that your wife was absent from work today, did you know?" "...!" Min Byeonggu''splexion turned white. "Y-You guys did not..." "Should I say it again?" Secretary Kim smirked and showed a photo on his phone. In that picture... A middle-aged woman was tied up. "We get to choose any means for our purpose." The woman was none other than Min Byeonggu''s wife. ''Eh, what is this...'' Min Byeonggu felt like his nightmare had begun again. His head was buzzing and he was losing his sense of reality. ''What the hell is that guy talking about?'' Kidnapping? No matter how high the authority of the Reaper Guild was, he couldn''t believe they could go that far. "Do you understand everything now? So, listen while I''m being nice." It was then. Chills! Secretary Kim hurriedly turned around at the sudden feeling from behind. But it was toote. g! "...?!" Through the door of the re-measurement room behind Secretary Kim, arge fist came out like a cannonball. ''Strike'' Skill. Suho''s fist, filled with ck energy, crashed into Secretary Kim''s body. Thud! "Ack!!!" As if he had been hit by a truck, Secretary Kim fell on the ground. "W-Who are you?!" Stumble. However, the shock was so great that his legs staggered. "You could stand my attack? B-ss is really different." Then a low voice came from behind the door along with a ck fist. Swoosh! Suho slowly walked into the re-measurement room. But his look... "W-What?!" Secretary Kim''s eyes widened. "How is there a demon here?!" Crow mask. There stood a man whose face was covered with a crow mask. Chapter 40 - 40

Chapter 40:

''I can''t spare him some time!'' Suho immediately jumped at Secretary Kim. The opponent was a B-ss hunter. He had to be driven without rest before he could recover from the shock. ''You''re kidnapping people for stardust? How is that different from being a demon?!'' The effect of ''Skill: Strike'' on Suho''s fist had already disappeared. Instead, in Suho''s hands were Rakan''s Sword and Vulcan''s Horn. Swoosh! "Wait a minute! Why me...!" Secretary Kim, whose legs were still loose, hurriedly avoided Suho''s attack and took a backward step. He continued to try to talk with Suho through his mouth. "Hold on a second! Stop the attack! I am part of the Reaper Guild!" "..." However, Suho remained silent and continued to attack him. Secretary Kim didn''t know what to do and continued to backtrack. ''W-What the hell! Why is a demon attacking me? How did he find out about this ce?!'' Numerous questions tangled in Secretary Kim''s mind. Over the past year, Vice President Lee Minseong of the Reaper Guild and the demons of the factory have been making a closed deal. Of course, there was almost no direct contact with the Hyena Guild in the middle, but if the name of the Reaper Guild was mentioned, at least the crow-masked guy should stop attacking! Suho''s intent was sessful. It was because he had appeared wearing a crow mask with the intention of causing confusion. "I am part of the guild that...!" Thud. ''Oops!'' He kept walking backwards until eventually his back hit the wall. He hurriedly turned around and saw a transparent ss window. ''I should get out of here for now!'' Secretary Kim threw himself without hesitation. Swoosh! He broke through the window and escaped from the building. ''It went well.'' Suho''s eyes lit up. To wield a sword, the open air was more advantageous than indoors. Perhaps Secretary Kim felt the same way. If a B-ss hunter used his strength properly, the building could copse, so he must have saved himself. ''Okay, let''s fight properly!'' Thud! Suho jumps out of the window in pursuit of Secretary Kim. After that... "Ah..." Min Byeonggu, who was confused and did not know what to do, was left alone. [Ehem.] At that time, a small shadow quietly approached him. Beru coughed awkwardly and spoke to him. [Don''t worry too much. Young Master can...] "Aaaaaaagh! A-Ant?!" [Ehh?] Thud. Min Byeonggu passed out at the sight of Beru. [No, even with my protection...] Beru felt frustrated. * * * Swoosh! Citizens who were walking in the city center lifted their heads at the sudden noise. Their eyes widened. "W-What is that?!" "Someone jumped!" On the 5th floor of a building, someone broke a window and jumped down. "Kyaaaah!" "Move out!" Fearing that they might get hurt by the shards of broken ss, the citizens scattered in confusion. But soon after, another person jumped through the window. The second person swung his twin swords in the air before the person who had jumped priornded on the ground. [Use ''Skill: de Storm''.] "Ohh?!" The first person to jump was hit by the fierce de storm and fell to the ground. g! "Kyaaaagh!" "Hunters are fighting!" Citizens who sensed the seriousness of the situation screamed and ran away. "Ouch..." On the other hand, Secretary Kim tried to get up. A look of despair was evident on his face. But now was not the time to think of that. sh. Suho, whonded right in front of him, swung his sword without even giving a break. "Damn it!" Secretary Kim hurriedly stood up and raised magic in both hands. "Fire!" Roar- Bang! A red fireball exploded in front of Suho. Suho crossed his twin swords to block his magic. ''Mage Hunter!'' Suho had already expected that Secretary Kim would be a mage hunter, so he reacted quickly. He wasn''t able to counterattack properly indoors. Instinctively, the movements of stepping back to keep the distance were all characteristics of mage hunters. Suho, on the other hand, was the exact opposite. ''Do not give space for him to move!'' Swish! Suho followed closely andunched an onught. However, secretary Kim''s response was also quick. "Fire!" Bang! "Fire!" Crackle! Numerous fireballs exploded, umting damage on Suho''s body. Suho''s HP gradually decreased. ''It''s still okay!'' Suho believed in his total HP and continued to attack Secretary Kim. After all, he was already at his limit. The first time was when he attacked with Strike Skill, and when he even fell from the height of the 5th floor with de Storm. It was a miracle that he was still standing on his own two feet. "Ahh! Please let me know! Why are you attacking me?!" Secretary Kim''s voice, screaming out of frustration, resounded desperately throughout the city. Gulp. Suho drank the mana potion, and his MP gradually rose to over 300. [Use ''Skill: Strike''.] Swoosh! ck energy was wrapped around Suho''s fist and forearm. "No, wait..." Secretary Kim''splexion turned pale as the ominously burning fist came closer to him. He eximed urgently. "Stop doing this, let''s negotiate! Whatever you want, I''ll take care of it!" "Whatever? What do you think I really want?" Suho asked him as he strode closer. Even with those meaningless words, Secretary Kim found hope and his eyes lit up. "I know that one of your factories was destroyed this time! Because of that, we are also having a hard time supplying stardust!" "So?" Suho raised his fist. Secretary Kim closed his eyes tightly and shouted out loud. "So we built a new factory!" Stop. "...What?" Suho stopped for a moment. ''It worked!'' He knew this would work, and Secretary Kim urgently started talking to Suho. "Stardust Lab! That was the reason we tried to appease Min Byeonggu in the first ce! We have all the facilities and materials, but we don''t know how to make them!" Dr. Min Byeonggu was the only stardust researcher in Korea. As long as a stardust doping test was developed, it would be possible to manufacture stardust if there were facilities and materials. However, since the demon appeared in front of him like this, he had no reason to cling to Min Byeonggu any longer. "That''s why we''re going to hand over the entire facility we built to you! Make it on your own! We will take responsibility for the supply of materials from now on!" "Supply of materials?" "That''s right! About 10 people have already been prepared! I was thinking of having Min Byeonggu perform an experiment today! Let me know if there is any material shortage. I''ll catch any number of people right away!" "..." Suho''s expression grew colder and colder. Secretary Kim didn''t know the fact that his fate was decided because of those words he just said. From the moment he talked about humans being the material for stardust, he was already a demon in Suho''s head. Suho asked for thest time. "So, where is the factory located?" "T-That''s..." Secretary Kim, noticing Suho''s hints, felt reluctant. "If you let me go, I will contact you separately." "You mean, spare you?" "Yeah, of course..." "Don''t worry." "What?" "Because there are many ways for me to find out even if I kill you." The conversation was over. Suho mercilessly punched him down. Bang-! "...!" Strike. In the end, Secretary Kim couldn''t even scream and just died. Ring! [A quest has arrived.] A message arrived just in time. [Quest: Rescue] Rescue people kidnapped by Stardust Lab. -Number of kidnapped: 10 -Number of rescued: 0 Suho stared at the quest window in front of him and opened his mouth. "Beru." [Yep.] Beru appeared in front of Secretary Kim''s corpse. "You know what to do, right?" Beru smirked. His smile was more sinister than a demon''s. * * * After a while. "...A-Are they gone?" "Probably?" As Suho dragged Secretary Kim''s corpse away, people hiding from the battle began toe out one by one. "Whoa. That was scary." "What happened? Why did those hunters fight?" "Why are the police sote again? When did you report it?" "It hasn''t even been 10 minutes since I reported it. They wille soon..." It really happened in an instant. Suddenly, windows broke and then there was an explosion... In less than 10 minutes, both of the hunters disappeared. Citizens tried hard to figure out the situation with frantic expressions. "But, wasn''t he Crow?" Someone remembered Suho''s appearance. People murmured at those words. "What? Crow?" "Are you talking about Beast King Crow?" "Yeah. Didn''t you see he was wearing a crow mask?" It was justst night that articles about Magok Field came out. Even today, people were talking about him and all of a sudden, a person wearing a crow mask appeared in the middle of the city. Beast King Crow. The one who overcame the King''s Trial and took the power of the Beast King. ording to the testimony of survivors of Magok Field at that time, he wore a crow mask on his face. "Oh my God. That''s right! Crow mask!" "That person must have been Crow!" "He was very strong somehow!" They couldn''t even hear the hunters'' conversation from a distance, but there were many people who witnessed the sight of Crow fighting. With normal eyesight, the trajectory of his sword swing was too fast to follow. There was one thing though. The huge fist that overflowed with ck energy was clearly imprinted in everyone''s eyes. "... Could that be the power of the Beast King?" Those who had witnessed that powerful blow muttered the name of Beast King Crow, making their own guesses. And after a while, new articles began to appear on the Inte. * * * "Hey, what is this again!" Lee Minseong was enraged by the news articles that came up every minute. -(Breaking news) Beast King Crow appeared in Seoul! -(Breaking news) sh between the two hunters! -(Breaking news) Those who witnessed the power of the Beast King. Unlike Magok, this article also included photos taken with the cellphones of witnesses. The hunters moved so fast that most of them were out of focus, but Lee Minseong was particrly familiar with the face of one of the two hunters. The problem, however, was that in thest photo, Crow carried his limp body on his shoulder. Lee Minseong immediately called Secretary Kim. Dialing... However, no matter how much he waited, Secretary Kim did not answer the phone. "Secretary Kim! Secretary Kim! Pick up the phone!" Lee Minseong nervously yells into his cell phone. It was then. Ring! An urgent message arrived on his cell phone. -Vice President, please contact me. We''re having some problems with the facility right now. "...!" The moment he saw that message, an ominous feeling crept into Lee Minseong''s mind. The word ''facility'' was a ng term for the stardust research institute he had worked so hard to create. He also ordered Secretary Kim, who was caught by Crow to capture the most important element of the institute, Dr. Min Byeonggu. Lee Minseong urgently called the institute. Calling- Fortunately, his call got answered right away. "What? What''s wrong with the facility..." -V-Vice President! The... aaaaaaah! "...?!" Lee Minseong was startled by the sudden scream and looked at his cell phone. -Ahh! Aaaagh! There were all kinds of terrible screams over the phone. "W-What''s going on there?!" -Monster, monster...! Aaaaaaagh! Chapter 41 - 41

Chapter 41:

An hour ago. [Paju Field] ¡ùNo entry except for Reaper Guild. Thud. "Is it here?" Team Leader Han Jaehyuk of the Association Hunter arrived in front of Paju Field with his subordinates. When he nced up at the sky, the weather was dull. The ce was vastly secluded. It used to be Paju Industrial Complex, but when the dungeon break happened, it became a rough area that people stopped visiting. The reason they came here was because of Baek Miho. Baek Miho, Vice President of the Baekho Guild, suddenly visited the association with her subordinatesst night. She handed over one member of the Hyena Guild to the association and left, iming that she had caught it in the Magok Field. Han Jaehyuk, who had been investigating the factories, interrogated the same guild member, and as a result, he found out a lot of information. ''Lee Minseong, Vice President of the Reaper Guild, is secretly building a Stardust Lab!'' However, the problem was that even the guild members did not know the exact location of theboratory. In this case, he had no choice but to look for it on his own. In order to produce stardust, blue mist was needed, so the location must have been one of the dungeons upied by the Reaper Guild. That''s how the association hunters were scattered this morning, searching the dungeons of the guild centered on the metropolitan area. "Team Leader." Han Jaehyuk''s subordinate had been on the phone for a while then hung up and approached him. "This is something suspicious. Not too long ago, Vice President Lee Minseong of the Reaper Guild said he would voluntarily manage Paju Field." "..." The team leader looked straight ahead with a serious expression. Beyond the barbed wire that blocks civilians from entering, old container warehouses in the distance were covered in blue mist, creating a dreary atmosphere. "... Their location selection is amazing." Team Leader Han Jaehyuk clicked his tongue as if he didn''t like what he found out. Paju Field was located close to Seoul, so it was easy to kidnap people and a good ce to get the blue mist. Above all, there were already enough container buildings in the field to be used as research institutes, so it was an ideal ce to build a factory. No matter how one looks at it, it was definitely right there. Han Jaehyuk immediately picked up his shield. "Let''s get inside." "What? Just us? What about troop support?" "We must have physical evidence to request support. We might have misunderstood it for no reason, so let''s call after we get at least a few pictures." "Alright, I understand." That way, 5 hunters, led by Team Leader Han Jaehyuk, jumped over the fence of Paju Field. They finally found it. Container buildings in the Paju Industrial Complex. There was also the appearance of countless hunters roaming around. ''Found them!'' Association hunters exchanged nces with each other. There was no reason for so many hunters to gather in a field-type dungeon that was almost abandoned. "ording to the investigation, Vice President Lee Minseong is secretly building his own power behind the Guild Leader Lim Taegyu. Perhaps there is some kind of conflict between them." "This is... It''s like a hideout." He looked at thergest building in the middle of the containers and said to his subordinate. "Immediately request troop support." "Alright." "And we''ll go in." "Huh?" "I just heard a scream from inside." Saying that, he gritted his teeth with a fearful expression. "It looks like there are civilians in there." It was a stardustboratory... Lee Minseong seemed to have already gathered the ingredients for stardust. * * * Stardust Lab. Container A. Min Byeonggu''s wife, Oh Seonjoo, was shivering in a cold prison cell. ''Why am I here...'' She was confused and afraid of the whole situation. She was just going to work as usual when she suddenly lost consciousness. When she opened her eyes, she found herself trapped in an unfamiliar prison. She couldn''t quite understand what was going on. There were only a couple of strange things to conclude that it was kidnapping for ransom. First of all, there were too many people wandering around outside the prison. Also, all of them were walking around showing their faces openly. ''The fact that their faces were uncovered meant they had no intention of letting the civilians go.'' That fact made Oh Seonjoo even more terrified. There were nine more people who had been caught like her in the prison. "Huhuhu. Mom..." ''Even a child...'' Oh Seonjoo''s gaze turned to the young boy who was trembling. The little boy, who looked like a kindergartener at most, shrank his little body and sobbed sadly. Perhaps the sound of the crying was annoying, a man passing nearby shouted at the boy. "Oh, so noisy! I told you to stop crying!" Thud! "Bad!" "...!" Oh Seonju was startled and covered her mouth. The man just screamed, but the boy''s body flew backwards as if he was kicked very hard. ''Skill?!'' Oh Seonju was shocked to realize that those who kidnapped them were all hunters. ''Why did the hunters capture civilians like us? Why?'' Leaving her confused mind behind, she hurriedly approached the boy who was stuck in a corner and checked his condition. "Hey..." The boy was writhing on the floor, clutching his aching stomach. Even so, fearing that he would get hit again, he desperately kept his mouth shut and only shed tears. Oh Seonjoo hugged the pathetically trembling boy in her arms. There was nothing she could do other than that. Right then. "...!" Oh Seonjoo''s eyes widened. From the corner far away, a light shed in the space covered by the shade. The light was almost unnoticeable unless you looked closely, but once you recognized it, you would find it weird. Was someone conscious of Oh Seonjoo''s gaze? Squeak. Suddenly, as if a curtain were drawn, the face of a man was revealed in the empty air. "...!" Oh Seonjoo''s eyes widened at that, and the man quietly put his index finger in front of her mouth. ''Shh.'' She controlled her breathing immediately. Instinctively, she realized what his purpose was. ''Hunter Association. They came to save us. Let''s pretend not to know.'' She felt like she could hear the voice of a man in her ears. Surprised, Oh Seonjoo blinked hard and sent a signal that she understood. Squeak. Then the man''s face disappeared again. Very slowly, he approached the prison where the hostages were being held. ''Whew. It''s really suicidal for just five of us to do this.'' A soft sigh flowed from the mouth of Han Jaehyuk, who was moving with the stealth skill with his subordinates. However, the situation was too urgent to just quietly wait for reinforcements. If civilians continue to inhale the blue mist there, they might suddenly turn into Mist Burns. Civilians had to be evacuated from the field as quickly as possible. ''It will be okay. As long as everything goes ording to n.'' Team Leader Han Jaehyuk''s n was simple. Silently open the prison door and include all civilians in the stealth skill. One of his subordinates could make a fuss from afar, and they could all escape together. ''Once we get out of the building, it''s a sess. There are many ces to hide outside.'' After a while. Han Jaehyuk''s hand finally reached and grabbed the lock. His thick hands twisted the lock. ''Great! Sess...'' "You''re quite good, huh?" ...! Chills! Suddenly, a voice came from behind. ''We''re caught!'' Bang-! Suddenly, a huge explosion hit them. At the same time, their stealth skills got disabled, and the team leader who managed to block the attack shouted at his subordinates. "Damn it! n B!" "There is no such thing, Team Leader!" "Just do whatever you can to hold out!" The all-out battle has begun. "There are only five of them! Kill them all!" Dozens of hunters in theb attacked Han Jaehyuk''s team all at once. Thud! "Everyonee behind me!" Han Jaehyuk held up a steel shield that was huge enough to cover half of his body with both hands. "Iron Wall!" Swoosh! He created a huge barrier and desperately blocked the attacks pouring in from all directions. "Hold on a little! Reinforcements will arrive soon!" Thest words were meant to be heard by those over there. It would be nice if he scared them away with that, but that kind of didn''t happen. Rather. "Hey." Startled. The ghastly voice from earlier was heard again. "Release your skills." When he looked there, a man with a snake-like appearance was holding the neck of a child who looked like a kindergartener. "Oh, no!" Shocked expressions appeared on the faces of the association hunters. Team Leader Han Jaehyuk recognized his face. "Park Jongcheol!" C-ss Hunter Park Jongcheol. Even in the Reaper Guild, he was known for his cruel temper. "Did you not hear me? Shove that shitty shield right away, bastard." Park Jongcheol smiled the cruelest smile and lifted the child with one hand. In that hand, the child squeaks and struggles as if he would die at any moment. "N-No!" "The child...!" Association hunters shouted helplessly. However, if he lets go of the shield skill as Park Jongcheol said, they would all be dead. It was a moment where he couldn''t make any choice. Park Jongcheol decided to personally alleviate their worries. "What? You don''t want to? Even if I do this?" p! "...!" Park Jong-cheol pped the child''s cheek with hisrge palm without hesitation. Blood gushed from the kid''s mouth, and his head turned to the side. ''That crazy bastard!'' In an instant, the eyes of the Association Hunters turned over with anger. However, Park Jongcheol did not stop. "Oh? Still won''t listen? Even with this? And this?" p p p! "Stop it! I''ve already let go of my skills...!" In the end, Han Jaehyuk''s Iron Wall disappeared. sh. ...! A knife that suddenly flew from somewhere cut off the arm of Park Jongcheol, who was holding the child. "Oh God!" A scream came out of everyone else''s mouth. Blood gushed like a fountain from his shoulder des. The pain came at a tempote. "...Aaaargh!" Park Jongcheol, who had been smiling like a snake the whole time, let out a desperate scream. "Ouch! Who are you! Who dares...!" Park Jongcheol howled like a wounded beast and looked around. And this time. sh. His leg was cut off "Aaaagh! M-My legs ah-!" Park Jongcheol rolls on the floor. A man wearing a crow mask was standing in front of him holding the child. ''W-Who is he?'' Everyone in theb focused on him. "You must die." Death sentence was handed down to Park Jongcheol. Everyone shuddered at that brutally indifferent voice. Chapter 42 - 42

Chapter 42:

''There must have been others who came earlier.'' Suho nced at the eyes that were focused on him as soon as he appeared. Beru read Secretary Kim''s memories and immediately went to the Stardust Lab, where a fierce battle was already taking ce. ''About 30 hunters for 10 hostages.'' Anyone who met Suho''s eyes flinched. Perhaps because of his somewhat shocking appearance, it felt as if time had stopped. "Keep going..." The only thing that came through the heavy silence was the screams of Park Jongcheol, who had lost his arms and legs and was crawling on the floor like an insect. "Argh. What are you doing, bastards?! Don''t stay still like an idiot! Fight him...!" Ting! The hunters of the Reaper Guild finally came to their senses after Park Jongcheol''s scream. "G-Got it! !" "Everyone, gather!" "Aaaaaaahh!" The attacks directed at the association hunters turned around and went towards Suho. 30 to 1 battle. Since a minimum raid unit was 10 members, it was like three raid units rushing in to kill Suho. But he had no intention of being smashed without fighting back. Suho lifted his head and looked up at the ceiling. ''Ruler''s Power.'' Pop! Pop! Pop! Pop! An invisible hand set off the fluorescent lights on the ceiling in sequence. "W-What!" When the surrounding suddenly became dark, the hunters who attacked Suho stopped walking in a hurry. Regardless if they were hunters, it would take time for their eyes to adjust to the darkness. ''I''m different.'' Suho moved swiftly through the darkness. He hade in wearing a crow mask that brightens his vision, aiming for this. Swoosh! sh! "Ack!" "Ack!" "Kheuk!" Screams erupted from all over the darkness. "W-Watch out! He''s attacking from...!" In an instant, the five fell to the ground, dripping with blood. "Fire!" A fireball that someone threw out lit up the surroundings. However, Suho''s figure had already disappeared there. The hunters'' eyes widened. "Find him now!" The research center was the favorite hideout of Vice President Lee Minseong. It was a shame that the name of the Reaper Guild was tarnished by just one intruder. "Healers immediately take care of the wounded! Everyone, don''t scatter, unite and fight!" They moved coordinately even in such a situation. The enemy was a minority anyway, and as long as they were careful, the majority would have an unconditional advantage in the fight. Fire! Fire! Additional fireballs continued to be thrown and began to push back the darkness. But. ''You guys are already my prey.'' At the end of the darkness, Suho''s eyes shed. "Arise." Swoosh- Behind Suho, the shadow grew longer and eight legs stretched out in all directions. The monster that raised itself from the floor... [Arachne Lv.1] Knight Rank A body the size of a house. Dozens of eyes. Ugly mouth. Pair of giant ws. The ''grave spider Arachne'' caught in Magok Field returned from the dead as a shadow spider. [Oops!] ck spider webs stretched out in all directions. Chwack! Chwack! Chwack! The spider webs clung to the walls and ceiling, and began rebuilding the entire massive container building into a spider''s nest. "W-What is this sticky thing?!" Eventually, the spider''s web spread its magic even to the hunters. [Arachne uses ''Skill: Puppet Show''.] "Oh! My body''s moving on its own...!" Thuck! "Ouch! Why me...?" The hunter''s arm caught in the web moved by itself and stabbed a colleague next to him. "Huh?" The hunter became a puppet and struggled with his arms. "No! It''s not me! This sticky thread wraps around my body...!" However, his body was already swinging his sword in search of another victim. "What are you doing, bastard?! Why are you suddenly attacking us?!" "No! I''m not doing it myself!" That was just the beginning. Chwack! Chwack! Chwack! [Arachne uses ''Skill: Puppet Show''.] [Arachne uses ''Skill: Puppet Show''.] "Ahh! I got caught too!" "Aagh! Scatter!" "No, don''t scatter! This is his goal!" "Then what should we do, damn it!" Dozens of hunters start swinging their swords at each other. They were fighting each other. "Cut off the web!" "Don''t be fooled by his skills!" Snap. [You have purchased ''Lesser Healing Potion''.] Meanwhile, Suho bought a potion from a store and poured it into the mouth of a kindergartener in his arms. A hunter''s one-sided violence poured into this small body. For a moment, Suho''s bloody eyes red at Park Jongcheol, who was crawling on the floor. Suddenly, a small shadow descended on it. [You made Young Master mad...] Beru''s hand gripped the guy''s head tightly. "ckkk?!" Park Jongcheol, whose head was forcibly lifted, widened his eyes. Above his dted pupils, the ck beast''s mouth parted. [You won''t die easily.] sh! "...!" A silent scream leaked from Park Jongcheol''s mouth. In the meantime, the effect of the potion began to circte, and the child''s condition improved noticeably, Suho''s gaze turned back to the enemies. "Arachne." [Krrrk?] Arachne, who was deflecting the hunters with herrge pincers, looked back at Suho. "Catch the healers first." Healers were the first thing to be dealt with. This was because many of them had annoying buff skills besides simple healing skills. In the first attack, Suho purposely did not kill the hunters and only inflicted fatal injuries on them, in order to weed out the healers. As a result, now the healers were diligently wandering around and pouring their magical energy generously on the wounded ones. [Whoop!] Arachne began to attack by searching for those healers. "He''s aiming for healers! Protect the Healers!" ''I need to save the hostages first.'' With that thought in mind, Suho turned his attention to the prison. However, the Association Hunters were already on the move there. Since their purpose was to rescue hostages from the beginning, they jumped into the prison first without even confirming who Suho was. The problem was that the other guild members also noticed that. "The ingredients are trying to escape! Stop them!" "Take the hostages first!" Rush! They surrounded the prison. "Ack!" The association hunters suddenly ended up in prison with hostages... in a bad way. Bang! "What happened?!" The door to the research center burst open and reinforcements arrived. The problem was that the support wasn''t from the Association, but from the Reaper Guild. Dozens of hunters from other container buildings heard themotion and rushed there! "Haaa." Team Leader Han Jaehyuk sighed deep. He murmured with beads of sweat on his forehead. "Can we get out alive?" "Of course." "...!" He looked to the side in surprise at the sudden answer. A crow mask approached from the iron bars before he knew it. Suho opened the iron bars with force and held out the little boy he was holding. ''What kind of power...'' Han Jaehyuk was intimidated by Suho''s tremendous power and took over the kid. Suho spoke to him, putting the bent iron bars back to their original state. "This is better. Keep some hostages there for the time being. Even if someone attacks from outside, you can cover it with your shield skill, right?" "What are you..." Han Jaehyuk was just starting to respond. Suddenly, a ck web came flying and tied the prison door outside. It will never open, neither inside nor outside. Han Jaehyuk looked at Suho again, embarrassed. However, Suho had already turned his back to look at the approaching enemies. "Rest there for a while." A wide and dependable back. "It will all be over." Suho said so and slowly walked to the enemies running this way, doubling in number. It was possible at any time if it was simply to escape. But should he really let those guys live? They were hunters who wanted to take care of themselves by killing fellow humans. They could no longer be considered as human beings. Mage Beast. Looking at the viins, Suho made a promise. ''Today, I will pull out the roots here.'' The thought reached someone far away. [The King of Beasts, Fang Monarch, is delighted that the hunting time has arrived.] "Hunt." The moment Suho''s words fall. Swoosh. Gray''s body in the shadow dungeon suddenly floated up and began to be more and more transparent. "Hnnggg?" "Huh? Blessing?" Esil, who was next to Gray, immediately recognized the phenomenon and opened her eyes wide. [The spiritual body of ''Pet: Gray'' possessed the body of the pontifex.] Gray''s spiritual body climbed up through Suho''s shadow and settled in his body. Swoosh! At that moment, Suho''s hair turned silver, and the energy of the beast surged from his body. "...!" "W-What is that?!" The members of the Reaper Guild are frightened by the sudden change in Suho. The reaction was the same for the Association Hunters in prison. "Oh God. Could it be...!" "Baekho Guild...!" [The King of Beasts, Fang Monarch, nods in satisfaction at the pontifex'' transformation.] ''Is this how it feels?'' Suho looked down at the wild energy flowing through his body. A divine wind imbued with magical power wrapped around his body. "Great. The priestly power you boasted so much about. Let''s see the performance." Suho smirked at Rakan and surrendered himself to this overflowing energy. That moment. "Roar!" Suho roared like a beast and fired at the enemies at explosive speed. Swoosh! "Aaahhh!" ... Gulp. Han Jaehyukwas watching the scene from behind and swallowed hard without even realizing it. A thought was floating in his mind. ''It''s not an ordinary beast.'' Once. He once saw the battle scene of Baek Yunho, the guild leader of the Baekho Guild. Although, he wasn''t saying that the man in the crow''s mask had the same energy as Baek Yunho. Baek Yunho is an S rank. It was because he was afraid to even dare to recall the overwhelming feeling that was as huge as that mountain. But why... Does the memory of that day keeping back? "Beast King Crow..." "What?" The name that suddenly uttered by the team leader''s made his subordinates stare at him. Why did it juste to his mind now? It was an article he sawst night. Magok Field. Crow Mask. "... The one who inherited the power of the Beast King." ''Was that Suho?'' Grumble! The roar of the brutal beast resonated in their chests. Right in front of the Association Hunters'' eyes, the Beast King Crow was trampling down his prey along with a huge spider. Chapter 43 - 43

Chapter 43:

Ring! [You have learned ''Skill: Grasnd Wind''.] Swoosh! Suho crossed the hunters as if he had wings. The wind blew violently along the trail, spurring his movement. [Movement speed temporarily increases by 30%.] [Attack speed temporarily increases by 30%.] sh! "Aaaah!" Blood sttered in the blowing wind. Screams erupted everywhere. [The King of Beasts, Fang Monarch giggles revealing his teeth.] A 50 to 1 battle? Outnumbered? That didn''t matter. There was still darkness. "Beru!" [Young Master!] Beru immediately jumped when Suho called him. With his short but strong nails, he mercilessly cut the fireballs floating like balloons in the air. Pop! Boom! The fireballs exploded and their visions went dark again. "Shit! Fire some lights on again!" The hunters gritted their teeth and recreated the fireballs, but each time, Beru''s nails continued to put out the fire. Pop! Pop! Constantly flickering field of vision. Every time that happened, screams erupted from everywhere. "Ack! My leg...!" "That way!" "Watch out...!" Each time the light flickered, Suho''s position changed. There were always new casualties. And when a healer jumped in to save them... [Krrrkk!] Swoosh-! "...?!" ck spider web fell over the healer''s head and wrapped his body as he got snatched away. "Hey, watch out for spider w...!" Arachne''s huge ws were mercilessly thrust down at the hunter who was there. "Ack...!" Blood poured in from the hunter''s mouth. It was a terrible death, like a scene from a horror movie. [Twelve.] Beru''s antennae were counting the number of enemies he had in. Outnumbered? That didn''t matter. After all, everyone dies. "Kyah!" [Thirteen.] No matter how strong they were, if their heart was stabbed, they would die. "Ack!" [Fourteen.] One died when his throat was cut off. Also, if one''s defense skill was strong, he could kill the others first. If they counterattack using a skill, he can stab them in the back. "Aaah! Run away!" "We have to get out of here...!" [Fifteen.] This ce was already Suho''s hunting ground. The terrifying fear of losing their lives was eating away the spirits of the guild members. [The King of Beasts, Fang Monarch, is proud of Pontifex Suho''s majesty.] [The King of Beasts, Fang Monarch, advises you to pay attention to mana management, as mana is continuously consumed in the ''blessed'' state.] "..." The only thing the association hunter who was watching that terrible scene in prison could do was... "Close your eyes." He could just block the eyes and ears of the kindergartener he was holding. ''How...'' To the association hunters, Suho''s unstoppable ughtering of enemies felt very foreign. No matter how much they deserved to be killed, it seemed like Suho couldn''t feel any mercy in his hands. In fact, all hunters were familiar with the smell of blood on others. It could tell how used they were to killing people. A hunter''s job is no different from a butcher. But, still... Aren''t they human after all? "Not having any hesitation in killing people." "Just why..." "No. It must be because of the Beast Transformation skill." Han Jaehyuk, who was listening to the murmurings of his subordinates, said with conviction. "Eh? Is it because of that?" "Yeah. The Beast Transformation skill is a great skill that greatly increases physical abilities, but at the same time, it is a very difficult skill to handle as it maximizes ferocity and makes it impossible to maintain rationality. That''s why incidents caused by beast hunters often happen. Am I wrong?" "Ahhh." Only then did the association hunters nod in agreement. [No, idiots.] Beru, who had been overhearing their conversation from afar, chuckled. [Young Master is familiar with death from the very beginning. Ever since he was a baby.] Death is the primal fear of all living beings. However, to Suho, who had been able to freelye and go in the world of death since he was a baby, death was just a natural phenomenon that was always by his side. After all, even the nannies who raised Suho when he was a newborn baby are soldiers of death. Suho had the experience of repeating his own death countless times. A test that his father, Sung Jinwoo, had Suho repeat so that he could properly control the power of the Shadow Monarch and use it ording to the situation. As Suho repeated death over and over again in his dreams, he was no longer afraid of death. Beyond oveing fear, he reached the point of dealing with death as an experience and a means. [Like His Majesty does.] Beru muttered with a satisfied smile on his lips. * * * ''What the hell is this?!'' Kwak Dooyoung, a B-ss hunter who arrived at theboratoryte, could not keep his mouth shut at the horrors taking ce inside the building. ''Does this make sense?'' There was only one intruder. The mana he felt was only a C-ss or B-ss at most. However, if the intruder''s skill was that great, he was most likely neither of the two. ''Could it be an eleration skill that speeds up movement?'' ''If so, shouldn''t the dealers focus on shooting while the tankers in front do their best?'' ''A giant spider was summoned?'' Although it was somewhat unusual, it was at best a C-ss monster. Reaper Guild''s 2nd raid unit was at a level where stable raids were possible. But, why? How? "How could this amount of people be working on that one guy?!" Kwak Dooyoung eventually joined the battle. "Giant''s Armor!" Swoosh! Magical armor wrapped around his body as he jumped high. He doubled in size and weight in an instant. The entire container building shook with the impact of his massive body armed with Giant Armor. "Hunter Kwak Dooyoung?!" The hunters who were fighting Suho looked back at him with admiration. Kwak Dooyoung was one of the first-ss tankers of the Reaper Guild. It was thanks to that gigantic skill that he, who was only a B-ss hunter, was able to secure a first-team position in arge guild representing Korea. A huge armor over 3 meters in size andbat power thates from its overwhelming heaviness. His other skills arebined there. No one had any doubts about the fact that Kwak Dooyoung was a first-ss tanker of the Reaper Guild. "Get out of the way!" Rush Skill. The assault captain''s skill, which covered his whole body with a shield and pierced the front road like a cannonball, was cast. Baaam! "What?!" "Hunter Kwak Dooyoung! Wait...!" Bang! "Aaaah!" Rush! Kwak Dooyoung''s huge body rushed forward like a rhinoceros. The subordinates who stumbled on the road in front of him bounced out in all directions, but he ignored them all. Some sacrifice must be made. ''My goal is!'' Suho lightly dodged his charge. However, Suho was not what he was aiming for in the first ce but the prison that was located right behind Suho! Thud! "Hehe. Got it!" "...!" A gigantic hand finally gripped the bars of the prison. At that moment, Kwak Dooyoung smiled meaningfully and yelled out loud as if he wanted Suho to hear it. "You bastard! Stop right there! Before I crush these hostages in prison!" Crack! His tremendous strength made the prison''s iron bars begin to crack like candy. "Everyone, gather around me!" Han Jaehyuk, who was with the hostages in the prison, was frightened and used his Iron Wall skill. Seeing that, Kwak Dooyoungughed saying it was ridiculous. "Ha, you want to withstand my strength? You''re just a C-ss tanker!" "Keuuugh!" A sh of strength and power. Han Jaehyuk''s were bloodshot while enduring the opponent''s power. The gap between C-ss tankers and B-ss tankers was very evident. Han Jaehyuk was somehow enduring it but his knees were shaking as if they were going to give in at any moment. "What are the two of you doing?" It was an odd expressioning from Suho. But that''s just how tankers were. The higher their defense, the more overconfident they get. In addition, Kwak Dooyoung''s height and size doubled, so his arrogance was indescribable. Swish! At that moment, the wind of the grasnd suddenly blows at Kwak Dooyoung. "... Oh!" He was startled. Someone suddenly grabbed his hair and tilted his head back. Then, there was Suho, who was riding on his shoulder, grinning. "You think you''re the only strong one here? I can even do this." Swoosh! ck energy wrapped around Suho''s fist as he held Kwak Dooyoung''s hair in his left hand and raised his right hand. [Use ''Skill: Strike''.] "Look." Suho sighed and pped Kwak Dooyoung down on the head with his huge fist. g-! "kk...!" With a tremendous roar, the giant vomited blood from his mouth and fell forward. Suho didn''t dare to put his guards down. He had no intention of misjudging that this one shot would pierce the defense of a B-ss tanker. sh! Immediately, two twin swords appeared in Suho''s hands. He mercilessly swung his sword at the defenseless back of Kwak Dooyoung, who was lying t on the floor. [Use ''Skill: de Storm''.] sh! "...!" That was the decisive blow. The light disappeared from Kwak Dooyoung''s eyes, and his swollen body began to shrink. nk! Weapons finally fell from the hands of all the remaining viins in the building. Guild members raised their hands with pale faces as if they had no will to resist. "Ha, I surrender..." [Kehehe. Now?] Beru knew better than anyone the dangers that ensued when he showed mercy to these guys. sh! Beru''s ws cut through their Achilles tendons. "Ack!" "Ahhh!" "I already surrendered, but why...!" [The only true form of surrender is death.] Heughed and mocked them as they rolled on the floor grabbing their ankles. [Or,pletely destroy their offensive power so they''d be of no use.] Beru approached them again with an evil smile and gave them a ''heal''. It is a feeble heal that doesn''t consume much mana. Swoosh! He was very kind (?) to put their broken Achilles tendons together. Very meticulously. [Now, even if you go to another healer, your legs will never be cured. Well, I guess I could cut off the whole ankle and regenerate it.] "..." Seeing the fist-sized little demonughing and mocking them, the guild members trembled. Right then. Ring! Ring! Ring! Numerous messages arrived in front of Suho. [You havepleted ''Quest: Rescue''.] [Number rescued: 10] [Your level increased!] [The level of ''Skill: Double Swords'' increased!] [The level of ''Skill: de Storm'' increased!] [The questpletion reward has arrived.] [Do you want to check the reward?] ( Y / N ) But then. Suddenly, something caught Suho''s gaze as he was looking down. A light the size of a coin was shining on the dead body of Kwak Dooyoung. Suho''s eyes widened. ''No way...?'' The kind of lighting from the monsters holding the mana stones was now emerging from Kwak Dooyoung''s corpse. Chapter 44 - 44

Chapter 44:

Suho stretched out his hand toward Kwak Dooyeong, where light wasing from. Ring! [You found ''Runestone: Giant''s Armor''. Would you like to acquire it?] ''A runestone?'' It seemed that the skill Kwak Dooyeong used was a runestone. Again, this was the first time. There are several viins killed today, but this only happened to Kwak Dooyoung. ''Check.'' [Runestone: Giant''s Armor] Breaking the runestone absorbs the skill. ''It''s a giant''s armor.'' It was a skill that made Kwak Dooyoung''s body bigger a little while ago. Considering the value of the runestone, selling this runestone would earn at least billions. But, Suho thought it was a waste to sell. ''It''s just money, I can earn itter.'' Bing stronger was more important than money. Besides, since he was just previously an E-ss hunter, his earnings were not good, but today he was reissued a C-ss hunter license. Considering that the difference in power between E-ss and C-ss was several times higher, selling runes for money was a foolish choice. "Excuse me... Mr. Crow?" Suddenly, there was a voice calling for Suho from behind. Association hunters who had escaped from the prison were approaching him hesitantly. "A-Are you okay?" There was fear in their faces as they looked at Suho. It was expected though. Suho single-handedly destroyed over 50 members of the Reaper Guild, and in the end even killed Kwak Dooyeong, a B-ss tanker, with his pure power. Witnessing that ferocious battle right in front of them, they couldn''t help but worry. Even though Suho helped them, it was not a guarantee that they were on the same side. Smirk. "I don''t intend to be hostile, so don''t worry. Are you going to arrest them?" "Ahh." "Mmm." The association hunters looked away with embarrassed expressions at Suho''s words. Suho stuffed the runestone into his pocket and released himself from the blessed state. While in that state, his mana was reduced by 1 per second. That was also why he took out a potion when he was fighting earlier. [''Blessing'' is canceled.] Swook! The spiritual wind that had been swirling around Suho''s body calmed down, and his hair, which had been bleached silver and was fluttering, returned to ck again. "Grrr!" [''Pet: Gray''s spiritual body leaves the body of the pontifex.] A puppy the size of the palm- no, a wolf cub fell out of Suho''s body. Seeing this, the association hunters were shocked. A wolf suddenly came out of Suho''s body! "A-As expected..." "Beast King..." "The king of beasts..." Tilt. Gray, whonded on the floor, had a puzzled expression. There were people looking at him(?). Eh? What were they thinking? Gray suddenly lifted his nose and started howling. "Awoooh!" With his infinitely proud and courageous eyes. [The King of Beasts, Fang Monarch, looks proudly at the dignified appearance of his descendant.] "...?" -Heh. He''s pretty much in shape now. "...?" Suho smiled as even Rakan''s Sword in his hand looked at Gray satisfactorily. * * * The reinforcements called by the association hunters finally arrived after everything was over. "Come out quickly, you guys!" The members of the Reaper Guild who abandoned their weapons and surrendered were all limping and were dragged out by their hands. "Why are you limping like that?" Meanwhile, Han Jaehyuk rescued the hostages from prison and hurriedly transported them to the hospital. It was because they might suddenly turn into a Mist Burns if he let them stay on the field. Immediately, with his subordinates, they conducted a search and seizure operation on all the evidence in the Stardust Lab. "Don''t miss anything, take it all!" Han Jaehyuk gritted his teeth vigorously, recalling Vice President Lee Minseong. Meanwhile, Suho was quite busy. The weapons of the Reaper Guild members fell right on the floor. It seemed like it would be pretty lucrative to collect all of those and sell them to the shop. ''I have to earn money for the potion.'' Surprisingly, Gray yed a big part there. "Grrr!" Gray, who noticed Suho''s intentions, ran toward the weapon, shaking his short legs. Then he opened his little mouth and bit a weapon. Ring! A message appeared in front of Suho. [You found ''Item: me Longsword''. Would you like to acquire it?] "What?" Suho''s eyes widened. Was it because of the pet system? It seemed that Gray could acquire the items he touched from a distance. "Acquire." [Obtained ''Item: me Longsword''.] The item that was added into the inventory. Suho smiled. ''If I do this, it will be a bit more convenient in the future.'' He finally found the purpose of that little cub. Item shuttle. Suho stroked Gray''s head and said. "Gray, good job. Go ahead and bite." "Hnnnggg~?!" Hearing sincere praise from Suho for the first time in his life, Gray was taken aback and didn''t know what to do. For some reason, the corner of his mouth kept twitching. Then eventually. Thup! "What?" "Grrr...!" Gray was so excited that he bit Suho''s hand. Meanwhile, his tail was wagging like crazy again. "Let go now..." Dangle. Suho was at a loss for words when he saw Gray hanging from his hand. [The King of Beasts, Fang Monarch, nods to the bravery of his descendant.] -Whoops. Little guy, no matter how young you are, you''re still a beast. "Stop it, you guys." "... Anyway, go and take a bite." Suho forcibly removed Gray and pushed him forward. Gray proudly raised his tail and wandered around, biting the items. Ring! Ring! Ring! [You found ''Item: Sharp Eye Bowgun''. Would you like to acquire it?] [You found ''Item: ck Battle Ax''. Would you like to acquire it?] [You found ''Item: Carbon Gauntlet''. Would you like to acquire it?] ... "Acquire. Acquire. Acquire..." Suho stood still and sold the items to the shop window. Clink. Clink. [You have acquired 750 gold.] [You have acquired 1300 gold.] [You have acquired 900 gold.] ... Suho found it pretty exciting. ''Great. At this rate, the cost of the potion won''t be a problem for a while.'' The days of struggling with gold and licking potions were gone. Suho was browsing through the shop window, thinking of buying a new item tomemorate his gold umtion, but he remembered something. ''I almost forgot this.'' [The following rewards are prepared.] Reward: +5 stat points Without hesitation, Suho allocated all of his ability points into strength. The power was great. Subduing the enemy with overwhelming power and speed will always affect the intensity of leveling up. Wouldn''t it be possible to raise other stats by using items? Suho was so busy (?) when team leader Han Jaehyuk approached. "Excuse me Mr. Crow, but could I talk to you for a minute?" "..." A very polite attitude and a cheesy way to address. Suho looked at him with an awkward expression and replied. "Yes, sure." * * * Meanwhile, in the Shadow Dungeon where Gray disappeared. "... Huh?" Left alone there, Esil''s expression suddenly changed. ''No way?'' Esil narrowed her eyes and red somewhere. Suddenly, she felt a strange sensation. Esil immediately kicked off the ground and moved to search for it. That ck and white world was extremely quiet and static. Even the goblins hiding everywhere were cleaned up, and the bizarre silence intensified. However, a change was taking ce in that deste world. Swoosh. Eventually, Esil stopped walking and looked ahead. A dimensional rift through which ominous energy overflows. "Gate...!" Realizing the cause of the incident, Esil hurriedly raised her head and shouted at Suho in the outside world. "Sung Suho! Come back! Now is not the time to be out there!" Mysteriously, the voice reached Suho''s ears through his shadow. -Sung Suho! There''s a portal in your world! "...!" At that voice, Suho, who was just having a conversation with team leader Han Jaehyuk, shivered. "Mr. Crow?" Han Jaehyuk looked at him with a puzzled expression. Suho nced at him. "There''s an emergency. Let''s talkter." "Huh? Suddenly? What kind of emergency is it..." Suho didn''t have time to exin anything. He immediately turned around and ran out of theb. "W-Wait a minute! You have to give me your contact information...!" Han Jaehyuk panicked and called for Suho from behind, but there was no reason to hold him by force. He was neither a criminal nor a viin, but rather a hero who helped them. "I can give you a reward..." His voice muttered softly towards Suho, who had already disappeared from sight. With those words... [Compensation money? Hand it over.] "Oh?!" Beru grabbed Han Jaehyuk by the cor. [What are you doing? Give me the reward right away.] * * * [You have entered the Shadow Dungeon.] Swoosh! Suho''s figure appeared in front of Esil. Immediately, Esil showed Suho what she had discovered. "What is this..." Suho''s expression hardened as he saw the gate in front of him. Krrrrrrr! Red sand was pouring endlessly from the gap in the dimensional rift in the air. It was radiating a power to devour the whole world! Ring! [An urgent quest has arrived.] Quest arrived just in time. [Urgent Quest: Dimensional Rift] A dimensional rift has been detected. Go through the connected gate and remove the cause of the dimensional rift. "What the... You want me to go inside?" Watching the waterfall of sand gushing down through the gap in the gate, Suho was perplexed. "What? Do I have to go inside now?" Esil was startled and looked at him. "Are you thinking of swimming in that sand? The moment you enter, that ce could be your grave!" Suho, who was lost in thought for a moment, immediately shook his head. ''Maybe because there is a way to solve the quest?'' He needed to proceed with the quest. It was not a problem he could avoid. "Arise." Swoosh. A huge shadow, the grave spider Arachne,nded beside him. "Can you dig the ground?" [Krrrk!] Arachne raised its huge w. Seeing that trustworthy appearance, Suho smiled. ''Maybe it''s worth a try?'' Making a decision, Suho turned his head toward Esil. Esil instinctively took a step back and shook her head at the sight of Suho smiling brightly at her. "No, I will wait here..." "You don''t like to eat meat?" "Uhh." "You don''t?" "...Hmm." Esil was the only demon noble in the demon realm and the eldest daughter of the great Radiru n. Today, she learned what suffocation was. "Argh! Okay, let''s go!" In the end, Esil gave up and closed her eyes tightly. Suho smiled and turned his head again. Krrrr! Toward the gate where a waterfall of sand cascades down. "Then, let''s go in." Chapter 45 - 45

Chapter 45:

"W-Wait!" Esil urgently called for Suho. "You''re not going to go in right now, are you?" "I''m going to go in right away." "You''re going to be in big trouble!" Esil made a serious expression as she pointed to the red sand that poured down like andslide from the Red Gate. "Can''t you feel the heat right now? If you go in uncovered, you won''t just end up with burns, you could choke to death from the heat!" In fact, just getting close to that red sand made them feel the heat. It was dangerous to enter blindly without any countermeasures. But then. "Shop." Suho opened the shop window and chose an item. Tap. [Purchased ''Item: Fire Ghost''s Ne''.] [Item: Fire Ghost''s Ne] Difficulty to obtain: D ss Type: essory A ne imbued with divine protection. When worn around the neck, it blocks the heat. Suho quickly put the suspicious-looking ne on his neck. [''Item: Fire Ghost''s Ne'' is worn.] Swoosh. Immediately, the ne gradually became transparent and disappeared from Suho''s neck, and at the same time, his body suddenly felt refreshed. External heat is blocked. "Oh." Seeing that, Esil, who had been nagging Suho diligently, was dazed. ''It''s nice.'' Suho made a satisfied expression, bought another ne and handed it to Esil. "Here." "Oh. Okay." Esil awkwardly epted the ne. She made a puzzled expression at the mysterious energy she felt from the ne. "F-Fire Ghost''s protection? Where did you get this treasure?" "Treasure?" "Yes, treasure! Items with such protection are rarely passed on to the outside world. It must have belonged to a tribe that was destroyed during the War of Outer Gods... Hmm." Esil looked around to see if the ne was strange, and quickly put it on her neck. Feeling refreshed, her eyes widely opened. "Wow. It would be nice to wear it on normal days. Well, at least we won''t get burned... It''s great." Esil embarrassingly emphasized the danger. "But, it doesn''t change the fact that it''s still dangerous! Anyway, since you gave me such a good present, I will teach you something good." "Something good?" Esil raised her hand. "It''s like a magic trick used at times like these." Swoosh. A transparent aura began to flow from Esil''s hand. "Like this." Esil took the energy to her face and used it like a mask. "It''s like putting a thin protective film on your face. This will keep grains of sand out of your eyes and mouth. By the way, it can also be used underwater." "Oh?" Suho''s eyes sparkled at the unexpected tip. He was looking for something like a helmet in the shop window, but he didn''t find one. "Of course, it will be difficult at first. The main point is to keep the shield as thin as possible, so the ability to control mana is required. I''ll show you a few more times..." "Huh? It worked." "Eh." Swoosh. Esil was surprised that Suho was able to do it after just one try. "R-Right. That''s how you do it. The thinness is great..." It was a perfect mana control. ''It took me years to make it that thin.'' Esil felt kinda unfair. Suddenly, there was a sound that came from the side. [Ehem.] Beru slid his face out and showed off an arrogant look. [It''s ridiculous to be surprised by that much. Our Young Master was a child prodigy from the beginning. When he was a baby, instead of walking on the floor, he walked through the air.] "I didn''t ask." [Do you think that''s all? He learned Hangeul at the age of 5, arithmetics at the age of 6...] "I said, I did not ask. You dumb dumb." They were up on a good start. * * * When everything was ready, Suho climbed Arachne''s back with Esil. Fortunately, Arachne''s carapace was as hard as armor, so the ride would be quitefortable. "Come on, let''s go!" [Krrrk!] At Suho''smand, Arachne began to trace back to the sand waterfall pouring with its huge ws. The method was a little fascinating. Firstly, Arachne pushed the sand from side to side with its giant ws. Simultaneously, a ck spider web is ejected from its body, and the sand grains pushed out like that were stuck together. Then, as the grains hardened in their dug-out form, a tunnel was created for Arachne to move through. The tunnel quickly copsed due to the continuous pouring sand from above, but Arachne had at least enough time to move. Suho admired the entire process. "Oh. You''re really like a bug." [Obviously, it''s a bug.] Beru answered for Arachne who couldn''t speak. [Krrrk!] Arachne, with Suho and Esil on board, leisurely moved through the sand waterfall. Beru stood dashingly with his arms crossed over Arachne''s snout and pointed towards their supposed direction. [Go, spider ship!] Lately, Beru has been obsessed with Yi Sun Shin historical dramas. * * * They didn''t know how long it took. It was as if a horse was swimming vaguely in the sand, virtually devoid of any light. But, Suho came up with an idea. "Just move upwards no matter what!" [Krrrk!] Arachne followed Suho''smand and immediately dug up the sand vertically. Righ then. Chills! ''Huh?'' Suddenly, Suho''s senses stat sent a huge warning. Feeling a strong sense of crisis that gave him goosebumps, Suho shouted without even thinking about it. "Dodge to the side!" [Damn it!] At Suho''smand, Arachne immediately turned. Bang! The wall of the tunnel suddenly exploded, and something huge came out of it. It''s like a train running on a subway track. Swoooooosh! Something big, thick, and long passed by them with great force. "...!" "W-What is that?!" Esil was horrified. It was so dark around that she had no way of knowing what it was. But it was visible in Suho''s eyes. A red name tag was attached to it. [Poisoned-Tooth Sand Centipede] "It''s a centipede!" "A centipede?!" Upon hearing that, Esil''splexion rapidly turns pale. It wasn''t because she was afraid of bugs but because it was never a good thing to encounter a giant monster in the ground like that. Moreover, if the size is toorge to handle. Swoosh! There was no time for further consideration. "Avoid it!" [Krrrk!] Before Suho could finish his words, Arachne frantically dug into the sand to get away from him. Swoosh! Chills. They could hear the sound of digging that was approaching every minute from right behind them. "Don''t move to the side!" [Krrrk!] Suho desperately instructed Arachne in the direction by relying on his senses stat. Then a huge train(?) passed by them from a very close distance. Fortunately, the sand centipede was so long that it didn''t seem to be able to turn right away once it set its direction. [I will try to stop it!] Beru hurriedly ran towards the sand centipede and kicked it! Thunk! Rather, it was Beru who bounced away. [Still, he took a very slight turn!] "Everything is fine, so go upward! To the ground!" [Krrrk!] Suho''s judgment was right. [Krrrk!] Eventually, Arachne managed to crawl through the red sand and climb to the ground. "Ha..." In an instant, the dazzling sunlight hit Suho and Esil''s eyes. After a moment of adjustment, they could now see. A red desert spread endlessly before their eyes. "It was a real desert." "We would have died from the heat without the Fire Ghost''s Ne." ... They couldn''t let their guards down. A huge pir of sand rose right behind them. [Krrrk?!] Arachne fell backwards under the intense pressure. Suho and Esil, who were riding on top of it, also fell to the floor. After rolling several times on the floor, barely bncing on the sand, they opened their eyes at the scene in front of them. "Khhiiiik!" A sand centipede broke through the sand. [Poisoned-Tooth Sand Centipede] A bizarre and repulsive figure appeared before them. Suho observed for a moment. Two child-sized teeth attached under the sand centipede''s head. Just by looking at its name, Suho could guess what would happen if they got stabbed. Watching those huge teeth and jaws open and close nonstop, it must... "I-It looks like smacking its lips." Esil''s words were unmistakable. The sand centipede immediately attacked them, opening its mouth and breaking through the sand. Swoosh-! "Kyaaah!" "Run!" Esil and Suho shouted at the same time, turned their backs, and started running across the desert. The giant centipede chased after them, creating sand waves. Esil bit her lip and put on a look of resentment. ''If only my strength was intact...!'' Her pride was hurt. To think that a well-known demon noble is in a situation where her life is threatened by such arge, stupid beast. But, past is past. Now was not the time to show petty pride. ''He''s a guy we can never deal with with our current strength! For now, we have to go back to the world of shadows!'' Esil hurriedly looked back at Suho and shouted. "Suho! Let''s retreat for now... Huh?" When she turned around, Suho had suddenly grown huge and was throwing an uppercut to the sand centipede''s jaw. [Use ''Skill: Giant''s Armor''.] Suho broke the runestone and learned a new skill. With that skill, he doubled his size and engaged in hand-to-handbat with the giant centipede. Boom! Smack! He smashed his two big fists alternately into the centipede''s face, and wrapped his arms around its thick neck to choke it. Khiiik! As if in pain, the centipede struggled with its long train-like body and wrapped itself around Suho''s body. A real sh of strength and power. ''Oh my god.'' Esil was greatly shocked at the battle she was witnessing. ''When did he be so strong?'' She was so sure that until just yesterday, Suho didn''t have that kind of strength. [Ehem. That is Young Master''s...] Beru was just about to show off. Swoosh! Suddenly, another pir of sand rose right in front of his eyes. "Ah, dear." Esil''s expression hardened. It wasn''t just one or two this time. Swoosh! Swoosh! Seven sand centipedes rose up from the sand and surrounded them. However, despite being surrounded by them, Suho was still strong. His expressionless gaze scanned each one of them. ''Suho...'' Esil gulped with her dried throat. ''Just how much have you grown...'' Nod. Suho nodded and turned around. "As expected, should I run away?" "..." Chapter 46 - 46

Chapter 46:

[Skill: Giant''s Armor Lv.1] Active skill Mana required is 10. Covers the whole body with magical armor and the user bes gigantic. Reduces mana by 1 per second while casting. The skill ''Giant''s Armor'' obtained after defeating Kwak Dooyoung drained mana in real time as soon as casted. For reference, Suho''s current maximum mana power was 635. In other words, the time the skill can be maintained is 635 seconds. Thus, its usage was only limited to 10 minutes assuming he doesn''t use any other skills. Even though Suho''s strength, size, and defense improved a lot, there were still other issues. He could not hold a weapon because his hand had grown so much. In the end, Suho gave up his main weapon, the twin swords, and had no choice but to fight with his bare hands. "Ruler''s Power." When Suho raised his fist, the Ruler''s Power ovepped on top of it, and ck energy enveloped him. He plunged his fist into the sand centipede that was wrapped around his body. Smash! "Krrrk!" The sand centipede shook its long body and backed away from the tremendous impact. However, it was not a fatal blow, so the monster survived and burrowed into the sand to escape. With that one shot, Suho''s mana power was reduced in half, and so with the time to maintain the giant''s armor skill. ''If I fight like this, even the potion won''t be of help.'' Suho made a quick decision. Run away. "Uncast the giant''s armor." Swook. The armor covering his whole body disappeared, and Suho''s body became smaller. He immediately climbed on Arachne''s back and reached out to Esil. "What are you doing? Aren''t you going to run away?" "..." Esil had a lot to say, but she quickly grabbed his hand. * * * [Krrk!] Arachne, carrying two people, began to run across the desert, vigorously with its eight legs. Seven sand centipedes followed closely behind them. The distance in between was so close. A breathless chase took ce. "We''re going to get caught!" Esil turned and red at the centipedes following closely. Then, without hesitation, she threw her spear at the nearest centipede. Swish- The sand centipede wavered and dodged the attack. Thanks to that momentary hesitation, the distance definitely increased, but Esil''s spear flew away instead. "What about your weapon?" "It''s fine! It wille back!" Esil stretched out her hand and shouted. Her spear flew through the air like a boomerang and returned to her hand. She swung the spear around and confidently looked at Suho. "This spear is my horn. Ites back to me wherever I am." "Horn?" "It''s a demon''s horn. Some demons use their horns as weapons. The same goes for our Radiru n." "We''re good then." "What?" Esil shuddered. Suho looked at her and his eyes shed. "I''ll create the gap this time, so match my attacks well." Suho smiled and pulled out his twin swords. [Use ''Skill: de Storm''.] Swish! The twin swords swung and created a sandstorm. His goal was to block the centipedes'' eyesights. It was sessful, and the faces of the sand centipedes were covered in a thickyer of dust. "Now!" "Okay!" Esil threw her spear infused with magic at them. Boom! Her spear flew through the sandstorm and caused an explosion in the centipede''s body. "Khiiik!" The centipede hit by the attack was startled and shook its long body and hid again in the sand. "You keep hiding when you''re at a disadvantage!" The spear returned to Esil''s hand as she clenched her fist in anger. [Young Master.] Beru appeared in front of Suho. [Please run away over there.] Suho turned his gaze to the direction Beru pointed. Right there... "Pyramid?" Suho''s eyes widened. He didn''t know it because they were being chased by the sand centipede, but a huge pyramid actually existed from a distance like a picture. Suho muttered in disbelief. "Don''t tell me... Is it Earth?" [To be exact, it seems to be a field that exists on Earth.] He never thought the gate would be connected to Earth. This was a really unexpected situation. Looking now, he could see a faint blue mist mixed with the sandstorm. ''There seems to be something strange about it.'' But just like how entering a gate from Earth leads to a dungeon, it could be that this one leads to Earth since they moved through the gate from the Shadow Dungeon. Without hesitation, Suho turned Arachne toward the pyramid. They managed to approach the pyramid, squabbling with the sand centipede. Swoosh... "Huh?" Surprisingly, the chase with the centipedes suddenly stopped. "They''re not following us anymore! We''ve survived!" Esil cheered with joy. [Ehem.] Beru stood tall on top of Esil''s head with an arrogant look on his face. On the other hand, Suho tilted his head as he carefully watched the centipedes'' movements. They couldn''te near the pyramid and were just moving around. "Are they afraid of the pyramid? Why?" When he turned his gaze back to the pyramid, there was surprisingly a small vige formed around it. ''It looks like the real Earth.'' A strangeness appeared in Suho''s eyes. At first nce, the appearance of the vige was quite modern. Modern sign boards were attached to the old historic buildings. "Who are you?!" Just in time, the guards of the vige''s borders asked Suho as he approached the vige. "H-How did you get here?" "Did youe across that red desert?" "... What are they saying?" Suho had a puzzled look on his face. Language barrier. Arabic words were pouring out of the mouths of the guards, who were Egyptians. "They''re asking how we got here avoiding the sand centipedes." "Hmm?" Surprisingly, Esil understood Arabic and tranted. [Demons can understand andmunicate with human thoughts, not humannguage.] Come to think of it, it was strange that Esil, a demon, spoke Korean in the first ce. ''Anyway, this is more convenient.'' Suho came down from Arachne with Esil and talked to the guards. Rather than a conversation, it was mainly in a question-and-answer format to pass through the gateway. "Are you hunters?" >Yes. "What is the purpose of your visit here?" >Nothing. >Got here by chance after being chased by centipedes. "Then, how long will you stay? Food is scarce here." >We''ll just take a short break and return soon. ''Hmm.'' Suho, who had been answering each of the guards'' words through Esil''s interpretation, nced at them and read their mood. ''Looks like they''re interested in Arachne.'' Arachne was a huge spider that looked menacing. Surprisingly, their gaze toward Arachne was quite favorable. "Which one of you is the summoner of this spider?" "Is this spider a transport pet?" "It''s amazing that you thought of riding a spider across the red desert." "Can you let other people ride on your spider?" "Other hunters usuallye here by helicopter." A helicopter? Suho looked around with a puzzled expression. What was running into the minds of those who dare to ride a helicopter to this dangerousnd surrounded by giant centipedes? For what reason? Suho looked around again. All he could see was sand and only one pyramid. "Is it because of the pyramid?" In response to Suho''s question, the guards instead looked at Suho and Esil with curious expressions. "You guys really didn''t know anything." "...?" They felt like a fool. * * * The desert city of Kamura. This small town was originally a tourist spot that made a living for themunity with tourists who came to see the pyramid. But a month ago, Kamura''s hell began when the entire desert in this area became a field dungeon. Numerous tourists and residents in the city turned into Mist Burns and started attacking people, while those awakened as hunters fought against them. There were many deaths. Those who barely survived began to escape the field via helicopter. Because of the giant centipedes roaming around the vige, the only means of transportation was a helicopter. But then something strange happened. Using helicopters, outside hunters began to gather in the vige one by one. They had one goal. Pyramid. For some reason, the hunters began to thoroughly explore the pyramids as soon as they arrived in the city. They had a reason. "It''s because a shaman made a strange prophecy a month ago." "A prophecy?" Suho tilted his head at Esil''s trantion of the guard''s words. Esil told the contents of the prophecy with a somewhat awkward expression. "Sooner orter the life born of death will awaken from its seal." [Oh?] Beru''s eyes shed with interest at the prophecy. "... And its power will raise the dead." Suho and Beru looked at each other at the same time. That prophecy was very absurd and abstract but it sounded too intuitive to them. [Young Master, I guess that prophecy...] "Was it pertaining to me?" A life born of death? Doesn''t that sound like an explicit reference to Suho, the son of Sung Jinwoo, the Shadow Monarch? Even the recent removal of the seal of protection, or summoning the dead, isn''t it pertaining to the shadow fragment skill? However, it seemed that the prophecy had been interpreted in apletely different way by other people. Esil continued. "And, of course, when that prophecy came out, a dungeon break urred inside the pyramid." What a timing. In fact, words like ''life born from death'' were expressions that could be found in any myth of any country. Even in Egypt. Pyramids and pharaohs. The hobby of many rulers in history has always been immortality. However, the Egyptian Pharaohs went one step further from immortality, and even built a huge pyramid with countless ves, desiring even the world after death. "Because the timing was so precise, hunters flocked from all over to say that the prophecy seemed to be pointing here." Suho finally understood the situation and nodded. The existence of the pyramid has been a building that has been embracing mysteries for a long time. However, if people who did not know the power of the Shadow Monarch listened to the shaman''s prophecy, it could have been interpreted as a skill that gave eternal life, such as ''resurrection of life''. Runestones, which are sometimes found in dungeons, brought out a variety of skills. "But unexpectedly, something important was found inside." "What?" "Uhm. For a moment." Esil stared nkly at the guard who was talking to her. Then, the guard looked awkward for no reason and shrugged. "It''s not difficult to let you know, but they say there''s a condition instead." "Condition?" It was at that time when Suho was going to ask what the condition was but Esil had already grabbed the guard by the cor and lifted him up. "How dare you make a deal with me?" After a long absence, Esil returned as a lofty demon noble and red fiercely at the guard. Seeing those eyes, the guard''splexion turned white and he stammered out an answer. "T-The hunters finally found a hieroglyphic phrase deep inside the pyramid!" "Writings? What does it say?" "... Let there be light in the future of the challenger." It was something that had never existed in Egyptian history. Chapter 47 - 47

Chapter 47:

"Let there be light in the future of the challenger." -Great Spellcaster Kandiaru That was the phrase found by hunters. It was a record that had never been found in Egyptian history. Hunters were understandably outraged by the historic discovery. The number of people who risked visiting this small city of Kamaru increased. But Beru, who was silently listening to Esil''s words, made a strange expression. [Kandiaru?] "Why?" Suho looked at Beru. [It''s a known name.] Beru rubbed his chin with a genuinely interested expression. [Great Spellcaster Kandiaru. He is the architect who designed the level up system.] "Architect? Why would someone like that leave a writing inside the pyramid?" [I don''t know that much but isn''t that building considerably older?] "That''s right." [Kandiaru was a shaman of the Hwan Tribe who dreamed of eternal life.] Great Spellcaster Kandiaru. He was originally a shaman who aimed for transcendence and eternal life. And in the end, to achieve that purpose, he signed a contract with the ''Rulers'' and designed a level-up system. The existencepleted with that system was Suho''s father, Sung Jinwoo, the Shadow Monarch. "So, what is he up to now?" [His whereabouts are unknown after the War of the Outer Gods. Whether he really got eternal life or he died...] Beru stared at the pyramid in the distance with a meaningful look. [Perhaps there may be traces of Kandiaru in that pyramid.] Suho nodded. The content of the urgent quest is to remove the cause of the dimensional rift. If it was Kandiaru who created the level up system, it wouldn''t be difficult for him to create a dimensional rift. It felt like puzzle pieces were fitting in Suho''s head. He turned his gaze to the pyramid. "Let''s go right in." "Hey, wait!" As Suho and Esil tried to move toward the pyramid, the guards urgently called them. "...?" With the two ring piercingly, the guards stopped with awkward expressions. "I heard you have to be careful if you''re going to enter the pyramid right now." "Why?" After that, Suho looked at Esil as the conversation continued for a long time, and Esil quickly tranted. "To summarize, there is a guild that recently monopolized the Pyramid by force." "Guild?" Suho looked confused. * * * Scavenger Guild. It was one of thergest guilds in the United States founded by Thomas Andre, an S-ss hunter. He was a UFC Unlimited Weight Champion even before his awakening and was unrivaled in the ring. He defended his title until his retirement. After which, he suddenly awakened as an S-ss hunter, and now he has be one of the strongest hunters in the United States with no rivals outside the ring. As a guild established by such a person, the reputation of the Scavenger Guild was unmatched in the United States. Their symbol was strength. Under the guild leader''s theory that those with power win everything, they had a lot of notoriety. It was also a guild responsible for the safety of citizens by defeating so many demons. "Still, I don''t think all the Scavenger Guild members came. The numbers are quite few." Esil, the walking trantor, conveyed the words of the guards. It was only natural that the guards were concerned about Suho and Esil. Entering the pyramid monopolized by the Scavenger Guild meant that they would confront those people soon. However, Suho must go on a quest, and had no other options. Despite the guards'' dissuade, Suho and Esil entered the vige. They walked straight toward the pyramid. [Krrrk.] Swoosh. Meanwhile, Arachne hid in Suho''s shadows after the hard work it did. That was the only way it could be free from the vigers'' gazes. ''Hmm. The vige''s atmosphere...'' Suho crossed the street and looked around. Hunters with big and small energy were living throughout that ce. At first nce, it looks like an ordinary vige. But, their energy was enough to let Suho feel that all their nerves were focused on the pyramid. It was like they had the momentum to run towards the pyramid at any moment. But why can''t they do that? "... It''s them." Men with tough stance stood guard at the entrance to the pyramid. * * * The Scavenger Guild''s B-ss hunter Gerald was the head of the gatekeepers guarding the entrance. He had been in a bad mood ever since he had been brought there a few days ago. ''Did they bring people all the way to Egypt because of some kind of prophecy or superstition?'' What''s more is making him simply guard at the door under the scorching sun. Gerald''s already formidable face was further crumpled by the hot sunlight. "Who are those guys?" Seeing a man and woman slowly approaching the pyramid, he frowned even more. Gerald asked the subordinate next to him. "Huh? Didn''t you notify all the hunters in the vige?" "I did. Approaching the pyramid will be regarded as hostile to the Scavenger Guild members..." "Then what kind of shitheads are those guys? Do they think they have multiple lives?" There was a reason Gerald was intentionally talking loud to his subordinates. Most hunters have good hearing. This was a kind of warning or a threat to kill if Suho and Esil would continue to approach. His words reached Suho''s ears. Of course, he couldn''t understand the meaning because it was English. Esil didn''t even think of interpreting those words. "Are they stilling up?" Suho and Esil were going up the stairs of the pyramid one step at a time, and when they got closer... "Hey." As Gerald winked at his subordinates, the Scavenger Guild members rushed at Suho without any warning. "Get out of here, you bastards!" Swoosh! "Huh?" Looking at them, Suho tilted his head. ''This is how they attack?'' "Well, we couldn''t understand each other anyway." Suho smiled brightly and drew out his twin swords. Sometimes fists are a more effective way tomunicate than a hundred words. "de Storm." [Use ''Skill: de Storm''.] Swoosh! "Huh?!" There was a sudden sandstorm. As a result, the members of the Scavenger Guild who had already stepped on the outer wall of the inclined pyramid, stumbled down. * * * Meanwhile, a fierce battle was taking ce inside the pyramid. Because of the disintegration, the pyramid inside turned into abyrinth. There were other hunters who were exploring thebyrinth even before the Scavenger Guild arrived. Thetter were very coercive dealing with other hunters. "You guys have two options. Go out or die." "Crazy bastards! We came here first!" The hunters whom the Scavenger Guild confronted were enraged. ''Rio Xing'', a B-ss hunter from the Asura Guild in India, had been exploring thebyrinth for a week. However, the guys who came inter are trying to kick them out by force. There was no hunter who would quietly withdraw from a situation like that. "Everyone, get ready for battle!" The Asura Guild, like its name, was by no means easygoing. All of them had twin swords, and the red swordsing out of each of their weapons was like that of Asura in mythology. As soon as they were ready to fight, a terrible killing spree engulfed the area. The Scavenger Guild, who looked down on them because of their small number, became more serious. Rio Xing raised his twin swords and aimed at them. "I can''te this far and go back empty-handed. You better not take us too lightly." Rio Xing was a rising star in the Asura Guild. But due to the nature of India, a ss society, one could never rise to the top without a clear criminal record. In particr, this incident was of utmost interest within the Asura Guild. Rio Xing volunteered for this job to enhance his status. ''If I go back empty-handed, I''ll be kicked out of the guild.'' "W-What''s with these guys?" Randolph, who was leading the Scavenger Guild members, was a little taken aback by the response of the Asura Guild. Unlike the other hunters, they did not intend to back down. Sigh. "These are the ones who have to see blood." Randolph''s lips curled up into a wicked smile. "A murderer whomited a crime that took ce in a dungeon cannot be held guilty. Kill them all!" Swoosh! At that moment, the whole body of the Scavenger Guild members was wrapped in Giant''s Armor. If the Asura Guild''s avant-garde consisted of dealers, the scavenger guild''s avant-garde consisted of tankers. ''It didn''t feel good.'' For a moment, Rio Xing felt an instinctive sense of danger. The well-organized tankers'' sense of intimidation reminded him of a huge monster. A battle between spear and shield. However, in such a narrow space where it was difficult to wield a weapon, the shield was overwhelmingly advantageous. "Knock them all down!" Aaaaaaahh! The Scavenger Guild members rushed forward with their excellent defense. "Make space!" At Rio Xing''smand, the Asura Guild members mercilessly swung their twin swords and broke down the wall that was blocking them. Swish! A space was created. "Attack everyone!" sh! The spear and the shield- No, swords and shields shed. "Struggle!" Randolph crushed his opponent with overwhelming force. He was a little taken aback as the opponent struggled quite a bit, but the result didn''t change anyway. "Your petite des will never pierce our armor!" In the end, what determines the oue of the fight is overwhelming power! All the guild members that Randolph had brought were proud of their strength. g! "Ahhh!" The Asura Guild members were thrown helplessly by the brutal force. "Cut the seams of their armor!" Rio Xing''s n worked. No matter how hard the tanks were, they were not invincible, and there were definitely gaps that their armor couldn''t protect. However, the Scavenger Guild themselves knew better. They tried to press the opponent while filling the gap with each other. "Hahaha! Feel free toe at me!" Randolph shouted and ran like a truck throwing Rio''s body off. g! "Ackk...!" Rio Xing flew backwards and crashed into a wall. Blood gushed out of his mouth. ''Is this the end...!'' Right then. Grumble! The sound of a wall copsing could be heard in the distance. A man and woman quietly intervened in the fierce battle. "Huh?" Suho, who reached this point by destroying the walls of thebyrinth, met Rio Xing''s eyes. Then he looked away, and this time his eyes met Randolph''s. Suho silently nodded and turned around. "Well. Keep going." Chapter 48 - 48

Chapter 48:

"Where are you going?!" Randolph wouldn''t just leave him who was about to sneak past them. He had his men chase after Suho with a loud voice. "Keuhaaa!" The scavenger guild members rushed toward Suho like rhinos. [How dare they?] Twin wicks shed in Beru''s eyes. Meanwhile, Suho looked at them calmly as they rushed towards him. ''Are they really just tanks?'' The ones guarding the entrance were all tanks, so Suho thought it just happened to be that case, but it seemed like they were really all tanks. In general, raiders areposed of an appropriate number of dealers, tanks, and healers in a well-bnced manner. Although, it was not always that significant. For instance, if the tank had the attack power to rece the role of the dealer as it is now, there would be no particr problem. However. If the bnce was broken, there was bound to be a disadvantage. "Arise!" [Krrrk!] Swoosh! A giant shadow spider rose from Suho''s shadow. In ordance with Suho''s will, it began to move. Chwoo! ck spider webs were scattered throughout the narrowbyrinth. Sticky! "W-What''s this?!" The bodies of the Scavenger Guild members who were running vigorously, were stuck in the spider web and they slowed down. Suho and Esil moved. Swoosh! "Summoning hunter? A guy with some tricks!" Randolph sneered and put his entire energy into his whole body. It was only natural that heughed at Suho since the Scavenger Guild is known for their strength. ''Summoning hunters are the ones who just obsequiously hide behind their summoned beasts and follow them!'' The guild members'' confidence was enough to make them ignore the summoned beast and kill the hunter behind it instead. The spider''s web was ripped out by their overwhelming power. However, Arachne''s web is a type of skill made of magic. It can be spewed as much as the monster would want. And that web had a very annoying quality attached to it. [Arachne uses ''Skill: Puppet Show''.] "What?" One of the guild members who ran in the lead, tearing off the spider''s web, swung his forearm and knocked down a colleague next to him. Fuck! "Hey! Are you crazy?!" The one who had been hit by the fist and had a nosebleed, shouted. However, his leg suddenly bent at a strange angle. "What?" He tripped over another colleague passing by. g! "What are you doing?!" The Scavenger Guild members fell and rolled on the floor. Randolph''s face flushed red in that truly messy situation. "What the hell is happening?!" Bang! He stamped his feet and the floor cracked as if there was an earthquake. He''d rather get tricked by overwhelming force, than be tricked by such skills like that! "Stand up! Catch that bastard right now!" "Y-Yes!" The guild members got back to their senses at Randolph''s loud voice. They cautiously surrounded Suho. "I guess you forgot me?" Esil rushed towards them with her spear. Swish! "Oh!" It was not easy to dodge the javelin flying in a straight line in that narrow space. Esil''s weapon caused an explosion of magic. Even though they managed to avoid the attack, the wall behind them exploded and copsed on the other guild members. "Hehe." The spear returned to Esil''s hand before she knew it, and she threw the spear again towards them. In the meantime, Suho... ''I''m after their leader!'' Randolph''s eyebrows twitched as he watched Suho rush towards him. "Ha. You dare to go after me? Did I look that easy to you?" Randolph smirked and looked at Suho who was charging at him. Swoosh! Randolph''s attack, imbued with extreme magical power, aimed at Suho. Right then. ''Ruler''s Power!'' Suho stepped on the air and jumped up and went back behind Randolph as if he were performing aerial acrobatics. "Huh?" "Well then, we''ll pass by." Suho chuckles at Randolph and raises his hand with a grin. The smile enraged Randolph. "How dare this bastard!" ''He''s the type that easily gets provoked.'' In an instant, a strange light appeared in Suho''s eyes. Through his senses stats, he figured out that Randolph was an A-ss hunter. A level of strength he cannot dare to face with his own. However, if he had a simple ignorant personality like he appeared, there would be infinite ways to deal with him. ''First, teasing.'' With the Ruler''s Power, Suho lifted a brick that had fallen near him. He hit the back of Randolph''s head! "... What a brat." There was no way Randolph would be damaged by a brick that just slightly touched the back of his head (?). But the effect was very good. "I will kill that bastard myself." He ignored his subordinates and rushed towards Suho. Even with that terrifying aura, Suho only grinned. ''Now!'' [Arachne uses ''Skill: Puppet Show''.] At that moment... Boom! "... Huh?" The ceiling exploded above their heads. Then, through the gaping hole, a giant centipede appeared. "Kyaaaaah!" "Oh?!" "W-What?!" Everyone inside was horrified. [Poisoned-Tooth Sand Centipede] The grotesque and repulsive colossal monster that should have been in the red desert suddenly invaded the ce! "W-Why is that here?!" "How did ite close this way?!" Everyone''s eyes turned to Suho. Coincidentally, he is a summoning hunter. Most of all, he was the one who was able to summon the spider-like monster! "No way..." However, it was not the time to worry about that. "Kiiyaaaaaah!" "Ahhh! Run away!" The hunters were startled and scattered at the scream of the sand centipede, which tried to enter thebyrinth. Esil went to Suho and asked. "Suho, did you do it?" "What are you doing? Aren''t you running away?" "..." * * * Meanwhile, the vige is in an uproar. Sand centipedes suddenly attacked the vige. "T-These things got crazy all of a sudden!" The time hase atst. Sand centipedes, who had only been wandering around the vige so far, invaded the vige. But, the attention of those who they thought would attack the hunters in the vige was focused only on the pyramids. "The centipedes are flocking to the pyramids!" "Get out of the way!" "We are not their purpose!" The hunters quickly stepped back and cleared the way for the centipedes. Those were not the kind of monsters they could deal with in the first ce. The sand centipedes each clung to the pyramid and began to gnaw through the stone walls to get into it. "What the hell is going on..." The hunters couldn''t keep their mouths shut at that bizarre sight. "There really must be something in there." "No, more than that..." "The hunters in there must all be dead." Hunters who couldn''t even get into the pyramid because of the Scavenger Guild anyway were even pleased. They decided to watch it all for now. After the situation is over and all the scavenger guild members die, they would enter the pyramid afterwards. Kamura hunters'' eyes lit. * * * The sudden intrusion of sand centipedes made the situation a lot messier. Suho and Esil retreated in the opposite direction from the Scavenger Guild. They met other people eventually. Asura Guild. "Hmm?" "Oh." They met Rio Xing who then asked Suho. "My name is Rio Xing of the Asura Guild. Which guild do you belong to?" "What did he say?" Suho''s eyes looked at his interpreter, Esil. Esil sighed and answered Rio Xing instead. "Independent. We are from Korea." "Korea? I see. Now that the situation is like this, would you like to team up for a while?" Rio Xing tried to read Suho''s mood with a sharp gaze. ''He didn''t reveal his affiliation, but I''m sure he''s from a promising guild.'' Rio Xing watched all of Suho''s moves against Randolph. His quick judgment and fighting sense were never below him. Suho had no reason to reject Rio Xing''s offer. Since the sand centipede had appeared, it wasn''t a situation where humans would grapple with each other. "Well, let''s do it." Seeing Suho nod, Rio Xing let out a sigh of relief. ''Great. I had a lot of questions.'' Suho talked to Esil. "What happened here?" Rio Xing continued to move away from the sand centipede and answered Suho. "This pyramid wants us to prove ourselves." "Qualification?" Suho and Beru''s eyes lit up at the same time at the word they had heard many times. ''Hmm.'' Watching Suho''s expression, Rio Xing was impressed deep inside. It was natural to worry about your life first when you were told to prove your qualifications in a dungeon like that. A cataclysm suddenly urred two years ago. Since then, numerous scientists have questioned the said phenomenon, but no one has yet been able to uncover the mystery behind it. Fear of the unknown. However, Suho''s reaction was different from what wasmon. ''Smiling? This young man is genuinely enjoying this difficulty. He was born with the natural disposition of Asura.'' That''s what Rio Xing thought. "Is this right?" [It seems to be right.] What they remembered was the King''s Trial at Magok Field. The test to prove the king''s qualifications was taking ce right there as well. ''If this is a test.'' There was only one way to prove oneself. Go deep within. The problem was the hunters blocking their way. ''In the end, I''ll have to deal with the Scavenger Guild members first before I can move forward.'' Suho stared intently at the corner where the guild members ran away from the sand centipede. Perhaps that is the deepest part of thebyrinth. They would still be exploring there to prove their qualifications. "Suho, what are you thinking?" Esil asked Suho. "Do you think it will be difficult for us to deal with all of them alone?" "Yeah." Suho agreed. It seemed that it would be difficult with Arachne alone on their side. ''I think we''ll have a chance to win if we have more soldiers...'' But those soldiers had to be at least of Arachne''s lever or higher. Kiyaaaaaaah! "Ah, right." Just in time, Suho''s eyes twinkled as he heard the sand centipede''s screaming from afar. Maybe it was different in an open desert, but wouldn''t it be possible to deal with them one by one in that isted space? Chapter 49 - 49

Chapter 49:

"Are you perhaps... going to hunt that centipede?" Rio Xing''s eyes widened. Suho suddenly heard the scream of a sand centipede and smacked his lips. Anyone could feel the spirit of the hunter looking for prey from his expression. "Suho, are u really going?" "I think it would be possible if it was inside this ce." That was how the conversation between Esil and Suho went. Suho has already made up his mind. "Wait a minute! Dealing with centipedes is more dangerous than fighting the Scavenger Guild!" Rio Xing urgently stopped Suho. Hunter''s death alwayses from brazenness. He had seen a lot of hunters who have excellent qualities like Suho who died in vain while showing off. "How about this? After a few hours of rest, our healers will recover their mana. After which, join forces with us to deal with the Scavenger Guild." "I don''t have time for that." Suho firmly rejected his offer. He looked up at the ceiling where debris was falling. "We don''t know when the pyramid will suddenly copse." Suho suggested something to the Asura Guild. "You''d better escape now. Leave this ce to me." "That can''t be. I can''t go back empty-handed." Rio Xing followed Suho and got up. He stumbled. "Ack." The shock from Randolph earlier still had an effect on him. Seeing that, Beru clicked his tongue. [You are a weak worm. How could you kill a hunter?] Rio Xing''s face shed red. He couldn''t understand Beru''s words, but he could feel the meaning behind his gaze as if Beru was staring at something insignificant. To receive such stares from mere summoned beasts was a humiliation for him, who had been highly looked up to as a promising hunter. "You guys just stay here and rest. We''ll go first." "I''m ashamed." Rio Xing finally sat down on the floor and took a deep sigh. He was stubborn but eventually gave in. Not only himself, but all of the Asura Guild members were currently injured and were unable to move. Recalling Randolph, the culprit behind this incident, Rio gritted his teeth. ''Let''s see. This revenge must be... !'' He looked at Suho, burning with vengeance. "Can I ask you one favor?" "What?" "If you run into a Scavenger Guild member on the way, can you give him a shot?" "Two would be possible." "That''s good." Rio Xing put on a satisfied expression at Suho''s answer. Then he took out a ring from his pocket. "I''ll give you this." "...?" A strange light appeared in Suho''s eyes as he epted it. [Item: Ring of Horus] Difficulty to obtain: Grade B Type: essories Intellect Stat +10 -Effect ''Wisdom of Horus'': Increases mana recovery speed by 30% "It''s an artifact I got while moving around thisbyrinth, I don''t know if it''ll be useful." Rio Xing wasn''t able to check the information on the item, and didn''t seem to know how great the item he was handing over was. ''This item is exactly what I need right now.'' While fighting the sand centipedes, Suho desperately felt what hecked. Mana. Suho was able to gain strong power as a result of allocating all remaining stats into his strength stats, but as the importance of other skills has increased, he felt the need for intellect stats. The Ring of Horus was a great treasure that increased his intellect stat by a whopping 10. ''Besides, as the intellect stat goes up, the number of shadow soldiers also increases.'' In order to catch the sand centipede, increased offensive power was the answer. The opponents were hard to defeat just by simply increasing the number of shadow soldiers, but with the Ring of Horus, the odds would go up even more. "Thanks. I will use it well." Suho hurriedly took the ring from Rio Xing''s hand before he changed his mind. ''Status window!'' He immediately checked the status window. [Status Window] Name: Sung Suho Level: 26 upation: None Title: Wolf yer HP : 6,350/6,350 MP : 1,235/1,235 [Stats] Body Strength: 54 Muscle Strength: 35 Agility: 35 Intellect: 35 (+10) Senses: 35 (+5) (Divisive Ability Points: 0) ''Woah.'' Suho''s eyes widened. His mana power, which was 635, had risen to 1,235. That was at least twice as much. This would double the casting time of the Giant''s Armor. Moreover... [Number of shadows that can be released: 1/20] ''I think it''s really worth a try now.'' Suho shed a smile on his lips and immediately turned his gaze to the ce where he felt the presence of a sand centipede. "Let''s go right away." [I can feel the presence of other demons on the way.] Beru guided Suho by flicking his short antennae. From the point of view of having to increase the number of soldiers anyway, the more mage beasts they encountered on the way, the better. Suho parted ways with the Asura Guild and moved into thebyrinth. * * * Meanwhile, the Scavenger Guild members, who jumped into the depths of thebyrinth to avoid the sand centipede, were struggling. "Stop! Mummies are rising from the coffins again!" The demonic beasts that appeared were in the shape of mummies. At first, the guild members took the situation lightly as the mummies slowly approached. However, when they actually bumped into them, those mummies were by no means easy ones. Swoosh! "Randolph! No matter how many times I kill these guys, they rise again!" "Break their limbs so that they will never rise again!" "Yeah, but... Keugh!" "...!" Randolph was startled. One by one, his subordinates dealing with the mummies turned white and began to copse. "Poison?!" As he hit the mummy''s body, rotten poison seeped out from within the bandage. ''What happened?'' Randolph has experienced various monsters while working in Scavenger Guild, but this kind of monster was the first one. ''A monster that resurrects endlessly! These guys usually have a summoner behind them, right?'' Randolph had been looking for the summoner since a while ago, but he couldn''t find even a trace of him. "Look for him! We have to find the summoner somehow! If he controls these guys, he must be hiding somewhere around here!" Randolph was desperate. Right behind them, they could hear the sound of sand centipedes approaching close, and in front of them, mummies were surrounding them. "Healer! You still haven''t recovered your mana?!" "I''m sorry. If you wait a little longer..." "Useless!" Kwak! Seeing Randolph indignantly kicking the mummy in the stomach, the healers were horrified. Fretting won''t refill their exhausted mana quickly. "This won''t work! Ignore everything and rush forward unconditionally!" "Randolph! What about the poison?" "Just stop breathing and run, you bastards!" g! The bodies of the mummies bounced like bowling pins at Randolph''s unstoppable charge. "There is no time to waste on these little puppies! Run, no matter what!" Besides, those mummies would be eaten by the sand centipedes that followed. It would be perfect if the mummies'' poison killed the sand centipede as well. Scavenger Guild members started running with their teeth clenched to escape from the mummies surrounding them. * * * [Rotten Mummy] [Rotten Mummy] Suho and Esil, who jumped into thebyrinth, were also surrounded by countless mummies. Esil immediately figured out the problem while attacking the mummies with her spear. "Suho! They have no weaknesses! No matter how many times I kill them, they won''t die!" [Because they are already dead bodies in the first ce.] Beru, who was floating in the air watching the battle, smirked leisurely. "On top of that, they even excrete poison!" [That''s because they are rotten corpses.] Beru exining so casually looked so mean. He was flying back and forth among the mummies with an expression of great interest. [Young Master, these guys are not normal monsters.] "Then what?" [They are artificially created by someone with witchcraft.] "Incantation?" There was a name that came to his mind at the word witchcraft. The great spellcaster, Kandiaru. [There are not many people who can create monsters of this level. A soldier that doesn''t die even after getting killed. Doesn''t it look like he imitated the shadow soldiers?] Beru scratched his chin, remembering the architect who created the level-up system. [Kandiaru was a great spellcaster who dreamed of immortality. Perhaps this was hisboratory. However, it failed in the end, and it seems that he had unfinished business.] Suho nodded at Beru''s words and looked at the mummies. [Shadow release is possible on this target.] [Shadow release is possible on this target.] [Shadow release is possible on this target.] ... Those messages appeared as soon as Suho got close. The mummies existed as dead after all. Moreover, the power of the Shadow Monarch was to rule over the dead by controlling death. Suho smiled and reached out his hand toward the mummies flocking towards him. "Arise." A ck shadow began to move beneath the feet of the mummies who were walking. The shadows wrapped around their white bandage and dyed it ck. Swoosh! [Shadow release seeded.] [Shadow release seeded.] [Shadow release seeded.] ... The mummies were now wrapped in ck bandages. A new name tag was engraved on their head. [Shadow Mummy Lv.1] General ss "Woah." Seeing the scene, Esil''s face instantly showed a dejected expression. All of the battles she had fought so hard for up until now had be futile. Compatibility. Regardless of anything, everything was a matter ofpatibility. "Arise." Suho stretched out his hand as he slowly walked among the mummies that continued to attack him. [Shadow release seeded.] "Arise." [Shadow release seeded.] [Kiyaaaaaa!] The mummies d in ck bandages began screaming in awe at Suho, who had given them a new ''life''. As their number increased, their screams became like the hymns of a magnificent choir. Seeing that wonderful sight, Beru smiled sinisterly. [A life born from death... I really like that prophecy.] Chapter 50 - 50

Chapter 50:

The Scavenger Guild members were busy chasing after Randolph, who was ahead of them dealing with the mummies. "Kiyaaaah!" Fortunately, they learned some tricks to deal with mummies while watching Randolph. Randolph mercilessly pulled the limbs of the mummies that stood in his way with tremendous strength. "Don''t just break their legs, pull them out! Don''t let them walk again! Pull out their arms so they can''t even crawl!" Certainly that method worked. Where Ranrolf passed by like a storm, mummies with limbs removed were on the floor like insects. But even that didn''tst long. "Kiyaaaaaah!" "Ehh?! T-Their body parts are being connected again!" It was the bandages that kept the original shape of the mummies. Their bandages moved on their own, reattaching the fallen limbs and moving the bodies. Somehow though, that bought them time. "Keep running!" The guild members ran with all their might, but thebyrinth wasplicated. They got lost many times. Right then, the subordinates running behind Randolph found Suho approaching from afar. "Isn''t that the summoning hunter from earlier?" "Is that so?" "How dare hee in here?" Although they were struggling, all the trouble was to find the relics hidden in the pyramid. Randolph couldn''t let other hunters, other than Scavenger Guild, intervene with his important goal. "Great. Let''s catch him, throw him as bait for the mummies, and let''s go." They were about to move towards Suho with an ominous look on their faces. [Kiyaaaah!] [Khiiik!] "Damn." Suddenly, ck mummies appeared behind Suho. The guild members froze on the spot. "C-Crazy!" "What are those again?" Suho was dragging an army of ck mummies behind him. "Huh?" Just in time, Suho also found them. The Scavenger Guild members felt a visceral fear and turned away. "Shit! Run!" Seeing them start to run away without hesitation, Esil quickly threw her spear. Swish! The wall copsed, blocking their retreat pathway. In the end, they turned their heads to Suho with a bitter look in their eyes. "Whatever, we just need to kill that summoning hunter!" "Ignore the mummies and kill that bastard!" Swoosh! However, their momentum did notst long. [Kiyaaaaaah!] Even if the white mummies were regenerated, that wasn''t fast enough. The ck mummies'' regeneration speed was absurdly fast. [Kehehe. The effect of Young Master''s mana power rising is evident.] Beru was delighted and he cheered. "Kiyaaah!" "Ahhhh!" Screams were heard everywhere, and apletely different scenario unfolded. [Do not forget, Young Master. The fact that your true power is the immortal army.] Suho''s army overpowered them and continued to advance but he was never overconfident. ss A Hunter Randolph. Suho hasn''t been able to defeat anyone yet with this level of strength. ''I have to catch a Poisoned-Tooth Sand Centipede.'' Suho continued to move toward where the sand centipede''s roar came from afar. The moment he was waiting for came sooner than expected. Grumble! "Oh?!" Above the heads of the scavenger guild members who were running away, the ceiling copsed, revealing a sand centipede. "Kiyaaaaaaah!" "S-Save me...! Ahh!" The sand centipede swallowed a hunter whole in an instant and turned its attention to another prey. The poison dripping from its teeth choked the hunter. [Use ''Skill: de Storm''.] Swish! Suho hurriedly used de Storm to counter the acrid poison smog. Just by being near, his HP was decreasing in real time. ''They kindly visited me in person.'' Suho swung his twin swords. "Everyone, go!" With that, 19 ck mummies attacked the sand centipede at once. "Kyaaaah!" [Kiyaaaaah!] The sand centipede mercilessly bit and killed the ck mummies. However, the ck mummies continued to regenerate with the use of the bandages attaching the body parts no matter how much they were torn off. And even more like a demon, the mummies rushed towards the sand centipede. The poison leaking out of the sand centipede''s teeth seemed to do no damage at all to the poisonous ck mummies. On the contrary, the poison of the ck mummies couldn''t be handled by the sand centipedes. In the end, the fierce battle of the demons biting each other continued. "Arachne!" [Krrrk!] "Spread web so it doesn''t escape!" At Suho''smand, Arachne began to spew spider webs on the sand centipede''s body. "Esil! Keep checking so it doesn''t tear the web!" "How?" "Whatever way you think of!" Esil jumped forward. When she infused magic into her spear, it grew longer and longer. "Oh? This was possible?" Meanwhile, Suho quickly bought a mana potion from the store and put it in his mouth. Just then, Beru appeared and exined. [Among the demons, there are those who can be spiritualized like that. That''s why the demons in the factory can also possess humans, do you remember?] "Spiritualization?" [Yes. That spear is the demon''s horn, and if the demon can be spiritualized, that spear can also be spiritualized. If it gets transformed into a spiritual body, it will be easy to infuse magic to adjust its size.] "What about mine?" Suho raised his weapon, the ''Vulcan''s Horn''. After all that sword was also a demon''s horn? [Oh, that''s right.] A strange light appeared in Beru''s eyes. [In my memory, the demon named Vulcan was enormouslyrge. Of course, the horns were also veryrge.] "Why is this sword made of such arge horn so small?" [Its power must have beenpressed in the process of making the weapon and transforming it into like Esil''s spear.] Suho''s got an idea. [Item: Horn of Vulcan] Difficulty to obtain: ?? Type: Sword Attack +40 A sword crafted from the horns of the greedy demon Vulcan. Vulcan''s powers are imbued, dealing more damage. -Effect ''Destruction Desire'': Increases physical damage by [40%]. -Effect ''Demon Devourer'': The power of Vulcan bes stronger as it devours a demon''s soul. [Devoured Demon Soul: 10] Item information floated on Vulcan''s Horn. That sword was a weapon that became stronger as it absorbed demon''s soul. Esil, who was fighting fiercely right in front of him, was also a demon. A demon aristocrat with very noble blood! "Esil!" "Why?!" Esil answered without turning her head. "I have something on my mind right now, can you help me?" "I don''t know what it is, but I got it anyway!" "Is that a yes?" Suho''s lips went up at Esil''s confirmation. Then, he approached right next to Esil, who was fighting a sand centipede. "Can you be a spirit now?" "It is possible, but why?" Gasp! Esil was thrilled when she found Vulcan''s Horn in Suho''s hand. "Can you possess this for a second?" Suho said with a bright smile. "Hey...!" Esil, who was still fighting a breathless battle, had no time to argue with Suho''s sudden idea. "Is it possible?" "I-It''s possible, but... Oh, I don''t know! Spiritualization!" Less talk, more work. sh! At that moment, Esil''s body gradually became transparent and turned into a spirit. Just like when Gray possessed Suho''s body, Esil permeated into Vulcan''s Horn. Ring! [Vulcan''s Horn devours the demon''s soul.] Esil''s sharp voice echoed from within Vulcan''s Horn. -O-Okay? Now what? "Good! Can this sword grow like your spear?" -Of course! Oh, so that''s it! It was such an urgent moment that an exnation was time consuming, but Esil also realized something from Suho''s words. It reminded her of the moment when Suho first grew in size and fought against sand centipedes. The time when he fought with his bare fists because he had no weapons. -Are doing it now? You''ll need mana to do that! "For a moment!" Suho avoided the sand centipede''s attacks just in time. As he ordered the ck mummies to counterattack, he looked at Rakan''s Sword in his other hand. "Hey, did you see that? Can you do it, too?" -... Rakan''s Sword made no reply. "No? Aren''t you part of the Fang n like demon''s Horns?" Suho remembered clearly. Rakan was King of the Beasts he met in the realm of rest. The sword was a fang that was pulled from the huge wolf''s moth. It couldn''t have been this small in the first ce. -... It is possible. But,I have no right. Right then, an answer came elsewhere. [The King of Beasts, Fang Monarch, nods his head willingly.] This was because the owner of that fang was Rakan. ''Great.'' After all permission was granted, Suho felt no need to dy any longer. "Giant''s Armor." [Use ''Skill: Giant''s Armor''.] Swook! The armor wrapped around Suho''s body and his size doubled. "Now!" The two swords held in both hands of Suho grew in size at the same time. ''Vulcan''s Horn'' and ''Rakan''s Sword'' erged to a size that fits Suho''s hand, growing twice asrge. Suho crossed the twin swords and his eyes shed. ''It will be different from before.'' Without hesitation, Suho rushed towards the sand centipede and swung his twin swords. sh! "Khiiiik!" The merciless shing left numerous wounds on the sand centipede''s body. But, the monster was no joke either. Feeling threatened, the centipede swayed and tried to get out of the pyramid, shaking as if the pyramid would copse. Suho decided to use all his mana in an instant. "Gray! Blessing!" Gray''s spiritual body, which had been staying in the shadow dungeon, permeated Suho''s shadow. [The spiritual body of ''Pet: Gray'' is strengthened in the body of the pontifex.] Swoosh! Suho''s hair was bleached silver, and wild energy scattered through his body. [Use ''Skill: Grasnd Wind''.] [Movement speed temporarily increases by 30%.] [Attack speed temporarily increases by 30%.] Swoosh! Suho''s sword speed became incredibly fast and he attacked the centipede even more mercilessly. "Khiiiiiiik!!!" A scream erupted from the sand centipede''s mouth, and in the end... sh! Suho''s sword cut off his throat. [You have killed a Poisoned-Tooth Sand Centipede.] g! The gigantic monster finally copsed. Suho''s mana power ran out. [Your level increased!] [Your level increased!] [Your level increased!] Right then, his condition has returned to normal. "Clear." Swook! [''Blessing'' is canceled.] [''Pet: Gray''s spiritual body leaves the body of the pontifex.] [''Skill: Giant''s Armor'' is canceled.] Suho''s appearance became smaller and he returned to his original form. He looked at the corpse of the huge sand centipede that was hanging limp in front of him. Suho smirked and spoke without hesitation. "Arise." [To be continued...] Chapter 51 - 51

Chapter 51:

[Shadow release is possible on this target.] A ck shadow began to wriggle from the Poisoned-Tooth Sand Centipede''s corpse. [Tries to release shadow.] [Attempting to release...] Kihyaaaaa! In the shadows, the fangs of a giant centipede moved to reach out. However. Ring! A notification popped up with the sound of metal snapping. [Shadow release failed.] [You have two more chances left.] ''Failed?'' Suho gritted his teeth. ''Is it because I''mcking?'' The shadow fragment skill had a chance of failure. It was clearly stated in the skill window that the probability of release failure increases in proportion to the target''s ability level, and in fact, the poisonous sand centipede was far stronger than Suho. ''Honestly, I didn''t even kill it myself.'' In order to catch this one, Suho used all the means and methods he had. He was even more desperate. ''Two chances left...'' After taking a deep breath, Suho calmly attempted the second release. "Arise." Ring! [Shadow release failed.] [You have one more chance left.] "..." Suho gulped. Now onest time. Kihyaaaaa! The sand centipede was struggling to get out of the ck smoke with its countless legs even at that moment. ''Do you want toe out too?'' Suho''s eyes softened. ''Do it.'' ''Let''s defeat the enemies side by side.'' Suho solemnly stretched out his hand in front of the giant corpse. "Arise!" Krrrk! The sand centipede roared and stepped out of the ck smoke. That was just the beginning. Numerous legs came out to stand on the ground and raise its body. The ck smoke began to weave the unfinished body. [Shadow release seeded.] "Nice!" Suho was delighted. [?? Lv.1] Knight ss Soon, a huge sand centipede made of ck steam appeared in front of Suho. [Kiyaaaaaaah!] [...!] Esil had escaped from Vulcan''s Horns before she knew it. She trembled and took a step backward. Gray, who also just in time fell from Suho''s body, curled up and hid behind Esil. Suho recalled the memory of the battle and swallowed hard. ''Now, this monster is mine.'' Ring! [Names can be given to soldiers of knight ss or higher.] [The given name will be maintained until the shadow disappears.] [Please specify the soldier''s name.] Giving it a name was not the important thing at that moment. They still had a job to finish. [Shadow Centipede Lv.1] Knight ss "Let''s go." Suho roughly decided on the monster''s name and got on its back. "W-Wait...! Me, too!" "Hnnggg!" Esil hurriedly hugged Gray and jumped onto the shadow centipede following Suho. Suho smiles at that. He turned his gaze and red at the depths of thebyrinth. "Good. Should we go now?" * * * Meanwhile, Randolph continued to run through thebyrinth with a small group of men. "M-Mr. Randolph!" "No more mummies are following us...!" Chuck. Randolph stopped walking and looked at his men who were running out of stamina. "Tsk. Weak things." He kicked his tongue at his subordinates who fell behind. "Well, they''re strong guys anyway, so they''lle after me somehow. Let''s keep moving!" "Y-Yes!" Their speed slowed down. They were now moving carefully step by step. Randolph walked down the endless hallway, staring in all directions. "... Why did the mummies disappear?" "Maybe we are almost at the end?" "Hmm." A small smile crept across Randolph''s lips. They found writing in the pyramid. Let there be light in the future of the challenger. "Now, we are the only challengers left." He surely believed that the artifact will be theirs. "Search all over!" "Yep!" "There''s surely something." The Scavenger Guild was famous for having a strong body. Their strengths shined especially in rough terrains. "Endure the traps with your body! Just break and smash everything, find any clues!" No one dared to stand in their way. The walls copsed, and if they saw even the slightest suspicious object, they smashed it. They proceeded towards the end of thebyrinth little by little. At the end... "It''s a door!" A huge door appeared in front of them. "We found it!" "We''re here!" Joy spread across their faces. They opened the door without hesitation. "...!" "C-Crazy!" Their eyes opened wide. There was huge circr space. In the middle of it, a huge crocodile man was chained. ''He'' opened his eyes to look at the uninvited guests. Chills! "...!" They saw the vertically split eyes of the reptile and felt fear. He was the only one there. "Ha!" Randolph stered a cruel smile on his lips and had extreme energy in his whole body. "Found it! Boss Mob!" Armed with all his skills, he prepared. "Listen!" His subordinates flinched and looked at him. "Don''t be afraid, let''s alle together! Remember the prophecy! If we defeat him, all the wealth and glory will be hours!" They knew about it. The shaman''s prophecy. -Sooner orter, life born from death will awaken from its seal. And that power will raise the dead. Power that can defy even death! The prophecy that seemed absurd nted conviction in their hearts as they wandered thebyrinth. ''Those mummies! The power to raise the dead must lie dormant here!'' They knew that the power would surely be theirs the moment they caught that crocodile monster. Just like how it was in all the dungeons they''ve been through so far! "Alright, let''s go!" "If we fight all at once, we have a chance!" "I believe in you, Randolph...!" Swak! At that moment, the heads of the hunters who were running valiantly exploded. "W-What!" What attacked them was none other than the thick tail of the crocodile man. Although bound by chains, he arrogantly looked down at the ridiculous humans who attacked him like moths. "Krrrr..." White smoke flowed from his mouth and he shed a terrifying smile. In an instant, the heads of ten hunters were blown away. The Scavenger Guild tanks who were known for their robustness... "S-Save us..." The hunters who barely survived began to walk backwards with pale faces. Eventually, they turned around and started running to where they came from. "Oh no! S-Save...!" Swak! Another life was lost. Randolph... "That''s right! Mr. Randolph! If it''s Randolph...!" The surviving hunters urgently looked for Randolph and turned their attention towards him. However, he had already fallen out from the first attack and was pinned to the wall. "Ack..." Randolph gets up again after being covered in blood. His eyes were still burning hot. "T-This is fun. I finally met someone worth fighting against." He filled his mana again and charged forward. Swak! "...!" Something moved past him. Nothing was visible. "Aaaarrrghh!" Blood gushed out like a fountain. Randolph let out a scream, clutching his missing arm. "Hey, healer...!" Randolph frantically turned his head to find a healer, as he was already darkly defeated. ''I can''t win.'' It was an unmatched fight in the first ce. ''Insanely strong...!'' At that moment, what came to his mind was the guild leader of the Scavenger Guild. Only ''Goliath'', Thomas Andre, made his body tremble just by making eye contact. He suddenly felt that fear of facing an overwhelmingly strong man equal to Goliath. "R-Retreat..." He said with a trembling voice A terrifying roar escaped the mouth of the chained giant crocodile. "Grrrrr!" "ckkk!" The guild members began to flee with all their might. Right then. ck! The chains that bound the crocodile giant''s body broke off. Hell began. * * * "Hey!" Randolph ran away. It was the first time in his life he ran that hard. As a result, he was able to save his life. "Shit! Shit!" The problem was that Randolph was the only one who survived. He had lost all his men and he was muttering the same words incessantly, with an expression stained with fear and anger. "It is a monster. A monster, a monster!" He could never win. No, if it was a person who couldmunicate, he would have lied down and begged for help. He didn''t even know why such a strong demon beast was confined in that ce, tied to such a pitiful chain and couldn''t even move. His brain was a mess. ''What the hell is this ce?!'' Grumble! The walls of thebyrinth copsed and Suho appeared in front of Randolph. "Huh?" Through the hole in the wall, Suho recognized Randolph. All of Randolph''s suppressed anger burst out at Suho. "You...!" Randolph''s eyes were burning with rage and thoughts were creeping in at the same time. ''Okay, I''ll catch him and use him as bait when that baby crocodilees to catch me. Then, I could probably survive!'' Randolph jumped at Suho with a face full of joy. No matter how much he was injured, it was not hard to catch that summoning hunter. He was an A-ss tank of the Scavenger Guild! If his opponent wasn''t someone like the Boss Mob from earlier, he wouldn''t be defeated no matter who he fought! Grumble! A thunderous roar erupted from his body, and an explosive aura focused on his fists. It was so powerful that it could crush even one insignificant hunter to death like a worm. "This is all because of you! If it wasn''t for you, we would have pushed through with our n, step by step...!" Grumble! "An attack...?" The wall copsed, revealing the huge shadow Suho was riding on. "... Huh?" Suddenly, Randolph''s expression changed. ''What the hell happened?'' [Kiyaaaaaa!] Poisoned-Tooth Sand Centipede. It was the giant monster that took the lives of many hunters who came to Kamaru''s pyramid. ''This is nonsense...'' How could he do something like that with summoning magic? As an A-ss hunter, Randolph was also very familiar with summoning techniques. With such techniques, one could never summon a beast with the level of a boss mob like that. Otherwise, the summoner could have been eaten by the summoned beast. But now... "Damn..." A horrible demon from the Red Desert appeared in front of him. It was brought by Suho. Chapter 52 - 52

Chapter 52:

[Kiyaaaaaaa!] The shadow centipede bared its ferocious teeth at Randolph, who dared to kill his master. Krrrk! The huge monster charged and hit Randolph. "Ack!" He bounced off and crashed into the wall. It has happened countless times already. However, Randolph was still clinging on to the fact that Suho was just a summoning hunter. "How could you summon something like this! If I could just kill you, everything would be...!" g! He didn''t even get to finish his words. * * * Although he had killed Randolph, Suho had a rather serious expression. "Where did an A-ss hunter get such an injury?" Randolph was a very tough human being and he showed great power even in that state. The problem was that the being who made him that way was just out there. "What the hell is in there?" Esil also had a serious expression. "Something is wrong. If he had been alone, he would have escaped right away." Suho''s senses stats were also sending strong warnings as he got closer to the depths of thebyrinth. He himself also felt something strange. ''I don''t know why, but somehow it feels like it''s waiting for me.'' The same goes for the mummies that were just artificial beasts. ... As well as the prophecy. Most of all, he was very curious about what the great spellcaster Kandiaru, who was said to have designed the level-up system, was doing in this pyramid. The answers to all those questions will be right in there. Eventually, Suho arrived at the huge door. Looking up at the door, his eyes lit up. "Let''s go in." "Wait. Preparation time!" Esil called him urgently. Then she pointed to Vulcan''s Horn in his hand. "Can I go in right away?" "Do you want to go in now?" "Well, I guess?" Everything is hard the first time, easy the second time. Frightened, Esil quickly transformed into a spirit and possessed Suho''s sword. [Vulcan''s Horn devours the demon''s soul.] "He seems to be eating too much today, he might get anorexia." Suho, who roused his mind by talking nonsense for a while, finally opened the door. Squeak! A vision of a giant crocodile man came into his field of vision. [Death-Eating Crocodile Ammut] "Krrrk!" ''Ammut? I think it''s a name from Egyptian mythology.'' Suho remembered. Originally, Ammut was a monster simr to Cerberus in Greek mythology. Its appearance was often described as a crocodile head, a lion mane on the neck, a lion upper body, and a hippo lower body. But, that monster was just a muscr crocodile human. The moment Ammut spotted Suho, he immediately rushed at him. "Krrrk!" Thud! Thud! Thud! His gigantic steps shook the entire pyramid. "Everyone, attack!" The shadow soldiers, led by the shadow centipede, began attacking Ammut. [Krrrk!] [Kiyaaaaa!] The shadow centipede coiled around his massive body while the shadow spider wrapped his arms and legs in webs, blocking its movement. Meanwhile, the sight of the shadow mummies attacking him all at once was truly a masterpiece. The problem was that he was too strong. "Krrrk!" g! Ammut''s strong forearms grabbed the shadow centipede''s neck and smashed it to the ground. Then, with a most cruel smile, he mmed his fists into the torso of the shadow centipede lying on the floor. Bam! Truly an overwhelming power! -Suho! "Okay. We''ll attack, too." When Esil shouted, Suho also rushed towards him. [Use ''Skill: Giant''s Armor''.] Swook! "Krrrk?" Ammut''s eyes shed as Suho''s size suddenly doubled in front of him. His transformation did not end there. "Blessing!" [The spiritual body of ''Pet: Gray'' is strengthened in the body of the pontifex.] Swoosh! Suho''s hair was bleached silver, and a divine wind blew through his whole body. [Use ''Skill: Grasnd Wind''.] [Movement speed temporarily increases by 30%.] [Attack speed temporarily increases by 30%.] Swoosh! At an incredibly fast speed, Suho poured all his strength into Ammut. [Use ''Skill: de Storm''.] Swish! "Krrrk!" Ammutughed and threw his fist at the storm of des that swung at him. It was a simple punch, but its power was enough to tear the wind and threaten even Suho beyond. [Young Master! It''s dangerous!] Suho managed to dodge the attack by turning in the air with the Ruler''s Power. He turned his back and fiercely swung his twin swords at Ammut. sh! "Krrrk!" Ammut grabbed the head of the shadow centipede and swung it at Suho like a whip. Swoosh! [Kiyaaaaa...!] With that incredible whip, the huge centipede''s body shattered the marble floor and the walls. The shadow centipede screamed in pain. Suho narrowly avoided the ridiculous attack and continued to swing his sword aiming at Ammut. Right at that moment, Suho''s eyes shed. "Shadow centipede! Come back!" [Kiyaaaaa!] The body of the shadow centipede that was being swung from Ammut''s hand turned into ck smoke and scattered in the air. "Krrrk?!" Ammut, who suddenly became empty-handed, showed a puzzled expression for the first time. "Arise!" The shadow centipede came out of Suho''s shadow in an intact form wrapped around Ammut''s thick nape and bit it. [Kiyaaaa!] "Krrrrk!" It was a sh of giant monsters. But as seen earlier, the gap between the two was already clear. -All the shadow centipede can do is to buy time! Hearing Esil, Suho quickly analyzed the situation. ''His skin is so thick and strong. It''s not a kind of defense that the de can prate.'' To fight such an opponent, a blunt weapon was a lot better than a de. In other words, overwhelming power. Suho quickly checked his mana. ''I have to attack with a strong one.'' It would be nice if that one shot worked, but if it failed, he had to get out of that ce as soon as possible and adjust his power again. "Bang." Swoosh! [Use ''Skill: Strike''.] Ruler''s Power enveloped Suho''s first, and an armament that looked like a huge gauntlet appeared. "Ha!" Without hesitation, Suho thrust his fist down at Ammut, who was scrambling with the shadow centipede. Smash! "Krrrk?!" Blood gushed out of Ammut''s mouth as the attack was from Suho''s entire concentrated power. This was the first time he has dealt significant damage! "... Krrrk." A faint light returned to Ammut''s eyes, which had been stained red. Surprisingly, his mouth opened and words that Suho couldn''t understand came out. "... A rigid body technique?" "Huh?" "Ha ha ha! It has been so long! I''ve never been hit by a fist like this!" Suho couldn''t help but be embarrassed to see Ammut suddenly burst outughing. "W-What?" [Eh? Young Master, that guy...] -Was you talking about that person? Suho had no choice but to stop the attack for a moment, which baffled everyone who was engaged in an all-out war. At that moment... Swish. [You purchased ''Item: Lesser Mana Potion''.] ''I''ll quickly replenish mana first.'' Suho keeps an eye on the situation while drinking potions. Ammut really didn''t show any more will to attack Suho. Just like a child who found an interesting toy, he just stared at Suho''s fist that hit him with twinkling eyes. "Hey." Ammut calls Suho without hesitation. "Try that one more time." "W-What? The ''Strike''?" "Strike? Do you call it by that name?" Ammut was giggling even as he coughed up blood from his mouth. ''I don''t see the need to decline when he''s the one asking me to hit him.'' Suho nced at his own mana power first. In the past, he would have run out of mana after a single blow, but thanks to the ''Ring of Horus'' given to him by Rio Xing, he still had enough. [Use ''Skill: Strike''.] Fwoosh! Suho''s fist turned ck again. He raised his fist. "Wait. I want to watch it for a while." Ammut''s vertically split reptile eyes spun round and round, closely watching Suho''s fist. He then bursted intoughter again. "Hahaha! What? You can only do Spiritual Body Manifestation with your fist? Is that even enough to give half-punch?" "... What are you talking about?" And what ''Spiritual Body Manifestation''? Suho eventually lost the will to fight. Which hunter in the world would be treated like that by a boss mob he met in the dungeon. A message has arrived from the distant world of rest. [The King of Beasts, Fang Monarch, giggles as he observes the situation.] "Are youughing at me now?" [The King of Beasts, Fang Monarch, would like to inform you that he is the mentor who raised the Iron Body Monarch.] "Mentor who raised who?" [Ehhh?! What do you mean "what"?! The one who raised the Iron Body Monarch!] Unlike Suho, who was puzzled, Beru was shocked and made a fuss. "Seriously? So, they were people who knew Tarnak after all? I knew it." Hearing their conversation, Ammut smirked and grabbed the shadow centipede that kept biting his neck with both hands and threw it on the floor. [Kiyaaaah!] The shadow centipede regenerated itself and attacked Ammut, but Suho took the shadow centipede and asked. "Tarnak?" "King of Monstrous Humanoids, Tarnak. Iron Body Monarch." Ammut chuckled as he spat out the ck blood from the corner of his mouth. "I am the mentor who taught him Spiritual Body Manifestation." -I''ve heard of that before. Swook! Esil escaped from Vulcan''s Horn and continued. "The reason why the King of Monstrous Humanoids came to be called the Iron Body Monarch is because he uses a unique technique called Spiritual Body Manifestation." "Kehehe. That''s right, I am the one who passed it on. Tsk. But, what now? I heard he died?" Ammut sat down with his butt on the floor. At the same time, his eyes remained only in Suho''s enveloped fist as if possessed. Grin. "Yeah, that''s fine." Ammut said he had a good idea, looking at Suho. "Hey, you. I see some potential. Tarnak must be dead anyway, so why don''t you learn instead?" "...?" "I''m talking about the Spiritual Body Manifestation." "All of a sudden?" Right then, a message appeared in front of Suho. [''Daily Quest: Spiritual Body Manifestation Training'' has arrived.] Chapter 53 - 53

Chapter 53:

Humanoids. Goblins. The names that refer to them are indeed diverse. A mean dwarf goblin. A wild hunter orc. A vicious giant ogre. The world of Sura consisted of all kinds of magical monsters thatpeted with each other. It was a world of humanoids that has been around ever since. And... The lowest in the world... GOBLIN The weakest of the weakest that always had to fight fiercely to survive at the bottom of the pyramid, a gutter-like depth. The reason why the King of the Monstrous Humanoids was born from those weak goblins started with a very small whim. Cruel Crocodile Humanoid (Croco). Croco ''Ammut'', who reigned at the top of the ecosystem of humanoids, was interested in seeing a baby goblin he encountered by chance one day. "Hey, look at this rascal? I like the look in its eyes." "Krrrk!" The little one was a baby goblin who was born weak from birth. That''s why it was a poisonous species that survived by biting off the eyes and ears of its kind more viciously than anyone else. The baby goblin, who struggled to survive even after being covered in blood, was never discouraged even in front of Croco, the strongest humanoid. Even though its body was already trembling under the weight of fear, its eyes were staring at Ammut with the strong desire to eat him. That very look caused a small whim in Ammut''s heart. The smallest and weakest goblin tried to survive a fierce battle. What would happen if he would mentor that shitty fellow himself? How strong can it be? ''... This is going to be fun.'' Ammut eventually decided to take the baby goblin without killing it. "From now on, I will call you Tarnak." "Krrrk?" "I will train your wretched body to be like Croco''s. Hang in there as much as you can." Ammut picked up the trembling little goblin with one hand and took it to his habitat. He even gave him a name. From that day on... "Krrrk...!" Ammut raised Tarnak and he received training to be stronger. The training was so harsh that he almost died countless times, but Ammut never intended to let go of his new toy, Tarnak. ''If he dies, then that''s it.'' In the first ce, it was just an experiment that started with a small whim. Not starting with the idea of ??sess, Ammut pushed Tarnak mercilessly. Time had passed like that. Tarnak, who was forced in such an experimentation under the guise of training without knowing why, became stronger little by little. Finally... "Krrrk!" Born as a goblin, he single-handedly seeded in defeating an orc, a higher-level individual, for the first time. That day, Tarnak asked Ammut what the power he was learning was. "What is this?" Ammut also contemted the name for the first time that day. It was a technique that strengthened the goblin''s wretched body like Croco... "Spiritual Body Manifestation." Ammut made up the name on the spot with his characteristic cruel grin. "What you are learning is the Spiritual Body Manifestation." Spiritual body...! Tarnak remembered the name in his mind. Even after that, Tarnak continued to be tortured in the name of ''Spiritual Body Manifestation''. Gradually he became stronger¡ª strong enough to defeat Orcs, Trolls, and Ogres single-handedly. More time passed after that. Eventually, Tarnak became stronger than his mentor, Ammut. The monarch, who was the King of the Monstrous Humanoid at the time, was killed. Tarnak was chosen as the vessel of the King of the Monstrous Humanoid and as the ''Monarch of Iron Body''. Darkness dwelled in his body. For the war against the Rulers, he was a brilliant light thatsted for eons of time. * * * "... In the end, goblins were just goblins. They were bound to meet a stronger opponent and die. No matter how much he struggled, Tarnak was still one of thosemon humanoids." Ammut clicked his tongue self-deprecatingly, thinking of his disciple who died. At the same time, he looked at Suho, who had listened to his boring stories so far. Suho had be as small as a goblin. Just like when Tarnak was first discovered by Ammut. Sigh. Suddenly, the corner of Ammut''s twitched and his sharp teeth glistened. "Then, ''he'' appeared in front of me." "Who?" "The great spellcaster Kandiaru." Ammut remembered his first meeting with him. By the time the news of Tarnak''s death in the War of the Outer Gods reached Ammut, who was then living in seclusion, a shaman from the Hwan tribe appeared in front of him. He came up with an interesting proposal. -Tarnak''s mentor, Ammut, would you like to study Spiritual Body Manifestation with me? -W-What do you mean? -I will make the best ce to train Spiritual Body Manifestation with my magic and I''ll keep putting usable test subjects in it. How is it? Kandiaru''s proposal was quite interesting to Ammut. With the confidence in creating a strong monarch by himself, Ammut captured and trained several goblins, however, all results were unsessful. Unlike Tarnak, the other goblins could not stand the intense training and died soon after. It was a huge disappointment to Ammut. If it would continue to happen, he would eventuallye to the conclusion that Tarnak was unique, and that the Spiritual Body Manifestation technique he developed was not great. It was very embarrassing. Kandiaru dug more into that. -Wouldn''t you like to confirm it? If it was your Spiritual Body Manifestation technique that was special, or was it Tarnak? -You don''t have to deliberately provoke me like that. I like your suggestion, too. Even if I wanted to, the time I have is gradually running out. Ammut was dying at that time. Old age. Even the strongest humanoid Croco could not do anything with his given lifespan. However, Kandiaru smiled sinisterly as if there was no problem at all. -I''ll take care of that, too. With an insidious smile, he said something trivial about lifespan. -I''m currently researching about eternal life. In the end, Ammut took Kandiaru''s hand. He soon regretted that decision. sh! Ammut''s eyes turned red with anger. "Kandiaru sealed me in this damn tomb. Eternal life? Tsk. What a scam!" Ammut''s rage shook the pyramid. Of course, Kandiaru didn''t lie. As per their agreement, Ammut did not die in the end. He transcended lifespan and was able to live forever. However, it was only within the pyramid. [It seems that this crocodile has be the same as the mummies here.] Beru whispered into Suho''s ear. Ammut''s rage died down and he suddenly began to chuckle. "Ha ha ha! Right. The bandage wrapped around their decaying corpses is the pyramid to me!" [Has he gone crazy?] "You got it spot on! I''m already out of my mind! I became senile because my time of death was long past!" [Is that something to brag about?] "I remember the mission given to me clearly though! I was imprisoned here by a contract with Kandiaru to study Spiritual Body Manifestation forever, but I ended up fighting against the challengers who came to learn that very technique from me! Ha ha ha!" [Young Master.] Beru spoke to Suho. [Are you really trying to get training from that senile crocodile?] "What can I do? It''s a quest." Suho realized the meaning of the writing Kandiaru had engraved in the pyramid. ''Let there be light in the future of the challenger.'' -Great Spellcaster Kandiaru ''He said a challenger, so he meant to try it if one wanted to learn Spiritual Body Manifestation.'' It''s fun. Suho quietly shed a smile and looked at the message that appeared in front of him. [''Daily Quest: Spiritual Body Manifestation Training'' has arrived.] (Unchecked) Looking at the quest, it didn''t seem to be harmful to himself. ''Besides, since it''s a daily quest, it must mean that they would give me a reward every time I train.'' Either way, it''s a win-win situation for Suho. "Okay, I will learn that Spiritual Body Manifestation technique." Ammut smiled broadly at Suho''s words. "You made the right choice. I was going to kill you if you refused my offer, but you saved me a lot of trouble!" "..." Gasp. That was Esil, who was next to Suho. Esil, a demon noble, was facing Ammut''s energy more sensitively than Suho. Even though he was senile, the mighty energy that radiated from him as the strongest humanoid, was no joke. If he showed his will to live on a whim, they would end up like the Scavenger Guild members who were lying around miserably. Ammut jumped up and gave amand to Suho. "Ha ha ha! Alright! Let''s start training right away! From now on, your name is Tartar!" "My name is Sung Suho..." "Come on, Tartar! Let''s start training right away!" "No, it''s Sung Suho..." "My second disciple Tartar! From now on, I will strengthen your wretched body like Croco!" Ammut roared loudly, ignoring Suho''s answer. He seemed very happy to find someone he could use after a long time. "Khehehe. It would be better to make a firm resolution in the future because my training is very harsh and dangerous. So far, countless humanoids could not withstand my training and died." Gulp. Suho swallowed hard. [The King of Beasts, Fang Monarch, listens to Ammut.] Even the Fang Monarch, Rakan, showed interest. Spiritual Body Manifestation was such a great training that it raised a weak baby goblin into bing the King of the Monstrous Humanoids and the Monarch of Iron Body. "Tartar, from now on you will...!" "Check." Suho checked the message and Ammut exined the grueling training. "100 push-ups! 100 sit-ups! 100 squats! Run 10km! You do this every day!" "... Uhm?" Ring! The contents of the daily quest unfolded before Suho''s eyes. [Daily Quest: Spiritual Body Manifestation Training] 100 Push-ups: Iplete (0/100) 100 Sit-ups: Iplete (0/100) 100 Squats: Iplete (0/100) Run 10km: Iplete (0/10) ¡ùHowever, you must carry Ammut on your back. "However! You must carry me on your back. Ha ha ha!" "...!" Suho''s eyes widened at that nonsense. "Get started! Let me see how you hold out!" Swoosh! Ammut''s enormous body became more and more transparent and floated into the air. "Spiritualization?!" Esil recognized that and opened her mouth. A force then unfolded above Suho''s head. ...! "Keugh?!" Tremendous gravitational field pressed down on Suho''s entire body. He had to use all his strength to avoid being weighed down by that terrible weight. [Haha! That''s pretty good! If this is the case, I can add a little more weight!] Swook! "Ha ha ha...!" Ammut''s weight increased on top of Suho. Suho''s muscle fibers were torn, and blood vessels began to burst out. "S-Suho!" [Young Master...!] Esil and Beru quickly stepped back to avoid the gravitational field looking at Suho with worried expressions. [Haha! What are you doing?! Will you do push-ups only if you can no longer stand up?!] Hearing Ammut''s ridicule, Suho gritted his teeth and managed to lie down. When hey on his stomach, he felt as if his body would be crushed by the enormous gravitational field. "Ack! R-Ruler''s Power!" Swoosh! Suho barely used his invisible hand to support himself. ''This is why everyone else died!'' He began the push-ups of hell. [One! Two! Two! Two!] "Why are only counting up to two?!" [Wrong posture!] ''Is this a gym?'' Chapter 54 - 54

Chapter 54:

The Spiritual Body Manifestation training was hell itself. [Eleven! Twelve!] "Kheuugh!" Twitch. 20 push-ups and he tore his muscles. [Twenty five! Twenty-six!] "Keuk...!" Twitch! Drip! His tendon ruptured at count 30. [Thirty eight! Thirty nine...!] Quadruped! He broke his arm at 40. "Ouch...!" [Ha! You are weak! Is this all you got? Show your guts!] Ammut had no intention of looking after the circumstances. Rather, heughed loudly at Suho''s weakened body. Extreme Sparta. So far, there have been numerous disciples who have failed to withstand his training and have fallen out. However, this pyramid is a Spiritual Body Manifestation training center specially prepared for Ammut by the great spellcaster Kandiaru. [Training will continue even if a bone is broken!] As soon as Ammut finished speaking, white bandages flew from all sides and wrapped around Suho''s limbs. Swook! As his broken bones were forcibly put together, great pain ensued. [Alright! Can we continue training now? Sixty more left!] It seemed that the bandages were the same as the bandages wrapped around the mummies in there. The magical bandage, which wrapped the dead and decaying corpses, surprisingly allows broken limbs to move. However, the pain remained because the wounds were not properly treated. Rather, it was forcibly moving the broken arm, so more excruciating pain followed. "Kheuugh!" Seeing Suho pouring blood and sweat all over his body and clenching his teeth, Ammutughed viciously. [Why? Do you regret it now? It''s already toote. A strong poweres with a lot of pain! The path given to you is one of two. Enjoy the pain or die in the pain.] Suho had one more path. ''This is how it goes, right?'' Suho forced his lips to curl up and opened the shop window. Ring. [You purchased ''Item: Low-level Healing Potion''.] Swish. Suho snatched the healing potion with his telekinesis and poured it into his mouth. Gulp. The healing potion seeped into the rags wrapped around his body. His broken bones reattached, and his ruptured muscles and veins began to regenerate. [Huh?] Ammut''s eyes widened. Suho made eye contact with him with a confident look. "So, how many more do I have left now?" [...] Ammut suddenly recalled the number of disciples he had driven to death in order to create another guy like Tarnak. In the end, they all cried out in pain and died. This guy was something different. Maybe it''s different this time around? Ammut showed his teeth andughed grimly. [Kehehehe! You have a fun skill! With that, I can increase the intensity with peace of mind!] "No, wait." That''s not it! Dun! "Kheuuugh!" A heavy feeling of pressure weighed on Suho. [You have a long way to go! Let''s continue training!] After that, Suho had to repeat several times drinking potion whenever his arm broke before finally finishing the push-up. Then, the hellish sit-ups awaited him. [One! Twol! Two! Two! Nah! You don''t have a straight posture!] Oh, God. ''Was sit-ups such a dangerous exercise?'' At first, his abdomen hurt as if it was going to explode, but eventually his spine broke. "Kheugh!" ''It really hurts.'' It hurtes beyond words. Swook! Then, a bandage flew and wrapped Suho''s body. Again, he was forced to move, so it hurt even more. Suho opened the shop window, enduring the pain of fainting with superhuman mental strength. Swish. [You purchased ''Item: Low-level Healing Potion''.] He forcibly attached his broken spine with the healing potion and started exercising again. [Haha! Good, good!] Ammut seemed to like Suho very much, who could continue to train no matter how broken (?) he was. It was only after his back was broken twice more that the 100th count was over. Before Suho knew it, his whole body was wrapped in bandages. ''Ah.'' A sudden realization came. "Wait. Could it be that all the mummies here are like this?!" [Haha! You got it right! All the mummies in this pyramid are your ugly seniors who died first!] "I mean..." This gym is too much, really. [If you don''t want to be like them, don''t die and hold out until the end! Eventually, the light will surely be waiting for you! Squat this time! One! Two!] This time, the squat from hell tore Suho''s thigh muscles mercilessly. Twitch! When more pressure was added, both his legs were eventually broken at the same time. Another bandage flew and wrapped around Suho''s leg. "Shop..." Swish. [You purchased ''Item: Low-level Healing Potion''...] Suho was exercising with a healing potion in his mouth like an IV. Eventually... Ring! [The level of ''Skill: Endurance'' increased!] [Physical defense +40% ¡ú +60%] "..." ''Does this make sense?'' Just doing some bare-body exercises made him stronger. He didn''t specifically be stronger just because his skill level increased, however, his pain was alleviated. Considering that this hellish training was a daily quest, it would be a huge gain in the long run. He should definitely be happy, but why was he in tears? [Great! Running this time! Run at full speed!] "..." Running 10 km was not easy, of course. Even standing under a huge gravitational field was a struggle. The moment Suho''s leg rxed even just a little bit while running, his ankle got sprained. A tremendous pressure pressed down on his ankle, tearing the ligaments. Snap. Snap. Snap. The sound of the ligaments being torn one by one was terrifying. As expected, a bandage flew and wrapped around his ankle. ''These bandages are no joke!'' Suho really became like a mummy. His eyes shed. ''If I''m going to run anyway, wouldn''t it be better to run faster?'' ''So this hellish workout would be over soon!'' "Grey, blessing!" [The spiritual body of ''Pet: Gray'' is strengthened in the body of the pontifex.] Swoosh! Suho''s hair turned silver, and wild energy flew through his body. [Use ''Skill: Grasnd Wind''.] [Movement speed temporarily increases by 30%.] [Attack speed temporarily increases by 30%.] As Suho sped up, Ammut let out a satisfiedugh. [Good! This student has a lot of talent! Alright! Run with all your means and methods!] "Nonsense. What kind of training is that? It''s torture." Esil, who was watching all this from afar, could not keep her mouth shut. Beru''s reaction was different. [Kuhm. I missed this.] Beru was locked in his memories with a vague expression on his face. [Looking back, the Shadow Monarch once trained like that. Although, the difficulty level was a little different.] "Mr. Sung Jinwoo did that kind of training too? I see...!" Esil tried to remembered the old days. The days when she once followed Sung Jinwoo as a guide. Apparently at that time, Sung Jinwoo did light exercise from time to time. "... Hmm?" For a moment, Esil''s expression hardened. It was really light back then. Was it just a push-up, or was it just a sit-up? "...?" [...] Esil and Beru''s gazes intertwined in the air. Without a second thought, they silently nodded their heads. ''Mr. Sung Jinwoo had it easy.'' ''His Majesty...'' For the sake of Suho''s mental health, this should be kept a secret for the rest of his life. Nod. A silent contract was concluded between the two. * * * Ring! [You havepleted ''Daily Quest: Rigid Body Training''.] 100 Push-ups: Completed (100/100) 100 Sit-ups: Completed (100/100) 100 Squats: Completed (100/100) Run 10km: Completed (10/10) ¡ùHowever, you must carry Ammut on your back. "I-It''s over...!" Suho, whose whole body was wrapped in bandages, fell on the floor. Watching the scene nkly, Ammut murmured softly. [Oh, it really worked?] "What did you say, punk?" [No, hehe. I mean it''s supposed to work, but except for the Iron Body Monarch, there was no one who seeded. It''s true!] "..." Ammut was secretly avoiding Suho''s stinging eyes. Ring! A message arrived just in time, and Suho took his eyes off Ammut. [Thepletion reward has arrived.] [Do you want to check the reward?] ( Y / N ) [The following rewards are prepared.] Reward 1. State Recovery Reward 2. Ability Points +3 Reward 3. 1 Random Box It was a daily quest, so the reward was the same as when he caught 100 goblins. ''But, why does it feel so unfair?'' "ept all." Swoosh! First reward, status recovery. Suho''s condition was restored in an instant. As he jumped up with his lighter body, Ammut''s eyes shone with interest. [Whew. You''re a really strong guy. Very good.] Suho allocated all his ability points into his strength stat. In order to endure this daily quest in the future, strength was essential. ... And the long-awaited random box. Ring! [Obtained ''Item: Mummy''s Bandage''.] "Ah, shit...! Are you kidding me?!" Curses came out of his mouth on reflex. The effect of the bandage was excellent though, based on this experience. [Item: Mummy Bandage] Difficulty to obtain: ss C Type: Consumables A magical bandage made by Great Spellcaster Kandiaru. It helps force the body to move even in a dying state. (When sold to the shop, it will be added to the purchase list.) "..." Suho sold the bandage to the store without hesitation. Swish. [''Item: Mummy''s Bandage'' is added to the purchase list.] [From now on, you can purchase ''Item: Mummy''s Bandage'' from the shop.] The bandage itself did not have a wound healing effect, but the effect was very good when used with a potion. Most of all, it wasfortable and nice because the bandage was a magic bandage that automatically wraps. ''But, why do I feel so annoyed?'' When Suho came to his senses (?), Ammut released his spiritual form, returned to his original crocodile giant form then started talking. "Hehe. Good work. Today''s training ends here. Now try using that skill again." "Which one? Strike?" "Yeah. That clumsy version of Spiritual Body Manifestation technique." "...?" Suho tilted his head and allowed the Ruler''s Power to dwell in his fist. [Use ''Skill: Strike''.] Swoosh! The ck gauntlet wrapped around Suho''s fist crossed his elbow and covered his shoulder. Ring! [''Skill: Strike'' is upgraded to ''Skill: Spiritual Body Manifestation''.] Chapter 55 - 55

Chapter 55:

[Skill: Strike Lv.1] Active skill Requires 300 mana. Coats the body with the ''Ruler''s Power'' to amplify attack power. ¡ú [Skill: Spiritual Body Manifestation Lv.1] Active skill Requires 600 mana. Strengthens the body with the ''Ruler''s Power''. The attack and defense power of the strengthened area is amplified. "Oh." The skill has evolved. Suho turned his arms covered in ck energy and his eyes shone. Originally, ''Strike'' was a skill that only amplified attack power. However, instead of doubling the required mana, the attribute changed to be an overall enhancement as well as attack power. ''Besides, it''s only level 1 now. If I repeat this training every day from now on, my level might continue to rise.'' Perhaps the range of this ck armor gradually increases as the level goes up. Suho''s eyes suddenly looked at Ammut. It reminded him of the overwhelming presence that had taken over the entire space by transforming into a spiritual body earlier. "Kehehe. Yes, that''s right." Ammut grinned as he noticed the meaning behind Suho''s gaze. "If you master the technique, you will eventually be strong like me. Without any other skills, you can be the strongest with purely physical strength. Now, try hitting me with that power!" As Ammut spread his arms wide, Suho made a puzzled expression. "Tsk. Do you really want to get hit?" "Yes! Giving and receiving each other''s strength is the greeting method of Croco! Show me your power!" Ammut looked vulnerable. However, looking at the tough crocodile skin that covered his entire body, it seemed that he could endure everything in his power. "Don''t regret this." Suho resolutely raised his arms and aimed at the center of Ammut''s body. Grumble-! A huge aftershock raged at the overwhelming force. Ammut only took a step back. "Whew! What a nice fist." Ammut grinned as ck blood poured out of his mouth. "This should be enough to teach you from now on. You passed!" "Passed?" "Yeah. This means that I will officially ept you as a disciple. I can stop epting other challengers now." He stomped his foot. The floor shook and a huge magic circle began to spread out in all directions centered on his foot. Swoosh! [Young Master!] As the entire pyramid was covered with magic circles, Beru and Esil hurriedly ran to protect Suho. [Spellcast!] "The walls of this dimension are warping!" Esil, who had already crossed a dimensional wall once, knew very well what that feeling was. "Don''t make a fuss. I have no intention of harming you." Watching their reactions, Ammut chuckled. He muttered with eyes reminiscent of past memories. "A long time ago, Kandiaru came to me and said that he will help me to study Spiritual Body Manifestation to my heart''s content. He promised to endlessly replenish the number of challengers who will learn those techniques." But... Ammut''s mouth was torn open, sharp teeth shining. "A wicked shaman. From the beginning, the challenger shits were a joke." He came to realize. After all, this whole system... The Spiritual Body Manifestation... was only an arrangement for the small human being in front of him. Ammut smiled as he looked clearly into Suho''s eyes from the center of the magic circle and the pyramid that was swaying like it was about to copse. "Actually, I noticed the first time I saw you that you are the descendant of the Shadow Monarch. Wicked spellcaster! Making me mentor the son of the man who killed my first disciple, Tarnak." What Ammut was looking at now was not Suho''s appearance but the light of a great soul felt within him. ''... He must have known that I would have never been able to reject Suho if I saw him right in front of me.'' Alright. You guys won. ''I''ll dly be a fool.'' Even now, having realized that wicked ulterior motive, he had no choice but to let it go. he was just curious His own technique developed the lowly goblin Tarnak into a vessel for the King of Monstrous Humanoids. What if the same strongest power was taught to a human with a great soul? How far would he be able to transcend the ss ranks! ''Kehehehe. Just imagining it makes my heart flutter!'' Ammut chuckled and quietly recited the incantation Kandiaru had taught him. "Let there be light in the future of the challengers!" The space shook, and a system message appeared in front of Suho. Ring! [Recruit ''Ammut, the Death-Eating Crocodile'' as ??an NPC.] [Do you want to ept?] ( Y / N ) The message shed in Suho''s eyes. ''An NPC?'' It was a term that anyone who knew about the game could not understand. The system was always referring to Suho as the ''yer''. On the other hand, NPC (Non-yer Character) is a character who is not a yer. It was like a helper who stayed in one area and helped the smooth progress of the game. [Y-Young Master?] Beru was blinking from the side and it seemed that he also did not understand the current situation. He was just a fighter, and not the designer of the system. ''This is the system my father handed down.'' Suho recalled his father''s usual personality then looked at the message again. [Do you want to ept?] ( Y / N ) His father was asking if he was willing. It was a suggestion, not apulsion. He could feel his father''s concern in it. If he epted the challenge, he would continue to suffer like today. But, if he found it hard, he may opt not to ept it instead. ''My mother always said that I looked like my father.'' If he were his father... What choice would he have made at that moment? The answer was, of course, fixed. "Ammut." Suho happily epted the offer. "Good luck in the future." Ammut''s stern eyes narrowed like the crescent moon. "Come, disciple." Grumble! A huge earthquake urred in the desert. * * * "W-What was that?!" The Asura Guild members who were still in thebyrinth looked at Rio Xing. "Rio! There''s something weird!" "I think the pyramid is about to copse!" "The Scavenger Guild members must have dug through the walls so much that the foundation weakened!" Rio Xing gritted his teeth. He decided right there and then. "Let''s get out of here right now! This pyramid can''t be our tombs!" "What about the prophecy?" "The prophecy... This is just my guess, but maybe ''life born from death'' just refers to the mummies here?" "Ah, that could be true...!" The guild members nodded. Actually, it didn''t really make sense, but for now, they decided to convince themselves because their priority was to escape from the dangerous pyramid as quickly as possible. There were still other concerns. "Rio, will you really be okay? Just thinking about the kind of punishment you will get if you go back empty-handed like this..." "It''s better than dying. Besides, it''s not like I don''t have a lot of ie." Rio Xing hurriedly helped the injured and smiled meaningfully. "Today, we made a bad rtionship and a good connection." The former was, of course, the Scavenger Guild. "As soon as we return, I will formally protest today''s incident involving the Scavenger Guild. After that, it will move on to political battles between guilds, so it''s not a matter of our concern." Their guild didn''t have a legal representative even when they paid expensive money, but since all the hunters in that vige witnessed the atrocities of the Scavenger Guild, they would all take the side of the Asura Guild. It wouldn''t be easy for even a single Scavenger Guild member to ignore all the public opinion. "If we survive here, there would be countless ways to push the Scavenger Guild for a trial under the International Hunter Act. Even the guild leader won''t reprimand us for that much." That wasn''t the only thing Rio Xing was after. They made another connection today. Sung Suho. "Also, I did not give that precious item to that Korean hunter for no reason." Korean hunter Sung Suho. ''Looking at his extraordinary skills, he must be a member of a very famous guild in Korea.'' Egypt was a distant country that took 20 hours by ne from Korea. Such a great hunter has been on a business trip that far, but if he goes back empty-handed like them, it must be a very difficult situation for him. "I was considerate of that part." "... Ah!" The members of the Asura Guild opened their eyes wide after realizing what Rio Xing meant. Rio Xing smiled and nodded. "Yeah, that''s right. Every favores with a price. Now he owes a debt to our Asura Guild. Besides, we are colleagues with amon enemy, the Scavenger Guild." There was a word that neatly defined that connection. "Let''s just say, he''s a ''friend''. Hehe." Rio Xing''s eyes sparkle intensely with a meaningful smile. There was one fact that popped into the minds of the guild members. "Ah! Come to think of it, our guild leader showed interest in Korea before!" "Right. I put that into consideration as well. Now, when our guild goes to Korea, we can get Sung Suho''s help because we became friends." No one knew why the guild leader of the Asura Guild was interested in Korea, a small country in the East. Even if he was interested, it was difficult for a guild from another country to cross the border of another country without any justification under Hunter International Law. It was because the Hunter Guilds were a tremendous military organization. In particr, Korea and India have no rtion to each other. It would be more convenient to make connections in some other ways. "Wow. Rio, just how big of a picture are you painting?" "Pft. Not a big deal." Rio Xing shrugged as if it was nothing and helped the wounded man. "Let''s throw away our bummed out feelings and escape quickly." That was how they managed to escape from the pyramid. "... Goodness." Looking back, their faces turned white. A terrible sight was unfolding right in front of them. Crack! "T-This is crazy." "The pyramid...!" "It''s sinking!" A huge quicksand. The red sand of the desert swirled like a whirlpool, sucking in everything nearby. Pyramid of Kandiaru, which was built in the center, was sinking into the depths of the underground. "Run!" "We''ll get buried alive if we get caught up in it!" They became contemtive and started running away with all their might. Finally, they reached the nearby vige of Kamura. "Damn." There was nothing left behind them. The huge pyramid had sunk beneath the red sand without a trace. In front of a phenomenon that they couldn''t handle, all the hunters in Kamura were terrified. ''Will he be okay?'' Suddenly, Rio Xing was worried about Sung Suho. ''I''m sure he got out well. Hopefully?'' By all means, he should have. No, of course, he would. Fortunately, the speed at which the pyramid sank was not that fast. Even with their injured selves, they were safe. There was no way that a hunter with that level of power could not have escaped. However, Suho was nowhere to be seen in that vast desert. ''... I guess I have a reason to go to Korea.'' Even if he didn''t see Suho now, if he got out safely, he would definitely return to his home country. ''If I go to Koreater on, I would be able to check on Suho''s safety.'' Thinking so, Rio Xing nodded with a stern look on his face and looked back at his subordinates. "Let''s return to our country." Chapter 56 - 56

Chapter 56:

[Entering the Shadow Dungeon.] Swoosh! Into the ck and white world. A crack formed in the air of the Shadow Dungeon and split apart. Between the cracks in the twisted dimension, a huge pyramid appeared. Ring! Ring! Ring! [''Pyramid: SBM Training Center'' is assigned to the Shadow Dungeon.] [''Pyramid: SBM Training Center'' is automatically restored even if it is destroyed.] [''Ammut, the Death-Eating Crocodile'' is designated as the NPC in the Shadow Dungeon.] [''NPC: Ammut'' cannot go outside the SBM Training Center.] System messages appeared one after another in front of Suho. He looked around and saw that all the colors of the pyramids, except Ammut, had turned to ck and white. The messages continued. Ring! Ring! [You havepleted ''Urgent Quest: Dimensional Rift.] [Your level increased!] [Thepletion reward has arrived.] [Do you want to check the reward?] ( Y / N ) ''Questpleted?'' Suho''s eyes widened at the suddenpletion message. ''The content of the quest was to remove the cause of the dimensional rift, but I haven''t done anything yet. What exactly happened?'' [Ehh?] Beru and Esil looked around with puzzled expressions and approached Suho. [Young Master, it seems that the entire pyramid has been transferred to the Shadow Dungeon.] "I just felt it too. We just crossed the dimensional wall." Suho nodded. ''Is that what it''s like?'' It was this pyramid that was causing a dimensional rift in Earth. However, since the pyramid disappeared from Earth as it crossed over into the Shadow Dungeon, the cause of the dimensional rift naturally disappeared. While Suho nodded in agreement, Ammut was looking around at the ck-and-white walls and ceiling, stroking his chin. "Hmm. Interesting. That guy, Kandiaru. As expected, he is a shaman of the fantasy realm. I never thought I would be able to stay in the Shadow Monarch''s world." He was already as good as dead. It would be quite appropriate to stay in the world of death. In fact, whether the pyramid was in the desert or the world of the dead, he could not get out of it anyway. ''Because, this is my grave.'' It was at this time that a bitter expression appeared on Ammut''s face. "Well, this is great. It will be convenient toe for daily quests in the future." After reading all the messages, Suho nodded and looked back at Ammut. He smiled and greeted his mentor. "Now that it hase to this, please take good care of me from now on, Master." "Master?" "Oh? Didn''t you say I''m your disciple?" "Kehehehe. Aren''t you speaking too informally for me to be called your mentor?" "Ah, is that so? It''s kind of weird to speak honorifics to a crocodile. Instead of that, I will give you a present as a wee." "Woah. A gift?" Ammut''s eyes glimmered. Suho smiled meaningfully and nced at a message in front of him. [''Pyramid: SBM Training Center'' is automatically restored even if it is destroyed.] ''If it is automatically restored, does that mean it can be destroyed as much as I like?'' Suho suddenly gathered all his strength. Swoosh-! "Wait, what are you trying to do..." Ammut''s expression stiffened as he saw Suho''s body covered with tremendous power. [Y-Young Master?] "Suho! Are you perhaps...?" Even Beru and Esil were taken aback by Suho''s sudden action. "Esil,e in too." "What?!" Suho summoned Esil to Vulcan''s Horn and made it huge along with Rakan''s Sword. Then, he centered all his energy and directed it toward the wall blocking his path. [Use ''Skill: SBM.] [Use ''Skill: de Storm''.] Swish! Suho''s twin swords attacked nonstop. He broke the walls of thebyrinth continuously, and moved forward until they were able to see the outside of the pyramid. "Ah..." The open sky was then visible beyond it. Atst, Ammut could see the outside. White darkness. White night. Although it was a ck and white world, he saw the outside world that he had long forgotten about. It had been too long. Suho, who made this, smiled and greeted Ammut once again. "Wee to my world, Master." "...Heuk." "Huh? Are you crying?" "Who is crying, you cheeky disciple?" Ammut sniffed then smiled. It was a truly hideous smile. Swook. Suho smiled and returned to his original form. After checking the reward of the urgent quest, his facial expression changed. The reward of the quest was a little different from usual. [The following rewards are prepared.] Reward: ''Blessing: Great Spellcaster Kandiaru''s Protection'' [Blessing: Grand Spellcaster Kandiaru''s Protection] Great Spellcaster Kandiaru has a special gift for you. As long as Kandiaru''s blessings are with you, you will always be able to enjoy a strong and healthy life. "Let there be light in the future of the challenger." -Lasting effect ''Illness-Free Longevity'': You be immune to all diseases, toxic, hazardous and poisonous effects, and your regenerative ability increases enormously while sleeping. Swook. Sacred silver aura descended on Suho''s body. "... Illness-Free Longevity?" Immunity to all diseases and poisons, increasing regenerative ability while sleeping? That could really mean a long and healthy life. [Oh?] Beru felt Suho''s change and went to his side. His eyes shed sharply. [Pyramids, the tombs of pharaohs, contain the ancients'' aspirations for the afterlife. Life is painful, but hopefully there will be peace after death. The one who rules the world of death is the Shadow Monarch.] Beru, who had been with Sung Jinwoo for a long time and enjoyed various shows, was also knowledgeable about Western history. Although, his main interest was historical dramas. Suho became serious. "Oh, so this is my reward?" [Actually, I heard that His Majesty received the same blessing in the past.] "..." Seeing how Suho''s expression became cold, Beru giggled. [Kehehe. It''s been a while since I''vee back, but atst, the Young Master is following the path of His Majesty one step at a time. You are truly magnificent.] Beru was very excited. Suho believed he never followed the same path Sung Jinwoo walked. He seemed to have walked around much further a much more arduous road for the same results, but he has talent given to him by luck as soon as he was born. As the son of the Shadow Monarch, he was inscribing his qualifications into his soul and body one by one. When he reaches the end of the road, what kind of image will Suho grow into?... [...Just imagining it makes my heart swell. I just watched you... Huh? Where are you going?] "Where else? To bed! I haven''t slept for 24 hours!" He just went out for a mana re-measurement test, but he couldn''t rest for a moment because problems popped up consecutively. No matter how much he leveled up and his stamina got recharged, it was still natural that he would want to sleep, like a normal human. Also, he was blessed with the ability to receive enormous increase in regeneration while sleeping, so it was really good for him to sleep! [Exits from the Shadow Dungeon.] Swook! Suho left everyone behind and went back to the outside world. * * * While Suho was inside the pyramid, a big incident was taking ce in Korea. It was only yesterday that the Inte was taken over by the battle of the Beast King Crow that took ce in the middle of the city. After just one day, the mes had turned to another big news story. [Breaking News! Lee Minseong Risk!] [The Vice President of the Reaper Guild secretly created a stardustboratory!] [Who is Vice President Lee Minseong?] [Hunter Association, ss A hunter Lee Minseong was identified as a viin!] [ss A Viin Lee Minseong, Wanted!] Thanks to Suho, Vice President Lee Minseong''s stardust research center was discovered, so it was only natural that an arrest warrant be issued. Having secured evidence that the head of those evil deeds was Lee Minseong, the Hunter Association immediately began to act. "Tell the other guys who can move right away to gather!" Team leader Han Jaehyuk gathered all the association hunters that could be mobilized immediately. "You know, right? We must use all our strength to catch him as quickly as possible!" "Yes, Sir!" It was only natural that they were extremely nervous. Lee Minseong was an A-ss hunter, no, an A-ss viin. Theoretically, even two of the same A-ss hunters could suffice to overpower him, but that was only when there were no civilians nearby. The power of an A-ss hunter is literally superhuman itself. The moment his power ran wild in the middle of the city, all the citizens in the city could be his hostages. "Ask for support from the military base! Hurry up and evacuate the citizens and block the exits!" Even if the soldiers blocked the exits, there was no way that an A-ss hunter could not break through it. However, they could hold out long enough until the Hunter Association''s reinforcements arrived. In other words, their role was ultimately just a shield, but even so, they were responsible for the safety of citizens. That was the duty of a soldier. "Team Leader! His location has been confirmed!" An employee of the association managed to track Lee Minseong''s cell phone and locate him. "Good! Let''s go!" The Association Hunters were fully prepared and raided the location. But... "W-What?! Where did he go?!" He had already disappeared. Leaving only his cell phone behind. ''s.'' Team leader Han Jaehyuk shouted with a greatly embarrassed expression. "Find him! He wouldn''t have gone far yet! Secure all nearby CCTVs and ck boxes!" "Yes, Sir!" Things gotplicated. It was fortunate that Lee Minseong did not take citizens hostage, but the moment he took a quiet dive like this, his goal eventually came down to one thing. Escape abroad. ''The moment Lee Minseong crosses the border, we can never catch him!'' It was a vition of internationalw for the Hunter Association, a military group, to exercise its power in a foreign country. "Ban Lee Minseong from leaving the country right now, and freeze all his ounts!" * * * Meanwhile... The ce where Lee Minseong arrived was neither an airport nor a port, but a VIP room that he often used. "Oh my goodness. You suddenly became famous." "I''m not in the mood for a joke, Lady." Lee Minseong gritted his teeth and red at the woman. The splendid chandelier swayed as the A-ss hunter sighed deeply. It was a private room only for the wealthy. [Queen Bee] It was still too early to open the door, but the owner of the ce greeted Lee Minseong with an alluring smile as always. "Our Vice President, you must be busy, but what did youe here for? Should I hide you?" "Money." "What do you mean money?" As the madam tilted her head with an expression of iprehension, Lee Minseong''s face turned red with shame. "Lend me some money. I need money to spend abroad." "You have a lot more money than I do, right?" "My ount has been frozen. I have also been banned from leaving the country." This was what being a viin was all about. But even without a ne or boat, going abroad was no problem. "How will you go abroad if you are banned from leaving the country?" "I can swim and go." "Oh my goodness. You are still full of energy." "Do you want to die? I told you, I''m not in the mood for a joke right now." Thud! Minseong, who was already extremely agitated by the Lady''s light joke, immediately stretched out his arms and grabbed her neck tightly. He was ready to break her slender neck at any moment. He had no intention of letting a witness who saw him on the run live anyway, but he still had to be patient. ''I have to take the money and kill her.'' Even in that situation, he was making a harsh judgment. There was something he hadn''t noticed. How could the Lady keep on throwing jokes while her life is at stake because of an A-ss hunter? Even right at that moment she was strangled, she was still smiling "... Such a pity." "What?" "... Used to be useful though." While thedy suddenly made iprehensiblements, Minseong gritted his teeth. "What nonsense are you talking about?" Right then... Swook. ...! A sharp thing pierced his body. His mind became fuzzy. Stumble. ''What is this...'' Lee Minseong hurriedly stepped back, staggering. His vision is spinning. Thedy''s smile in front of him was shining even more enchantingly. "Wee, my worker bee." Chapter 57 - 57

Chapter 57:

In Gangnam, there are private spaces everywhere that only VIPs can use. Queen Bee. Queen Bee room salon was one of them. Among them, Queen Bee was a little special. It was for hunters only. In other words, it was a unique establishment that only epted customers that had awakened. Since the price range of liquor was so high, only upper-middle ss hunters with good ie visited there. The first time Vice President Lee Minseong discovered Queen Bee was only a few months ago. Before he knew it, he became a regr. ''... Since when was it?'' Even in the midst of confusion, Lee Minseong noticed that he was currently trapped in something like golden jelly. ''Sweet.'' A familiar taste on the tongue. It was honey. He soon realized what this familiar taste was. ''Royal Jelly.'' It has the scent of the high-quality liquor he used to enjoy in Queen Bee. A conversation he had with the Lady the other day shed through his mind. -Lady, what the hell is this drink? I looked it up somewhere else, but they didn''t sell it anywhere. -Whoops. It''s a trade secret. Although he had asked several times, the Lady always turned around with only a dubious smile. Normally, he would have forced her to let him know, but he let it go thinking the Lady was nothing to worry about going against him, an A-ss hunter. Now that he thought about it, he might have been hypnotized or something back then. Lee Minseong looked helplessly at the Lady through the sticky golden jelly. Lady was still smiling at him. Anger welled up in his head at that smile, but something was strange. As time passed, his anger gradually dissipated, and started moving into a void of emotion... ''What is this feeling? What the hell?!'' Lee Minseong gritted his teeth and tried to reject that emotional feeling. However, the Lady muttered as if she thought that even his appearance was cute. "There is no point in refusing. You''ve already consumed too much royal jelly, so stop..." Thedy''s slender hands touched her ne, which she had always worn around her neck. The green jewel embedded in the ne shone brilliantly. [Be faithful, my worker bee.] "...!" The moment when her whispers hit his brain, Lee Minseong''s eyes opened and he trembled. An unwilling response that he didn''t expect sprouted in his head. ''... You are my queen.'' * * * Once there was a Monarch. Queen of Insects, Monarch of gues, Querehsha. The dimension Querehsha was in was a world infested with hundreds of millions of poisonous insects. In that world, Querehsha was originally a bug. A bug that was the weakest and smallest among anyone else. She was a weak creature that should normally have been eaten by a bigger enemy or rotted away by the poison of a stronger poisonous insect. However, Querehsha survived in that terrible ce. She didn''t just run away and hide, but grew little by little by eating the corpses of insects that were bigger and stronger than herself. Absorbing the abilities of those bugs. umting that terrible poison in the body. Querehsha got stronger and stronger. When the poison umted in the body became stronger and more vicious than any other bug. Querehsha became the queen of that world. And... The queen bee ''Arsha'' was a resident of that world. ''... I was really shocked when the great and strong Querehsha died.'' The presence of the Ruler of one dimension is important. The world of bugs, a hotbed of fighting, existed as a solidmunity centered on Querehsha. However, the moment Querehsha died, the remaining bugs began to show their ambition to take the vacant ce. ''They don''t even know anything, how dare they...'' In that chaos, Arsha realized the fate she had to go through. Queen. Born as a queen bee, Arsha thought she was perfect as the next monarch. If there was anyone who could seed Querehsha, there was no doubt that she was the only one. However, the world that had already lost its Ruler was torn into pieces and scattered into dimensional rifts. It was very coincidental that Arsha, who was wandering through the cracks of that dimension, was able to reach Earth. ''No, it was destiny.'' As soon as Arsha arrived on Earth, she transformed herself as a human. More than anyone else, she naturally blended into Earth with a more human appearance. Unlike the monsters of another dimension who died trying to take over the earth by ignorant power, Arsha chose to adapt just like a bug. No, rather than adaptation, it was a parasitism. ''To think that I, the queen, would end up like this...'' Arsha felt ashamed. She had no worker bees. A queen bee without worker bees was like a nameless existence. In the dimension she was originally in, Arsha had numerous worker bees under hermand. However, among the many bees, she was the only one who escaped from the dimensional rift. ''I have to increase the number of my worker bees.'' If it were the other monsters who died trying to upy Earth, they would not have been able to withstand such a situation and acted hastily... because they were ignorant. ''Simply putting strength first will inevitably lead to death.'' Arsha was able to learn that painful lesson through Querehsha''s death. ''Even the strong and great Querehsha died because of it.'' The war of the monarchs seen from afar was a sh between gigantic and mighty beings. Arsha knew her ce. ''I, who couldn''t even be a monarch, and I, who didn''t even have worker bees, can''t make hasty moves.'' That kind of patience was Arsha''s true strength. As she persevered and persevered, Arsha prated deeply into the society of Korea and tried to understand human nature. ''It''s nothing special.'' Arsha realized that human society is not much different from bugs than she thought. ''This is also a world where the more vicious will win in the end.'' However, the power was not through ''poison'' but ''money''. It was for this reason that Arsha did not immediately turn Lee Minseong into a worker bee. In order to turn an A-ss hunter into a worker bee, she had to constantly poison him with royal jelly. ''It won''t be toote to use him for other purposes first and then turn him into a worker bee.'' If it was another human, she would have immediately reaped him as a worker bee, but Arsha''s patience made this choice possible. In fact, thanks to that choice, Lee Minseong brought more hunters to Room Salon Queenbee. His social position and fame were indeed useful. ''Especially when he brought stardust, I was really surprised.'' The moment Arsha saw the stardust, she realized the fact that the demons made it. Along with its use... ''Demons also sneaked into this world like me.'' However, the demons seemed to have adapted to that ce in a different way than she did. As a queen bee, she secretly hid and increased her number of worker bees. Demons made stardust from humans to amplify their powers. ''... This could be useful.'' What if humans who were strengthened with stardust turned into worker bees? Stronger soldiers will be born. However, the amplification effect of the existing stardust was too weak, so she waited again. May the demons improve the performance of stardust through more experiments. The person who distributed the stardust the most was Lee Minseong. An unfortunate conglomerate whose inferiorityplex exploded after his driver awakened to S-ss. Arsha clicked her tongue as she looked at Lee Minseong, who was being transformed into a worker bee while trapped in her royal jelly. "... It''s really worth it. I was looking forward to you bing S-ss someday." If so, Lee Minseong would be a more famous figure in the Korean hunter world. Then, behind him, her position of controlling him would also rise. More hunters. More power. More strength. In the end... "I would be able tomand a worker bee with the power of an S-ss hunter." Such results weren''t bad either. In fact, it was also the first time that she had been able to reap an A-ss worker bee. If an A-ss hunter suddenly goes missing, it would draw attention, so Lee Minseong has not been made into a worker bee until that time. "Argh..." Inside the golden royal jelly, Lee Minseong gritted his teeth with a painful expression. His eyes were shining golden. "kk...!" "Hmm?" What? A puzzled expression appeared on Arsha''s face. That was apletely different reaction from the worker bees she made so far. Was it because he was A-ss? Lee Minseong was forcibly moving his body in the royal jelly. "Are you refusing to mutate?" "Kheuuuuuuu! Aaah!" He was already insane. However, even in such a situation, his body moved instinctively. ''I-I... I am...'' As he gritted his teeth, a vein popped out on his neck. "... Lee Minseong!" Swoosh! Lee Minseong got out of Royal Jelly with all his might. His body was already in the process of bing a bug, but it was running out of control without listening to Queen Arsha''s orders. "Ahhh!" He was constantly hearing an order to obey the queen in his head, but he refused to follow the order while rolling on the floor in agony. ''H-How dare you give me orders...!'' Two pairs of wings spread out from his back as he stood up. Swish-! "Wait! Where are you going?!" Arsha looked at the back of Lee Minseong flying through the wall. * * * Ring! [You havepleted ''Daily Quest: SBM Training''.] 100 Push-ups: Completed (100/100) 100 Sit-ups: Completed (100/100) 100 Squats: Completed (100/100) Run 10km: Completed (10/10) ¡ùHowever, you must carry Ammut on your back. [Thepletion reward has arrived.] [Do you want to check the reward?] ( Y / N ) "Haaa... It was painful today." [Heheheuk! Young Master, you have suffered so much!... You will be strong as much as you''ve worked hard though, so today is a worthwhile day...] "Shut up." After going to Ammut for a daily quest, Suho copsed on the bed. Although he recovered instantly as a reward forpleting it, the mental aftereffects of finishing high-intensity exercise to the point of breaking bones and tearing muscles did not easily disappear. Bzzt! His cell phone continued to vibrate by his bedside as he was lying on the bed. "... What are you so noisy about?" Suho frowned and picked up his phone. An emergency disaster text message was shown on his cell phone. Emergency Disaster Message [Hunter Association] A-ss viin Lee Minseong appeared in Yeongdeungpo, Seoul. Evacuate and watch out for future attacks. "What?" Suho opened his eyes wide and got up. [Breaking News! ss A Viin Lee Minseong, Attacks Other Hunters!] [Appearance of A-ss viin attacking hunters!] "The situation where a wanted A-ss viin gives up on escaping and attacks other hunters is unprecedented in Korea. " ¨C Expert A The inte was on fire because of the sudden incident. Suho was surprised and was checking the articles, but suddenly his phone rang. -Hello, this is the Baekho Guild. You are Hunter Sung Suho, right? We were worried because you didn''t answer the phone. "What?" -Vice President Baek Miho is looking for you. Chapter 58 - 58

Chapter 58:

Suho was taken aback. ''If it''s Baek Miho... Did we meet in Magok?'' After returning from Magok Field, he searched Hunter Net for a hunter named Baek Miho. Baek Miho. She was an A-ss Hunter, the Vice President of the Baekho Guild and was quite a famous Hunter in Korea. The reason why Baek Miho became famous is that she is the daughter of the President of Baekho Guild, a guild that represents Korea, but her birth yed a bigger role. Her father was Baek Yunho. Who is Baek Yunho? The guild leader of the Baekho Guild, Korea''s representative S-ss hunter who possesses Beast Transformation skill with a higher effect than just simply beast transformation. Possessing a very powerful rare skill, Baek Yunho only had few hunters in the world who could match him in hand-to-handbat. In particr, his ''Magic Eye'' was a very valuable skill that was used to urately grasp the opponent''s strength or to select good subordinates. Of course, if it ended there, he would have be an ordinary (?) famous S-ss hunter. The reason why Baek Yunho was especially respected among S-ss hunters was that he left the Reaper Guild he was originally in and created a new guild to spread his own convictions. Baek Yunho started walking thepletely opposite path from the Reaper Guild, which was only interested in making money and increasing its power. Calling all the hunters with Beast Transformation skills in Korea, he took the step as a beast hunter by attacking even the low-cost dungeons one by one. ''If you are a hunter, then you should hunt the demons like a hunter!'' Baek Yunho''s actions have garnered the respect and recognition of countless hunters. His daughter Baek Miho is the proud sessor of the Baekho Guild, who has fully inherited her father''s talent and charisma. She was not just a gold spoon with her father''s authority on her back, but she was proudly proving her skills and receiving recognition from the members of the Baekho Guild. ''... A person like that is looking for me?'' Suho honestly felt it. While getting Rakan''s Sword from Magok Field, their eyes met. ''I mean, more informationes in through smell than I thought.'' What he learned while reinforcing the power of the Beast King several times into his body was that using the Beast Transformation skill would make his senses more sensitive than he could have imagined. Maybe Baek Miho noticed something when he smelled his body. At that time, his clothes were covered with Arachne''s blood. ''Besides, he even got a strange nickname like Beast King Crow.'' Suho, who felt weird for no reason, swallowed hard and answered the phone with the staff of the Baekho Guild. "Why is Baek Miho looking for me?" * * * Baekho [White Tiger] Guild. Suho entered the building of the Baekho Guild. ''Did I do something...'' Besides Suho, numerous C-ss hunters were gathered. Most of them, like Suho, were frence hunters who did not belong to any guild. The reason why the Baekho Guild suddenly gathered them was because of A-ss viin Lee Minseong. "I heard that the Vice President of the Reaper Guild is hunting hunters right now?" "Right. He''s totally insane." "Ah, if I were exposed as a viin, I would leave Korea immediately. Why is he hurting other hunter?!" Suho listened to the conversation of the hunters next to him and looked around calmly. He had only been a C-ss hunter for two days, so there was not a single face he knew among all those people. [An A-ss hunter became a hunter-hunter. He''s a guy with nothing to do.] He was also the Vice President of arge guild called the Reaper Guild. "What could be the reason?" Now named as an A-ss viin, Lee Minseong was supposed to be detained as soon as he got caught. However, as his crime became more serious with the recent incident, they would no longer settle in detaining him but rather, kill him as soon as he got caught. It was difficult to understand why he would give up on running away andmit such nonsense instead. Beru saw the news about Lee Minseong on the phone screen that Suho was looking at. At the time of the raid, the appearance of Lee Minseong caught on CCTV looked strange. [Ehh?] There was something like wings attached to his back as he moved quickly. Beru''s reaction made Suho look at him. "Why? Is he your friend?" [Kieek! I''m of the same kind as such an insignificant bastard! I''m sorry!] "Does he have wings simr to yours?" [Those are not the wings of an ant.] "Then?" [Hmm?] Beru looked closely at Lee Minseong in the low-quality CCTV video and continued. [It''s not urate, but it looks like a flying insect that uses a poisonous needle.] "Probably your cousins. Bugs or bees." [Ehhh?!] Suddenly, the noise of the hunters subsided. ''Hmm?'' Suho raised his head and looked at Baek Miho who had juste up to the podium. "Thank you for responding to my sudden invitation. My name is Baek Miho." She skipped the cumbersome greeting and went straight to the point because the matter was urgent. "As everyone knows from reading the article, A-ss viins are hunting hunters." The hunters looked at each other''s faces. "Especially, the damage to hunters who are not part of their guild is severe." The reason was obvious. Most of the hunters belonging to the same guild would gather together with a minimum number of 10, 20 or more. Even an A-ss hunter would not have been able to attack recklessly if that many hunters were gathered. However, C-ss hunters were the most easy prey as they were active in the minority. ''B-ss and above mostly receive guild recruitment opportunities, while D-ss and E-ss people are mainly grouped as miners or collectors, running as service workers.'' In the end, the most ambiguous positions were the C-ss frencers gathered right there. "So you''re saying you''re worried about us and you''re going to ept us into Baekho Guild?" "Wow, that would be great. Is that true?" Hunters murmured with expectant faces. Meanwhile, Suho frowned slightly. ''That''s a bit difficult.'' If he would enter the guild, there would be people who would look at him strangely as he level up and be stronger. Most of all... [Young Master, I am against it.] Beru put his face in front of Suho. [The sight of the son of His Majesty being under someone''s control shamefully makes my eyes water...!y] "Oh, be quiet." [Kuuuuup!] Suho shut Beru''s mouth and forced him into his shadow. The murmurs of the C-ss hunters died down again with Baek Miho''s words. "I''m sorry if I couldn''t meet your expectations, but as you know, our guild only recruits hunters with the Beast Transformation skill as members." "What? Then why did you call us?" Someone''s small murmur was captured by Baek Miho''s superhuman hearing. Baek Miho said with a little bitter smile. "You are at risk right now. So, for the time being until Lee Minseong is caught, we will try to protect you." ''What?'' Suho was surprised. Other people''s reactions were the same. "Wow, you''re protecting us?" "Do you mean to go hunting together?" "Woah. As expected of Baekho Guild." A reaction that would never havee out if it had been another guild. If this was a ce other than the Baekho Guild, such as the Reaper Guild, they would have apletely different reaction. However, what the Baekho Guild has shown so far was enough to buy the hunters'' trust. In addition, if Baekho Guild members with Beast Transformation skills are together, it means that if Lee Minseong is nearby, they can immediately recognize him with their excellent sense of smell or hearing. "Then... if you are going into the dungeon with us, how is the distribution of ie going to be?" Someone raised his hand and asked. Another member of the Baekho Guild red at him with a disapproving expression. The C-ss hunter flinched at those res and hurriedly lowered his head. However, Baek Miho smiled bitterly again, stopped his guild members, and answered the hunter''s question. "Of course, profit will be divided ording to the market price. We won''t be asking for a protection fee or anything." Ohhh! Once again, exmation burst out of the mouths of the C-ss hunters. "It''s really great. Doesn''t it seem like we''re free loading?" "Hey, not to that extent. We are still C-ss, we''re not supposed to just watch and follow around." "It''s really nice to have an affiliation for the time being. Frencers are all good, but gathering members is always a headache." "I know. If I get tangled up with a weirdo, I''d rather just leave or get kicked out." "By the way, did the Baekho Guild have that many people? How are they going to follow this many people one by one?" Baek Miho heard that and responded to the hunter''s words. "Right. So, I would like to ask you to organize a team for the time being here. In that team, two hunters from our guild''s B-ss or higher will be put in." Ohhh. That was really awesome. Two B-ss hunters were definitely a tremendous force. Even if Lee Minseong is an A-ss viin, a team of C-ss hunters that included two B-ss hunters would be enough. Victory wasn''t guaranteed, but at least a counterattack or escape was possible! ''I can at least save myself though?'' ''Do I need to be grouped with them?'' As soon as Baek Miho finished speaking, the hunters began to look at the other hunters standing next to them. "Hey, Mr. Kim! Should we group together?" "Sure. You are quite trustworthy!" Most of them were experienced frencers, so they knew better than anyone how important team members were. In addition, even if they were the same C-ss, their levels still differed greatly depending on their skills. Some have good skills. Some have bad personalities. Some people have bad skills and personalities... In the blink of an eye, the hunters gathered in twos and threes to form their own teams. "Uhh...?" Suho was left alone among the people who started to move around in an instant. Even him, who easily countered the attacks of the incredibly powerful Ammut and Sand Centipede with Poisonous Teeth, could not do anything this time. "By the way, have you ever seen that hunter before? Does anyone know him?" "Are you a newbie?" Suho did not feel any pressure from his enemies, but he couldn''t help but feel the pressure from the gazes pouring on him. [Young Master... among the quests you''ve been through so far, this seems to be the most difficult.] Chapter 59 - 59

Chapter 59:

Beru got out from Suho''s shadow and spoke to him. The hunters clicked their tongues at the same time and turned their heads away from Suho. "What? You''re a summoning hunter?" "He''s a summoning hunter." "Summoning hunter..." "...?" Suho felt like he was dumped without even confessing. Unaware of Suho''s thoughts, Beru flew and patted Suho on the shoulder. [It''s okay. You have me, Young Master.] "It''s because of you." Suho had many otherbat skills besides summoning. However, because of Beru''s appearance, his first impression was taken as a summoning hunter, and other hunters'' favorability towards him fell to the floor. Regardless if one is a C-ss hunter, summoning skill was still non-mainstream among everyone. Suho sighed quietly and looked back at the other hunters. Theypletely avoided Suho''s gaze. "He looks like a newbie and on top of that he''s a summoning hunter'' ''His summoned thing also looks very weak.'' ''If he joins a team, wouldn''t he just get free money while not contributing anything?'' They tried their best not to make eye contact with Suho, fearing that he would ask them to join as a team member. Those who were shunned by other hunters as well were gathered in one ce. Most of them were newbies with unproven careers, or those who were well known in the hunter industry for not being able to do their part because their skills were poor. Seeing that only such people were unable to join a team and stood hesitantly, the members of the Baekho Guild, nced at Baek Miho and asked. "Vice President, what should we do?" It was a really difficult situation. They were concerned about the bacsh that could happen if they forced those alienated hunters in other teams. Since clearing a dungeon is a life-and-death matter, they can''t force others to ept a hunter they don''t like as apanion. "Hmm." Baek Miho thought for a moment before speaking. "Let the rest of them be in one team." "What? That''s too risky..." "Instead, let''s include 3 B-ss hunters in that team." "Ah! That should work. We just need to keep it that way until the viin is caught anyway..." The guild members nodded at Baek Miho''s decision. Them, gathering C-ss frencers, was not just for the purpose of protection. The situation where they don''t know when and where A-ss viins will appear was a very dangerous situation not only for hunters but also for the locals. On top of that, they were in the center of Seoul. ''If the viin is hunting hunters anyway, the most efficient way is to wait next to the prey.'' In fact, even the C-ss hunters gathered there were at least convinced that they were decoys. However, it was safer to be a bait that could still be protected in the event of an attack. Also... "I''d rather have a viin appear on our side." "What? Are you crazy?" "Why? With this much power, we can run away even if they show up anyway, and we can get a reward even if we just tell the association the location of the viin." "You... You''ve never met an A-ss hunter, have you? Do you think it would be possible for a C-ss like us to safely escape from an A-ss?" "No, but with two B-ss hunters..." "It''s still best not to encounter an A-ss hunter no matter what." The hunters, each of whom had a team, were talking. Meanwhile, Suho failed to form a team until the Baekho Guild members brought the unchosen hunters together. [Heheheuk! To think that Young Master was subjected to such humiliating treatment, you would definitely be angry!] "It''s all because of you." Beru teases in a very loyal way. Suho decided to be protected by the Baekho Guild. ''I wondered what the other hunters were like, but this is still great.'' Looking back, it has only been less than a month since Suho awakened. In that short period of time, a lot of things happened, and he even met two traces of dead monarchs. The King of Beasts, Fang Monarch, Rakan. The King of Monstrous Humanoids, Iron Body Monarch, Tarnak. It was clear that the path he was walking was different from other normal hunters, so he was more curious. How different is he now from other hunters? Suho''s eyes, looking at the other hunters, squinted. * * * The Baekho Guild was kind enough to open up pre-emptive dungeons in the guild to C-ss hunters. Since the Baekho guild members would attack together anyway, the profits would be distributed. Although, it would still be a pretty big loss. ''Baekho Guild has a high reputation for a reason, a truly noblesse oblige.'' Suho admired the consideration of the Baekho Guild and immediately moved to the dungeon with his temporarily formed team members. The problem was that his members were really non-mainstream. [Only the really clumsy ones gathered.] Beru''s assessment was too frank. A total of 10 members. It consisted of 3 B-ss hunters from the Baekho Guild and 7 C-ss hunters including Suho. However, 5 of them were rookies who had just awakened like Suho, and the other two experienced hunters were summoning hunters. The more summoning hunters there were in the team, the worse the raid would be. It meant that the number of people actually participating in the battle would be reduced by that much. "... Would this raid really be okay?" Even the Baekho Guild members who would protect them were muttering words of concern. There was another problem. One thing that hunters greatly considered when choosing their team was... personality. How would they know each other''s personalities just by looking at the faces on their first meeting? Simple. Most of the newly awakened newbies have a bad personality. They suddenly awakened with superhuman strength one day, and the price of that power was nothing but like winning the lottery. In fact, by using that power, they would be able to make huge amounts of money. Just from that moment, hunters develop a sly spirit. Simply put, bluff and go. "The heck? Why should I be treated like this?!" While moving to the dungeon prepared by the Baekho Guild, rookie hunter Gu Dongjae suddenly expressed his dissatisfaction. He was the tallest hunter among the 10, even bigger than the B-ss Baekho Guild members. A good looking tank. Gu Dongjae was a newbie who had only awakened for a week, and it was a time when he was overflowing with confidence in his sudden superhuman strength. In fact, his ability deserves high praises if it was backed up by prior experiences or performances. If he would umte a few dungeon experiences, he could get scouts from good guilds as well. ''But the problem is, he''s not in a normal dungeon raid situation.'' He was just a newbie who is intoxicated with his own power and doesn''t know how to be afraid of the world. As soon as the Baekho Guild members saw Gu Dongjae, they defined him as someone exactly like that. "Hey. Excluding the Baekho guys, it looks like I''m the strongest here, so I''ll be the raid leader. Okay?" "Huh? Be what?" When Gu Dongjae suddenly volunteered like that, of course the hunters were taken aback. "Gu Dongjae, you said it''s only been a week since you awakened? Now, you want to be the team leader?" "Isn''t it the same for you? There are only rookies who are less than a month old here anyway, so wouldn''t it be safe for the strongest person to be the leader?" "Still, the members of the Baekho Guild rather than us would be a better choice..." "Didn''t you hear that Baekho guys didn''t care about running the team from the beginning?" "Are you speaking without honorifics? How old are you?" "So what?" Swook. As he came forward, the hunter who had been arguing with him had no choice but to falter. The feeling of intimidation felt from Dongjae was no joke. Those muscles were never made in the gym. Maybe that hunk characteristic is his skill in itself? Beru tilted his head watching the scuffle from afar. [Young Master, shouldn''t the strongest guys just be the leaders?] What Beru pointed out were members of the Baekho Guild. Suho shrugged and replied. "Then, things would turn worse." [Howe?] In terms of career and rank, in that situation, it was correct that the Baekho Guild members led the raid. However, they called a lot of frence hunters saying it was an emergency, and if the guild members even take the leader position... "That would literally be the tyranny of arge guild. It''s like having frencers controlled by force. Furthermore..." Suho nced at the Baekho Guild members. From a while ago, their attention was focused only on detecting signs from the outside. In a situation where an A-ss viin might suddenly appear, it was a waste of energy to pay attention to the C-ss people arguing about who would be the leader. Gu Dongjae looked at Suho with a disapproving expression, perhaps the sound of Suho and Beru''s conversation was annoying. "Why? Would you like to be a leader too?" "Oh, no. We''re summoning hunters, so we''re a bit out of position to be leaders..." It was not Suho who gave a quick answer and stepped back, but the other summoning hunters. Ironically, the two summoning hunters, excluding Suho, were attacker-type seniors with more than a year of experience. But even more so, they knew their positions well. There are two types of raid leaders. An attack-type leader who controls the raid at the forefront. Or, conversely, a bnce-type leader who controls the entire team''s HP from behind. Thetter was, of course, a position only avable to healers. A summoning hunter was unable to do both. As they took a step back without muttering, Gu Dongjae looked satisfied. ''Good. The power haspletely turned over to me.'' The raid leaders have priority in profit sharing. Distribution ratio is a bit high for them, but above all, if they find a good item in a dungeon, priority is given to the raid leader. In addition, once they have a career as a raid leader, they have a higher chance of bing a raid leader throughout their career as a hunter in the future. ''By the way, what''s with that guy?'' Gu Dongjae red his eyes fiercely when he saw the summoning hunter who remained at the spot among the three summoners. That was Suho. He was chatting with Beru, not paying attention to Gu Dongjae. Thud. In front of Suho, the shadow of Goo Dongjae was casted. "Why? Are you also interested in being a leader?" "No. I''m not interested. If you want to do it, do it." "Haha. Right?" Gu Dongjae was impressed with Suho''s answer. He tapped Suho''s back with a pot-sized palm andughed. "Well, I heard you had just awakened like me? It must be heartbreaking to be a summoning hunter. Don''t worry. Just trust and follow me..." Gu Dongjae''s expression subtly changed. Then he looked at his tingling palms. Something was strange. If he pat someone on the back, the usual reaction is for their body to flinch with a ''tap!''. It was different for Suho. His slender (?) body easily held up to his own strength without being pushed back an inch. Even the feeling is like hitting a solid giant tree... "Rather." Suho added something. "I will fight on my own." "What?" Chapter 60 - 60

Chapter 60:

Gu Dongjae''s expression turned grim again and he red at Suho. "What did you say?" "I will fight alone and from afar." "Why?" "Might get in the way..." ... Of my leveling up. He continued inside his head. ''My personal experience will decrease.'' If he has allies fighting alongside, he would receive less experience. Besides, it''s already a raid group with a lot of rookies. If Suho''s summoned beasts appear, the battle lines would get messed up and they would be a nuisance to each other. ''I guess I left out too many words.'' "What? Who is disturbing whom? Huh?" Grab! Gu Dongjae''s big hand grabbed Suho''s cor. He tried to lift him. ''Huh?'' Suho''s body did not move. "W-What?! Hupp!" Gu Dongjae was flustered and put strength on his forearms to lift Suho up. To no avail... Suho''s body, which seemed light at first nce, did not move no matter how hard Dongjae tried as if Suho had been glued to the floor. "Enough, my clothes will be stretched." Suho grabbed Dongjae''s wrist and slightly bent it. "Ack...!" A scream mixed with pain came from Gu Dongjae''s mouth as he moved his body while his wrist was slightly twisted. "Ah, sorry. I can''t control my strength these days." He was sincere. Suho shuddered and shook his hand. Then, Gu Dongjae''s wrist swayed like a paper doll. "Ouch! M-My...!" Gu Dongjae was also surprised by that. The other hunters who were watching nervously from the side were also taken aback. Even Suho, the party involved, was shocked. "Huh? Could it be broken? No, right? Why are you so weak?" "You... You...! Ugh!" Gu Dongjae red at Suho while twisting in pain. In those bloodshot eyes, Suho... ''Oh. You must be in so much pain.'' He hurriedly took out an item. [Use ''Item: Mummy Bandage''.] Whirl-! "W-What''s that?" Suddenly, a white bandage flew like a snake from Suho''s hand and wrapped around Gu Dongjae''s wrist. It was forcibly fixing his wobbly wrist. Swoosh! "Ack!" Of course, the process was also painful. "Okay, that should be fine. Someone please heal him." Hearing Suho''s words, one of the three Baekho Guild members, a healer, came up to him and grabbed Gu Dongjae''s wrist. "Aaahh!" "Be patient." ''Hepletely injured me and healed me as well.'' The healer smiled and treated Gu Dongjae. He himself was also annoyed by Gu Dongjae''s behavior, but the scuffle ended at just the right time. Fighting like that in front of a dungeon wasmon among hunters. Especially for frencers who are not affiliated with a guild. After all, hunters are fighters who risk their lives to kill monsters and make money. With superhuman strength involved, it was only natural that they were quite violent. Even if one got hurt anyway, there was a healer... ''But what are these bandages? Did it just set the broken bones perfectly?'' As the healer looked at the bandage on Gu Dongjae''s wrist, a different thought came to his mind. Sometimes in dungeons, items with these special attributes are found. However, he had never heard of a bandage that automatically moved and wrapped around injuries. ''Normally, these things are disposable consumables.'' To dare to spend such a valuable item on a guy who was just arguing with himself? Fixing the dislocated bone as an emergency measure and then applying healing naturally would effect faster treatment with lesser mana consumption. Could it be that he had purposely used his items so that the healer''s mana would not be wasted due to such an incident? ''A rookie who has just awakened manages the amount of mana of his team members? He''s the one with a real sense of leadership.'' Did he read the healer''s thoughts? The Baekho Guild members exchanged nces with each other, as if they were thinking the same thing. ''He was a guy who was interesting in many ways.'' ''Who said this team was a mess? It''s so much fun.'' Meanwhile, Gu Dongjae, who was receiving treatment for his wrist, was breaking out in a cold sweat at what he had just experienced. ''Was he really a summoning hunter? No, right?'' That summoning hunter was such a monster. It really didn''t make sense. ''If he was a C-ss hunter, he surely could have had other skills.'' However, for a C-ss hunter, Suho''s mana power is almost the same as him. The reason summoning hunters were ignored in the first ce was because most of their mana was spent on summoning. ''Didn''t he already summon a ck pet the size of his hand from a long time ago?'' ''... Ah! Could it be that the ck guy is a summoned beast that gives a strength buff? Yes, it was probably like that!'' Gu Dongjae looked at Beru. [What are you looking at? You''re worse than a worm. Quit staring!] Beru instantly came up to his nose and confronted him face to face. Gu Dongjae quietly avoided those ferociously raised eyes. * * * [Times Square Field] ¡ùOnly Baekho Guild is allowed inside. Before anyone knew it, the raid team that Suho belonged to arrived in front of an enormous building. Times Square building, once andmark of Yeongdeungpo. This ce had now turned into a demonic cavepletely covered with blue mist. ''A field-type dungeon.'' Since Seoul has so manyrge buildings, there were many ces where dungeon break urred. It is said that field-type dungeons, which have already been pioneered to some extent, are safer than unknown dungeons beyond the gates. Still, they should stay vignt. ''Because it is a C-ss field.'' As soon as they stepped into the field, they could see the inside of therge and magnificent Times Square at a nce. A courtyard structure with a hole in the middle and corridors on each floor along the perimeter. Its appearance was reminiscent of the Pantheon. However, the thorny vines that covered all the walls and ceilings were crawling like living creatures. "W-We''re finally in the dungeon." Gu Dongjae, who had previously said he would be a leader, was trembling. The other newbie hunters were also very tense. Suho smiled and patted Gu Dongjae on the back. "Hey! What are you doing? The captain should take the lead." "Y-Yeah...!" Gu Dongjae''s body moved forward, and he was at the forefront of the hunters before he knew it. Suho slips past him. "I will move separately as I said." "Hunter Sung Suho." A member of the Baekho Guild called for Suho. "I''m not going to stop you from acting independently, but I hope you don''t get too far away because it''s dangerous." It was unreasonable to expect strategic team y from a temporary raid group of frencers. He didn''t intend to get involved in the operation of the raid, but as a senior hunter, he still had to be responsible. "It would make it difficult for us to protect you when a viin appears." "Yes, Sir." Suho answered meekly, but for a different reason. ''If I go too far, it''ll be hard for me toe back when a viin appears here.'' Suho was just on his way to separate from the hunters... "... Oh no." Suho stopped walking and his expression hardened . "Surrounded already?" Khhiiiik...! It has only been less than a minute since they entered the field, but the alien invaders who upied the ce were already surrounding them on all sides. [Thorned Scarecrow Woodvine] [Thorned Scarecrow Woodvine] ... Wooden dolls made of tangled vines with thorns. Khhiiiiik! The very unpleasant-looking monsters screamed and attacked the hunters. The speed was faster beyond imagination and the movement was as bizarre as it appeared. ''It''s the beginning of the hunt.'' Suho''s eyes glimmered intensely as he jumped forward. The other hunters suddenly came to their senses and started fighting. "Everyone beware! There''s paralysis poison in their thorns! Just brushing against the thorns will dull your senses!" A Baekho guild member shouted from behind. ''There''s poison?'' So? Suho received the reward afterpleting the Pyramid Quest. [Blessing: Great Spellcaster Kandiaru''s Protection] Great Spellcaster Kandiaru has a special spell for you. As long as Kandiaru''s blessings are with you, you will always be able to enjoy a strong and healthy life. "Let there be light in the future of the challenger." -Lasting effect ''Illness-Free Longevity'': You be immune to all diseases, toxic, hazardous and poisonous effects, and your regenerative ability increases enormously while sleeping. Immune to all poisons. To Suho, poison was not something to be afraid of. However, the thorny vine that swung like a whip was threatening enough on its own. Even the other hunters seemed to be in a hurry because of the endless attacks from all sides. "Summons!" When the battle started, the summoning hunters who were at the back called their summons. methrower. Little fireflies, burning red, flew in all directions and began to explode from the body of Woodvine, the Thorned Vine Scarecrow. Boom! Puff! Red mes clung to the vines of the Woodvine began to roar. "Hey! It''s a methrower!" "It kills them!" "There are a lot of summoning hunters on our team!" Hunters called for joy as if they had never ignored the summoning hunters. The Baekho Guild could have also sent experienced summoning hunters there because they had an idea. Tuck! Tuck! Woodvine boldly cut off its vines that caught fire. No arms. No head. Khiiikkk! It jumped back like a zombie. "Oh my!" "Hey, you persistent bastard!" "Are there no more methrowers?!" "What are you doing?! Keep summoning!" Gu Dongjae, who was at the forefront of striking down Woodvine with a huge sword, urged the summoning hunters. However, they couldn''t summon beasts continuously without rest. "I-It will take a while to re-summon...!" "What? Oh well, that''s how summoning hunters are!" Right then... Suho was marching in the middle approaching the Woodvines. "Hunter Sung Suho! It''s too dangerous,e back here...!" The healer of the Baekho Guild was startled and shouted urgently. [This is perfect.] "Right?" Suho exchanged nces with Beru and nodded. They were quite far away from the team, so now it was just a matter of doing it at random without anything getting in the way. Khhiiikkk! Dozens of thorny scarecrows rushed at Suho. Dun. In the center of them, Suho smiled and stomped on his own shadow. "Arise." That moment. Kihyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa! The mummies, wrapped in ck bandages, stood up all at once. Shadow mummies simmering ck steam all over their bodies. They opened their mouths and began to let out ferocious screams at enemies who dared to harm their master. [Kihyaaaaa!] "W-What are those...!" "Mummy?" All the hunters who were in the midst of a breathless battle from afar were fascinated. In the pouring gaze, Suho gave an order to the shadow mummies. Like the pharaohs of Egypt in an old legend. "Kill each other from now on." And be my new shadow. Chapter 61 - 61

Chapter 61:

So far, there have been two main ways in which Suho summoned shadow soldiers. One is releasing the monsters he just killed on the spot and using them as soldiers. The other is storing corpses that have been killed in advance in the Shadow Dungeon and releasing them when needed. Now, he has got one more type of shadow soldier. It was the ''corrupt mummies'' that infested the pyramid of Ammut. They were basically moving corpses, so to Suho, they were like triangr kimbap at convenience stores that he could easily take out and eat right away without having to fight. [Shadow Mummy Lv.1] General ss That was how 20 shadow mummies were created. Their stats were quite strong enough that the Scavenger Guild and Asura Guild had a hard time. Strength, agility, and zombie-like tenacity. Above all, the poison leaking through the gaps in their bandages constantly corrupting nearby enemies. The corrupting poison was the reason why Suho tried to stay away from other hunters. [Kiyaaah!] sh! The shadow mummies began tearing and breaking the Woodvine''s thorny vines. Paralysis poison of thorns? That kind of thing didn''t work on the mummies. Rather, it was the opposite. The thorny vines were contaminated with the shadow mummy''s poison and began to rot. "Khiiiikk!" The Woodvines fought back with strong force. Even the shadow mummies couldn''t be safe. The bandages were torn from being caught on the thorns, and their limbs that were entangled in the vines were ripped off. But... Swoosh! Immediately, a new ck bandage moved around. The messengers of death, who had all their injuries restored, rose again. Their momentum was like a demon that had risen from hell. [Kihyaaah!] Hunters were in great shock. "... Goodness." "What are we seeing?" "I can''t believe they are all summoned monsters..." They began to doubt everything they knew about summoning hunters. In particr, Gu Dongjae, who personally argued with Suho earlier. "T-That''s crazy... What happened?" Didn''t he just use summoned beasts to give him strength buffs? At that point, Dongjae wasn''t even sure if it was a simple strength buff. Beru, who Dongjae thought had been summoned from the beginning, was just watching the battle while yawning in the air. ''Ha! Come to think of it...'' Go Dongjae suddenly realized something. His gaze moved to the bandage still wrapped around his wrist. "This bandage can''t be..." The one who responded to those words was the healer of the Baekho Guild who had treated his wrist earlier. "Ah!" A bandage that moved and wrapped itself around his wrist and bandaged mummies fighting like demons. "Could it be that the bandage wasn''t an item, but a summoning technique!" It was only then that things came to fit into ce. Gu Dongjae suddenly thought of something and hurriedly began to loosen the bandage wrapped around his wrist. "Aww! Aaaagh!" ''No wonder he injured me then healed me as well! Something was wrong from the start! This isn''t cursed is it? Aww!'' He was afraid that because of the bandage, he would be like those ck mummies. Suho tilted his head when he saw Dongjae at a distance. "... What''s wrong with him?" [That''s what I''m saying. He''s only a worm-skinned scaredy fellow. Tsk tsk.] Beru clicked his tongue and jumped to Suho. He looked around with a serious expression. [More than that, Young Master. The atmosphere is strange.] "I felt it, too." Leaving all the battles in the hands of the mummies, Suho himself had been observing the surroundings from earlier. Eventually, he found something strange. Wiiiing- There was a very slight buzzing of a fly that could be heard if he paid attention. Suho and Beru''s gazes turned upward at the same time. ''Bee.'' Far away in the air, extremely ordinary... a tiny bee was flying around. It was just one bee. But it didn''t quite make sense. "A normal bee lives in a demon cave like this? Where there are no flowers?" [There is no way honey wille out of those thorny vines.] "You think so too, right?" Suho and Beru looked at each other with confident eyes and nodded. A-level viin Lee Minseong... and the wings of a ''bee'' attached to his back. ''Could he be hiding here somewhere?'' If so, what a coincidence indeed. However, when he thought so and looked at the surroundings once again... ''Is this a giant beehive?'' Courtyard structure with a hole in the middle. Was it because of the vibes that the entire Times Square building looked like a beehive? In that sense, they had already entered the beehive on their own feet. Wiiiing- One by one, the flying bees were increasing. No matter how much the bees increased, it was not a threat at all to the hunters with superhuman strength. "A wasp might be a bit dangerous, but..." Chills! "...!" Suddenly, Suho''s senses stat sent a warning. He turned his head to look around. "Wow, my words came true." It was a wasp. Wow-! Hundreds, no, thousands of wasps were swarming all over Times Square. "This would be a bit dangerous." [It''s not an ordinary wasp! Each of them have magical powers!] [Contaminated Wasps] [Contaminated Wasps] What the hell was it contaminated with? Suho didn''t know what it meant, but it was a very ominous name. He hurriedly looked back at the hunters and shouted. "Everyone, beware! This is not an ordinary swarm of bees!" "...!" The eyes of the hunters who raised their heads at those words widened. The Baekho Guild members, who have more developed senses than normal hunters, must have noticed it sooner than that, and immediately took countermeasures. "Don''t panic! It''s just because there are so many of them, but after all, they''re just flying insects!" "Block the approaching ones with your defense skill!" "Summoning hunters, intercept with methrowers!" "Yes, Sir!" Hunters grit their teeth and respond. Swoosh! Swoosh! The methrowers hurriedly flew up. "Woah! This is the first time this has happened!" They were busy dealing with the thorny vines rushing in, but suddenly wasps appeared! However, for Suho, who had been through all sorts of things in just two days, this wasn''t particrly surprising. Swook. Suho calmly took out the twin swords from his inventory. No one thought strangely about the sword that suddenly appeared in Suho''s hand because everyone was busy. Even if there were people who saw it, it wouldn''t be strange for a summoning hunter to summon something. After calmly observing the situation, Suho shouted at the other summoning hunters. "Please detonate the methrowers in front of them all at once!" "Eh? What if they try to avoid it...!" methrowers take time to be resummoned. It had to be used where it was possible. "I will do something about it!" "Alright!" At Suho''s confident words, they prepared to fire methrowers without a word. Since they had already seen Suho''s ability, his words could not be taken lightly. "Now!" Numerous methrowers exploded in the air. Just as the wasps were about to scatter to avoid the explosion... [Use ''Skill: Storm sh''.] Swish-! The timely sword strike engulfed the red-hot explosions and wasps caused by the methrowers all at once. [You have killed a contaminated wasp.] [You have killed a contaminated wasp.] [You have killed a contaminated wasp.] ... Many of the wasps that had beening in were turned to ashes and scattered. "It worked!" The hunters were delighted. However, the Baekho Guild members were surprised at what they witnessed which was a lot different than what they knew. ''How could a summoning hunter use such a skill?!'' The swordy that Suho had just demonstrated was to the extent that even a merebat-type hunter could not have done. Even if it were his skills. How could he have enough mana to use such a powerful skill while summoning those 20 mummies? In particr, Gu Dongjae''s expression was hard to describe in words. ''W-What...?! Who the hell is that person?!'' He felt like his wrists, which had received all of the treatment, were suddenly sore. Wiiiiing-! But not all wasps died. Even after that, the wasps continued to flock from all sides and attacked the hunters. Eventually, the wasps hid themselves through the cracks of the Woodvines thorny vines. Then, the situation got even moreplicated. Every time the hunters attacked Woodvine, wasps came out silently from inside and started attacking. Sting. "Ack!" Gu Dongjae, who was fighting at the forefront, was stung on the back of his hand. At that moment, his arms stiffened, revealing the true effect of the ''contaminated wasp''. "Aaakk!" His veins had turned green along the back of the hand and bulged as if they were going to burst. It was suspicious just by looking at it. He was then fed up with seeing his arm bulging as if it was going to burst at any moment. "Healer! Healer!" It was too far to go back to where the healer was because he had to fight in the frontline. Eventually, those green veins ate into his arms and then to his shoulders... Then... sh! "...!" Gu Dongjae''s entire arm was cut off Suho suddenly appeared and mercilessly cut off his arm. "First aid." "... Aaaagh!" ''Damn it! What kind of first aid was that!'' Blood gushed out like a fountain from Dongjae''s shoulder. Swish. [You purchased ''Item: Mummy Bandage''.] [Use ''Item: Mummy Bandage''.] Whirl! A white bandage flew from Suho''s hand and wrapped around Gu Dongjae''s shoulder. Whoop! It squeezed hard, and miraculously, the bleeding stopped quickly. ''Item effect is amazing.'' Now, the healer would take care of the rest. Suho could use a potion, but there was no time for that. Besides, the B-ss healer from Baekho Guild would be able to regenerate even a severed arm. ''Also...'' Suho''s gaze quickly examined Gu Dongjae''s cut off arm. An ominously dark green forearm. "Exiner." [Yes.] From earlier, Beru had been staring at Gu Dongjae''s forearm with an expression that seemed to know something. [The Queen of Insects, Monarch of gues, had a simr ability. Perhaps... it may have something to do with her.] Suho looked at Beru and asked. "Didn''t you say that the Queen of Insects also died in the war?" [Yes. The monarchs are all dead.] "What is her name?" [Queen of Insects, Monarch of gues, Querehsha.] Beru''s eyes shed and he answered immediately. [A very crazily strong woman.] "Hmm. So, what kind of ability is it?" [It''s the ability to inject poison into one''s body and make it into a host for poisonous insects.] "Host?" [Parasitism. To put it nicely, it''s just a zombie infested with maggots. However, when those maggots grow, they will be born again as poisonous insects.] "That''s horrible." Suho raised his head and red at the swarms of bees that continued to fly. He looked around again. The worst thing was that the area was gradually bing a maze. Woodvines were just a small part of the brambles that covered Times Square. As the remaining countless vines wriggled and merged with each other, they turned into a tall andplicated thorn wall that began to separate the hunters. "It is dangerous to scatter!" "Come over here quickly!" The hunters move in a hurry, shocked by the thorn wall that suddenly rose from the floor. ''The situation in the dungeon is getting more and more dire.'' Labyrinth. A livingbyrinth emerged. The hunters would eventually get lost and scatter from each other. They never knew when that wall of thorns would suddenly turn into Woodvines and attack them. In thatplexbyrinth, the only one free from getting lost was... ''Those bees.'' Suho''s first thought was correct. They have set foot in a huge beehive, the kingdom of bees. Suho suddenly thought of the ecology of bees. The bees were mostly workers who moved under orders. So that means... "There must be a main culprit behind them somewhere." [I think I know.] Beru responded quickly to Suho''s muttering. "Huh? How?" [I could actually understand what they''re saying.] "...!" For some reason, Beru''s antennae had been bobbing non-stop since earlier. Chapter 62 - 62

Chapter 62:

Currently, the members of the Baekho Guild were genuinely perplexed. The reason they were put into that raid was to protect the C-ss hunters from any possible attack by Lee Minseong. However, when they entered the field, an unexpected melee began. "Wait. Wasn''t this a C-ss field?" "There was no bee in the information about this dungeon, was there?" In a dungeon where one didn''t know what would happen at any moment, the value of information is as important as life. That was one of the reasons why hunters preferrge guilds. And, of course, the Baekho Guild, one of the representativerge guilds, also had a lot of data on unexplored dungeons. In particr, field-type dungeons that existed outside the gate are free to be visited from time to time, so more detailed information such as the type of monsters that appear and the environment could be gathered. It was the same at Times Square Field. Because they knew in advance the information that the monsters there were Woodvine, they went on with the raid with two experienced methrower summoning hunters. The methrower itself was not a summon that did great damage, but when it came to C-ss summoning hunters, the number of summoned objects was quite a lot. It would boast great efficiency when dealing with nt-type monsters. In addition to that, as long as three B-ss hunters were included, they couldn''t even think of going through such trouble in a C-ss field. ''If I had known in advance, I would have brought a mage hunter...'' If there had been a mage awakener with a me skill, there would have been no suffering from wasps like that. Or not... Grumble-! "... Skills like that are fine." Up ahead, the Storm sh and methrower''sbined attack from Suho''s twin sword were already showing tremendous synergy. The Baekho Guild members were at a loss for words as they saw the remains of the wasps flying around as ashes in the air. "... What is that person really?" He was too good at fighting to be a rookie who has only awakened for less than a month. Suho naturally treats the summoning hunters who are much older than him as if they were his subordinates. In addition, he was giving proper instructions to other hunters. "Leave the bees to us! Take care of the thorns! My mummies will do the tanking, so the dealers focus only on the attack. Tanks, stay in front of the dealers!" "Got it!" "Alright!" Hunters move in perfect order at Suho''smand. The battle line, which had been disorganized for a while, was quickly put back together. Gu Dongjae, who was the attack leader, was in an awkward position. Suho found him just standing there. "What are you doing here? Move out of the way and get your arm treated!" "Y-Yes!" Gu Dongjae hurriedly ran toward the healer, startled at Suho''s screams. The healer of the Baekho Guild treated Gu Dongjae and looked at Suho''s dependable back with a strange expression. "It was this team I was most worried about..." But things were going better than he expected. Thanks to that one rookie hunter named Sung Suho. The only problem was that the dungeon seemed to be thinking the same thing. Swoosh-! Suddenly, thorny vines from the walls and floor began to entangle with each other and separate the hunters. It was also a phenomenon that did not exist in the information book of the Baekho Guild. "It is dangerous to scatter around!" "Come over here quickly!" The hunters move in a hurry, perplexed by the thorn wall that suddenly rose from the floor. The problem was Suho. A wall of thorns swirled in front of Suho, who had been so far away from them,pletely separating him from the ce where other hunters gathered. "No...!" The urgent cries of the hunters, who were suddenly separated from Suho, gradually drifted away. * * * sh! Suho swung his twin swords and mercilessly sliced ??the thorny wall, but the vines next to him crawled through the gap and filled it up again in an instant. Suho muttered with an expression that he did not like it. "Isn''t it obvious that it was only trying to get rid of me?" [It is.] "So what are they saying?" Nod. When Suho looked at Beru, he was still waving his antennae while looking at the wasps floating in the air. [Ohh?] [Ohhhh?] Beru nodded as if realizing something then finally opened his mouth. [Seems to be swearing at me saying they''re going to kill me.] "..." When Suho''s expression cooled down, Beru continued with a chuckle. [Still, I overheard all the words exchanged between them.] Beru''s narrowly opened eyes stared somewhere. [It''s over there.] "Let''s go." Suho turns around without hesitation. He would know what was waiting for him if he met it in person. Then, the wall of thorns spread out in front of Suho to the left and right, and a path that had not existed was created. Suho grinned and showed his teeth fiercely. "I guess it''s waiting for me over there, too." [It''s a very cheeky bug.] Beru''s expression was much more ferocious than Suho''s. Suho ran forward along the road without hesitation. Thud. "It''s an interesting one." Suho smirked when he saw the demon waiting for him at the end of thebyrinth. [Contaminated Lancer] A bizarre form that looks like a mixture of an insect and a person. A humanoid monster armed with yellow and ck armor was standing there. "A spearman? Is that a bee sting?" Instead of hands, long, pointed spears were sticking out as his arms. "Krrrk! Yes. I am ancer who serves the great queen." p. The spearman spread his wings wide and flew up. At that moment, Beru suddenly muttered something interesting next to Suho. [It''s a mysterious insect. Speaking like a human.] "...?" [Why are you looking at me like that, Young Master?] Suho looked at Beru in silence for a moment, then looked away again. There''s a lot to say, but he just let it go. Suho red at the spearman again and asked. "So why did you invite me?" "Krrrk. It''s just that you''ve been a bit of a nuisance, so I''ve locked you up. You know, it''s an honor as the Queen''sncer to have to deal with you myself." Swish. Thencer crossed his pointy arms, or spears, and red arrogantly at Suho. Suho smiled softly. "Lock up? Me?" Suho''s smile grew wider, thinking it was absurd. The more he does, the more and more his shadow spreads in all directions. "You must be the one who''s trapped." [Kihiiik!] [Kiyaaaaah!] The shadow mummies, who had returned to the shadows of Suho before they knew it, rose up at the same time. 10 mummies at where the hunters were. The other 10 were right there. Even at the moment when they were separated by thebyrinth, Suho was calmly adjusting his troops ording to the situation. However, the spearman who was suddenly besieged by the shadow mummies did not look surprised at all. On the contrary, he evenughed at Suho as if it was some kind of a joke. "Krrrk. You''re doing well with your summoning hunter agenda. I am well aware of your weakness. I was once a hunter too." ''Once a hunter?'' At thest words, Suho reminded him of something. p! Thencer''s wings shook quickly, and he disappeared on the spot. ''He''sing!'' Swish! [Kihyaaah!] He was fast! In a blink of an eye, the spearman broke through the shadow mummies and rushed straight toward Suho. A summoning hunter''s weakness is someone of his kind. ''He was once a hunter...'' Suho chewed on those words and twisted his body slightly to avoid the attack. Swish! A spear like an awl glided past Suho and pierced a huge hole in the thorn wall behind him. Truly, a formidable attack. ''At least C-ss or more.'' The aura Suho felt from him was C-ss. However, his speed wasparable to that of a B-ss, and when his other skills were to be added, it was truly powerful. "Krrrk! Pretty good! Keep struggling!" Swish! Swish! Swish!! Incredible attack speed. In the blink of an eye, countless straight attacks were poured into Suho. All of those attacks were aimed at Suho''s blind spot, and the speed was so fast that it felt like numerous enemies were attacking at the same time. An infinite hell where space itself seems to be hacked to pieces. At the center, Suho was silently avoiding the attacks by a narrow margin rather than counterattacking. His eyes followed every movement. Then all of a sudden... "He''s a really interesting guy. I know how to deal with witchcraft." Suho smirked as he spoke to him. "If you pretend to be a great one, the opponents will usually die out of recklessness, right?" "Krrrk." At those words, thencer stood still in the air. A cruel smile crept across his lips. "They said you were a rookie with no experience, but you''re a quick-witted one." Indeed, a voice came from a different direction. Suddenly, Suho was surrounded by five spearmen. Each one has a slightly different appearance, but all of them look like a mixture of insects and people. They were armed with full body armor and pointed spears resembling bee stings. "Even if you notice, nothing will change." The spearmen flew at the same time and charged at Suho. But in fact, Suho was also quite confident in speed battles. "Blessing." [''Pet: Gray'' blessing.] Swoosh! Suho''s hair turned silver. Thud! "...!" Suho''s new appearance disappeared on the spot and appeared in front of the spearmen with his twin swords. sh-! Behind him, a spearman stood with his head separated without any apparent death. g. [You have killed a contaminatedncer.] "Four remaining." "...!" In the eyes of thencers who are shocked at the sight of their colleague''s head rolling on the floor in vain... Suho''s figure disappeared again. sh! Another head rolled across the floor. [You have killed a contaminatedncer.] "Now, three." "...!" Only then did the rxed expression of thencers suddenly change. A hunter evolved his body to increase his attack power? What was that? Suho had also been concentrating all his remaining stats obtained as rewards only on his strength. As a result, Suho''s movement with the addition of the blessing, were not at the level of a mere flying insect. "Don''t worry." Suho smiled at them. "I''ll save one." Whether it was the King or Queen of Insects. One has to take the position. Chapter 63 - 63

Chapter 63:

"... What did you just say?" Lim Taegyu, the guild leader of the Reaper Guild, doubted his ears. "The guys are missing?" "Yes, Sir. To be exact, they continue to disappear even now." "Are you sure they''re really missing, not just cooling down somewhere after drinking?" "Yes, Sir. I think they were kidnapped." "Does it make sense that hunters are kidnapped?" It was absurd. It couldn''t be that all of the guild members who had been suddenly out of touch for the past few days had been kidnapped. But, Secretary Oh''s expression was serious. "At first, I had no idea, but I got a CCTV video from the nning office a while ago. Looking at this..." "..." As Lim Taegyu received the USB that Secretary Oh had given him and plugged it into hisputer, his expression was already hardening. The fact that something like a video file could be sent via e-mail or online, but it was delivered via USB means it was something very confidential. Recently, there was only one issue within the guild. Vice President Lee Minseong, who became a viin and went into hiding. ''Don''t tell me...'' Now, because of that one guy, the image of the Reaper Guild in Korea haspletely fallen to the ground. No matter how much they exin saying that they didn''t know, people couldn''t believe it easily. The Hunter Association also continued to pressure them, saying that there must be someone Lee Minseong conspired with in the guild. "Damn it." When Secretary Oh yed the video, Lim Taegyu''s expression hardened. In the video, one of the Reaper Guild members was standing on the street. Then suddenly, with a swish, someone snatched his body quickly. Click. Secretary Oh pressed the spacebar to pause it, but the face of the one who snatched the guild member was faintly visible. The picture quality was a bit low, but there was no way Lim Taegyu, who had known Lee Minseong for a long time, could not recognize his face. In an instant, a lump of mixed emotions welled up in his heart. "Lee Minseong... this bastard is really...!" g! He mmed his fist and the desk split in two. Surprised, Secretary Oh hurriedly stepped back. He assisted Lim Taegyu for a considerable amount of time, but it was the first time he had seen him like that. To the extent where Lim Taegyu was genuinely angry. "Ha, Minseong..." Lim Taegyu let out a deep sigh as he leaned back on the president''s chair. The fluorescent lights on the ceiling flickered. "Why did you really be like this..." As President and Vice President, apart from Guild High School and Hunter High School, Lee Minseong was an old friend of his anyway. He was a friend Lim Taegyu was proud of. Minseong was someone who always shone ever since he was young. At one point, Taegyu was really proud to be his friend. Before the cataclysm. Even when Taegyu was asked to be his driver. The reason why he readily epted the offer was because he enjoyed hanging out with him in the first ce. -Taegyu, be my driver. -What? All of a sudden? -We meet and hang out every day anyway. If you get behind the wheel, we can still y together while working, right? -Well, that''s right. Will you pay for my sry then? -I''ll give you more than what the manager receives. Besides, I always pay for our drinks. Might as well just keep your money and buy a house. The reason why Lee Minseong made Lim Taegyu a driver rather than a manager was that a manager would not have time to hangout because he''d have a lot of work. After that, everything became really fun. He followed Lee Minseong, who was a movie star, touring the filming set, and eventually married an actress he met through Minseong''s introduction. At that time, Lee Minseong and himself were truly close friends. Since when did it get so twisted? Really... What happened... No. ''I actually knew.'' ''I''ve been pretending not to know.'' Lim Taegyu remembered that moment clearly. After the world suddenly changed in a cataclysm. After he suddenly awakened as an S-ss hunter. ''The day I bought alcohol for the first time.'' With the first money he earned after bing a hunter. The moment an enormous amount of money was deposited into his bank ount, the first thing he did was to buy a drink to a friend he was grateful for, for buying him a drink and meal every time. -Hey, I''ll pick up the tab today. -... What? -I''m sorry that I''ve been on the receiving end all the time. From now on, I will buy you meals and drinks, too. -... There was an awkward expression on Lee Minseong''s face at that time. He still didn''t know what the feeling was. But it was from that day that Lee Minseong began to change gradually. When Lee Minseong awakened as an A-ss hunter, one level lower than himself, Minseong then really has be like a different person. As if all of the friendships that had been built over the years were gone, he suddenly began to express a tremendous sense of inferiority. ''Why would he when he still has a lot of things...'' They said the human heart is something you really wouldn''t understand. Lim Taegyu had never once epted the fact that he had be an S-ss hunter as luck. Luck and misfortune are the reverse side of the coin. It was supposed to be a day full of luck. He was fortunate enough to be gifted with magic and became an S-ss awakener, but his wife, who was by his side, was enveloped in blue mist and turned into Mist Burn. And... he attacked his only son. The day of his awakening. That supposedly very lucky day. Lim Taegyu eventually had to kill his beloved wife, or something that was his "wife," with that power. The very day he lost everything. At that time, the only friend who remained by the side was... Lee Minseong. "Haa, really, how did ite to this..." Lim Taegyu pressed his thumb through his throbbing head and gritted his teeth. Next to the smashed desk, on the other side of the monitor, he stared intently at Lee Minseong''s face. His demon-like expression, clearly visible even in his hazy appearance, had no gleam like before. "So..." Secretary Oh shuddered at the cold voice that flowed from Lim Taegyu''s mouth. "What do you think is the reason Lee Minseong kidnapped our guild members?" "That, well... Could it be revenge? After the incident broke out, we lost Vice President Lee Minseong first..." "No. If revenge was the purpose, it would be enough to just kill them, there was no reason for a kidnap." In fact, Lee Minseong was raiding hunters who were not members of the Reaper Guild these days, and they were all killed on the spot. Come to think of it, there was something like insect wings attached to Lee Minseong''s back, which was filmed on CCTV. ording to experts'' analysis, its wings are most simr to those of bees among insects... "Bee..." Lim Taegyu thought about bees. Bees are insects that live in groups. "... Could it be that the purpose of the kidnapping is to increase allies? Getting the same punishment as himself?" "What? I had never heard of such a skill before." Secretary Oh shakes his head wide-eyed, saying that it was nonsense. "Who knows. That greedy guy might have bought a runestone with a mysterious skill for arge sum of money." "..." Stand. Lim Taegyu, who organized his thoughts for a moment, suddenly stood up from his seat. "Tell the nning team. From now on, find a dungeon where bees can live." "D-Dungeon?" "That''s right. After all, the only ce a viin can hide in this small country is a dungeon." "Yes, I will immediately ry this... Huh? Where are you going all of a sudden?" "The weapon room." Secretary Oh was taken aback by Lim Taegyu''s actions as he walked out of the office immediately after giving the order. Tremendous spection was welling as he headed toward the weapons room. The S-ss hunter, engulfed in anger, started moving. * * * Meanwhile... Suho was holding the throat of thest remainingncer. "Ackk!" Fear filled the face of thencer struggling with his leg as he clung to Suho''s hand. "Let me ask one thing." Suho looked him straight in the eyes and asked. "Where is your master?" "Krrrk...!" Thencer, who struggled in Suho''s hand, fiercely exposed his teeth while breathing heavily. "If you two meet... Even you won''t be safe..." "That''s for me to handle. Where is your master?" "Krrrk! I don''t think I can...!" "If you don''t want to say it, then don''t." sh! "...!" Suho mercilessly cut his neck. [You have killed a contaminatedncer.] [Your level increased!] Thud. Suho opened his mouth to the corpse of thencer lying on the floor. "I can just ask your shadow." He looked at the ck smoke that slowly rose from the corpses of thencers lying around. [Shadow release is possible on this target.] [Shadow release is possible on this target.] [Shadow release is possible on this target.] ... Suho stretched out his hand toward the shadows of thencer and released five shadows. "Arise." Kiyaaaah-! At that moment, screams of pain from thencers resonated in all directions. Soon the shadows rose. Swook! Their legs began to crawl out of the shadows then pulled themselves up. Ring! [Shadow release seeded.] [Shadow release seeded.] [Shadow release seeded.] ... "Great. New allies." Suho looked at the new shadow soldiers standing in front of him with a satisfied expression. [Shadow Lancer Lv.1] General ss [Shadow Lancer Lv.1] General ss "Now, I''m going to ask." Every single thing! The five shadowncers knelt down with utmost respect. "Where is your former master?" Every single thing! They all pointed their spears at the floor. "Under?" [Krrrk!] "Hiding in the basement?" A small smile appeared on Suho''s lips. Right then... sh-! Just in time, newncers were flocking over Suho''s head. There are dozens of them. [Contaminated Lancer] [Contaminated Lancer] [Contaminated Lancer] [Contaminated Lancer] ... [Ehh! Young Master, these five guys must have been just the first soldiers!] Beru was making a fuss, but for some reason, the corner of his mouth was going up. "The more the better." Suho also smiled faintly and raised his head to look at them. "Krrrk?!" On the other hand, the newly arrivedncers couldn''t help but panic. Down there, shadowncers who looked just like them, but with ck steam, stood guarding Suho. The little ant, Beru, towering over the top of their heads... [Wee, my new subordinates.] He was giggling with the most evilughter. Chapter 64 - 64

Chapter 64:

Wiiiiing-! Dozens of contaminatedncers immediatelyunched an attack. "Krrrk! Attack! They''re outnumbered!" "Do not let those who dare betray the Queen live!" They were the first to be killed by Suho''s hands. They underestimated Suho and let their guards down. However, things were nowpletely different. [Shadow Lancer] General ss The ck Lancers were reborn as Shadow Lancers. Fivencers who looked just like themselves, but with different colors, turned to Suho''s side, so they couldn''t be careless. "Struggle as much as you like." In the center of them, Suho''s eyes shone intensely. "I will make you betray your Queen soon." [Krrrk!] The ckncers who served their new king jumped forward, crossing two spears. Wiiing- sh! At the end of thebyrinth, the army of Suho and the contaminatedncers sh. Horrible shockwaves exploded in all directions at a tremendous sense of speed. Horrible cries of simr voices echoed through the air. The thorny walls caught in the aftermath repeatedly copsed and built countless times. New thorny vines continued to surround Suho''s army. When beings of simr powers collided, the scene was indescribably horrendous and devastating. "Krrrk...!" Thencers, who were born solely to attack, had no concept of defense in the first ce. They just had one spear, or rather, two spears, that pierced the enemies and ughtered them. A two-edged sword where if they were faster than their opponent, they''d win, but if they fell behind, they would lose their lives. But... Shadowncers were different. They evolved into extreme forms from only knowing how to attack to being able to defend as well. To be more precise, they became immortalncers that could be restored even if they were killed. As long as Suho''s mana backed them up. Swoosh! The hole punched through thencers was filled with a ck shadow, and their head that fell off came flying back and attached again. As the battle continued, the contaminatedncers couldn''t help but be astonished. "W-What is this...!" Contaminated wasps wandering over the Times Square field convey all the words and actions of the hunters entering the ce to thencers through close signals with each other. Thanks to that, thencers were able to grasp Suho''s moves in advance. No, they thought they figured him out. He had quite a bit of skill in summoning somewhat unusual allies, but even so, he was a rookie who had only been awakened for less than a month. They thought that if he would be thrown into an unexpected situation, his limitations would soon unfold due tock of experience, and then he would just surrender. They were so sure about that, but... "Krrrk!" All day, Suho has only been told that he is a newbie who has only been an awakener for less than a month. Little they know, he had been through more actual battles than anyone else, so he knew very well how to use his skills most effectively. His strategy was extremely simple. ''Take one first no matter what.'' The first five shadowncers attacked the enemies at the same time. Swoosh! Since it was an attack at the expense of defense, Suho''sncers could not be safe. But, what they got in return was great. [You have killed a contaminatedncer.] "Arise." Swoosh! [Shadow release seeded.] The sixth soldier was born and stood up in front of Suho. "Six now." The six shadow soldiers again attacked at once in search of a new prey. "Krrrk...!" [You have killed a contaminatedncer.] [Shadow release seeded.] Another one. "Seven." Another one. "Eight." [You have killed a contaminatedncer.] [Shadow release seeded.] [You have killed a contaminatedncer.] [Shadow release seeded.] ... "Krrrk! S-Stop saying ''Arise''!" Thud. As they continued to increase one by one, the number of shadowncers that Suhomanded before he knew it were... "Fifteen." "Krrrk?!" Thencers looked around and were surprised. Suddenly, the number of ckncers surrounding them became equal to their number. Thergest and most powerful knight who was leading the contaminatedncers red at Suho and gritted his teeth. "Krrrk! You are one who uses strange skills." However, the meaning was slightly different from the first. "How can youmand bugs so easily? Could it be that you came for the relic, too?" "Relic?" "Krrrk! Shameless! How dare you make a fuss!" "...?" Suho was genuinely puzzled. ''A relic? What relic? Oh, don''t tell me...'' At that moment, he suddenly remembered the name he had heard from Beru. Queen of Insects, Monarch of gues, Querehsha. "Are you talking about a relic of Querehsha?" "Krrrk! If you even know her name, you must havee to know everything! Do you want to be a Queen Bee too!" "No, why would I..." It was just an usation, but Suho felt a little unfair. Also, a Queen? Didn''t he look like a male? Anyway, it would have been nice to use the information he got for free. "Where is the relic of Querehsha, be it the Queen or whatever? Does your queen has it?" "Krrrk! Of course! How dare you question that?! Other than our Queen, who else would dare to inherit the legacy of Querehsha!" [Oh, you must have been a loyal server.] Beru giggled. Like most insects, bees and ants have many simrities. A society that centered around the queen. Like the faithful workers who gathered food at the behest of the queen, even in face of death. But to Beru, the existence of a queen had a slightly different meaning. Although Beru was born from a queen ant, he was born as a king rather than a worker. He was not one of the insignificant workers loyal to the queen, but a true king of ants who could stand tall above the queen. Although now, he has been serving his great and noble King, Sung Jinwoo. Beru was still clearly aware of the fact that he was the king of the ants. The worker bees who are only loyal to the queen bee couldn''t help but feel insignificant... Or, was that so? Beru had been floating in the air, watching and ying, even before the start of the battle. However, none of the contaminatedncers dared to approach such a defenseless and weak presence. The survival instinct unique to bugs made them feel like something sinister would happen if they identally touched Beru. [Young Master.] When Beru approached Suho, all thencers suddenly trembled and stood stiff on the spot. Beru had been stealing information from the wasps roaming around the area with his antennae. [It seems that the hunters on the other side are in danger.] The maximum number of soldiers Suho could extract is 20. Half of them had been guarding the hunters from earlier. However, since Suho extracted new soldiers on his side, the number of shadow mummies over there was decreasing one by one. That wasn''t the only problem. Swoosh. Suho had also noticed from a while ago. A hazy green mist wasing out from the thorny vines that covered theplicatedbyrinth. Paralysis poison nested in those thorns. The poison had fused with the blue mist that permeated the entire field and was spreading all over Times Square. Sniff. In the end, the green mist poisoned Suho''s body as he breathed. Ring! A system message appeared in front of Suho. [A harmful substance has been detected.] [The detoxification begins with the effect of ''Blessing: Great Spellcaster Kandiaru''s Protection''.] [3, 2, 1... Antidote isplete.] "The effect is good." It was time to say a silent prayer of gratitude to the great spellcaster Kandiaru. However, unlike himself, the poison mist would be very lethal to other hunters. ''I''ll have to stop there for a bit before going to the Queen Bee.'' It was fortunate that gas masks were also being sold in the shop window. It''s not a great item, so the price was cheap. For the gold, the corpses of the monsters there if sold would be enough. "Krrrk?!" Thencers were greatly taken aback by the sight of Suho still moving casually despite inhaling the poison mist. "How did you...!" They aimed their spears at Suho with confidence. "What kind of rtionship do you have with Quehresha, the Monarch of gues!" ''We don''t know each other...'' So awkward. Regardless of Suho''s intentions, the misunderstanding gradually deepened. People shouldn''t be judged by their appearance, but in the first ce, those people weren''t intelligent looking either. No, they weren''t even humans. Beru was clever enough to deliberately spurred on their misunderstanding. [Kehehehe! So what if they are connected?! None of your deadly poison will work on Young Master anyway!] "Y-Young Master?!" "Did... Did you have another relic?!" They thought that there might be other relics besides the one their Queen had. How on earth did a mere human get hold of the gue Monarch''s relic? But... the human in front of them was already showing something beyond imagination. A newbie who has only been awakened for a month? No way! If that''s true, they can''t be so unterally beaten by a C-ss summoning hunter. The answer was simple. He had been hiding his identity and power from the start. Thencers came to a conclusion and red at Suho fiercely. They began to gather all their strength in their whole body. "Krrrk!" "Now that it has be this way..." "Even at the cost of our lives, we must..." If a human got hold of another relic, he had to be killed somehow. If they let him live, it will be a huge stumbling block to their queen who wants to be a monarch. "You! Even the hunters who came with you!" "Everybody will die!" Wiiiing-! Thencers were more focused than ever. They risked their lives to attack Suho. And... Boom! "...!" Thencers'' eyes widened. Beyond the poison mist that was so terrible that they couldn''t see... The tips of their spears, to which they had put their lives on, were blocked by a solid barrier. ''What...!'' With unfinished thought in mind, thencers lost consciousness. * * * Meanwhile, the hunters who came in with Suho were in danger. "Cough, cough." "My body is starting to feel..." There was no way to escape the poison mist. If they had known that poison mist existed there in the first ce, they would have brought a gas mask. Everything wasn''t anticipated. They were too careless about the situation where there were 3 B-ss hunters in a C-ss dungeon. "Hold on! I already contacted the guild!" Right then... Baekho Guild''s reinforcements arrived at Times Square Field. "... Is it here?" Baek Miho, who looked at the situation inside, frowned with a serious expression. Chapter 65 - 65

Chapter 65:

Throughout the entire day, Baek Miho stayed with the guild and regrly monitored the situation of the guild members. Among field-type dungeons located in the city center, there are quite a few ces where cell phones catch signals. There were many cases where the signal could not be caught due to thick blue mist. The guild avoided opening such dungeons to the C-ss hunters today as much as possible. "Vice President! I got a call from Times Square!" "Is it about Lee Minseong?" "They said it is not yet certain! However, there are urrences that were not in the guild data..." "Not in the data?" Baek Miho''s expression stiffened at the employee''s report. The information power of the Baekho Guild was unmatched. In particr, the fields opened to the C-ss hunters today were only those that had been verified several times. What happened that was not in the data? On top of that it was coincidentally when a viin was on rampage. Baek Miho''s eyes shed sharply. "What kind of phenomenon is it?" "That is... poison mist and bees..." Bees? That one word was enough. The appearance of Lee Minseong in the CCTV video where he changed into a form simr to a ''bee''. Whether it''s a skill or what, if a bee suddenly appeared in the field, it would have something to do with Lee Minseong in some way. "Let''s start with Times Square." The guild members who were waiting for Baek Miho''s order stood up all at once. They arrived at Times Square right away and held their breath the moment they entered the field. "Haaa." Abyrinth of thorns covered with poison mist. ''I never thought the poison would be this terrible.'' Hunters have much better resistance to poison than normal people. Some kind of poison didn''t work to begin with. Even if they were poisoned, they could be treated by healers, so they were rarely in danger due to poison. However, if an entire field was filled with a thick poison mist, it would be a different thing. As long as the mana of the healers is limited, it is inevitable that they will eventually reach a situation where they cannot use the detoxification skill. "Everyone, wear a gas mask." Each and every one. At Baek Miho''s instructions, they put on the gas mask the subordinate hunters had brought. The moment when Baek Miho herself puts a gas mask on her face... Wiiiiing- Snatch! Baek Miho''s hand quickly grabbed something. It was a contaminated wasp that had hidden in the poisonous mist and approached like an assassin. Baek Miho saw the wasp''s tail and the poisonous substance at the tip of its stinger. It was an insect-type demon imbued with magical power. Even in such a terrible poison mist, it was a poisonous insect that could fly around intact. She was worried about the safety of the hunters who entered earlier. "Vice President..." Baekho guild members looked at Baek Miho with blurred expressions. "Survivors... We have to find them no matter what." Baek Miho gritted her teeth and walked toward thebyrinth of thorns covered with thick poison mist. ''I have to save them somehow.'' Not all good intentionse back with good results every time. It was Baek Miho herself who drove them here. If someone did die, it was entirely her responsibility. ''Please... I hope it''s not toote.'' However. "Huh?" "Ah!" They found them sooner than expected. "Vice President Baek Miho?!" "They''re alive! Here!" "...!" Baek Miho was a little bewildered when she found the hunters resting together in one ce. Contrary to her concerns, they looked unharmed. Although, their appearance itself was scruffy and it showed that they had suffered quite a bit. Thanks to the healer she sent with them, all of their injuries were treated. Most of all, Baek Miho was surprised by the gas masks they were wearing. "How did you manage to have a gas mask...?" There was no information about poison in that dungeon so there was no reason to bring a gas mask. But somehow, they were all wearing gas masks. "Oh, this? Hunter Sung Suho brought them." "Sung Suho...?" Baek Miho''s gaze moved to find Suho, but he''s nowhere to be found. There were only 9 out of the 10 hunters that were sent there. Everyone was safe, but only one C-ss hunter named Sung Suho was missing. "Where is he? Don''t tell me..." "Oh, no! Hunter Sung Suho is safe! He''ll be fine!" When Baek Miho was about to ask if he was dead, the hunters answered urgently. However, each of their expressions was a little strange. Baek Miho, who noticed that, looked at the Baekho guild members. "What the hell happened here?" "Vice President, that''s...." "Hunter Sung Suho saved us." "... What? Saved you? Who saved who?" What does that mean? A C-ss hunter saved a group of raiders that included three B-ss hunters? However, when asked again, the answer remained the same. "He disappeared after saving us. He even gave us gas masks from where he could have gotten them." The hunters who were gathered there just a moment ago were almost at the brink of death. The poison mist that was scattered all over the field made their body harden. Thorned Scarecrow Woodvine still kepting from all directions. Meanwhile, the contaminated wasps that appeared silently when they saw free space used bee sting. None of them were negligible enemies, but the scariest thing was the poison sting of a wasp. Regardless if only ones'' limbs were stung, the poison consumed the whole body in an instant, causing it to rot. There was only one treatment method. To cut off the poisoned part as quickly as possible, just as Suho did to Gu Dongjae. Immediately after that, the only way to regenerate the part that was cut off was for the healer to regenerate it. However, such treatment consumed too much of the healer''s mana, so it was impossible to use it consecutively. Suho had been separated from them due to the suddenly rising thorn wall. But, the thing was... Suho''s appearance... "You said his hair was bleached?" "Yes. In silver gray..." Baek Miho''s expression hardened as she listened to the exnation. As far as she knew, there were not many skills that changed hair color suddenly. The most famous of them was the Beast Transformation skill. If one used the Beast Transformation skill, it would be possible to change a body part or even more. ''Could that hunter named Sung Suho also have a beast transformation skill? Ah! Come to think of it, even then...!'' ''Why did I just think of it now?'' Baek Miho suddenly recalled a memory from a while back. She thought he looked familiar, it turns out, today wasn''t the first time she saw Suho. ''Magok Field.'' It would not be an exaggeration to say that almost all beast hunters in the metropolitan area gathered at Magok Field. That strange dungeon where the king of beasts was chosen. ''Hunter Sung Suho was there too!'' Unlike the others, the hunter who gave off a strange smell and the only one who caught her eye was the Suho! ''It was a ce where only beast hunters gathered, so for sure, he also...'' It seemed certain that the Sung Suho had the Beast Transformation skill. ... But, why? For some reason, another thought popped up in Baek Miho''s head. Coincidentally, besides herself and her father, there was one more famous person with silver gray hair. An unidentified hunter who is making a name for himself these days. ''Beast King Crow.'' She didn''t know what the story was, but that person who always hides his face with a mask...! ''Wait. Now is not the time for this.'' Baek Miho, who was lost in thought, suddenly came to her senses. She then asked the guild members who were waiting for his orders. "So how did the hunter disappear again? Where did he go?" "He said he was going to the ce where the Queen Bee is." "The Queen Bee?" Something was going strangely wrong. An unexpected situation happened, and the cause was not the A-ss viin Lee Minseong, but the queen bee. That dungeon was a ce where there were no boss mobs. Howe there was a new boss mob suddenly? ''Was it by chance, Lee Minseong?'' Confirmed from the CCTV footage, he had something like insect wings attached to his back. Regardless of what skill it was, if all of this was done by Lee Minseong, it would make sense. A hunter, who was talking to Baek Miho, pointed to one side with his finger. There were stairs going down to the basement. "That was where Hunter Sung Suho went down to." "So that means that Queen Bee is underground." Baek Miho nodded with a stern expression. It seemed that the situation would be clear only after going downstairs. She looked back at the reinforcements she had brought and ordered them. "Some of you evacuate these people outside, and the rest will go with me to catch the Queen Bee." * * * At that time, Suho went down the stairs to the basement of Times Square. "Is it you?" It felt like the air around the area stopped at that cold word. 20 ckncers rose from Suho''s shadow all at once. [Krrrk!] The shadowncers took a stance as if they would charge forward at any moment. However, despite such a hideous sight, ''she'' did not lose herposure. She sat cross-legged in front of a table in a cafe entwined with thorns andzily tilted her teacup. "Would you like to sit down for a while?" A clear and calm voice handed over an empty seat to Suho. "Sure." Suho sat on the chair in front of her. Then, in that threatening atmosphere, it became quiet. "Would you like a cup of tea? It''s sweet honey tea. It is also a tea with special honey made by myself." [Ehh! How dare a flying insect offer?!!] Beru suddenly thrust his face in and let out a ferocious roar. Although he was still as big as a fist, the woman was genuinely surprised by that. "Oh my goodness. Now I see that you have a great bodyguard?" [Khm. I''m not great.] Beru crossed his arms with an air of pride at those words. The woman could not take her eyes off Beru''s appearance. An ant the size of a fist whose body glows with ck steam. However, the strength of bugs is independent of their size. Rather, it was a world where one should not be ignored the smaller and weaker it looked. ''He is the first bug I saw next to Querehsha that has this kind of presence...'' The woman was confused. Beru''s aura was very strange. His presence was obviously enormous, but he could feel the instability in the energy flowing out. "What are you guys doing? Blind date?" Watching the two stare at each other with strange eyes, Suho smirks with a mocking expression. The woman who came to her senses suddenly greeted Suho politely. "Oh, sorry. My name is Arsha. May I ask your name?" "Sung Suho." "Then, I will call you Mr. Suho." "Mr?" "Yes. If I act arrogantly, I think I will be scolded by this ant." [Khem. You have a good eye when ites to insects.] Beru said with the most evil expression on his face. Chapter 66 - 66

Chapter 66:

"Are you the Queen Bee?" Arsha smiled and nodded. "Yes. I am the queen bee you were looking for." "What''s your rtionship with Querehsha?" She smiled at Suho''s direct question. "You know the Monarch well. Let''s say it''s just like how you are the Fang Monarch''s descendant." "..." "Oh my, what''s with that look on your face? You smell like an animal all over your body. Did you really think I wouldn''t notice? I am not stupid." "...?" For a moment, Suho was at a loss for words at Arsha''s meaningful gaze. Swoosh. Just in time, a divine wind swept through Suho''s pure white hair. [The King of Beasts, Fang Monarch, grabs his belly and thumps on the floorughing at the Queen Bee.] The real descendant of the Fang Monarch has now possessed Suho''s body. "By the way, it''s a bit disappointing that the descendant of the Fang Monarch took away the worker bees I worked so hard for. Could it be the power of the Fang Monarch, the famous ''Contempt for the Weak''? Overpowering beasts weaker than himself? Right?" "..." No. It was all wrong. None of them fit. Why did she keep talking nonsense with that expression? [The King of Beasts, Fang Monarch, grabs his stomach and thumps again.] ''Stopughing. It was just ack of information, she''s probably not that stupid.'' Suho didn''t know why but he felt embarrassed for her, so he made an excuse for Arsha instead. [It is natural to misunderstand.] Just in time, Beru delivered a message directly into Suho''s head so Arsha couldn''t hear it. [As I said before, in order for a descendant of a monarch to exist, the monarch must die first to create that vacancy. But the victor of the war, the Shadow Monarch, is still alive...] ''That means no one will think of me as a descendant of the Shadow Monarch. It''s actually like that.'' Although Beru had always called Suho Young Master, strictly speaking he is only the son of the Shadow Monarch and not the official sessor. In the first ce, a descendant of the Shadow Monarch could not exist in the world. Because Sung Jinwoo, the ruler of death, will never die. The clear evidence of that was Suho''s status window. [Status Window] Name: Sung Suho Level: 28 upation: None If Suho was the official sessor, there was no way that the upation column would remain nk. There was more evidence. Those shadow soldiers standing firmly behind Suho. Since Suho was not a monarch, he could notmand an entire army. So at best, he could only release shadow soldiers for his daily tasks. After a day, they would go back to nothing... There was no need to exin those to Arsha. It was normal to see her misleading herself. ''Let''s see how it turns out.'' Suho asked Arsha a question instead of an answer. "So you''re saying you''re a descendant of Querehsha?" "Hmm. Well. In fact, all of us bugs are her descendants. Querehsha is one and a colony. She is the mother of all bugs ." "If you turn your back, you will die." [Actually, the words are being twisted, Young Master...] Suho ignored Beru''s whispers for a moment. "Oh my goodness. So scary." As Suho''s sharp gaze, Arsha raised both hands in an exaggerated gesture of surrender. Then an amazing sight unfolded. Wiiiing- Arsha''s hands were split into numerous bees and scattered. [How dare you...!] Beru''s hand, furious at the moment, quickly wafted through the air. That caused several small bees tond on the table. The remaining bees coalesced back to Arsha and turned into hands again. Beru''s eyes squinted. [It''s something that weak bugs often do to protect themselves.] "Is that the basis of the struggle to survive?" "Where''s the main body?" "Oh. You''re not surprised at all." Even in that situation, Suho remained calm. He, too... ''I couldn''t see the name tag from the beginning.'' Instead of the name Arsha, Suho saw something else. There were name tags of the numerous [Contaminated Wasps] that have gathered around Arsha''s body. "Yes, that''s right. I left for here right away. One of the worker bees I worked hard to raise rebelled against me and decided to move the hive." "Worker? Could it be..." "Correct. Vice President Lee Minseong, who is a hot issue these days." Arsha answers with a small sigh. Her gaze suddenly turned to the shadowncers standing behind Suho. "You know what? Thosencers were once human too. I fed royal jelly to the men who came to Earth and approached me with a dark heart, and they evolved into worker bees." "Royal Jelly? What is that?" "It is the power of the queen bee." The queen bee Arsha had ''poison'' that she had in her body since she was born. A special poison named Royal Jelly. The poison is sweet like honey, but the moment it enters the body of the host, it transforms the host into a loyal worker bee that only follows the queen bee. "However, the conditions for making them worker bees are quite difficult." "Condition?" "Yes. Those who cannot withstand the toxicity of royal jelly die immediately, and those who have some degree of immunity rot alive." Rot... Is it like the arm of Gu Dongjae? ''I did a good job cutting it right away.'' ordingly, catching just anyone and feeding them royal jelly did not mean that all of them would evolve into worker bees. At first, Arsha also had to go through a lot of trial and error. "So I set up a bar and kept feeding royal jelly to random people. Then, I just knew." Those who meekly epted the power of the queen bee and willingly gave up on humans to be worker bees. They had one thing inmon. "Craving." Arsha''s eyes glimmered. "People who have stronger desires than others give up being human very easily." "..." Every human being has desires. However, the amount of the desire was different for each person, and the types were diverse. Among them, especially those who have ''strong'' desire. i.e. Hunter. "So, among the hunters, I found those who were not satisfied with their strength and wanted to be stronger somehow. Oh, they were easy to find. When I threw the bait, they came on their own." Suho immediately realized what that method was. "Stardust..." "That''s right. If you fed royal jelly to hunters who use stardust, the healthiest worker bees were born. Coincidentally, Vice President Lee Minseong also distributed stardust." Looking back, Lee Minseong was a good worker for Arsha in many ways. Even when he was human, he was very helpful, but in fact, the thing she looked forward to the most was when he became a real worker bee. He was a person who aspired to be an S-ss, even though he had the strength of an A-ss. "So I really put a lot of effort into raising him." If he was unqualified, he would die, so he spent time and adapted to royal jelly little by little. Like a vine. A small amount of poison was fed daily. "But I guess he ate too much. The vine was too strong. He ended up running away from me." [He ran away?] Beru was the first to react to those words. A worker bee running away from the queen bee? For an ant serving a great king, it was an act that could not be dared to imagine. "Yes. He became a worker bee, but a kind worker bee that was born and refused to be a worker of the queen." Arsha let out a deep sigh with a really embarrassed expression. "Maybe he even wants to imitate me, so he started gathering his own legion. On the subject of failure." "...!" Legion. Suho''s expression stiffened at that familiar yet ominous word. * * * Outside Times Square ... Unusual signs were happening all over the city. "Ugh..." Did he drink too much? Citizens whispered as they watched a passer-by clutching his throbbing head while staggering. "Why is that person like that?" "I don''t know. He''s a hunter, right? He''s wearing armor." "Hey, hey. Let''s avoid getting involved in trouble for nothing." Among the hunters, there were often such people. Those who suddenly awakened as high-ranking hunters, became wealthy overnight, and lost control. If civilian people were involved with them, their lives could be really in danger with no exaggeration. People whispered and secretly began to distance themselves from the hunter. Right then. The hunter, who was walking in a strange posture, turned his head toward the people. Chills. "...!" A rotting face like a corpse was exposed. "I-It''s..." Theplexion of the people who saw it quickly became pale. Eventually, the hunter''s mouth opened wide and he attacked the citizens. "Geuuhuh-!" "Kyaaaagh!" "Monster-!" Screams spread like mes at the sudden appearance of a humanoid monster. But screams wereing from other alleys as well. It wasn''t just one guy. * * * The association has an emergency. -Dozens of viins are attacking citizens! Let the attackers closest to the scene mobilize immediately! Team leader Han Jaehyeok, who was tracking Lee Minseong, was given an order from the upper level. "These crazy bastards! Why are there so many viins these days!" Han Jaehyeok immediately dragged his men and moved directly to the ce where the viins appeared. "Ahhh..!" The scene was a mess. Bodies dying in a gruesome manner. Viins stepping past them. ''No, they''re not viins.'' Chills. Arriving at the scene, Han Jaehyeok, who finally confirmed their appearance, got goosebumps. Viin was a term referring to an awakened person who became a criminal. But the moment he saw them, his instincts were giving him a strong warning. "That" is not human. Like Mist Burn, those who were once human but have turned into demonic beasts. The association recently gave them a new name. Mutant. "Geuuhuh!" Just in time, the mutants, rotting like corpses, discovered the association''s hunters and started attacking them. The battle started, and Han Jaehyuk hurriedly picked up his walkie-talkie and shouted while deploying his defense skills. "Reporting! They''re not viins, they''re mutants! Conversation seemspletely impossible, and we don''t have enough power...!" "Ahh!" At the same time, an association hunter who was evacuating citizens was attacked and fell down. Then, the mutants rushed towards him as he fell. "Why are you so strong!" Han Jaehyeok, who was radioing, witnessed the scene a stepter and jumped in hastily. Right then. "Open fire." Swoosh-! A rain of arrows suddenly fell down from the sky. "That''s...!" It was truly spectacr. The pouring arrows evaded people and hit only the bodies of the mutants. Surprised, Han Jaehyuk looked back. There, the hunters of the famous Reaper Guild aim their bows at once. "Lee Minseong isn''t there, what kind of situation is this again?" Lim Taegyu was standing in the middle of them with a stern expression. He checked the appearances of the mutants one by one and then screamed. "Why did our guild members end up like this here?!" The mutants that appeared on the streets were all members of the Reaper Guild who had been kidnapped by Lee Minseong. Chapter 67 - 67

Chapter 67:

"Lee Minseong, that bastard..." Somehow, only the hunters of the Reaper Guild were kidnapped without getting killed. Lim Taegyu was furious. When he remembered Lee Minseong''s usual behavior, he realized what he wanted to do. He had been frantic to upgrade his position even within the Reaper Guild all along. To be higher than Taegyu, his friend and the guild leader! ''I don''t know what kind of skills you bought with money, but did you have to take our members to be your subordinates and even made them look like this?! What the hell are you... What are you doing this for?!'' Looking at the mutants who had already lost their human appearance, Lim Taegyu gnashed his teeth and pulled the bowstring. Swook-! Magical arrows were created along with blue air currents in the S-ss weapon, ''Reaper''s Bow''. One, two, three, four. Swoosh! Swoosh! A total of five magic arrows flew in different directions and pierced the scattered bodies of the mutants. Screams came out from the mouths of the mutants who were once in the same guild as him but now became monsters. For some reason, Lim Taegyu seemed to hear that scream like a painful cry. "Ahhh...!" However, the mutants moved even with Lim Taegyu''s arrows stuck in their bodies. He was taken aback by their tenacity. Perhaps because they were senior hunters before they were mutants, their physical abilities were considerable. Besides, since they were still wearing the armor when they were kidnapped, it seemed unreasonable to be able to kill them with one or two arrows. Lim Taegyu gritted his teeth and looked back at the fine guild members he had brought. They were hesitant to attack as their colleagues who they had beenughing and chatting with until a few days ago had turned into monsters. Lim Taegyu shouted as he pulled the bowstring again. "Don''t hesitate! Those mutants are not human! They''re not the guys we used to know anymore!" "Y-Yes, Sir!" "It''s useless to empathize because they have already be zombies! Target their legs to slow down their movements, then cut off their limbs!" "...!" The guild members, who were brought under the extremely cruel yet resolute order, gritted their teeth and took up their weapons. Even in such a situation, being decisive was the true character of Lim Taegyu, an S-ss hunter who had led the Reaper Guild up until now. The guild members who came to their senses at his lightning-like shouts began to attack the mutants urgently. "Is this what the Reaper Guild is like..." Association hunters who were rescuing citizens admired their performance. The Vice President''s issue was still the same, having many controversies... but, the Reaper Guild was still the Reaper Guild. One of the top guilds in Korea. Its potential was most evident in emergency situations like that. "Ahhh...!" But the problem is that the mutants were also members of the Reaper Guild. Even though they lost their minds and became monsters, the experiences engraved in their bodies did not easily disappear. "Mutants spread! Hide!" The mutants escaped the Reaper Guild''s attack and hid inside the building. Soon after, the citizens inside the building became their victims. "Kyaaaagh!" "P-Please save...!" The guild members who saw the unexpected counterattack of the mutants were perplexed. "Stop!" "Don''t let them enter the building!" Eventually, they chased the screamsing from all over the building. That was a trap. Wiiiing-! "W-What?!" "There is a swarm of bees in the building...!" Contaminated wasps waiting for the hunters to enter the building attacked. "Wasps?!" "These are not ordinary bees! They are insect-type monsters!" "Poison! Never get stung by the bees!" Things got messy. They chase the mutants and enter the building. Then, there was a swarm of bees. No matter how well-trained the Reaper Guild was, it was inevitable to panic in such a situation. Lim Taegyu realized. Unlike the appearance of mutants, they were moving strategically. This meant that someone was manipting them from behind. It was obvious who it was. "Lee! Min! Seong!" A scream filled with magic erupted from Lim Taegyu''s mouth. "Where are you?! Where are you hiding?!" The echoing voice of the S-ss hunter shook the air like a shock wave and shattered the windows of the buildings. "Your ears! Cover your ears!" Association hunters shouted urgently while rescuing citizens. At the center of the chaos, Lim Taegyu held the Reaper''s Bow and aimed towards the sky. Multi-shots. Swoosh! Swoosh!Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh! Numerous arrows with magical power shot toward the sky and fell to the ground in a parabolic arc like a fountain. Some of the arrows hit the top of the heads of mutants who were roaming the streets. Some of the arrows prated the broken windows and into the torso of the mutants who were attacking people inside. Not a single arrow among them identally harmed the citizens. "Woah..." Team Leader Han Jaehyeok of the Association Hunter could not keep his mouth shut at that amazing skill. "If they had something like this, they should''ve used it sooner..." Even with that said, there was a huge gap in such skills. It was understandable that Lim Taegyu cherished that. The effect was certain. "Ack...!" The mutants whose bodies were pierced by the arrows could not even get up and struggled on the floor. The arrow threaded their entire torso to the floor and fixed them as they were. The Reaper Guild members rushed at them and cut off their limbs. Their colleagues who they wereughing and chatting with just a few days ago... "I''m sorry, Jaeseob." "I...!" Killed. The association hunters breathed a sigh of relief. With the help of the Reaper Guild, the number of mutants was noticeably decreasing. ''Good. At this rate, sooner orter this ce will be tidied up.'' But that was then... Something odd happened. "Ack..." A sound was suddenly heard from somewhere. There was Lim Taegyu, looking down at the sword that pierced his stomach with a puzzled expression. His mind was blurry. ''It''s poison.'' However, what surprised Lim Taegyu more than that was the fact that he did not see iting. Who the hell could deceive the senses of an S-ss hunter and attack from behind! He immediately looked back and confirmed the identity of the person who stabbed him, and his mind went nk. "Cough. W-Why did you.." The person didn''t simply attack from behind. Ever since, ''he'' had been standing right behind him. Always had. "Sorry, boss." "Secretary Oh..." Secretary Oh, who had stabbed Lim Taegyu, smirked. "It''s still too early. Vice President Lee Minseong needs to be a little more aggressive." * * * Suho asked Arsha. "You don''t seem to care much about that, do you?" Even though Lee Minseong is imitating the queen bee and creating her own army, Arsha, the real queen bee, seemed unconcerned. "Ugh. I''m pretty perplexed. Was he really a hard-raised worker bee?" "Then, you should have sent thencers to catch him as soon as he ran away." "I was going to do that at first too. But no matter how much I send ordinaryncers, I can''t do anything about him." The contaminatedncers were C-ss or lower level hunters. No matter how many of such worker bees went after him, it was impossible to catch Lee Minseong, who was an A-ss hunter. Just like how Suho defeated them all and arrived at that ce. Arsha frowned, crossed her legs, corrected her posture, and sat down. "I also have a lot of headaches, too. Originally, my n was to quietly hide here and follow in the footsteps of Querehsha. So I lived a really quiet life." "The number ofncers you had was too many for that." "This is rather small. I gathered them up little by little so that I wouldn''t get caught in the association. If I had nned to collect them quickly, wouldn''t I have collected 100 times more?" "I guess so." Suho agreed with that. As he heard, the way to make ancer was simple. Feed them royal jelly. Nothing more, nothing less. If one was lucky enough to take in royal jelly well (?), they would be ancer, otherwise they would die. "Actually, it takes a lot of work. First, I have to tame each bee that lives on Earth into my own power, and I have to put my royal jelly in the bee sting." [Those wordsing from a queen bee, don''t you sound like a beekeeper instead?] Beru unintentionally mocked Arsha with an innocent look. Arsha looked a little hurt. "I couldn''t help it. Crossing the dimensional rift, I lost all of my worker bees, so I had to find new ones, one by one." "You must have had a hard time. I''m sorry. I killed all thencers you worked so hard for today. Lee Minseong also ran away." "Apologizing with an expression that doesn''t feel sorry at all..." Arsha responded in a bewildered manner at Suho''s soulless apology, Then she smiled and crossed her arms proudly. "Well, it''s okay. Although Lee Minseong, whom I worked hard to raise, became a disloyal worker and ran away, his instincts are still working faithfully for me." "For you?" "Yes. He must still be working hard to make me the Queen of Insects. Of course, you may not be aware of it yourself." "..." At Arsha''s words, Suho felt a strange sense of deja vu. ording to the Baekho Guild''s briefing, all Minseong did in the past few days was raiding and kidnapping hunters. ''Why did he kidnap the hunters to create his own legion, and kill?'' Ah. ''What if killing people is the goal itself?'' A sh of light struck Suho''s head momentarily. He finally realized. To seed the dead monarch. To be the new monarch. He has seen that process before. [The King of Beasts, Fang Monarch, chuckles and looks at his pontifex.] Just in time, as if in response to that realization, Rakan sent a message. Suho said while ring at Arsha, who was sitting peacefully despite losing all his ground. "You need a sacrifice." Flinch. "As many offerings as possible to hold a sacrifice for the dead Querehsha." "..." Suho was convinced when he saw Arsha''s reaction as her expressions gradually hardened at his words. "Lee Minseong is performing the sword dance outside for you right now. Seeing how only hunters are killed, I guess Querehsha needs a sacrifice imbued with magic." "... Well, it would be strange if you didn''t know that. It may be different, but you must have done something simr to be a descendant of the Fang Monarch." He was a pontifex, not a descendant, but it was good. Suho shrugged and asked. "But, will you be okay? The Reaper Guild is firmly targeting Lee Minseong. If he stood still, I''m afraid he would be tied up in one barrel. Besides, to catch the A-ss Lee Minseong, of course, the S-ss guild leader would have to step up..." Stop. Suho then kept his mouth shut. Arsha, who had Lee Minseong by his side for a long time, could never have known that fact. The fact that if an S-ss hunter steps forward, Lee Minseong will be caught in an instant. She became uneasy. "You yourself nted the traitor, Lee Minseong, next to the Guild Leader." Flinch. Scared of Suho''s words, a genuine expression appeared for the first time on Arsha''s rxed face. Chapter 68 - 68

Chapter 68:

"Is that so... can''t be careless then." Arsha bursts intoughter. "Don''t tell me you can also see right through here." However, there was not even a hint ofughter in the eyes that red at Suho. Wiiiing- The swarm of bees that formed Arsha''s face kept scattering anding together, showing how perplexed she was right now. Suho smirked. "I must be right." "That''s enough for the conversation." Arsha suddenly stood up, so Suho asked teasingly. "Suddenly? Are you busy?" "Of course. I have to go collect the sacrifices that Lee Minseong killed, and look for a new beehive to move into." "Where are you moving? Did you find any ces?" "Wherever that ce is, Mr. Suho won''t be able to find it." "That''s sad. I was thinking of going to your housewarming party." "That would be impossible." None of them was backing out of the verbal battle. Looking back at Suho, Arsha said with a most gorgeous smile. "While we were chatting, this basement was filled with my poison." "Poison?" "Yes. It''s a colorless, odorless poison made with great care, so even a descendant of the Fang Monarch would not have noticed." The reason why Arsha talked with Suho in that ce was to buy time for her poison to pratepletely deep into his body. Arsha''s smile towards Suho was gradually turning into a cruel one. "If you enter the queen bee''s nest with your own feet, you either leave as a worker bee or a prey. So, let''s bid our farewell here..." [Kehehe.] "... Huh?" But, why? [Kehehehe.] For some reason, the little ant, Beru, was giggling on the table holding his stomach. Augh that contained a much deeper mockery than before. On the other hand, unlike Beru, Suho was not smiling at all. Just like when he first came down there, he just got up from his chair and stood side by side with Arsha and started talking. "Great. I''m thinking of going to Lee Minseong anyway, shall we go together?" "H-How...?!" Arsha, who was confident in her own poison, hurriedly moved away from Suho as if she had been burned. She couldn''t feel the slightest bit of poison from Suho. Even at that moment, Suho was supposedly being poisoned in real time. But... [A harmful ingredient has been detected.] [The detoxification begins with the effect of ''Blessing: Great Spellcaster Kandiaru''s Protection.''] [Detoxification has beenpleted.] [Detoxification has beenpleted.] [Detoxification has beenpleted.] ... Detoxification messages rained down in front of Suho''s eyes. "No way! Withstanding my poison?! Such a power...!" Seeing Suho like that, Arsha cried out in shock. "Did you really get hold of another Querehsha relic?" Arsha watched him fight thencers earlier through the bees. At the end, like thencers, Arsha thought that Suho could have obtained a relic. However, it was only a possibility, and the possibility of a mere human obtaining the relic of a great monarch was extremely slim. But, this made it clear. It was impossible to withstand such poison unless he had inherited a relic left by the gue Monarch. "If you are already a descendant of the Fang Monarch, why are you still aiming for the position of sessor to Querehsha!" [...] "..." Arsha''s confidence made Beru and Suho look sad. It was hard to counter what she knew because they felt bad. [The King of Beasts, Fang Monarch, grabs his stomach and stomps his feet whileughing.] "Let''s go, Beru." Suho ignored Arsha and turned his back. He heard everything he wanted to hear, so there was no reason to be there anymore. "Answer me before you go!" Hearing Arsha''s words from behind, Suho suddenly looked back and his eyes lit up. "I''ll tell you the answer the next time I meet your body." ''However, you won''t be able to be safe then unlike today.'' The meaning behind that would have been conveyed enough without having to say it. Suho climbs the stairs straight to the ground floor. Looking at his back, Arsha gritted her teeth with a look of resentment. How dare you show your back defenselessly in front of me. That''s what it means to be confident. ''He stole all my worker bees, and the poison doesn''t work? If it goes like this...'' Wasn''t that human being more like a queen bee than herself? ''This can''t be. I must hurry up the sacrifice.'' At that point, whether it was Lee Minseong or Sung Suho, the anxiety that the sessor might be taken away by someone came over. Arsha''s body shattered. Wiiiiing- Citizens witnessed countless bees flying somewhere like smoke in Times Square. * * * [Are you leaving that stupid queen behind?] "It''s not even the body, so why bother staying there? Lee Minseong is more of the problem now." In Suho''s eyes, Arsha''s beautiful appearance was just a cluster of bees. If he caught a few of those bees, he wouldn''t get much experience, and above all, Arsha didn''t seem to be a trouble. [Well, since all thencers she worked so hard to collect are gone, she''s going to hide quietly for a while. It is the fate of a queen bee to hide in a beehive for the rest of her life...] "Release the strong spirit." To save mana, Suho also let go of the blessing. [''Blessing'' is canceled.] Swook. The spiritual wind that had been swirling around Suho''s body calmed down, and his hair, which had been bleached silver and fluttering, returned to ck again. Until a little while ago, he had maintained his strength while dealing with the queen bee, but he needed to save mana until he found Lee Minseong. "Hnnggg!" [''Pet: Gray''s spiritual body leaves the body of the priest.] "Go back in." "Hnnng?" Suho sent Gray, who had fallen out of his body, back to the Shadow Dungeon. Thud. Right then. "Hunter Sung Suho! Are you alright?!" In front of Suho, who had juste up to the first floor, he ran into Baekho Guild members who were just about to go down to the basement. Baek Miho, who was in the lead, quickly checked Suho''s condition. Then she tilted her head. ''They said his hair was bleached, but it''s now ck. Did he stop casting his skill?'' Baek Miho, who wanted to see with his own eyes whether Suho had really used the Beast Transformation skill, felt regretful. She could ask him directly if he had the Beast Transformation skill, but right now there were a lot of more important issues than that. First of all, Suho was the only one not wearing a gas mask in that area full of poison mist. ''He gave gas masks to his colleagues and disappeared! Could it be that he even gave up his gas mask to his colleagues?'' Baek Miho couldn''t just ignore Suho''s spirit of sacrifice (?). "Please give this person a gas mask as soon as possible." "Yes, Vice President!" At Baek Miho''s instruction, a guild member took out a gas mask from his bag and tried to put it on Suho''s face. However, Suho politely declined and continued on his way. "No, thanks. I''m a bit busy right now, so I have to get out of here right away." "It is the same for us. Other hunters are also evacuating outside... More than that, what the hell happened here?" Baek Miho followed Suho as he was about to leave Times Square, asking questions. "The other hunters said that you saved them, but how..." "Now is not the time for such small talk." Suho interrupted Baek Miho with a serious expression. "We need to find and stop Lee Minseong immediately." "What? Suddenly? What..." Right then. "Vice President! Headquarters has contacted you!" A Baekho Guild member who was holding a cell phone behind him urgently called Baek Miho. "Right now, Lee Minseong is carrying out a massacre in the streets..." "...!" "...!" Both Suho and Baek Miho''s heads turned at the same time. Thud! No matter who came first, the two started running towards the exit of thebyrinth. "W-Wait for us, Vice President!" The startled Baekho Guild members followed them one stepter. All of a sudden, they felt strange. "Wait, didn''t you say that person was C-ss?" "Why is he so fast?!" Surprisingly, Suho was running at almost the same speed as Baek Miho, an A-ss hunter. Baek Miho, who was running right next to him, was even more shocked. ''Huh? His profile clearly says he''s a summoning hunter?'' He had not yet transformed into a beast, his main skill. In addition, because this ce was a windingbyrinth, it was impossible to sprint in a straight line. However, apart from this and that, Suho''s current speed was by no means that of a C-ss summoning hunter. Coincidentally, Suho was thinking the same thing while looking at Baek Miho. ''She''s fast. An A-ss hunter after all.'' He suddenly remembered Lee Minseong, whom he was going to catch now, was also an A-ss hunter. Just as much as queen bee Arsha had regrets, Lee Minseong would have been different from thencers made only of C-ss or lower level hunters. ''If he made up his mind and ran away, it might been a little annoying.'' Besides, doesn''t Lee Minseong even have wings? ''Oh, I had a good idea.'' "Baek Miho." "Yes?!" Suho called her right next to him, so Baek Miho looked at him in surprise. "How long do you think it will take to go all the way from here to Lee Minseong?" "Running?" "Obviously. Did you think of going by car? There will be traffic at this hour." "Ah." After the cataclysm, traffic jams in Seoul became severe. This was because the gates were opened at several major subway stations and the train lines were cut off. In an emergency like now, it was much faster to run. Baek Miho, who understood Suho''s intentions, calcted the distance for a while and answered confidently. "I think 20 minutes will be enough if I run at full power! How about you?" Suho could feel thepetitive spirit in the provocative eyes looking at him. Even though they were running side by side now, it was a grounded confidence that if they changed into beasts and sprinted, they would be vastly faster than they were now. "Well, after all. You''re an A-ss." Suho raised his thumb in genuine admiration. And with a more pure expression, he suggested to Baek Miho, "I''m afraid I''ll be much slower than that, so why don''t you carry me on your back?" "... What?" Baek Miho doubted her ears. Chapter 69 - 69

Chapter 69:

In order for Suho to sprint, he had to use several buff skills that reduce mana in real time. The used mana can be restored with a potion, but no one knows what it would be like if they arrived in front of Lee Minseong. ''I have to conserve my physical strength as much as possible, so that I can go straight into battle as soon as I arrive.'' He decided to use Baek Miho, who was nearby. "... Carry?" "Yes." "You? Hunter Sung Suho?" "Yes. You''re on the way there anyway, so please give me a ride." "I mean, wait! How could you ask that very casually...?!" Baek Miho was greatly taken aback when Suho tried to climb on her back right away. "A-Are you serious?" "Is this the time for a leisurely joke then?" "Wow." Baek Miho was stunned by Suho''s brazenness. Looking at those serious eyes, it seemed that he was not joking at all. Suho wasn''t even joking in the first ce, but what crazy person would dare to say nonsense to the Vice President of the Baekho Guild? He just asked her to carry him! Like she was some kind of a taxi or what! "I have to stock up on my physical strength as much as possible until I meet Lee Minseong." "Then what about my physical strength?!" "For an A-ss hunter, carrying me on your back won''t reduce your physical strength or mana, right?" "Yeah, but..." "d to hear that. I''m a C-ss hunter, and my physical strength was exhausted. I can''t rest first before fighting as soon as I get there, right?" Does that... make sense?! ''No! It doesn''t make sense, obviously it doesn''t but...'' Baek Miho was strangely kind of being persuaded by Suho''s words. They were in such an urgent situation that she couldn''t afford to refute every word he said. Even if they weren''t, she was feeling a strange ''pressure and intimidation'' from Suho that could not be expressed in words. Yes, that feeling was like... ''Why does it feel like facing my father...'' [The King of Beasts, Fang Monarch, giggles and looks at Baek Miho.] Baek Miho did not realize that now, from afar, the greatest King of Beasts was looking down at her. The spirit of the mighty predator was secretly flowing through Suho, the pontifex, and putting pressure on Baek Miho. She finally closed her eyes and shouted. "Alright! It''s a waste of time to argue like this right now...!" Swoosh! "Oh." [Ehh?] Baek Miho''s whole body overflowed with the beast''s energy. Suho and Beru''s eyes lit up at the same time. No wonder Rakan had been watching her from the Realm of Death before. ''If it wasn''t for me, this person could have been the pontifex of Rakan.'' Foxy. A mysterious ability that strengthens the human body like a beast. He heard rumors that if Baek Yunho, the guild leader of the Baekho [White Tiger] Guild, increased this power to the extreme, he would turn into a white tiger. But Baek Miho... "Fox?" Swoosh. Baek Miho engulfed the energy of an animal, transformed into an agile fox-like figure and looked down proudly at Suho. Fluffy white hair. The pure white aura flowing over her created fox-like ears and a tail. "Great. I''ll get on then." Baek Miho''s eyes shook for a moment at Suho unhesitantly getting on her back. ''He wasn''t overwhelmed by my energy? A C-ss hunter like him?'' There was a hierarchy that was determined instinctively among hunters who use the same Beast Transformation skill. It was possible to suppress or ignore that instinct with human will and guts, but it was normal to react like the members of the Baekho Guild behind them. "Keugh! V-Vice President...!" The Baekho Guild members were feeling the energy radiating from Baek Miho and were extremely shocked as theirplexions turned white. Like beasts facing a stronger predator. But Suho was different. Tak-tak! "Come on, let''s go! Hurry!" "..." Like a cicada attached to an old tree, Suho was sitting peacefully on Baek Miho''s back. Even on top of that cicada, there is one more smaller and louder cicada... [Can''t we get going now, fox?] "... Hold on tight." Baek Miho bit her teeth hard and her eyes shed. "Because I will run with all my might." Swoosh! "...!" At that moment, Baek Miho''s new appearance, carrying Suho, became a ray of light and shot forward. * * * It was not as easy as a hunter thought to sprint in the city center. The problem is the people who roam on the streets. The moment an awakener brushes against one of them while running, ordinary people would literally bounce off like bowling pins. For a traffic ident, it was more dangerous than being hit by a dump truck. After the Cataclysm, such incidents were frequent. It was a case where rookies who had just awakened run around intoxicated with their own power, and unintentionally caused major idents. However, with theunch of the Hunter Association, the Hunter Law was created, and since then, there have been few cases where hunters sprinted recklessly on the road. No matter how confident one was in their physical abilities, they would tend to use normal transportation whenever possible. But in an emergency like now, things were different. ''Move on the top of the buildings as much as possible!'' Baek Miho, with Suho on her back, was moving by leaping over the buildings. Her speed was so fast that ordinary people could not dare to follow her with their eyes. "Huh? Right there..." "Oh? What? I don''t see anything though?" "... Did I see it wrong?" She was so fast that even if someone recognized her from a distance and tried to take a picture, she would already disappear by that time. Suho was genuinely admiring Baek Miho''s movements. ''Surely fast. Is this the A-ss level?'' Through that, Suho was estimating the level of Lee Minseong to fight withter on. [Whew. She''s a pretty nimble fox. I will ride often in the future.] "Beru, it''s rude to say that." "..." Baek Miho pursed her lips in anger at the conversation behind her back. Summoning hunters and summons were shameless. "But really, at this speed, we should arrive in 20 minutes." [That''s right.] As the conversation continued, Baek Miho finally opened her mouth. "Did you really think of me as a taxi...?!" It was then. "But." Suho looked at Beru and said, "The sooner the better." Beru''s eyes squinted and he smiled evilly. [Aye. Got it.] Ring! [Beru uses ''Skill: Harsh Command''.] ...! The harshmander, Broki and the buff skill Beru acquired was activated. Since this buff was a skill that only applied to beasts, it could also be used on the ''beast'' that Suho was riding at this moment. [''Skill: Harsh Command'' increases Miho Baek''s stats by 50%.] [As a side effect of ''Skill: Harsh Command'', Baek Miho is cursed with madness.] "...!" Baek Miho''s eyes suddenly changed. A furious rage bubbled up from the depths of her heart and rose to the top of her head. She was unaware if that rage was because of Suho and Beru''s chatter, or because of the unknown buff skill. "... Grrr!" The moment she surrendered to that emotion, her body felt like it was about to fly. Swoosh-! "Great!" [Kehehe!] Raging. Totally. * * * Suho seeded in arriving at the scene in 10 minutes. [''Skill: Harsh Command'' is canceled.] "Are you okay?" "... Yeah." Baek Miho came back to her senses and looked a little tired, perhaps because she had worked harder than usual. She was at a level where she recovered quickly with just a little breath. More important than that was the situation they arrived at. "What the hell is this..." Baek Miho looked at the scene unfolding in front of her with a serious expression. Bizarre-looking mutants were attacking citizens. The hunters were busy trying to stop them, but the problem was that the citizens who were corrupted by the mutants were gradually rotting and turning into new mutants. The situation seemed to get out of hand if it was not resolved quickly. "Oh my god. A zombie apocalypse in the middle of the city..." "No. They are not zombies." Baek Miho''s words were immediately corrected by Suho. "It''s a ghoul." In Suho''s eyes, the name tags were clearly visible above the heads of the mutants. [Contaminated Ghoul] [Contaminated Ghoul] [Contaminated Ghoul] ... Zombies and ghouls arepletely different. If zombies were walking corpses, ghouls were rather like vampires. To be precise, a food demon. In other words, if vampires consume human blood, ghouls consume human flesh. Above all, what made them different from zombies was that ghouls were not dead bodies, so they were not stupid. But for some reason, the ghouls there were more interested in killing people than consuming them. And the victims who were attacked by them rose up as new ghouls while their flesh gradually rotted away... like zombies. ''These guys'' purpose was not a simple massacre.'' The Royal jelly that Queen Bee Arsha used to increase her soldiers. A powerful poisonous aura was felt from the contaminated ghouls. ''As Arsha said, Lee Minseong is now gathering more ghouls to form his own legion.'' Suho, who quickly grasped the situation, looked at Beru. "Beru." [Yes.] "Can you find Lee Minseong?" [I have already found him.] Beru''s antennae, which had been bobbing nonstop since earlier, stopped abruptly. Following the directions indicated, Suho and Baek Miho simultaneously raised their heads and looked up. And at the same time, their expressions hardened. It was dark even under themp. There was a 40-story residentialmercialplex right in front of them. A huge beehive had been built on the upper floors of the high-rise building, which could only be seen if you looked up. "... You mean, there''s Lee Minseong up there?" Baek Miho, who heard the conversation between the two, widened her eyes and clenched her fists. Tremendous momentum surged from her whole body. "Hunter Sung Suho! Let''s move separately from now on. I''ll raid that hive, and you stay here..." "It looks like the electricity has been cut off, can you go up the stairs to the top?" "I will take care of that. You st-?!" "Wait." Suho grabbed Baek Miho by the back as she tried to run straight into the building. "W-What?!" She looked back at Suho with a flushed face in embarrassment, and Suho smiled and said, "You gave me a ride on the way here, so I''ll give you a ride this time." "Kiyaaah!" Baek Miho looked back in shock when someone suddenly lifted her body up. "...!" [Shadow Lancer Lv.1] General ss [Shadow Lancer Lv.1] General ss Just in time, the ckncers rose from the shadows of Suho. A soldier the size of a man with ck steam took Suho and Miho Baek in their arms. "We don''t have time, so let''s fly." Chapter 70 - 70

Chapter 70:

10 minutes before Suho''s arrival. Numerous drones were flying over the city where the disaster urred. ¨C Suddenly appearing mutants are attacking the citizens! Real-time news with shocking content hit the country. ¨C Currently, the police hunters of the Hunter Association are quickly suppressing the situation...! No matter how hopeful the news was, the situation shown on the screen was not. Citizens were screaming and running away everywhere. Mutants were following them at breakneck speed and were attacking them. Also... "Kheuuaaah!" The wounds of the citizens bitten by them rot away at a rapid rate, where they even turn into new mutants right at the scene. ¨C Despite the struggles of the Association Hunters, the number of mutants is increasing rapidly! It was a so-called zombie apocalypse in the middle of the city. ¨C Currently, the Hunter Association is in the process of recruiting more troops to the field, but it will take some time for them to arrive! In the end, the problem was time. Overall, the ce where the disaster urred is in the middle of Seoul, where tens of thousands of citizens live. If thatrge poption turned into mutants, Korea would have no choice but to face an apocalypse. Even at that moment, several guilds were sending additional support, but their number wascking. The hunters were always busy, and it would take quite a while to arrive unless the hunters were nearby. Right then, something odd happened. ¨C Ah! This is the Reaper Guild! A drone camera suddenly appeared and captured the members of the Reaper Guild shooting magical arrows at the mutants. ¨C Guild leader Lim Taegyu of the Reaper Guild has arrived at the scene with his guild members! All the drones started taking close-ups of Lim Taegyu. He took the lead and began to actively help the struggling Association Hunters by directing the members of the Reaper Guild. ¨C Meanwhile, the Hunter Association is arguing that the root cause is viin Lee Minseong, who was the Vice President of the Reaper Guild...! At the same time, news began to appear on the Inte emphasizing that the cause of this incident was not the Reaper Guild, but solely Lee Minseong. Numerousments began to run under the articles. ¨C Does that make sense? ¨C They''re probably still all connected somehow. ¨C Did they cut ties with him? ¨C It seems that the Vice President lost it in a fit of anger. ¨C What if our country goes down? ¨C I''m d I live in the countryside. Public opinion had long since antagonized the guild. They were already seen in bad light due to rumors, so they were firmly stigmatized by the incident. However, even the maliciousmenters who cursed the guild had no choice but to admit one fact. Lim Taegyu, an S-ss hunter. The tremendous sight of the countless magic arrows he shoots at the mutants every moment was captured on the screen. ¨C Awesome. ¨C Lim Taegyu is amazing. ¨C S-ss are really different. ¨C If he had that skill, he should''ve quietly gone solo. Why bother creating a guild and receive swearing from the public? ¨C Information) His hunter skill and manager skills are different. ¨C Information) Lim Taegyu''s weapon is the ''Reaper''s Bow'', but the price is... Right then, the secretary standing behind Lim Taegyu made a strange move. ¨C Huh? ¨C Hey, wait! ¨C At his back! His back! ¨C Look behind you! Lim Taegyu was concentrating on the battle. The viewers who were watching him through drones were the first to sense something. However, Lim Taegyu was not able to see thements and was totally unguarded. Secretary Oh was standing behind him. ¨C That''s crazy! What was that? ¨C Betrayal? ¨C Was he Lee Minseong''s pawn? ¨C Why are you so helpless? ¨C Were S-ss hunters originally that weak? ¨C No way! ¨C Did he get poisoned? Viewers watching the news were in shock. Even S-ss hunters were not invincible. Even if their attack power and defense power were incredibly high, as long as they were human, if they were injured, they would be sick, and if they were fatally wounded, they would inevitably die. However, for those who did not know the details, it was hard to believe that the S-ss hunter was stabbed by a dagger and fell to his knees. "Keugh!" Surprised by the person he trusted, Lim Taegyu immediately pulled out the dagger stuck in his back. The psychological shock was greater than the physical pain. "Secretary Oh, why did you...?" Secretary Oh only put on a puzzled expression. "Boss, I am sorry. I have a great mission from the Queen." "W-What queen are you-" Suddenly, Taegyu Lim''s legs staggered. It was the poison. Not an ordinary poison, but an extreme poison. Secretary Oh bowed politely to Lim Taegyu. "Don''t strain yourself and ept it. The poison I used is the queen''s royal jelly." ''Royal... jelly?'' Memories shed through Lim Taegyu''s mind. ¨C Boss, it''s your birthday, right? Here''s a gift. ¨C Hey! A gift? What is it? ¨C It''s a high-quality liquor that I had a hard time getting through an acquaintance. Would you like to try it? ¨C Nice! The name is Royal Jelly, right? ¨C It''s good for your body. Secretary Oh gave Lim Taegyu a western liquor called ''Royal Jelly'' as a gift whenever he had a chance. Why does the name of the drink with a strangely sweet scente to his mind at a moment like that? Cheers! "...!" Lim Taegyu felt a tremendous headache. At the same time, a powerful message resonates in his head. ¨C Be loyal to the Queen! ¨C Be loyal to the Queen! "Ack!" Lim Taegyu threw away even the bow of the Reaper Guild and rolled on the floor holding his head with both hands. It was impossible for Royal Jelly, which had failed to control even Lee Minseong, to get through a higher-level hunter. "G-Get out of my head!" Grumble! Lim Taegyu screamed out loud as a huge aura swirled through his body. Secretary Oh hurriedly left from the sudden attack. However, Lim Taegyu had no time to care about him and fought against the voice who tried to devour his mind. "President!" A healer from the Reaper Guild, who noticed what was happening, approached Lim Taegyu and hurriedly healed him. However, it was not an ordinary poison that was consuming Lim Taegyu''s body. It was impossible to decipher with normal skills. "President! The ''heal'' doesn''t work! I think you have to drive out the poison with your own mana power!" "Mana..." His mana was already doing that. Lim Taegyu focused all his mana and fought against the energy of royal jelly. It seemed that if that process was broken even for a moment, his mind would be corrupted. "Ack! Don''t mind me, go see the other guild members! And catch that secretary who ran away! It seems like he was working under Lee Minseong!" "Yes, Sir!" After giving orders to his subordinates, Lim Taegyu sat down with his back leaning as he was out of breath. Fighting or anything, he couldn''t use any skills because he was suppressing the poison with his mana. It seemed that his mind would be subdued as soon as he used any skill. ''I have to counter it with mana power.'' But even that wasn''t easy. The ambush he just suffered was just a trigger. The high-quality liquor called royal jelly he had received from Secretary Oh had been umted in his body. Swoosh! Suho and Baek Miho arrived at the scene just in time. ''... Baek Miho?'' Lim Taegyu, who was fighting the poison, immediately recognized her. Baek Miho, the Vice President of the Baekho Guild, came! However... ''Who was she carrying on her back?'' What kind of person would the great Baek Miho carry? If he was such a talented person, Lim Taegyu would have recognized him. The face of the young man Baek Miho brought down from her back was a face he had never seen before. Just then, the young man''s head lifted as he looked around at the situation. From a while ago, he found a suspicious beehive that was on the upper floors of the surrounding buildings. "Let''s fly right away." Those words suddenly came out of his mouth. As much as he couldn''t use any skill, Lim Taegyu, who was paying attention to the surrounding situation, felt puzzled when he heard Suho. ''Fly?'' Swook! A ck shadow rose from under the young man''s feet, wrapping around both him and Baek Miho. "... Woah!" The situation was so sudden that even Baek Miho was startled. Lim Taegyu, who was watching from afar, opened his eyes wide as if they were going to pop out. Two pairs of wings with ck steam were on their backs! ''What are those?!'' * * * As soon as Suho saw the contaminated ghouls, he quickly grasped the situation. The purpose of Lee Minseong was to create his own legion by killing citizens. As a result, he chose a structure where there were countless lives as Arsha intended, and more number of ''sacrifices''. All the casualties were a sacrifice to the Queen of Insects, gue Monarch, Querehsha. ''We don''t have time.'' If things go on just like that, it would only be a matter of time before the ritual would eventually bepleted as Arsha nned. Speed was the answer. ''I''ll leave these ones to the hunters and I''ll catch the captain.'' He had no intention of going up the stairs of that high building step by step. ''I must fly.'' Suho had shadow soldiers with wings. "Two of you,e out." [Krrrk!] At Suho''smand, shadows swayed beneath his feet. Suddenly, Suho had a good idea. ''These guys are shadows anyway.'' Shadows can exist anywhere. Even if it''s not under Suho''s feet. Even Beru would hide in the small shadows that existed in every corner of Suho''s body and then pop out. It was possible for only his face to stick out, while his body remained in the shadows. That means... ''It would be possible for the others to do it too.'' Suho ordered the shadowncers hiding in his shadow. "Ride on our backs and just take out your wings." [Krrrk!] They soon followed Suho''s order. Swoosh! A shadowncer pulled the pairs of wings from his back. Another ck shadow covered Suho''s shoulders and back, creating a strange shape. [Eh?] Seeing that, Beru smiled at Suho with a strange expression. [This is a really interesting strategy. You''re only halfway through summoning soldiers. It''s definitely a new era. Such idea is novel... ] "Boomer." [Eh?!] Beru reacted defensively. [The King of Beasts, Fang Monarch, raises a question, asking if he imitated the blessing skill.] "What are you talking about? You can see for yourself." Suho smiled and flew away. Baek Miho, who floated beside him, couldn''t help but be astonished. ''Oh my god. I heard he was a C-ss summoning hunter.'' What kind of skill was that?! Summoned Wings? Was there a skill that allowed one to attach wings to the body of arade like that? Most of all...! "If you had skills like this, why did you ask me to carry you on my back!" Baek Miho stared at Suho, implying that it was unfair. Suho responded shamelessly. "When I get tired, my mana decreases. Anyway, let''s go up to the beehive like this." Right then... "Wait a minute! Take me too!" Suddenly they heard someone screaming urgently. Baek Miho confirmed his identity and eximed in surprise. "President Lim Taegyu?!" "Who is that person?" Reaper Guild, one of the representative guilds in Korea. The name of Lim Taegyu, the guild leader there, was familiar to Suho. He didn''t look very good, but an S-ss Hunter would definitely be of help. "Go with that one guy over there." [Krrrk!] Swoosh! At those words, a ck shadow flew and clung to Lim Taegyu''s body. "Follow me with your own will." Suho left only those words and started preparing to fly again. "What the hell is this..." Suddenly, Lim Taegyu felt a strange sensation as something clung to his body. Regardless, he meekly epted the shadow. ''I might be able to reject it if I push it away with mana.'' He felt a sense of rejection for a moment, but he endured it. In the first ce, he couldn''t use his mana separately because he was countering the effect of royal jelly. Swish! Soon after, the shadow wings that sprouted from Lim Taegyu''s back began to p. Then, at a tremendous speed, he flew up after Suho and Baek Miho. The target was the beehive. Wiiiing-! As they got closer and closer to the beehive, a huge rain of arrows suddenly came from inside the beehive. Each of them was an arrow surrounded by an aura. "Oh my...!" Baek Miho and Lim Taegyu were surprised. No one knew how it would be if they were on the ground, but there was no way to dodge that many arrows while floating in the air. It was a situation where they had to shield themselves or be shields helplessly! Baek Miho hurriedly shouted. "President Lim Taegyu! Hunter Sung Suho! Hide behind me!" If there was no way to avoid it, it was best for one person to act as a shield. Among the three of them, it was the most effective for a fighter to be a shield. [Whew. You''re a pretty noble fox.] "...!" Beru went on Miho Baek''s hair and stroked it. [But, don''t worry.] Beru smiled faintly and looked at the back of Suho. [Our Young Master will solve it.] Suho''s eyes shed. "Don''t back down, keep flying!" [Krrk!] The Shadow Lancers attached to their backs pped their wings even harder. That moment. [Use ''Skill: de Storm''.] Swish! The wind created a raging-like typhoon. Before they knew it, the twin swords held in both hands of Suho began to brutally ughter the entire space into the barrage of arrows. Suho, Baek Miho, and Lim Taegyu fly straight through the center of the typhoon. In particr, the shock felt by Baek Miho, who knew Suho as a summoning hunter, was indescribable. ''... Oh my God. What is this?'' Wasn''t he just a C-ss summoning hunter? Following the summoned wings, he also has such a tremendous attack skill? ''Did he hide his power? Why?'' It made no sense at first. What kind of hunter in the world would lower his ss and value by suppressing his skills! Chapter 71 - 71

Chapter 71:

Suho, Baek Miho, and Lim Taegyu managed to break through the rain of arrows and enter the beehive. The moment they hit the floor... Thud! No matter who came first, Suho and Miho jumped forward at a tremendous speed. They cut the throats of the archers who were shooting arrows at them. sh! "Ack!" [You have killed the contaminated ghoul.] [You have killed the contaminated ghoul.] They were the same as the mutants on the ground. "Damn it. They are all our guild members." Lim Taegyu recognized their faces and gritted his teeth. Even though they were mutated, a little bit of what they were like before remained. "These are all the guild members he took with him?" Baek Miho muttered with a serious expression. "Somehow, all the other hunters were killed and only the members of the Reaper Guild were kidnapped... ''Could it be that Lee Minseong wanted to be a guild leader?'' "Anyway, since we''ve entered the beehive, let''s find its owner. Beru, give me directions." [Yes, Young Master. Please follow me.] Beru took the lead, flicking his antennae. One of Suho''s twin swords, ''Rakan''s Sword'', spoke to Suho. -Be careful. This beehive is now a sanctuary. "This is a sanctuary?" Suho looked at Rakan''s Sword and asked again to confirm. [The King of Beasts, Fang Monarch, shrugs that it was not his.] "Then it must be the sanctuary of Querehsha." -It seems to be like that. "Were sanctuaries originally just created out of nowhere like this?" -No. The sanctuary is, after all, the realm of the monarchs. Now that all the monarchs are dead, it has be a ce where ancestral rites are held for the monarchs. Sanctuary. Suho recalled the sanctuary of Rakan he had been to. "That means there could be relics in it." -No one knows. There could be relics, descendants, or pontifex. "Well, if we meet Lee Minseong, we''ll find out." Anyway, it looked like a beehive from the outside, but when they went inside, there was a new spacepletely separated from the outside. Ominous sky. Thick clouds moved as if a big storm was about toe. The air, covered with fear, smelt of rotting corpses. "It feels like entering a gate. Is it a new dungeon?" Lim Taegyu muttered as he looked around. To that, Suho replied. "It seems different from a dungeon." To be precise, it was a sanctuary. However, with those words, Lim Taegyu felt ufortable. "Different from a dungeon? What do you know to say that?" Lim Taegyu, who was suppressing the royal jelly''s toxicity with mana power, was anxious. As the guild leader of the Reaper Guild, he had to take responsibility for all of this. Public opinion has already been against them. Even if he solved this problem this time, he was at a loss on how to solve the mood. He didn''t know what Lee Minseong did, but the fact that the person who was the Vice President of the Reaper Guild even opened a dungeon in the middle of the city was sure to deal a huge blow to the guild. It would be enormous to paypensation for idents to those who died today. However, when Suho, who seemed to have only C-ss magic at a nce, suddenly said something strange, Lim Taegyu was dumbfounded. What does a C-ss hunter know to throw such words to an S-ss hunter? "If not a dungeon then what?" Baek Miho hurriedly intervened between the two. "There is no time for us to be like this. President Lim Taegyu, are you unable to use magic right now?" "..." Lim Taegyu flinched and shut his mouth as he was stabbed by those words. "... That''s right. Poison is spreading in my body right now, so I''m countering it with mana." "Didn''t you receive a ''heal''?" "Heal didn''t work. I think it will be solved by a more advanced healerter, but there is no suitable healer nearby right now..." "Then why did you follow us here?" "... Even if you can''t use magic, your power should be enough." The excellent physical ability of an S-ss hunter was able to exert tremendous power by itself. "Ah, it can be used as a shield. That''s fortunate." "..." [Stop. He will cry.] Beru could''t bare watching them so he stepped out. ''Are you kidding?'' Lim Taegyu was at a loss for words. A small ant floating beside Suho was looking at him with sincere pity. But, why? Lim Taegyu, who met Beru''s eyes, felt an instinctive rejection. Reluctance? No, this is more... Chills. ''Am I afraid? Why?'' Beru looked at Lim Taegyu''s face with a strange expression. [Hmm. You are pretty old too.] "...?" Lim Taegyu felt puzzled by the way Beru spoke as if he knew him. But that feeling didn''tst long. "Everyone, get ready for battle." Suho focused his senses and looked around and looked up at the sky. Grumble! A swarm of jet-ck bees was swarming in the ominous rolling clouds. Now that he saw it, it wasn''t a cloud. "This is crazy." Lim Taegyu thought it was absurd. "Could it be that all those clouds were swarms of bees?" [This really seemed to be a beehive. I''ve collected a lot of information well.] Beru wiggled his antennae. [The greatest energy is felt beyond the clouds.] "After all, we''d have to fly again." They came through the rain of arrows, and this time they had to fly through that enormous swarm of bees. Ring! [''The Sanctuary of Insects'' is activated.] "...!" Suho suddenly felt a chill. It felt just like ''then''. When he entered the sanctuary of beasts... Ring! [Passive Skill ''(Unknown)'' is activated.] Swoosh-! In an instant, Suho''s shadow spread in all directions and colored the whole world. And... Time has stopped. No, everything stopped. * * * ''... Are you here again?'' Suho stood alone at the edge of the empty horizon. A world ofplete nkness. ''It''s the Realm of Eternal Rest.'' However, the feeling he felt there waspletely different from when he met Rakan, the Beast Monarch. ''Is it a bug?'' Suho looked at the ground he was standing on. That wholend, no, that entire white world was made of pure white bugs gathered one after another. Suho lifted his head and looked forward. At the end of that empty horizon, a woman sat cross-legged and looked down proudly at him. Suho realized her true identity at once. ''Are you Querehsha?'' At the question, the corners of the woman''s lips curled wickedly. [Yes, that''s right. My name is Querehsha. The ghost of eternity that was killed by your father.] The system urgently popped up a message in front of Suho. [The Queen of Insects, gue Monarch, Querehsha, is watching you.] ...! At that moment, the woman''s presence began to grow enormously. It wasn''t just a surge of energy. Krrrk! Krrrk! Kyaaaagh! The white worms that had been forming thisnd gradually united into one, and the size of the woman changed to a gigantic one. [... At one time.] Then, looking down at Suho, who had grown rtively small, she licked her lips. [I wanted to try the taste of the same monarch.] The giant bug queen giggled and smirked. [But in the end, it was me who was eaten.] That moment. The ground where Suho was standing turned into a giant hand that grabbed Suho''s body. The hand slowly lifted Suho up to Querehsha''s face. Querehsha slowly scanned Suho''s figure and remembered the time. [You know that? Your father was a poison worse than any bug I''ve ever met.] It was as if she was trying to find the shadow of Sung Jinwoo who killed her on Suho''s face. [You look like him. A lot.] ''Really? I heard that there are many people who said I look more like my mother.'' At Suho''s reply, Querehsha''s eyes shed with mischief for a moment. [What would you taste like if I ate you now? Would you be just like your father?] She had an innocent child''s expression like that of a kid who unintentionally killed small insects with his hands. In that reversed situation, Suho was much smaller in front of the enormouslyrge queen of insects. But he was resolute. ''You''re bragging about a ghost that died a long time ago.'' [... That cheeky way of speaking is exactly like your father.] Querehsha red at Suho with a terrifying look and lowered Suho''s body to the ground. [Yes, you are right. I''m already dead but...] Ring! An ominous system message suddenly appeared in front of Suho. [A quest has arrived.] Before Suho could even check the message, Querehsha''s smile turned into a cruel one. [I am originally one and a colony.] Querehsha was born as a small bug, and was the Queen of Insects that grew up by swallowing countless ones of her kind. All the bugs she swallowed formed Querehsha''s body. The bugs that filled that world were Querehsha''s corpse and soul. [From the moment you stepped into my world, you were already swallowed up by me.] A shady venom felt outside filled the pure white world. No, that whole world started to reject Suho. The quest window automatically opened in front of Suho. [Urgent Quest: Querehsha''s Solitude] The King of Insects, gue Monarch, Querehsha has dragged you into ''solitude''. All the bugs that made up Querehsha were hostile. Prove yourself worthy by surviving the required time. Required time: 4 hours Remaining time: 4 hours 0 minutes 0 seconds An arrogant smile appeared on Queresha''s lips as she looked down at Suho from a high ce. [Struggle well. Like a bug, and just like I did in front of your father!] At the same time, all the bugs that made up that world started attacking Suho. Kyaaaaagh! Kyaaaaaaa! ''...'' However... Querehsha felt something strange. Even when he saw the endlessly swarming insects, Suho''s expression did not change at all, let alone get bewildered. Regardless if that was a Realm of Rest, it was a ce where even the Suho''s shadow soldiers could not be summoned. [W-Wait.] Rather, it was Querehsha who was taken aback. [What is that power? No way...] An ominous ck aura was entwined around Suho''s arm. The energy was not just one. Swoosh! A divine wind was blowing from somewhere, dyeing Suho''s hair silver. Querehsha, who was well aware of those energies, couldn''t help but be perplexed. [You bastard... How many monarchs have you inherited powers from?!] Chapter 72 - 72

Chapter 72:

When monarchs die, they fall into eternal rest. That empty world was a vacuum space where nothing could exist except the soul of the dead monarch. However, there were things that even Suho, who was brought into such a world, could do. First, skills. [Use ''Skill: Spiritual Body Manifestation''.] Swoosh! ck aura wrapped around Suho''s arm. Querehsha could recognize that skill. [No way! Isn''t that the power of the Iron Body Monarch!] She was astonished. Spiritual Body Manifestation. The skill of the great mentor Ammut, who had made a weak and insignificant goblin reborn into Iron Body Monarch, could be felt in Suho. Also... [Use ''Skill: Blessing''.] Swoosh! A divine wind moved around Suho''s whole body. [Use ''Skill: Grasnd Wind''.] Swish! Suho''s hair fluttered in a silver light, and the explosive force of the beast burst out. [T-This can''t be...! The Fang Monarch''s...?!] Even if it was a world like that, or rather, because it was such a world like that, there was another being who could observe that ce. Chills! [Who are you?!] Querehsha asked the name of the certain monarch from the gaze she suddenly felt. He was the King of Beasts who fought against the Shadow Monarch with her... [The King of Beasts, the Fang Monarch, watches Querehsha.] [Rakan! Why are you lending your power to the son of the Shadow Monarch?!] Querehsha couldn''t understand. ''Why did Rakan lend his power to the son of the enemy who killed him?'' No matter how much she tried to deny it, it was the truth. It was the energy of Rakan that dwelled in Suho''s body. Spiritual Body Manifestation. Even if shadow soldiers could not be summoned in that world, Suho alone had the strength to deal with tens of thousands of bugs. ''Come.'' Suho plunged his ck fist into the pure white tidal wave that was attacking him, rather, in the middle of the pure white insects. Boom! A huge explosion urred in the center of that huge tidal wave. The remnants scattered in all directions and attacked again, aiming for Suho''s blind spot. [Querehsha''s Spiny Mantis] [Querehsha''s Explosive Insect] [Querehsha''s Venomous Spider] [Querehsha''s Venomous Moth] ... Numerous types of poisonous insects attacked Suho. However, Suho, who received Rakan''s energy, narrowly avoided them with dazzling movements. Another one. Boom! And another one. Boom! Every time Suho''s attack exploded, hundreds of insects burst out. Suho''s attack crushed them. Querehsha bit her lip with a look of resentment. [Argh. You''re struggling quite a bit. But even so, you are alone! And my bugs will poison you every time they die...!] Ring. [A harmful substance has been detected.] [The detoxification begins with the effect of ''Blessing: Great Spellcaster Kandiaru''s Protection.''] [3, 2, 1... Detoxification isplete.] Querehsha was shocked to see Suho moving as if nothing had happened. [Howe you are fine?!] Suho smiled at Querehsha. [The King of Beasts, the Fang Monarch,ughs loudly, saying that bugs are weak.] [Bastard-!] Querehsha screamed in anger on the top of her lungs. The picture she painted was not like that. Now that the son of the Shadow Monarch had set foot in her realm, she wanted to harass him as much as she wanted. Her n was quite realistic enough. Because in that world, no external power could be drawn. Even the legions of the proud Shadow Monarch did not dare to set foot there. Because that ce was a tomb entirely for herself! But what kind of shit is happening?! [Argh! Still, there is plenty of time. You, too, will eventually get exhausted!] ''Time...'' At that, Suho nced around and checked the quest window. [Remaining time: 3 hours 41 minutes 17 seconds] Querehsha was right. There was still a long way before 4 hours passed, and it was impossible to keep fighting at such a pace. ''Besides, I can''t even take out my weapon here.'' For some reason, the inventory didn''t open there. ''What about the shop window?'' Ring. [Potions and shops cannot be used at the current location, and the yer''s condition does not recover even if level increases.] As if answering Suho''s thoughts, a system message arrived. ''Still, my level goes up, right?'' A small smile appeared on Suho''s lips. He wanted to know how much experience points he would receive for catching a few of those bugs, but when the number reached that scale, things changed. ''Should I just use this opportunity to increase my level properly?'' Suho''s eyes shed. Since they were already dead bugs, no matter how many times he killed them, the message that they had been eliminated didn''t appear. But every time he killed them, their bodies turned to dust and disappeared. ordingly, if they continued to fight like that, their numbers would gradually decrease. Boom! As Suho continued to fight, he canceled the skills that he couldn''t use one by one. Since he had no weapons, his de storm and twin swordsmanship skills were ineffective, and he could not receive help from the shadow soldiers. ''The skills that can be used are endurance, ruler''s power, grasnd wind, giant''s armor, and martial arts.'' However, most of them were skills with a short time limit that consumed mana in real time. In the case of a long-term battle where he had to fight while conserving physical strength and mana like now, he needed to be a little more strategic. ''It''s fortunate that the blessing is possible, but since I have to conserve mana, I''ll have to cancel this first.'' If he released the strong spirit, his speed would be that much slower, so he wouldn''t be able topletely avoid the insects'' attacks, but it seemed like he could cover that much with the endurance skill. [Cancel ''Skill: Spirit''.] But the moment he canceled the Spirit skill. [Hnnnng!] ''Huh?'' A gray dog ??that had been nesting in Suho''s body, no, a gray wolf cub came out from Suho''s body. That little one looked around with a puzzled expression. [Hnnng?!] Gray was startled at seeing the bugs attacking from all sides and hid behind Suho''s legs. However, when Suho saw him, a strange thing came to his mind. ''Oh, wow.'' ''Look at this.'' [Gray Lv.7] Canine Wolf Thanks to hard hunting in the Shadow Dungeon, Gray had also leveled up quite a bit. ''Great. Let''s level up a bit.'' [Hnnng.] Gray, probably understanding Suho''s words, hurriedly shook his head. ''Ha. You, coward, seriously....'' Suho made a strange expression. However, Gray''s senior (?), who was watching this ce from afar, also clicked his tongue at the kid''s foolishness. [The King of Beasts, the Fang Monarch, asks you to train his descendants to be stronger.] ''You sure?'' Suho made a deal with Rakan with a provocative look. Rakan snapped at the deal. [The King of Beasts, the Fang Monarch, says he will give you a piece of advice instead.] ''Advice?'' [The King of Beasts, the Fang Monarch, advises to devour, rather than be a prey.] ''Eat rather than be eaten? No way...'' Suho''s gaze stared at those disgusting insects that endlessly attacked. ''Eat bugs?'' [The King of Beasts, the Fang Monarch nods seriously.] ''...'' There was no way he would say anything outrageous under his identity as the King of Beasts. Suho, who hesitated for a moment, smiled. ''It''s all white anyway, so it''s less disgusting.'' [W-Wait!] Querehsha was taken aback by Suho''s answer. [You''re not trying to follow that madman''s words, are you?] Seeing that reaction, Suho became more confident. Suho picked up Gray, who was hiding behind him with one hand. ''Gray, isn''t it time for you to be an adult soon?'' [Hnnngng?!] Gray struggled with his legs. Suho threw him into the middle of the bugs without hesitation. [Hnnggg!] Suho smiled widely at Gray, who was whining and trying to walk away. ''This world is the weak meat.'' That surely sounded better. ''Gray. Be the one who eats rather than the one who gets eaten.'' That''s a true predator. After all, he is the descendant of the King of Beasts. Suho himself would train him as well. Chomp! He got poisonous insects in his mouth and bit them off. Then, the poison bursting in Suho''s mouth filled it like gravy. Suho chewed it all up and swallowed it all at once. Gulp. Ring. [A harmful substance has been detected.] [The detoxification begins with the effect of ''Blessing: Great Spellcaster Kandiaru''s Protection.''] [3, 2, 1... Detoxification isplete.] Suho smiled. ''It''s more edible than I thought.'' [Y-You''re crazy!] Querehsha was shocked. Seeing that, Suho suddenly remembered what Querehsha had said. -I am originally one and a colony. If all these bugs are part of Querehsha, what would happen if he would eat them all? ''I''m curious.'' Suho began biting, chewing, and swallowing the bugs that continued to attack him mercilessly. [Stop! Stop eating!] Each time, Querehsha was enraged and she screamed. A huge hand made of insects came out of the air to grab Suho again. Suho avoided the hand and bit another insect. ''Calm down. There''s still plenty of time.'' [Remaining time: 3 hours 07 minutes 54 seconds] ''Three hours is enough... for a mealtime.'' [Growl!] Thankfully Suho showed how it was done, so Gray was also eagerly catching and eating insects. He nced at Suho as if he was anxious that Suho would steal all of his food and eat it. Seeing that, Suho became more motivated. ''Great! Let''s see who eats more!'' [You are crazy!] [Don''tpete...!] Queresha screamed and spurred on the attack. However, no matter what she did, there was no way to stop Suho and Gray. Just how much did they eat... Rakan''s advice was effective. Ring! [''Title: Natural Enemy of Insects'' has been acquired.] ''Oh?'' Suddenly, a system message appeared in Suho''s eyes. [Title: Natural Enemy of Insects] A title given to a predator of insects. Increases all stats by 40% when facing bug-type monsters. Somehow, something simr to the wolf yer title arrived. However, there was no need to visually check the effect of the title. The moment Suho looked at Querehsha''s bugs. [The ''Title: Natural Enemy of Insects'' buff effect is activated.] Swoosh! The endlessly swarming bugs moved. Instinctively, they realized that Suho was their natural enemy. ''What''s wrong?'' Suho was suddenly curious. ''Do bugs like you feel fear?'' A cruel smile formed on Suho''s lips. Kiyaaaah! A huge wave made up of bugs escaped Suho and scattered away. Right then... ''... Huh?'' Whoa! Mysterious light powder was sprinkled over Suho''s head. That was the ashes of insects that have died through his hands. The remnants of their soul. [The Queen of Insects, the gue Monarch, is being extorted of its pontifex.] Chapter 73 - 73

Chapter 73:

''Pontifex? Again?'' Suho made a puzzled expression. The situation waspletely different from that of Rakan, the King of Beasts, but a simr result came out. It was because of Gray back then, but Rakan was friendly to him from the beginning. So, he dly made Suho a pontifex for Gray. But this time it''s ''extortion''? [The King of Beasts, the Fang Monarch, bursts intoughter as he sees Querehsha''s bewildered look.] [Rakan, you bastard-!] Querehsha burst into anger at Rakan. [How dare you interfere with my sacrifice when you are already dead!] Suho finally realized. At first, he thought Rakan''s intention was the ''Title: Natural Enemy of Insects''. It wasn''t. Now, it seemed that Rakan''s real intention was to forcibly take the position of ''Pontifex of Insects'' from Queresha. Suho looked back at the remains of countless insects scattered everywhere around him. All of those were also part of Querehsha''s soul. ''Extortion...'' Sometimes, when you fight with someone, there are times when you curse and say, "Know that today will be your memorial day!" But looking at it now... ''Is this enough to be considered holding a memorial service with my own hands?'' Outside, the Queen Bee Arsha and Lee Minseong were offering countless humans as sacrifices for Querehsha. However, Suho actually sacrificed the ancestral rites inside with Quarehsha''s own insects. ''Does this make sense?'' [The King of Beasts, the Fang Monarc, exins that Querehsha''s insects are grudges that were originally eaten by Querehsha.] ''Grudge?'' So, in the end, Suho paid Quaresha the grudge of the dead bugs instead. ''Ah, so that''s why it was the Pontifex of Insects and not the Pontifex of Querehsha.'' Querehsha is one and a colony. In other words, Suho became a Pontifex of Querehsha by offering sacrifices to insects. [... You won] Eventually, a deration of defeat flowed out of Querehsha''s mouth. There was still more than enough time before the quest ended, but Querehsha already felt tired like she aged a hundred years. [Ha. This bastard is more bug-like than any other bugs. No wonder he wasn''t just someone else''s son...] As the bugs scattered from Querehsha''s huge body, their size began to decrease. Then, she transformed into the female body that had fought against Sung Jinwoo a long time ago andnded in front of Suho. Ring. [Remaining time: 1 hour 29 minutes 34 seconds] [You havepleted ''Urgent Quest: Querehsha''s Solitude''.] [Your level increased!] The quest waspleted even before 4 hours had finished. The will of Querehsha, who forcibly executed the quest, waspletely broken. She red at Suho with eyes full of bitterness. [You know what? It''s as if you killed me twice.] ''I''ll ask just one thing.'' Suho interrupted Queresha and asked directly. ''Did you n the disaster outside?'' [Ha. That''s absurd.] Querehsha bursted intoughter. [I am a monarch who died a long time ago. All I can do is wander in the world of nothingness, so what the hell could I have nned?] ''Queen Bee Arsha. Also, Lee Minseong.'' [Who is that?] ''She doesn''t know?'' Suho was confused. Querehsha had a dull expression, as if she had no interest in the subject. [The King of Beasts, the Fang Monarch, exins that a dead monarch has no influence in the real world without a pontifex.] It was just as Rakan said. A dead monarch can do nothing. Rakan also usually fell asleep in the world of nothingness, but was able to wake up and watch the outside world only when Suho did something rted to him. It was through a channel called ''dream''. Same goes with Querehsha. ''It''s really absurd.'' The way Suho looked at Querehsha changed slightly. Outside, Arsha and Lee Minseong are sacrificing countless lives for the purpose of inheriting Querehsha''s power. Who would have thought that Querehsha, the person involved, was unaware of that. [I know roughly what the situation is.] Querehsha snorted. She collected bugs from the floor, made a chair, and sat cross-legged on it. [There have always been bugs targeting my power. Even after I became a monarch, the quarrel continued endlessly.] Before she knew it, Querehsha became a proud queen just like when she first appeared, recalling fierce memories from her previous life. [I was the only emperor who survived and reigned in that fierce struggle, and at the same time I was also a prey that could be eaten by someone at any time.] A fierce world of eating and being eaten. It was the world of insects. [In other words, any insect can be a monarch if they eat me.] ''So the people outside are trying to hold a ceremony to be a sessor...'' [You probably mean they''re trying to use me and my grudge.] The corners of Querehsha''s mouth curled up and a mischievous smile formed. That smile somehow looked forced. [They don''t serve me, they''re just hungry demons who want to devour me. Just like what you did to me just now.] Suho, embarrassed for nothing, opened his mouth after thinking about it. ''Didn''t taste very good, though.'' [Hey...!] Querehsha furiously clenched her two fists that were holding the armrests of her chair. However, she soon smiled and leaned back in her chair. [Yeah, well... In the end, if I have to be eaten by someone, it''s only natural for me to be eaten by the one who killed me. If your father had been a bug, he would have fully inherited my power right away.] The reason he couldn''t do that was because Sung Jinwoo was a human, not a bug. It was the same for his son, Suho. [No matter how much you ate my bugs here, you will never be the gue Monarch. Your qualification itself was not enough.] ''So, just pontifex after all?'' [Ha. I also had no intention of giving that. Do you think I''m just simply pretty? Anyway... since I was robbed off Pontifex, I would be grateful if you find me a descendant who can inherit my power.] ''Who''s pretty?'' [Isn''t this pretty enough by human standards?] In response to Suho''s reply, Querehsha showed off her appearance in a female form. ''Enough with your jokes. What can I do as the Pontifex of Insects? In the case of the Pontifex of Beasts, the descendant can possess my body.'' [Hngggg?] When Suho lifted cute Gray with one hand and showed him, Querehsha clicked her tongue. [Rakan is also pitiful. His heir is such a clumsy one-day puppy.] [The King of Beasts, the Fang Monarch, feels like crying...] Suho smiled lightly at Rakan''s message and looked at Gray. [Gray Lv.14] Fang Wolf Thanks to the hard hunting of insects today, Gray''s level doubled. ''I envy you.'' [Hnnnggg?] Suho''s level was now 29. It was only natural that the higher the level, the more experience was needed to level up. Leveling up in such a short amount of time was amazing enough. Considering that time stands still in the real world, it was like he suddenly became stronger in less than a second. Querehsha looked at Gray like he was insignificant to the world, but at the same time, she looked envious. [Still, I envy Rakan. I can''t believe I''m looking for a descendant among blood rtives. There''s not a suitable one, so it''s impossible to be strong.] ''What? Being the Pontifex of Insects ispletely useless then.'' [Instead, something else is possible.] As soon as Querehsha finished speaking, the message window opened in front of Suho. Ring. [The questpletion reward has arrived.] [The following rewards are prepared.] Reward: ''Blessing: gue Protection'' [Blessing: gue Protection] This is the protection of the Queen of Insects, the gue Monarch. The gue Monarch, Quehresha, has chosen you to be her Pontifex. Pontifex can infuse his body with deadly poison. -Effect ''Poison'': You can freely deal with the ingested poison. ''Oh?'' Suho''s eyes lit up. Indeed, it was a blessing worthy of the name of the gue Monarch. Thanks to Kandiaru''s blessing, he was immune to all poisons, but now he can handle the poison freely beyond immunity. [You can rejoice to your heart''s content. From now on, you will be a walking gue.] Querehsha crossed her arms triumphantly and proudly proimed to Suho. [What do you think? It will be much more useful than having a puppy like that on your body.] * * * Meanwhile, over the heads of Lim Taegyu and Baek Miho, who entered the beehive at that time... Wiiiiiing- All the clouds in the sky had suddenly turned into swarms of bees. "Ugh. This kind of thing is troublesome to deal with." Baek Miho had a puzzled expression. Against such arge number of small monsters, the only thing she could do was to endure with her body. Increase mana power to amplify defense power. However, Lim Taegyu felt more futile. He was an S-ss hunter, but he was just an archer. Because of that, most of the skills he had are those rted to bows. The new skills he learned by paying expensive money to buy runestones were all things that increased his agility and precision. However, the problem was that Lim Taegyu ingested too much Royal jelly, so it was difficult to defend himself with mana powers like Baek Miho. "I''m sorry, but I''ll be under your care." "Why did you have to follow us here?" "...." Lim Taegyu hid behind Baek Miho with an embarrassed expression. But then an ominous feeling came over his senses. "Wait. Those bees...!" "What?" "...!" At that moment, the bees began to explode on their own. As the golden mist covered the area at the same time as the explosion, Lim Taegyu hurriedly shouted. "Hold your breath! The mist may be the same kind of poison I had been poisoned with!" "...!" Baek Miho hurriedly held her breath, covering her nose and mouth with her hands. If she bes addicted to that mist, she might not be able to use mana like Lim Taegyu. ''Wait. Hunter Sung Suho?!'' Baek Miho suddenly remembered Suho and looked back. She was worried about the safety of Suho, a C-ss hunter, in an emergency situation where even A-ss herself and S-ss Lim Taegyu were in trouble. However... ''... Huh?!'' Baek Miho was shocked. Instead of holding his breath, Suho was actually breathing in as much as he could. "What...!" Baek Miho held her breath again when she almost inhaled poison mist while trying to stop Suho. A system message appeared in front of Suho as he smiled strangely. [''Poison: Lee Minseong''s Royal Jelly'' was inhaled.] [You can handle ''Poison: Lee Minseong''s Royal Jelly''.] Chapter 74 - 74

Chapter 74:

The effect of bing a Pontifex of Querehsha was immediately apparent. Not only is he immune to poison, but he is free to handle poison and could use it for attacks. Also... ''To be able to deal with it freely... Does this mean that this is possible?'' Suho immediately reached out to Baek Miho and Lim Taegyu. Swoosh! [Use ''Blessing: Poison''.] "...!" Baek Miho and Lim Taegyu''s eyes widened. The poisonous mist sprayed by the bees began to melt away as soon as it touched the light emitted by Suho. "Detoxification skill?!" "Sung Suho, were you a healer, not a summoning hunter?" Baek Miho looked confused even as she asked. It was because each and every ability that Suho had shown so far had nothing to do with being a healer. However, Lim Taegyu''s eyes were hopeful. "If that''s the case, you should have done it sooner! Could you help me to detoxify the poison in my body?" Lim Taegyu was unable to use his mana as he was suppressing the poison that Secretary Oh had infused into him earlier. The healer of the Reaper Guild failed to detoxify it, but a healer with a special skill might be able to do so. However... Ring. [It cannot be detoxified because it is poison that has not been ingested.] "Hmm." A failure. Apparently, the poison Lim Taegyu was infused with was not Lee Minseong''s royal jelly but Arsha''s royal jelly. ''Could he have had Arsha''s poison beforeing here?'' It''s toote to regret. "Right now, it seems difficult to detoxify. Let''s deal with them first." Swoosh! Arrows were flying from all directions at the same time. Contaminated ghouls hiding everywhere suddenly jumped out and started attacking Suho and hispany. "I will take care of the ghouls!" Baek Miho jumped forward and mmed her fist on the floor. Grumble-! Skill, ''Vibration of Provocation''. A circr wave of magic power spread from her fist stuck on the floor. As if possessed by something, the contaminated ghouls all turned around and attacked Baek Miho. Baek Miho fought against them, exuding tremendous energy from her body. Starting with that, Lim Taegyu also ran and engaged in a hand-to-hand fight beside her. The problem was that he knew each and every one of the ghouls'' faces. They were the younger brothers who had followed him since the founding of the Reaper Guild. To be in a position to kill them with his own hands... "Lee Minseong! What the hell do you want?! After all this, what do you want!" Lim Taegyu burst into anger and shouted at Lee Minseong, who was hiding somewhere. [All I want is just... for everyone to just go back to their original ces.] Lee Minseong''s voice echoed in all directions. As if Lee Minseong was in all those bees. "Lee Minseong!" Lim Taegyu looked around with an angry expression and shouted. "Where are you?! Don''t be cowardly hiding,e out!" That moment. Wiiiiing- [I...] The bees that filled his field of vision began to form a human shape as they came together in a whirlwind. [... never hid.] Thud. Lee Minseong turned into a human andnded on the ground. The whole area became quiet as if time had stopped. "Lee Minseong!" Lee Minseong stared at Lim Taegyu with emotionless eyes. "I''m in charge of that guy!" Lim Taegyu gritted his teeth and attacked Lee Minseong. Baek Miho, who was fighting with the ghouls, shouted urgently. "It is dangerous to attack alone!" Even so, Lim Taegyu did not stop. Even if he didn''t have any skills, he was confident that he could beat Lee Minseong with his force. That confidence is rooted from their level difference. The difference between S-ss and A-ss that Lee Minseong was so jealous of. But... [Arrogant bastard.] Lee Minseong sneered and scattered again into numerous bees. Swish! Lim Taegyu''s punch cut through the air in vain. Lee Minseong came together in human form behind Lim Taegyu''s back. Swoosh-! Lim Taegyu turned around and attacked Lee Minseong again with his great reflexes. Then, Lee Minseong scattered again. "You bastard!" Swoosh-! Things went on repeatedly. When he suddenly came to his senses, dozens of Lee Minseong clones were standing around Lim Taegyu. "What...?!" Those ''Lee Minseong'' attacked all at the same time. Sharp spears extended from both of their hands, and their appearance gradually began to change into that of the queen bee''sncer. sh! As the battle continued, Lee Minseong changed his appearance to queen bee''sncer. Lim Taegyu panicked and avoided the endless attacks. [Fair enough.] [Suppressing one''s mana, but at this level.] [A useless S-ss is still an S-ss.] Lee Minseong''s voice echoed from all sides, mocked Lim Taegyu and continued to y with him. [Young Master.] In the center of this terrible melee, Beru looked at Suho. "That''s right." Suho, who was watching the situation, nodded. Then he raised his head and muttered as he red somewhere. "It is all an illusion." To be precise, it was all ''imitation''. Lee Minseong, who was only a worker bee, did not have the ability to make ancer like the queen bee Arsha. If that was possible, the ghouls Baek Miho was dealing with would have beenncers, not ghouls in the first ce. In the end, it was clear that all of those ghouls were failed attempts by Lee Minseong to imitate the Queen Bee and make ancer. Thosencers that Lim Taegyu was dealing with must also be just an illusionary existence of bees. "Beru, any information about the real Lee Minseong?" [I''m sorry, but the bees are wandering around and disturbing my senses.] Beru has been tracking the true location of Lee Minseong, constantly flicking his antennae. "We should stop for a moment." Suho raised his head and red at the bees filling his field of vision. Lick. I''ve already got a taste of them. ''What kind of taste do these guys here have?'' Right before, he had been eating Querehsha''s bugs non-stop, and now they all looked like delicacies. Right then... [The ''Title: Natural Enemy of Insects'' buff effect is activated.] ...! The bees that were wandering around were startled and buzzed loudly. A tension from a natural enemy awakened their survival instinct. [Title: Natural Enemy of Insects] A title given to a predator of insects. Increases all stats by 40% when facing bug-type monsters. Suho immediately crossed his twin swords. Then, a tremendous amount of energy emerged from ''Rakan''s Sword'' he was holding in his right hand. [Use ''Skill: Contempt for the Weak''.] Swoosh! ...! [''Effect: Fear'' is activated.] [All stats of the targets are reduced by 50% for 1 minute.] The debuff skill of ''Rakan''s Sword'' put opponents weaker than himself into a state of fear. When the effect wasbined with the ''Natural Enemy of Insects'', a tremendous synergy was created. Suho''s twin swords created a strong wind. [Use ''Skill: de Storm''.] Swish-! ''It''s stronger than usual.'' A whirlwind of great energy engulfed him so much that he could feel it himself. Suho twisted his whole body and swung the two swords around like windmills. SWIIISH! A terribly violent typhoon caught the bees that filled their field of vision and engulfed them all at once. Everything, including thencers who surrounded and pressured Lim Taegyu. [You have killed the contaminated wasp.] [You have killed the contaminated wasp.] [You have killed the contaminated wasp.] [You have killed the contaminated wasp.] ... Countless bees were crushed. Messages were pouring in. Along with that... [The level of ''Skill: de Storm'' increased.] Suho became even stronger. ''Woah. How could he be this powerful?!'' Lim Taegyu, who hurriedly escaped thanks to the storm, looked back at Suho with a shocked expression. ''Wasn''t he also a healer?'' Suho''s current appearance was neither a summoning hunter nor a healer in any way. What kind of summoning hunter and healer could use such powerful attack skills?! Lim Taegyu felt that everything he knew about hunters was being shattered. The reality was that the synergy between the title effect buff and the item buff boosted Suho''s power, but Lim Taegyu, who was unaware of such a situation, could not help but be astonished. "Lee Minseong? What happened to Lee Minseong?" He suddenly came to his senses and hurriedly turned his gaze to the ce where Lee Minseong was. All those ''Lee Minseong'' were caught in the storm and scattered. In the ce where the storm had passed, Beru shouted after breaking the momentary silence. [I found him!] As soon as Beru''s words were finished, Suho''s sword cut through the air as it protruded forward. Crackle! Then, the vacuum of nothingness was shattered... Everything started to fall apart. [Damn it. You found me well.] From beyond that hidden space, ferocious eyes red at Suho. Through the cracks in the fragmented air, ''Lee Minseong'' slowly walked out. But his look... [The Queen''s Lancer] ''It doesn''t say contaminated.'' Suho found it strange. Was it because he was an A-ss hunter? Unlike the ''contaminatedncers'' he encountered so far, Lee Minseong was the first non-contaminated one to appear. A humanoid soldier whose entire body is armed like armor. He was exuding the most powerful aura among thencers Suho had ever met. "You said you weren''t going to hide, but you were hiding?" [Normally, it''s out of character for the king to step out directly where his servants y.] When Suhoughed at him, Minseong smiled as if he found it funny. Those words were true. ''... Strong.'' Flutter. From the moment he met him, Suho''s senses stats were sending warnings like crazy. ''He''s the strongest among the monsters I''ve met so far.'' But. ''... Compared to the dead monarchs, he was absurdly weak.'' Since Suho had already met Querehsha, the Queen of Insects, he wasn''t discouraged by the overwhelming sense of intimidation emanating from Lee Minseong. However, Baek Miho and Lim Taegyu were different. "N-No way..." "How did Minseong get this kind of power..." He was the strongest soldier bee created by Queen Bee Arsha with great care. The powerful aura felt from the Demonic Beast born for battle was giving them a terrible sense of despair. In particr, to Baek Miho, who has developed a sense of wildness more than anyone else, Lee Minseong felt like an incredibly gigantic being. However, what Lim Taegyu, an S-ss hunter, felt was humiliation. "Ugh. If only I could use my mana..." No matter how strong Lee Minseong became, he was confident that he could deal with him if he got his usual strength. But that was impossible now. Right then... Suho spoke to them, who werepletely frozen. "Let''s join forces." "... What?" "Huh?" "What are you looking at? Will you run away then?" Suho''s words made them think if they should retreat and bring in fellow hunters. "We''re in a mess right now, so let''s attack all at once instead of splitting the tanks and attackers." Suho''s strategy was simple. "Since he hides well, let''s rip his wings first so that he can''t run away, and beat him altogether until he dies." [Pft.] Minseongughed at Suho''s words. [Ridiculous. Are you saying you''re going to deal with me on your own? Me, who will be the King of Insects?] "Ah, the King of Insects?" Suho alsoughed at him genuinely. Lick. "Didn''t taste very good though." ... Chills. Why? Minseong suddenly felt ufortable with Suho. [Queen of Insects, gue Monarch, shakes her head, saying that she has been caught by a terrible one.] "I wonder what your poison would taste like?" Chapter 75 - 75

Chapter 75:

Lee Minseong managed to escape from Queen Bee Arsha, but after that, he had to run away while being hunted by contaminatedncers. Thencers were obviously weaker than Minseong, but it was impossible to kill them. Every time he tried to kill them, a powerful message resonated in his head, causing him to suffer from a tremendous headache. -Be loyal to the Queen! -Be loyal to the Queen! [Ack! Shut up! Shut up!] He really seemed to almost lose it. If he didn''t try to counter his mind for even just for a while, his desire to return to the Queen Bee on his own and kneel down to swear allegiance surged up. -Be loyal to the Queen! [Stop! Stop! Please get out of my head!] He tried everything to get the voice out of his head, but to no avail. Even when he plugged his ears and banged his head on the floor, the voice didn''t stop. That was natural. It wasn''t a voice in the first ce. It was the instinct of a worker bee reborn for the Queen Bee. For Lee Minseong, who always reigned over others, it was a very humiliating feeling. -Be loyal to the Queen! [I refuse! I''m not a worker bee!] He gritted his teeth and forcibly suppressed his instincts. Ironically, the ce where he managed to avoid the pursuit of thencers was the Vice President''s Office of the Reaper Guild. [Whew. Yes, my ce is right here. It''s not like a beehive.] He was breathing heavily and was about to take a bottle of wine from the cer and drink it as usual, but his expression changed. [... It was because of this!] The wine in his hand was the culprit of that situation he was in. A high-quality wine and royal jelly that the ''Lady'' always gave him as a gift whenever he went to Queen Bee. That was the Queen Bee''s poison! [I drank this every day, that was why I''m like this...!] Lee Minseong held the wine bottle high to throw it, but hesitated for a moment. [... Hold on a second.] When he thought of the Queen Bee''s poison, he suddenly had a good idea. He came up with a way to suppress the worker bee''s instincts. By using that... [Maybe I can create my own corps.] Lee Minseong poured his mana energy into the royal jelly. He changed the properties of royal jelly to his own preferences. [Great. Now, if you are poisoned by this, you will turn into a soldier loyal to me, not the Queen Bee.] Lee Minseong absorbed the newly prepared royal jelly into his stinger. Then, he went outside and attacked the lower level hunters and injected them with royal jelly. Somehow they died right on the spot. [Tsk. Weaklings. Can''t even stand this much poison.] Lee Minseong clicked his tongue and went to find stronger intermediate hunters. However, the results were the same for intermediate hunters. They all vomited blood and were poisoned to death. [Why do you keep dying?] He was confused. Was there something wrong with the royal jelly? Until he found out why, he continued to attack the hunters over and over again. Then, finally, he saw a positive light. His target was... the Reaper Guild he belonged to. [... Coincidence?] At first he thought it was just a coincidence. But it wasn''t. No matter how many times he tried it, the only ones who survived the royal jelly without dying were the hunters of the Reaper Guild. [How is this possible?] Eventually, Lee Minseong found the reason. [Could it be that they were the ones who followed me from the beginning?] Royal jelly was a poison for worker bees. The object of that loyalty was, of course, the Queen Bee. [But, I am not a queen.] Even if they were forced to be loyal to Lee Minseong, who was at most the same worker bee, there was no worker bee to devote their allegiance to. However, only the members of the Reaper Guild, who were originally his subordinates, were an exception. Loyalty to "Vice President Lee Minseong" was basically engraved in their heads. The reason for that loyalty was only a thin master-servant rtionship tied to annual sry and rank, but ironically, it was the most tightly bound master-servant rtionship among humans. With that logic, Lee Minseong bursted intoughter. [Then, the royal jelly with my magic could only be eaten by the members of the Reaper Guild? That''s funny. Really interesting.] Somehow, he thought that the appearance of the ves he made with his own royal jelly was very different from the ones who resemble soldiers. The ves of Lee Minseong were reborn as ''contaminated ghouls'' that looked more like humans than bees. [This may also be destiny.] It was better. Using that ability, he might be able to steal everything from Lim Taegyu, that lucky bastard. The position of guild leader was not suitable for such a guy like him from the beginning. [Lim Taegyu looked better when he was my driver. I''m going to poison him and make him my ve.] Minseong had no idea if even an S-ss would be affected by his royal jelly, but if he seeded, it would be a jackpot. Taegyu was once a driver who obeyed his words, so the possibility was high enough. He felt better when he thought of enving Lim Taegyu. Being reborn as a worker bee wasn''t all bad. Except for the instinct to be loyal to the Queen Bee, there were many more good things. The Queen Bee suppressed all of Lee Minseong''s nature as a human, reinventing him as a highly evolved form of a fighter. It''s a little disappointing that all the skills he had when he was a human disappeared because of that, but after all, skills were forbat anyway. By condensing all that power, he obtained a transcendent body specialized inbat, so the gains were ratherrge. He wondered if he could beat Lim Taegyu if he was in his current state now. [Although he is S-ss, Lim Taegyu is nothing more than an archer who shoots an arrow from behind. If I poison him first and then disable his weapon, I stand a good chance...] ... That was how Lee Minseong came that far. All of his ns have been sessful so far, and as a result, Lim Taegyu was now standing in front of him looking exhausted. ''I can win now!'' Lee Minseong was confident. He would beat Lim Taegyu with his own hands, trample on his face, and spit on him. And, like before the cataclysm, he nned to make him his ve and use him for the rest of his life... ''Who the hell is that human next to him?'' Lee Minseong felt an ominous feeling when he saw Suho next to Lim Taegyu. It was like having the Queen Bee in front of him... No. Kf that person were the Queen Bee, he would have felt more of a forcing loyalty, but he felt the opposite from Suho. Fear. As if facing a natural enemy, pure fear welled up. ''Why? Does he seem to look very strong?'' After bing a worker bee, Lee Minseong''s sense of estimating the opponent''s level was extremely developed. Judging by the mana power that he felt from Suho, he was clearly a C-ss hunter. No matter how well he attacked, it would only be at the level of a B-ss hunter. In fact, the more threatening being than him was Baek Miho, an A-ss hunter next to Suho. But why? Why did he want to run away from there right now? Why did he be as stiff as a frog in front of a snake? ''Natural Enemy of Insects'' The uneasy feeling touched Lee Minseong''s ego. [... He gives off a very bad aura.] He worked hard to shake off the anxiety he felt and showed his strength. A tremendous energy surged from him. On the other hand, Suho felt the opposite. ''He''s obviously stronger than me. I don''t think he''ll ever lose.'' Suho immediately opened the shop window. [You purchased ''Item: Quiver (100)''.] [You purchased ''Item: Quiver (100)''.] In an instant, two heavy quivers were in Suho''s hands. "If you can''t use magic arrows, use these instead." "...!" Lim Taegyu, who was suddenly handed a quiver, looked at Suho with his eyes wide open. "From where did-?!" "Summoning hunter." Suho shrugged his shoulders, skipping over the exnations. "Of course it''s not free. You''ll be billed for itter, so maximize its use. I will give you some again when you have used it all." "Oh, yes! Thank you!" Lim Taegyu nodded with a bright expression. Now, it didn''t matter if Suho was a healer or a summoning hunter. Such concerns can be dealt withter. Immediately, Lim Taegyu turned his head toward the enemies, and his expression suddenly changed. The ''Reaper''s Bow'' was an S-ss weapon that could kill mages with an ordinary arrow. The moment Korea''s strongest S-ss archer held it, he truly became a hunter. Swoosh-! Lim Taegyu''s arrows pierced the heads and hearts of the ghouls attacking from all sides. "Leave all these to me, and you guys catch Lee Minseong!" He wanted to beat Lee Minseong directly, but he had already confirmed that it was impossible now that he does not have mana power. An all-out battle began. "Let''s go!" "Y-Yes!" Suho and Miho went after Lee Minseong. [Krrrk!] At that moment, the wings of the shadowncers sprouted from Suho and Miho''s backs. Swish-! They flew towards Lee Minseong at breakneck speed andunched an onught. Swoosh! [Slow.] However, Lee Minseongughed at them and easily avoided the attacks. ''How can he have that speed?!'' Baek Miho hurriedly gave a warning to Suho at Lee Minseong''s movement. "Suho, be careful! Based on his speed alone, he''s far beyond A-ss!" Lee Minseong was delighted at those words. The corners of his mouth twitched with an ecstatic expression. [Haha! That''s right! I''m already beyond human. Your slow bursting attacks can''t even touch my body!] "Oh, really?" Flinch. Suho''s trivial reply made Lee Minseong feel ufortable. No matter how much he tried to ignore it, Suho''s existence itself is so strong. [... I can''t do this. I''ll kill you first!] Lee Minseong flew towards Suho in full momentum. The moment the sharp spear in his hand is about to pierce Suho''s heart... Swish. Suhoughed. ''I''ve been waiting for this moment.'' Suho''s thoughts raged with his eyes shimmering. "Come out!" ...! Swoosh-! Suddenly, numerous ck beams of light emanated from Suho''s body and rushed toward Lee Minseong at the same time. [I-Is this...?!] Lee Minseong''s eyes widened as he was taken aback. It was visible to the perspective of a worker bee that transcended humans. The identity of those beams of light. Lancers. The Queen Bee''sncers who had been chasing him so tenaciously had appeared! [This is ridiculous...] Lee Minseong was frightened and hurriedly changed direction just before attacking Suho. Besides, his speed was much faster than those guys. Even if they were too close, he could escape...! "...!" Suho suddenly grabbed the tip of Lee Minseong''s spear, which was about to pierce his heart. "Caught it, you bastard." [Let go!] Lee Minseong tried with all his might to defeat Suho. But it''s already toote. "Kill him." [Krrrk!] [Krrrk!] The spears of the shadowncers flying from all sides began to mercilessly ughter Lee Minseong''s body. Chapter 76 - 76

Chapter 76:

Countless ck streaks of light struck Lee Minseong like thunder and lightning. g! [Ack...!] He fell to the floor and let out a tremendous roar. Baek Miho immediately followed him to the ground and plunged her fist straight into his abdomen. Bang! [Ack!] Lee Minseong''s eyes opened and he vomited blood from his mouth. "Let''s fight here." Baek Miho, with a raging gaze, swung her both hands. Skill, Beast w. sh! Baek Miho attacked Lee Minseong without a break. If she stopped even for a moment, she could miss him. ''I don''t know what happened, but I can''t miss this opportunity!'' She was taken aback by Suho''s sudden ability, but if she missed such an opportunity, Lee Minseong could run away at great speed. Baek Miho spurred on the attack, and Lee Minseong suddenly came to his senses and fought back. Speed ??was definitely Lee Minseong''s advantage, but numerous shadowncers constantly harassed him to fill that agility gap. He could not hide his confused expression. ''How...?'' ''What happened?'' ''How did thencers suddenly appear?'' ''What the hell does that human have to do with the Queen Bee!'' Numerous question marks filled Lee Minseong''s head. The moment he saw Suho attacking him, he felt a surge ofplex emotions. [What kind of rtionship do you have with the Queen Bee?!] Bang! Lee Minseong''s attack was directed at Suho. Common sense made him think that it''s only right to Baek Miho, who is stronger than Suho, but Lee Minseong could not think rationally. He realized what that terrible emotion was. Jealousy. [Why did the Queen Bee give thencers to someone like you?!] He used to deny it with all his body, but there was one truth that never changed. That''s right... [The Queen Bee''s favorite and strongest worker bee is me! Me, Lee Minseong! Not someone like you...!] Lee Minseong''s raging attack crumbled the whole area like a bomber, Baek Miho hurriedly unfolded her defense skills. "Ack! Hide behind me, Suho!" But instead of retreating, Suho jumped forward. ''Oh my.'' Baek Miho couldn''t help but doubt her own eyes. In front of her, Lee Minseong''s spear and Suho''s sword were fighting fiercely. Lee Minseong''s speed was obviously overwhelmingly faster than Suho''s. However, Suho never stopped attacking, taking all the unblockable attacks with his bare body. She couldn''t help but be surprised at that terribly tough defense. ''Was he a tank, and not a summoning hunter?'' She was so confused. In the end, she gave up thinking about it, but there was some truth to what she was thinking. [''Skill: Tenacity'' level increased!] [Physical defense +60% ¡ú +80%] ''Great. I''ll be able to hold out longer with this.'' Fighting with all his might, Suho''s mind was extremely rational. Body hot, head cold. He was fighting, checking his HP and MP every moment while looking at the status window. Since Lee Minseong was such a strong enemy, there was no room to use the skills that sucked mana in real time. It was suicidal to grow in size with the giant''s armor against a fast enemy. Even if he tried to amplify his speed by strengthening Gray, the limit was only a few minutes. Even if he didn''t use a skill, he was attacking with mana energy, so he needed to fight while conserving his mana thoroughly. ''Eventually, it''s just the Spiritual Body Manifestation...'' Among his skills, the one that boasted the most destructive power was definitely Spiritual Body Manifestation. However, it was also a skill that consumed mana in real time, and in order to hit an attack against such a fast enemy, he had to be prepared. Suho ordered the Shadow Lancers. "Tie that bastard''s feet! Tear off his wings, attack the legs!" A truly cruel order! But rather, it was the Shadow Lancers who were torn apart. [How dare you!] [Krrrk...!] In the hands of Lee Minseong, thencers'' heads were cut and a huge hole was pierced in their chests. It was just the beginning. [Khiiik-!] As Suho''s mana decreased, the fragmented bodies of the Shadow Lancers turned into ck steam and began to reattach. Lee Minseong was greatly shocked by that. [No way! That''s just impossible...!] The jealousy towards a fellowncer surged up in his heart. [Why didn''t the Queen Bee give me the ability to regenerate?! Could it be that the Queen was afraid that I would be too strong?!] Of course, not. However, Lee Minseong''s misunderstanding became the incarnation of jealousy and grew out of control. He realized one thing. He was originally unable to attack thencers sent by the Queen Bee. But now, for some reason, the attack was possible. What does that mean? [That''s right! Haha! I''m alreadypletely free of the Queen Bee! As expected, creating my own corps was the answer!] Lee Minseong burst intoughter with a face full of joy. He defeated thencers and attacked Suho. But at that moment. Chills! [...!] He saw something. Swoosh- A huge shadow behind Suho''s back. The illusion of something huge like a mountain looking down on him with an arrogant gaze. [The Queen of Insects, the gue Monarch, is watching Lee Minseong.] [Ahh... Ahhh...] In front of that mighty gaze, he became a tiny and shabby insect, trembling before he knew it. Then... The stopped time started to flow again. Lee Minseong''s spirit suddenly returned to reality, and the huge shadow was nowhere to be seen. ''Did I just see something?'' He didn''t know what it was, but Lee Minseong decided to run right away. ''Besides, my intended purpose was all aplished.'' Lee Minseong''s gaze turned to Lim Taegyu, who was shooting arrows at the ghouls from afar. ''I don''t know how the ghouls poisoned him...'' It was clear that Lim Taegyu was suffering from the poison. He managed to suppress the poison with his mana powers, but that will eventually reach its limit. ''It doesn''t matter if I lose all the ghouls I''ve collected so far. I just need to catch Lim Taegyu!'' With that, he would be able to take on an S-ss hunter as a worker bee. ... Lee Minseong was mistaken. Unaware of the fact that Secretary Oh betrayed Lim Taegyu, Lee Minseong mistook him for being addicted to his royal jelly. ''Okay, I''ll run away first! No one will be able to detoxify Lim Taegyu''s poison anyway, so I just have to hide quietly and wait until he getspletely poisoned!'' As soon as he thought about it, he immediately turned around and ran. "Make sure to not miss him!" Immediately, Suho chased Lee Minseong with the Shadow Lancers. [You got caught, you bastard!] Seizing the momentary gap, Lee Minseong suddenly turned to Suho again. [Before I go, you...!] "...!" Lee Minseong''s magic exploded toward Suho. "No!" Baek Miho hurriedly ran from behind, but it was toote. Bang! There was an explosion of highly concentrated magical power. "... Ack." "...!" Suho opened his eyes. It wasn''t him who received the attack. Lim Taeyu suddenly got in between the two, and received the attack by Lee Minseong instead of Suho. Even Lee Minseong was taken aback by thepletely unexpected situation. [L-Lim Taegyu, you bastard...] "Yes, it is me. You son of a bitch." Lim Taegyu looked straight into Lee Minseong''s eyes and smiled. Blood poured out of his mouth. However, even in the midst of such pain, his two hands firmly gripped the spear of Lee Minseong, which was stuck in his stomach, and did not let go. No matter how hard Lee Minseong tried, his spear could not be pulled out. Lim Taegyu still had the physicality of an S-ss hunter. [Lim Taegyu!] Lee Minseong desperately struggled with Lim Taegyu. [What are you thinking?! Don''t tell me you''re going to die with me!] "... Why would I, bastard? " Lim Taegyu struggled to answer those words. "It''s because of me that you have such a bad temper. Right?" [...!] At those words, Lee Minseong''s body suddenly stiffened. Looking straight into his bloodshot eyes, Lim Taegyu muttered with a smile. "So you have to take responsibility. At least as a business partner." Lim Taegyu was truly sorry. It hasn''t been more than two years since they fought. Before that, they were close friends. How did everything happen? What is this mana power? What is awakening? ''Why is a guy who was born with everything jealous of me...'' "... So, Minseong..." Swoosh! Lim Taegyu''s mana, which had been suppressed until now, suddenly began to surge. At the same time, the royal jelly''s poison tried to invade his brain, but everything would end before that. "I really can''t see my friend getting beaten up by others. So if you will die, just die in my hands." [Nonsense! It is you who will die!] Lee Minseong roared and attacked Lim Taegyu with his other hand. Swoosh! Suho, like a thunderbolt, got in between the two. Both of Lee Minseong''s arms were cut off by his twin swords. [...!] Lee Minseong''s eyes widened. "You talk a lot." Suho, who had been waiting for the moment Lee Minseong was tied up, poured all his strength towards him. [Use ''Skill: Spiritual Body Manifestation''.] Spiritual Body Manifestation. The power of Ammut, which raised even a small and insignificant goblin into an Iron Body Monarch. Arge, ck energy enveloped Suho''s arm and spread out as a sword. Swoosh-! Suho did not stop attacking. Like a giant hand crushing a small bug to death. Again and again. It was ruthless violence against Lee Minseong. ''No way...'' Lee Minseong, who lost both arms, couldn''t even scream properly, and had no choice but to suffer with all the attacks. ''Why is this guy...!'' He just couldn''t believe the situation. It would be better if it was Lim Taegyu, an S-ss hunter, but he couldn''t ept the fact that he was being treated so badly by an unknown kid. But... It hurt. All of Suho''s attacks were so painful. The worst of all... Lim Taegyu was watching his desperate appearance and muttered something. "..." He couldn''t hear anything. Lee Minseong, who was already battered, couldn''t hear a thing. [ckkk!] He got up with hisst breath and attacked Suho. At the same time, Suho''s huge ck fist and numerous ckncers'' attacks rained on Minseong''s body. g! Chapter 77 - 77

Chapter 77:

"Phew." When Suho stopped attacking, a heavy silence came. As Lee Minseong died, the contaminated ghouls around him copsed at once like a puppet with a thread cut off. The contaminated wasps that filled the ominous sky also disappeared. ''Oh my God...'' Baek Miho, who was running to help Suho, stood there nkly staring at Suho. It was an absolutely unbelievable sight. A C-ss hunter crushed an A-ss viin by force. ''As expected, that person...'' Baek Miho went on her way to guess Suho''s identity. Meanwhile, in that suffocating silence, Suho himself was busy reading the noisy system messages. Ring. Ring. Ring. Ring. [The Queen''s Lancer has been defeated.] [Your level increased!] [Your level increased!] [Your level increased!] ''Oh, great.'' Climbing 3 levels at once was worth the hard work. Suho''s level was now at 32. Surprisingly, however, the message did not end there. Ring. [The yer has reached the required level.] [You have met thepletion conditions of ''Secret Quest: Qualification of Corps Commander''.] [There are unread messages.] ''Required level? Qualification of Corps Commander?'' Suho, who was trying to check the message with a puzzled expression, suddenly stumbled. Grumble! "...!" Suddenly, the floor started shaking as if it were about to copse. No, that space itself was about to copse. [Young Master! You must get out of here immediately!] Beru urgently shouted at Suho. The sky was also being torn apart. [If it was toote, you could be trapped here forever!] Lee Minseong made numerous sacrifices and forcibly brought such an iplete dungeon, the sanctuary of insects, to Earth. That was the role of a Pontifex that Queen Bee Arsha wanted. However, at the same time as Lee Minseong''s death, the coercive power disappeared, and the sanctuary was about to return to the dimensional rift. "Come on, let''s get out of here." Suho put off checking the message and looked back at Baek Miho and Lim Taegyu. Lim Taegyu, who was staring at the dead Lee Minseong, immediately closed his eyes and turned around. Then he nced at Suho feeling conflicted and opened his mouth. "I have a lot to ask you, but I''ll do it once we get out of here." "Me, too." Baek Miho added. The three hurriedly escaped from the insect sanctuary. However, just before Suho left the sanctuary, he suddenly stopped and nced back. ''It took a lot of hard work to catch him. It''s a waste to throw him away.'' He reached out his hand toward Lee Minseong''s body lying on the ground. ''Ruler''s Power.'' Swook. An invisible hand lifted one of Minseong''s arms, which Suho had cut off. It was already in a deformed shape to be called a human arm. Thencer''s arm, which had a long spear instead of a hand, moved towards Suho like a ma. Right after that, Suho smiled meaningfully and escaped from the sanctuary. * * * The post-processing was carried out swiftly the moment Lee Minseong, the main culprit, died. All the ghouls that were rampaging in the city stopped moving at once, and all of those disasters ended at once. This was the result of the loss of power from the contaminated Royal Jelly of Minseong, which corrupted their bodies. Afterwards, Lim Taegyu immediately called a healer specializing in detoxification and received treatment. He was barely able to break free from the poison. "Ha. I almost died this time. In the future, should I have any kind of a courtdy or so? I have to choose my next assistant as a healer specializing in detoxification." Lim Taegyu repeats his resolutions with an exhausted expression. Meanwhile, Baek Miho mobilized all the manpower of the Baekho Guild and took the lead in securing casualties and missing persons. Reaper Guild was not in a position to do so. The incident was somehow solved, but the Reaper Guild had lost so many things due to that. Fortunately, most of the elite B-ss or higher were still alive, but the loss of most of the hunters C-ss or lower was a big blow. Well, they would just have to recruit new ones, but... ''Who will try to join our guild now? I''m worried that those who were there will also leave. Phew.'' Lim Taegyu raised his head and nkly looked up at the sky where Lee Minseong''s beehive was. For some reason, he had a vision of the dead Lee Minseong raising his middle finger up in the sky. ''That damn bastard.'' ''This must be why my mom told me to make good friends.'' "... Oh right. Secretary Oh!" Lim Taegyu suddenly remembered Secretary Oh, who betrayed him. He hurriedly looked around. However, no matter how much he searched for him, Secretary Oh''s whereabouts were already unknown. ''Weird.'' It felt strange. Secretary Oh was a secretary he personally selected. He had a moderate personality and was a good guy at work. Since when was he a traitor? Was he even human in the first ce? * * * At that time... ''Secretary Oh'' was watching them all with an expressionless face, mingling with the crowd. He turned his back as he walked away from the scene. Wiiiing- As the bees pped their wings, without anyone noticing, the face changed to that of Queen Bee Arsha. However, Arsha''s expression looked more depressed than Lim Taegyu''s. "... It''s futile." Lee Minseong died, and the sacrifices also perished. All the ns she had prepared so far copsed overnight. "The n was perfect." Yes. Looking back, her n was perfect. Hide in the shade and make a hideout. There, she gradually increased the number of worker bees. ''I put my heart and soul into making followers.'' Offering sacrifices for the dead Querehsha. In the middle, Lee Minseong ran away, but that level of error was not a big problem. Rather, it served as a catalyst to elerate her ns. The only cause of defeat was... ''That human.'' Arsha caught the sight of Suho in the distance. She also thought he was ominous from the first time she saw him. As expected, she should have killed him earlier, but instead, only her worker bees were taken away by him. It has be an urgent situation even for oneself to survive right now than to think of revenge. "... Is this the power of descendants?" There was a strong desire in Arsha''s eyes looking at Suho. ''Alright. I''ll admit it.'' From the moment she got involved with that human, she had no chance of winning. Because... "He is the descendant of Rakan." As expected, he was the heir of the King of Beasts, the Fang Monarch. It was natural that she would not be able to deal with him with her own power as she had not yet be a monarch. So, she wanted more. "If I be a monarch, I will have that kind of power." Fortunately, the session of the gue Monarch did not happen there today. She confirmed the most important fact with her own eyes. "I''m leaving for today, Beast King Crow." But someday definitely... Swallowing back words, Arsha''s body scattered on the spot. * * * Returning home, Suho had two business cards in his hand. The owners of the business cards were Baek Miho and Lim Taegyu. Korean hunters receive business cards from the president and vice president ofrge guilds that everyone was eager to enter. ¨C I''m busy today, so I just let it go! ¨C Be sure to contact us tomorrow! It is a must! The two forcibly put the business card in Suho''s hand, even while he was frantically answering questions from reporters flocking to do post-processing. Still feeling uneasy, they even took Suho''s phone number. "It feels like I was casted on the street for some reason." [That''s not quite wrong.] Beru responded to Suho''s words with a proud expression. [Like when you get recruited on the streets for looking too good, Young Master is also very good at fighting! When did you grow up so great...] "That''s too much." Leaving Beru, who was shedding tears of emotion, Suho roughly threw the business cards on the desk. ''It''s good to join arge guild.'' It wasn''t just a popr name or a bigpany. Even if the sry wasn''t high, the welfare of arge guild was truly enormous. Depending on the ss or experience, one can borrow expensive, high-quality equipment. Large guilds were also equipped with a spacious and sturdy training center that would not copse even if members used their mana to their heart''s content. Other hunters don''t grow through leveling up like Suho, that''s why they needed more training. It was to use the power given to them more efficiently and strategically. The problem was that... "I already have them all." Good weapon? Suho had a shop window. As long as his gold was enough, he could buy any equipment he wanted. Arge training camp? Is there another hunter in the world who has a personal training ground as big and wide as Suho''s? Suho immediately inserted the key into his shadow. [Are you going in right away?] "Yeah. I have something to check." ck. [Would you like to enter the Shadow Dungeon?] (Y/N) "Yes." [Entering the Shadow Dungeon.] Swoosh! In an instant, Suho''s vision turned ck and white. Before he knew it, the ce where he was standing was the shadow dungeon''s strength training center, the pyramid of Ammut. There, Ammut, who was waiting for Suho toe, stood up with his gigantic body and a vicious smile. [You are finally here. Let''s start training.] "Wait a minute! Not yet!" As soon as Suho saw him, he hurriedly dissuaded Ammut, who was about to start Spiritual Body Manifestation training. Ammut frowned as he tried to transform into a spirit body. [Do you have anything else to do?] "Yes. There are other important things to do." Suho let out a sigh of relief and checked the message flickering in front of his eyes from earlier. [You have met thepletion conditions of ''Secret Quest: Qualification of Corps Commander''.] [There are unread messages.] After taking a short deep breath, Suho immediately checked the message. [Secret Quest: Qualifications of Corps Commander] A yer has proven himself or herself by reaching the required level. Be a Shadow Legion Commander and raise your own crops. "This can''t be..." Suho''s eyes widened. Swoosh! Under Suho''s feet, the shadow moved on its own and began screaming silently. The sound was grand like a military song of brave soldiers leaving the battlefield, or grotesque like a solemn requiem. Ring. [You have learned ''Skill: Shadow Save''.] "Shadow Save?" [Ehhh?!] Before Suho could finish his words, Beru was startled and screamed. [Oh my God! Finally, Young Master has been recognized by His Majesty!] Chapter 78 - 78

Chapter 78:

So far, Suho had released and used a variety of shadow soldiers. There were quite a few useful soldiers among them, but unfortunately they were only one-day mercenaries. That had been the case up until now. ck bees flocked at the sky. If there was a ''Grave Spider Arachne'', it would have sprung a web right away and tied up the bees in an instant. However, Arachne had already gone back to nothing, and Suho had to deal with all those tiny mobs one by one. There was something that Beru once said to Suho. [Only a monarch canmand corps.] Although Suho inherited the Shadow Power thanks to his father, he was not the Shadow Monarch himself. In order to be a monarch, a vacancy was needed and it would exist when the current monarch died. However, Sung Jinwoo was already an immortal being. With that, Suho could forever not be the Shadow Monarch. But then, Beru said clearly. -Young Master does not have the authority to handle corps ''yet''. He said, ''yet''. That very moment finally came to Suho. [Skill: Shadow Save Lv.1] Shadow power. No mana cost. Shadow Soldiers are stored in the caster''s shadow. Stored soldiers can be summoned or stored back whenever the caster wishes. Number of stored shadows: 0 / 1 "... Oh, wow." Suho''s eyes widened as he checked the skill window. Above his head, Beru was flying round and round, shedding tears of joy. [Eeek! You must be so thrilled! His Majesty has finally allowed Young Master to have a private soldier!] "A private soldier..." Suho muttered. "In the end, there was still a level limitation." Level is, after all, an indicator that the system easily recognizes, limiting the protection. If power were to be given to low-ranking ones, they would rather be consumed by the energy of death and be a shadow soldier. Storing the soldier of death in one''s shadow was the same as saying that death always followed beneath one''s feet. Now, he finally has the authority to lead a private soldier. What was important to Suho was, after all, numbers. [Number of saved shadows: 0 / 1] "Just one..." Suho sneered. That was probably because his level was also low. "It''s like saying I need to increase the number by myself one by one." It will also be affected by the intellect stat just like the shadow release skill. Suho suddenly remembered the time when he was young and sat side by side with his father to y games. At that time, his father would often nag him, saying, ''How can you fall asleep with that level?'' ''Somehow, even if we y the same game, you level up so fast. Leveling up was your main job.'' [Which one do you n to save as the first soldier?] Suho, who had escaped from his thoughts at Beru''s question, responded with a smirk. "Why are you asking? You already know." Of course, the one he had been having the most trouble withtely. Suho put down one side of Lee Minseong''s arm, which he had brought with him, on the floor. [Shadow release is possible on this target.] Shadow release was possible even with only a part of the corpse. After all, the body is just a medium. A dark aura was already moving around Lee Minseong''s arm. Aaaaaaah-! An ominous cry echoed in the shadows. Lee Minseong was screaming to get him out of that hell. The aura was frighteningly ferocious. ''Okay. If you want it that much, I''ll take you out.'' Suho stretched out his hand towards him. "Arise." A ck shadow began to wriggle. [Tries to release the shadow.] [Attempting to release...] Aaaaaah! In the shadows, Lee Minseong''s face stretched out and opened his mouth. However... Ring! A notification popped up with the sound of metal snapping. [Shadow release failed.] [You have two more chances left.] ''Failed?'' Suho''s eyes narrowed. He wasn''t too surprised because he expected failure to some extent. Shadow release increases the probability of release failure in proportion to the target''s ability level. Lee Minseong was an A-ss hunter with much more mana power than Suho, and thetter did not fight alone to win in the first ce. ''That''s why he''s more coveted.'' Suho remembered. Lee Minseong, the strongestncer, was developed by Queen Bee Arsha with great care. Even so, if he could reap that arrogant fellow who voluntarily escaped from the Queen Bee for his own purposes as his own soldier, the thought alone made his heart swell. ''Two chances left...'' After taking a deep breath, Suho calmly attempted the second release. "Arise." Ring! [Shadow release failed.] [You have one more chance left.] "..." ''I''m getting dizzy.''. He expected it, but he couldn''t help but be nervous when there was only one chance left. Aaaaaaaaah! Even at that moment, Lee Minseong was struggling to get out of the ck smoke. ''Do you want toe out too?'' He felt his eagerness. Suho''s eyes grew serious. ''You must have been jealous of my shadowncers.'' Lee Minseong had shown jealousy when he saw thencers who resurrected even if they died while fighting him. -Why didn''t the Queen Bee give me the ability to regenerate! Could it be that she was afraid that I would be too strong?! He was seriously mistaken. In the first ce, that power was not something a Queen Bee could give. ''Come to me. I''ll make you the strongestncer.'' Suho''s eyes shed with strong will. "Arise!" That moment. Aaaah-! Minsung roared and came out of the ck smoke. Then, the ck smoke that followed began to form a body that was not yetpleted. [Shadow release seeded.] "Finally!" Suho bursted into relief. However, it did not seem to be aplete resurrection. [A strong desire led to the fighting spirit of the dead.] [However, the power of the shadow soldier is weakened because the dead''s stats are too highpared to the caster''s.] [The level of the shadow starts at 2.] ''Weakened to level 2?'' Suho made a puzzled expression. What level was it originally? [?? Lv.2] Knight ss Thud. Eventually, ancer made of ck steamnded on one knee in front of Suho and bowed his head. [Greetings to my master.] "Huh? You can talk?" [Ehh?] Suho and Beru''s eyes widened at the same time. The other Shadow Lancers couldn''t speak. Only this one had that ability. "Is it because it''s a Knight ss?" [I-I don''t think so. In order to be able to speak normally, you need to be at least General ss... Or was it really necessary?] Beru too looked perplexed. [Hmm. Maybe it''s because Young Master has been ying with the shadow soldiers since he started babbling...] In the end, they can only specte on the effects of talent and early education. Ring. [Names can be given to soldiers of knight ss or higher.] [The given name remains until the shadow disappears.] [Please specify the soldier''s name.] Suho pondered for a moment. ''Name...'' The name Lee Minseong was so infamous that he did not want to use it as it was. ''Alright. Since Lee Minseong wanted to seed Querehsha...'' "Quay." [Do you want to use ''Quay''?] "Yeah." As soon as Suho finished speaking, a new name was engraved instead of the question mark above the shadowncer''s head. [Quay Lv.2] Knight ss [Thank you for the great name.] Lee Minseong, who was born again under the name of Quay, smiled faintly and stood up. When he was alive, long poisonous needles sprouted like spears in both hands instead of his hands, but now that he was born again, only one poisonous needle was attached to it, and the other hand was a normal hand. ''Is it because I only cut off one arm?'' While taking a look at Quay, Beru flew up and mocked Lee Minseong. [Kehehe. I feel sorry for you. A guy who was once so strong was only a level 2 knight now.] However, Quay only snorted at Beru''s provocation. [Ha. I can''t believe this. You, of all people, dare tough at me?] [Ehh.] Beru''s ego was pierced and he flinched. [Beru Lv.1] Pawn ss For reference, the current mini Beru''s rating was far below. [T-This is not my real self!] [The same goes for me. The important thing is the present, right?] [What!? How dare the distant sessor speak back?!] [Says the pawn.] [...!] Beru was genuinely enraged, and Quay indifferently looked at him with arms crossed. In the middle of a bloody nerve war between the two, Suho said a word. "Quay." [Yes, Master. What is it?] "Show some respect to the elderly." [Elderly?!] Quay''s eyes widened in surprise at those words. However, the body had already obeyed themand and immediately bowed his head. [Young Master! Why are you...!] "Beru is like the uncle who raised me. You''ll get in trouble if you mess around." [Young Master-! Kehehehe!] Beru flew in with tears of emotion and clung to Suho''s head. At the same time, he nced at Quay with a side eye and began to chuckle coolly. [Looking at it now, you''re level 2 because you''re number 2!] [Pft.] As if those words touched the wrath, Quay''s face crumpled as if he hit his head on the floor. [... We''ll see, you bastard.] It seemed that the war of nerves between the two would continue. * * * [Hmm. A pretty useful looking soldier. Where did you get this guy from?] Ammut, whi was watching what Suho was doing from the side, was looking over at Quay amusingly. Suho told him everything that had happened that day, and Ammut bursted outughing when he heard the story. [You still have a long way to go. You mean you struggled because of just a few bugs?] "There weren''t just a few. Even Master would have had a hard time, I bet." [Sounds funny. Even if hundreds or millions of those bugse at once, they can''t do any damage to me.] It was not an exaggeration. Ammut''s thick skin is a kind of full body armor itself made of steel. With that solid defensive power, he would have ignored all attacks, strode towards the captain and trample him on. "I have more questions other than that." [What?] Suho remembered himself during thest battle that took ce that day. "It would be quicker to show you. Look at this." Swoosh! [Use ''Skill: Spiritual Body Manifestation''.] Suho raised his sword and casted the Spiritual Body Manifestation technique. A ck aura flowed through his arms and wrists and drew sword energy from the de. Seeing that, Ammut''s eyes shed. [Woah. It''s quite good. Extending the Spiritual Body Manifestation technique to weapons!] "Was this originally possible?" [Of course, but Tarnak couldn''t do it.] "It was something that even an Iron Body Monarch couldn''t do?" Suho was surprised at Ammut''s unexpected answer. Ammut smiled meaningfully and stared at Suho intently. [Yes. Since he was a goblin from birth, the only thing he could do was to strengthen his body. Actually, that alone was good enough, but you are different.] Suho was not a goblin, but the son of a Shadow Monarch. [If the starting point is different, the result is bound to be different. I''m curious too. What kind of monster will you turn into if you master Spiritual Body Manifestation!] Swoosh! At that moment, Ammut''s body grewrger and began to transform into a spiritual body. [If you''re done with your business, let''s start training now!] "Wait a minute! I''m not yet ready...!" The heavy gravitational field pressed down on Suho. A workout- No, a daily quest that was harder than fighting Querehsha had begun. Chapter 79 - 79

Chapter 79:

Hyeonmu Guild 2nd Management Division. "Hmm. Where did I see him? I''m sure I''ve seen him somewhere..." Hyeonmu Guild''s Section Chief Lee Youngho had been immersed in thought since earlier while watching the video of therge-scale disaster filmed by a drone. In the paused video, three hunters were captured soaring towards the hive with ck wings spread. Two of them were the famous Lim Taegyu and Baek Miho, so he could recognize them. The problem was the other one. The identity of the third hunter was not known yet. "It seems that Baekho Guild and the Reaper Guild are controlling the information." "Yes. ordingly, they are responding to reporters'' requests with thorough silence." "That means..." "Yes." In an instant, Section Chief Lee Youngho and his subordinates nodded their heads to each other with eyes filled with confidence. "That means they haven''t recruited that hunter yet." "I think so, too. If they already got him, there''s no reason to hide the information. Rather, it will be widely publicized and used to promote their guild." "Of course. Wing buffs are rare." As far as known, Lim Taegyu and Baek Miho did not have the skill to grow wings. If so, it was the third hunter who gave the buff. The strategic value of a hunter who could give others the ability to fly was enormous, regardless of ss. Rather, the lower the rating, the better. Low cost but high value for money. "We have to somehow recruit this useful guy before other guilds snatch him away. In particr, he should never be in the Baekho Guild." Baekho Guild was famous for recruiting only hunters with Beast Transformation skills, but healers and buff hunters were exceptions. Since that hunter has a wing ability, there was a high possibility that it was included as a Beast Transformation skill. Baekho Guild would surely not miss the chance no matter what. "First of all, make a contract. Meanwhile, I''ll try to figure out his identity somehow." "What about the offer?" "We''re not ying here. Leave the deposit item nk for now. If he''s someone who just awakened, we should try to offer him as much as we can." "Hehe. Alright. But how will you find out who he is?" "With my head." Chief Lee Youngho pressed his forehead with two fingers as if he were using superpowers, and his eyes shed. "You know what? Before Cataclysm, I was a hairdresser. I remembered every face and name of every customer who had ever passed me by." "... Here we go again." With the same repertoire every time, the subordinate shook his head and went back to his seat. However, Lee Youngho believed in his sharp memory. "I''ve seen him. It''s definitely a face in my memory. What have I missed..." In his head, countless hunters'' faces began to unfold like a panorama. ''I haven''t met him in person. If I did, I would have remembered right away. Was it a face I saw on HunterNet or on the news? ...Ah!'' "I remember now!" Section Chief Lee Youngho suddenly jumped out of his seat with bloodshot eyes. "That''s him! That E-ss summoning hunter who dared to knock us down!" "What? An E-ss Hunter?" The subordinate who was printing the contract next to him tilted his head and asked. "Yes, punk! Hahaha! Also, don''t you know me?! It''s only been a month, so how can I forget it?!" The employee still looked puzzled at the words of the section chief. "Chief, are you sure? If he''s really E-ss, how did he get 3 people to fly, even if it''s a skill? Wouldn''t he run out of mana and fall?" "That''s what we need to figure out. Regardless of the method, make sure to recruit him! The other guilds will also have their eyes on him right now, so hurry up!" "We''re working overtime again today." * * * Meanwhile, the Baekho Guild was having a hard time because of Suho. "Vice President, other guilds keep asking for the identity of ''that hunter'', what should we do?" "Just pretend you don''t know." "That''s kind of... weird. Since his face is already widely known... They must be looking for each of the C-ss hunters in the Seoul area to check, too." "... Try to hold out until we recruit him first." Baek Miho had been holding on to her cell phone with a nervous expression on her face. However, no matter how many times she tried to call Suho, he wouldn''t answer. -Are you sleeping? If you see this text... She had already sent a text message, but even if she waited long enough, she never got a reply. "He didn''t give me a wrong number, did he?" If he did, someone else would have received it. "Or maybe... Did he block me?" No, it can''t be! That didn''t even make sense. "Yeah. There''s no reason to block me, right? We fought together as colleagues... I even carried him on my back? Oh wait! Could it be that President Lim Taegyu already took him?" Baek Miho''s eyes raged when he thought of Lim Taegyu. If they were colleagues who fought together, Lim Taegyu was the same. That guild already went into hell due to the incident, and it was no exaggeration to say that they werepletely ruined financially. Even just dealing with the situation and payingpensation to the casualties would have cost an astronomical amount. ''It''s not impossible though. President Lim Taegyu himself is an S-ss hunter.'' A hunter''s true strengthes from force, not money. Even if all the hunters of the Reaper Guild left, it could be built again as long as Lim Taegyu, an S-ss hunter, was there. Either rebuild the guild or start a new guild. In such a situation, Lim Taegyu would never want to miss out on that outstanding hunter named Sung Suho. "... Vice President?" Baek Miho was muttering to herself with an anxious expression when the personnel manager of Baekho Guild spoke. "Was this hunter Sung Suho really that great? Even though the wing buff is rare, I heard that he is only a C-ss hunter?" "He''s not just a C-ss." Baek Miho said firmly. "It doesn''t matter if it''s his hunter level or a wing buff. Hunter Sung Suho..." Other guilds didn''t know anything right now. The only reason they care about Suho is probably because of the wing buff. Or maybe because he was the only hunter who could be recruited among the three who stopped the disaster. Since they couldn''t recruit Lim Taegyu or herself, their purpose was to take the other one and use him to promote their guild. But Baek Miho was different. She watched Suho''s battle closer than anyone else. In the scene of a bloody battle... "He is.. someone who should not be taken away by anyone." * * * [13 missed calls] "What''s with this many calls?" Suho, who managed to get out of the shadow dungeon afterpleting the difficult daily quest, checked his phone. Half of them were Baek Miho and Lim Taegyu''s numbers, and the other half were unknown numbers. [Kehehe! How wonderful! Young Master''s poprity is overwhelming!] "Calm down. It''s not that much." While eight-legged Beru was spinning and bursting into a frenzy of joy, Quay skillfully turned on theputer and showed Suho the news on the Inte. [Master, would you like to see this? It seems that the Master''s face has spread through various media this time.] "Hmm. I see." The Inte was burning hot because of the disaster caused by Lee Minseong. Of course, there had been many news about Suho until now, but most of them knew him as Beast King Crow because he was wearing a crow mask. This time, things were very different. Since the famous Baek Miho and Lim Taegyu were right next to him, Suho''s face was also widely publicized. Quay, who was watching Suho''s reaction from the side, quickly knelt down and begged. [I havemitted a mortal sin! It looks like you''re having trouble dealing with what I''ve done this time!] [Ehh! Raise your head, sinner! And die!] Beru cut Quay''s head at this time, but it quickly got back together and Suho''s mana was drained. Quay didn''t even care about Beru and just looked at Suho. [Sorry but... were you hiding your identity?] "No, it''s not really like that." [Khm. Right now, Young Master is quietly developing his strength. It''s because there could be apostles from outer space acting secretly on Earth.] His eyes shed meaningfully and he opened his mouth. [Even at this moment, far away in space, His Majesty is fighting a fierce war with outer powers. The fact that the gate opened on Earth was also something they did to target our backline.] Beru gave a long speech to the neer, Quay, about the truth going on in the outside universe. Quay nodded and looked over at his senior with a serious face. He was quick to understand because he had already instinctively realized the truth about the monarchs to some extent after being turned into a worker by the Queen Bee. [... Right. So, are the flying insects roaming around here also the apostles of outer space?] [No, those are real flying insects.] [Is that so?] In fact, from the moment they came out of the Shadow Dungeon, there were beings that disturbed Beru and Quay''s senses. Today, unfamiliar entities were being felt near Suho''s house. [Young Master, why are there flying insects outside the house?] "Hmm." Suho opened the window and checked outside. People whom he felt mana power with were watching that side of the alley. A light shed in Suho''s eyes. "Hunters." [Seeing that they are secretly wary of each other, it seems like they came from different groups and ces.] [Master, there are some faces I know among them. Apparently, those guys are like scouts from guilds who came to recruit Master.] "They found out my personal information so quickly?" Suho was a little surprised. It''s only been a day since the case was solved, but he didn''t know they''d already found out where he lived and came to find him. [Because that''s what they do. Since your face was shown, they probably spent all night scouring HunterNet or Association information.] Swish. Just then, the sound of the wind came from outside the window. When Suho did note out of the house no matter how long they waited, someoneunched a drone with a camera on it. Then, as if the others didn''t want to lose, they started to take out drones as well. They seemed to be checking through the window to see if Suho was inside the house. "What the... Even drones?" Suho frowned. "Are hunters not given any privacy at all?" [After the cataclysm, the world is in a state of emergency, so they tend to ignore minorws.] [Keeek! The viin will take care of it right away!] "Don''t do it." Suho pulled Beru''s antennae as he was about to jump out. Beru groaned while clinging to his hand. [If you draw too much public attention, there is a risk that the existence of Master will be exposed to unknown outer apostles.] "If true outer apostles exist, it seems that I have already been exposed. Besides, shouldn''t it be known that I am the son of the Shadow Monarch anyway?" [That''s right, but still...] Suho had no intention of leaving them alone. ''Ruler''s Power.'' As Suho stretched out his hand, an invisible hand crushed all the drones that were flying in the air. Swoosh! Smash! "W-What?!" "Why did it suddenly-!" As their drones exploded one after another, the scouts hiding in the alley were extremely perplexed. [Those flying insects shouldn''t go away with this. Show me what you saw.] Right then. Bzzt- Suho''s cell phone vibrated. "Who is this again... Hmm?" Suho''s eyes widened as he checked his phone with an annoyed expression. [Uncle] "Uncle?" Suho''s uncle. The call came from ''Yoo Jinho'', the husband of his father''s only sister. Yoo Jinho was an adult Suho was grateful to as he had been taking care of Suho ever since his parents went missing. "... He must have seen the news." A troubled look appeared on Suho''s face. He was already worried about how much exnation he would make. Chapter 80 - 80

Chapter 80:

-OH DEAR, SUHO! WHAT ON EARTH IS GOING ON?! As soon as Suho answered the phone, his eardrum almost bled at that loud voice. He answered with an awkward voice. "Haha... Uncle, hello." -What hello?! Your face suddenly appeared on the news, I was so shocked! How is your body? Are you okay? Are you hurt? "I''m okay. Not even injured. -Really? "Yes. For real. I am fine." -Switch to video call! Suho changed the audio call to a video call. A middle-aged man poked his face through his cell phone and nced at Suho. -Let me see. Your face is still handsome. How about your body... Did it get better? You really look fine. "Because I really am." -Thank God. Only then did Suho''s uncle, Yoo Jinho, let out a deep sigh of relief through his phone. -You kid! I thought you were quietly drawing at school. When did you be a hunter? If you have awakened, you should have reported it to this uncle first. "I''m sorry. I forgot because I was so busy these days." That was never the reason. Since he awakened, incidents and idents have been constantly popping up every day. It was surprising that even Suho himself had been an art student who had been quietly drawing ants in front of a canvas until just a month ago. Yoo Jinho clicked his tongue at Suho''s obvious excuse. -There is something I forgot. You are my brother-inw''s son, but is it hereditary to be indifferent? You didn''t tell your grandma and grandpa, did you? "Yes. Why should I tell them? It will only worry those who live leisurely in the countryside for no reason." -That''s right. How bad it must be for the hearts of the elderly if they even read the news rted to you this time. My heart raced so much after watching the news that I postponed all of my meetings scheduled for today. "I think Uncle''s heart is worse. I don''t think I''ve ever seen my grandparents in such pain in my life." -Whatever, you rascal! Anyway, my schedule is empty right now because of you, do you have some time? "Now? Yeah." -Do you know how many people died in the disaster? Maybe seeing you with my own eyes will calm my heart, so let''s see each other for the first time in a while. Do you know where ourpany is located? "You want me toe to Uncle''spany now?" -Hmm. No. It would be annoying if people found out about the current situation. I''ll get my driver to fetch you, just put on some clothes and get in my car. When the call ended, Suho shrugged. "Well, it''s better." He wanted to see his uncle''s face after a long time. To shake off the annoying flying insects outside. Suho dressed roughly for going out. * * * Sigh. After a while, a ck limousine arrived in front of Suho''s house. "Are you Sung Suho? I came here to get you as ordered by the CEO." ''Awakener?'' Suho''s eyes lit up at the familiar mana energy he felt from the driver. ''Did he send a driver and bodyguard?'' Doctor Min Byeonggu was the same, but just because he had awakened, not everyone wanted to risk their lives to enter the dungeon. Rather, there were quite a few Awakeners who were engaged in safe work outside the dungeon like this if the sry was right. "Get in the back. I will open it for you." "No. I will take care of it." Suho politely tried to stop the driver from opening the back door. "Wait a minute! Stop there!" "Mr. Sung Suho! Let''s talk for a minute!" The scouts who were waiting for Suho to run out in a hurry to block Suho''s way. "I am a headhunter from the Hyeonmu Guild! I know you''re still a frencer, can I talk to you for a minute?" "Let''s start with the terms and conditions! No matter where you go, a C-ss hunter will never get these conditions...!" "Ugh! Why do you, people, keep on pushing?! Sung Suho, let''s go to a nearby cafe." Scouts scrambled to give Suho a business card, grab Suho by the wrist and drag him away. Suho''s brow furrowed slightly at their rude attitude. [Scouts inrge guilds are generally like this. In particr, they are overbearing against hunters below intermediate level because they think they are the top.] Quay, ustomed to such things, whispered in a voice that only Suho could hear. "Would you like to get in first?" At that time, the driver who hade to pick up Suho took off his ck sunsses and stepped in front of Suho. "I will solve this." When he took off his sunsses, his cold eyes were revealed. However, despite his stern look, the scouts didn''t care at all. Rather, they began to press the driver with force. "Hey. Can''t you tell the difference between me wearing this and not?" "We know and how dare a chauffeur or something intervene?" "Do you know how much of an important opportunity of a lifetime hase to Hunter Sung Suho?" The problem was that the scouts were also awakeners. Since they had to deal with hunters because of their job, they need to be the frontline in recruiting newbies for greater chances of seeding. Just like that, an unusual air current flows between the driver and the scouts. "It''s okay. I will just talk." Suho raised his hand to stop the driver and stepped forward. Then, the faces of the scouts bloomed and began to condescend to Suho with expressions that they knew it would happen. "Haha! As you should!" "As expected, young friends canmunicate well!" "I assure you, if you listen to our terms, you will surely..." That moment. Rattle. "...!" The faces of the scouts who were excitedly opening their mouths quickly began to turn pale. There it was... Suho''s distant gaze, indifferently looking at them. A pitch-ck abyss whose end is unfathomable. [''Effect: Fear'' is activated.] [All stats of the targets are reduced by 50% for 1 minute.] Suho opened his mouth. "I don''t know what the conditions are, but I will receive them by email. If you''ve got my home address, you probably know my email address. If youe to me like this again..." Ring. [You have learned ''Skill: Live Lv.1''.] There was no need for an afterword. As the system message guarantees, Suho''s life skills were ''real'' as he learned them through a lot of chaos. "Let''s go." Suho takes his eyes off them and gets into the limousine. The driver, who looked at the scene with a strange expression for a moment, put on his sunsses again and lowered his head. "Yes. We''ll get moving." The limousine is getting farther and farther away. It wasn''t until the time when Suho was no longer visible that the breath they had been holding back came out of the scouts'' mouths. "... Whoa." "W-What was that just now?" "How can his eyes..." "C-ss? Are you sure about that information?" "Isn''t he a summoning hunter?" As they looked at each other, they thought of one thing. It was the need to increase their offers to give Suho. [Young Master, how did you do that?] Beru''s excited voice was heard by Suho. [Could you imitate Rakan Sword''s ''Contempt for the Weak'' skill?] ''Yeah, it worked when I just did it.'' [Wow! I''m so proud of you! Ever since, Young Master was a child prodigy!] Leaving Beru''s fuss behind, Suho checked the skill he had just developed. [Skill: Live Lv.1] Active skill. Requires 100 mana. Inflicts fear on the target for 1 minute with powerful energy. Multiple targets can be specified. Effect ''Fear'': All stats -50% ''Contempt for the weak and the details are the same. Should I say it''s for a more general-purpose?'' Whatever the name, the effect would be simr anyway. After all, it wouldn''t work if used to someone stronger than him. * * * "We''re here." After a while, a luxurious tall building appeared in front of Suho who got off the limousine. [AJINSOFT] The best gamepany in Korea, both in name and reality, that seeded in the virtual reality game industry. Suho''s uncle, Yoo Jinho, was the founder of thatpany. [Ajinsoft CEO Yoo Jinho, a miraculous sess story of a young entrepreneur who refused to seed a conglomerate!] This was the story that Yoo Jinho had before bing famous when Suho was very young. But at this time, no one would have expected it. The gamepany run by Yoo Jinho, the youngest member of a conglomerate family, has been consistently winning and winning for 20 years, establishing itself as the best gamepany in Korea. In particr, its first sessful virtual reality game called ''Beautiful World'' was a terrible longevity game that has been steadily popr even after 20 years. Middle-aged gamers who have been ying the game for 20 years have even nicknamed it ''Beautiful Man''. "Would you like to follow me? I will guide you to the CEO." "Ah, yes." Suho followed the driver and took a leisurely look at the magnificent interior of thepany. ''I heard there''s something new here every time Ie.'' Befitting apany that seeded with virtual reality games, state-of-the-art virtual reality equipment was disyed in the spacious lobby on the first floor. Suho also enjoyed ying games until his awakening, so he was looking around to see if there were any new games or equipment. ''... Huh?'' Today, something different than usual caught his eye. ''Why are hunters running around the gamepany?'' Inside the building, fully armed hunters were walking around being wary of each other. ''Did a dungeon open here?'' [Couldn''t it be that the flying insects came after knowing that the Young Master came here?] [They have no reaction even if they make eye contact with Master. Could it be that they came for a job offer?] "Work? What kind of business do hunters have at the gamepany?" As Quay mentioned, the hunters did not react at all even when they saw Suho. A few of them with good senses noticed that Suho was a hunter, but rather looked at him with eyes that found him as apetitor. "What''s with that idiot?" "How could hee in confidently dressed like that?" ''... Hmm?'' Suho was even more confused when the huntersughed while looking at him up and down with his casual clothes. "Those hunters must be curious." The driver who was walking with him noticed Suho''s expression and exined it. "The new game that thepany is nning these days needs some advice from hunters. Because of that, many hunters have beening to thepany until their feet are worn out." "Hunter? Because of a game?" Suho made an even more puzzled expression at those words. "Yes. After all, if the game goes well, the hunter guild that helped will receive promotional effect. This is confidential, so if you meet the CEO, ask him directly. He''s right there." Just then, I saw Yoo Jinho talking with a hunter in the distance. "Haha. CEO, is there any other guild with a better image than our Hyeonmu guild? Coborating with us is..." "Hmm. You don''t have to keeping back like this. We will make a selection based on fair standards." "Oh, sure. Of course you have to be fair. So please look at our armed appearance like this, and we..." Hyeonmu Guild''s Manager Lee Youngho was rubbing his hands together walking after Yoo Jinho. As Suho was about to approach, armed hunters blocked his way and red at him. "Who are you again?" "Adults are having important conversations, but you can''t even grasp the atmosphere..." But then... "Oh, Suho! You must have had a hard timeing!" Yoo Jinho, who happened to find Suho, smiled broadly and started running towards Suho, leaving Chief Lee Youngho behind. "...!" The eyes of the hunters widened wide at that appearance. Chapter 81 - 81

Chapter 81:

"Suho, you bastard! How long has it been?!" "We saw each otherst month too, Uncle." "Ah hehe. Did we?" Yoo Jinho bursts intoughter as he embraces Suho with a very happy expression. The hunters who were looking at them could not help but be astonished. ''Uncle?!'' They were surprised that Suho called him uncle, but in fact, what surprised them even more was Yoo Jinho, who had changed 180 degrees from usual. ''Did CEO Yoo Jinho usually smile like that?'' CEO Yoo Jinho. He was a figure who left a conglomerate family and founded Ajinsoft, which represents Korea with his own hands. He was a thorough and cold-hearted businessman who received the trust and loyalty of his employees. However, his usual cold expression went somewhere, and he suddenly turned into a warm-hearted man having a friendly conversation with Suho. "Hey, boy. If you entered an art school, you should be painting or drawing safely, why are you doing something dangerous? Let''s see. Are you really okay? Shall I call a healer that I know?" Yoo Jinho was examining Suho''s body thoroughly, and at one point, he poked at Suho''s muscles. "How could your body look so sore? What muscles look like tires? Did you awaken as a tank?" "It might be because I''ve been working too hard at the gym these days." Suho''s expression as he answered seemed a bit sad. There was always a really nasty gym leader named Ammut lurking beneath his shadow. "Uncle, what kind of game did you make that the hunters are here?" "You know FIFA, right?" "Football? I know." In today''s game, it was possible to y by moving the body directly in virtual reality. "Simrly, we have been making a virtual reality game featuring hunters since two years ago. System building is almost over, now it''s time to create characters." "Ahh." Suho finally understood why the hunter guilds were so eager to visit the gamepany. "When this game is released, users will be able to experience being a real hunter in virtual reality, attacking dungeons and hunting monsters." The actual hunters who would be the models for those characters were bound to gain worldwide recognition. "It must be really fun. Any non-awakened person would want to try it." "Once ites out, it would be really great. Of course, there is still a long way to go, and it is a long way frompletion." Suho was sincerely impressed. It has only been two years since the cataclysm began. It was no coincidence that Ajinsoft became the best gamepany. "So what is the name of that game?" Sensing Suho''s pure curiosity, Yoo Jinho replied with a smirk. "Solo Leveling." "... Solo Leveling?" When he heard the name of the game, Suho''s expression became a little awkward. "Oh. It''s a solo game, and leveling up is essential to let yers experience as many different sses and types of hunters as possible." Yoo Jinho had a look on his face believing it was a good title. "Of course you may feel that way. What''s so great about leveling up in a game? Aren''t simr games widely avable? In the end, what matters is this. How much a character in a game can excite us!" The driver who brought Suho let out a small sigh at the sight of Yoo Jinho chatting excitedly, even clenching his fists. ''He''s at it again.'' In fact, that was Yoo Jinho''s true self. Externally, he is armed with the face of a thorough businessman, but when talks of game begins, he turns into a face like that of an adolescent boy chatting with sparkling eyes. "But ''solo leveling'' is different. We n to feature hunters who are actually active in the field as characters." An ordinary level-up game that anyone could make. However, there is one thing. The feel of ''reality'' that could elicit exhrating excitement from yers. For that very reason, Ajinsoft was trying to coborate even while offering money to high-paid hunters. It could be considered as a superrge project that no gamepany dared to attempt, because a tremendous amount of money must be used to do so. Suddenly, Suho''s gaze turned to the hunters of the Hyeonmu Guild standing awkwardly behind Lee Youngho. He wondered why they were fully armed like that, but it must have been to appeal to Yoo Jinho. ''... It feels a bit strange.'' They were really prim and proper. If it was a coincidence, it does quite match the situation he was in these days. [Hmm. Hmm...] There was a gaze intently watching Yoo Jinho in the shadows since a while ago. [... Maybe it''s not a coincidence.] Beru whispered in a voice that only Suho could hear. ''Maybe it''s not a coincidence?'' [Yes. In a time that is now forgotten, this human named ''Yoo Jinho'' was a henchman who followed His Majesty closely than anyone else. If the memory of that time remains in his subconscious...] A monarch''s memory transcends time. Sung Jinwoo, the shadow monarch, was a being who exerted a powerful influence on the world simply by existing. As Beru said, Yoo Jinho was the one who watched Sung Jinwoo''s battles more than anyone else out of all the humans. At that time, all those moments captured in Yoo Jinho''s memories must have been the most intense and stimting in the entire universe. Also... [At that time, he had the same expression as now.] Yoo Jinho, who had been watching Sung Jinwoo''s wonderful battles, was now exining the game he was trying to make. As if all the scenes in the game were already clearly engraved in his head. [This is really interesting. I don''t think his memory came back... Trying to express those memories in the way of a game.] "Ah! I was too talkative. Haha. Anyway, it''s that kind of a game, Suho." Yoo Jinho suddenly came to his senses and smiled. "Come on, let''s not do this here, let''s go inside and talk." "Wait, CEO! We''re not done talking yet...!" When Yoo Jinho pushed Suho''s back and tried to enter his office, the section chief urgently called him from behind. "Ah." Realizing that he had forgotten about the hunter, Yoo Jinho stopped walking and looked back. However, the expression that was smiling brightly at Suho disappeared when he turned his head to the hunters. He looked at them with a cold gaze. "I have an important schedule, so why don''t you go back? We will thoroughly review your proposal and contact youter." "Ah..." The hunters had no choice but to keep their mouths shut on the spot at that indisputable order. Except for one. Section Chief Lee Youngho of the Hyeonmu Guild was different. A little while ago, he recognized the face of Suho, who called Yoo Jinho his uncle. ''It''s Sung Suho! I never thought I''d find this guy in a ce like this!'' Section Chief Lee Youngho found out Sung Suho''s address and sent a subordinate there early this morning. No matter how desperate he was, he didn''t have to go out on his own to recruit a C-ss hunter. Rather, in terms of promoting the guild, it was a much bigger case to coborate with Ajinsoft than a C-ss hunter. The meeting with CEO Yoo Jinho, which had been sessfully arranged, was suddenly postponed. A while ago as well, his subordinate contacted him saying that he had missed Sung Suho. ''Nothing worked well today, so it must be God''s n to have an opportunity like this!'' Lee Youngho realized at a nce that Sung Suho was CEO Yoo Jinho''s ''urgent matter'', and decided to target Sung Suho rather than Yoo Jinho. "Ha ha ha. Hunter Sung Suho! How did I get to meet you here like this? I guess it''s fate." "Huh?" When Chief Lee Youngho suddenly spoke to Suho in a friendly way, Yoo Jinho stopped walking again and looked back at him. "Suho, do you know him?" When Suho tried to answer, Chief Lee Youngho hurriedly interrupted and handed Suho his business card. "Haha. Alright, Mr. We''ll probably meet often. Hunter Sung Suho, I am Section Chief Lee Youngho of the Hyeonmu Guild. We will treat you well being the best in the industry, so how about signing a contract with our guild?" "... Best in the industry? Suho?" Rather than Suho, it was Yoo Jinho who responded to those words. Lee Youngho momentarily caught Yoo Jinho''s lips twitching and let out a joy inside. ''It worked! This was an effective strategy! Hehe. ''It''s all on me.'' ''This is going to be a jackpot.'' He could never have thought that the CEO, Yoo Jinho, was rted to Sung Suho! In addition, the best timing to have a three-way face-to-face meeting at the exact timing when he came to Ajinsoft was so perfect. ''Hehe. Such a lucky day. If I say ''best in the industry'', the C-ss hunter cost talk is there. However, it is much more beneficial if I think of it as the opportunity cost of building a friendship with CEO Yoo Jinho .'' Lee Youngho smiled brightly and strode closer to Suho, emphasizing it in a coy tone. "Hunter Sung Suho? I heard that you haven''t been awakened yet. In fact, Hyeonmu Guild doesn''t hire new hunters without experience. But Hunter Sung Suho is so talented..." Even in the midst of diligently introducing the guild to Suho, all of Lee Youngho''s nerves were focused only on the change in Yoo Jinho''s expression. He was putting his life on that coboration. ''PR is war.'' In order for the Hunter Guild to grow, after all, many hunters with good skills had to belong to the guild, or would want to belong. The most important thing to do, ironically, was to promote the guild''s image well to the general public, not to hunters. The public was in awe of the hunters, but on the other hand, they were afraid. For the general public, the existence of a hunter was not much different from a beast that could harm them at any time if they wanted to. In particr, that fear grew due to the viin named Lee Minseong? No hunter wanted people to treat them as ''monsters''. They wanted recognition and respect. Hunters were a profession that made a lot of money, and when humans had a lot of money, the next thing they looked for was honor. ''... So, coboration is really important.'' If the hunters of the Hyeonmu Guild appeared in the game, how great would they look to the public? Even as soon as its poprity spread to the world, it was clear that there would be a rush of requests to conquer the dungeon from abroad. ''Then, my promotion and annual sry... Hehe.'' However, there was something that Chief Lee Youngho, who was filled with thrilling dreams just by imagining, did not realize. The fact that Suho''s expression after epting the Hyeonmu Guild''s business card was rather in. "Hyeonmu Guild..." "Haha. Yes, that''s our guild name. It is the best in the industry, do you need to worry more? Just wait a little bit and our staff will bring the contract right away. Oh, and I usually don''t pay a down payment to C-ss hunters, but this time in particr..." Chief Lee Youngho constantly worked his mouth to keep from giving Suho room for other thoughts. But then... "Ah." A single word came out of Suho''s mouth. "I wondered where I heard it, but it was the guild that spied on my house with drones this morning." "Oh my. Haha. Did our staff go that far? I think the enthusiasm was a bit too much. I''m going to discipline him separately..." "Did you say drones?" At that moment, the cold voice he heard made him freeze on the spot. "Chief Lee Youngho of the Hyunmu Guild. I guess this needs some exnation." Chapter 82 - 82

Chapter 82:

"C-CEO..." Yoo Jinho was ring at him with cold eyes. Even the name of the guild he belonged to was mentioned in his mouth. Lee Youngho''splexion gradually turned pale. "No matter how this situation is, thew is supposed to be obeyed, right? As with the Reaper Guild incident, these days, hunters seem to live above thew." "Oh, that can''t be! Absolutely not, CEO!" "If not, then what is it? Is it only the Hyeonmu Guild? Where did those dronese from?" "T-That..." Lee Youngho couldn''t find where to look. It was because he was the one who put the drone in the hands of his subordinate this morning. Drones were really good. The ability to fly and control, not to mention the recording function with the ultra-high-resolution wide-angle camera, has evolved tremendously. One could even find a single strand of hair that had fallen in every corner of the house, even through the window. Since the features were so good, of course, thews for privacy protection were also tightly made. But things have changed a lot since the cataclysm. Recently, just for the Lee Minseong issue, there were countless broadcasting drones flying all over the sky for live broadcasting. When a situation like a dungeon break struck, the hunters did not choose any specific means as long as they could hunt the beasts, be it drones or whatever. However, spying on the homes of ordinary citizens without permission was not eptable. "Chief Lee Yeongho, it seems that the Hyeonmu Guild is not suitable for ourpany. You don''t have to wait for us to contact you." "Oh, no! CEO! Please...!" "When you see one, you know ten. If the image of Hyeonmu Guild gets tainted even a little when our game is releasedter on, it will have a big impact on our sales." "...!" Faced with the danger that all of his hard work would vanish instantly, Lee Youngho hurriedly lowered his head as if he had been sentenced to death. "Wait, CEO! I will apologize on their behalf. It''s my big mistake that I mismanaged the guild. It seems that the desire to recruit good talent like Hunter Sung Suho was too much. Instead, I will take responsibility and set the conditions for Sung Suho!" When he even mentioned Suho''s name, Yoo Jinho''s eyes turned to Suho next to him. "Suho, they say it''s the best condition in the industry. Are there any conditions you received from other guilds?" But that wasn''t a question in the first ce. Before Suho could answer anything, Yoo Jinho''s words continued. "Don''t contact anyone. Best in the industry or whatever, I can''t possibly see our Suho being sold for a pittance like that. Rather, this uncle will set up a guild." "Huh? A hunter guild?" Suho made a puzzled expression at the unexpected words. "That''s right. In a situation wherepanies are developing professional baseball teams and ser teams, why can''t we just make a hunter guild?" Yoo Jinho was sincere. It was an impromptument, but it was also one of the things that had already been brought up during their nning department meeting. The moment he finished speaking, he turned his gaze to the hunters of the Hyeonmu Guild standing behind him. "Are you guys still here?" His expression turned cold again. "C-CEO, please reconsider once more..." Lee Youngho desperately clings to thest rope. However, Yoo Jinho''s decision wasn''t just for personal reasons of them bothering Suho. "You must have listened to my exnation so far. It means that single level games are such an important business." Important business. "This means that even the hunters who appear in the game should not have even the slightest taint. In that sense, the conduct of the Hyeonmu Guild is a bit precarious. Please go back." "..." The feeling of a cold dagger flying and getting stuck in his chest. Chief Lee Youngho realized that no words were going to work anymore. All he could do was walk out with the hunters he brought with him. He had no choice but to decide how to kill the subordinate he had sent to Suho''s house today. * * * Yoo Jinho brought Suho to the representative office. "Alright, Suho. Now that the intruders are gone, should we discuss the current situationfortably?" The secretary brought coffee in front of the two sitting facing each other. "How''s your hunter job? Is it very difficult?" "It''s well worth it." "What''s worth it, you rascal. Watching the news, it seems like you''re living too dangerously. Even though your grade is C, howe you''re working with ss S and A? Aren''t you overdoing it?" Despite Suho''s resolute answer, Yoo Jinho clicked his tongue and looked at Suho with pity in his eyes. To Yoo Jinho... Suho was a fragile kid. Sung Suho, whom Yoo Jinho has seen since childhood, was a wonderful boy who grew up with a good character under a strict father and caring mother. He didn''t have thatmon rebellion or puberty trouble when he was a teenager. Well, his father was the strictest man in the world. He was a police officer, and he was a legend as a homicide detective who took down all the terrifying gangsters with force. ''But howe...'' Looking at Suho''s face, which resembles his father a lot, Yoo Jinho felt especially bitter. A few years ago. Suddenly, misfortune came to Suho''s life, who grew up rich in everything. Disappearance of parents. At first, no one could ept that fact. They were a couple who had such a special rtionship that they would go on spontaneous trips. But one day passed, two days passed. Weeks went by and they didn''te back. From then on, Yoo Jinho began to search for them by using all his connections and money. However, no matter how much he searched, no trace of the two was found. Afterwards, Yoo Jinho decided to take responsibility for Suho on his parents'' behalf. Yoo Jinho was the one who actually recognized Suho''s drawing talent and made him enter the art college. ''I didn''t know that he would be epted to Korea University though.'' Was it because he was so immersed in painting? Or was it because the world was soon hit by a ''cataclysm'', a disaster even more outrageous than the disappearance of his parents? Fortunately, Suho didn''t harbor any other bad thoughts and grew up properly. "How''s Auntie?" "Hmm. Your aunt..." Yoo Jinho, lost in thought, couldn''t help but be taken aback by Suho''s sudden question. "... Well, she''s still busy looking for your parents." "Ahh." At those words, Suho''s expression hardened. It was natural. To Suho''s aunt ''Sung Jinah'', she also had her real brother and sister-inw missing. An immediate family member went missing overnight. Sung Jinah didn''t just want to sit and wait. There were times when she trusted only the police and waited, but these days she was scouring the world by hiring secret agents and hunters. "Mmm." Yoo Jinho noticed that Suho''s reaction was a little different from usual when he talked about his parents. "What is that expression? Did you find out anything?" "Oh, no. It''s not like that. Hmm... I thought it might be a good idea to focus more on finding my mother than my father." "... Sister-inw rather than brother-inw?" "Yes. No matter where my father is, he''s also someone we shouldn''t worry too much about." "That makes sense. In the first ce, I was looking for the possibility that the two of them went missing separately, so don''t worry too much. These days, I''m assuming the possibility of getting caught up in a dungeon break and tracking it down." "A dungeon break?" "Yes. Of course, he disappeared before the cataclysm, but ording to experts, unexpectedly, even before the cataclysm, the gates may have been intermittently opened on Earth. There were investigations on that too, so don''t worry too much." At that point, Suho couldn''t help but nod his head. ''Aside from my father, the probability that my mother went missing after getting caught up in a dungeon is quite high.'' Suho recalled something he had heard from Beru the other day. ''Beru said my mother knew my father''s identity from the very beginning. Besides, people who once awakened in the forgotten time zone are said to have be hunters as well.'' Awakening was, after all, the realm of talent. If a person has a high ability to adapt to mana power, they will eventually awaken. ''My mother was an S-ss hunter in the past, so she must have regained that power in the end.'' S-ss hunters were able to survive even if they were alone anywhere on Earth. However, outside Earth, things would be different. ''In the end, dimensional rifts must be investigated.'' Thoroughly. "Anyway, Suho." Perhaps trying to evoke the increasingly dark atmosphere, Yoo Jinho put the coffee cup down on the table and said directly to Suho. "What I said earlier is true. I''ll set up a guild for you, so don''t be bothered to join a strict guild." "What? Uncle, wasn''t that just something you said out of anger?" "It was a bit of an impulse, but I was nning on starting a hunter guild at ourpany." Yoo Jinho took out a folder and held it out in front of Suho. [Hunter Guild New Project] "You see this? It''s a project that hasn''t even taken the first step yet, but I''ll tell them to start right away since I already mentioned it." "Oh, so it was real." The business n was so full, as if it had been prepared in detail. "Of course, your level is low, so I can''t entrust you with the guild leader, but instead, I will assign senior hunters who can be of help to you." From Yoo Jinho''s expression as he triumphantly shows the file, Suho thought, ''It''s really good to have a dependable uncle?'' But then. [He doesn''t need those guys.] "...!" Suddenly, Beru jumped out of Suho''s shadow and red at Yoo Jinho. [Because Young Master has me.] "T-This...!" Yoo Jinho''s eyes widened and he jumped up from his seat. Beru''s eyes narrowed at that intense reaction. [You bastard, you probably remember...] "Puhaha! Suho, you really...!" [Hmm?] Yoo Jinho saw Beru and burst intoughter. "After drawing ants every day like that, did you finally have the skill to summon ants? Hahaha!" [... Did you only draw ants?!] At those words, Beru opened his eyes wide and looked back at Suho. He clung to Suho''s head and began to shed tears of emotion. [Young Master-! Did you miss this little man so much!] "No, wait. Let''s just say it was an instinct engraved in my subconscious..." Simr to making a game unconsciously or he has been instinctively drawing ants. Embarrassed, Suho forcibly shoved Beru back into his shadows. Chapter 83 - 83

Chapter 83:

"Anyway, Uncle." Suho looked at Yoo Jinho with a rather serious expression. "Thank you so much, but I don''t think I can join your guild." "What? Why?" Since Suho''s words werepletely unexpected, Yoo Jinho looked like he couldn''t grasp it. "You hate it because it seems like nepotism? Didn''t you hear the Hyeonmu Guild earlier? You are the only talent that can be recruited among the heroes of yesterday''s incident. It''s not like they''ll put you in as a guild leader anyway, and no one will think of it as nepotism." "It''s not like that." "Then what is it?" "I''m thinking of setting it up myself." "What?" Yoo Jinho put on a nk expression for a moment. "... By yourself? You mean a guild?" "Yes." "..." The bewilderment was only momentary. Yoo Jinho soon shut his mouth and snapped his fingers while in deep thought. The Suho he knew was never the type to talk nonsense about things like that. There must be a reason why he insisted on rejecting his offer. After organizing his thoughts, Yoo Jinho looked into Suho''s eyes in a calm tone and said. "Of course, establishing a guild is possible even for C-ss hunters as long as they meet the qualifications. However, if that happens, there will be a lot of inconvenient and unfavorable things." "I know." "You may be beaten byrge guilds." "It doesn''t matter." "... I''m curious as to why you''re doing this. It would be much morefortable and stable if you entered a good guild like everyone else, so why would you want to take the hard road?" "It gets in the way." "...?" The more questions and answers they went on, the more Yoo Jinho felt like he was sinking into abyrinth. But he was used to that kind of conversation. It felt rather nostalgic. ''Well, he''s Sung Jinwoo''s son for a reason.'' Suho''s appearance reminded him of his missing brother-inw''s face. Yoo Jinho smiled and asked Suho again. "What kind of hindrance do you mean by entering a guild?" "Level up." His expression hardened at the answer that came out of Suho''s mouth. "It interferes with leveling up." "... What? What are you..." That moment. Swook- The ck shadow that rose up again from Suho''s feet asked Suho. [Young Master, have you finally decided?] "Yes. My uncle is the most trustworthy person in the world." With Suho''s affirmation, Beru smiled. [That... I know of very well.] Yoo Jinho had a puzzled look on his face. Even though years have passed, that expression is still the same as before, so Beru''s smile deepens even more. The reason Beru came to Earth was because of Sung Jinwoo''s order to remove the seal on Suho. To put the order more specifically, it was to restore the ''power and memory'' that had been sealed from Suho so that he could protect Earth himself. Aside from that, Sung Jinwoo added a few more requests to Beru, who was leaving for Earth. -I''ll leave the rest to your discretion... Since he didn''t know exactly what was going on Earth then, an order was entrusted to Beru with all decisions and choices to be made after arriving there. There was one more thing. -And... ''That guy'' will definitely be a great source of strength to Suho in many ways. Sigh. Beru recognized at once who the ''that guy'' Sung Jinwoo was talking about. Compared to now, he was the number 1 henchman who had been following Sung Jinwoo since he was extremely weak. A colleague who never betrayed him even when his life was threatened by enemies because of Sung Jinwoo. [Young Master, please use the key.] Suddenly, Suho had a key in his hand. "Suho...? What is that key?" Instead of answering Yoo Jinho''s question, Suho simply held the key in the palm of his hand. ck. Swoosh! "...?!" The light emitted from the key colored Yoo Jinho''s vision white. [Use ''Item: Shadow Dungeon Key''.] That moment. A voice struck Yoo Jinho''s brain like a thunderbolt. -Were you usually so quiet? ''... Huh?'' Instinctively realizing that it might be his own voice, Yoo Jinho looked around quickly in amazement. But it wasn''t. There was nothing. Not even the appearance of Suho, who had been talking with him until now, nor the soft sofa he was sitting on. Suddenly everything was gone. All he could see was a blinding white void. In the middle of it, Yoo Jinho stood alone. At that moment, another strong hallucination echoed in his brain. -You said you were E-ss, right? I will protect you. Stay right next to me. -... Alright, thank you for saying that. ''Ah!'' He felt like his head was about to explode. Yoo Jinho clenches his teeth and grabs his head with both hands from the tremendous headache. From the depths of his head, memories like a kaleidoscope began to unfold like a panorama. However, the sight was very unfamiliar. His youthful self was having a friendly conversation with someone. -Just 20 times! No, just go with 19! -There is one condition. -Tell me anything! -You and I, just the two of us. -What? But the other person''s face... ''I-It''s my brother-inw! Sung Jinwoo!'' That made him even more appalled. ''Have I ever had a conversation like this with him? E-ss? He disappeared before the cataclysm... '' No matter how much he looked back, he could never remember having a conversation like that. It didn''t even fit the timing in the first ce. But... Why? -Jinho, what do you think of me? -To me, you are more like an older brother than my biological older brother. Again. Hot tears were flowing from his eyes. -If you think of me as your brother, then I will think of you as my younger brother. -Can I give you a hug? -H-Hey! You drunkard! -No! I''m more sober now than ever! -Ha, such a weird guy. ''W-What the hell is this! What the hell is this memory?!'' Yoo Jinho trembled with an unknown longing and cried out. Those were memories that never existed in the first ce. ''It doesn''t make sense!'' ''What is this memory all about?'' His self in that memory was entering the dungeon following Sung Jinwoo. He was watching Sung Jinwoo from behind as he hunted the monsters. Countless times. Again and again. -Jinwoo! Let''s go together! That wondrous sight... He was watching him from the closest ce than anyone else. It was his greatest pride that such a great person considered him as a younger brother. So he made an eternal promise. No matter what, he will always follow his older brother, Jinwoo. Just in time, Sung Jinwoo in his memory was opening his mouth with a faint smile. As always, with a voice about to start a battle. -Arise. It was then. "Arise." Yoo Jinho, who was struggling in the world of emptiness, heard Suho''s voice in his ears. "... Oh God!" Yoo Jinho, who suddenly returned to reality, opened his eyes. Suho was still sitting in front of him. Numerous shadow soldiers with ck steam zing stood around Suho. It was simr to the appearance of Sung Jinwoo in his memory¡ª an all-too-familiar sight. "Haa..." A sigh escaped Yoo Jinho''s mouth. Everything was just forgotten. Everything. * * * "... What was that... Ha." Even after his memory returned, Yoo Jinho shed tears for a long time. It had to be. Two lives. Two memories. At the center of it all was the presence of Sung Jinwoo, who had always been by his side. ''Brother... Even though I forgot everything, you came to visit me first. It wasn''t even a coincidence that we first met when we were freshmen...'' [Tsk. Stop crying. Did you get too old?] "Huhuhu..." [Stop!] Beru clicked his tongue at the sight of middle-aged Yoo Jinho weeping nonstop. Beru told him what had happened. Yoo Jinho shed more tears, and finally calmed down. "... Sniff." He suddenly felt embarrassed. Come to think of it, Suho had been drinking coffee in front of him all along. "I think I know the situation well now." "..." "You mean you''re going to get into trouble if the outer monsters find out that the son of the Shadow Monarch lives on Earth?" "... Yes." "I see. I definitely understand." It sounded like an adult worn out while doing business. Yoo Jinho''s eyes were extremely serious as he nodded his head and thought back at what he had understood. Suho answered by putting the coffee cup down on the table. "That''s why I want to remain as invisible as possible until I grow strong enough to not be my father''s weakness." "Then I guess you''ll have to hide your identity until you reach S-ss, at least. In the past, your father also started being really active when he became S-ss." Yoo Jinho nodded as he recalled that time. "... No, in fact, even S-ss is not enough." Yoo Jinho burst into a sigh as he recalled thest image of the forgotten world. Even the S-ss hunters were no match to beings called monarchs. However, fear rose from the fact that ''Outer Gods'' appearing were beings of a much higher rank than those mighty monarchs. "Whoa. It was almost close to the apocalypse back then, but this time it''s really no joke." [Still, Outer Gods could note to Earth directly. It''s thanks to the Shadow Monarch guarding the front line tightly.] "That''s fortunate, but there''s a possibility that the apostles of Outer Gods first hid on Earth. That''s why Suho has to level up while hiding his identity as much as possible." "To be precise, I just need to hide that I am the son of the Shadow Monarch." "I understand that, too. You mean it doesn''t matter if they knew you as a normal person named Sung Suho. Hmm. It''s an information disruption..." Yoo Jinho nodded his head several times at Suho''s words and pondered on those. "Alright! Then, create a guild separate from ourpany! Instead, I will help you with all the legal problems and other trivial matters." "Oh, thank you." "But." Yoo Jinho''s expression suddenly became serious. "Even if I help with everything else, there is one problem I can never help you with. You will have to ovee this on your own." With that expression, Suho''s eyes also became serious. "What is that?" "Ha." Yoo Jinho''s eyes suddenly became dim as he spoke. He said the same thing once, a long, long time ago. As the memory of that day came to mind, Yoo Jinho calmly continued, swallowing the tears welling up again. "When you first create a guild, you will need at least three hunters. President, Vice President, Employee." "Ah." There''s a problem. Chapter 84 - 84

Chapter 84:

Suho nodded. "I guess two more are needed." "That''s right. It will probably be a bit tricky to find them. That''s how it went for your father, too. You will have to find a hunter who will fill those spots without actual hunter activities." Yoo Jinho seemed to miss such a conversation very much. ''I''m sure this kid is going to run the dungeon alone, just like his father, with only shadow soldiers.'' "I also want to go with you, but I''m sure the reporters will be tracking my every move." Yoo Jinho himself was a hunter who had awakened as D-ss. After awakening, he said that he wanted to go into the dungeon once, but he got frustrated after hearing the nagging from his staff several times. Maybe that was why he was trying to make hunters appear in a new game to relieve that pent-up desire. Suddenly, a suitable person came to Suho''s mind. "Right now, there is one." "Who is it?" "It''s a demon named Esil." "A devilish fellow?" "No. A real demon." "... A trustworthy devil?" Yoo Jinho hesitates for a moment at Suho''s answer. The one who answered that was Beru. [I can guarantee that. Esil was the Shadow Monarch''s second henchman. Just like you.] "Don''t tell me..." Yoo Jinho retorted with an extremely serious look. "He had another brother aside from me?" [... Don''tpete like that.] Unlike Gray, the descendant of the Fang Monarch, Esil was a free being who was not tied to the system. However, she was also one who feared the Shadow Monarch more than anyone else. It was because she witnessed from the beginning to the end how Sung Jinwoo thoroughly exterminated all the demons except Esil''s family. The reason why Esil herself was able to survive so far in the first ce was because she betrayed the demon world early on and sided with Sung Jinwoo. "Anyway, if you''re not human, you''ll have to make an ID first before registering as a hunter. I will do what is necessary." Yoo Jinho wrote a note that read "foreign worker" on a notepad and circled it. He looked at Suho again and asked. "What about the other one?" Just then, Suho''s cell phone rang. Bzzt. Suho was wondering why a lot of people were contacting him nonstop just by seeing him once on the news. He checked the caller''s name and made a strange smile. "Looks like I''ve found the other one too." [Professor Lim] Lim Dokyoon, a painting assistant professor at Korea University. He was a frence E-ss hunter who worked as a school assistant as his main job, and worked as a miner on the sidelines during weekends. -Hello? Suho! Are you okay? You''re alive right?! As soon as Suho pressed the answer button, questions poured out over his phone. -I saw the news right now. What is going on? Why did you follow them to such a dangerous ce? What did I say? Hunters must live long and think...! Assistant Professor Lim continued to nag, worrying about Suho. ''When things are really dangerous, the first person to run away is the one who worries the most after.'' No matter what, Professor Lim was just a terrible coward. Both in his own death and in the death of others. Because of this personality, he could still do his job as a hunter even though he is an E-ss. He was so serious about running away that he had a high-level running skill even though he was an E-ss hunter. ''That''s why it''s better.'' Right now, Suho didn''t need an ally, he needed a porter with quick feet. When there''s a battle, he has the ability to fall back as quickly as possible so as not to get in the way. -Anyway, what I''m saying is... Professor Lim, who had been nagging a lot, got to the point. -Your market value must have gone up a lot because of this incident. You received a lot of contract offers from guilds, right? "Yes. It''s been a mess since this morning." -What? Already? You can never blindly sign a contract, okay? Suho thought the nagging was over, but it wasn''t. -You know how many hunters are having trouble after getting into the wrong guild, right? You must pick out the names of the guilds you contact and the terms and conditions of the contract, get it inspected by me first, before signing the contract! Okay? "..." While listening to the nagging, the corner of Suho''s mouth went up. He was full of worries amidst the nagging. -And if you see or feel anything strange, reject them immediately! I''ll find a better guild for you. I also received a lot of business cards to join the guild these days. "Huh? Would you like to join a guild, too?" -Yeah. Frencing was absolutely dangerous and I couldn''t do it. Besides, the trend these days is that guilds are trying to recruit E-ss hunters like me as regr workers. "..." Listening to Lim''s words, Suho suddenly felt strange. Coincidence? That trend must have been a result of recent incidents. Since hunters keep dying these days, there was a sudden manpower gap in the guilds'' position. -Anyway, that''s why I''m looking for a guild these days, and if I find a guild with the best conditions, I''ll let you know... "Teacher, that''s enough." Suho cut him off halfway through and spoke straight. "There is a better guild here, so would you like toe here now?" -... What? Where are you? * * * "Oh my...!" Arriving at Ajinsoft after a while, Assistant Professor Lim was out of breath. "C-CEO Yoo Jinho?!" "Haha. Nice to meet you." ''What kind of situation is this all of a sudden?!'' At the sight of Yoo Jinho shaking hands with a benevolent smile, Professor Lim hardened like a broken toy. The representative of Ajinsoft, who could only be seen on game news, is now shaking hands with him. "H-How are you? Me, I...!" "I''ve already heard a little bit about you from Suho. Are you close with our Suho?" "Oh my." ''He said, our Suho.'' "Don''t think of me as the representative of Ajinsoft. Right now, I''m just sitting here as Suho''s uncle, so don''t be too nervous." "...!" Even though he told him not to be nervous, Assistant Professor Lim froze even more. On the way there, he had already received a rough word from Suho, but the shock was doubled when CEO Jinho Yoo confirmed the fact with his own mouth. Suho handed over the contract to Assistant Professor Lim. "I made a contract while you were on the way here." To be exact, it was a contract made by Yoo Jinho''s secretary. When Suho opened the contract, Yoo Jinho directly exined the contents. "As you may have heard on the way, the guild you will sign a contract with ispletely unrted to Ajinsoft, and will be a guild supported entirely by my own personal money. Our offer is the best in the industry among E-ss hunters, so don''t worry." "Thank you!" Professor Lim bent his back 90 degrees right away at those words. Yoo Jinho waved his hand. "Give thanks to Suho, not me. It looks like Suho really thinks highly of you." "Suho...!" Professor Lim looks at Suho with a very moved expression. Yoo Jinho continued to exin. "But don''t expect too much. I''m not in a position to splurge too much on tax issues. I''m just thinking of renting out a small building for free to use as a guild office without overdoing it." "A building for free?!" Professor Lim couldn''t believe it. "Haha. In the old days, I would have just given away the building. But since Suho is my rtive, it would be difficult for him in many ways. That''s why I''m trying to help only on a thoroughly legal level, and this is the limit." Yoo Jinho was saying that he was sorry that he couldn''t help more. But suddenly. ''Huh? Wait. He can''t give Suho a building because he''s a rtive? What does that...'' Professor Lim suddenly sensed something strange in Yoo Jinho''s words, and turned his head to the side with an uneasy gaze. He looked at Suho, who was drinking coffee with a calm face, then turned his gaze back to look at CEO Yoo Jinho in front of him and asked. "Is the leader of the guild you are going to create this time..." "Oh, haven''t you heard that yet? Of ??course, it''s going to be..." [Young Master.] Assistant Professor Lim hardened like a stone at the sudden sight of Beru ''Oh, no wonder the conditions were so good.'' After receiving a call, he came in a hurry, so he only heard the most important part now. If Suho, who has only awakened for less than a month, is the guild leader, then who are the guild members? Even if it was a guild sponsored by CEO Yoo Jinho, it seemed like this was something that had to be pointed out. "Suho, can I ask you something before signing the contract?" "What is it?" "How many other guild members..." "Guild members? A lot." "Oh! A lot?" Hearing those words, Professor Lim''s face instantly turned red. However, it took only a moment for the color of his face to turn gray. "Arise." "...?!" Swoosh! ck shadows rose from the floor out of nowhere and surrounded Professor Lim. [Kiyaah!] "..." ck mummies overflowing with ck steam. Those vicious shadow demons surrounded Professor Lim and began screaming. However, those guys were only part-timers for a day. In the middle of them, the only full-time worker, ''Quay'', put a vicious face toward Professor Lim and bluffed. [Always keep in mind. The Master''s first subordinate is me. You are second.] "..." There was no need topete... ... . Before he knew it, Professor Lim was sitting and looking dead. He barely pulled himself together and asked Suho. "Aside from those ones, are there any humans?" "Ah, there are only two of us, even in the future." "... O-Okay. I see." Professor Lim pondered on those words. However, although the situation was somewhat overwhelming, he was someone who had already seen Suho fight firsthand. If he thought about it rationally, it could have been better. They didn''t even need to pay for an office, so it meant that they could save onbor costs as well. "Yeah, well. I heard that the association also recognizes the number of summons as the number of raid members. By the way, Suho, you know that in order to create a guild, you need at least 3 humans, right?" "Yes. I know." Suho responded with a meaningful smile. "So, I hired one who looked like a human." "Looked like a human...?" It felt ominous. Chapter 85 - 85

Chapter 85:

E-ss hunters work in any guild and the money they earn is pretty simr. This was because their main job was as a miner or collector. The contract method itself was a structure in which they received incentives as much as they worked, so in the end, in any guild, they could earn only as much money as they worked for. However, the reason why they want to enter arge guild as much as possible was because of ''safety''. Mining team looks for mana stones inside the dungeon. Collection team dismantles the dead demons. But in front, no one knows how much the raid team could protect them. That was an important thing for the lowest level hunters. In that sense, Assistant Professor Lim was very flustered at first, but eventually signed the contract that Suho held out. It was natural. He had already seen Suho fight with shadow soldiers, and he had noticed right away that Suho was somehow different from other hunters. Besides, Suho was not a person who would use others as expendable items unlike somerge guilds. ''The offer is the highest among E-ss, so I have to take it no matter what.'' After signing the contract, Assistant Professor Lim shook hands with Suho, who would be his guild leader in the future. "Looking forward to working with you from now on, Suho." [Use proper words. If that was me, I would''ve disciplined you myself...!] "I mean, t-thank you, guild leader!" Assistant Professor Lim hurriedly corrected his words. Suho smiled. "Looking forward to working with you as well, Assistant Professor Lim. Rather, brother Dokyoon." * * * "Then, take care of it." "Yes, Sir." Yoo Jinho ordered his secretary to prepare to rent one of his buildings to Suho''s guild. "Originally, it was a building that was vacated to be demolished and remodeled. But if I make a new one, it''ll take too long, right? Even if it''s a bit shabby, just use it for the time being." "Yes. Thank you for that alone, Uncle." "Alright. Besides..." ''You''ll probably use it for a while'', Yoo Jinho thought without saying it out loud. If Suho inherited his father''s talent, it would be only a matter of time before he made money anyway. ''The important thing is not the building. It wasn''t like they''d be getting more guild members anyway.'' Also, the idea was just right. For Suho, a vast shadow dungeon already existed beneath his feet. "But Suho..." Yoo Jinho looked at Suho''s face seriously. "All three guild members are gathered now and paperworks were well-taken care of, so preparations are over. The most important thing is missing." "What is it?" Yoo Jinho''s serious eyes brought a serious expression to Suho''s face as well. "Your qualifications." "Qualifications?" At that time, Suho''s expression became more serious. Yoo Jinho was the only person who knew about Sung Jinwoo''s strength. His eyes seemed to say so. -Are you really qualified to lead the corps? Gulp. Suho looked more serious than ever and waited for Yoo Jinho''s next words. Yoo Jinho opened his mouth. "That''s right. Your qualifications. Hunters can only be guild leaders if they have cleared dungeons 20 times or more." "... Oh, is that so?" Suho looked downcast and nodded his head. He was just a novice hunter who had only experienced a few field dungeons. ''It''s going to be quite busy in the future.'' Before receiving the guild office from Yoo Jinho, it seemed that he had to resolve that first. * * * "You said you established a guild?" Esil received an unexpected offer from Suho, who stopped by the Shadow Dungeon. "Yeah. You are also a member of my guild. From now on, you will enter the dungeon with me." "Me? I''m not even human. Is that possible?" "I came here because of that. Let''s take a picture of you. I have to make an ID for you as a foreign worker." "Foreign worker?" Esil tilted her head with a puzzled expression. "Come on, smile." "Uh, huh?" Click. Suho took a picture of Esil''s face with his cell phone. "Is it over?" "Yep. It''s over. All I have to do is polish it with an app." Suho opened a photo editing app and corrected Esil''s face to look as ''human'' as possible. ''It''s fortunate that Esil looks quite human for a demon. No horns.'' Of course, there were some minor peculiarities, such as slightly sharper ears than humans, but those were matters that could be passed on as being due to a hunter''s own skills. ''There are also hunters who turn into beasts, so this much is considered normal.'' However, among the hunters with extremely sensitive senses, there would be people who would notice that Esil was a non-human being. ''It''s alright as long as they don''t run into each other.'' But that was no problem either. After all, his guild will continue to be maintained with only 3 members. "Ohhhh! What is this? I''m getting prettier! I hope this is my true self...!" "Hmm, nope." Esil was beyond admiration and was even moved by the highly developed human correction app. Even though Suho didn''t do anything special, she benefited from the app''s basic feature effect. "Hmm. Great. Moderately exotic. A mixed-race foreign worker concept, so this should be enough." "Ah!" When Suho turned off his cell phone, Esil, who was looking at her photos with excitement next to him, licked her lips in regret. She looked at Suho with soft eyes. "Suho, can I have something like this..." "You want a cell phone? In the future, you can earn money and buy it." "Ah! Are you giving me money, too?" "Of course. Since you''re a guild member now, you''ll earn as much money as you hunted. Also, you should buy the meat you will eat with your money." "I got it!" Esil suddenly became motivated. "By the way, I heard there is one more guild member? Who is that one? Someone strong?" "Mmm." Suho pondered for a moment before opening his mouth. "No, he is very weak." "Huh? How weak?" "If you hit him, he could die. So, you can''t bother him." "... He''s that bad?" Esil was confused. * * * The guild leader''s qualification of clearing dungeons 20 times wasn''t really great. Dungeons were springing up, and the hunters were wandering around like crazy attacking those dungeons. It was to make money at some point, but at the same time, neglecting a dungeon would lead to a massive catastrophe. So, the role of the guild leader leading the hunters was important. If someone without dungeon experience led them, the talented people would die in vain, and that would lead to a major disaster. In order to fill the required number, Suho jumped into a dungeon raid with Lim Dokyoon and Esil. The only unfortunate thing was that his level did not increase well in the process. ''The difficulty of the dungeons is too low.'' It was unavoidable. The three-man raiding party of Suho, Esil, and Lim Dokyoon was too low to qualify for the dangerous dungeons. Because of that, all the dungeons they could enter were final dungeons or field dungeons that were almost finished. The level of the magic beasts in it was not enough for Suho to gain experience. But that was just for Suho. It was different for Lim Dokyoon. "Hee! E-Esil! help me!" "... You are really weak." Esil looked at Lim Dokyoon, who was hiding behind her, with sincere pity. Then, when she turned her gaze to the other side, there was a doggie that attacked the enemies with extremely brave eyes. "Growl! Woof!" [The King of Beasts, the Fang Monarch, nods happily, saying that Gray is growing up dignifiedly today.] [Gray Lv.17] Fang Wolf Apart from Suho leveling up, Gray was growing steadily. Well, Suho receives half of Gray''s experience points... Ring. [''Pet: Gray'' offers 50% of its experience as a sacrifice to its owner.] Even without the experience points from ''Blessing'', other points were shared with Suho. In the long run, this was definitely an advantage. The stronger Gray gets, the more EXP will be shared when hunting. [Kehehe! Our baby cub is great! Be diligent in the future and offer more sacrifices to Young Master!] [Beru uses ''Skill: Harsh Command''.] [''Skill: Harsh Command'' increases Gray''s stats by 50%.] [As a side effect of ''Skill: Harsh Command'', Gray is cursed with madness.] "Growl...!" Under Beru''s ''Harsh Command'', Gray howled. All the monsters snorted. ... And were bitten. Swoosh! "...!" No matter how small he is, Gray is a worthy sessor of Rakan. He was a predator that instinctively picked out only the ''weakness'' of his enemies and prey on them. [The King of Beasts, the Fang Monarch, closes his eyes at Gray''s cruelty.] There were also male beasts. "Hnnnngg!" Swoosh! * * * Section Chief Lee Youngho of the Hyeonmu Guild has been very uneasy these days. It must have been from ''that day'' to be exact. The day he came back after being savagely rejected by CEO Yoo Jinho of Ajinsoft. ''Let''s see. I will definitely repay you someday.'' Lee Youngho inevitably held grudges. The Hyeonmu Guild was not as good as the Baekho Guild or the Reaper Guild, but it was arge guild that was well known in Korea. However, Ajinsoft was also a conglomerate with enormous influence in the political and business world. First of all, each industry was different. No matter how hard they tried, they couldn''te up with a suitable way to retaliate against CEO Yoo Jinho. ''If I had been a hunter like him, I''d have had plenty of ways to vent my anger.'' The simplest thing was to solve it with ''power''. It was because hunters were allowed to kill in the dungeon. Obviously, it was illegal to kill openly, but there was no physical evidence for murder in the dungeon, so no one could be charged with the crime. "... Oh, I wonder what he is doing now." Given the circumstances, it was only natural for Lee Youngho''s anger to pass on to Sung Suho. "That bastard Sung Suho, find out what he''s doing these days. From what I heard at the time, it seemed that CEO Yoo Jinho would set up a guild." "Y-Yes! That''s right!" "Hurry up, man!" "Y-Yes! I am entering now!" A subordinate who was hit in the back of the head by Lee Youngho hurriedly essed Hunter Net. That employee was the one who flew the drone camera to Sung Suho''s house that day. ''He ordered me to do it in the first ce, but why is he only taking out his anger on me... Seriously...'' The employee who had been tracking the records of Sung Suho, gritting his teeth, suddenly stopped and looked back at Lee Youngho. "Oh? Chief, Sung Suho... that guy..." "Why? Did you find anything?" "I guess they haven''t created a guild yet because the conditions aren''t met. It seems like he''s going through dungeons these days toplete the requirements." "Is that so?" The moment he heard that, Chief Lee Youngho''s eyes lit up. "Find out which dungeon they would enter next." Chapter 86 - 86

Chapter 86:

A few dayster. "Does this make sense?" Suho thought it was absurd. "How can I only go up 3 levels while going through 10 dungeons?" [The magic beasts were too weak in the first ce.] "As expected, I need to make a guild soon." If the dungeon they entered was at the guild level, his leveling up speed would be faster. Fortunately, his stats steadily rose daily thanks to the training with Ammut- daily quests. However, daily quests could only bepleted once a day. Ammut also said that repeating SBM training more than that would only harm the body. Without the daily quest reward ''Recovery from Abnormal Status'', he would neither have the confidence nor the stamina to repeat it twice anyway. ''Why does it seem like the level of difficulty in SBM training increases day by day?'' The powerful gravitational field created by Ammut made him feel as if his body would explode if he made a mistake. ording to Suho''s growth, the intensity was gradually increasing. However, the reward of working so hard was clear. [Spiritual Body Manifestation Lv.4] Even though his level had not risen much, his skill level did. Suho''s SBM level is already level 4. Now, he was at a level where he could cover both hands with ck energy like armor. "Woah." Ammut nodded with a bloody smile at the sight of Suho holding a pair of swords enveloped in ck energy. [That''s quite the way. Applying Spiritual Body Manifestation technique to increase sword skills. However, there is still a long way to gopared to where Tarnak has reached. We will stop here for today.] Even if he pretended to be bummed out, he had no intention of doing more. Suho quickly got up and ran out of the Shadow Dungeon. [You have exited the Shadow Dungeon.] "Suho." After training, Esil spoke to Suho who came out of the Shadow Dungeon as if she had been waiting. "Where did you say our next dungeon was?" In Esil''s hand was thetest cell phone she had just bought. If Suho''s strength training skill increased, Esil had also be a master of mobile phone skills. Her socialization skill also improved to the point where she could buy and eat pork belly with confidence like any decent human being, even when she goes out. Suho answered Esil''s question. "The 3rd dungeon in Pyeongtaek. Why?" "I don''t think we can get in there for some reason?" "What? Why?" "Right now, the Hyeonmu Guild is encamped in front of it." At Esil''s words, Suho made a puzzled expression. "Hyeonmu Guild? How did you know that?" "I followed other guilds on social media." Esil held out her phone screen in front of Suho''s eyes. Then, the ount of the Hyeonmu Guild really popped up in it. The most recent post there... "Really?" Suho tilted his head. Just as Esil said, the current address in the photo posted by the Hyeonmu Guild was tagged with the dungeon they were nning to enter there. "Why are those people there? Also, aside from that, can they just upload something like this? Wasn''t such information confidential?" "What happened to privacy and security in the world these days? Do people just upload it? These could all be used for guild promotion, but seriously?" Esil shrugged her shoulders as if it were natural to wonder as if she had be so ustomed to the ''world these days''. "How did you learn these things?" Suddenly thinking about it, Esil was a demon. It was only a few days ago that she bought a cell phone. Even though it is said that there is nonguage barrier due to the devil''s unique ability, her speed of adaptation was a little surprising. "Is it supposed to be difficult?" Esil flipped through her phone screen and showed it to Suho. There are all the trendy apps these days. Suho couldn''t recognize any of them. "What is this again?" "I heard it''s an application that predicts the probability of a dungeon urrence in advance using AI?" "Then what about this?" "A second-hand marketce exclusively for hunters." "..." Suho reflected a little. Perhaps, Esil was more hunter these days than he was. He felt embarrassed, but it couldn''t be helped. Suho stared intently at the photo Esil showed him with a firm expression. "Chief Lee Youngho." In the corner of the picture was a familiar face. * * * Pyeongtaek 3rd Dungeon. That ce was originally a military base, and it became a field dungeon due to the dungeon break. Fortunately, the damage was not too bad. It was thanks to the appropriate response from the soldiers stationed there during the dungeon break. But because of that, it was also a dungeon that was pushed back from the priority of the Hunter Association. There were a lot more dungeons that needed to be raided urgently. So, it was not popr with ordinary hunters. There were many dungeons where they could make money aside from that ce. Although, it was a natural result because the area essibility was poor. That was the reason why Suho bid for that dungeon. It was easy to bid only when thepetition rate was low, and it would possible to go in and raid without hassle in many ways. "Why is arge guild like Hyeonmu interested in a ce like that?" Lim Dokyoon, who heard about the situation, looked really agitated. "Let''s go. There''s bidding talks on this, so anyone can just cut in line first." It hasn''t been long since the dungeon bidding system was created in the first ce. Even though that method was established, there was a high possibility that such a system would be lightly ignored in Pyeongtaek, especially because the locals wanted the hunters toe and attack as soon as possible. "Let''s go first." "I will drive..." Lim Dokyoon hurriedly grabbed the steering wheel and focused his eyes forward. Beru, who always red at him from behind Suho with his eyes wide open, made sure that he would use honorific words. They arrived at the Pyeongtaek Dungeon, but the heavily armed Hyeonmu Guild was camped out just as in the picture Esil showed them. A government official from Pyeongtaek City Hall was discussing something with the Hyeonmu Guild. "We really appreciate you stepping up first, but from our point of view, ignoring the procedure is a bit..." "Oh, man! There is a dangerous dungeon right in front of you. Shouldn''t we raid it as soon as possible?" "Yeah, but there are no casualties in this area, and it''s a ce where other hunters have already bid first..." "Who are those people? Are they better than Hyeonmu Guild? Huh?" "T-That''s...." In front of Lee Youngho, the civil servant was at a loss. As someone who had been bullying for a long time, Lee Youngho began to threaten the employee by wrapping his big forearm around his neck this time. "Of course, since you are a civil servant, procedures may be considered important. But if we ignore it a bit... especially that it''s for the benefit of Pyeongtaek. It''s dangerous here, so why don''t you sign the permit and get off work?" "I think it''s your forearm that''s in danger." At that familiar voice, Lee Youngho looked back with a stern expression. It was as if he had been waiting for that moment. "Hey, look who''s here. What did the rookie hunter who had a boastful unclee here for?" "..." The clear hostility in his eyes convinced Suho. ''Is it revenge for what happenedst time? So childish.'' It was ambiguous to say that it was simply childish because their business that involved a lot of money had copsed. [How dare you look at someone with those snake eyes! I should treat you badly...!] Suho grabbed the back of Beru, who was protruding forward, and pressed him into his shadow. [Khickk... Just wait and see... I remembered your face...] Suho ignored Beru for a moment. He looked up at the face of Lee Youngho, who strode forward to him. He was a hand taller. Even though Lee Youngho does more work dealing with people, he is also a B-ss hunter on active duty. When he made up his mind and showed his energy to Suho, the feeling of intimidation made theplexion of the public servant beside them pale. Of course, Lim Dokyoon, who was standing behind Suho, fled far away and was diligently checking the bidding documents. "Hmm. What''s your name? I think I remember it, but it also seems like I don''t." Lee Youngho looked at Suho''s face mockingly, deliberately provoking him. However, Suho didn''t care and just smiled and replied. "Section Chief Lee Youngho, we bid on this dungeon. What is Hyeonmu Guild doing here?" "Ah, Sung Suho! I remember now." "Are you doing this because of what happenedst time?" "Last time? What do you mean? We came here with a good heart just because there is a dangerous dungeon here." The conversation kept going in vain. At that intentional and tant sarcasm, Suho turned his gaze toward the dungeon for a moment. A field-type dungeon where a dungeon break has already been triggered. In many ways, it was a loss for the Hyeonmu Guild to have arge guild to raid a D-ss dungeon with no casualties. ''Looks like they were only brought here by money in the first ce.'' The energy of the hunters standing behind Lee Youngho was quite weak to say that they were at the level of arge guild. Although they went there to interrupt him, it was clear that they were hunters with weakbat power. ''Did he only gather guys with weak impressions?'' Suho let out a big smile. They look too greatpared to their mana power. Their impression seemed like they would be able to beat Quay with one hand. "... You find this funny?" Lee Youngho''s expression became even more stern, as if he was offended by Suho''s smile. At the same time, the hunters of the Hyeonmu Guild surrounding the dungeon all red at Suho, exuding bloody energy. A conflict in front of a dungeon that has already been bid. What this meant was clear. "Sung Suho, since you''re still a rookie hunter, you don''t seem to understand, so I''ll exin it to you." Chief Lee Youngho pointed at Suho''s chest with his fingers and red at him. "Dungeons are too dangerous. Truly awlessnd. Once you set foot in there, it doesn''t matter if idents happen. Especially for beginner hunters." He gestured, slitting his neck with his thumb and smiled meaningfully. "If you let your guard down a little, you will be food for the monsters and not even a corpse of yours will remain." Truly tant and overt threats. At that, he faced the hunters of the Hyeonmu Guild as they giggled at each other. "Hehe. Right, right." "The job of a hunter is so dangerous." "It''s a job that''s perfect for a violent death anytime, anywhere." "It''s especially dangerous for a well-grown young boy." Even though he didn''t say anything, the corners of Lee Youngho''s mouth twitched as he provoked a fight along with his subordinates. Was it that rewarding to bring some of the guys who are off duty with some pocket money? The possibility of murder in the dungeon was the most frightening part for beginners. In particr, if other groups give off that kind of an atmosphere openly, even if it was a dungeon one bid for, they would be afraid to enter. Because they were afraid of what''s going to happen there. "So... Huh? Where did he go?" Lee Youngho turned his head towards Suho but ended up making a puzzled expression. Suho, who was standing in front of him, was nowhere to be seen. The public official answered Section Chief Lee Youngho, who was looking around. "He already entered the dungeon since a while ago though." Chapter 87 - 87

Chapter 87:

The 3rd dungeon in Pyeongtaek had already turned into a bizarre jungle. A field-type dungeon that became apletely separate world from the Earth''s ecosystem. However, that ce was notbeled as D-ss for nothing. The level of the magic beasts wandering around was weak, and their number was small. What was tricky was the jungle itself. [There are traps everywhere, Master.] "Hee!" When Quay appeared from Suho''s shadow, Lim Dokyoon was frightened and stepped back. He was quite fast, but fearing that he would fall into a trap if he moved too much, he quickly returned and hid behind Suho''s back. "Esil,e out, too." Suho opened the door to the Shadow Dungeon, and Esil, who was waiting underneath, also appeared. "Is it going to be here this time?" Seeing Esil looking around, Lim Dokyoon looked at Suho''s shadow with a strange expression. "Suho. I mean, guild leader. Can I get in there too?" "You can go in. But..." [It is the world of death. If a living person recklessly sets foot in it, they could be stripped of their vitality and be a dead person and wander in nothingness.] "Oh. Gee, really?" [I''m joking, of course.] "..." Seeing Lim Dokyoon''s cold expression, Beru giggled. [But that''s not entirely wrong. It wouldn''t be very healthy for a normal human being. In many ways.] "Ah." Realizing something at that moment, Lim Dokyoon shuddered. ''Esil looks like a human, but after all, she''s a summoned beast...'' Lim Dokyoon only knew Esil as a demon summoned by Suho. Finally... Am I the only ordinary person here? Of course, Suho was also human, but it was no longer normal being able to bring those strange guys out of his shadows. "Hmm. Then I''ll be moving around as I normally do..." Lim Dokyoon''s position is a miner and collector. However, when such a task was really needed, Suho called the shadow mummies to work for him, so Lim Dokyoon could guide Suho instead with information he knew from his experience in dungeons. "Guild leader! In a dungeon like this, it shouldn''t be too difficult if you don''t get lost. Usually, in ces like this, the way is marked by dropping stones on the floor from time to time..." "You already said that before." "..." His informativeness was gradually declining. ''When the guild is established, I''ll have to ask him to return to office work.'' When the monster hunt began, Lim Dokyoon had nothing to do. He just dodged around so as not to get in the way of the fierce Shadow Soldiers'' battle. But that was then... Lim Dokyoon''s expression became serious when he discovered something. "Suho, look." "What is it?" "... Isn''t this a human corpse?" It wasmon for human bodies to be found on the dungeon floor. But the problem was its form. "It''s a dead body that turned into mist burn." Charred corpses. Mist Burn was mainly a product of a phenomenon when civilians with low mana adaptability were exposed to mana power for a long time. When fuel runs out after running around, it copses and dies. "But this..." "It sure is strange." Suho also made a serious expression. The corpses turned to ashes were piled up in one ce. As if someone had brought the corpses there and dumped them all at once. For a moment, only one thought popped into Suho''s head. "This..." "I know. I guess that''s right." It was Esil who responded to Suho''s words. "I guess demons have made a nest here." Factory. Those discarded corpses were left over by demons making stardust. Realizing that fact, Esil''s eyes red calmly. Esil was the eldest daughter of the Radiru n, which was thoroughly ruined by demons. Lim Dokyoon quickly ran back as the thick blood leaked out of her body. * * * Lee Youngho gritted his teeth. "How dare he ignore Hyeonmu?!" It was absurd. "Could it be that he has no sense at all?" He never imagined that Suho would just go inside, despite such an outright threat. ''Wouldn''t it be a waste of life?'' Lee Youngho ran his head for a while. After all, Sung Suho was a rtive of Yoo Jinho. If Sung Suho were to ''disappear'', Yoo Jinho would instantly realize that they had done it. ''Will there be any harm to us in that case?'' No. The business with Hyeonmu Guild and Ajinsoft has already beenpletely over. Besides, no matter how famous Ajinsoft is, it was just a ce to make games. Unless it''s a hunter game-rted business, it wasn''t such a loss from a Hunter Guild''s point of view. ''It''s you who should be careful on the road at night.'' Whatever the case, the hunters were a powerful armed group. Especially in times like that, arguing with hunters means losing life. No one knew when and where the gate would open and when the monsters would attack, and there were many cases where the assets of rich conglomerates were destroyed in an instant. That was why every conglomerate was trying to set up a hunter guild recently. ''This time CEO Jinho Yoo also tried to establish a guild with Sung Suho.'' Everything has been settled. Chief Lee Youngho''s eyes were on fire. ''Sung Suho. Today is your memorial day.'' His gaze turned to the official in charge of the Pyeongtaek Dungeon. "No matter how much I think about it, I can''t figure it out." "Excuse me? What do you mean..." Chief Lee Youngho showed a fake concerned expression toward the flustered employee. "I am so worried about the newbies who entered first. Does it make sense for only two of them to enter the dungeon knowing they were too new?" "That''s true, but..." The hunters began to worry. Since it was a field-type dungeon, even two hunters could enter, but if it was a normal gate, at least 10 people should enter. "Can''t several raid groups attack the field-type dungeon at the same time anyway? We''re worried about the newbies, so we''ll follow them right away. This is possible under regtions, right?" Since Suho''s raid was the first to bid for that dungeon and entered, it was not a big problem for a second team to enter. "B-But it''s a rule that..." "Ugh! How could you be an inflexible person?! It''s just the two of them who went in. Aren''t you worried? Will you take responsibility if they have already be monster''s food?! Do you even know who the young man talking to me just now was?" "Huh? W-Who is it?" "A very close rtive of Yoo Jinho, CEO of Ajinsoft! If I don''t go in to rescue him right away, that young boy might already be dead!" "Oh my." The employee''s eyes widened. After all, he was only a low-level civil servant. When a problem arises, the first to take responsibility is...! "I-I''ll write you a permit right now!" Lee Youngho smiled when the employee hurriedly turned over the files. "Let''s go, everyone." ''You have to take the price directly for ruining our business.'' His smile was even more cruel. * * * "This way." Esil led the way, searching for signs of the devil. Suho was hunting the monsters and following them. It was a D-ss dungeon, so the level of monsters was also low. As a result, there was low cost, so it was pushed out of the priority of hunters. Civilian ess was also controlled. ''It''s a perfect area to secretly build a factory.'' In fact, all the dungeons that Suho went through to add to his experience were simr. However, it was the first time that traces of demons had been found. Suho held power in his hand with the ''Vulcan''s Horn''. [Item: Vulcan''s Horn] Difficulty to obtain: ?? Type: Sword Attack +40 A sword crafted from the horns of the greedy demon Vulcan. Vulcan''s powers are imbued, dealing more damage. -Effect ''Destruction Desire'': Increases physical damage by [40%]. -Effect ''Demon Devourer'': The power of Vulcan bes stronger as it devours the demon''s soul. [Devoured Demon Soul: 10] Vulcan''s Horn gradually increases its attack power as it devours demon souls. ''I hope there will be more demons in this factory.'' Suho slowly licked his lips and explored the surroundings. Right then... Swish-! Suddenly, an arrow flew from behind at great speed and aimed at Suho''s back. Sensing a presence, Suho tries to look back. [Who dares...!] Crack! Quay appeared first and grabbed the arrow and broke it. He then red at the direction the arrow hade from. [Are you aiming for Master''s back?] "What is that, a summon?" Those who appeared from behind the trees in the distance were none other than the Hyeonmu Guild. "They said you were a summoning hunter. Such a good summon right there. You would be pretty useful if you joined our team." Lee Youngho, standing behind them, leisurely crossed his arms and looked at Suho. Suho''s smirked. "You''ve crossed the line this time." "What? Coming from a bastard like you? You crossed the line first." From the moment he entered the dungeon, Lee Youngho had removed all his social pretense. He red at Suho with a cruel smile. "Kid, didn''t you know? In this world, the strong man is thew. You know what the weak ones are?" "They''re snacks..." That was a familiar phrase. [The King of Beasts, Fang Monarch, reveals that he knows something.] Ring. [An urgent quest has urred.] The proof of Chief Lee Youngho''s murderous intent appeared in front of Suho. [Urgent Quest: Defeat the Enemies!] There are people around who have the intent to kill the ''yer''. Kill them all to be safe. Number of Enemies to Kill: 10 Number of Enemies Killed: 0 "Your intentions have been confirmed." The moment Suho nodded, his eyes suddenly changed. Chills. Seeing those eyes, Lee Youngho suddenly felt nervous and his pride got hurt. ''Am I against a C-ss?'' He was trying hard to get rid of the ominous feeling, saying that it was because he had neglected dungeon hunting these days and only ran sales. "Look at those eyes. You know, these days..." It was the moment he was about to order the guild members to attack Suho. Swoosh! "...!" Suddenly, a tremendous presence poured out from all sides, and screams erupted. "W-What is this?!" The hunters of the Hyeonmu Guild were bewildered and became wary of their surroundings. Demons wereing out of the jungle. Suho''s eyes widened in a different way. ''Nice! Here goes the demons!'' After all, there was a factory nearby. Lee Youngho fought against the demons that suddenly came upon him and gritted his teeth toward Suho. "You bastard! Did you summon these guys too?!" Chapter 88 - 88

Chapter 88:

A three-way battle began with the sudden appearance of demons. Suho and Esil looked at each other momentarily. Their eyes light up. Thud! They jumped out in opposite directions and started hunting the demons. If Suho sliced ??the bodies of demons whole with Vulcan''s Horn, Esil stuck her spear into the demons'' bodies like a skewer. There was a stark difference between the two. The demons killed by Suho were horribly disintegrated, sprinkling ck blood, and Vulcan''s Horn devoured the ''demon''s soul''. Meanwhile, the demons killed by Esil''s spear sucked all the blood from their bodies and dried them up like mummies. "Ha. After all, demon blood is the best." The eldest daughter of the Radiru n, the pinnacle of all demons. Esil, the only remaining demon noble. She continued to suck the demons'' blood with a most ecstatic smile. Even when she first set foot on Earth, Esil''s power was only at the level of a C-ss monster. The reason was that she had been chased by other demons for a long time and had her own blood got sucked. The lost power could only be recovered through blood as it is now. [You have defeated a lower level demon!] [You have defeated a lower level demon!] [You have defeated a lower level demon!] [''Item: Vulcan''s Horn'' devours the demon''s soul.] ... "Can I level up a bit this time?" Suho hoped there was at least one more demon lurking there. "Kyaaaaaagh!" [These are extremely weak and humble servants. It''s such a shame that I tried to do business with these guys in my lifetime.] Quay looked at the demons as if they were filth, and brutally ughtered them with the feeling of erasing one by one his dirty past. In that melee, Lim Dokyoon... [...] "..." He was hiding behind the palm-sized Beru, trembling. "Sung Suho! I asked if these were all summoned by you!" "What kind of nonsense was that person talking about?" Even in the midst of that, Esil clicked her tongue as she watched Lee Youngho yell at Suho in the gaps between defeating the demons. However, as the number of demons gradually increased, Lee Youngho eventually realized it. "No, wait! These guys are demons!" It was a bitte to realize. Seeing all of those guys'' faces covered with crow masks, an information came to his mind. The stardust factory that the Hunter Association was eagerly looking for. ordingly, the ones who made it were demons. "Hahaha! It''s here! There''s probably a reward for finding this ce, right?" "Oh! Would you like to make some pocket money?" Upon confirming that the identities of the monsters that appeared were demons, the eyes of the members of the Hyeonmu Guild gleamed with greed. They came all the way there because of their manager. It was such a pity to kill a kid and go back empty-handed, but it rather turned out so well. "Listen everyone! For now, leave Sung Suho alone and deal with the demons first!" "Got it!" "Besides, that kid will die on his own even if we don''t touch him... Huh?" They btedly discovered Suho hunting demons and their eyes widened. "... T-That''s...brutal." "Chief. Didn''t you say he was a C-ss summoning hunter?" "Is he holding a pair of knives and cutting them?" ughterer. The only thing that came to their mind was that word. Suho, covered in ck blood all over his body, was ughtering demons like he was a demon himself. Grumble! Above their heads, lightning struck in the dry sky. "Oh my...!" Everyone looked up. Surprisingly, there was a huge demon looking down on them from above that jungle. "Hey, wait!" "Just what''s in this D-ss dungeon...?!" Lee Youngho was frightened and surged the mana through his whole body. "Everyone, stay alert! It''s at least B-ss! No, it''s an A-ss beast!" His gaze was precise. [Transcendent Mid-Level Demon] "Crazy." Suho''s senses stats were sending out warnings violently at the overwhelming energy that made his whole body shudder. ''This is at least Quay, no, it''s at Lee Minseong''s level.'' As the current Quay became a shadow soldier, he was in a weakened versionpared to Lee Minseong. But the aura he felt from that gigantic demon was at a simr level to Lee Minseong. ''What does it mean by transcendent?'' "How could this happen..." Beside him, Esil was gritting her teeth more ferociously than ever before. "That guy is a demon who ingested the blood of a demon noble." "Your blood?" Suho''s eyes widened and he looked back at Esil. "Even if it''s not mine, it must be the blood of someone in my family." Esil''s whole body gushed out a tremendous amount of aura, and it was shot straight toward the mid-level demon. Swish-! The tip of Esil''s spear flew toward its heart, but the demon pulled out a whole tree beside it and swung it at her. Swoosh! "...!" Unable to dodge the attack, Esil''s body bounced off to the side. However, even the Hyeonmu Guild was swept away by the attack. Nearby trees hit them in a chain reaction. "Eh?!" "Move away!" The members of the Hyeonmu Guild were frightened and they scattered. Even at that moment, low-level demons were attacking from all sides. "Ack!" In the end, several members of the Hyeonmu Guild were decapitated. Seeing this, Lee Youngho''s eyes lit up with rage. "How dare you!" Lee Youngho''s sword tore the demons apart. Even though he was taken aback by the sudden situation, those demons were only at C-ss level. As a B-ss, he had the confidence to deal with any number of those guys. Besides, no matter what, it would be a disgrace for the Hyeonmu Guild to be defeated by those. "That''s why I usually told you to train hard! Those who die from things like this are idiots!" Even when his men died, he rather med them for their weakness. The problem was the big beast. ''I can never catch that on my own.'' It would be possible if the subordinates pulled some time up front. Cooperation of several hunters against strong monsters. That was the basis of the raid, and the most important final blow was what the strongest of them had to do. To do so, they needed tanks to take the lead and withstand the attack instead. "Attack all at once!" "What?! That beast?" "I will take him down! Hold on for one minute!" As soon as he gave the order, Lee Youngho began to concentrate all his mana on one area. Even if it took some time, he was confident that he could cut off at least one of the monster''s legs with his skill. ''The basic n is to attack that big guy from the legs first!'' "Aaaaaaah!" As mana began to surge on Lee Youngho''s body, the members of the Hyeonmu Guild rushed towards the ''transcendent mid-level devil'' with all their might. Grumble! Lightning struck again in the dry sky. It wasn''t just an abnormal climate. The lightning strikes straight at Lee Youngho. "Ahhhhhhh...!" A tremendous electric shock struck his whole body from head to toe. If it had been a real thunderp, he would have lost his life at that moment. ''It''s a skill...!'' He instinctively realized that and gave up attack skills and changed to defense skills. He found a healer and tried to get himself healed. Bang! "...!" The mid-level demon began to hit the ground randomly with the tree he was holding in his hand. "Ack!" The Hyunmu guild members who rushed forward took the attack. They bounced all over the ce like bowling pins. Non-tanks fell to the ground and broke their necks to death. ''I have to run away!'' Lee Youngho immediately turned to the opposite direction. His body was still trembling from the aftermath of the electric shock, and the number of his subordinates to act as tanks in front of him had been reduced by half. ''We can never beat that! We have to escape quickly and ask for support from the 1st Army...!'' Just as he turned away... His feet were cut off by low-level demons who were lying t on the ground and hiding in the jungle. "... Huh?" Tilt. He got out bnced. This time his other foot was amputated. Thud. His body copsed on the floor. The smiles of mad demons attacking him was thest thing he saw. Kyahahaha! Why? Of all things, he remembered what he said to Suho in front of the dungeon. -If you let your guard down a little, you will be food for the monsters and not even a corpse of yours will remain. It would be the same no matter how high-ranked the hunter was. Because everyone has only one life. "...!" He couldn''t even scream and just died. * * * Meanwhile, Suho, who was frantically fighting the demons, suddenly realized that the Hyeonmu Guild was no longer in sight. "Are they all dead? Dokyoon!" "Oh! I''m okay!" "..." Surprisingly, Lim Dokyoon escaped without a single wound. Unlike the Hyeonmu Guild fighting with demons, he waspletely focused on running away. ''Looks like I picked one guild member well.'' As expected, even if he could only do one thing very well, Suho could be so reassured. Suho smiled and called Esil. "Esil! Once you''ve sorted it out,e over here!" "Okay!" sh! Esil, who had been beaten and cornered by the mid-level demon earlier, got up and was hunting the nearby low-level demons. She pulled out her spear stuck in the bodies of those demons and ran towards Suho. Then, together with Suho, she raised her head and red at the ''transcendent mid-level demon'' who was running out of control. "Since we''ve dealt with the small ones roughly, let''s hunt the bigger one now." ''Did he understand that?'' For a moment, the body of the mid-level demon, which was indiscriminately destroying everything in sight, stood still. Then, he slowly turned his head and looked down at Suho with an extremely berserk gaze. [Are you going to hunt me?] For the first time, words flowed from his mouth. He summoned all the low-level demons he wasmanding. In an instant, his entire field of vision was filled with demons. However, his gaze suddenly widened when he saw Esil next to Suho. [Wait. No way... Are you a demon noble of the Radiru n?] After summoning all the demons that were everywhere in one ce, it was only now that he realized that the aura he felt from Esil was distinctly different from that of the other demons. [Kuhuhhahaha! I never thought I would make such a windfall here!] The mid-level demon, eyes wide with greed and was bursting intoughter, ordered his men to charge. [Catch them! If I drink Radirus''s blood, I can be stronger!] Demons attacked with saliva dripping from their mouths. In front of them, Suho smiled faintly. He was confident. An order came from Suho''s mouth. "Arise." ck shadow began to sway from the corpse of the dead Hyeonmu Guild members. Chapter 89 - 89

Chapter 89:

[Shadow release is possible.] [Shadow release is possible.] [Shadow release is possible.] ... ck steam was raging over the corpses of the Hyeonmu Guild, refusing to die. And the moment Suho''s order was given. Swoosh-! Creepy sounds echoed in the air. Along with that, the ck shadows of the corpses began to form new bodies as they raged furiously. Swoosh! [Shadow Soldier Lv.1] General ss [Shadow Lancer Lv.1] General ss [Shadow Shield Lv.1] General ss Even if they were the 2nd Army of the Hyeonmu Guild, they were hunters made up of a perfectbination as a raid. Of course, when released as a shadow soldier, there was a downside to slightly weakening their powerspared to their previous lives, but there was a strong advantage that was worth considering. Immortality! The moment they became shadow soldiers that never die, they turned into a demon-like army that did not hesitate and rushed only to ughter the enemy. [Kyaaah!] [Kyaaaah!] A thunderous roar erupted from their mouths, even if they lost the ability to speak. [T-This can''t be...!] The transcendent mid-level demon who saw Suho''s shadow soldiers could not help but be astonished. Nonsense. Something really unbelievable happened. All the demons still alive after the Outer Gods War was over, were in fact defeated soldiers who had fled and hid from the war. That''s why none of the demons there properly saw the victor of the war, the Shadow Monarch. However, the mid-level demons, who were superior to the general low-level demons, instinctively noticed the identity of the death aura spreading around Suho. [Shadow Monarch...!] No, the Shadow Monarch wasn''t on Earth right now. If the Shadow Monarch was still on Earth, they would never have dared to invade the ce. [Yes, it can''t be! If you were the true Shadow Monarch, you would have annihted us as soon as you saw us!] The mid-level demon attacked mana power toward Suho. Along with him, all the low-level demons attacked Suho''s soldiers. [Kill them all! These guys will be used as valuable materials for our great fight!] Grumble! Lightning strikes again from the sky. ''As expected, it''s a skill.'' Suho mercilessly cut down the demons and continued to watch the sky. The lightning tore the shadow soldiers to pieces. But it didn''t matter. Swoosh! [Kihahaha!] The torn bodies of the Shadow Soldiers returned to their original form along with the ck steam. Like a demon, they cut the throats of the enemies in front of them again and pierced their hearts. [Hahaha!] Chief Lee Youngho, who was reborn as an armored knight, bursts into madness at the forefront of them all. The moment he became a soldier of death, he poured out his cruelty on the demons as a faithful servant of Suho. "Was he always such a tough old man?" Suho smirked at his vicious fighting method, cutting off the heads of the demons and even using them as his weapon. ''Then, I can leave these little ones.'' His mana was being sucked out as the Shadow Soldiers regenerated over and over again. [You purchased ''Item: Mid-Level Mana Potion''.] Suho called Esil while drinking a mana potion. "Esil!" "I got it!" Even if he didn''t say anything, she knew right away. Vulcan''s Horn had greatly amplified its attack power thanks to the souls of the demons Suho had killed so far. But even that was not enough. To defeat the gigantic demon, a stronger demon''s soul was needed. Esil immediately transformed into a spiritual body and flowed into Vulcan''s Horn. [Vulcan''s Horn devours the demon''s soul.] Swoosh! At that moment, an extremely powerful and ominous energy rushed into Vulcan''s Horn de. "Rakan!" When Suho shouted while holding up the ''Rakan''s Fang'' in his other hand, an answer came from far away. [The King of Beasts, Fang Monarch, nods his head.] At that moment, Rakan''s Sword was enveloped in a mystical aura. A smile appeared on Suho''s lips as he raised those two swords. "Now, giant''s armor." [Use ''Skill: Giant''s Armor''.] Swoosh! It wrapped around Suho''s body! As his body grew bigger and bigger, the size of the twin swords he was holding in both hands grew ordingly. Suho immediately jumped at the mid-level demon. [Ack!] The mid-level demon reached out and threw a thunderbolt at Suho. However, Suho did not stop attacking even after being hit by the thunderbolt with his bare body. [Use ''Skill: de Storm''.] Lightning and storms began to tear apart the sky. At the center was a fierce sh between Suho and the mid-level demon. The demon, who was on the defensive side due to Suho''s sudden onught, took something out of his arms. Purple powder enveloped his body like smoke. At that moment, Esil''s voice came to Suho''s mind. [Oh my god! Isn''t that bloodstone?!] "Bloodstone? What is that?" [It''s highly refined devil''s blood! You can think of it as a much more powerful mana booster than stardust!] "Stardust? Will it make you stronger?" [Of course! Kill him before the bloodstone is absorbed! It''s not a perfect bloodstone anyway, so the effect will be slow!] Even while the conversation continued, Suho continued to attack. [Haha! Even though it''s still not the best version, it''s enough! Not a problem! If I catch the demon noble, I will be able to make a better bloodstone!] The mid-level demon was intoxicated with his rapidly rising power, showing an ecstatic expression. Blocking Suho''s attack with one hand, he mercilessly shook off his body. g-! "Ack!" Blood gushed from Suho''s mouth. [Young Master-!] Beru hurriedly flew. He was worried, but Suho immediately got up and put a potion in his mouth. "I''m okay. It''s still worth doing." If the other side used bloodstone to gain strength, his side had potions. The speed of HP filling in was a little slower, but because of the increased amount of physical strength, it was possible to take that much time. It was rewarding to deliberately push himself to the limit. Ring. [The level of ''Skill: Tenacity'' has increased.] [Physical defense +80% ¡ú +100%] Sigh. Suho watched his first soldier fight while he was feeling the sensation of his increased defensive power. Up in the sky, whenever the mid-level demon showed an opening, Quay would be a ray of spear and ambush him. The beam of light was like a spider''s web, cluttering his vision. [Do you dare to see blood, Master?] [Ack!] As Quay became a shadow soldier, he could no longer use Royal Jelly. It was the poison that brainwashed his own corps, and now that he had be a mere shadow soldier, he was not qualified to lead the corps. But that didn''t mean his extreme aggression was gone. Lee Minseong, who had been conspiring behind people''s backs all his life, had established himself as a leader who took the lead in ying enemies. Quay was quite satisfied with his appearance. [It''s fun.] He was also never intimidated by the giant demon. [Really fun.] The power of immortality that he so longed for, and the power to sh the enemy with pure power without resorting to trivial moves from behind. [This is really fun...] Quay''s spear eventually thrust into the shoulder of the mid-level demon. [Is this my strength?] [Aaah!] [Die. Die. Die. Die! Die and vomit up ten million times more blood than my Master! Ha ha ha!] Eventually, the energy of the bloodstone began to leak out again through the wound pierced by Quay. That was a huge sh, but it onlysted less than 5 seconds. In that short time, Suho had recovered at least enough energy to be able to move his body. The mana power allows him to freely use SBM technique. [Use ''Skill: Strong Body Manifestation''.] Swoosh! Both of Suho''s arms were covered with ck energy. Due to the high level of the skill, the amount of mana consumed to maintain it also increased. Moreover, the attack power was also increased. [...!] "Gotcha." In the end, Suho''s ck hand pierced the energy of the bloodstone and grabbed the mid-level demon''s neck. At that moment, the demon''s eyes met Suho''s and, it trembled. W-Wait...! This energy! He was seriously mistaken. He mistook Suho for the shadow monarch! [You were a descendant of the Iron Body Monarch...!] sh! He couldn''t even finish his words and his neck broke. [You have defeated a transcendent mid-level demon!] [''Item: Vulcan''s Horn'' devours the demon''s soul.] [Your level increased!] [Your level increased!] Numerous messages appeared in front of Suho. But the message that followed was surprising. Ring! [''Title: Demon yer'' has been acquired.] "Oh." Suho''s eyes sparkled. After catching a lot of demons, he just got a title that was just right. [Title: Demon yer] It was a title given to hunters who are good at catching demons. All stats increase by 40% when facing demon type monsters. "It would have been much more convenient if I got it sooner." Swook! Suho''s body became smaller again, and Esil came out from within Vulcan''s Horn. She shuddered at the energy of ''Title: Demon yer'' that she could feel from Suho. Her instinct as a demon made her recognize Suho as a predator. "Why are you so far away?" "Oh, nothing." When she came to her senses, Esil found herself hiding behind Lim Dokyoon. Suho checked the message that he hadn''t been able to check because he was busy earlier. [You havepleted ''Emergency Quest: Defeat the Enemies!''] [Do you want to check the reward?] ( Y / N ) "Yes." [The following rewards are prepared.] Reward 1. Recovery from abnormal conditions Reward 2. ''Buff: Battle Roar'' "Buff?" Suho looked confused. ''I''ll have to use this at an important moment.'' Suho, who put off obtaining the reward, turned his eyes to the surroundings. Before he knew it, Esil was standing on top of the corpse of a mid-level demon. Red energy flowed from the corpse and was sucked into Esil''s hand. ".... Suho." Esil called out with a firm expression. "This was a bloodstone made with my blood." "Your blood?" "Yes. It seems that there are some people who hunted me in the Demon Realm somewhere here." [Young Master.] Beru looked at Suho with a serious expression. [If this is true, it will not be an easy fight.] Beru clearly remembered the Radiru n he had seen during the War of Outer Gods. Those who destroyed the family and amplified their strength with their blood would never be friendly to the Shadow Legion. Suho also nodded his head with a serious expression. "I''m pretty sure there''s a factory here somewhere." "That''s right. The guys who made even bloodstone beyond stardust are somewhere here..." The problem was that there was no way to find out where the factory was located. "Should I have left one alive?" Suho looked disappointed. The demons were contaminated with mana, so he couldn''t even release shadows. "For now, let''s look around this ce..." Right then, he heard Lim Dokyoon, who had been running around here and there. "Suho! It looks like there''s something here." Chapter 90 - 90

Chapter 90:

"...." "...." Swish- A gust of wind blew past. What Lim Dokyoon found was a totem made by demons. Esil immediately recognized the meaning of the totem. "It''s like the sign demons use." "Did they make it so they wouldn''t get lost in this jungle among themselves?" "I think so. There must be their hideout at the end." "Wait. Hey, guys? I mean, guild leader?" Lim Dokyoon, who was listening to the conversation between Esil and Suho, was getting pale. "You''re not saying you''re going there right now, are you?" A moment ago, a tremendous tragedy was about to happen because of the sudden intrusion of demons. Now, the conversation between the two, as if they were trying to step into the demon''s den, sounded like a death sentence to Lim Dokyoon. "Ah, I guess it''s a little dangerous for you. Would you like to step into my shadow for a moment?" "Huh? For a moment. I thought it would be bad for my health?!" [That was a joke, too. It will be worse for your health to keep following here.] "Hey..." Lim Dokyoon stiffened like a living corpse at Beru''s words. "Alright. Stay in for a while. It wont take that long." Suhoughed and took out the key to the Shadow Dungeon. ck. [Entering the Shadow Dungeon.] "Huh?!" Lim Dokyoon was the only one who entered. Suho''s shadow suddenly rose up and swallowed Lim Dokyoon''s body like a curtain. Suho reassured him. "Don''t worry too much. That''s where everyone survives." "W-Wait...!" Swoosh! At that moment, Lim Dokyoon''s vision was ckened, and when he opened his eyes again, in front of him... [Ehh? What are you?] Ammut, a giant crocodile, was looking down at Lim Dokyoon with an intrigued expression. "Uhh..." Lim Dokyoon sat down on the spot with an expression as if he was going to lose his mind. However, that pathetic and weak appearance was Ammut''s preference. [Kehehehe. Are you the human guild member my disciple talked about? Reminds me of Tarnak''s childhood.] The corner of the giant crocodile''s mouth rose and gave a meaningful smile. With a voice more devilish than a demon, he quietly whispered to Lim Dokyoon. [Weak human, don''t you want to be stronger than now?] "No." [... Hmm?] Lim Dokyoon was stern. He walked to the corner of the pyramid and sat quietly. "I''ll just stay here quietly." [...] A bewildered look appeared on Ammut''s face. * * * After sending Lim Dokyoon, Suho and Esil immediately went to the factory, tracing back the demons'' totems. They ran into a few demons along the way, but it didn''t matter too much. Since Suho was given the title ''Demon yer'', low-level demons could no longerpete with him. "... Something is strange." Having discovered a new totem, Esil looked around with a hard expression. "What''s the matter?" "This totem is not a directional sign. The road is cut off from here." "It''s the end of the road? Hmm." Suho widened his senses and detected signs around him. However, there was no sign of demons or beasts anywhere. ''Not even the wind blows.'' The still, stagnant air created an atmosphere of fear. It was a ce where demons lurked, so it was not strange no matter what happens. [Young Master.] [Master.] At that time, Beru and Quay called Suho at the same time. They pointed at Suho''s feet and said. [I can feel a crack in the dimension just below this.] "Is there a gate?" [Yes. It seems so, Master.] Suho''s gaze went down. "Beru, find a way down to the basement." [Yep.] Beru flew so fast. Meanwhile, rather than moving his body, Quay calmly scanned the surroundings with a cool look. [Master, if the traces of the demons have disappeared here, there is a possibility that the entrance was hidden using some kind of magic or skill.] "You have a point." Suho nodded and raised his twin swords. "Then..." [Use ''Skill: de Storm''.] Swoosh! "If I destroy everything, something mighte out." Centering on thest totem he found, Suho indiscriminately popinted his sword into the empty space. An amazing sight unfolded. "...!" The earth and sky split apart, and a dimensional rift began to appear before their eyes. Seeing that, Esil''s eyes widened in surprise. "I can''t believe this energy!" Surprisingly, the energy flowing from beyond the rift was too familiar to Esil. "It''s a gate connected to the Demon Realm!" "The dimension you lived in?" "That''s right! This gate will be connected to the dimension I escaped from!" "I see." Suho nodded. The reason why the 3rd dungeon in Pyeongtaek was only designated as a D-ss dungeon was because the number and level of monsters in there were not high. It turned out that those from the gate were demons, not mages. ''Did they hide quietly to build up their strength rather than attacking humans because they are intelligent demons?'' It also used a method to block humans from approaching by releasing a moderate level of monsters and creating a jungle where it was difficult to find the way. "Looks like we found the main base while trying to find the factory." "Didn''t I tell you before? The world defeated in the War of Monarchs is torn to pieces and wanders through the dimensional rift. What exists beyond this must be fragments of the ruined Demon Realm." "Ruined?" "Yeah. All the demon nobles who ruled the Demon Realm are dead, so all that''s left is probably the small puppets who hid from the war." "Did they get stronger by drinking the blood of demon nobles?" "Maybe? It''s clear that they want to increase their power and be the new Demon Nobles." "What''s good about being a demon noble?" "That..." Esil was about to open her mouth to answer Suho''s question. Swook! Due to Suho''s indiscriminate attack, a tremendous suction power suddenly urred inside the gate. Strangely, however, that suction power only attracted Esil, not Suho. "Kyaah!" Esil floated in the air and struggled with her hands. Suho had to grab her hand because of the suction power generated by the gate. [Young Master!] [Master! It''s dangerous!] Beru and Quay urgently grab Suho''s body from behind. Esil shouted while holding Suho''s hand. "It looks like the Demon Realm is trying to drag me away by force! It was like this before!" A world that has lost its monarch must find a new one. The moment the Demon Realm seized the energy of Esil Radiru, the only existing demon noble, it was about to forcibly take her. "That was what it meant?" Suho, who grasped the situation, smiled rather meaningfully than panicked. "Then, you should be happy to go!" Suho held Esil''s hand and was willingly sucked into the gate. It was a ruined Demon Realm... ''There must be a lot of demons.'' It was a great opportunity to strengthen Vulcan''s Horns. The moment he passed through the gate, Suho''s vision changed dramatically. "... Huh?" Hended on the floor and looked straight ahead with his eyes wide open. Arge, majestic mine. Numerous demons with shackles on their feet and pickaxes were roaming all over the ce. "What''s this?" "I don''t know either." The sound of pickaxes were resonating loudly here and there. Even Esil was perplexed by a situation that she could not have imagined outside the gate. "Ack!" At a distance, a terrifying sound of whipping and screaming was heard. "Thesezy bastards! Do not think about tricks, do the work! Work!" "Ack! I-I''m sorry! I''m sorry!" A huge demon that appeared to be an overseer was brutally trampling the ve demons. ve demons let out screams of pain as they got whipped with mana powers. In order not to receive more beatings, they somehow got up and started pulling the cart. Suho and Esil hid themselves behind a rock pir, avoiding the supervisor''s gaze. "Is it a workhouse?" "... Something is off." Esil put on a serious expression. "How can they be so organized when there are no demon nobles?" "How was it supposed to be then?" "The Devil Realm is thoroughly strong, but at the same time, a weak snack. It can be overturned at any time. We be strong by eating each other." "Eating each other?" "That''s right. No matter how strong you are, if you catch and eat regardless of means and methods- even if it is a surprise attack, you will be stronger. So, if the overwhelming existence of demon nobles doesn''t hold the system in ce, the demons really be abusive." Eat or get eaten. That was the system of the Demon Realm. It''s like their own version of societal ss. "A system like this is only possible if a demon noble reigns here, but I am the only noble who survived." "Definitely strange." Suho also felt something strange. If the demons, who were now working pickaxes like ves, joined forces at once, they could kill and eat any number of supervisors like that. Even so, the eyes of the ves were already filled with a deep sense of defeat and fear. "Oohhhh!" Just then, a huge cow monster was passing in front of Suho and Esil, pulling a huge cart full of ore. [Raised Minotaur] ''Minotaur?'' The neck and legs of the gigantic cow monster were attacked with shackles and thick chains. They even had saddles on their backs that made themfortable to sit on. However, the Minotaur wasn''t the only animal pulling the cart. Bizarre, gigantic horse-like monsters were carrying ore carts, with chains and shackles on their bodies. "... Huh? Who is that guy?" Esil''s eyes widened when she spotted one of them, a sleek-looking horse. "Do you know him?" "My servant." Chapter 91 - 91

Chapter 91:

Among the low-level demons who have served demon nobles since ancient times, there were those who swore allegiance to the nobles with all their heart, rather than submit by force. They were referred to as ''demon''s servants''. "Servant? What do you mean?" "A demon I''ve always ridden. He''s a shapeshifting demon with the ability to transform into a horse like that if he wants." Esil''s eyes shone sharply. "No way... Did he keep pretending to be a horse for fear of being enved like the other demons?" "But because of that, it seems like he''s being shackled to the same fate." "At least he won''t die after being used as a consumable." Just at a distance, a ve demon was whipped by the overseer and eventually died. On the other hand, the number of mage beasts pulling the cart seemed to be less than the number of demons. Certainly, if he had turned into a horse, he wouldn''t be able to kill him as easily as Esil had said. Suho, who was looking around while listening to Esil''s exnation, nodded and said. "Then, let''s get closer to that horse. Can he speak?" "Of course. I need to ask what the hell is going on here." Suho and Esil secretly approached the ce where Esil''s horse was. Fortunately, there weren''t many overseers, so it wasn''t too difficult. "Nukira." "...?!" When Esil approached the horse and whispered in a low voice, the horse recognized Esil and widened its eyes. He hurriedly looked around and opened his mouth. "Ms. Esil! You are alive! I heard that you passed away a long time ago...!" Suddenly, tears welled up in Nukira''s eyes, and he looked like he was about to burst into tears at any moment. However, fearing that if he stopped pulling the cart, he would attract the attention of the overseer, he continued to pull the cart at the same speed as before and had a conversation with Esil. It was a situation where they had to talk urgently. "Ms. Esil! It''s dangerous to stay here! Why did youe back here again?!" "Nukira, what the hell is going on here?" "The thing is..." Nukira took another look around and answered quickly. "After all the nobles died, another demon ruled this ce shortly after." "Another demon? A non-noble demon?" "Yes. Rumor has it that it is a demon that has grown in power by devouring demons who died in the War of Outer Gods." "He ate the demons who died in the war... Was it a defeated soldier who fled during the War of Outer Gods?" "Perhaps, most likely." Rattle! Just then, the cart Nukira was pulling stopped. "Ms. Esil, please hide somewhere for now. The overseer wille soon." At those words, Suho and Esil quickly hid themselves in a dark ce. Then the huge demon overseer came over, nced at the ores Nukira had brought, and nodded. "Empty the cart and go back." A horse neigh escaped from Nukira''s mouth. He tilted the cart with his hind feet, dumped the ore on the floor, and started going back. As the overseer moved away again, Nukira''s gaze returned to Esil, who was hiding in the distance. "... Ms. Esil, you have to get away from here. If the tyrant hears that there are surviving demon nobles, something really dangerous will happen." "Right. Where is that tyrant?" At Suho''s question, Nukira''s eyes turned to Suho. As if he hadn''t cared at all about what Nukira said up until now, this man was ready to go find the tyrant. "Who are you...?" Esil urged Nukira to answer her question instead. "Another overseer ising. Please answer quickly." "M-Ms. Esil. He does note into this workhouse. Other demons may betray him at any time, so he usually stays in his own ce and only asionally appears at the Colosseum." Since ancient times, the Colosseum has been a yground for demons who enjoy blood and battles. But now it has be a ce for public execution of demons who disobey the tyrant''s orders. "The tyrant continues to grow stronger by eating the dead in the Colosseum. He only shows up when there is food in the Colosseum." Colosseum. Suho''s eyes shed. Again the overseer was approaching their way. "Nukira, keep working for now. Let''s talk againter." "Ms. Esil..." Nukira''s eyes were full of anxiety looking at Esil''s back as she disappeared into the darkness. * * * Esil looked into the situation and spoke to Suho. "It''s not just the overseer we should consider. There will be a big uproar if you get caught by the ve demons." Esil was a demon, so it was okay. The problem was Suho. "If the fact that humans are hiding in the Demon Realm is discovered, all the demons in sight could attack us at once. Suho, you should pretend to be a demon as much as possible... Okay?" Looking around, Suho was already taking off his top like the other ves. His strong muscles were revealed. In particr, because of Ammut''s harsh training, Suho''s body was developed to the limit by repeatedly tearing and destroying countless muscles. After saving the clothes he took off in his inventory, Suho put on a nearby rag. Among the demons, there are quite a few races that resemble humans like Esil, so at that point, their external appearance was somewhat simr. However, an important problem remained. "Weak demons won''t notice, but the problem is mage beasts. Those with good senses will quickly notice that you don''t have demonic energy." "How about this?" Suho raised ''Vulcan''s Horn''. Thanks to hunting a lot of demons prior, more than 40 demon souls were now absorbed into the horn. The horn itself was that of a demon. Even within it, demon energy was overflowing. Realizing what Suho wanted, Esil couldn''t help but hesitate. "You''re asking me to go in again?" "Isn''t it for the same purpose that you shouldn''t stand out anyway?" "That''s... right." If Esil transformed into a spirit and nestled in Vulcan''s Horn, she could change the size of the sword as much as she wanted. The fact that it can be maderge means that it can be made small as well. "If you make it small and I hide it properly in my body, don''t you think they would feel demon energy?" "... Yeah, well. That would be the best way." Esil finally let out a sigh and nodded. In fact, it was quite embarrassing for Esil, a demon noble, to go into the horns of a lower level demon than herself. But it was not just once or twice, so it hase too far to talk about pride. After Esil finally nodded, Suho suddenly asked one more question. "Oh. Can you perhaps change the form besides size?" "Form? What do you mean...?" "For example..." Suho gave a meaningful smile. Beru mentioned before that the demon named Vulcan was incredibly enormous. Simrly, his horns are also huge. The bodies of demons capable of spiritualization can freely change their size or shape. While being refined into weapons, Vulcan''s Horn could bepressed to match the desired size as needed. With that said... ''Maybe something like this would be possible?'' [Vulcan''s Horn devours the demon''s soul.] Swook... As Esil seeped into Vulcan''s Horn like a spirit, its gradually began to change. "I knew it was possible." Vulcan''s Horn had changed and attached to Suho''s head, like a ''real demon horn''. [You''ve been so persistent here and there, and now you were even thinking about putting the demon''s horns on your head.] Esil''s voice mixed with sighs came into Suho''s head. "If I''m going to imitate a demon anyway, might as well do it properly." Suho smirks and touches his own horn. Seeing that, Beru stuck out his face and gave Suho a thumbs up. [It''s really great! As expected of Young Master...!] [Okay, work and pickaxe like everyone else now. Don''t get whipped by the overseer for fooling around.] * * * ''I suddenly became a ve in the mines.'' Suho bought a pickaxe from the shop window, and naturally mixed with the ves to pickaxe. Because he had high strength stats and experience as a miner, pickaxing wasn''t difficult at all. ''Rather, the daily quests are much more difficult.'' However, an unexpected problem arose. Because Suho was so good with the pickaxe, other ve demons began to nce at him. "Who is that one-horned demon? He is so strong." "Such a brutal use of pickaxe." From Suho''s point of view, he was just moving, but in the eyes of the other ves, even his speed was extraordinary. While the demons were whispering, Beru secretly appeared and spoke to Suho. [Young Master, it''s good that you''re camouged, but shouldn''t you find the Colosseum first?] "Wait. I am thinking about it now." [It seems like you''re picking too hard for what you''re worried about...] Suho was so good with pickaxe that the ves ended up filling their daily quota much quicker than usual. "Wow...!" "Damn, it''s over!" "Now I can finally rest!" "This is all thanks to you!" Thanks to Suho''s great sess (?), the ve demons who were freed from endlessbor burst into cheers around him. The overseer, who was far away from the noisymotion, strode over there threateningly. "These ves again! Not working and beingzy... Hmm? What is this?" "Sir, we''ve reached our quota!" "Can we get some rest now?" The ve demons proudly showed the ore that Suho had dug up to the overseer. But maybe he didn''t like that arrogant behavior, the overseer''s expression was rather stern. "How dare these insolent bastards! Are you going to take a break from work already? This was nothing but normal, you''ve just beenzy all this time! From now on, dig up this much more!" "S-Sir...!" "What kind of nonsense...!" "Did you just say nonsense?!" Bang! "Ack!" One ve, who protested unfairly, was kicked by the overseer and hit the wall. The ve demons were terrified and scattered again with pickaxes and shovels. Suho also moved quietly among them, trying to get out of the overseer''s sight. But then. "That one horned guy right there. Stop." Suddenly, the overseer called Suho and made him stop. He was ring at Suho, the main culprit of that situation, with a disapproving gaze. ''Could it be that he was discovered to be human?'' [No. It''s just that you''re the one who made the ves dare to ask for a break. Originally, demons like him are more authoritative. Also...] Before Esil finished speaking, the overseer looked up and down at Suho. "Looking at it, it seems like you have used quite a bit of energy. I will specially send you to the Colosseum." It wasn''t Suho who was shocked by the overseer''s words, but the ves nearby. "That was so harsh...!" After all, the overseer''s words are thew. "Follow me." After pointing out Suho, the overseer immediately turned around and strode off somewhere. Suho started to follow him without saying a word. At that time, Beru made a fuss in a voice that only Suho could hear. [Oh my god! Could it be that you were drawing such a big picture from the beginning? Indeed, since you were young, you have had a great talent for drawing!] "..." Chapter 92 - 92

Chapter 92:

After a while, arge and majestic building appeared in front of Suho. It was a colosseum surrounded by high walls of bizarre shapes, demons or skeletons. "Go in." The supervisor handed Suho over to the guards at the Colosseum and immediately went back to the workhouse. nk! The solid iron door closed, and Suho looked up at the new demons he had met. [Demon Jailer] ''Demon jailer...'' As soon as Suho saw the new demons he met, he measured their attack power. Judging by the orange color of their name tags, they were quite strong, but they weren''t ones with no chance of winning in a fight. The demon guards who took over Suho were the same in assessing Suho. They started talking to each other while scanning Suho up and down. "It''s been a while since a useful guy came in." "Such a shame that you have a small body." "That''s why it''s better. Don''t you know diators have concepts or identifiers these days?" "Well, he has only one horn, which is unique, so it''s nice." "Let''s call this guy One Horn from now on." Regardless of Suho''s will, a nickname was created on the spot. [Pft. One Horn...] Suho heard the sound of Esil suppressing herughter. [Congrattions. You got a new name. Originally, among demons, nicknames are rare.] nk! "Keep quiet." "If you cause trouble, we''ll get killed or something right away." The demon guards put Suho in a solitary cell surrounded by dark iron bars. The moment they moved away, Beru''s face popped out and he gritted his teeth with bloody eyes. [Eck! How dare those cheeky bastards! If you give me an order, I will cut their bodies into five parts immediately...!] [Don''t show yourself, stupid.] [What?! How dare a mere bee call me stupid?!] [I''m trying to understand the situation here. Master must have ns for everything. Also, I''m not a bee...] Squeeze. [Krrrk...] Suho trampled on Beru and Quay, who were showing their faces at each other, and looked out of the prison bar. The demons who were trapped there first were watching their side with interest in the dark. "Is he new?" "He''s a very ugly bastard. He has one horn." "How long will this guyst?" Eerie voices were whispering about Suho. In fact, Suho was looking closely at the dark iron bars that were imprisoning him. When he tapped it with his finger, he felt a strange counterattack. ''It doesn''t seem like an ordinary iron.'' [It''s a prison made of hell iron. It''s a hard metal stained with demonic energy, so it''s mainly used to confine demon prisoners.] ''Demonic energy?'' At Esil''s exnation, Suho smiled strangely. ''Then, could something like this happen?'' Suho gripped the barbed wire made of hell iron with his hand and his eyes lit up. Swoosh. [The ''Title: Demon yer'' buff effect is activated.] Suho was able to forcibly bend the iron bars. The demon yer buff, which increases all stats against demons by 40%, was applied even in such a hellish ce. "Oh my!" The eyes of the other demon prisoners who witnessed the scene widened in astonishment. They were taken aback seeing a small one-horned demon do that. "How can he touch and move the hell iron effortlessly?!" "This means he can run away whenever he wants!" "Hey! If you''re going to escape, open my cell as well!" Suddenly, the demons who were watching Suho screamed noisily. But not everyone was so surprised. "Tsk. These pathetic bastards. It''s no doubt you are the ones imprisoned here like this. Even if you escape from here, you will only be eaten by the guards outside." The demons nearby red at the sound of someone clicking his tongue in the corner. "What? Who are you calling pathetic?" "Oh well, a dying old man has nothing but bluff!" "Do you think anyone can do such a thing? Then, let me bend your neck like that!" The prison suddenly became noisy with profanity. "Pray that you don''t see me at the next match!" "Someday I will chew and eat that old man who''s all talk." However, the old demon brushed away all swearing towards him, and thenid back andy down leisurely. Suho looked at him with strange eyes. ''... Could it be that he was giving me advice?'' Suho put the bent barbed wire back to its original state. He was just experimenting out of curiosity anyway, and he had no intention of running away. [Were you originally this strong? I didn''t think it was this far when we were fighting the mid-level demon earlier...] At Esil''s startled voice, Suho onlyughed. ''I just confirmed the title effect.'' Was it because of that? Even though Suho had been captured in a den full of demons alone, he did not look nervous at all. On the contrary, it was regrettable that he passed from the workhouse to the prison without any problems. ''If I killed all the demons in the workhouse, I''d get some experience.'' He needed to be patient. If he had made a fuss, he wouldn''t havee that farfortably. The level of the ves at the workhouse was at a grievous level even among the low-level demons, so it seemed that even if Suho hunted hard, he wouldn''t get much experience. ''But it''s different here.'' From the moment Suho set foot in the prison, his sensory stats were alerting him. It wasn''t because of the guys talking only with their mouths nearby. The real thing was far away. ''It''s better to catch one big one than hundreds of small fish.'' A faint smile crept across Suho''s lips. It''s the Colosseum he''s looking forward to. But why? Throb. His heart has been beating ever since he got there. ''No, let''s not get confused.'' To be precise, he had been feeling that from the ''Vulcan''s Horn'' attached to his forehead. Like it was a living creature. ''What is this?'' It was an interesting ce in many ways. * * * "One Horn,e out." Guards came for Suho again. The iron bars opened, and Suho meekly followed the guards. The moment he passed by the solitary cell of the old demon who warned him earlier... [... If you want to live long, don''t eat the food the guards give you.] ''Huh?'' When Suho suddenly turned his head to the side at the sudden voice in his ear, the old demon just turned his back andy down. Suho pondered on the old demon''s words. ''Don''t eat the food?'' After a while, just as mentioned, the guards put grilled beast meat in front of Suho. "Eat. It is a special treat given only to neers to the Colosseum." "It could be yourst supper, so don''t leave anything behind." The guards were giggling meaningfully. Suho stared down at the beast meat, steam rising up. It didn''t look like much, but it smelled good. If he had been an ordinary ve in the workhouse, as soon as he smelled it, his eyes would roll back and he would devour it. But then. Someone who had slumbered in the distant World of Rest quietly opened its eyes. [The Queen of Insects, gue Monarch, licks her lips while looking at the light-blood poison mixed in the food.] ''Light-blood poison?'' A strangeness appeared in Suho''s eyes. Querehsha, the gue Monarch, woke up after discovering a hidden poison. An information window popped up in front of Suho, who ate countless of Querhesha''s poisonous insects and obtained her protection. Ring. [Poison: Light-Blood Poison] A poison that causes the blood to boil when ingested, temporarily amplifying one''s strength. However, there is a fatal side effect that each time you use mana power, it is apanied by extreme pain, and your lifespan gradually decreases as blood is consumed. ''Light-blood poison... Was this what the old demon warned me about?'' As Suho just stared at the monster meat without touching it, the guards started urging him. "What are you doing?" "Was it because you are small that you don''t have much appetite?" "You should eat now to gain strength." Suho''s hand moved gently and grabbed a piece of the demon meat. The guards'' eyes shed insidiously. Suho started chewing on the beast meat without hesitation. ''It''s quite edible.'' To Suho, who had also eaten Querehsha''s poisonous insects, this level of depravity was nothing. Ring. [''Poison: Light-Blood Poison'' was ingested.] [Starts decrypting.] [Detoxifying...] The blood in Suho''s body suddenly became hot and then disappeared in an instant. [Detoxification has beenpleted.] [You have acquired ''Poison: Light-Blood Poison''.] Suho didn''t care and continued to eat the beast meat. It was obvious why the Colosseum neers were being fed that light-blood poison. ''Regardless if the lifespan of the ves is shortened, the guards must be trying to make the ves fight more fiercely by squeezing off their strength as much as possible.'' The problem, however, was that the characteristics of light-blood poison were quite simr to something Suho was familiar with. ''It''s simr to stardust. This... is not a coincidence.'' The stardust the demons developed at the factory was also a medicine that temporarily amplified their strength. Suho asked a question to Querehsha, who was watching him. ''Querehsha, do you know about stardust?'' After a while, the answer came. [The Queen of Insects, gue Monarch, snorts that it is a crude poison developed by demons.] A new information window popped up. [Poison: Stardust] An iplete poison thatpensates for the disadvantages of light-blood poison. By sacrificing human suffering and death, they seeded in removing all side effects of light-blood poison. Temporary amplification of mana power during ingestion is the same as light-blood poison, but it has the disadvantage of short retention. ''These crazy guys.'' After checking the information window, Suho''s expression hardened terribly. There was only one thing that Suho thought of about the manufacturing process of stardust. Burning living humans in mana fuel called Mist Burn. At that time, it was the "stardust" that solved the problems with extreme pain and boiling blood side effects of light-blood poison. ''Extremely demonic.'' Passing all the pain on humans to build strength. Silent anger began to boil inside Suho. The body of the demon guards trembled when they felt an unusual aura. "H-How is he taking it in so well?" "He should start to feel weak when he uses his mana power." "Hmm. Anyway, when you''re done eating, get up." At those words, Suho quietly stood up from his seat. [Use ''Poison: Light-Blood Poison''.] The light-blood poison that flowed from Suho secretly spread in all directions. As the intangible poison slowly seeped into the bodies of the demon guards, Suho''s eyes grazed with a cold bloody feeling. ''I''ll give it back to you as it is.'' ''And you, too, will die in pain with burning blood from within.'' Chapter 93 - 93

Chapter 93:

It was arge and majestic oval Colosseum. Shouts like thunder were echoing everywhere. Most of the stands were upied by ve demons in the workhouse. Apparently, the execution ceremony seemed to be an entertainment to relieve the stress of ve demons suffering from hardbor. Ironically, this way was strangely no different from humans. Suho sneered at that. Using provocative shows to make the public a target for venting their anger. This behavior has been practiced countless times by humans in a surprisingly long history. [... It wasn''t like this in the past.] Esil''s voice seemed to suppress anger. [The Colosseum was originally the exclusive property of demon nobles. It was used to measure each other''s strength by arranging diators from each family. It''s kind of like a rank war.] However, now that all the demon nobles have disappeared, this seems to have turned into a hobby for those who wanted to imitate the nobles. "The tyrant... What was his name? Everyone seems to call him a tyrant or a tyrant king." [It''s not enough that he dares to imitate a noble, and call himself a king! I couldn''t have imagined it was in the past...!] "Esil is a boomer." [What?!] At Esil''s bewildered reaction, Suho smiled and nced over the crowd. "Anyway, among all these demons... It seems like the tyrant isn''t here." [Earlier, Nukira also mentioned that the tyrant only showed his face asionally in the Colosseum. It''s the first match, so it''s probably not worth watching.] "I see." Just in time, the demon who hosted the execution ceremony shouted loudly at the audience. "Attention everyone! The opponent who will execute our one-horned man is-!" The door opened on the other side of Suho. "The one-armed ruthless yer!" Swoosh! An enormously muscr demon appeared with a tremendous shout. [One-Armed Maniac] As the name suggests, his one arm was cut off, but the remaining forearm was extremely intimidating. Laughter erupted from the crowd. "Puhaha! Are they sending out a one-armed person for the first game!" "This is going to be over too soon!" "A one-horned man and a one-armed man fighting!" "This is worth seeing!" Suho realized what the demon guards muttered about the word "concept" and smiled. "They have good nning skills." It was a thoroughly nned show. The contrast between one-horned Suho and the one-armed demon was actually creative. However, given the clear difference in weight and appearance between the two, it was not very fair. Anyone could tell why the show was called an ''execution ceremony''. "He must really find my looks ridiculous." [You shouldn''t becent still. That guy is a demon that has been saturated with light-blooded poison.] As Esil had said, an ominous mana power emerged through the whole body of the light-blooded demon. It was clear from the crowd''s reaction, that he had been famous for living in the Colosseum for a long time. "Pft. Is it this guy this time? He looks delicious because he''s soft-looking." The light-blood demon looked at the small and tender Suho and licked his lips with a meaningful look. Suho murmured. "I think I know how he''s still alive after taking the light-blood poison." [As much as his blood boiled away, it must have been replenished by sucking the blood of other demons. With that, he could have powered up again.] Esil''s words were correct. However, there was one fact that even Esil overlooked. Light-blood poisoning is apanied by excruciating pain. The light-blooded demon who had endured that pain for a long time was now aplete berserker who could no longer feel pain. Swoosh! "Kehehehe. Can you hear me? Everyone is waiting for a scream toe out of your mouth." The demon looked up at the cheering audience with a cruel smile. "But, rejoice. They do not wish for your quick death. I want this show tost as long as possible. And I...." Lick. With a snake-like tongue, the demon approached Suho with a leisurely gait. As those big muscles got closer and closer, a strong aura overflowed. "I''m such a sweet demon, I can''t possibly fail the audience''s expectations. So be grateful. Saying that I will kill you as slowly as possible..." But- sh. Suddenly, the light-blooded demon''s vision flipped over, and Suho''s figure disappeared in front of him. "...?" Bewildered for a moment, the demon tried to turn his head to find Suho. But it was impossible. ''This...'' Something is strange. No words came out of his mouth. In front of Suho was a giant headless demon standing with its back turned? That body part that was very strange yet familiar... ''M-My....'' At that moment, the maniac realized. His head was now in Suho''s hands. That was hisst memory. [You have killed a one-armed light-blooded demon.] [''Vulcan''s Horn'' devours the demon''s soul.] Thud! The body of the huge mad-blooded demon fell to the ground. Along with that, there was a heavy silence inside the Colosseum. "..." In that suffocating atmosphere, even the host was perplexed and at a loss for what to do. Suho, who in an instant cut the demon''s neck off, just stood tall with a nonchnt expression on his face. He turned his head and looked at the host. "Is there anyone next in line?" [''Title: Demon yer'' buff...] The host instantly felt a chill at that gaze. As if he met his nemesis. * * * ... Swoosh! Then, a tremendous shout erupted as if the Colosseum was about to burst. "One Horn! One Horn!" "Hey! Did you see that?" "I saw it!" "What? How could someone like him...!" "Kyaaaa! What''s next! Did you hear that? He wanted to fight the next one right away." "It''s been a while since a brave demon appeared!" "Right! The time hase for even the one-armed demon to die!" A number of reactions filled with admiration and astonishment poured in from the audience. However, the most surprised among them were the demon guards who sent Suho without much expectation. "Eh, does this make sense?" "The one-armed man has eaten more than ten demons...!" "What the hell did you do with One Horn?" "Could it be that his speed is amplified when he eats light-blooded poison?" "It doesn''t matter now! The game is over too soon!" From the point of view of the demon guards, it didn''t matter which demon died at the execution ceremony. Because no matter who dies, it just needs to be stimting. The problem was time. What the demon jailers wanted is to show the audience the brutal and desperate look of the diators at the execution ceremony as slowly as possible. In that way, they hoped that the ves who were exhausted from hard work would be relieved of their stress, and that the tyrant king would personally stop by the Colosseum to deal with the malevolent energy that the ves radiated. "Granted that it was fast, it''s still too fast!" "To think it ended before the tyrant king showed any interest!" "If it was going to end this quickly, it would be a waste of time to bring the ves here in the first ce." "If I had known it would be like this, I would have told One Hord one in advance to fight as slowly as possible." Eventually, they turned their attention to the warden, who had a serious expression behind him. "Uh, what should we do, Chief Warden?" "The one-horned man wants to send the next one. This is what I''m talking about. If it ended like this, the atmosphere would be..." "That''s right..." The warden was gritting his teeth as he red at Suho, who was still in the middle of the Colosseum. The one-armed man had been a mad-blooded horse that had been raised with great care, but it was too futile to use. However, he muttered with a sly smile as if he hade up with an idea. "No. This was better. It''s been a long time since a useful guy appeared. Let''s see how far he can hold out." "What? That means-" "Yes. Let One Horn do what he wants. Send the other guy out before the crowd cools off." Although the one-armed maniac had been popr among ves for a while recently, it was only a passing fad anyway. "It''s time for a new wind to blow. Hehe." When the order of the jailer was issued, the demon guards hurriedly ran to the prison. Meanwhile, the host, who suddenly came to his senses, shouted at the audience. "Incredible! A round of apuse to the one-horned man who killed the one-armed man in one swoop! Especially today, we will continue the next execution ceremony!" Swoosh-! Just then, the guards brought another demon out of the prison. "Hehe. One-armed was dead? Too bad. I was going to eat him." The newly brought out demon was licking his lips. That smirk already gave the impression that it was such a bummer. "Oh, wait. He hasn''t eaten one-armed yet, has he? Even if I wasn''t the one who killed him, can I eat one-armed instead?" "Do whatever you want, but don''t put your guards down. y with it as slowly as possible." "Hehe. There''s no way I would." Slide! Just like that, the door on the other side of Suho opened and the second demon appeared. [Mid-Level Mad-Blooded Horse] "Mid-level? So, was the guy I just killed a lower level?" [This is not the time to judge the ratings. Since he ate light-blooded poison, the power amplification rate varies depending on how much blood he has sucked.] Esil warned Suho in a tense tone. "Amplification rate..." Suho''s eyes shone brightly as he pondered on those words. "That''s the same for me anyway." [Item: Vulcan''s Horn] Difficulty to obtain: ?? Type: Sword Attack +40 A sword crafted from the horns of the greedy demon Vulcan. Vulcan''s powers are imbued, dealing more damage. -Effect ''Destruction Desire'': Increases physical damage by [83%]. -Effect ''Demon Devourer'': The power of Vulcan bes stronger as it devours the demon''s soul. [Devoured Demon Soul: 53] Verification has already been done. Even though Vulcan''s Horn was ''mounted'' on Suho''s head, its performance was still intact. "Besides, he just had 11 demon souls." [It must be the souls of the demons he has eaten. He would have swallowed every single drop of blood and even a single bone fragment from the executed corpse.] "Great." After all, it would be much more efficient than the workhouse. Suho''s eyes shed and he looked up at the mid-level horse that had just appeared in front of him. Without hesitation, he killed it again. "Ack..." g. [You have killed the mid-level light-blood.] [Vulcan''s Horn devours the demon''s soul.] ...?! Again the shouting stopped and silence came. But this silence was much longer than the first. The demons were silently looking down at Suho with astonished eyes. "Okay, next." The two executions werepleted in less than a minute. It was an unprecedented event since the beginning of the execution ceremony at the Colosseum. However, the reaction of the crowd was already far from Suho''s interest. Suho turned his head and looked into the eyes of the demon guards, no, the chief guard sitting behind them, and opened his mouth. "Or you cane out yourself." "..." At that provocative gaze, the demon-like eyes of the head of the demon shook. Chapter 94 - 94

Chapter 94:

That night. "... You killed three guys in a row?" Through the stillness where everyone was asleep, an old voice reached Suho''s ears. Suho, who was sitting in the prison, turned his head towards that voice. It was an old man, no, a dirty old demon. He was still lying with his back turned in the darkness far away. Suho stared at him in silence, and after a while, a clicking voice flowed from him. "Tsk. asionally, there are demons like you who are well suited to light-blooded poison. But you will regret it in the end for ignoring my warning and eating the food." Just as the old demon said, Suho killed three light-blooded demons sent by the demon guards in a row. Audience was thrilled with the amazing sight. The sight of a demon who seems weak as an oppressed ve yet executes demons who are much more powerful than himself is extremely cathartic. However, such a situation was by no means the picture the demon jailers had hoped for. The prison guards wanted a show where the strong kill the weak brutally and y with them before consuming them. By doing so, the absolute truth of ''obedience to the strong'' would clearly be imprinted in the minds of the ves. However, what Suho showed was theplete opposite. "... Still, it''s a good thing you didn''t eat the mad-blooded demons." The old demon''s words to Suho continued. At the execution site, Suho did not eat the corpses even after killing them. After hunting the same demons, the demons be stronger by ingesting the mana that is dissolved in their blood. However, since Suho was not a demon, there was no reason to suck their blood. Besides, Vulcan''s Horn devoured their souls. The demon guards, unable to understand the reason, stopped Suho''s execution ceremony after the situation did not go as they had hoped. If they continued, only the precious mad-blooded demons would die in vain. "It is only natural for demons to eat demons. However, you must never have the blood of demons poisoned with light-blooded poison." "... Why?" Finally, Suho''s mouth opened. "It''s because the more you eat the light-blooded demons, the more the light-blooded poison continues to umte in your body. The stronger the power, the greater the pain." "I didn''t ask for that." What Suho was curious about was something else. "Why are you saying these things to me?" "... I''ve told all the other guys, too. It''s just that they didn''t even listen to me." That was expected. Although light-blooded poison was painful, it amplified strength. Not taking light-blooded poison before the execution ceremony was nothing more than telling him to die obediently. That was why the other demons there mocked and med the old demon. "If you be a mad-blooded person, your end will be a pitiful and painful death." "You mean, just like you right now?" Cough. The old demon vomited ck blood instead of answering. [The Queen of Insects, gue Monarch, watches the blood of a demonpletely poisoned by light-blooded poison.] "... I ate whatever they gave me at first. I went to the execution ceremony and won countless fights, and became stronger by eating the blood of countless corpses. Then, I finally realized it by listening to the words of the mad-blooded demons who survived like me and got the blooded poison prate to their bone marrow." The old demon coughed for a while longer, then chuckled. "The tyrant king waits for the moment when we ripen most deliciously before getting eaten by him. It is the most efficient." Realizing that fact, the old demon began to fast. Even if he won the execution ceremony, he never ate the corpse of the loser. The moment the concentration of light-blooded poison prates deep in one''s own body, the tyrant will eat them. "This Colosseum is a breeding ground for the tyrant king and a food warehouse. Hehe." [Now I know why they''re so skinny.] Esil murmured. [Suho, I think the food you ate today is thest meal here. From now on, if you''re hungry, you have to kill and eat the other person at the execution ceremony yourself.] "It''s really terribly demonic. I hate this." Suho shook his head and, while talking, asked the old demon what he was curious about. "Mister, where is the tyrant king usually hiding?" "Hiding? It''s such an urate expression yet I''m afraid someone will hear. Certainly, young people these days have no fears." The old demon tossed and turned for the first time and turned to Suho. Then, he looked straight into Suho''s eyes with his eyes wide open and whispered in a low tone. "No one knows the whereabouts of the tyrant king. He''s a terrible coward." "Coward?" "That''s right. The tyrant king is the absolute ruler of this ce, but at the same time he is the most delicious prey. Anyone can be strong the moment one eats his corpse." As he spoke those words, the old demon''s eyes glistened with intense greed. Lick. No matter how unlikely the future was, the image of him licking his lips with a snake-like tongue was truly demonish, as if he was happy just imagining it. [I''ll tell you in advance.] Suddenly, Esil spoke to Suho. [This kind of fighting between each other and being eaten only happens to weak demons. Don''t misunderstand that noble demons like me are like them.] ''I didn''t say anything though.'' [Seriously. You also often saw me eating. We don''t vulgarly eat corpses ourselves. Absorbing bloodstone is much cleaner and more efficient.] ''Bloodstone?'' Those words suddenly reminded Suho of the mid-level demon he had hunted before entering the demon realm. ''Come to think of it, you said that he ate bloodstone and amplified his strength, right? What exactly is bloodstone?'' [It is a highly condensed crystal of the mana power of demon blood. asionally, nobles with vulgar tastes will eat the demon themselves, but nobles, like the Radiru n, have bloodstones instead.] ''Isn''t that just the same?'' [No, it''spletely different! We can collect only a little bloodstone without killing the other person. Who would serve us if we became nobles that ate all the demons under ourmand?] ''Ah, that''s right.'' Esil worked hard to defend herself, fearing that Suho would look at her in a bad light. [So, right now, this guy who isn''t even a noble is cultivating and eating his own people, imitating a noble. Not only is this inefficient, it also only reduces the number of demons.] Listening to Esil talking hard, Suho simply organized what he had to do in his head. "So, in the end, to catch the tyrant, I have to look as delicious as possible." "W-What? Did you just say you would catch the tyrant king? Hahaha! Such a crazy person!" Suho''s words must have been so absurd that the old demon bursted into a heartyugh. Other demons who were sleeping woke up one by one at the sound of loudughter and began to lose their temper. "Ah! Why is it so loud?" "What kind of senility is this old man having at thiste night!" The quiet prison was suddenly filled with profanity. But the old demon''sughter wouldn''t stop. Since the demons were each locked in a solitary cell for fear of harming each other, there was no way to shut his mouth. In that noisy atmosphere, Suho looked straight into the eyes of the old demon whoughed at him from afar and opened his mouth. "Mister, can I ask you one more question?" "Hahaha! Oh, sure! What are you so curious about?" "What can I do to look delicious to the tyrant king?" "Puhahahahaha!" At those words, not only the old man but also the other demons bursted intoughter. "What is that madman talking about?!" "What? You want to look delicious to the tyrant king?" "This time, we really have a madman here! Hahaha!" What Suho did at the execution ceremony today had already spread among the demons. But most of them were locked up in prison, so they did not actually witness the sight. It is said that Suho defeated three mad-blooded demons in one day, but all the demons confined there were prisoners who survived by consuming countless blooded demons. In their eyes, Suho was still just a newbie. "You''ve been lucky enough to survive today that youpletely misunderstood things!" "He really lost it!" "You want to get the attention of the tyrant king? Do you want to get in his sight and be his subordinate!" "That''s too simple!" "Eat and eat! They will let you eat endlessly at the execution ceremony. Eventually your brains will be thoroughly stained with light-blooded poison!" "The tyrant king will then appear in front of you!" "Haha." Suho regretted it for a moment. If he had known they would be so kind with information, he should have asked them sooner. "... Had I known this, I should''ve just eaten today." There was a frightened being somewhere at the words Suho muttered. [The Queen of Insects, gue Monarch, is amazed at your ferocity.] [The King of Beasts, Fang Monarch, giggles, saying that the world is a weakling.] "Let''s see..." He slowly turned his wrists and gave a meaningful smile. "Should I do an eating show?" * * * Suho''s mukbang (eating show) started the next day. "Yesterday was the first day, so only the weak ones were sent up." "Today will be different." The demon guards sent Suho to the execution ceremony with vicious smiles. "You will regret leaving yesterday without eating those corpses." "That''s right. I regretted it all night." "... What?" "So, I''m going to eat today." Suho''s unexpected response made the guards look puzzled. "One Horn said..." "It''s a useless bluff." "That also ends today." The guards, who firmly believed that Suho had already been poisoned by light-blooded poison, thought that Suho would be weak today as much as he used his strength yesterday. Light-blooded Poison burns the demon''s blood the more mana power is used. That was the reason why Esil''s strength has be so much weaker these days than when she was a demon noble. Her blood was sucked by countless demons. "... In that sense." Suho smirked as he looked up at the executioner who looked more savage than yesterday. He attacked forward like a cannonball, and thrust his hand into the opposing demon''s body. g! The demon''s body was pinned to the ground by Suho''s tremendous power. "Eat freely this time and gain strength, Esil." [Nice to hear that.] At those words, the eyes of the demon noble nestled inside Vulcan''s Horn lit up. Swoosh! ck energy began to be sucked out of the demon''s body. The energy then coalesced into a small bead and floated in the air. "Hey, wait!" "What is that?" The spectators who witnessed the strange sight were in shock. "No way! Is that...!" "Bloodstone?!" Even the demon guards were wide-eyed in astonishment... much more than yesterday. It was natural for them to be surprised. Extracting the bloodstone from the body of an opponent before killing them. The only thing who could do that was...! "Noble...?!" "He''s a demon noble!" "That''s crazy! Could there be a noble still alive?!" The bloodstone floating in the air flowed into Vulcan''s Horn. To be precise, into the mouth of the real demon noble hiding within. "The one-horned man was a demon noble?!" Chapter 95 - 95

Chapter 95:

Swoosh! Numerous bloodstones clumped together in the air seep into the horns of the one-horned demon, Suho. The sight came as a shock and horror to the demons who saw it. "This is... nonsense." "Only demon nobles can make bloodstone, right?" Even the demon guards were staring at Suho in amazement. Bloodstone was the power of blood given only to demon nobles. It was how they eat. More important than that, it was because the bloodstone was the foundation on which the nobles could pass on their strength to their heirs and maintain the power of the family. Bloodstone has the power to absorb and utilize demonic power most efficiently. That was also why they were repeatedly conducting research to create bloodstone. In the end, they developed things like light-blooded poison and stardust, but all of that was to mimic bloodstone, which was the exclusive property of nobles. ''Though recently, they have been able to imitate bloodstone quite closely...'' That made them even more sure. The fact that what that one-horned demon created was real bloodstone. But it didn''t make sense. "In the War of Outer Gods, the Demon Nobles have all been annihted already, right?" "Even the Radiru n, which was still alive, was destroyed!" "Then what the hell is that guy?!" Even in the midst of that, Suho was overwhelmingly hunting the opposing demons. His demon yer title boosted all his stats by 40%. The Vulcan''s Horn devoured the demon''s soul. It was not enough, but now that Esi''''s ability continued to take away the power of the opponent''s in real time, the synergy was beyond imagination. [Kehehe! You''re so cool, Young Master! You are truly the enemy of the demons!] [Master! I feel so proud and honored to be your first knight!] Beru and Quay were passionately cheering for Suho in the shadows. Actually, if Suho brought out the Shadow Soldiers, he would be able to subdue his opponent faster, but the important thing now is not the oue of the battle. Suho''s goal is to bring out the tyrant king. In order to bring out the coward, he had to get his attention as much as he could ''diabolically''. g! [You have killed a mid-level mad-blooded demon.] [Vulcan''s Horn devours the demon''s soul.] The battle was over, but no one paid any attention to the match. "I-Is he really a noble?" "What are we going to do now?" All the demons in the stands watched Suho''s every move with bewildered expressions, unable to do anything. In that suffocating atmosphere, the host of the execution ceremony stepped forward. "... One Horn wins!" The demon guards gritted their teeth. "That can''t be." "All nobles are dead." Above all, the demon guards were the ones who were right next to Suho prior to that. Their senses were not so dull that they could not recognize the demon noble right in front of them. "Then what is he?" "What''s going on?" The eyes of the demon guards suddenly turned to the chief guard behind them. The warden red at Suho standing in the middle of the Colosseum with an extremely cold gaze. "Tsk. There''s no way that a guy like that could be a noble." In the first ce, if he was a demon noble, there was no reason to be captured and be in an execution ceremony. ''There is something.'' ''But I don''t know what it is...'' One thing was clear. "We have to get rid of that sinister bastard." The warden''s eyes shed as he gave amand to the guards. "Prepare the Minotaur!" "...!" At those words, the eyes of the demon guards widened. "Are you sure you want to kill that one-horned one right away?" "He might be a demon noble..." "So what if he''s a noble? It''s more than enough to kill him!" "...!" The demon guards were shocked by the jailer''s remarks. It was because it was unimaginable for ordinary demons to dare point a weapon at a noble. "We are no longer in the demon realm we used to be! So what if that one-horned man is a noble? Would you like me to run right now and kneel in front of him?" Demon spirits burst out of the warden''s eyes. "Don''t forget! We already have a tyrant king! That one is just a prisoner on execution! If he still survives, we can follow the rules and send out stronger opponents! Prepare the demons immediately!" "Y-Yes, Sir!" The guards hurriedly ran out with that unholy order. * * * The execution ceremony was temporarily suspended. When the host said that he would bring the beasts used in the workhouse as the next one, the audience started to stir with confusion. "That''s crazy! A Minotaur?" "Is there a precedent for releasing a mage beast so quickly at an execution ceremony?" "Aren''t the guards crazy? Is it okay to treat a demon who might be a demon noble like this?!" Even the frightening guards who usually wield the whip were given the freedom to boo at moments when the ves were sitting in the Colosseum like this. Also, the fact that Suho might be a demon noble was a huge stimulus to them. An execution ceremony for a demon noble. They couldn''t believe they were witnessing a forbidden act. That noisy atmosphere was exactly what the warden wanted. ''Yes, sometimes we need to do this so that the ves don''t rebel. As expected, the tyrant king''s strategy and ruling is perfect.'' No matter how strong the demon guards were, if the ves gathered in the Colosseum decided and attacked all at once, it would only take an instant for the seemingly solid hierarchy to be overturned. It was because the demons who did not have the authority of nobility were in a rtionship of eating and being eaten by each other anyway. Even light-blooded poison is widely used in the demon realm these days, so it was frequent for lower demons to suddenly run out of control and eat demons stronger than themselves and be stronger. ''That''s why this execution ceremony is what I need.'' Whether Suho was a one-horned demon noble or not, it was fine if they could elicit such kind of excitement from the ve demons. The more brutally you execute the demons that stand out among the ves, the more the ves will fear that they could end up like that at any time. ''If he''s strong, I''ll just send out a stronger opponent!'' As long as he had already confirmed Suho''s fighting style, the warden judged that letting the Minotaur go was the right thing to do. "The one-horned''s attacks were based on speed. In times like this, we have to send out a guy with a lot of toughness so that they can fight for a long time." "As expected of you, Chief Warden." "Still, it wouldn''t be fun if it wasn''t too fair. Take the one-horned one and go to the weapons room." "Oh. Right...!" At themand of the jailer, the demon guards smiled sinisterly. While the minotaur was being prepared, the demon guards dragged Suho to the weapon room. "Choose the weapon you want." "..." Suho silently looked at the various weapons that appeared in front of him. The weapons room was full of all sorts of heinous weapons, including knives, swords, hammers, axes, and gauntlets. If Suho needed a weapon, he could just take it out of his inventory right now. But. ''It''s free, so it would be rude if I declined.'' Suho smiled strangely and slowly began to look at the weapons. Very slowly. "Why? What''s taking you so long?" "Is it hard to choose because it''s the first time I''ve seen such good weapons." The demon guards began to look frustrated. But they didn''t rush him or force him to hold any weapon. "Alright. It''s nice to see you being so careful." "If it is difficult to choose, you can choose several. You only have one horn, so it''s fair enough if you have many weapons. Hehe." Behind Suho, who was fiddling with weapons in silence, the demon guards mocked him. "I am too tired of waiting. We''ll be outside, soe out when you''ve made your choice." After the demon guards giggled and went out of the warehouse. Left alone in the weapons room, Suho squinted his eyes. "These weapons here seem to be made of a material simr to the iron bars I was imprisoned in." [You got it right. These are all weapons made by smelting hell iron.] Esil admired Suho''s keen eye. Most of the weapons there were weapons made from ore mined at the workhouse. [Infernal iron is not only hard, but also has the effect of amplifying mana power, so it is originally used to make weapons.] Suho smiled and said. "All the weapons here look terrible though." [No matter how much I look, there is not a single thing as a good weapon.] Beru gritted his teeth and muttered. Perhaps the weapons there weren''t properly maintained, and all of them were rusty and not sharp. [I guess these just need to be refined.] Suho nodded at Esil''s words Just looking at those weapons made it clear what their purpose was. [They want you to struggle for as long as possible before dying.] He could already picture the crowd giggling at the ridiculous clown fighting hurriedly with a weapon that was just solid and had all its des missing. "No wonder they''re free." Suho smiled and looked at the weapons. Misceneous items with poor attack power. However, there were so many of them that it would certainly take a long time to go through them one by one. ''Gotta pack everything first.'' "Gray,e out for a second." Swoosh. A little wolf appeared from Suho''s shadow. "Growl!" As soon as Gray appeared, he looked around with ferocious eyes. He had leveled up a bit these days, so he rushed in right away and was ready to bite off the enemy''s neck. However... "What are you doing? Pick up everything you see." "Hnngg?" Gray tilted his head. Like a petty thief, his owner made him pack all the weapons he could get into his own inventory. Actually, without going through the inventory, they were just selling them straight to the shop window. "Is this 130 gold? This one''s 100 gold? Well, it''s a great amount if summed." "Hnnng?" Gray was confused, but quickly followed Suho and opened his small mouth to bite the weapons. Ring! Ring! [''Item: Hell Iron Longsword'' found. Would you like to acquire it?] [''Item: Hell Iron Axe'' found. Would you like to acquire it?] "Yeah, good job. ept all and sell." The pet system allows Suho to acquire items from a distance even through Gray. Thanks to Beru and Quay, Suho literally cleaned out the weapons room and smiled with satisfaction. "Did it right this time." [Wait. What are you going to do if you get caught?] Esil was taken aback and didn''t know what to do. But Suho already had an idea. "Then, it is what it is. If I don''t take care of it now, it would still appear in front of meter on in the hands of other demons." [Well.] Since there was no way to get along with the demons in the future, it was better to make sure that the enemy''s power could be reduced. Besides, the demon guards who would be the first to discover the ce would already be poisoned with light-blood. Even if they get mad, they wouldn''t be able to do anything. When Suho, who had handled everything perfectly (?), finally came out of the weapon room, the demon guards frowned. "Would that be enough?" "You pretended to be prudent, but you only got a gauntlet and two swords? Why are you so modest?" "Too bad. I''m going to die in no time with this. I guess it''s a losing battle." "You know it''s against thew if you go back, right?" The demon guards giggled at each other. Despite such a reaction, Suho shrugged his shoulders and strode towards the arena. "Why are you so urgent? Do you want to die so soon?" Esil murmured at the words of the demon guards giggling behind Suho. [Hey. You''re doing this because you don''t want to get caught, right?] "..." Suho walked quickly without saying a word. Chapter 96 - 96

Chapter 96:

[Cultivated Minotaur] "Moooo!" Huge roaring cow was standing on two legs in the center of the Colosseum. In front of him stood the small and fragile one-horned demon, Suho. He looked even more shabby because he was facing such a gigantic beast. [... Did they just bring the mage beast from the workhouse?] "I know, right." In terms of the human world, it would be a situation in which a cow was brought from a plowing field to a bullfight. However, the cow was now very muscr and walked on two legs like a human. If the magic shackles that bound him were freed, he would run at Suho right away at full momentum. [Would you be okay?] "Who? Me?" When Suho smiled and asked, Esil repeatedly emphasized it with a voice of concern. [No matter how well bred it is, the power of the Minotaur is beyond imagination. Above all, its skin is thick and very tough. If necessary, summon us all out.] If the shadow soldiers were suddenly summoned there, it would mean the end of Suho''s imitation of demons. All the demons there would surely attack Suho at once if it was revealed that he was a different race than demons. Of course, if it was the usual Suho, he could fight while replenishing his strength from the corpses of the enemies he had in. However, things were different if his opponent were demons. [The mana is contaminated and so shadow release is not possible.] Demons could not be released as Shadow Soldiers. That meant that if he was attacked by all those demons, he would have to fight single-handedly. Despite Esil''s repeated worries, Suho only smiled meaningfully. "Don''t worry. I will try to endure as much as I can until the tyrant king crawls out." Even if it would be really hard, there was no way it would be worse than Ammut''s daily quest. The fact that he had to do another daily quest upon returning to the shadow dungeon made him feel goosebumps. The demon guards were smiling meaningfully, wondering how the battle would look from a distance. "Right, it doesn''t matter whether or not he is a noble demon survivor. He looks so weak." "Seeing that he has only one horn, his blood must have been sucked profusely by other demons, or he must have undergone a deformed mutation after a few lucky drops of a demon noble''s blood." Behind them, the warden was just staring at Suho with a careless gaze. "First one." He gave the order. "Two in five minutes. And after another five minutes, let the four out." "Chief, will he hold out until then?" "Stupid bastards. That''s why we''re going to use the Minotaur." The demon guards nodded. Minotaurs were thoroughly bred by demons and raised in the workhouse, eating dung, but when they lived in the wild, they were not the same as they were now. "Minotaurs are inherently terribly cruel and savage. It crushes all the bones of its prey with overwhelming violence, and only then eats its prey until the flesh is mushy." Whatever Suho''s identity was, the demon guards were obliged to stage the execution ceremony in the longest and most brutal way. "You waited a long time-! The execution ceremony resumes!" Just in time, with the shout of the host, the shackles that had been holding the Minotaur were released. "Mooooo!" The huge monster rushed towards Suho with terrifying momentum. ''It''s fast!'' An enormous amount of sand rose up, and in an instant, his big fist mmed into Suho''s head. Themon notion that it would be as dull as it wasrge was undoubtedly wrong. Bang-! The ground where Suho stood was crushed by the tremendous destructive force. Starting with that, the Minotaur''s fists began to swing randomly. "Mooooo!" Even the ves in the stands were stunned by that sight. They realized anew that the stupid cattle they used to pull carts in the workhouse were originally so terrifying. ''Yes, this is the reaction we want.'' Satisfied expressions appeared on the faces of the demon guards at the ves'' reactions. But that was then. "Mmmmm?!" The Minotaur, suddenly noticing something, raised his head with his fists in the ground. On the thick sand dust, Suho was striking his sword high in the sky. Swoosh-! The, the Minotaur also swung its arms vertically toward Suho. g-! The shockwave created by his enormous muscles rips through the wind and soars aiming at Suho. [Move out..!] With Esil''s warning, Suho twisted his body in the air, lightly stepped on the beast''s fist, and jumped high again. ''Its reaction speed was also amazing.'' Suho''s eyes shed in the air. Those eyes looked like choosing meat at a butcher shop. "Oooh!" "How did he avoid that?!" Cheers erupted from the audience. As Suho struggled quite a bit despite the overwhelming difference in size, the ves were cheering for him. sh-! Just in time, Suho went behind the Minotaur and thrust his sword into the Minotaur''s shoulder. The hell iron longsword crumpled unsightly. "Puhahaha! Look at that!" The demon jailers burst intoughter. That worn-out sword could never pierce the Minotaur''s thick skin. Wasn''t he given that weapon in the first ce just for such a kind of clowning? Suho, who had already foreseen all of that, calmly turned the crumpled sword in the opposite direction, and caught the eye of the Minotaur right next to him. Stab. "Aaakk!" In the end, the Minotaur struggled and let out a roar mixed with pain. Swoosh! It struggled violently to shake off Suho, but Suho managed to cling to it with one hand by itsrge horn. Suho raised his other fist and made a meaningful expression. "It will hurt a little." [The ''Title: Wolf yer'' buff is used.] Wolf yer. A buff that increases all stats by 40% against beast-type monsters was wrapped around Suho''s fist. He put all that power into the Minotaur''s face. m! "...!" The Minotaur felt dizzy. "Nice toughness!" As the Minotaur endured, Suho mmed his fist again. Again and again, as if estimating how far the beast wouldst. m! "Moo-!" Overwhelming violence with such endlessly pouring attacks! Soon after, the face of the Minotaur mercilessly caved in and began to crumble slowly. "W-What was that...!" The demon guards jumped up from their seats in astonishment. The Minotaur was dying without even being able to counterattack properly! "H-Hurry up and send out two more! No, send out four!" nk! At the order of the warden shouting out in panic, the doors that were imprisoning the beasts were opened all at once. [Whew.] The eyes of the little ant looking at them from the shadows were narrowing like the crescent moon. [Looking at it now, they were special ones. Young Master will be pleased.] Beru was right. Suho, who was still holding onto the horns on top of the fallen Minotaur, suddenly raised his head. Then he grinned at the four beasts that were running this way. "Great. The more the better." At that moment, Suho also began to use his strength. "Blessing." [''Pet: Gray'' Blessing is used.] Swoosh! At that moment, Suho''s hair turned silver. "Oh no! He...!" "Was he a transforming demon?!" "This is the first time I''ve seen a skill in which only the hair color changed...!" However, themotion that arose in the audience stopped in an instant. Suddenly, a huge presence that felt like a halo behind Suho opened his eyes. [The King of Beasts, Fang Monarch, salivates as he sees his prey jumping at his feet.] Chills! "Mooooo?!" The Minotaurs who were running towards that unknown gaze were seized with an instinctive sense of fear. [''Effect: Fear'' is activated.] [All stats of the targets are reduced by 50% for 1 minute.] The speed of the Minotaur, who had been rushing madly, noticeably slowed down. Was it because they had suppressed their wildness for too long and had been bred by demons? "Mooooo¨C!" The Minotaurs didn''t even notice that their stats had decreased, and they threw their fists at Suho even more desperately in order to forcibly shake off the unpleasant feeling. Ruthless rampage. Shockwave created by randomly striking two thick muscr arms. A hazy dust cloud followed, filling the Colosseum. The heat in the audience seats grew even hotter. Swoosh! Then... [Use ''Skill: Strong Body Manifestation''.] Bang! "What?!" Through the dust, a Minotaur suddenly bounced back. And... Bang! "...!" Another bounced off and crashed into the wall. "Moooo-!" Bang! The third Minotaur also mmed into the wall and shook his dizzy head. "What''s in there..." "What is happening ?!" While all demons were curious, the dust settled slightly and One Horn- no, Suho''s gigantic silhouette was revealed. "W-What is he?!" The eyes of all demons, ves and jailers, widened in astonishment. Before he knew it, Suho even used ''Skill: Giant''s Armor'' and grew to a size simr to that of the Minotaur. In addition, his two hands covered with ck energy were holding the Minotaur. Damn. With fierceness, Suho looked straight into the Minotaur''s eyes and raised the corner of his mouth. "Are you using your strength?" "Mooo!" "But, sorry." Suho smiles, showing his white teeth. That moment. "Mooooo?!" As Suho''s power became stronger, the Minotaur was frightened and his knees broke on the spot. "I''ve been working too hard at the gymtely." Suho raised his fist and crushed the beast''s body. g! "...!" A silent scream erupted from the Minotaur''s mouth. Suho straightened his back and started turning the beast into a porridge. No more cheers came from the audience watching that. Seeing Suho''s overwhelming and thrilling battle, a long-forgotten entity emerged from an older demon''s mind. "V-Vulcan..." A small voice came out of someone''s mouth. That short word started to spread everywhere like wildfire. "Vulcan?" "V-Vulcan?!" Btedly, astonishment filled the eyes of the startled demons. "Come to think of it, that one horn...!" "It looks just like the horns of Vulcan, the demon of greed!" A giant silhouette passed through the demons'' minds. Intimidating size, destructive and tyrannical force. Vulcan, the demon noble who was greedy more than anyone else! "Oh my God. It''s true..." The demons who had seen Vulcan at least once were shocked to see Suho now. "That is Vulcan! Mr. Vulcan has returned!" "No! No, you idiots! Vulcan is dead! He died a long time ago in the War of Outer Gods!" "Ha, but...!" "They seem simr but they''re different! Very different! First of all, that guy has only one horn...!" The demon jailers whacked the distraught ves to calm them down. But then. "Oh God..." A sigh escaped from the mouth of the warden behind. "I never thought Vulcan had a hidden son...!" "...!" Chapter 97 - 97

Chapter 97:

"W-What''s wrong with him?" "What the hell is Vulcan doing?" The sudden atmosphere puzzled the young demons. Then the old demons born before the War of Outer Gods clicked their tongues. "What? You don''t know the greedy Vulcan?" "Young people these days!" "If Vulcan was still alive, do you think we would have done nothing but pickaxe?" "Tsk tsk. We must have been eaten right away, and not even a piece of bone would be left!" "...?" For the younger ones who were even more puzzled, the old demons started scrambling to open their mouths. It was a terrible and terrifying past. ... Demons were broadly ssified into two. Demons with intelligence and demons without intelligence. Demons with intelligence did not regard demons without intelligence as their kind, but treated them as insignificant creatures. And... "Vulcan was just a nameless creature a long time ago!" He was just a small creature that crawled servilely at the very bottom of the demon realm, licking the blood and flesh left on the floor after other demons had finished hunting. "Like a worm wriggling by instinct." Vulcan''s position in the demon realm was just that. However, the demon realm is a hell of a ce where fierce fighting between ghosts ismon. A truly strong demon could be said to be a demon that somehow endured and survived to the end, not a person with strong power or mana power. "... In that sense, Vulcan was a truly strong demon." Although Vulcan was born weak and lowly, he crawled t on the ground during the day and hid in the ground at night to avoid being preyed on by the strong. Then, by picking up food waste, blood and flesh of demons that other demons ate and spilled, he gradually grew stronger in a ce where no one knew. Then one day. It was extremely coincidental that Vulcan, who had been hiding endlessly from the strong, found ''it''. ''Ehh...?'' Unfortunately, Vulcan at the time did not have the intelligence to recognize ''its'' identity. But even without intelligence, his instincts made the most correct decisions. Vulcan clung to ''it'' and snapped a small branch, breaking it. He devoured the leaves hanging from its branches. That moment. Swoosh! ''... Huh?!'' A change urred in Vulcan''s body. Vulcan''s body, struggling with extreme pain, began to grow. At the same time, intelligence bloomed in his empty head. He then recognized the identity of what was in front of him. [World Tree] "... What Vulcan found was a world tree that was branching out into the demon realm." The lowly devil who happened to pick up and eat the leaves of the World Tree at such a chance got the name ''Vulcan''. He began to hunt down and eat the strong demons that had looked down on him. ''Haaaa!'' There was no demon that could block Vulcan, who had the hard branches of the World Tree as a weapon. Vulcan chewed and swallowed the flesh and blood of the demons defeated by him. "The moment we encountered Vulcan, we were forced to choose." Either be Vulcan''s prey, or lie t in front of him and volunteer to be his subordinate. Vulcan was eventually able to be a demon noble and the ruler of a region. Was it because of his deformed growth? For some reason, even after bing a demon noble, Vulcan stillcked the ability to speak. A minimum intelligence was created, but that was it. He was still only a predator who lived by pursuing his instincts, and even the method of creating ''bloodstone'', the symbol of demonic nobility, was not that great to him. Even if he couldn''t make bloodstone, it was enough to chew and swallow the whole demons he hunted anyway. Besides, it was much more delicious and enjoyable to Vulcan. "So even after bing a demon noble, Vulcan reigned as a predator who constantly ate low-level demons." [The Greedy Volcan] The demons called him by that name in fear. "Until he was killed by the Shadow Monarch during the War of Outer Gods." "..." The young demons swallowed hard at the old stories told by the old demons. They knew how devastating it was for a low-level demon to reach demonic nobility on their own. "Wait, how much did he eat..." To do so, it was impossible even if Suho ate all the demons that filled the Colosseum. At that moment, in the center of the Colosseum... Mooooo...! g! A huge demon with Vulcan''s Horn was fighting a bloody battle with the Minotaurs. Seeing that with their eyes, the old demons nodded their heads with confidence. "His appearance is a little different, but it''s certain." "That''s Vulcan''s horn." "It''s Vulcan''s energy." "If that''s not Vulcan resurrected, then it''s from Vulcan''s blood line..." Whichever of the two is true, it was a shocking situation. * * * On the other hand, Suho couldn''t help but fight at the soundsing from here and there. "What did they say? I''m Vulcan''s son?" [Congrattions. The secret of your birth has been revealed.] "Don''t y around. What kind of guy was Vulcan to get such reactions?" [He was just a fat pig with a good appetite.] "That doesn''t seem like me at all?" [I think I stimted something in Vulcan while eating bloodstone in this ce.] Vulcan was a demon noble who had never eaten bloodstone in his life. That kind of guy (even if it was through his horn) suddenly tasted bloodstone like that, so suddenly the energy he had before life suddenly exploded. It was sprouting after rain fell on dry ground. [Now, the stench unique to Vulcan is leaking from your horns.] "Stink? I don''t smell anything though?" [That''s because it''s a smell that only demons can smell. But before that...!] "I know!" At Esil''s warning, Suho immediately stopped talking and turned around. Then, grabbing the horns of the Minotaur that was attacking from behind like a mad bull, he mmed his fist down. Bang! "Mooooo!" The Minotaur against him was tough indeed. It took Suho''s blows with his bare body, and at the same time returned Suho''s violent punches. g-! A huge shock wave, like a bomb exploded on Suho''s body. But... [''Skill: Endurance'' reduces damage.] "I''m pretty tough too." Suho also continued to swing his fist while receiving the attack with his bare body. "Moooo!" [S-Such a futile battle...] Esil was fed up. Such a fighting method of giving up defense and only attacking each other like that was a vulgar method that demon nobles could not dare to imagine. No, there was only one noble like that. Vulcan. Bang! "Mooo..." In the end, the winner and the loser of that ignorant fight were decided. Another giant monster lost its power and copsed due to Suho''s ruthless violence. "That one''s toughness is amazing." Suho was sincerely impressed. The five minotaurs he had defeated were still undead, wriggling on the floor gasping for air. Even after the winner was decided, the demons were stunned and unable to even shout. "Oh my God..." "He single-handedly defeated five Minotaurs..." "As expected, Vulcan''s son..." However, only one person, the chief jailer, was different. "... Keuh." The warden''s eyes were shining with greed as he looked at Suho. ''What a windfall. Vulcan''s flesh and blood!'' Slurp. His mouth kept watering. That was natural, because it was none other than Vulcan. A symbolic existence that showed how a low-level demon can be a noble! He was curious. ''How strong can I be if I eat him?'' An enormous appetite surged up. The warden quickly scanned the Colosseum. ''He hasn''te yet!'' Despite that uproar, the tyrant still hadn''t appeared at the Colosseum. That was all thanks to the one-horned man ending the battle too quickly. Realizing that fact, the warden''s expression shed with urgency. ''What if I eat that guy first before the tyrant king arrives?'' ''Maybe I''ll be stronger than the tyrant king.'' The moment he thought of such an outrageous thought, a tremendous sense of shudder prated his entire body, from head to toe. ''Stronger than the tyrant king? I can? Will I be the ruler of this ce?'' The demon''s heart, full of desire, began to pound like thunder. Wouldn''t it be a great disrespect for a demon to ignore this desire? Poof! "Oh!" "C-Chief Warden?!" Suddenly, when the jailer jumped into the arena, the eyes of the demon guards nearby widened. None of them dared to stop his sudden action because he was a demon of the highest rank in that ce where the tyrant king was absent. When Suho saw the warden running after him, his eyes shed. "Great." [Don''t be careless! He''s a guy with much higher mana power than you!] "Mana power isn''t everything." Also... ''It''s much more efficient to catch the captain first than go for them all at once.'' Suho quickly prepared for battle. However, the guard was never a hard-headed man, even if he was driven impulsively by desire. His vile eyes quickly turned to the Minotaurs lying around Suho. ''Don''t let your guard down.'' After all, the one-horned man was the one who single-handedly knocked out five of those tough ones. Also, Vulcan''s son couldn''t be more vignt. The warden stretched out both hands and shouted at the minotaurs. "Rise again, madmen!" [Eh?! How dare you say that first!] Beru, who was hiding in the shadows, was very angry. Light-blooded poison had already spread from the jailer''s hand and was poisoning the fallen Minotaurs. "Moooooo!" The Minotaurs writhe in great pain and rise again. Their bodies were terribly hot. The blood in their veins was boiling. It was practically a death sentence to use light-blooded poison on those who were already exhausted and dying. If the poison had been used from the beginning, the Minotaurs would not have even fought to save their lives. But it was different now. "Moooo!" The Minotaurs took all that pain and anger and directed it to Suho. [The Cultivated Minotaur is contaminated with madness.] [The Cultivated Minotaur is contaminated with madness.] [The Cultivated Minotaur is contaminated with madness.] ... The warden gave orders to them with the most evilugh. "Great! Kill him! Tear that bastard limb from limb, even if it means at the expense of your lives!" "Moooo!" "Hahaha! Blood and flesh of Vulcan! I will eat all of your blood, flesh, and bone fragments!" The warden rushed to eat Suho''s heart with the mad-blooded Minotaurs. "Vulcan''s power is mine...!" It was then. Bzzzzt- As if answering the warden''s words, the horn of Suho- No, the horn of Vulcan vibrated and began to emit a strange cry. Ring! [An urgent quest has urred.] ''Urgent Quest?'' A quest window suddenly opened in front of Suho''s eyes. [Emergency Quest: Vulcan''s Greed] A powerful thirst for power awakened the demonic spirit that slumbered within Vulcan''s horn. Awakening from a long slumber, ''Voracious Vulcan'' is feeling extreme hunger. Feed Vulcan his fill of demon souls and earn special rewards. Chapter 98 - 98

Chapter 98:

That moment. Tick. Suho''s time has stopped. [Passive skill ''(Unknown)'' is activated.] ''... Is it this again?'' While checking the quest window, Suho was already in a world of pure white. And a huge shadow was cast in front of him. Suho raised his head and looked at the colossal giant demon looking down at him. [The Greedy Vulcan] The name tag floating in front of him caught his eye. ''Are you Vulcan?'' ''...'' Despite Suho''s words, no answer came from Vulcan, because Vulcan was originally a demon who couldn''t speak. But it worked. Sigh. In response to Suho''s question, Vulcan smirked with an expression of cruelty and evil. He then patted his full belly and gently rubbed it as if showing off. Rumble! A loud sound was heard from within his belly, as if it was about to explode at the right time. ''Pft.'' Suho couldn''t help butugh at the obvious appearance. ''Why? Are you hungry?'' ''Kehehehe.'' Shiver. Saliva dripped from Vulcan''s mouth as he nodded coldly at those words. ''What the...'' Somehow, Vulcan''s Horn keeps whiningtely... Maybe it was because there was a delicious smell all over the ce. If you simply look at the visuals, he looked much scarier than the dead monarchs Suho have met so far, but the sense of intimidation was much weaker than the monarchs. Obviously, it was because Vulcan wasn''t even a monarch, he was just a remnant of the soul left in an item. Compared to the dead monarchs, he feels rtively smaller. ''Item: Vulcan''s Horn'' was a weapon that became stronger as it ate the demon''s soul after all. Vulcan, who coveted the flesh and blood of demons while alive, has now be an item that devoured the souls of demons after death. Previously, even if Suho wanted to feed Vulcan, there was little to no presence of demons. ''As Esil mentioned, just like a fat pig...'' ''Were you hungry enough to appear right in front of my eyes because there were not enough quests?'' Suho didn''t like the ambiguous standards for a quest. ''How much do I need to feed this guy to be full?'' Suddenly, Suho''s gaze stayed on Vulcan''s full belly. ''How much do you need to eat to be full?'' ''Kehehe..'' Vulcan didn''t respond and only drooled. Suho shook his head. ''It doesn''t matter.'' After all, demons were everywhere there. Suho made eye contact with Vulcan and said. ''Okay. I''ll feed you without hesitation. But...'' ''...?'' ''Your horn is nice. Do you have another?'' Vulcan stared at Suho with an iprehensible expression. Then, the moment the corners of his lips smirk up... Ring. The quest window in front of Suho changed. [Urgent Quest: Vulcan''s Greed] ¨C Reward: Vulcan''s Horn ¨C 2 A line of rewards has been added to the quest window. Suho''s eyes sparkled. "Okay. Deal." Negotiationplete. Vulcan shed the cruelest smile... Swoosh! Time, which had stopped, began to move again. Returning to reality in an instant, Suho looked forward with a shing gaze. "Moooo!" From all sides, maddened Minotaurs were running, burning theirst remaining lives. However, Suho did not even pay attention to them and focused only on the demon''s chief. "Detoxify." As soon as those words were spoken, someone in the distant world of emptiness raised their eyes insidiously. [The Queen of Bugs, gue Monarch, licks her lips while looking at the light-blooded poison.] Then. [Detoxifies ¨C ''Debuff: Light Blood Poison''.] [Detoxifies ¨C ''Debuff: Light Blood Poison''.] [Detoxifies ¨C ''Debuff: Light Blood Poison''.] [Detoxifies ¨C ''Debuff: Light Blood Poison''.] ... The demon guards there have been effectively controlling other demons using light-blooded poison. Trying to feed Suho with food mixed with light-blooded poison was part of that. However, it rather led to allowing Suho to break down their means of control. Suho could freely decode and detoxify the poison he ingested. "Mooooo...!" "Mooooo...!" In an instant, madness escaped from the bodies of the Minotaur like smoke, and they began to fall down on the spot. [You have killed a Cultivated Minotaur.] [You have killed a Cultivated Minotaur.] [You have killed a Cultivated Minotaur.] ... They lost their lives the moment the light-blooded poison escaped. Ring! [Your level increased!] Swoosh! "Good timing." Just in time, Suho, who had recovered to the peak of his condition, reached out to the warden. "Take this." [Use ''Debuff: Light-Blooded Poison''.] Swoosh! The intangible poison that stretched from Suho''s hand hit the warden. "You are performing tricks!" Roar! The warden then swung his arm as if it were ridiculous. It was embarrassing that the Minotaurs suddenly copsed, but he had already arrived right next to Suho. The scorching heat of the warden hit Suho. Swoosh-! Rather than backing down, Suho rushes forward. He raised his hand, grabbed Vulcan''s Horn that was on his head, and pulled it out. Like pulling a sword out of a scabbard. In his hand, Vulcan''s Horn returned to its original form as a sword and was swung. [Use ''Skill: de Storm.] sh-! A fierce storm of des attacked, cutting the warden''s mes in half. The warden''s eyes widened. "I can''t believe you can even use weapons! ! As expected, you are the blood of Vulcan...!" "How dare you change my Dad as you want!" Suho immediately took out the ''Item: Rakan''s Sword'' from his inventory and swung his twin swords fiercely. [What are you going to do if he finds out that you are human?] Esil''s voice was mixed with concern. However, the warden was not an easy opponent to the extent of saving his strength. The green miasma and red mes he expelled raged, fighting the de storm. Esil clicked her tongue. [He''s a really messy guy. Does he handle fire while using poison?] Inmon sense, poison and fire are ipatible, so it was a difficultbination to use together. The warden was doing the difficult thing himself. In the eyes of the lofty demon noble Esil, it was nothing but useless. [Efficiencyes out when power is concentrated into one. Using multiple powers at the same time...] Suho eximed excitedly. "Nice! Let''s see who''s more promiscuous!" [Hey...! Don''tpete with that!] Messy? Such an expression did not apply to Suho in the first ce. He was truly a one-man army! Also, his army was stronger as various types of shadow soldiers were gathered. "Come out, Quay!" [I ept Master''smand.] Suho''s shadow was thick under the feet of the warden. In the shadows, Quay''s eerie spear de, which was only looking for an opportunity, rose vertically at the same time as he answered. sh-! "Ack!" The warden hurriedly twisted his body, but was unable topletely avoid Quay''s spear. That was enough. [Quay uses ''Debuff: Paralysis Poison''.] "...!" The warden was startled and felt his body suddenly dull. The mostmon type of Querehsha''s poison that Suho consumed in the death realm was those with paralysis poison. As Quay became a shadow soldier, he was able to apply Suho''s poison to his weapon instead of the queen bee''s royal jelly. "Poison doesn''t work on me!" Roar! The warden blew away the paralysis poison by heating up his whole body with fire. [''Debuff: Paralysis Poison'' is canceled.] But that fleeting moment was enough. Suho''s twin swords decapitate the warden. "...!" [You have defeated the demon Warden.] [Vulcan''s Horn devours the demon''s soul.] The warden''s head rolled on the floor with his eyes wide open. ''Oh. They''re giving me 10 souls?'' Suho quickly confirmed the amplifying power of Vulcan''s Horn. Perhaps because of the atmosphere, the illusion of Vulcan giggling and tapping his stomach passed by. That moment. Uproar-! A great uproar filled the Colosseum. "T-The warden is dead!" "The one-horned man killed the warden!" "A demon noble has appeared!" "He was really the son of Vulcan!" [Khiiick! These bastards are to rip! How dare you say who is whose son!] Beru couldn''t hold back his anger and went wild. Suho turned his gaze and red in the direction of the demon guards. "Okay, who wille out next?" "..." The demon guards were frozen on the spot with stiff expressions, unable to answer. "... Hmm?" Suho suddenly realized that the guards'' frightened eyes were looking somewhere other than him. Chills. Suho turned his head towards where he felt his senses stat warning. Right there... "What?" Suho couldn''t help but put on a puzzled expression. The body of the dead warden was getting up again on the spot with its head cut off. Roar! Suddenly, the hot mes that rose from inside the warden''s body began to burn, using his entire body as a wick. [Mad-Blooded Tyrant] ''The name has changed!'' Suho fixed his twin swords with nervous eyes. At that moment, horror-soaked screams of demons erupted from all directions. "T-The tyrant king has arrived!" "Tyrant king...!" The demon guards trembled. [It''s a parasitic demon!] At that moment, Esil''s voice, which prated Suho''s head, contained tremendous caution. "A parasitic demon?" [Yeah. I don''t know if he''s been hiding here since the beginning or if he just got in... something''s off.] Suho raised his twin swords and red at the mad-blooded tyrant. Roar! The entire headless body of the warden was burning hot. Like... Like a ''Mist Burn''. Although the colors of the mes were different, the basic structure was so identical that it gave Suho goosebumps. ''... Is it a coincidence?'' No way. Suho could have predicted it. How many of the strange things he had experienced so far were by chance? All of those things were like coincidences. No- like fate. [This energy...] All of those things were waiting on the road ahead of Suho as if it were natural. [Young Master, please prepare.] Beru appeared in front of Suho. He squinted his eyes and red at the mad-blooded tyrant. [Outer God, an apostle of Itharim has appeared.] Chapter 99 - 99

Chapter 99:

Solo Leveling : Ragnarok Chapter 99 Outer Gods. Absolute beings who created countless universes since their existence. ITHARIM [... At one time, the ''God'' of our world was one of them.] The conversation he had with Beru the other day passed through Suho''s mind. The god who created the world to which Earth belongs was also one of the Itharim. However, there was one thing that even such an absolute existence could never avoid, and that was ''death''. The end was truly devastating. Rebellion of Angels The angels who were born as God''s apostles realized the truth one day that the God they served was neither good nor righteous, but rather, a cruel being who enjoyed creating and destroying. Realizing that, the angels rebelled against God and seeded. [So God died in the end. That too, by the hands of the angels he created.] The problem started. A world without God. Land without an owner. The vast amount of mana remaining in the world would go to the one who picked it up first. That was noticed by the outer beings and other Itharims scattered across the faraway dimension. [From then on, outer beings began to turn their eyes to our world.] At first, it was a firste, first-served fight. The key was who arrived first and nted a g on thatnd, no matter who lived there... whatever the Itarim who died there had created. It was a very simple running race where all you had to do was destroy and eat everyone. But when they arrived, an unexpected variable awaited them. That variable is... [His Majesty, your father.] The God of thatnd was dead, but there was a new king there who ruled over death himself. A fragment of the greatest brilliance, Sung Jinwoo, the Shadow Monarch. In other words, Suho''s father led arge army and went out into space to stop Itharim''s apostles. ... It was the beginning of the ''War of Outer Gods''. [Our war was fiercer than ever, and itsted without end. Even at this moment.] No one could predict the oue of that war. Their side had an existence that endlessly repeated creation, and our side had an immortal army that would rise again no matter how many died. No one knew how long that tight bnce wouldst. It was an endless fight. [Then, Itharim tried another move to break the bnce.] They took a different approach. The front line guarded by Sung Jinwoo was so hard that it was impossible to break through, so Itharim decided to turn around and attack the back line. [... which was Earth.] In fact, Earth was the most unpleasant area for Itharim. Compared to other dimensions, the remaining mana power on Earth was too weak, so there was not much to eat. But at the same time, it was also a ce where there were many loopholes to prate. The apostles of Itharim, who set Earth as their target, immediately began to seep through the dimensional rift to open paths to Earth. As a result, the rifts in the already iplete dimension began to twist arbitrarily, and gates began to appear on Earth. Unexpectedly, those who invaded Earth from those gates were not Itharim''s army, but dimensional refugees. After being defeated in the War of Outer Gods, the races of the dead Monarchs who had been torn apart and wandered around began to invade Earth. [I thought the apostles of Itharim were acting secretly after that, but...] "Were they in this form?" Suho red at the mad-blooded tyrant with terrifying eyes. Mist Burn. A roaring me demon that burns with dead humans as its wick. The corpse of a demon who had died in exactly the same way was zing. Still, there were obvious differences from Mist Burn. The wick made of humans is quickly burned and turned into ashes, but the wick made of demons was much stronger than that of humans. Roar! The me fluttered over the neck cut by Suho''s sword, creating a face-like shape. The figure was as if the demon in the me was wearing full-body armor called a Demon''s Body. [He''s really like a snail.] Beru clicked his tongue thinking it was ridiculous. "Tyrant king!" "The tyrant king!" At the appearance of the mad-blooded tyrant, the demons all trembled in fear and bowed down. In that heated atmosphere, they were like fanatics who met a pseudo cult. However, the mad-blooded tyrant was only showing interest in Suho as he was the only one there who didn''t bow to him. "... Interesting." Eventually, the mouth of the mad-blooded tyrant opened and a bizarre echoing voice came out. "I never thought I would find someone like you in a ce like this." Gulp. Suho''s expression became tense. ''Could he have noticed my true identity?'' It wouldn''t do any good if Itharim''s apostle knew that the shadow monarch''s son is right there in front of him. ''Because I''m my father''s only weakness.'' Suho swallowed deeply at the sight of the mad-blooded tyrant who seemed to have noticed something. It was obvious what it would lead to if the identity of the power he used was revealed to "Itharim," more than anyone else. Suho didn''t expect that he would run into Itharim''s apostle in a ce like that, so he couldn''t help but be perplexed. "Kehehehe!" The tyrant burst into a roar ofughter, tearing his mouth wide open. "I never thought there would be a demon noble still alive!" ... Hmm? Suho''s tense expression rxed. Beru, probably thinking the same thing, whispered softly in the shadow of Suho. [Kuhm. I think it''s because the energy of Vulcan and Esil is too strong right now. This is rather good...] The mad-blooded tyrant''s eyes shone insidiously. "Amazing. An heir who even inherited the power of a monarch." [...!] "...!" At those words, Suho and Beru''s eyes widened at the same time. Thud! Suho was ready to move and cut the tyrant king down. In his head, he already had 13 ways to kill the tyrant as quickly as possible. [Young Master! We must kill him here! If we lost sight of him, information about Young Master might spread among...!] Right then... "How the hell did a demon be the heir of the Fang Monarch?" [Ehhh?] "How did you know? Quite impressive." [... Young Master?] Suho nodded his head coldly to the mad-blooded tyrant''s question. He felt Beru''s gaze staring at him with a puzzled expression from under his shadows, but he ignored it. The tyrant smiled meaningfully. "Did you think I''m an idiot? There''s no way I wouldn''t know the smell of animalsing out like that from your body." [The King of Beasts, Fang Monarch, looks at the mad tyrant with pity.] It felt like he could hear Rakan''s tongue clicking from a distance, but Suho maintained a stern expression. He rather proudly revealed his identity (?). "You are right. I am a demon noble who inherited the power of the Fang Monarch." "I knew it. Haha. Good, good! I never thought I would find someone like you in a ce like this!" The mad-blooded tyrantughed satisfactorily, as if his intuitions were nothing but correct. As theughter echoed through the Colosseum, the demons shrank even more. He wasn''t wrong though. Suho was currently in the state of ''Blessing'' with Gray in his body. Also, he held Vulcan''s Horn in his hands rather than on his head, so it was natural to think of him as a demon who could weaponize his own horns like Esil. ''Great. I managed to hide my identity.'' [Everything''s fine, right?] Suho heard Esil''s voice, but he just smiled contemptuously and pretended not to hear it. During the battle, Quay and Beru appeared outside, but fortunately, the mad-blooded tyrant didn''t seem to have noticed that. [So, what is your n?] When Esil whispered in Vulcan''s Horn, Suho asked the same exact words to the mad-blooded tyrant. "So, what is your n?" Suho threatened the tyrant with his arrogant gaze, as if he were a real demon noble. The tyrant found those words ridiculous. "Weren''t you the one who came after me from the beginning?" "Stop talking nonsense, tell me why you collect hell iron by driving ves on the outskirts like this." Many demons were enved there, but all they did was dig up hell iron in the mines. What on earth was the tyrant trying to do with so much hell iron? There was only one reason that came to Suho''s mind. "You''re not thinking of preparing for war, are you?" As Esil once said, hell iron was most often used to make weapons in the demon realm. Hell iron imbued with demonic energy was not only hard, but it was also an ore that responded best to demonic energy. It could lead to a significant increase in mana power. At Suho''s question, the tyrant opened his zing arms and pointed at the demons in the vast Colosseum. "Look! Can''t you see? This ce ispletely under my control. But as you know, this ce is nothing more than a fragmented demon realm." In the dimensional rift, there were countless demon realms scattered here and there, wandering aimlessly, and that ce where they were was just one of those. "I intend to train these guys and conquer all those demon realms. Also..." The expression of the mad-blooded tyrant looking at Suho deepened. "I will put all other dimensions under my feet. I will kill and kill and eat everyone." That was it. The mad-blooded tyrant, no, the apostle of Itharim, had the goal of using the demons to take control of the demon realm, starting with that ce. After conquering other dimensions one after another... ''They''ll eventually reach Earth.'' After learning what Itharim''s apostle was nning, Suho twitched his brows. On the other hand, the tyrant smacked his lips. He directed his energy towards Suho. "That''s why I was looking for someone like you." "Like me?" "Yes. If I wear the body of a demon noble like you as armor, how strong will I be? Woah. Just imagining it is thrilling." The tyrant wearing the demon''s jailer''s body like armor looked as if he had already obtained Suho''s body. It was by no means a bluff or an illusion. Because all the demons that filled the Colosseum were his ves. But even in that overwhelmingly dangerous situation... ''Beru.'' Suho was throwing a question to Beru with a calm look. ''My father... Has he been fighting these guys all along? Alone?'' [Yes.] Beru replied. [His Majesty had always fought alone. In a ce no one knows, in a time no one remembers.] Even at that moment... Suho''s father, Sung Jinwoo, was still fighting a battle alone at the end of a distant universe that no one can reach. ''... I see.'' Suho silently nodded. His eyes began to glow quietly. "My father must be very bored." Well, then... "I will go see him in person." To be honest, he didn''t know how helpful he would be. Still, as an only son, shouldn''t he go and massage the shoulders of his father who was struggling alone in a foreign universe? "... It would be better to pack some presents on the way." Suho''s gaze turned to the mad-blooded tyrant who exuded a sense of intimidation. Yes, a gift. This one''s good as gift. ''For now, I''ll start by solving the small things in front of me by myself.'' "Arise." Chapter 100 - 100

Chapter 100:

At the end of the vast universe, on the far side of the darkness, a ck hole connected to the outer universe was opening. [A new gate has urred!] [All troops! Prepare for enemy raids!] Goooo-! At themand of the Rulers, the heavenly soldiers spread their brilliant wings all at once. The aura of brilliance they exuded collided with the aura of an Outer God emanating from the ck hole. At the heart of that fierce battlefield... "... Was it just my imagination? I think someone called me." A man wrapped in ck energy, Sung Jinwoo, suddenly turned his head with a frown. [Isn''t it Beru?] High Commander Bellion, who was preparing the battle line, suddenly appeared and replied to that. When he brought up Beru, Sung Jinwoo''s eyebrows furrowed. "Come to think of it, Beru is really..." Sung Jinwoo asked him toe back quickly, but he still had not heard from him wherever he was ying. Did he do what he was told to do or did he do it right? [Shadow Monarch, by any chance, if something happens to Beru, then Young Master...] "That''s unlikely." Sung Jinwoo shook his head resolutely at Bellion''s concern. "I would have noticed right away." If something went wrong with his Shadow Soldier, Sung Jinwoo would know it immediately. So far, he has not felt any sign of it from Beru. On the way to Earth, he must have suffered some damage from fighting the remnants of Itharim, but there was no way that Beru would face extinction against just those guys in the first ce. Besides, Beru has a special ability that other shadow soldiers didn''t have. ''Predation''. Beru is basically a bug-type monster with excellent survivability. He was a shadow soldier that could replenish his own strength no matter how far away from the monarch he was. [With all due respect...] Just in time, High Commander Igris appeared next to Sung Jinwoo and opened his mouth. Igris had always quarreled with Beru, but because of that, he knew Beru very well. [No matter how stupid that worm is, he should have finished their mission by now. What we should be concerned about is...] [He seems to have settled down on Earth.] Recalling Beru''s personality, Bellion and Igris looked at each other and sighed at the same time. Even within the Shadow Corps, Beru was known for being the strongest and overprotective. If Suho''s memories that have been sealed so far were released, Suho would recognize Beru right away. There was a very high probability that Beru, who had been waiting for that moment, would stay on Earth. He was the kind of guy who would run amok out of excessive loyalty, asking who would protect his Young Master if not himself. That was also the instinct Beru had as an ant. ''... Well, that might be good enough. I sent Beru considering that.'' Sung Jinwoo smiled and looked away from the direction of Earth and looked forward again. It was a tense battle that had been going on for several years. ''I don''t think it will end easily.'' Looking back, it was ratherfortable to deal with the one back then. It was simply a sh of power and strength. However, the war with Itharim now waspletely different from that time. Itharim enjoys creation and destruction. The apostles created by their hands have been fighting each time with bizarre forms and irregr strategies, and because of that, unpredictable situations continue to ur. It was now a battle of strategy and tactics, not a sh of strength and power. In order to deal with them, the most important thing was case-to-case impromptu judgment. ''That''s why... I''ll leave it to you.'' Sung Jinwoo''s eyes shed. Suho, who has been unsealed, and High Commander Beru, who has risen to the level of the enemy beyond ss. With thebination of those two, he would be able to entrust the backline to them. It would be quite burdensome for Itharim to take strong people from the frontline and go around the long way to send them to Earth. If they did, the bnce that was held tight would tilt right away. That means, only small apostles of Itharim were currently aiming for Earth. But... There was just one concern. ''Actually, the bnce has already been broken.'' It was from the moment he sent Beru, a frontline High Commander, to Earth. Simrly, Itharim would also have enough resources to send a guy the size of Beru to Earth. ''The key is if Itharim will get to notice that fact.'' The moment they do, they would definitely send an apostle with power simr to Beru''s to Earth. It would be alright if Beru could directly deal with that apostle, but what if Beru''s condition was different from usual? ... There would be quite a problem. However, knowing that their backline would be at risk, there was no way not to send Beru. Otherwise, sooner orter, Earth would surely perish. ''So, Suho...'' Sung Jinwoo opened his mouth thinking of his only son struggling alone on Earth. "You have to." ''Be strong.'' ''My son.'' * * * "Arise." The moment Suho gave out that order, Beru recalled the Shadow Monarch, Sung Jinwoo. A solemn requiem brought about by the shadow army that covered the vast and distant universe. The immortal army, led by Beru himself, were invincible warriors who transcended even death, and were messengers of hell who would burn their souls toplete their mission if their mastermanded them. ... But. The army led by Suho consisted of only one guy, Quay. The shadow mercenaries for one day had already gone back to nothing. [Ohhh! Master is calling me!] Hearing Suho''s order just in time, Quay stood up in the shadows. Seeing that, Beru suddenly realized the situation and shouted at Suho. [No, Young Master! If you use that skill right now...!] He needed to stop Suho right away. The opponent is an apostle of Itharim. If Suho summoned the shadow soldier now, the apostle of Itharim would find out Suho''s true identity. [Your identity will be revealed...! Ehh?] However, before Beru could even finish his words, something unexpected happened. "Arise, Quay." Suddenly, Suho''s hand grabbed Quay and pulled him out. [If it''s Master''s order...!] Quay''s body soared along Suho''s hand. Swoosh! It looks like... Ance. Suddenly, Quay''s body was transformed into ance shimmering with ck energy. [I am thencer Quay! ording to my Master''s order, I will be ance that pierces the enemy''s heart!] He was in the same shape as the giant bee stinger he usually held in his hand. Ring! [The level of ''Skill: Shadow Release'' has increased.] The skill window automatically opened in front of Suho. [Shadow Release Lv.2 ¨C Shape Change] Shadow power. No mana required. Randomly changes the shape of a shadow soldier. [Ehhh?!] Beru was genuinely astonished. [Oh my God! Weaponizing the Shadow Soldier! I''ve never seen anyone do this before!] "Really?" At Beru''s fuss, Suho lifted Quay, who had turned into ance, in the air and his eyes lit up. "I was just pretending to be Esil." [M-Me?!] Esil''s surprised voice echoed from Vulcan''s Horn. Spiritualization of a Demon Noble. Through spiritualization, Esil was able to turn her horn into a weapon and even nestle directly in Vulcan''s Horn. Suho, who had witnessed it several times now, realized it intuitively. Although the transformation into a spiritual body looks great at first nce, the shadow soldiers were basically spiritual bodies anyway. Just looking at Beru right now, his size or shape also changed here and there as he intended. ''So of course I thought I could do it, too.'' It actually happened. [Oh, my...] Beru was greatly moved. Talent. This is what talent is. Unique and admirable. [As expected, Young Master is a prodigy! From the time you first realized the Ruler''s Power before you could even walk, I knew that from early on...!] Sung Jinwoo, a shadow monarch far beyond ss, has been at a level where he could handle all shadows freely. On the other hand, Suho was like an antrva- a kid who had just awakened with shadow power. Beru couldn''t believe that the little one taught himself and learned everything on his own. "Whew. Vulcan''s son, I wondered why you had only one horn, but it turned out that such a great horn was hidden separately." The mad-blooded tyrant was still firmly misunderstanding the identity of Suho. He thought that the ''Shadow Lance'' that suddenly emerged from Suho''s hand was a weaponized demon horn. "So, are you really going to try to defy me with thatnce? Do you know many demons I''ve eaten so far? Do not resist uselessly, and surrender..." sh-! "...!" Thunk! The mad-blooded tyrant could not finish his words and hurriedly turned his head, barely avoiding the shadownce that was shot like a thunderbolt. "How dare you!" The moment he turned his head and red at Suho with a scary expression... sh-! The shadownce that flew back turned like a thunderbolt as if it had wings and hit his shoulder. Stab! "Ack!" Surprised, the tyrant hurriedly pulled out the shadownce from his body. "How dare you do this trick!" Roar! Ominous mes erupted from his raging body. "A gap." Suho moved immediately. Swoosh! [The ''Title: Demon yer'' buff is activated.] [All stats increase by 40% when dealing with demon type monsters.] Swish! Suho''s twin swords swung and created a storm of des oveid with Rakan''s divine wind. [Use ''Skill: de Storm''.] The tyrant who countered him wickedly raised the corners of his mouth and released his power. "Hahaha. Great! Struggle as much as you can! It would be nice to see how hard the Demon Noble''s body is!" His me opposed Suho''s de Storm, creating a massive chain of explosions. However, Suho''s twin swords persistently pushed the tyrant, tearing even the explosion. "Woah. That''smendable. After all, no matter how young you are, a demon noble is still a demon noble." The mad-blooded tyrant was a little taken aback. Compared to the low energy he felt from Suho, his attack power was beyond imagination. All the ominous mes he now ignited were fueled by the blood and flesh of the demons he had eaten. On the other hand, Suho''s demon yer title was the buff that showed the most certainpatibility against the demon''s power. "... But that''s just it." An immense power burst out from the entire body of the mad-blooded tyrant who red at Suho. "Because your body was already poisoned by a cursed blood that would make you crazy!" He stretched out his hand toward Suho and unleashed his power. "Run out of control with that cursed blood!" Swoosh! "...!" An ominous cursed fog covered the entire area where Suho stood. In front of him, the mad-blooded tyrant burst intoughter. "Haha! Did you know?! The first meal given to all the demons here was mixed with light-blooded poison!" If he wanted to, he could make the poison in the opponent''s body go wild at any time! But then, in the ominous fog that covered all sight... Thud! "...!" Suho jumped out without hesitation and plunged his twin swords into the mad-blooded tyrant''s body. Chapter 101 - 101

Chapter 101:

Something was wrong. The mad blooded tyrant couldn''t help but panic. Swish! Suho broke through the cursed fog and pierced the tyrant''s body mercilessly. "H-How did...!" The mad-blooded tyrant screamed and stumbled. It was truly terrifying. He barely avoided it, but he almost got his neck cut instead of his shoulder. However, it was another reason that he was really puzzled. "Why doesn''t the light-blooded poison work?!" A curse that causes blood to run out of control, and bes mad-blooded poison. If that poison was used weakly, it has the effect of amplifying power at the cost of pain, but if the mad-blooded tyrant directly uses the poison, it will literally be burned at the stake. It was a cruel curse that caused the blood inside the body to boil and be a lump of charcoal in an instant. Because the medium of the curse was the blood flowing inside the body, it gave an absolute and inevitable death that could not be escaped. But, why? Why?! "How could you be so sane!" No, beyond normal, Suho''s spirit was alive and running wild. In response to Suho''s attack, the mad tyrant roared in anger. "As expected, real demon nobles are different no matter what!" At those words, someone from far away raised his eyes. [The Queen of Insects, gue Monarch, looks at the mad-blooded tyrant with a disgusted expression.] "Let''s see if you can hold out this time!" The tyrant poured an even more powerful curse of blood on Suho. Swoosh! It was no longer at the level of fog that raged and covered Suho. [The Queen of Insects, gue Monarch, is evaluating the level of the curse.] But. [2 out of 10.] [The Queen of Insects, gue Monarch, spit out saying that she just gave up her appetite.] Swoosh! Suho casually broke through the curse and swung his twin swords. [Young Master! You have to aim for the head!] ''I saw it, too!'' The tyran blocked the attack that was obviously aimed at his head with his shoulder. It was probably because he was wearing the corpse of the demon''s jailer like armor. That zing face sticking out over the armor must be his weakness. "Spring up! Quay!" Swish-! ''Quay''snce'' flew like lightning again and attacked the mad-blooded tyrant. The goal, of course, was his head! "Ack!" The mad-blooded tyrant frantically repelled the irregr attacks from the front and rear, shouting at his men. "What are you guards doing! Come here right away and take this guy...! Huh?" His eyes widened as he hurriedly looked at the ce where the demon guards were. "Ouch...!" "It''s hot...!" An unbelievable sight was unfolding. The demon guards were burning and dying. "Why are they suffering from light-blooded poisoning...!" "Oh, that? I gave it to them." "...!" At Suho''s words, the tyrant''s eyes widened as if they were going to pop out. Suho has been poisoning them with light-blooded poison after he passed by the demon guards. He didn''t know that the action would bring such a result, but it was the most perfect ending. While the tyrant panicked, Suho was already preparing another attack. ''Beru, let me ask one thing.'' [Yes?] ''Quay hasn''t been caught, has he?'' [Yes! That tyrant didn''t even know that Quay was a shadow soldier!] The power of the Shadow Monarch is the power to destroy everything hidden in the eternal darkness of the bottomless pit. The aura of death was a true fear that subdued the opponent just by touching it. In fact, because of that, Suho used to be scared by children when he was young. It was for this reason that Suho''s memory was sealed by the power of the Shadow Monarch. But, now. He was able to capture some of that energy. ''Okay.'' A quick calction has been made. Suho immediately looked around and shouted. "Arise!" Mooooo-! Mooooo-! There were grotesque cries that echoed through the air. The minotaur that Suho killed. ck shadows began to sway terribly from their corpses. [Shadow release seeded.] [Shadow release seeded.] [Shadow release seeded.] ... However, before the soldiers united with their original form, Suho immediately attempted a ''shape transformation''. "Go!" Mooooo-! At Suho''smand, the shadows of the Minotaur came together in a circle and soared up. [Shadow Minotaur Lv.1] Shape Transformation ¨C Gauntlets [Shadow Minotaur Lv.1] Shape Transformation ¨C Gauntlets [Shadow Minotaur Lv.1] Shape Transformation ¨C Gauntlets Weaponization. If Quay was a spear, this time, the minotaurs turned into gauntlets. [Mooooh-!] [Mooooh-!] Five minotaur heads with vicious bull horns at the fore, flew like cannonballs and crashed into the tyrant''s body. "Ack...!" As if hit by a truck, the tyrant was thrown backwards and crashed into a wall. Crash! The walls of the Colosseum copsed on him, and the tyrant rose up through the rubble with a frightened swing of his arm. But. [Mooooh-!] "This... this..." The blows of ck steam that had approached before he knew it began to pound his body mercilessly. A series of attacks was so fast enough to even react. The ruthless violence eventually crushed the body of the demon jailer in armor. "Ahhh! W-What the hell is this...!" Suho confidently answered with an extremely sincere look. "Bloodstone." [What?] [Ehhh?] He ignored the bewilderedments of Esil and Beru. [I don''t think such a lie will work...] The mad-blooded tyrant gritted his teeth. "Bloodstone... Is it the power of demon nobles?" [Oh, it worked?] Esil was surprised. However, from the beginning, bloodstone was a unique ability that only demon nobles had. The tyrant couldn''t help but believe it. [Kehehe! As expected, our Young Master is very clever! If this is the case, you will be able tomand the shadow soldiers even in front of the apostles of Itharim!] Beru was greatly moved. Until now, Sung Jinwoo, his ruler, had never summoned shadow soldiers by changing their form. In the first ce, the side with all limbs attached could carry weapons and it was much easier to fight, so there was no need for that. However, shadow soldiers are basically spiritual bodies. Suho''s power has grown to allow them to freely transform from their previous state. [Kehehe! It is truly unique and admirable. If His Majesty saw this, he would be so happy...!] More than anything else, there was something else that made him happy. [I thought you would always be a young and weak antrvae, but now you could even beat the apostle of Itharim yourself!] Beru, weeping tears of joy, watched as Suho unleashed a finishing blow on the tyrant who hadpletely exposed his achilles heel. [Use ''Skill: de Storm''.] Swish! "Ahhh...!" Thebined attack of Suho, the de Storm skill, Quay, and the Minotaurs drove the mad-blooded tyrant into a frenzy. [But to be honest...] No matter how out of touch Beru was, his eyes were urate when grasping battle situations. [The attack power is still insufficient.] Even though he was wearing a demon''s mask, his opponent was an apostle of Itharim. There was no such thing as too much. "Aagh! How dare this lowly demon...!" The mad-blooded tyrant, who was furious from head to toe, stood up resolutely while being attacked by Suho. His entire body was already covered in scars, but that was just the ''Demon Armor'' he was wearing. The original power of the mad-blooded tyrant hidden within was still alive. Roar! "...!" The mes of the tyrant suddenly became even hotter and turned blue. Just like a mist burn! [T-This!] Feeling a sense of it, Beru hurriedly shouted. [Avoid him! He is risking his life to use the ''Meteor Trail''!] ''Meteor Trail?'' He didn''t know what that was, but Suho moved back. Roar! Then, the bluish mes spewed out chased Suho like a living snake, and Suho crossed his twin swords to block the mes. A fire so powerful that the shadow soldiers floating nearby melted away, attacked Suho. At that moment, a thumping sound came from Suho''s throat. [''Item: Fire Ghost''s Ne'' resists mes.] [''Item: Fire Ghost''s Ne'' has been destroyed.] Crack. The D-ss item that Suho had worn since he was in Egypt was greatly oxidized while protecting Suho until the end. Suho''s spine felt chilly as he managed to move away. ''That was dangerous.'' Although he defended himself, that attack was something that could not be blocked with only the endurance skill that increased physical defense. If it hadn''t been for the Fire Ghost''s Ne, he would have suffered severe burns. That was just an internal thing. On the outside, Suho looked perfectly fine even after being hit by the mad-blooded tyrant''s blow of conversion. "H-How did you stay that way even after being hit directly by the mes..." The tyrant was the most shocked he had ever been. Right now, Suho couldn''t afford to open the shop window and purchase the Fire Ghost''s Ne again. "No way! Must be luck! How could an insignificant demon dare to endure that...!" Roar! Bluish mes far more powerful than just a moment ago roared from his whole body. [Young Master! Look out... Ehh?] Suho already dodged that and jumped without hesitation, backing away early on. Sigh. "How can I fight alone because I''m afraid?" Now, let''s get this straight. Currently, hecked both offensive and defensive power. But there just happened to be a lot of fire kindling and fuel to increase the attack power in that ce. Suho raised his head and turned his gaze away from the rampaging tyrant and looked at the stands of the Colosseum. There were demons who had been watching the whole scene and couldn''t help but be amazed. "W-What..." "How did he..." "To push the tyrant king one-sidedly like that..." "Is he a real Demon Noble?" "As expected, Vulcan''s son..." Anxiety and hope were mingled in that muffled noise. "Are you going to keep watching like that?!" ...! Suddenly, Suho''s voice shook the Colosseum like thunder. The noise suddenly died down. [Use ''Buff: Battle Roar''.] Right before entering the demon world, Suho finally used the reward from the emergency quest he received after defeating the Hyeonmu Guild. Suho continued to yell at them. "What do you think are demons?!" "..!" Demon. The heavy sound that flowed from Suho''s mouth shook the eyes of the demons who had been ves to the tyrant for a long time. "If you are truly demons...! If you still consider yourself a demon...!" As Suho''s words continued, the demons swallowed hard with nervous faces. Suho pointed at the mad-blooded tyrant wrapped in blue mes with his Vulcan Horn and shouted. "Eat him! There is a dying demon''s blood and flesh right there!" "...!" The mad-blooded tyrant couldn''t help but panic. He felt that the atmosphere of the ves, who werepletely under his control, suddenly changed. Suho finally smiled with satisfaction. "Eat and be strong. Like a demon to the core." With that... Wild roars erupting from all sides and shook the Colosseum. [The ''roar of the battlefield'' stimtes the demons'' suppressed anger.] [The ''roar of the battlefield'' draws out the demons'' suppressed anger.] [The ''roar of the battlefield'' ignites the demons'' suppressed anger.] ... A hot fire boiled in the hearts of the demons. The fear of the tyrant king, who had reigned over them with vicious power for a long time, disappeared. Instead, a thirst for endless power rose up. The power of the terrifying tyrant king. ''If only I could take that power as my own!'' "I-I can be the tyrant king too!" "I will eat that corpse!" "No, I will...!" "I will!" Aaaaaaaaah! All the demons started pouring down on the tyrant regardless of who woulde first. Like an ignited spark... [Demon...] Esil muttered quietly. Chapter 102 - 102

Chapter 102:

Aaaaagh! "Hey, are you guys crazy?" Seeing the demons pouring down on him, the mad-blooded tyrant couldn''t believe the situation. The demon realm, which not only lost its monarch, but also left no nobles, was a truly destroyed world. All of the demons that survived so far were just trashy ones. Dying as a ve for the rest of their lives was nothing more than worthless trifles that should be considered an honor. But those lowly and insignificant bastards now dared to rebel against him. They were drooling and rushing to eat him. The mad-blooded tyrant drew out blue mes in rage. "To whom do these savage bastards dare to reveal their teeth to?" Roar! The me of life always burned inside the apostle who served Itharim, the god of the distant outer universe. me spread widely throughout the Colosseum and engulfed the demons attacking from all sides. "Ouch...!" The demons started burning to death helplessly like moths jumping into antern. However, the demons, who were already mad enough to be frenzied, continued to attack the tyrant, using the corpses as a shield, regardless of who died in front of them. "Just a bite!" "Just one bite!" "Even one bite can make me stronger!" "Aaaaah!" Demons. That ce was true hell. "Ah, these crazy people are really..." The mad-blooded tyrant was stunned. ''Were they really ves who have been quietly controlled by me?'' As an apostle of Itharim, he had a mission to rule and conquer this world. ''But, what the heck is this?'' ''Doesn''t it seem like I''ve be the prey?!'' Humiliation mounted. He couldn''t ept the fact that the emotion he was feeling right now was ''fear''. "Aagh! I will kill them all! Burn them all up and be my fuel!" Aaaaaaagh! A me exploded with the force of immortalizing the whole world. Demons poured endlessly over it and attacked the blue mes. The corpses of demons became ashes and scattered in all directions. In the center of this, the tyrant shouted. "Hahaha! I''m getting stronger again! Instead of losing precious ves, my me will burn forever!" His gaze moved to find Suho, who had created that situation. Even though he suffered some losses, the demon realm wasn''t the only one there anyway. As long as his strength was replenished, all he needed to do was find and rule the fragments of another demon realm floating in the dimensional rift! However, there was one fact he overlooked. While he ys countless demons to replenish his depleted power. The souls of the dead demons are being sucked somewhere. "W-Wait a minute...!" The mad-blooded tyrant''s eyes widened wide as he witnessed the scene from afar. "... Ha. This is it." Suho held up Vulcan''s Horn with a smile of utmost satisfaction. [Vulcan''s horn devours the demon''s soul.] [Vulcan''s horn devours the demon''s soul.] [Vulcan''s horn devours the demon''s soul.] [Vulcan''s horn devours the demon''s soul...] ... Vulcan''s Horn was devouring the souls of the demons killed by the mad tyrant. "Yes, eat as much as you like. Until you burst full." Swook! [Devoured demon soul: 83->97->113->...] It seems like Suho hit some kind of jackpot. The count of devoured souls was constantly rising. Then eventually... Ring! [Vulcan''s Horn feels full.] Vulcan''s stomach, which seemed to know no end, eventually became full. [Item: Vulcan''s Horn] Difficulty to obtain: ?? Type: Sword Attack +40 A sword crafted from the horns of the greedy demon Vulcan. Vulcan''s powers are imbued, dealing more damage. -Effect ''Destruction Desire'': Increases physical damage by [300%]. -Effect ''Demon Devourer'': The power of Vulcan bes stronger as it devours the demon''s soul. [Devoured Demon''s Soul: Saturated] Seeded. Physical damage increased by 300%. In the end, Suho made Vulcan''s Horn grow to its maximum. [Oh my god. Did you just use it like that?] Esil couldn''t help but admire it. While the tyrant recharged his weakened power, Suho used it intact to maximize his attack power. However, this was not the end of Suho''s aim. "Now, are you satisfied?" Suho smiled and raised Vulcan''s Horn. "Then, give your end of the deal to me." As if to answer that question... Ring! A message has arrived. [You havepleted ''Urgent Quest: Vulcan''s Greed''.] [Thepletion reward has arrived.] [Do you want to check the reward?] ( Y / N ) Suho already knew what the reward was. He smiled and held out his hand. The second horn of Vulcan appeared. [Item: Vulcan''s Horn-2] Difficulty to obtain: ?? Type: Sword Attack +40 A sword crafted from the horns of the greedy demon Vulcan. Vulcan''s powers are imbued, dealing more damage. -Effect ''Destruction Desire'': Increases physical damage by [300%]. Was it because Vulcan was the only one who felt full? Surprisingly, the second horn was amplified at 300% as well. After confirming, Suho smiled as he held up the two horns in both hands instead of Rakan''s Sword. "At this rate, I don''t need Rakan''s fangs anymore, I guess? Should I sell it to add to the guild fund?" Wouldn''t it be better to use two swords that look the same as twin swords? However, there was someone who was frightened by those words... [The King of Beasts, Fang Monarch, wakes up in bewilderment.] [The King of Beasts, Fang Monarch, has a better idea and requests a conversation.] [The King of Beasts, Fang Monarch, stomps his feet, telling you not to pretend you didn''t hear.] Suho paid no attention to Rakan''s message and was rushing straight to the tyrant at great speed. Swish-! "...!" Suho swung his sword without hesitation. "Thanks. Because of you, my supposed hard work has been reduced." [Use ''Skill: Strong Body Manifestation''.] [Use ''Skill: de Storm''...] sh! "Ahhh...!" Colossal damage, on a different level from before, exploded on the mad-blooded tyrant''s body. Even the blue mes zing from his body were cut into hundreds and thousands of pieces by the twin swords of Suho. "No, no way... Don''t tell me..." The mes that had been burning ominously the whole time died down, and a copsed voice flowed from his mouth. "My fear Itharim..." Thud. [You have killed the mad-blooded tyrant.] [Your level has increased!] [Your level has increased!] Demons who were still alive after the death of the tyrant were shocked. They were so shocked that even their desire to devour also died down. "... Is he dead?" "Tyrant King?" "Is he really going to die like this?" They couldn''t believe it. Absolute shock and horror. Meanwhile, the tyrannical king who had enved them had disappeared before their eyes. Not even a corpse was left behind. Even the guards, who had practically served under the tyrant, were all burned to death. ''What''s going to happen to us?'' "..." They were so used to their very that they couldn''t even bring themselves to say a word. "Esil." In that deste atmosphere, Suho called Esil. "It''s your turn now." [...] In Suho''s mind, there was only one way to clean up that messy situation with the loss of a ruler. ''I can''t keep pretending to be Vulcan''s son.'' The demon realm that he had observed so far has been a thoroughly hierarchical society. Strong self-esteem. A world where stronger demons prey on weaker demons and rule. However, the moment the demon lords and demon nobles who reigned in thatnd all disappeared, the entire system was disrupted. Even the apostle of Itharim appeared and ruled thend and enved its inhabitants. It was all because there was no ''pure blood'' to rule them. "Come out. From now on, you have to rule this ce." Otherwise, the apostle of Itharim might suddenly appear and devour that ce again. [Okay.] Esil finally appeared from Vulcan''s Horn. "...!" Upon the sudden appearance of Esil, all eyes of the demons were focused on her. The moment they saw Esil, they instinctively realized it. All the misconceptions about Suho being a demon noble and Vulcan''s hidden son were blown away in an instant. The energy they felt from Esil was pure blood! The presence of the demon nobles was clearly felt. "N-Noble..." "A real noble..." If it weren''t for the current situation, they probably wouldn''t have reacted like that. It was because they were demons who attacked to eat even that frightening mad-blooded tyrant. But now it was different. "Kneel." At the one word ofmand that came out of Esil''s mouth, they had no choice but to kneel in front of her and bow down. "I am Esil, the eldest daughter of Radiru. I am the only demon noble left in this world." Esil slowly looked back at their bowed heads with arrogant eyes. A long time ago, when the demon realm was prosperous, the real use of the Colosseum was for that very moment. There would be duels between demon noblespeting for honor. After the duel and the ranks were decided, the winner would always proim the winner''s right. ording to the long-standing tradition, Esil proudly showed her presence to the demons there. "I dere. From now on, thisnd has be the territory of the Radiru n." Swoosh-! At that moment, a magnificent shout began to erupt from everyone''s mouths. It was an echo of a different level from the malicious shouts of watching an execution ceremony in the Colosseum. "... And." However, Esil''s promation was not over yet. "Thest remaining Demon Noble, Esil Radirumands you." Suddenly, Esil''s eyes nced at Suho, who was next to her. "...?" "Our demonic realm will be in an all-out war against the Outer Gods, Itharim. In order not to be dominated by a md-blooded tyrant again..." Esil was virtually the only one qualified to be a demon monarch. Since they were demons who knew that fact, they raged their whole body with demon energy at Esil''s words. "We must fight." Chapter 103 - 103

Chapter 103:

Suho was a little impressed. Esil really seemed to be a noble. It was quite cool to see her, whom he had only thought of as a meat-lover, skillfullymanding the ve demons. "Esil-nim, I ept your order.", said the one they encountered when they first set foot in the demon realm. ''Nukira'', the horse that was pulling the cart, finally returned to its original form and began to follow Esil''smands. Meanwhile, Suho summoned all the demons in the Colosseum that were poisoned by light-blooded poison and detoxified them one by one. "Ah, the pain is going away...!" "Thank you! Thank you!" The demons who were poisoned by light-blooded poison always lived in pain of boiling blood. The most fundamental thing for demons is blood. Lack of blood for demons was a pain in itself, and boiling blood was a terrible condition that erases their existence. However, all of those phenomena disappeared as soon as Suho deciphered them. "T-Thank you!" "Wow, haha! It doesn''t hurt anymore! I''m alive!" [Oh, wait. You there.] "... Yes?" [Weren''t you the one who cursed at Young Masterst time?] Hup. Among them, Beru had already chosen those who deserved to die. The demons that were nearby when Suho was imprisoned. Beru remembered each and every one of the faces of those who eagerly cursed at Suho and made fun of him. The mad-blooded demons who treated Suho badly trembled as Beru approached them. "My Lord, I havemitted a mortal sin. I guess I was a little crazy at the time." [Kieek! If youmit a mortal sin, it is but natural to get persecuted!] Beru had no mercy, and he killed them mercilessly. The light-blooded demons in the prison were detoxified and the pain disappeared, but at the same time their strength has considerably weakened. Even though Esil originally had the strength of an S-ss hunter, she was currently only at B-ss level because of theck of blood in her body. No matter how small and weak Beru was, there was no problem killing the powerless mad-blooded horses. As he ate them one by one, he gradually recharged his power. Suho refrained him from doing that. "Beru, but don''t kill too many. they are necessary for the reconstruction of the demon realm." [Keheuheuk. Young Master is toopassionate. It breaks my heart...!] "If you''re going to kill them, do it when they''re strong again to gain a lot of experience." [...!] Beru got enlightened and immediately stopped the ughter. He couldn''t interfere with Suho''s level up. On the other hand... "... Thank you." The old demon who gave Suho advice in prison approached him. "Ah, old man." Suho immediately detoxified the old demon, and then his body lost strength and copsed on the spot. As Suho tried to help him, he shook his bony arm saying it was okay. "Haha. It''s okay. It''s because all the blood in my body was filled with poison. Oh, but don''t worry, I won''t die." The old demon struggled to get himself up on his own. He then politely bowed down to Suho again. Lower than before. "Thank you very much. For saving our demon realm." Suho''s act wasn''t simply to save them, but to save the demon realm. The old man was sincerely grateful for that. Suho watched him quietly and asked. "Old man, are you by any chance a demon attendant?" "... How did you know?" The old man flinched at the words and looked bewildered. "It felt simr to Nukira over there." "This feels odd. Well, you even killed the tyrant king, so finding out my identity is no big deal. That''s right. I was once a servant of a nobleman." "It looks like you''re not Radiru''s servant." "I was... Vulcan''s servant." "Vulcan?" Suho''s eyes widened when a truly unexpected answer came out. As if expecting that reaction, the old man nodded again with a self-deprecating smile. "Right. Vulcan, the demon of greed. Also, he never had a son." "Haha." Suho justughed. Rumor about him being Vulcan''s hidden son was still circting among the demons. How did the old man feel when he heard the rumor? "In the first ce, Vulcan had no other desires as he was a demon who lived only by his appetite. So he was a fairly easy Lord to serve." "Did you say it was easy?" "Yes. You just had to be careful not to get eaten." "..." Was that some kind of joke? It didn''t seem funny, and the atmosphere was full of tension. "Do you perhaps know what will happen to the demons in a territory where the demon nobles disappeared?" "Isn''t it going to be like this? Being ruled by the strongest..." "Not really. No matter how strong the opponent is, demons try to devour regardless of their means and methods." ordingly, the case of the mad-blooded tyrant was a very special case. "Then what?" "Normally, they destroy themselves. They eat each other and get eaten, and in the end only one demon survives." "...!" At those words, Suho looked at the old man again. "Were you that one demon?" "... No, I was just lucky. I hid in the ground while everyone was in a mess. When it was all over, I crawled out and ate their bodies to gain strength." [Those strong wordsing from you were quite contrasting with your looks though?] Beru suddenly intervened and scanned the old man up and down. At that, the old manughed helplessly. "It''s natural. My power was stolen by the tyrant king." "The tyrant?" "Yes. Actually, I was the first host to be preyed on by the tyrant king. Later when he realized that my body was old and useless, he abandoned me without hesitation to find a stronger and fresher demon." What the old man said was a very interesting story. The first host of the mad-blooded tyrant. Even Beru listened to the old man and asked about what had happened at the time. [Do you know how he got into the demon realm?] "How did he get here? Well, I do remember. How could I forget that moment?" Meteor. One day, there was a small meteorite that fell into the demon realm where the old man lived. It was burning in the middle of the ground where the fragment of the star had fallen. Blue me. From there, the hardships of the demon world began. "At first, no one knew that he, who was thought to be a small fire demon, would grow into a tyrant who rules over all demons." "A meteorite..." Beru mumbled something to Suho, who pondered the old man''s words. [Young Master, it seems that the apostle from outer space hid in a meteorite andnded here.] "Hid in a meteorite?" [Yes. If it had just flown, it would have been caught and blocked by our Shadow Corps.] Currently, all the paths through which the forces of outer space entered that universe were thoroughly defended by the Shadow Corps. However, it is impossible to monitor each and every one of those many meteorites. [If it was too strong, it would be easy for us to find out. However, after dealing with it, it seems that the mad-blooded tyrant is so small that he was able to hide without being caught.] "Small?" The old man couldn''t help but be taken aback by Beru''s words. Who would dare to evaluate the fearsome tyrant king as a small one? However, since Suho, who actually killed the tyrant king with even greater power, was in front of him, there was no way to refute that statement. "Haha. That''s... really incredible." The old man justughed. "Beru." [Yep.] Suho looked at Beru and asked. "What is the probability that there are still other Itarim apostles around here?" [I''m still expanding my senses, but I can''t feel anything around here right now.] "Hmm. Alright. Should I visit the ce where the meteorite fell?" Suho who was lost in thought for a while. He finally found traces of Itharim for the first time. "Old man, could you please guide me to where the meteorite fell?" "For sure." * * * Suho arrived at the ce where the meteorite fell. [Young Master, this is definitely the ce. There is a lot of Itharim''s energy in this area.] "Hmm." Suho looked around. Indeed, a meteorite fell, and the ce had a huge crater dug wide. Beru continued to flick his antennae and searched for signs around. He quickly returned to Suho and reported. [Fortunately, there doesn''t seem to be another mad-blooded tyrant hiding.] "We can just check over there then." Suho approached the center of the crater. There, the ''a small piece of star'' the old man said, or a huge pile of stones from Suho''s point of view, was buried in the ground. "I''m going to dig a bit." Suho looked around and opened his mouth after confirming that there was no one around. "Arise." Suho''s shadow spread widely, and ck steam rose from beneath it. [Shadow Minotaur Lv.1] Knight ss [Shadow Minotaur Lv.1] Knight ss Five gigantic cows with solid muscr bodies appeared. [Mooooo-!] [Mooooo!] The Shadow Minotaurs howled ferociously. With a single order from Suho, it seemed as if the enemy would be crushed and torn to shreds at any moment. Suho nodded and pointed at the meteorite. "What are you doing? Dig." [... Mooo.] The minotaurs crouched down and began digging with their muscr arms. Little by little, the meteorite that had been buried became visible. [Master! I found something!] Quietly controlling the Minotaurs in perfect order, Quay urgently called for Suho. [Here! There is a hidden space!] "... Hmm?" When Suho saw what Quay had found, his eyes shed. There was an artificial hole in the side of the meteorite that looked like a pile of stones. ''Since he came hidden, could there be an entrance to some kind of spaceship?'' With force, he widened the hole a little more and looked inside... [Ehh?] Inside was a pattern that was covered with blue mes. [It seems liike a shamanic circle made with the energy of Itharim.] Beru muttered, squinting his eyes. "Shaman? Do you know what kind of magic it is?" [Hmm. Apparently, this is a high-level magic that increases the durability of the meteorite and expands the secret subspace within it...] "What is so grand about it? It''s just some sort of storage though." [...] Chapter 104 - 104

Chapter 104:

"Do you even know how to open this warehouse?" At Suho''s question, Ver nodded coldly. [At least this much of the shaman''s staff can only be torn apart by force.] Then, Berga flew to the shaman''s staff and nicked the blue mes of the shaman''s staff with his fingernails. Pussuk. At that moment, the mes of the shaman''s camp faded and the hidden space beyond opened its mouth. "It is open." Suho immediately prepared for battle with two Volcan horns in both hands. I didn''t know what woulde out of this. Unfortunately, however, the one waiting inside was not an enemy. rather the opposite. [Obtained ''Item: Devil''s Essence''.] "Essence of the Devil?" Suho picked up a ball the size of a fist with a puzzled expression. [Item: Devil''s Essence] Difficulty to obtain: ?? Type: Jewel This is a sealing sphere where countless demonic souls are sealed. Breaking it can free the demons. While checking the item information, the horn of the Volcan held in the other hand vibrated. As if it''s sad that you''re full. Suho also licked his lips as if it was a waste. "It''s really too bad. If I had discovered this sooner, I would have been able to strengthen Volkan''s horns more easily." After Volkan''s quest was over, the demon''s soul was no longer of any value to Suho. "I''ll take it to Esil and ask him." Suho put the devil''s essence in his inventory. The demonic essence was not the end of the items in Itarim''s warehouse. [Your little lord, you found something important.] Ver, who was rummaging through the warehouse just in time, found something and brought it back. [''Item: Itarim''s te'' has been obtained.] [Item: Itarim''s te] Difficulty to obtain: ?? Type: Stone te A stone tablet with thenguage of Itarim engraved on it. A special spell is cast. Vera pretended to know. [I know what this spell is. During the war, I clearly saw that Itarim''s troops used this tomunicate with each other.] "Communicating with stone tablets?" [yes. The problem is that two of them are a pair, but seeing that there is only one here...] "The other one must be holding the other one. Like the one who sent the mad tyrant this way." [There is a very high probability of that.] Suho stared at the stone b of Itarim and thought about how to use it, but nothing came of it. "Once you have this, there will be a day when you will use it. That side will contact you first." Suho put Itarim''s te into his inventory. "Looks like I have nothing more to gain." I wondered if the mad tyrant had used this meteorite as a secret base for storing the demonic souls he had collected or contacting other apostles. "Let''s go back now." * * * "Where did you get this?!" As soon as Eshil saw the ''Essence of the Devil'' Suho handed him, he was astonished. "Come and pick it up. Do you need it by any chance?" "I can feel the souls of a great number of demons in here! Could this be something from a mad blooded tyrant?" Suho nodded at Eshil''s quick-witted words. "It seemed so. If you break this, the demon spirits will be released. Do you know what will happen if you release them?" "It is literally free. Demons don''t die even if only their spiritual bodies remain. While floating nearby, you will be possessed by an irrational creature or demon beast and reborn as a new demon." "If I kill it then, level up?" "No, your brain is salted from leveling up..." Eshil shook her head and sighed as if she couldn''t stop it at Suho''s words. "The newly born demons are so weak that they won''t even help you level up. Rather, it would be much more helpful to recruit them as my own people and use them to rebuild thisnd." "okay? Then you have to break it right away." shit. Suho immediately broke the demon''s essence. Then, the spirit bodies of countless demons began toe out like fireworks. Wow! Kihehehe ¨C Kyaaaaaaaaa! Along with him, the drearyughter was heard from all directions. Numerous specters trapped in the demon''s essence spewed out evil energy while spinning around Suho and Esil. And in order to find the delicious body in front of you and possess it, your mouth drools with sinister eyes... [Kiii...?] But they were quite quick-witted. All of a sudden, the owner of the body closest to them was Esyl, a demon aristocrat, and they sneaked back, aiming for a more easy-going opponent. That''s Suho. Because he was only human. [...] But the moment they saw Suho, they realized it. Because he was in a spiritual state, he had no choice but to know. Being human was just a shell. In the shadow of Suho, a deep and gigantic abyss spread far and wide like an abyss. [Hii Interest!] The ghosts were much more surprised and began to run away than they found Essil. If you go in there, you will die! They were not just going to die, but a fear that even their souls would be eaten! "Why are they like that?" "don''t mind. Now I''m going to find little things that I can understand and possess." "Hmm. Are demons born that way?" "that''s right. Even if we die, as long as our souls remain, we can always possess another body and be reborn. That is the essence of spiritualization." The things that Eshil had been possessed by the sword of protection were part of that ability. "The devil never dies. only to be reborn But the moment you get a new body, most of your previous memories disappear, so you can just say that you die." Eshil muttered as she watched the demonic souls scattering away. "They are probably the demons who fought against the mad tyrant. If they had been sealed separately, they would have been coveted souls even from the point of view of a mad blooded tyrant. If they get a body and are reborn as demons, they will be of great help to us." It was a pleasant sound to hear. * * * After that, Eshil worked hard to unite all the demons of thend around the Colosseum. ves who dug ore for war got their freedom overnight. However, it was only the ruler who changed, but their daily lives did not change significantly. "The gods from outer space are attacking?" "The mad tyrant was also a pawn of the foreign press." "Somehow I thought it wasn''t an ordinary devil." "Then what about us now?" "Is there anything wrong? If enemiese in, just fight back and that''s it." "Then you will need a weapon." Then, without question, the demons started picking up their pickaxes again. And even though he was not whipped by the demon guards, he began digging ore with his own will. That action was not because of Eshil''s orders. In the first ce, demons were not a race that feared battle. Rather, they were not the ones who enjoyed fighting strong opponents and regretted it even if they were weak and were eaten. The reason for this was the belief that even if one dies, he or she bes a ghost and is born anew. However, even for them, the existence of a mad blooded tyrant was too frightening. The mad-blooded tyrant was a terrible guy who burned even the souls of demons with blue mes and took away their entire bodies. "I can''t be bothered by the tyrant king again!" "Khehehe. It''s a war! War!" "Let''s prepare for war!" "For Ladir!" "For Essil Ladir!" blood. A demon aristocrat, Eshil, only appeared, but the demons began to unite around Eshil. As much as that, the existence of pure blood had great value to the demons. Suho, who was watching these scenes, was curious and asked Ber. "What is pure blood, why are they so actively obeying? Maybe that''s what I think?" Vera nodded. [you''re right. Only purebloods deserve to be demon lords. After all, they want Eshil to be the new monarch one day. Only with a monarch can the demon realm, which has been torn into pieces like now, merge into one world again.] When Suho first met Esil, Esil was clearly being chased by demons. But in the end, the demons just wanted to eat her and be a demon noble themselves. Furthermore, it must have been his will to rebuild the demon realm by gaining the qualifications to be a demon lord himself. "This is all thanks to you, Suho." Esil thanked Suho. "I still haven''t regained my original strength. Even right now, if those demons attack all at once, it is certain that they will be eaten helplessly. But it''s thanks to you that no one dares to think like that now." All the demons in the Colosseum watched Suho defeat the mad tyrant with overwhelming power from start to finish. As long as the very existence of the guardian protected Eshil Ladir, no demons would dare to challenge the Ladir family. But peace never came. The reason why the demons themselves are preparing for war now is because of the fear that a new rabid tyrant might appear with a meteorite at any time. In order to do that... "First of all, I have to regain my original strength." "With bloodstone?" "huh. Now that I''m the owner of thisnd, I''m going to pick up some bloodstone from the lower demons and eat it. It''s called a ''tribute''." There were many uses of bloodstone, but the biggest one was for demon nobles to continuously absorb the blood of lower demons to maintain their power. "But if you drink too much blood at once, all of your subordinates will die and the number will gradually decrease. So, the point is to continuously suck up metallurgy metallurgy. Now like this." Eshil spread her hands wide toward the demons who hade to follow her. OK. Whoops! "...!" A bit of blood was drawn from the demons'' bodies and formed into small beads. Wow! It was truly spectacr to see dozens and hundreds of those ck marbles flying towards Esyl and being absorbed. "Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa" Suho, who was watching Esil epting the power with an ecstatic expression, could notice that the energy he felt from Esil had gotten a little stronger. "Did you see it? It''s like this. Now, it''s just a matter of time before I get back to my original strength. But it''s not like I can pick and eat bloodstone every day, so I have nothing else to do right now?" Even if he came to rule the demons, he left the little things to the demon attendants anyway. Even the old devil, who was Volkan''s servant, had less work when Eshil took it as his servant. Realizing what Eshil was trying to say, Suho smiled and held out his hand. "Good. Then, for the time being, I''ll work hard again as a member of my guild." "Yes, guild leader. Will you take good care of your sry? Even if I look like this, I am a noble in my hometown, so the ransom is a bit high." Esil smiled brightly and held Suho''s hand. "Let''s go back now. to Earth." Chapter 105 - 105

Chapter 105:

Around that time. There was someone forgotten by everyone. "Su Su-ho...." Lim Do-gyun was dying. "Save me..." Lim Do-gyun crawls on the floor with a white bandage wrapped around his body. The sight of him shaking his hands and desperately trying to get out of this hellish ce was truly devastating. Suho, who witnessed this, closed his eyes tightly and turned his head away. "I''m sorry bro." ...tuk. In the end, Lim Do-gyun''s hand, which had been shaking, fell helplessly to the floor. but. [Wake up.] Excited. Ammut''s gigantic hand lifted his rag-wrapped body with ease. [There are still threeps left.] "Ahhh...!" Lim Do-gyun, who was caught in his grip, struggled with both arms like a broken doll. But against his will, Ammut forced his body to the ground and ordered it sternly and solemnly. [If you have time to lick your mouth, run.] "Ammut! please...! No more!" [It is.] "No really! My leg is broken...!" [Trick your brain. If you think your legs aren''t broken, you can run.] "Can you do it! You crazy crocodile!" [...] "No sir. It was just bullshit. I must have been dreaming for a moment." [Khehehe. It looks good. Your eyes are alive. Could you increase the gravity? Gravity doubled.] Gooh! When Ammut snapped his finger, the heavy gravity field pressed down on Lim Do-gyun''s body. Dudeuk! "Kwaaaak...!" The already broken leg bones cracked again. Unfortunately, however, the ''Item: Mummy''s Bandage'' wrapped around his body was forcibly holding his broken body. Thanks to that, Lim Do-kyun was able to run as much as he wanted even with a broken leg, which was nothing to be thankful for. "Hehehe. I don''t like it... Why are you moving again..." His eyes were loose and his saliva was dripping, but Im Do-gyun felt grateful and cursed that he was still alive. As Ammut pushed his back with the gravitational field, Lim Do-gyun eventually trudged and started running again. The past few days when Suho went to the devil world. Lim Do-gyun was staying for a while in the pyramid of Ammut. The situation outside was too dangerous, so Suho temporarily evacuated him here. But here... an even more terrible hell awaited him. Right in front of my eyes, a huge muscr crocodile man was licking his lips at Lim Do-gyun. And the reason Ammut licked his lips was never to eat him. Ammut was very fond of such frail and worthless things as he was. [scent. Yogo yogo... keuhuh.] My mouth watered. The chef''s mind as if he had just discovered fresh ingredients. Ammut was thrilled just thinking about how to train this weak human scum to spread rumors that he raised him well. In particr, as Suho experienced, the gravitational field in this pyramid became heavier or lighter depending on Ammut''s will. If you use this system well, you should be able to train it to the limit by squeezing that skinny, wretched body to its maximum. And... No matter how much Lim Do-kyun refused, he had no right to veto. Because no one who stepped into this pyramid escaped safely from Ammut''s clutches. "Quaaaaagh!" The desperate screams of Lim Do-gyun resonated throughout the pyramid, but even that was only pleasing to Ammut. [Hehe. good good good I still have a lot of energy.] "Oh no... wait a minute...?" [Adds one more round.] "...!" There were gazes standing and watching Lim Do-gyun from afar. [Corrupted mummies] [Corrupted mummies] They are countless seniors who died while receiving rigid body training from Ammut until they were killed a long time ago. Even after death, they were workers who were forever trapped in this pyramid and were holding Ammit''s help. "Geuuu..." Originally, the dead don''t talk. The mummies stared nkly at Lim Do-gyun with empty pupils, then turned their heads bitterly. [Khehehe. Don''t worry too much. I''ve learned how to train just enough to not die anymore.] "It seems like that, but." Suho was very sorry and bought a healing potion at the store. And when the potion was poured into Lim Do-gyun''s mouth, who had be a super-dead sword, his pupils, which had disappeared from focus, slowly began to regain strength. "Ah... are you an angel...? The power ising back. Can I live?" I didn''t even have the spirit to wonder how Suho had this ability. "Suho, thank you..." [Ho-oh. The power has returned?] "Now wait a minute. No no... Really no..." At that moment, Lim Do-kyun looked at Su-ho with a desperate expression as Ammut lit up his eyes as if he had waited. Suho met his eyes and nodded silently. "If you haven''tpleted 10km yet, you should run." "You traitor!" training resumed. It was a little sorry for Lim Do-gyun, but Ammut''s training would definitely help him. ''Even if you can''t level up like me, it''s a good thing to do strength training to the limit.'' In fact, this was no different from Lim Do-gyun. It was impossible for ordinary hunters to grow through leveling up like Suho. However, that meant that it was impossible to grow the awakened ability, and everyone was doing mockbat training on how to use strength exercises and skills in battle. That was the reason Hunters wanted to join arge guild in the first ce. It was because therge guilds were systematically assisting the hunters'' training by recruiting coaches who had trained national level athletes at high cost. In that sense, Ammut''s rigid body training was actually a very good training method, even if it was very violent. In particr, if the ''Mummy''s Bandage'' and ''Healing Potion'', which forcefully move the body even when bones are broken and muscles are torn, were able to transform the human body to the limit. "Quaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah...!" Of course, I had to endure that much pain myself. [Rather than that, he is a disciple. Did the affairs of the demon realm go well?] Just then, Ammut looked back at Suho and asked how he was doing. Of course, I wouldn''t ask out of curiosity. Suho intuitively realized what words woulde out next. [If it''s all over, let''s start chi training today.] "...Just pretend to listen to the answer." Because this gym is so awful. Suho shook his head and stood next to Lim Do-gyun himself. [Gravity tripled.] "...!" Start daily quest. * * * Meanwhile, while Suho is on his way back to the Devil World. The outside world was noisy as well. "what?! Are you saying our Suho still hasn''t returned from the dungeon!" Jinho Yoo. Suho''s uncle and CEO of Ajinsoft couldn''t help but be surprised when he received the news that Suho, who had been attacking the dungeon, had not been heard from for several days. The secretary who ryed the fact to Yoo Jin-ho also had a serious expression. Because there were still more important facts left. "yes. Of course, it''smon for hunters to stay in dungeons for a long time, but this time it''s not trivial. It is said that after Seongsuho Hunter entered the Pyeongtaek Dungeon, the Hunters of the Hyeonmu Guild followed suit." "Hyeonmu Guild?!" Yoo Jin-ho couldn''t help but feel bad about the familiar name. "Couldn''t it be that there is a name called ''Lee Young-ho'' among the hunters who followed him?" "...That''s right, CEO. Hyunmu Guild''s Manager Lee Yeong-ho said that he who recently had a conflict with us brought his subordinates to the Pyeongtaek Guild..." " Damn it!" Jump! Yoo Jin-ho couldn''t help but stand up and pick up the phone. "I will hire mercenaries right away and go in to rescue Suho! Also, contact the Hyunmu Guild and ask where Manager Lee Young-ho is now!" "yes! All right!" Yoo Jin-ho was furious with the fact that Suho could be in danger. ''It''s my fault! I could never have thought that Manager Lee Yeong-ho would take his anger out on Su-ho for what went wrong this time!'' It was a mistake that no one thought that even the hunters would cross the line this far. However, if you look closely, it has only been two years since the profession of Hunter was created in this world. No matter how diligently the Hunter Association made the Hunter Act and set their guidelines for action, it was unreasonable to correct the appearance of the rampaging gangsters who suddenly had supernatural powers. ''I forgot for a moment that there is a difference between Hunter and Viin in the end!'' Intoxicated with superhuman strength, there were countless hunters who evaded thew and fulfilled their desires. Bondi humans are greedy and selfish animals. Even before the cataclysm, isn''t it human nature tomit all sorts of evil deeds if you have a lot of money? "CEO! I have contacted the Hyunmu Guild! By the way..." Just in time, the secretary delivered new news to Yoo Jin-ho. "Hyunmu Guild Manager Lee Yeong-ho also entered the dungeon and lost contact for several days." "what?" It was Yoo Jin-ho who felt something strange at those words. ording to the information, the 3rd dungeon in Pyeongtaek where Suho entered was not a very difficult ce. In the first ce, wasn''t it a ce where I was going to stop by lightly to build a career to create a guild of guardians? In such a ce, the Hyeonmu Guild, which was said to have followed immediately after the Witchbeasts, must have been a much more dangerous existence. If Suho''s attacking party had shed with them, it would have been time to finish the match by now. "Connect with the Hyunmu Guild right away. I will call you directly." Yoo Jin-ho took over the phone with a scary expression. The secretary, who watched the sudden momentum from the side, got goosebumps. ''It''s been a while since the CEO has been so angry...'' The secretary who had been aiding him for a long time remembered exactly when the moment he showed himself like this. Just a few years ago, when Seong Soo-ho''s parents suddenly went missing. Even then, Yoo Jin-ho was extremely angry and his eyes were turned upside down. And Yoo Jin-ho at a time like this... ''No one can stop him.'' chuck. Just then, the phone that Jinho Yu was holding connected to the Hyunmu Guild. ¨C I got a call. I am the Head of the Hyeonmu Guild... "Change the guild leader right now." ¨C Yes Yes? A look of bewilderment returned to the phone over the phone because of the thick murderousness in Yoo Jin-ho''s voice. However, Yoo Jin-ho had no intention of conversing with the general manager. Yu Jin-ho summoned the guild leader of the Hyeonmu Guild, growling ferociously like a beast that had lost its family. And the head of the Hyeonmu Guild, who knew who Jinho Yu was, did not dare to go against his words. -I''ll connect you to the guild leader... Yoo Jin-ho asked his secretary, who was standing beside him at the same time, at a loss for what to do. "Have the mercenaries been recruited?" "yes. But since we''re trying to recruit talented mercenaries, reservations have already been made..." "Tell me to double or triple the pay. Now we fight for the vige..." It was then. again long. A text from Suho arrived on Yoo Jin-ho''s cell phone. -What should I do with Uncle? This dungeon took a little longer, so the next dungeons I reserved were dyed a little... Chapter 106 - 106

Chapter 106:

"Huh? Su-ho!" At that moment, Yoo Jin-ho''s expression, which had been cold and hardened, melted in one blow. Yoo Jin-ho immediately grabbed the phone and shouted urgently. "Suho! where are you now pick up the phone! phone call!" "Dae-representative. You have to press the call button first..." The secretary let out a sigh of relief when he returned to his normal state. * * * "...why is Uncle calling all of a sudden?" Suho, who was taking a break after safely (?) getting out of the Pyeongtaek Dungeon, was confused when he received a sudden phone call from his uncle. I only sent one text message for trivial paperwork, so this was a problem usually dealt with on the secretary line. By the way, are you getting a call all of a sudden? ¨C Hmmm. Are you Suho? Is the Hunter job worth doing? There was no such thing as a special ident...? "...?" However, when I answered the phone, a very calm, adult, and serious voice came from the other side. "Your uncle. There were minor problems, but somehow they managed toe out well." -Ah, it was a minor problem, right? hmm. yes very fortunate "...?" Howe your tone is a bit awkward, is it because of your mood? "Isn''t there something wrong with your uncle?" -haha. I? heh heh heh what could happen to me? I am unharmed "...Safe?" Suho, who couldn''t guess the situation, was just confused. It must have been a no-nonsense phone call. However, Yu Jin-ho, who was checking on Suho''s safety again, sneakily added a word before hanging up the phone. -Probably, the Hyunmu Guild will contact you sooner orter. I''ll listen to pretty much anything, so try to negotiate well. As soon as the phone call with Yoo Jin-ho ended, I got a call from the Hyunmu Guild almost at the same time. And as soon as I pressed the call button, an unknown person screamed loudly. -I''m really sorry, Hunter Seongsuho! "...hmm?" It was only then that the face of Chief Lee Yeong-ho, whom he met right before entering the demon world, came to Suho''s mind. ''Ah, Ipletely forgot. Didn''t that man fight with me and get killed by demons?'' It was Suho who hadpletely forgotten about Lee Yeong-ho because the battle in the demon realm had been a bit long. The manager of the Hyeonmu Guild who even dragged the 2nd Army Hunters who were threatening to interfere with him. Suho remembered him with a vague expression. ''I used it sparingly as a shadow soldier. Thanks to that, the demons were also handled well. I wonder if he has gone to a good ce now...'' It was Suho who prayed for a moment of peace for Chief Lee Young-ho, who was killed by the devil and became a shadow soldier, but now returned to nothing. However, I don''t know what he heard from Yu Jin-ho, but the Hyunmu Guild had been unconditionally apologizing without any exnation. -If you''re not rude, we''d like to visit you personally for a while and apologize formally. Would that be okay? "Meet you?" At that time, Lim Do-kyun, who had been eavesdropping on Suho''s phone call with his ears pricked up next to him, blinked his eyes and nodded furiously. ''must! meet! Meet me!'' Nod nod! "...That''s right." Suho couldn''t help but nod his head at the tremendous pressure. * * * "I am so sorry!" He was the head of the Hyunmu Guild, bending 90 degrees in front of Suho and Lim Do-gyun. "It is our staff''s fault, but it is the responsibility of our Hyunmu Guild for not properly managing our staff! I''m really sorry, Hunter Seongsuho!" "Hmm. Is a mere verbal apology worthwhile?" In front of him, Lim Do-gyun was crossing his legs in a most arrogant posture. And as if to leave this to him, he winked hard at Suho with a wink. Suho just smiled dejectedly. However, even if he looked so clumsy, Lim Do-kyun was an elite in his own way. He was Suho''s direct senior who graduated from Korea University''s Department of Painting, the best art school in Korea, at the top of his ss. that means that. ''It means that the nunchi skill is at the highest level.'' Being a teaching assistant was a job where I had to deal with high-ranking professors. At the same time, as a middle manager who was good at dealing with subordinates, that is, students, it was a very difficult job to survive while being hit up and down. However... the head of the Hyeonmu Guild in front of them was also a high-ranking person whom Lim Do-gyun would not normally dare to meet. ''But now you''ve be our precious Eul. Hehehe.'' Seeing Lim Do-gyun rubbing his hands together and smiling slyly, the Head of the Hyeonmu Guild turned pale. ''...This won''t be easy.'' Lim Do-gyun backed by CEO Yoo Jin-ho. He was exuding the aura of a warrior who had gone through a reversal under the protection of the president, or the highest school president. "Come on, Chief. Do you admit that the third dungeon in Pyeongtaek is the dungeon we reserved first?" "...yes." "Then do you admit that the rge guild'' Hyeonmu Guild unterally tried to take it away from small hunters like us?" "I don''t know the exact circumstances, but it must have been some kind of procedural error..." " Ah, yes. There may have been a mistake. So I got the video recorded on the CCTV in front of the Pyeongtaek Dungeon." "...." Looking at the head of the Hyeonmu Guild who shuddered at those words, Lim Do-gyun smiled the most wickedly. "Shall we watch this video first and continue talking?" "..." Looking at Lim Do-gyun''s eyes, as if he was resentful of evil, the head of the Hyeonmu Guild already sensed defeat. ''I''m going to rip it hard. What kind of harm did this guy get from Manager Lee Young-ho, so he lost his eyes?'' But he won''t even know. In fact, it was Ammut, not Manager Lee Young-ho, who harmed Lim Do-gyun just a moment ago. Lim Do-gyun thought sincerely. If it wasn''t for Manager Lee Young-ho, he wouldn''t have met Ammut. However, there was nothing special about the CCTV footage that Lim Do-kyun showed. It was just that the two of them had a minor quarrel in front of the dungeon. After checking the video to the end with a lot of tension, the general manager''splexion suddenly turned bright. ''Hey what is this? CEO Jin-ho Yoo even stepped in to do just this? Anyway, that nobleman''s disobedience is really serious.'' He let out a sigh of relief, saying that this could be solved with just a few pennies. But just then, Ber, who had been on an errand for Suho, arrived. [Little Lord, I brought out the corpses you said.] "...!" What Ber dragged along was none other than the corpses of Manager Lee Young-ho and his gang. It was kept in the Shadow Dungeon in case it would be useful. Bodies that looked like they had been attacked by demons. The general manager of the Hyeonmu Guild, who confirmed the fact at a nce, turned pale. "No, these people aren''t just Hunters who will die in the Pyeongtaek Dungeon, so how could this happen...!" "Of course, this would not have been the case under normal circumstances. Unfortunately, during the raid on us, we were attacked by demon beasts." "..." * * * Starting with the results, Suho and Lim Do-gyun firmly ripped off the damagepensation for the tyranny of the Hyunmu Guild. reward money? That, of course, was taken for granted, and he received even more important things than money. it''s a career. For Suho to establish a guild, what was more important than money was the dungeon. Suho, Lim Do-gyun, and Esil were close to the rookie mercenary group, which is currently maintained with only three hunters. So, finding a dungeon to attack in order to build a career was the most difficult thing. Of course, if you tried to join another raid, it was possible, but that was a problem as it was. It was because if Suho moved along with the pace of the other hunters, the level-up efficiency would note out, and it would take longer to clear the dungeon. However, the Hyunmu Guild helped with that. No, rather than helping, the expression that I was robbed unterally was more appropriate. "...We''ll share about 10 of our dungeons. Of course, each dungeon is not great, but it will be enough for careers to create a guild." "The manager is really a good person. Are you an angel?" ''Then you''re the devil, you b*stard.'' He was the general manager of the Hyunmu Guild who wanted to spit on Lim Do-gyun''s brightly smiling face. He was a guy I really didn''t want to mess with again. ''ha. You really got a good bite.'' He gnashed his teeth inside. Anyway, all of this was the fault of Manager Lee Young-ho. I don''t know how much damage the guild suffered because of that idiot. It''s not just a matter of money, but if you count the fact that you and CEO Jin-ho Yoo have suffered because of this incident, you have suffered an astronomical loss. ''Yes, let''s think of it as an investment anyway.'' The Head of the Hyeonmu Guild changed his mind. Anyway, idents can happen anytime, anywhere, and after all, isn''t the important thing to do? Since they activelypensated for the damages to this extent, CEO Jin-ho Yoo must have felt relieved a little bit. ''okay. Let''s use this incident as an opportunity to request that our guild be included in the level up project once again.'' Thinking so, the head of the headquarters talked to Suho indirectly after he finished organizing the damagepensation. "I am really sorry about this. Even if it is notpensation for damage this time, we n to help Hunter Seongsuho in the future. Contact us anytime. Oh, and hopefully... Talk to my uncle well..." It was then. "Chief Bo! It''s a big deal!" ''Oh what else.'' Just as he was about to bring up the most important topic, he was suddenly called by a subordinate in a hurry. He endured his frown and asked for Suho''s understanding for a moment. "sorry. My staff is a bit inconsistent. What the hell are you making a fuss about?" However, even though the boss at work was very angry and red at him, the employee of the Hyunmu Guild showed him the screen of the phone he was holding. "Look at this article. It is said that this person has just arrived in Korea!" "Who the hell ising? ...uh?" After checking the picture of the Inte news he was holding out, the general manager opened his eyes wide and hurriedly epted his phone. Suho and Lim Do-kyun, who became curious at the same time, nced at the cell phone screen and soon saw very provocative headlines. -Goliath! arrived in Korea! ¨C Why is the scavenger guild''s guild leader in Korea? -Grey-haired old Goliath! A white-haired old man. In the photo, a muscr old man with white hair resembling a lion''s mane was walking out of Incheon International Airport, wearing sunsses. Among the Hunters, there is no one who does not know this old man''s name. "Thomas Andre?!" "Why did this person suddenlye to Korea?" A group of idents that bring issues everywhere they go came to Korea. Chapter 107 - 107

Chapter 107:

Thomas Andre. He was the master of America''s representativerge guild, the Scavenger Guild. Despite being an old man in his 70s, he was a world-ss star who was active as an S-ss hunter. The reason why he bothered to describe him as a ''star'' was because he was a celebrity who had already achieved so much even before he awakened as a hunter. ''Devil in the ring'' Thomas Andre was the strongest UFC fighter that no one dared to match even before his awakening. A time when there was no such thing as magical powers or monsters on Earth. Since he was in his 20s, he had already been an MMA fighter who had won the title of ''humanity''s strongest'' with his pure force. Numerous challengers challenged his stronghold, but none could surpass him. In the end, he tried to retire without experiencing a single defeat.... God did not allow his retirement. After Cataclysm. Thomas Andre, who was spending his old age leisurely drinking coffee with a friend, woke up before anyone else. As an S-ss Hunter. And, revealing his overwhelming force to the world, he began catching and killing the monsters that appeared in the United States like rats. ''Ha ha ha ha! This is real power! How weak I was before!'' From then on, he had his second heyday. It was then that his nickname of ''The Devil in the Ring'' was reced by a new nickname, ''Goliath''. He was able to perfectly control his highly developed body even before he had magical powers, so it was very easy for him to adapt to his awakened ability. ''That''s easy! easy! Doesn''t this feel like I''ve regained the power that originally belonged to me!'' He showed his strength to the fullest, like a fish in water. In the meantime, he realized how narrow the square ring he was confined to was. When fighting people, I couldn''t bear to tear them to death, but I could tear the beasts apart as much as I wanted. In addition, the former bes a murderer and is criticized by everyone, but thetter receives praise and gratitude from people even if theymit as much as they like. What a wonderful world! ''Ha ha ha! Where is the magic beast again! Hahahaha!'' ...Anyone who saw him brutally killing beasts with his bare hands, even through video media, would leave simr reviews. -and. I don''t know who the devil is. ¨C Rather, the beasts look pitiful? -Please stop hating the beasts ?? -What if the beasts be extinct because of Thomas? -L?? -Isn''t it necessary to create a beast protection group? S-ss hunters are quite rare, but there are still a lot of them worldwide. And each of them possessed an overwhelming force no less than that of Thomas Andre. However, it was impossible topete for supremacy between S-ss hunters because they did not have to fight each other. However, when someone said that Thomas Andre was the strongest hunter, no one dared to disagree. And the organization created around him was the ''Scavenger Guild''. The only thing the Scavenger Guild revere is power. As a result, most of the hunters who gathered in the scavenger guild were also radical, and these days, the United States was rather struggling because of their tyranny. ''...To think that the head of such a guild would suddenly visit Korea.'' After confirming the news, the head of the Hyeonmu Guild swallowed dryly. It was not easy for a person who was usually an S-ss hunter to visit a foreign country unless there was a special purpose. The reason was simple. because it''s dangerous They are literally walkingbat weapons. It was because they were dangerous people who could overthrow even one city in an instant if they wanted to. Especially, Thomas Andre was by far the most dangerous person among them. "What the hell is going on? Why did Thomas Andree to Korea?" "It seems like reporters are doing interviews in real time, but they are just saying things that I don''t know what they mean." "You don''t know? What the hell are you talking about?" The employee of the Hyunmu Guild, who was skimming through the interviews uploaded in real time at the urging of the headquarters, opened his mouth with his eyes fixed on his cell phone. "...prophecy." "huh?" "You said you came because of the prophecy?" "prophecy? Suddenly what..." I flinched. At that moment, Suho, who was listening to their conversation from the side, subtly hardened his expression. ''for a moment. Maybe it''s the scavenger guild?'' There was a moment that shed through my mind. The Scavenger Guild and the Prophecy. Just in time, Verdo popped out of the shadows and looked at Suho. [Little lord, it seems that the guys I met at the pyramidst time also said something simr.] "...I can''t believe it?" Ver did drive a wedge into Suho, who had a shy expression on his face. [I''m sorry, but do you remember the proverb that you can''t help but catch people? When I was young, when I was studying proverbs, I remember teaching me...] "..." It was then. "Ah, I found it. Broadcast live!" Coincidentally, Lim Do-gyun found and yed the personal broadcasts of YouTubers at the airport. Just in time, Thomas Andre was answering the reporters'' questions in the video. A white-haired old man. The rugged, muscr old man lifted up the sunsses he was wearing, stared straight at the approaching screen, and opened his mouth. -Yes. I came because of the prophecy. "what? Do you speak Korean?" Curiously, as a native American, he was fluent in Korean. ¨C Hehe. what is the prophecy? Could I possibly tell you that with my bare mouth? Even his pronunciation was very Korean-like. As if you have been practicing for a long time. Thomas Andre said with a sly grin. -Anyway, the prophecy is over, and now I''m going to find the messenger of death who killed my guild members. messenger of death? Death Tiger? Is it correct to use this word in this case? Umm... "...." Suho was convinced the moment he heard hisst words. ''It''s me.'' [It''s a small monarch.] ''....'' [....] While everyone was watching Thomas Andre''s video with interest, only Suho made eye contact with Ver and nodded with an awkward expression. This was... no excuses. Manager Lee Young-ho would rather have died at the hands of demons because it was certain that Suho had killed the hunters from the scavenger guild who fought in the Pyramid of Ammut. ''Of course, that side attacked me first, but.'' [It''s okay to be like that. More than that, it seems that the evidence was destroyed, but this was discovered. ah! Could it be that the Asura Guild, who saved me then, opened its mouth? I should have killed him then...] ''Rather than that, I''m a bit concerned about the prophecy.'' If it had been Suho not too long ago, he would not have believed in a prophecy that catches floating clouds as superstition. However, once he realized that his father was a divine being, he could not pass away even something shamanistic like a prophecy. Not to mention, Thomas Andre, the strongest S-ss hunter, couldn''t havee to Korea after seeing today''s horoscope. ''If that prophecy then...'' Suho recalled the ''prophecy'' he had heard in Egypt. -Sooner orter, life born from death will awaken from its seal. And that power will raise the dead. ''I think it was said to be a prophecy of some fortune teller, but now that I think about it again, it seems to be referring to me.'' At that time, it was the scavenger guild that came to the pyramid after hearing the prophecy, so there was a high probability that the prophecy mentioned by guild leader Thomas Andre was simr. that means eventually. ''hmm. It''s me too.'' [What are you going to do? If he really came to visit the little lord...] Ver looked at Suho with a concerned expression. However, Suho only shrugged his shoulders with a shameless expression. "Ah what. What would he do without proof? I brought the entire pyramid." [Kieek?] "Let''s just insist that we didn''t do it." Ber thought. It seems that Sogunju-nim has matured a lottely. It was Ver who nodded happily, saying that he seems to be gradually bing more like his father. * * * "Huh? How dare you block my way?" As soon as Thomas Andre came out of the airport, he saw the Korean association hunters who stood in his way and smiled with interest. His expression was like a bad boy contemting how to disassemble this toy, and the association hunters who faced him shuddered. "Thomas Andre''s sudden visit is against internationalw." Team leader Han Jae-hyeok, who had led the association''s hunters, stepped forward, suppressing his fear. "hmm. Are you the captain here?" As the shadow of Thomas Andre was cast over Team Leader Han Jae-hyeok''s face, Team Leader Han Jae-hyeok gritted his teeth with a determined expression. ''...My life ends here.'' Seeing Goliath, the worst S-ss hunter in history, up close, the pressure was no joke. As if on purpose, the suffocating energy that radiated from Thomas Andre''s body was weighing heavily on team leader Han Jae-hyeok. At that time, Thomas Andre''s female secretary sighed lightly next to him and opened her mouth. "Thomas, y around with that, and since you''re tired, let''s go find a ce to stay." As soon as the female secretary finished talking, the pressure that had been weighing down team leader Han Jae-hyeok disappeared like a lie. ''omg.'' Team leader Han Jae-hyeok, who almost copsed on the spot when his legs gave out at the moment, kept his eyes on Thomas Andre, who was chatting with the female secretary out of breath. "Ew? Aren''t I tired yet?" "I am tired. It seems like you keep forgetting, but I''m not an Awakener like you." "aha! Yes, our Laura shouldn''t be tired. Let''s go to the hotel and adjust to the jetg." Thomas Andre burst intoughter at the bitter remarks of his female secretary, Laura, who had already been apanying him for 30 years, and strode past the association hunters. "Wait a minute! Thomas Andre! Stand there!" Thomas Andre, who had been walking forward at the cry of team leader Han Jae-hyeok, who urgently called him from behind, looked back and smiled. "You know what? No one has ever dared to stand in my way in my life." Creepy. A ferocious force that could only be felt from a giant monster began to radiate from his body again. "Thomas." At that moment, Laura''s voice stopped him from behind again. However, this time, Thomas Andre''s runaway could not be stopped. He warned the association hunters with the most ferocious momentum. "Can you hear me? If I say go, I go. If you want to stop me, bring at least S-ss hunters from your country, not yours." "Thomas." oh oh oh! The airport was shaking as if it were about to copse due to the terrible energy he emitted. "Thomas." "Stop it, Laura. No matter how you are..." "I got a taxi." "Oh already?" At that moment, the air in the airport instantly became lighter, as if all the fears had been lies. The people who were weighed down by the fear suddenly came to their senses and turned their eyes to Thomas Andre. "Oh, it''s narrow." He was trying hard to cram his huge body into a taxi. Chapter 108 - 108

Chapter 108:

"Korean taxis are too small." "Thomas America is the same size as a taxi." "aha. okay? Well, I must have taken a taxi before." Thomas Andre forced his colossal body into the back seat of the cab and talked to Laura in the front seat. "But is the hotel still far away?" "I have to go a long way. I heard you want to stay at the best hotel in Korea." "I didn''t know it would be this far." Listening to their conversation, the taxi driver quietly broke into a cold sweat in front of them. ''I''m scared to death. I burned it for no reason.'' I can''t believe this foreigner is the famous Thomas Andreil. It''s not an exaggeration at all, it was clear that the moment he stretched even a little, this taxi would be crumpled like a sheet of paper. "Oh, ufortable. Shouldn''t you have waited a little longer and got a bigger car?" ''Hey...! Why are you so blocked today! hurry! hurry!'' Every time he wriggled behind him, the taxi driver''s spirit seemed to fly away. "...so Laura." Thomas'' eyes, crumpled in the back seat, suddenly became serious, and he brought up the main topic that had flown all the way to Korea. "Did you find out Seongsuho''s current location?" "I''m still inquiring, but it won''t be long." Even so, from the moment Laura got into the taxi, she kept looking at the work he had entrusted to her on her tablet PC. With cool blue eyes, she said while quickly skimming through the information sent by US employees on her tablet. "It is easy to find out the contact information of hunters in Korea. Because thend is so narrow, there is a saying that no matter where the hunters are, if they fall down, they are within reach." "When you fall down, your nose touches you. That''s an interesting expression." It was neither a proverb nor an exaggeration. Hunters with excellent physical abilities, especially Thomas Andre''s physical abilities, could be reached in an instant in a small country like Korea with just a little bit of running around. "By the way, Thomas. Is the character of the prophecy Seong Soo-ho right?" "That''s for sure. No matter how old you are, you are still not old enough to get dementia." "Of course I do not doubt him. But isn''t this prophecy too specificpared to the previous prophecies?" "Hehe. Not really. Maybe the old woman got better at prophesying as she got older? Originally, fortellers look more spiritual as they get older, don''t they?" Thomas smirked and remembered the face of Norma Selner, the prophetess who had sent him here. "Although she is in the same position as her, she is also really amazing. I would never have thought that he would be able to survive by waking up almost on the verge of death." "It is very fortunate. Thomas, your one and only friend almost passed away." "Wasn''t Laura my friend?" "I''m sorry. I am strictly business." In spite of Laura''s firm answer, Thomas only giggled as if he was having fun. tall. Just then, Laura''s eyes, which had been reading the numerous information on the tablet, stopped at one point. "I found it. Seongsuho Hunter." "oh? okay? What are you doing?" "Hmm. If this information is correct..." Thomas'' eyes shed as he found a delicious prey. However, Laura continued her exnation with a frown. "A C-ss summoner..." "what? Summoner? Besides, it''s only C-ss? It can''t be?" "Since the information was recently registered, there will be almost no errors. And you know That Korean horse power meters are quite good." "Is there a possibility that it is another hunter with the same name?" "Of course it is possible. It''s not like there aren''t people with the same name." "You will know that when you meet and check it in person. Or just give it a good night''s sleep ande back." Thomas Andre muttered with a smirk as if he were on his way to a delicious restaurant. ''But he''ll have to hit it anyway. If someone dares to make me walk in vain, honey chestnuts could get very sick.'' It was a trip that he startedst night impulsively, but this trip to Korea was very important to him. ''cier Dungeon.'' ording to Norma Selner''s prophecy, the help of Seong Su-ho, a Korean hunter, was essential to attack the ce. And Norma Selner, who always made confusing prophecies by writing examples and metaphors that seemed familiar and unknown, picked it up this time and told me the name ''Seong Su-ho''. This was by no means something to be ignored. Especially to Thomas Andre, who has been friends with her for decades. ''It''s Korea.'' He was soaked in reminiscence while admiring the scenery of Korea passing by outside the taxi. It was definitely the first time I came to Korea in my life. However, the reason why fluent Korean was flowing out of his mouth from a while ago. It was because of a word that Norma Selner had suddenly suggested to him a long time ago. -Thomas. I feel very free now that I am retired. How about learning Korean at least during this time? -korean? what is that? -There is a country called Korea in East Asia. It''s thenguage there. ¨C Why do I have to learn thenguage of that country all of a sudden when I''m old? -Once you cook it, it mighte in handyter. ¨C Holy shit. If grandma says something like that, if you don''t learn it, you''ll be in big trouble. It was from then. He started learning Korean without knowing English. Norma Selner was a famous prophet even before her awakening. Of course, he announced his retirement, saying that his ability to predict had disappeared a long time ago, but nevertheless, he was a celebrity who asionally came to ask for advice from political and business figures whenever there was an important matter. If such a person said, ''Learn Korean!'' without context, there was no choice but to learn Korean diligently, even if it was embarrassing. ''Thenter, I becamepletely immersed in Korean dramas.'' Thomas had been thinking about it for a while. ''Maybe the old woman told me to watch a drama because I was retiring and looked so bored. Or that I first saw my future living in Korean dramas.'' It was Thomas who, until recently, had only thought about Korea that much. However, since she came all the way to Korea in search of a hunter named Seong Soo-ho, she was secretly thinking that maybe this is the future Norma Selner saw. "Hmm. It''s Korea..." I can''t. My body is itching, I can''t stand it. Thomas Andre''s expression, which had been lost in thought, suddenly changed. "Laura. I''m really sorry, but let''s meet him first before we go to the hotel." "What do you mean?" "uh? are you okay? Are not you tired?" "Of course I am tired. It''s be quite gentlemanly to ask out of courtesy when you''re going to do whatever you want anyway." "Awesome! I never thought I would hear suchpliments from Laura!" "It''s an insult. Anyway, I already found the address of Seongsuho, so please go there." * * * [...Little Lord.] Ver''s expression was more tense than ever. On the other hand, Suho was just ridiculous. "No, do I really have to move? Why are foreignersing to your house now?" [I''m sorry, but it seems that the master''s personal information is now public property.] Ku-gu-gu-gu-gu...! A huge energy was running in a straight line towards Suho, who was resting at home for a long time. At first, I thought it was a dungeon break. Or at least I thought that a monster like the Minotaur woulde running. But it was a person. foreigner too. Coincidentally, the famous S-ss hunter I saw on the news during the day was rushing towards this side with great honesty. Kwajik! Kwajik! It was such an enormous nuisance that the sidewalk blocks copsed with a wobble whenever his legs stepped off the ground. Suho sighed and greeted him outside the house. There was no doubt that his target was himself as he ran so tantly with energy. "Oh what. Could it be that you came to meet me?" Eventually, Thomas Andre arrived in front of Suho. "..." Suho just lifted his head and looked up at his face with a curious expression. How could a gray-haired grandfather be so muscr? The big old man, who looked at least two inches taller than Suho, had bulging muscles all over his body, vividly exuding his presence. ''With this level, I''ll be able to beat the Minotaur without magic.'' Suho reflected for a moment. I felt quite strong after leveling up recently, but like Ver''s expression, I seriously considered whether I was still at the level of an antrva. Thomas Andre lightly put Laura, a middle-aged female secretary who had been carrying it around his side with his big forearm, and asked Suho directly. "Are you Seongsuho?" "..." Wow, this foreign grandfather speaks Korean well. If Ammut was a human, it would have felt like this. "What is it that I was so scared that my mouth froze? Most do, though." As Suho didn''t answer and just stared nkly at him, Thomas Andre smiled and showed his teeth in earnest. Whoaaaagh! At that moment, tremendous spection erupted from his whole body and began to press Suho. "Still, you''ll have to squeeze in an answer. If you don''t want to die." No, it''s all like this? Is there any grandfather who does not have such a case? Suho was dumbfounded and looked at him nkly. "For now, I''m Seong Soo-ho, but... What kind of business does the old man have for me toe to see me at such an ambitious night?" "...what? old man?" Thomas'' expression crumpled at Suho''s words. Because I studied Korean diligently, the meaning was automatically tranted in my head. old man Old Man. "Ha ha ha! Have you ever seen such a cheeky b*stard! Laura! did you hear How dare this cocky b*stard call me an old man?" "What." no that''s how it works? Suho was genuinely perplexed. But in fact, no cowardly man dared to tell Goliath Thomas Andre that he was old. "OK. I will personally confirm that you are really the holy guardian of the prophecy." Thomas took control of the entire area, spewing out even greater spection than just a moment ago. Coo cooo coo...! Kwajik! Kwajik! At the same time, an ignorant energy oppressed the space, and the ground they were standing on began to crack as if an earthquake had struck. Knowing that this would happen, Laura, who had been far away early, was shaking her head as if she couldn''t stop it. In this ignorant gravitational field like a natural disaster, Suho is... coo-goo-goo-goo! "hmm?" For a moment Thomas Andre felt a chill. How can a mere C-ss hunter... stand still, enduring his own magic field? Chapter 109 - 109

Chapter 109:

Ku-gu-gu-gu-gu! "...ha." Suho, who was under the weight of an enormous magical field, was not taken aback or scared, but rather sighed. ''There was another human like Ammut here.'' Whether it''s the size or the age. He couldn''t understand why the old men he encountered were all so tough. "What is it? Can you stand this?" Thomas Andre was genuinely perplexed. ording to Laura''s information, Suho was only a C-ss hunter. And the energy you feel when you see Suho right in front of you is B-level, no matter how high you put it. But what kind of situation is this? Even if he didn''t really exert his strength, it was a magical field that could crush at least one guy like this. But how? ''How can I bear this?'' But there was a fact he hadn''t guessed at all. Hunters aren''t all about magical power. Didn''t even Thomas Andre himself possess a highly developed physical ability that was already called the strongest of mankind even before awakening? When the overwhelming physical power was apanied by magic, the synergy was indescribable. But that... was the same for Suho. oh oh oh! Hunter''s rank is determined by the amount of magical power possessed. And obviously, Suho''s magic power was rtively lowpared to Thomas''. But as far as strength goes... [Strength: 115] ''It''s not like I''ve been trained in vain.'' A confident smile appeared on Suho''s lips as he took Thomas Andre''s magic field head-on. Daily Quest. rigid body training. With this alone, Suho was steadily receiving 3 stat points a day. And all of that was based only on strength stats. The results were being disyed right now, at this very moment. ''I''m familiar with the gravitational field!'' "her? Smile?" When Thomas saw Suho''s rxed expression, sparks flew in Thomas'' eyes. "You dare tough in front of me?" Whoop! At that moment, ''sincerity'' began to enter the energy that was radiating from Thomas. Then, Suho''s expression began to harden little by little and he said, "He changed his mind." Thomas went beyond simply fighting the g and reached out to grab Suho''s neck with his huge hand. "Even if you are the child of the prophecy, I will first organize the ranks and lead you." Whoa! At this point, Suho had to make a decision. will you fight or retreat However, Suho had already made a decision from the beginning. ''Of course I have to fight.'' Suho brightened his eyes with curiosity and began to raise his energy in earnest. ''I got a chance to fight an S-ss Hunter.'' It was just what I was curious about. Apostle of Itarim. It''s not Itarim, it''s just one of their henchmen, and after struggling so hard, I narrowly won. It shouldn''t be like this. I just couldn''t stop at that point. In order to ultimately reach the ce where my father is. In order to stand proudly by my father''s side and wage war against Itarim! ''Shouldn''t I at least be the strongest among humans?'' If it''s only to the point of being defeated by a human, then you don''t even have the right to set foot on the battlefield where your father is standing anyway. So I was curious. From the moment I learned that Thomas Andre, an S-ss hunter who was nicknamed the strongest of mankind, came to Korea. ''How strong is the S ss?'' That thought didn''t leave my head. But what kind of windfall is this toe from the other side first! Kwak! Just like that, Suho held the hands of Thomas Andre who was approaching. The tremendous grip you feel at that moment! "What?" For a moment, I saw Thomas Andre''s expression with his eyebrows raised in interest. In an unexpected situation, the corner of his mouth twitched and went up. "Are you serious? Are you sure you want to fight with me right now?" It was really absurd. The reason why Thomas visited Korea in the first ce was not because he thought highly of Suho, but because of Norma Selner''s prophecy. ''I came all the way here to try to attack the cier Dungeon.'' The cier Dungeon was a demonic realm that even the scavenger guild couldn''t readily challenge. As the name suggests, it was a very difficult environment to endure just by entering the dungeon covered in extreme cold. Even because of the presence of powerful magic beasts, many hunters have set foot there but have not been able to return. In fact, there was a hunter who used strength in the scavenger guild, but there was also a case where he led his subordinates confidently, saying that the cold was nothing, and then returned after suffering a lot and just before freezing to death. Norma Selner prophesied that a Korean hunter named Seong Su-ho would be helpful in clearing the dungeon that even the scavenger guild had not been able to clear. Right after that, Thomas Andre decided to go to Korea. But to my dismay, when I arrived in Korea, I saw that the Seongsuho in the prophecy was only a C-level summoner. ''I dared to look funny to such a guy. Just kill me?'' To begin with, Thomas Andre had never experienced a situation in his life where he had to ask someone for a favor like this. If you want something, you just order and direct. So now he was seriously thinking about it. If I pull this ridiculous guy''s arms off his shoulders, will Korean healers be able to fix it? Or tearing all limbs apart... "Thomas! Calm down!" Laura, who felt that the situation was not serious from afar, heard a voice urgently dissuading him. "Thomas! You don''t intend to kill him, do you? Don''t forget our purpose!" ...But when he felt like this, no one could stop Thomas. No matter how old he is, he is truly a viin on the battlefield. Because there was no history of sending a child who dared to show off his strength in front of him alive. Rather, he gave more strength to the arms that held Suho''s hands. "Don''t worry Laura. What a wonderful world these days are! No matter how broken I am, the healers will save me! Ha ha ha!" His forearms swelled up as he let out a ferociousugh. However, the problem was that Suho, who confronted him, also showed it with an extremely ferocious expression. ''Come as much as you like!'' [The strength skill alleviates the pain.] [The strength skill alleviates the pain.] .... Every time I practiced rigid physical training, the bones in my body were broken and shattered, so this level of pain was a daily urrence. Ammut always emphasized. Even in such pain, drawing out the power of the whole body is a true warrior. The master and the disciple. Suho could now wholeheartedly agree with Ammut''s words. Numerous mad blooded demons he encountered in the demon realm. They had already spread the photohemorrhagic poison all over their bodies, so just being alive was painful. Even in the midst of the pain, they were warriors who burned their will to fight with only one thought to kill and eat their opponents. Isn''t Suho himself the one who killed all those demons and survived until now? ''If the opponent only attacks by force, there is a good chance!'' Suho sincerely intended to win the contest of strength against Thomas Andre. "Kwaaaaaaaaa!" "Ha ha ha ha ha!" Kwah Kwah Kwah Kwah Kwah! As the energy of Suho and Thomas Andre shed in earnest, a typhoon of tremendous magical power raged in all directions centered on the two. Everything in sight began to shatter. "Thomas! Thomas! stop it!" Even in the midst of this, Laura''s voice desperately trying to stop Thomas resonated like an echo. But then. ...Kick! There was a ck sedan that just arrived here. The door opened and the person who stepped out was none other than Yoo Jin-ho. "Whoa. Fortunately, it''s not toote." Quickly grasping the situation, he checked the safety of Suho, who was in confrontation with Thomas Andre, and wiped his heart. Yu Jin-ho, who had been checking Suho''s situation in real time because of the Hyunmu Guild today. He received word from his secretary a while ago that Thomas Andre, an S-rank hunter who had visited Korea today, was heading towards Suho''s house. ''If I hadn''t had memories of my previous life, I would have passed it on unintentionally.'' Yu Jin-ho was a person whose memories of the now forgotten time period had returned, and he clearly remembered what kind of person Thomas Andre was. And it was... never a good memory that I''m afraid to even think about. -Ahhh...! The only thing he did in that memory was to struggle in pain and let out a scream. ''I never thought I''d encounter the scavenger guild like this again.'' It was a shock. No matter how old he became, Thomas Andre was still Thomas Andre. Yu Jin-ho could find himself feeling a surge of fear just by looking at his face. Of course, even in his memories of the past, Thomas had never directly harmed him. However, he was captured by the Hunters of the Scavenger Guild, who were his subordinates, and was tortured until he died. And I remembered exactly why. ''...At the time, I was my older brother''s only weakness.'' Recalling himself who was so helpless at the time, Jinho Yoo gritted his teeth. And the moment I heard the news that the scavenger guild hade to Korea again. Yoo Jin-ho had no choice but to order his staff to find out and report his every move in real time. Because I was afraid. The Thomas Andre he remembers was a man who didn''t know where to go. If the self at that time was Sung Jin-woo''s only weakness. ''...Because Suho became that kind of person this time.'' I had no intention of taking any more time. I don''t know what purpose Thomas came to Suho, but there was only one way to solve this situation. Yoo Jin-ho immediately recognized his secretary, Laura, and quickly approached her. And standing next to him, with an extremely serious expression, stopped this contextless g fight. "Thomas Andre." Yoo Jin-ho called his name clearly in a calm and respectful tone. Anyway, if you''re an S-ss hunter, you''ll be aware of everything happening around you even during this chaos, and your own voice will reach his ears anyway. "My name is Jinho Yoo. I am Yoo Jin-ho, CEO of Ajinsoft." Kwak Kwah Kwah Kwah! The whole world was shaking as if the world was about to change, but he just spoke his own words. "If I don''t step back right away, I have no choice but to use my hands." "...what?" wriggling Thomas, who was thoroughly focused only on Suho, reacted to those words for the first time. He already knew that a new person had approached nearby. However, the energy I can feel from Yoo Jin-ho is only D-ss. The cheeky guy in front of me is also not enough, so this time even that stupid fool dares to talk nonsense to himself. Thomas red at Yoo Jin-ho with an expression that was truly absurd. "What else are you? What is thepany president like? You were freaking out because you wanted to die." "Thomas! Stop it!" At that time, Laura, who was next to Yoo Jin-ho, shouted with a more serious expression than ever. "CEO Jinho Yoo is thergest shareholder of our guild!" "Oh, and you were such a great person?" At that moment, Thomas'' lifepletely disappeared. Chapter 110 - 110

Chapter 110:

Thomas Andre sat across from Suho with an embarrassed expression. And next to them were his secretary Laura and representative Yoo Jin-ho. "sorry. Unconditionally, Thomas is the fault of this human being. I ask for mercy." Ignoring Thomas, Laura was apologizing to Suho and Yu Jin-ho on behalf of him. In particr, he had no choice but to pray unconditionally to Yu Jin-ho, the major shareholder of the scavenger guild. "Stop talking about Thomas and apologize first." "Curm. No, but we are known as scavengers, but for just a few pennies..." " The moment our stock is cut in half because of CEO Jinho Yoo, I know that your ransom is also cut in half." "Adventure. I was a bit overdone, CEO Yoo." It was Thomas Andre, who hesitantly straightened up at Laura''s words and sat down. Even so, I didn''t forget to add a word. "Heh heh heh. This is all happening because I am not good at Korean, so let''s justugh and pass it on." "...For that matter, your pronunciation is really good. Even if you are Korean, I will believe you." "This is because I am such a fan of Korean dramas. I''ve been watching a lot of revengetely, so my Korean is a bit on the extreme side." "Thomas. Just apologize, just apologize." Laura let out a sigh and shook her head at the gesture of Thomas, who was giggling and trying to pass it off as a joke. Even so, the reason why I couldn''t help but notice Yoo Jin-ho was because Laura, who was the first toe to Korea, knew the value of the brand ''Ajin Soft'' very quickly. ''Azin Soft. A globalpany leading virtual reality games around the world.'' It is said that the hunter world and the game world arepletely separate businesses, but from the point of view ofpanies, in the end,rgepanies were bound to be intertwined in some way. In particr, the fact that Ajinsoft is preparing a game featuring hunters named ''Only I Level Up'' was a great amount of high-quality information that was secretly spread among entrepreneurs. Recently, information has been released to the public little by little, but in fact, few people know that Ajinsoft started nning the project from the moment the cataclysm urred. And as if proving that fact, CEO Jinho Yoo had already been steadily buying stocks ofrge guilds around the world since then. As if predicting in advance that the share price of hunter guilds would skyrocket the moment a virtual reality game featuring real hunters was released. ''CEO Jinho Yoo is truly a scary person. That they are making their own market and buying all rted stocks before the market is created. That''s not something anyone can do.'' Unlike Thomas Andre, who was only strong and immature, Laura was the one who knew the true face of CEO Jinho Yoo more than anyone else. So, I had no choice but to do my best in dealing with him. Anyway, thanks to that, the situation was resolved amicably, and Yoo Jin-ho let out a sigh of relief. "Whoa. I''ll get it right away. But why did Mr. Thomase to our Suho?" "Hmm. I will exin it myself." When the atmosphere seemed to be getting better, Thomas smiled and looked at Suho. "Seongsuho, we need your help." "No suddenly?" Suho looked at him with a genuinely absurd expression. Do you think someone who needs help wille and attack you like you''re going to kill them? ''Is your brain full of muscles? Or even senility.'' However, there was a part where Suho was stabbed right away to be angry with him over this. "okay. At first, I was going to drag it in moderation, but I never dreamed that it would be this difficult. I''m sorry anyway. apologize." "..." "Uh huh. I apologized, so let go of your anger, man. I''m not saying anything because you killed our guild members." Hearing those words, Suho flinched and almost lost his expression. But, on the outside, he maintained a shameless expression and responded to his words. "I don''t understand what you mean at all." "What are you talking about now? Our Suho has lived only in Korea all his life. How can a guy who has never been abroad im to have killed a scavenger guild member?" [Well done! Keep pushing!] It was Ver who was cheering Yoo Jin-ho hard in the shadows. "Hehe. Actually, that''s a very strange part for me, too." As if he knew it woulde out like that, Thomas grinned and leaned back in his chair with a rxed attitude. "Of course there is no evidence. no witnesses Not only the corpses of our guild members who went missing in the first ce, but even the pyramids that they said they went in to attack at will have disappeared." "CEO Jinho Yoo, we don''t have anything to argue for on this, so you can pretend you didn''t hear." Laura, who wasmenting next to me, raised her sses and said. "But I heard that the Asura Guild hunters who survived and returned from the pyramid submitted strange reports. He said he became acquainted with a Korean figure called Hunter Seong Su-ho." [I knew it would be like this! Little lord, I must rip their mouths apart!] Ber stood up from under the shadows in a huff. Suho stomped on the guy with his foot and talked casually. "I don''t know who it is, but it seems to be the same person." "Of course it could be, but that is fine. After all, the guild members who went missing there were always a nuisance that caused a lot of trouble." "okay. It doesn''t matter where or by whom those idiots were beaten. Of course, if I were in my prime, I wouldn''t let go of those who dared touch my property." Thomas rolled his eyes and gnashed his teeth. But he didn''t spew out a life so hastily as before. Rather, he muttered in a low voice mixed with a sigh, with a bitter expression on his face. "...because I have much more important things to do now." Thomas looked into Suho''s eyes and spoke in a serious tone. "Then you need to help me." "...what the hell are you asking for help with? I''m just a C-ss hunter." At this point, Suho also became curious. What on earth is it that an American S-ss hunter is asking for when hees to him in Korea? "It doesn''t matter if you''re C-ss or E-ss. Because Norma Selner''s prophecies have never been wrong." "Norma Selner? Could it be that the prophet prophesied about Suho?" The first to react to those words was Yoo Jin-ho. He was the only one of these four who had memories of his past life, so he knew better than anyone how important Norma Selner''s prophecy was. "okay. The old woman made a prophecy by picking out the Korean Seongsuho. Only this guy can help me." When he pointed out himself, Suho asked. "What kind of help do you mean?" "I don''t know. Because the grandmother''s prophecy ended there. But my grandmother told me to tell you this." "...?" "cier Dungeon. Maybe there you can find a clue about your mother." ...! Suho and Yoo Jin-ho, who suddenly heard words they couldn''t even imagine, opened their eyes at the same time. Even Ber, who was eavesdropping from below, couldn''t help but be astonished. [Kiehehehehe! A clue about Haein! Little lord! It''s a miracle! It''s a miracle!] ''Be quiet for a moment! Organize your thoughts.'' Suho''s mind suddenly felt like it waspletely messed up. does this make sense? The first words of an uninvited foreign guest who came from apletely unexpected ce are the actions of a mother who disappeared a few years ago. Yoo Jin-ho hurriedly looked at Suho. "Soo Suho! Norma Selner''s prophecies are to be believed! You may not know, but he is...!" [Even the small man knows! Once upon a time, my lord told me, that old woman was a prophet who even answered a prophecy about a war between the Shadow Legion and the Lords! I don''t know what a cier dungeon is, but this is one I absolutely must go to!] While Ber was rambling in the shadows like that. Thomas'' secretary, Laura, was persuading Suho with a serious face. "I can vouch for Norma Selner''s prophecy, as I heard it with him. He didn''t say more details, but he said that if you help us, it will definitely help the Seongsuho Hunter in some way." "...I''ll think about it for now." Suho managed to open his mouth while calming hisplicated mind for a moment. In response, Thomas chuckled and said: "Yes, yes. well thought out I knew you would ept it." "Thomas Seongsu-ho Hunter replied that he would think about it. Please study Korean more." "That word is that word." It was Thomas who epted Suho''s answer as he pleased andughed heartily. * * * [Of course you''re going?] After Thomas went back to the hotel, Ver was stomping his feet anxiously at Suho who came home. [No matter how much Haein-nim is blessed by his lord, in the end he is just an ordinary human being. Even at this moment, just thinking about where and what kind of hardships Soin is going through makes Soin so worried... Hehehe!] Ver, clinging to Suho''s shoulder, wept bitterly. Of course, he said he would think about it, but in fact, Suho''s answer was fixed. "Of course I will go." It was the first clue about her mother found after several years of disappearance. Even if the prophecy was false, it was right to go and check it unconditionally. But the reason he was hesitant to answer now was another matter. "cier Dungeon. The problem is that there is absolutely no information about where it is." I don''t know where it was, but it was a dungeon that even an S-ss hunter would have a hard time with. I was going to enter such a ce, but I couldn''t answer that I would go in without any information. ''Especially if there is a mother''s clue there.'' Judging by Thomas Andre''s temper today, there was a very high probability that he would kidnap him on the spot and take him to the United States the moment he answered yes. ''It''s obvious that I''m senile. It''s because he''s an old man who came to ask for help and started attacking without hesitation.'' Let''s be careful and careful again. It wouldn''t be strange if the old man came and kidnapped him, even tomorrow morning. Before that, it was urgent to find out information about the cier Dungeon as soon as possible. But the problem was that even Thomas Andre didn''t have much information about it. In the first ce, the scavenger guild itself was not a guild with good information for arge guild. The reason, ironically, was that next to Thomas, the guild leader, was Mrs. Norma Selner, a famous prophet. With an excellent prophet right next to him, his ability to collect information while working hard was gradually deteriorating. So, after sending Thomas back to the hotel, Suho asked Yoo Jin-ho to gather as much information as possible about the cier dungeon. And he also began to track information using HunterNet and other means. "If you''re sure there''s a mother''s clue there, you can''t make a mistake. I have to be fully prepared and go..." That was then. Suho''s phone rang. "Anyway, my phone never gets a break." Perhaps, since Suho became a hunter, it was his cell phone that suffered more than anyone else. "Is this a number you don''t know?" Suho looked at the number on the screen and made a puzzled expression. I suspected it was spam for a moment, but it could have been a call from Thomas or Laura, so I pressed the call button. Then, the voice that came from the other side was apletely different person. ¨C Seongsuho Hunter! I''m here! I''m Lio Xing! "...Who was it?" Suho covered his phone with his hand and looked at Ver. Chapter 111 - 111

Chapter 111:

"...Huh. Is this the country of the Seongsuho Hunters?" As he left the airport, Lio Xing''s face was convoluted. Rio Sing, the raid leader of the Asura Guild. He was an Indian B-ss hunter who fought the scavenger guild with Suho in Egypt. Although he came to Korea to meet Suho, the situation he was in was not good. ''I never thought I would be demoted.'' relegation. The vagueness of those two letters was heavy. Not long ago, he went to a dungeon in Egypt to build up his performance, and came back with a solid taste of failure. The guild leader of the Asura Guild held all the responsibility for him, who barely managed to return with his life, far from achieving any significant results. In the process, Lio Singh came to report everything he had experienced. The difficulty of the pyramid dungeon was much more dangerous than expected. The tyranny of the scavenger guild, which monopolized the ce without permission. ...In particr, at this point, Leo Singh repeatedly emphasized the story of the ''Korea''s Seongsuho Hunter'' who saved them in crisis. I couldn''t help it. For Leo Singh, it was because the rtionship with Sung Soo-ho was actually the only achievement he had achieved in the Pyramid. ¨C Guild leader. He was a strong hunter, like an incarnation of Asura, and without him the pyramid would have be our tomb. ¨C Asura''s incarnation? That Hunter was that strong? Talk about it in more detail. When the guild leader showed interest in Suho, Lio Sing talked about Suho with more enthusiasm. After hearing the story, the guild leader rubbed his chin in interest and nodded. -hmm. You are definitely an extraordinary person. It''s definitely a good thing from the guild''s point of view that you''ve been interacting with such a hunter. It was a good choice to make friends with him by giving him a dungeon item as a gift. ¨C Thank you! Guild Leader! -good. In that sense, I will give you a special mission. Rio Singh! You should immediately go to Korea and recruit Seongsuho Hunter. -yes? Are you saying I''m going to be a scout myself? -Then you should go yourself, who is close to you? Go to Korea, ask how much he is paid in the guild he is currently in, and scout him for an appropriate ransom. -...! -Oh, and don''t even think abouting back until you recruit him. At the guild leader''sst words, Lio Xing finally realized. Although the justification was iming to be a scout, in fact this was the guild leader''sst consideration for himself. But I couldn''t help but ask directly. -Then, what will happen to my raid leader position in the meantime... -It''s not your part to get involved. ...it''s cut. He had no choice but to ept reality. He tried to climb to a higher ce by umting performance, but he even lost the position of raid leader. ''...but it''s still too early to give up.'' Despite this situation, Lio Xing has not lost hope yet. Thest hope left for you. Because there was Seongsuho! ''As long as I recruit him, the guild leader will see me again!'' Because he had witnessed the battle of Seongsuho right in front of his eyes, he could be sure. The image of him wielding twin swords and ughtering his enemies was truly the incarnation of Asura. He was a talent more suited to the Asura Guild than anyone else. If he joins the guild and shows great performance... ''I, who recruited him, will be promoted as well.'' Leo Singh was confident. Before I came here, I was fully prepared to convince Suho. "This is the ''way out''!" Leo Singh''s eyes were unusual as he skillfully read signs written in Korean. ''Only a week! That''s how long it took me to master Korean perfectly.'' Even so, he was a well-known schr in India until the cataclysm. There was nothing difficult about learning a new foreignnguage to a conversational level. ''okay. can do! Let''s think of this as a new opportunity, not a demotion.'' And this was a good thing for Seongsuho Hunter as well. Because he also wants to expand into a wider world than this narrow country! belt ring. The moment he turned on his phone outside the airport, messages from the guild began to arrive as if he had waited. -I found out the contact information of Leo Xing Seongsuho Hunter. Contact us here. "Heh. Is it already It''s fast too." Leo Singh''s expression showed pride. After all, the information power of the Asura Guild is the best in India. Digging up the information of hunters in other countries was nothing. But that was then. Tring! Tring! Tring! Tring! "Yes?" After that, his eyes widened as he checked the contents of the urgent messages that arrived one after another. "What is this!" -Emergency) Information about ''Seongsuho'' was leaked to the scavenger guild. -Emergency) Thomas Andre took a private ne and departed for Korea. -Urgent) Thomas Andre arrives in Korea! -Emergency) The Korean Hunter Association failed to tie Thomas Andre''s feet at the airport. -Urgent) We are currently tracking Thomas Andre''s movement through close cooperation with the Korea Association. -Urgent) The prediction that Thomas Andre is visiting Seongsuho is certain... "This is really a big deal!" Realizing the seriousness of the situation, Lio Xing''splexion turned white. Even so, the scavenger guild was panicking recently when the guild members who went to Egypt did note back. And as a result of the investigation, they found out that they entered the pyramid and disappeared from the earth together with the pyramid. If you look that far, the case would have just fallen into thebyrinth... "I never thought information would leak from us! The scavengers, these bullies again!" For arge guild, the scavengercked information. Ironically, the reason was that Thomas Andre, the guild leader, was close friends with the famous prophet Norma Selner. There was a magical prophet right next to him, so naturally, he had to go out on his own to find information. Then, when he needed information, he always used this method to extort information from other guilds. Whatever the case, things got out of hand. Considering Thomas Andre''s personality, there was no way he would leave the people involved in the deaths of his guild members alone. "The Saint Guardian Hunter is in danger!" It was Rio Sing who urgently contacted Suho. * * * After some time. When he arrived at the area where Suho was, Lio Sing was shocked. "What the hell happened here?!" Had a storm swept through it? Or did the earthquake happen only in this area? Sidewalk blocks that were horribly broken and smashed. Asphalt shredded and crushed like a spider''s web. Lio Singh couldn''t keep his mouth shut at the surrounding scenery where everything he could see was half destroyed. And, circumstantially, there was only one person who could do such a great thing. ''Thomas Andre! Thomas has already been looking for Seongsu Lake!'' Leo Sing calmed his startled heart and scanned the surroundings thoroughly. After all, he is a specialist who started from the bottom of the harsh Asura Guild and was quickly promoted to the leader of the raid in just two years. With a keen eye coupled with his own seasoned experience, he could deduce what kind of battle was taking ce here with little visible information. Fire! ''I saw it!'' Lio Singh''s eyes were wide open, and an illusion of shing fictional characters was drawn in front of him. once one. ''Thomas Andre stood here and used a magic field!'' It was clearly visible in Leo Sing''s eyes. Thomas Andre The figure of a gigantic silhouette unfolding a terrifying magic field centered on this ce. and two. ''The other party stands here and uses that magic field...'' Startled. But something was strange. ''Wait a minute.'' After reading the situation, Lio Sing got goosebumps. "You got through this? Thomas'' magic field?" Even after washing my eyes again, it was clear. The opponent who was hit by Thomas Andre''s magic field must have easily received the pressure. It seemed that he even had a power struggle with Thomas Andre inside the magic field. Looking at the traces left on the half-destroyednd, it was clear. The problem is the oue of the match... "My God." Lio Singh was astonished. "Is this possible? Is it equal to that Thomas Andre, the strongest weapon of mankind? How could this happen..." There was no sign of using any other skill, so it must have been a sh of pure power and power. Even so, this makes no sense. No no no... ''It makes sense!'' Realizing the tremendous truth, Lio Xing trembled on the spot as if he had been struck by lightning. "That''s right! At that time, he was holding back his power because he was afraid the pyramid would copse!" Looking back, at that time, Suho leisurely left to hunt the giant centipede that had entered the pyramid. Although he discouraged him, saying that he was obviously dangerous. "You really had the confidence to hunt that centipede! Oh my God!" In the end, only Lio Xing realized the whole truth. He no longer felt sad about being demoted. Information is power. Unwillingly, he had learned the advanced information that Sung Soo-ho was a ''Goliath-level'' before anyone else. ''This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity! I have to recruit the Saint Guardian Hunter at all costs!'' Seong Soo-ho finally appeared in front of him who was so determined. However, even after shing with Thomas Andre, Leo Singh couldn''t help but be astonished at his appearance, which was so fine. "Leo Singh?" "Sung Guardian Hunter! Namaste!" Finally, Singh realized that the moment hade to demonstrate his mastery of the Koreannguage. Now is the time to let your splendid speech skills shine. ''First of all, an apology! After that, we''ll make a scouting offer to protect you from Thomas Andre!'' A truly perfect scenario. He desperately apologized to Suho with an extremely sincere look. "Sung Suho! I''m sorry! It''s because of Thomas Andrena. It''s okay?" "hmm?" "Thomas is scary! sign up? Asura Zoa!" "...What are you talking about again?" [It seems to be a new type of voice phishing, Master.] "Asura Zoa! join!" "..." Suho was just devastated. "Do I really have to move..." Following Thomas Andre, the second foreigner came to visit today, and neither of them were insane. ''At this point, my personal information seems to be a real public good.'' How did you find out the alternate phone number? How did you know the address? Heck, even recently, even the Hyunmu Guild, which is only known in Korea, came to visit his house, so I wonder if anyone can''t. However, apart from Suho''s dejection, this moment was the most serious for Lio Xing throughout his entire life. He exined in detail what had happened to Suho. "I told the guild leader. Seongsuho is a strong hunter. Between our jjingu!" ...It was an exnation I did my best without needing to summarize. [Kieeaek! Did I say we were friends now?] Ver, who had been holding on to him, burst out of the rage he had been holding back and jumped out of the shadows. [A traitor who dared to sell out the little lord,e here shamelessly?! A worm that would not be happy even if it was divided into five parts for this crime of treason...!] But. "What does it mean? I don''t know difficult words. easy easy." [...kiik?] When Lio Xing tilted his head with a puzzled expression, Ber''s vitality shook. Then, I chose the word juseomjuseom. [Hmm... Tearing the limbs for treason...] Tilting? "It''s hard. easy easy." [Pull off the arms and legs from the torso and tear off the hair...] Tilt? "Easier and easier." [...] Oh yeah. You really can''t speak Korean, you b*stard. Ber eventually snarled in his face with clear intent to kill. [you. bad. Human.] "Right! I''m bad! Namaste!" [Eh eh EX-!] In his serious eyes, leaning and joining both hands, Ber turned his head to Suho. [Little Lord! Can I chew and eat this human brain?] "No, more than that." Indeed, Suho suddenly smiled kindly and looked at Lio Xing. "Leo Singh. Thomas Andre is here to kill me. Did you know?" "I know. I''m very sorry." "Only in words?" "...huh?" "Are you sorry for just words?" Suho was smiling brightly. Chapter 112 - 112

Chapter 112:

Suho thought. ''It just went well.'' The Asura Guild that Leo Singh belonged to was one of the most popr guilds in India. If it was the Asura Guild, it might have known information that the Scavenger Guild didn''t know. "I need information." "...that information? which?" "Information about dungeons." Suho directly asked Lio Xing, who was watching him with a nervous expression. "Do you know about the cier Dungeon?" "cier? How long is that?" It must have been a difficult word for Leo Singh. Lio Xing quickly turned on the trantor to find out the meaning, and his expression brightened. "Ah cier Dungeon! I know there!" "You know? really?" Suho''s eyes widened. I''ve been asking, but I''m sure you know! [Kieek!] Verdo was also surprised and grabbed Lio Sing by the cor and yelled at him. Even though those two arms were finger-thick, their momentum was brutal. [Now that''s true! If you lie to prolong your life, I will tear you limb from limb!] "Kekkek! I really know! Asura Zoa! There is a lot of Asura information!" It was Rio Sing, who, even in the midst of embarrassment, was well-informed about promoting the guild. However, it was not a real exaggeration, but in reality, the Asura Guild belonged to a guild with quite good information. In the first ce, the scavenger guild was only weak in informationpared to its size. It was normal for most guilds to make an effort to build their own database by buying and selling each other''s information. And the scavenger was also nning to change its policy to further strengthen its information power with this incident as an opportunity. At the unexpected ie, Suho said that he was doing well and his eyes lit up. "Did you say sorry to me? So can you tell me everything you know about cial dungeons? Not a single detail left behind." "Yes? Why are you there?" "I decided to enter that dungeon sooner orter with Thomas Andre." "What?!" At those words, Lio Sing trembled as if struck by lightning. what did you hear now? Where are you going with Thomas Andre? In cier Dungeon? "no! Very dangerous! Everyone lives there!" "I have to go even if it is dangerous. My mother might be in that dungeon." flinch. Lio Xing''s expression hardened at Suho''s determined words. "Uh, why is your mother here?" "Anyway, yes." ''It''s not exactly my mother, but my mother''s clue.'' Suho exined it in a condensed way so that he could understand it as much as possible, and unintentionally, the words were more persuasive. Lio Xing shook his head with a serious expression. It was difficult to judge the situation because there was so much informationing in at once. ''Seong Su-ho''s mother is in the cier Dungeon? It must be a dungeon known only to a very small number of guilds yet?'' It seems that the preliminary research on Seongsu Lake was insufficient. I never thought Seong Soo-ho''s mother was also a hunter. Is that a level hunter to enter the cier dungeon? ''No, more important than that...'' The problem was the name Thomas Andre that came out of Suho''s mouth. Why did Suho enter the dungeon with Thomas Andre? ''...for a moment. Could it be that the purpose of his visit to Sung Soo-ho was not for revenge, but for recruiting?!'' I suddenly woke up. Feeling giddy, Lio Xing hurriedly turned his gaze around to see the devastatedndscape around him. Looking back at the traces that Suho and Thomas Andre created while shing, it was impressive. And I realized ''...Now I know.'' If Thomas Andre had put all his strength into it, it couldn''t have ended just like this. ''The interview was held here! It was a test of Seongsuho''s strength!'' What kind of interview is so lousy? That was understandable enough when I recalled Thomas Andre''s usual personality. Feeling like he was cut in the line by a hair''s breadth, Lio Sing felt desperate. ''Couldn''t you have already signed a contract? It doesn''t seem like it if you look closely.'' He swallowed dry saliva and asked Suho directly. "Join the Seongsuho Scavenger Guild?" "no? why me?" "No!" Lio Xing''s expression suddenly brightened. And with a determined expression, he banged his chest. "I know! I''ll tell you about the cier Dungeon!" Suho''s eyes widened at the difficult answer. ''done!'' I was lucky. Information about dungeons is more precious than a thousand gold. In particr, information on ces that are still unknown, such as the cier Dungeon, is difficult to convert. Even from Rio Sing''s point of view, it was a sensitive matter that could directly or indirectly cause economic damage to the guild if leaked. But now wasn''t the time for Lio Singh to slow down. ''We can''t have this kind of talent stolen from another guild right in front of our eyes!'' He quickly checked to see if there were any other hearing ears around. Confidently, he started listing the information he knew to Suho one by one. "It is very cold there. Breathing, eating, sleeping, walking are all dangerous." "It''s a cier, so it''s natural. Anything else?" "It is really very cold. It''s too cold, so the action slows down. Debuff area!" "Debuff area?" [Small lord, it seems that the ce is cursed with slowness in a wide range.] This information was so important that even Ber intervened. It''s not simply a matter of the weather, but a dungeon with a curse that has a direct adverse effect during battle. but. ''It has nothing to do with me.'' Fortunately, Suho was immune to all curses thanks to ''Kandiaru''s Blessing''. However, this was only a blessing for the guardian individual and would be a definite risk factor for other hunters who would move together as a group. "okay. And again?" "Mmm." When Suho nodded and asked again, Lio Xing hesitated for a moment. Because this is really important information. "This is a secret. promise?" "huh. promise. What are you sozy about?" "I live in the cier Dungeon Ice Elves. A lot." "what? Ice elf?" A strangeness appeared in Suho''s eyes. If you were an ice elf, it was a rare beast that was rarely seen in dungeons. However, the information Rio Singh gave me was very different from the ice elves'' habits listed on HunterNet. "Aren''t ice elves originally meant to go in pairs? Do you only shoot bows from a distance?" "right. However, cier Dungeon is different." In response to Suho''s question, Leo Xing spoke clearly, using a trantor to avoid any misunderstanding. "There is a tribe of ice elves living there. At least hundreds of known numbers." "Hundreds?" This was the advanced information the Asura Guild had. "huh. cier Dungeon is the country of ice elves." * * * Meanwhile. Even at this moment, the Hunters who recklessly set foot in the cier Dungeon were being pursued helplessly. "Huh! Huh!" pure white snow. Shush shush shush shush! Arrows rained down on the cold wind that would freeze even your breath. The arrows pouring down from all directions were relentlessly aiming for their lives. Puppy pew! "Keep!" "My leg...!" Dozens of arrows were stuck in their backs and legs as they fled. However, the expressions of the hunters crawling on the floor, saying that they would try to survive somehow, were full of desperation. "Hey. Those tenacious b*stards...!" "They intend to kill us by drying us out!" There was no hope here anymore. Never thought that they, who were hunters, would fall into a miserable prey...! And there were hundreds of hunters who were indifferently looking down at them from a high ce in despair. ice elf. They aimed their bows at the strangers who invaded thisnd with cold eyes. hundreds of bows. A rain of arrows pouring down from there. "Nonsense! Ice elves swarm!" "If I had known this ce was like this, I would never have entered!" The ice elves known to the public were ''rtively docile'' monsters that were found with very rare probability. They always had a habit of sticking together, always carrying a crude bow and arrow made of wood in their hands. Strangely, however, they were so-called ''non-professional mobs'' who never attacked until someone approached them first. Even the moment the hunters attack the dungeon and the gate closes. They just silently hid themselves in the depths of a faraway dungeon and watched the hunters quietly. That''s why the nickname given to them was... [The Watcher] ...''the one who watches''. However, the hunters who rushed to hunt them even once never called them by that name. ice elf. They thought they were docile, but the moment someone turned them against them. He turned into a brutal marksman who hunted enemies with unusual movements. Contrary to their beautiful appearance, they are actually very cruel and warlike ice elves. So another nickname was born.... Baekgwi (°×¹í) It meant an elusive white ghost. However, despite this, ''Baekgwi'' still belonged to a safe beast. Their archery skills were excellent, but at most they traveled in pairs, so their numbers weren''t threatening. Most of all, because it was a non-linear mob. But that information has now lost its value. At least here in the cier Dungeon. And where hundreds of sharpshooters live together. Even if you knew this information in advance and prepared for it, would you have survived safely? "Aww! Do note! Don''te!" A man hurriedly crawling across the floor with arrows stuck in his legs and back. Turbuck. A cold shadow fell over his face, pale with fear. "You are thest." The man looked up in fear at the ice elf who approached and spoke to him. Because he had already shed too much blood, he could barely see his opponent through his blurry vision. Silver eyes with gray hair and fair skin. and pointy ears. By human standards, she was a small and young girl who looked only about 10 years old. "You stranger who invaded ournd. I am Shirka, the guardian of the Baruka tribe." An ice elf girl wearing a furry cap proudly introduced herself with cold eyes like frost. But even after hearing that, there was no response from the man. It was natural. Because there was no way humans could understand the demon''snguage. However, Shirka continued her words as if it was okay. "I will ask only one question. If you want to live, you will have to answer well." Sirka took a short deep breath and asked him a question clearly. "Do you know the Shadow Lord?" "What the hell are you talking about!" Seeing the girl speaking to him in an unknownnguage, the dying man cried out in anger. "I ask you onest time. Do you know ''Sung Jin-Woo''?" "Just f*cking kill me! Kill me!" "If you don''t know, die." Chew! Chapter 113 - 113

Chapter 113:

The next day. As soon as the day dawned, Suho headed for Euljiro. Thanks to Rio Singh, now that I knew the enemies I had to deal with, it was time to prepare ordingly. ''Hundreds of archers ....'' Of course, I didn''t think this information was unconditionally certain. Perhaps there were more unrevealed ice elves, so we had to assume the possibility that they were much more numerous than that. Besides, just in time, he had a money line to hope that Suho would not die. "Our guild leader has a lot of money. I will buy you a guardian item." Just Rio Singh. On a business trip to scout Suho, he had a corporate business card given to him by the Asura Guild. He was willing to swipe his credit card anyway to pay off his debt to Thomas Andre and to buy Suho''s favor. But Ber grabbed Rio Singh by the cor and growled ferociously. [Don''t boast about the price you deserve. The crime of putting the little lord in danger will disappear...] "Kekkeek. hard to say easy easy." [...I''ll use it well] Ver quickly took his corporate card and presented it to Suho. Caang- Caang- Kiyiing-! Upon arriving at Euljiro, noises from all directions awaited them. Once in Euljiro, I used to hear these words like a running joke. ''Everything is sold in Euljiro except people.'' A store where you can find anything you need. A special area lined with special workshops with a lot of specialized equipment. That ce was Euljiro. It was only after the cataclysm that Euljiro began to be more famous in earnest. Eventually, the moment they came out of the narrow alley. Fire! ...! Sucked into an open field of vision, a tremendous sight unfolded before them. [Euljiro cksmith] This is how Euljiro adapted to this era of upheaval. [Hunter Exclusive Survival Kit Wholesaler] [Shield special processing] [Sword and ax de sharpening.] [te armor workshop] [Making/processing blunt weapon castings] A rare scene with various signboards. Hunter goods were disyed in front of them. There would be no Hunter who would not roll his eyes even after seeing this. ''iced coffee! Is this Korea''s Hunter Mall?'' So did Leo Singh. Of course, there are ces like this in India as well, but new weapons are waiting for new weapons dealers. In addition, it was quite unusual for him to see arms dealers concentrated in one area like Korea. "Guardian! Steering here too! Item Shop! cksmith!" In fact, regardless of nationality or grade, if you are a hunter, you have no choice but to be an equipment enthusiast. It was because normal hunters couldn''t level up like Suho, so there was no way to be stronger. First of all, since the amount of magic power is a fixed value, the only effort they can make is to increase their physical strength. In other words, physical training through rigorous training such as gym or sports. Or, it was just to develop proficiency in using their skills in various ways based on their numerous practical experiences. However, there was one sure way to grow up that could easily ignore all those hardships. right temp. A stronger weapon! More durable armor! If you change the equipment you use to something slightly better, you can be just as strong. So, it was only natural for Hunters to change their equipment. * * * "Tsk. Are you here now?" In front of cksmith in Euljiro, there was a person who arrived first and was waiting for Suho. The middle-aged man, who was leaning his back against the wall with his arms crossed, looked at Suho and made a disapproving expression. "...You''re probably the first person to call me out to rmend some usable items." Suho was absurd. "No, uncle. When did I call the uncle? I just asked for a rmendation from a weapon store I know, and the person who insisted oning out..." " Oldly, you have to touch and pick a weapon yourself. What if I texted you Tick for no reason and you get caught somewhere? Are you going to spread rumors that the guild leader you bought at that time was not good at paying attention?" "Oh, I hope I do." "...!" Lio Xing, who was listening to their conversation from the side, realized the man''s true identity and trembled as if he had been struck by lightning. ''oh my god! I wonder where I''ve seen it, isn''t it Lim Tae-gyu, an S-ss hunter?! Did this person know Seongsuho Hunter?'' While on a business trip, Leo Singh had already familiarized himself with the information about hunters in Korea. Of course, I knew someone like Lim Tae-gyu. ''Now I see that Scavenger wasn''t the onlypetitor. Of course, I had no idea thatrge guilds in Korea would also covet Seongsuho.'' He looked at Suho''s intentions with a nervous expression. "Su Su-ho. Join the Death Guild?" "no." "No!" Lio Singh''s face lit up again. But it was still too early to let go. "Who is this guy again? A new friend?" "yes. I am an Asura Guild Hunter." "Ah, was it an Indian hunter?" At that moment, indifferent Lim Tae-gyu''s gaze and Leo Sing''s eyes collided in the air, and Leo Sing suddenly noticed. The fact that Lim Tae-gyu''s expression toward Suho is full of regret (?). ''I can''t do it. I need to contact the guild leader and ask for a higher limit on the corporate card.'' Seongsuho could have been taken away right in front of me if I was pushed back here. Moreover, right in front of his eyes, a conversation was going on that justified Lio Sing''s anxiety. "...Anyway, thank you very much foring in person. You must be busy, but please make time for me." "The guy who kept chewing on the contact of that busy person until now speaks well." "Oh, I''m really sorry about that. There are so many guild sign-up messages these days, so I haven''t read them all." "What happened? You say you''re building your career to set up a separate guild anyway?" "How did you know?" "...somehow I found out about it. Originally, this floor was narrow." It was Lim Tae-gyu, who quietly changed his words with a shy expression. Because of the Vice President Lee Min-seong''s case, the death guild was not making sense these days. It was also a problem that his image plummeted in one shot, but he was also experiencing financial difficulties. He ran out of money to give away the death constion money for the hunters who died at the time of the incident to the bereaved families by robbing Lim Tae-gyu of his personal expenses. He did everything he could, but that doesn''t mean that his image once lost could not be easily restored. ''...so I tried to recruit this guy somehow.'' In a situation where many hunters are lost and manpower is urgently needed, it is natural to miss one talented person like Suho. However, there was no way to bring in a guy who said he would set up a guild himself. ''Besides...'' Lim Tae-gyu, who stared at Suho''s face for a while with aplicated gaze, opened his mouth. "Anyway, what are you going to buy today?" "A bow. You are the most expert in bows in Korea." "That is normal." "...bow?!" Lio Xing was greatly taken aback by the conversation between the two. ''This is crazy! To use the same bow as a countermeasure against hundreds of ice elves!'' The strategy is terribly wrong! Naturally, Lio Sing, who thought Suho hade to buy armor and shields, panicked and stopped him. "Guardian! There are so many ice elves! Full te mail! I rmend a tower shield!" "...There are a lot of ice elves?" Lim Tae-gyu''s eyebrows twitched as he heard Leo Singh''s words. Then, he quickly turned serious and red at Suho. "for a moment. Are you thinking of entering the cier Dungeon right now?" "uh? Do you know about the cier Dungeon?" "Who do you think I am? Do you think I, Lim Tae-gyu, don''t even know that much information?" At Suho''s reaction, Lim Tae-gyu sighed heavily and gnashed his teeth. No matter how bad things got, the Reaper Guild was considered the best guild in Korea until recently. That much information was, of course, well known. "No wait. Then why did Thomas Andree yesterday...?" It was only a small piece of information, but it was Lim Tae-gyu who noticed a lot with that alone. Recently, rumors were circting in the industry that scavengers were aiming for cier dungeons. He looked at Suho with a strange expression. "Were you acquainted with Thomas Andre?" "no. I first heard of it yesterday." "What the hell... no, if you don''t know anything else, don''t ever go in as a scavenger. They are ignorant." "I''m not going in. Somehow, we only ended up entering the dungeon together this once." "Good luck then. But why are you buying a bow when you''re going to the cier Dungeon? Against hundreds of archers, of course you would needrge and sturdy armor, right?" "that''s right! Armor! shield! Buy a tower shield!" Even Rio Sing joined in to try to change Suho''s heart. However, Suho''s mind was already set. The defense was already sufficient. Even without a shield, there were plenty of ways to block the arrows. And above all... ''Of course it''s more about attack than defense.'' Rather than standing still and blocking an attack, it suited his temper to attack first. However, Lim Tae-gyu and Rio Sing, who did not know Suho''s intentions, continued to nag while following Suho as he entered the bow shop. "okay. Aside from the shield, why is it a bow? you''re a swordsman It''s not like the scavenger guild doesn''t have archers." "that''s right. Suho originally uses dual swords. Asura." "Yes, Suho. I''m sure you''re mistaken, but a bow is by no means an easy weapon to handle. know?" Lim Tae-gyu, who is acknowledged to be the best archer in Korea, could not allow a neer like Su-ho to take the bow lightly. "Anyway, everyone is mistaken for the image of an archer because of the games that havee out these days, but in fact, there is no upation that requires as much strength as an archer. The higher the attack power, the bigger and heavier the bow, so pulling the bowstring... Huh?" tall. The reason why Lim Tae-gyu''s nagging, which seemed tost forever, suddenly stopped. It was because Suho just picked up the biggest and heaviest bow in the store. [Strength: 115] Waahia- Suho was so light that he was pulling a bow demonstration. "...?" "...?" "Mister, can you see if this is a good bow... Why are you looking at me like that?" When Suho''s eyes met, Lim Tae-gyu cleared his throat with an embarrassed expression. "Hey, the power is good. By the way, you were a ss C horsepower, right? Are you sure it''s C-ss?" Lim Tae-gyu, who recalled Suho''s battle he had witnessed, looked at Suho with a slightly suspicious expression. "Did you get a re-measurement after that? No, even if it''s roughly grade B. Do you have archery skills in the first ce?" "I don''t have one." "what? no? If you don''t have archer skills, your mana will run out quickly after just a few shots, right?" Lim Tae-gyu touched his forehead, realizing how much Suho was a rookie hunter. If he forcibly condensed mana to create an arrow without an archer skill, the efficiency of mana per arrow was too poor. Compared to normal archer hunters, it consumes 3 to 10 times more magic power. Suho shrugged at his question. "Everything has a way..." It was then. As he spoke, Suho''splexion hardened terribly. ©¤!!!! A huge wave of magical energy spread throughout the area. "...!" "...!" At that moment, all the hunters in the store opened their eyes almost simultaneously and turned their eyes in the same direction. A tremendous energy was felt far beyond that direction. "It''s a dungeon break!" "It''s around here!" Urgent voices erupted from the mouths of the hunters in Euljiro, no matter who said it first. But there was nothing to worry about. This is Euljiro. Maybe it was the ce where the most hunters gathered in Korea. "Whoever catches this first is the owner!" The hunters all put down the things they were going to buy and started running to the ce where they felt the dungeon break. in the middle of the mess. Lim Tae-gyu was looking at Suho standing next to him with a strange expression. ''Is it my illusion?'' When everyone looked at the ce where the energy wave was felt at the same time. There was a person who turned his head first than anyone else. ''...I think this guy was the fastest.'' maybe even more than myself. Chapter 114 - 114

Chapter 114:

An archer is a job that requires you to be more sensitive than anyone else. Feeling the opponent''s presence and predicting the next move is the basic of the basics. Even more so, he had to calcte the direction of the wind and let go of the bowstring. In that sense. Lim Tae-gyu was proud of his senses. To be sure, he was confident that he would be the best in the world in terms of the sense of presence. So there was nothing more absurd. ''Do you have better senses than me?'' No way. No matter how much I knew that Suho was a very talented person, this was also nonsense. ''...It must be because of my mood.'' But it wasn''t my mood. In fact, Suho felt the signs faster than anyone else here, and he had no choice but to do so. [An urgent quest has arrived.] The quest has arrived right in front of you. [Urgent Quest: Swamp] A dungeon break has urred near the yer. Solve the demons of the swamp that pollute the city and earn rewards. ''They''re the magic beasts of the swamp.'' Apparently, the demonic beasts that protruded were on the beast side. The sense of guardianship that calmly checks the quest is already an instinct itself. It had be a predator that had found its prey in the wild. [The ''Title: Wolf yer'' buff effect is activated.] The title effect popped out on its own before I even realized it. The smell of beasts mixed with the magic wave of the Dungeon Break was vibrating everywhere. "Let''s go too." "Where are you going?" "Where is it? The dungeon break has exploded." "Didn''t you see the number of people who just came? They will figure it out." Even at Suho''s words that ignited his fighting spirit, Lim Tae-gyu only shrugged his shoulders. Probably, if it was this much of amotion, all the hunters who were shopping in Euljiro would have run. No matter how much natural disasters belong to the dungeon break, there shouldn''t be a big problem with that many people. In addition, there was also the issue ofmercial morality. "If you don''t know yet, it''s polite for an S-ss hunter like me to leave the kids out. Besides, we didn''t even carry weapons anyway... Huh? Are you really going?!" Suho was running out of the distance holding the bow he was already holding. Embarrassed, Lim Tae-gyu shouted after him. "Hey man! The bow you''re holding now is a lot more expensive than I thought...!" "It''s okay! I will buy it for you!" At that time, it was Rio Sing who suddenly took out a corporate card from the side. After quickly paying for the bow Suho carried, Lim Tae-gyu put on a puzzled expression when he saw Rio Sing following Suho. "Are you a hogu or a water owner?" "It''s okay! Our guild leader has a lot of money! Guardian Asura Chinguda!" "what the. If you lose it to India like this, it will be difficult as it is." Lim Tae-gyu grumbles with a puzzled expression. It was not umon these days for useful Korean hunters to be taken away from other countries in exchange forrge sums of money. From a long-term perspective, this will lead to a weakening of national defense... "Go with me, you b*stards!" Im Tae-gyu brushed off the old-fashioned thoughts that continued in his head and quickly caught up with Suho in an instant. And as if it had nothing to do with it, he reached out his hand toward the bow holding Suho. "How many rounds can you fire with your magical power anyway? Alright, pass that bow. I will especially show you what a real archer is like... What are you doing?" I don''t know how many times his nagging has stopped halfway through. Aftering out of the store, Suho was aiming his bow at the sky. It was the direction where the dungeon break was felt, but it was covered by buildings, so nothing could be seen from here. Lim Tae-gyu asked Suho with a puzzled expression. "I can''t even see it from here, but what are you doing now..." It was then. The reason why Suho''s eyes shed toward invisible enemies. "Spring up, Quay." Shuwook-! At that moment, a pointed spear of ck energy rose from within Suho''s shadow. [Quay Lv.3] Transformation-Arrow "...!" In an instant, Lim Tae-gyu''s eyes were colored with astonishment. ''Magic arrow?! Is something different?!'' Something is wrong. Even if it''s wrong, it''s firmly wrong. Just at the moment Suho created the arrow, there was no feeling of mana beingpressed in the process. ''Generate arrows without consuming mana? No, that can''t be possible!'' when he gets confused nce. Quay''s gaze, which had turned into a shadow arrow, briefly passed Lim Tae-gyu''s face. [...] Lim Tae-gyu. A love-hate rtionship that was once friends. But now, as if it were all good, Suho pulled out Quay, who turned his gaze forward again, and held the bowstring. A terribly hideous energy flowed from the swollen shoulder muscles and arms. "Quay." [Yes Master.] "Fly and pierce." [As directed.] Whee-ae-ae-ae-! As soon as he let go of the protest, Quay immediately became a single ck bolt of lightning and soared into the sky. towards the invisible enemy beyond. * * * And about 30 minutes ago. An ominous disaster was happening near Suho''s house. "...under. You cute baby." Thomas Andre, who returned to Suho''s house after a day, was smiling with a bloody expression. Suho was not at home. Even when I zoomed in, I couldn''t feel his aura anywhere nearby. "How pathetic! Did he get scared and run away even though his mother was caught?" Koo Goo Goo! The ground shook as if toppling from his anger. However, his secretary Laura, who was next to him, was not taken aback and just looked around indifferently. Yesterday was a bit embarrassing, but I was already used to the kojang of the old man, who is said to be the strongest of mankind. ''Anyway, as I got older, my temper only got worse.'' Laura immediately calmed him down. "Looks like Thomas didn''t run away. See the note here." "hmm?" Only then did Thomas Andre notice the small note attached to the door and raise his eyes. -I''m going out for a while. "outing? Not running away?" After checking the note, Thomas'' spirit weakened in an instant. "yes. Come to think of it, I only gave a business card to CEO Yoo yesterday and didn''t leave a contact information for Hunter Seong Su-ho. So I guess I left a note." "Ah, that''s right. So where did you go?" "I''ll find out right away." Despite Thomas Andre''s sudden request, Laura didn''t panic and turned her gaze behind her back. "Did you say you were the team leader Han Jae-hyuk?" "...yes." At the sudden question, a tall man awkwardly walked out from behind the alley. It was Han Jae-hyeok, the team leader of the Hunter Association. "Do you know where Seongsuho Hunter went out?" "...yes. I figured it out in advance." "You arepetent. I heard that the Korean Hunter Association is quite amazing." "thank you." "What thanks. I was telling the truth." In spite of Thomas Andre''s praise, who was in a good mood, team leader Han Jae-hyeok could not rx. ''It feels like dealing with a time bomb that doesn''t know when it will explode.'' Since Thomas Andre arrived in Korea yesterday, Association Hunters have been circling him. Thomas Andre is literally a walking genius. I couldn''t take my eyes off him for a moment, not knowing what he would do in Korea. Even when they shed with Suho here yesterday, they were watching the two from afar. Fortunately, Thomas didn''t seem to be doing his best, so I just watched. You don''t know how nervous they were because they nned to jump out all at once and stop Thomas. ''Okay. Why did this happen when the president of the association was away...'' Team leader Han Jae-hyeok sighed, ming the president of the association for helping North Korea just at the right time. Only two years after the cataclysm. Although the association is working hard, the Hunter Act is still weak and has many loopholes. Experts put forward the view that at least five more years will be needed for the Hunter Act to be properly established. In any case, physical time is required because of the procedures required for newws to be enacted. Given the circumstances, it wasmon for savage gangsters like Thomas Andre to lightly ignore trivialws. However, he could not be used and put in prison. Rather, it was thanks to humanity that he did not walk the path of a viin and quietly (?) acted as a hunter. "So Mr. Han. Where did this little boy go after cheating on me?" "...they say they are in Euljiro right now." Fortunately, Thomas Andre didn''t seem to be hostile to Sung Soo-ho, so team leader Han Jae-hyeok answered meekly. "Euljiro? What kind of town are you doing there?" "Euljiro is a special area that sells hunter specialized equipment." "Oh, the arms dealer? Look at this wonderful guy?" Thomas Andre immediately felt better and grinned. What did it mean when I said I went to buy weapons when I wondered where I was going from early in the morning? Laura nodded. "I guess I made up my mindst night. toe with us." "Catch Laura''s taxi." "...?" "Does that kid have eyes for weapons? Of course I have to choose." ''Ah, finally...'' Han Jae-hyeok, the team leader, felt dizzy. In an area where a lot of hunters are already gathering, the strongest old man of mankind has appeared. He sighed and said, looking as if he had aged 10 years. "You''d rather move with us. I have prepared a big tea for you." "It is. Can we go this way?" Thomas Andre walks out as if he knew it would happen. Team leader Han Jae-hyeok sighed once again at the viinous expression on his lips and guided him to the car. ''There is no real tyrant.'' But he didn''t know. The fact that the appearance he has shown so far has been a real ''joke''. Thomas Andre was traveling to Euljiro in a car prepared by the Association. Doo kung-! "...!" "...!" In the middle of downtown Euljiro, a tremendous energy wave suddenly burst out. "It''s a dungeon break!" At that moment, the association hunters instinctively prepared for battle. Among them, the only one who is rxed. "What did you prepare for this event?" Thomas Andre raises his body with an expression as if he has found some interesting entertainment. As soon as he opened the car door and came out, Euljiro was already in trouble. Team leader Han Jae-hyeok quickly grasped the situation and ordered everyone. "Situation happens! Situation happens! A swampy area has arisen in the middle of the city! The type of monster is...!" Kiaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa! At that moment, the vicious monsters had already risen from the swamp and attacked them. It was then. "enforce." Thomas raised one corner of his mouth and swung his big fist and struck the beast''s torso. Bang! The beast''s body, half of which had disappeared,nded in a distant ce. "...!" The eyes of the association hunters were stained with astonishment at that tremendous sight. "Oops. Did I hit too hard?" Behind Thomas, who was scratching the back of his head, a number of hunters rushed out of Euljiro and started a full-fledged battle with the beasts. "Did I tell youst time?" Thomas smiled as if he was having fun and spoke leisurely to team leader Han Jae-hyeok. "I''ve never let anyone who stands in my way live." As he said that, Thomas'' stern eyes turned to the biggest of the beasts. "Is that guy a boss mob? It''s a huge snake that lives in the swamp..." A huge snake the size of a log was coiled in the middle of the swamp. Blue venom was dripping from the frightening fangs in its wicked mouth. sigh. "Good. listen! That guy is my prey! Anyone who dares touch mine...!" It was the moment when Thomas Andre was approaching the boss mob, making a confident deration with the most ferocious momentum. Whee ae ae ae-! "...uh?" Just in time, a ck arrow from the sky pierced the boss mob like lightning. Kyaaaaagh! "What insolent b*stard dares!" Thomas, whose prey was stolen right in front of his eyes, roared with a ferocious expression. Chapter 115 - 115

Chapter 115:

The atmosphere at the moment when the dungeon break had just urred was, in one word, ''Jung-gu Heating''. Hunters and soldiers who felt the wave of magic were gathering every moment, but since they were strangers, it was impossible to get a system in ce. Rather, it was urate to see them aspetitors at this time. "hey! This is our mob! Don''t touch me!" "what! Whoever catches it first wins!" If this was a normal dungeon, there wouldn''t be any ownership disputes. The order of attack will be decided, and the proportion of the loot will be determined through an urate contract. But now, this ce hadn''t even be a field dungeon yet, and it was just treated as a natural disaster. In this case, whoever catches it first should be the winner. In other words, it is ''firste, first served''. That''s why the hunters were scattered all over the ce and were moving to catch even one more beast. and. That greed caused the problem. "But why don''t these guys die like this?!" "shit! All of these venomous snakes have their bodies covered in irond scales!" In the swampy area in the middle of the city, ''iron-d vipers'' were crawling. The level of each of the magic beasts was not very high. But there were too many of them, and above all, they were hiding deadly weapons. Poison teeth. The venom of irond venomous snakes was strong enough to make even quite a few hunters unable to control themselves with just one bite. "Ah! F*ck! I was bitten...!" "Does anyone have a healer with detoxification skills?!" "Now is not the time topete with each other! If you don''t clear it quickly, a field type dungeon will appear!" "that''s right! Let''s join forces!" As casualties continued to rise here and there, the alert hunters began to join forces one by one. In fact, the most important thing during the dungeon break was to wipe out the monsters ''as quickly as possible''. As the blue mist permeated the bodies of the monsters who crossed the gate, the contaminated area gradually expanded as they spread in all directions. The result was the so-called ''field dungeon''. And then. Bang! The S-ss Hunter Tyrant Thomas Andre, who appeared like a savior in this chaotic ce, exploded a monster. Only then did the hunters here realize Thomas Andre''s intrusion one by one and opened their eyes wide. "The Goliath?!" "Why is that person here?!" I heard that you came to Korea yesterday, but I never imagined that you would suddenly meet in a ce like this. However, the Hunters were relieved by his appearance. It was because everyone knew that to Thomas Andre, monsters of this level were nothing. However, on the other hand, the signs of concern could not bepletely erased. "Mr. Thomas Andre! Beware! Snake venom runs throughout this swamp!" Someone yelled out loud to give him information, just to impress him. "If you touch this swamp, your muscles will be damaged and your strength will be weakened! I have the decryption skill, so I will assist you!" The person who shouted was a healer with detoxification skills. If you use this opportunity to help Thomas Andre, a world-ss hunter, you might be famous or receive a great reward. But perhaps not hearing his cry, Tomas Andre walked into the swamp without hesitation. The snake venom flowing through it seeped into his body and weakened his strength, but this was no problem to him. "Listen! That guy is my prey! The one who dares touch mine...!" At the center of the snake venom, it was the moment when Thomas Andre made a deration by pointing to thergest venomous snake that appeared to be a boss mob. Wedge-Ae-Ae-! Just in time, a ck lightning bolt from the sky pierced the boss mob. Kyaaaaagh! Thergest venomous snake in the center of the swamp was pierced by a ck arrow and copsed with a terrible scream. "What insolent b*stard dares!" Seeing the scene, Thomas Andre roared fiercely and raised his head. Others were astonished at the sight. No matter how much he caught it first, he was the owner, but he couldn''t imagine who the archer was who stole the prey announced by Thomas Andre first. "Let''s see how much of a coward he''s lost!" bang! Thomas Andre, who was in the middle of the swamp, immediately kicked off the ground and jumped high. ck magic arrows flew in a parabolic arc from the sky, and you should be able to spot them if you look for them from high up. Thomas Andre climbed to the roof of a nearby high-rise building with a single leap. I followed the direction in which the ck arrow flew and ran over the buildings. thud. The moment I climbed the tallest building in Euljiro like that. "...!" he ran into The image of ''Suho'' who had just jumped up to find the tallest building over there. There were two other people beside him, but they didn''t evene into Thomas'' line of sight. [Shadow Minotaur Lv.1] Shape Transformation ¨C Arrow Pajikpajik! Heavy and destructive energy was condensed in the bow of the guard, which was aimed at the swamp. [Number of shadows that can be stored: 3/3] Suho, who was able to store two more shadow soldiers through leveling up in the demon realm, filled the empty slots with the two strongest minotaur minotaurs. "Go and stir Mino." Suho set the bowstring toward the swamp. [Mmmuuuuu!] The arrows, whose arrowheads looked like cow heads, flew like cannonballs from siege engines. Wow! [You have killed Blue Fangtooth Kasaka.] [You have killed Blue Fangtooth Kasaka.] [You have killed Blue Fangtooth Kasaka.] .... Countless messages appeared one after another. However, there was no level up message that I had been waiting for. It was only a problem because the uniqueness of swamps and poison madebat difficult. It was because the magic beasts themselves were absurdly weakpared to the ones Suho had been dealing with. Now these guys couldn''t even give Suho experience. even. [You have killed Kasaka, the ruler of the swamp.] This boss mob I first killed by shooting Quay. Even when I killed this guy, I didn''t level up, so I said it all. However, Suho was satisfied enough. ''I only told you to solve the dungeon break, because I didn''t tell you to catch it all by yourself.'' The dungeon break began to be settled at a rapid pace just by Suho arranging the boss mob and some monsters. He had only shot two arrows, but the quest was progressing quickly on its own thanks to the activities of others. Like the difficulty, this quest seemed to be lucky in many ways. belt ring. [You havepleted ''Emergency Quest: Swamnd''.] A message arrived just in time. Thanks to the Minotaur''s arrows that had just been shot through the swamp, it seemed that the other hunters had finished off with an all-out attack on the demonic beasts that appeared in the gap. Suho was satisfied with the quickpletion of the quest and nodded his head in satisfaction. However, unlike Suho, who took the situation lightly, the two S-ss hunters seemed to have different positions. "for a moment. Little boy, what the hell was that arrow... No, were you an archer?" Thomas Andre, who came to me with a lot of rage, was quite surprised. "Suho, what was that? Didn''t you say you don''t have archery skills?" The shock felt by Lim Tae-gyu, who had seen this twice, was twice, no, ten times greater than that of Thomas. This is because the condensation of magical energy, which is essential to creating magic arrows, was not felt at all in the arrows of protection. The first time I saw it, I thought I was mistaken, but the moment I saw it twice, I was convinced. Suho had the skill to create arrows without consuming any mana. "It''s ridiculous to have such a skill..." It felt like themon sense he knew was copsing. However, Suho just brushed it off as if it was no big deal. "Ah, I''m a summoner. I also summoned arrows. just." "I know who is stupid! Even the summoning skill takes mana!" It was true, but the problem was not knowing that Suho''s summoning technique was not a skill but a realm of authority. Suho decided to check the quest rewards, ignoring the people who were interested in him as if he were looking at a mysterious animal. [Completion reward has arrived.] [Do you want to check the reward?] (Y/N) ''I don''t expect much reward because the difficulty is too low. check.'' Suho''s current level is 40. The quest was so easy that even the boss mob, ''Ruler of the Swamp, Kasaka the Blue Poison Tooth'', was captured in one shot, so I confirmed the reward without high expectations. ''hmm?'' But it wasn''t. [The following rewards are prepared.] Rewards1. Kasaka''s Poison Fang Reward2. Kasaka''s Poison nds ''Give me two?'' What kind of windfall is this? A different color appeared in Suho''s eyes, which he hadn''t even expected. Suho entered the bathroom of the building after avoiding the S-ss men who kept bothering to follow him from behind and ask him to exin about the magic arrow. "check." As soon as I took out the first item, a sharpened dagger appeared. [Obtained ''Item: Kasaka''s Poison Fang''.] "What is it? It''s a dagger, isn''t it?" Suho''s expression cooled as he epted the dagger. "Somehow, the difficulty of the quest was easy. Who would use such a weak-looking weapon..." [Keeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeek! ] Ver, who had been quiet until now, suddenly jumped out and clung to Suho. [Little Lord! A dagger is never weak! Especially when ites to this dagger...!] "It only has 25 attack power?" [Kkiek?] It was Ver who flinched at those words. [Item: Kasaka''s Fang] Difficulty to obtain: C Type: Dagger ATK +25 A dagger made from Kasaka''s venom. Kasaka''s poison remains, granting paralysis and bleeding effects when attacking. You can keep it in your inventory or sell it in the shop. Effect ''Paralysis'': The attacked target bes unable to move with a certain probability. Effect ''Bleeding'': The target''s HP is consumed at a rate of 1% per second with a certain probability. Suho clicked his tongue as he skimmed through the item information. "Isn''t it? The length is too short, and the basic attack power of my volkan horn is 40 and the damage is increased by 300%, so why am I using this?" [No that...! Hehehehe! Comint! If only it came out a little faster!] Ver said sobbing with a frustrated expression. [Little Lord! This dagger is the weapon that the monarch treasured in the past!] "My father said he used it?" When Verga said that, Suho looked at Kasaka''s fangs with new eyes. but. "no way. It must have been a bit bitter in the beginning." The options were good , but the damage was too weak. Still, the next reward was useful. [''Item: Kasaka''s venom nd'' has been acquired.] [Item: Kasaka''s venom nd] Difficulty to obtain: A Type: Elixir A bag containing refined Kasaka''s venom. There is an extremely rare chance of getting it by catching Kasaka. Drinking the venom gives you hard skin, but the poison permanently damages your muscles. Effect ''Kasaka''s irond scale'': Physical damage reduced by 20% Side effect ''Damaged muscle'': Strength -35 "It''s poison." Suho''s eyes sparkled. The type is ssified as ''Elixir'', but the identity of this was snake venom that was flowing in the swamp. A deadly poison that damages muscles when touched or eaten. [The King of Bugs, the Lord of gue, swallows his mouth.] "This sounds good, right?" And Suho also swallowed his saliva and poured Kasaka''s venom into his mouth without hesitation. gulp. [''Poison: Kasaka''s Poison'' was ingested.] [''Poison: Kasaka''s Poison'' can be handled.] Chapter 116 - 116

Chapter 116:

. A sticky liquid continued to flow down Suho''s neck. The taste was disgusting and fishy, but it was still edible. ''It''s not like I''ve eaten this kind of poison once or twice anyway.'' While Suho ate away every single drop of Kasaka''s poison. In Suho''s body, Querresha''s ''Blessing of gue'' and Kandiaru''s blessing ''Healthy Longevity'' were steadily being activated. belt ring. [A harmful ingredient has been detected.] [Treatment begins with the effect of ''Buff: Detoxification''.] [3 2 1... Detoxification isplete.] [''Side effect: Damaged muscle'' disappears.] First '' The fatal side effects of ''Kasaka''s Poison'' werepletely purified. belt ring. [Effect ''Kasaka''s irond scales'': Physical damage is reduced by 20%.] Now, only the positive buff effect with no side effects remains intact, increasing the defense of the guardian. In addition, Suho''s toughness skill was recently raising his defense by +100%, so whenbined, he had a whopping +120% defense. At this level, Suho had be a tanker who would never be outdone anywhere. But more than that, what Suho weed the most was that he was able to use Kasaka''s poison itself for attacks. [Debuff: Kasaka''s Poison] A poison that damages the muscles of the poisoned target, reducing their strength by -35. Damaged muscles literally means that the opponent''s strength and speed are weakened as a whole. In the meantime, it was like getting a much stronger level of debuff than ''Paralysis Poison'', which simply slowed down movement. ''I''m sure this will help?'' Suho immediately summoned Quay. "Quay." [Yes Master.] "From now on, you will fight by coating all your attacks with Kasaka poison." [Okay.] Suaaaa. At thatmand, ''Debuff: Kasaka''s Poison'' seeped into the tip of Quay''s spear. ''Like today, it would be more effective if I first shoot Quay with an arrow and debuff the opponent with Kasaka''s poison before starting the battle.'' Of course, quite a few guys will all be sorted out on the quay line like today. ''Unexpectedly, I got a very good ability.'' It was Suho who nodded with a satisfied expression. * * * While Suho was checking thepensation, the post-processing of the Euljiro incident was also going smoothly. After annihting the monsters, the area of the swamp area gradually decreased and disappeared. From the moment safety was secured, reporters rushed in and began to report this urgent situation to the media. Of course, it was always up to the Association Hunters to deal with this hectic situation. "I am Reporter Oh Seok-hoon of the Hunter Daily! What kind of hunter''s skill was that ck arrow that suddenly flew from the sky!" "Those two arrows are actually hunting the boss mobs and everything...!" "No, wait a minute. Please ask me one question at a time..." Han Jae-hyeok, team leader, was crying while surrounded by the microphones of numerous reporters. ''This isn''t the time for me to be like this.'' He was besieged by reporters in a situation where he had to chase after Thomas Andre, who had suddenly disappeared. But that doesn''t mean you can''t pretend you don''t know what''s going on and leave. Anyway, the association hunters closest to Euljiro were themselves, and it was the association''s job to do this post-processing. Fortunately, the situation was quickly suppressed and there were few casualties, so the most urgent task now was to fairly distribute the bodies of the demons. "I caught this beast!" "What nonsense! The wounds from my skill are clearly visible here!" ''...Actually, from now on is the most troublesome moment.'' Team leader Han Jae-hyeok felt his head pounding at the sight of the hunters arguing over the bodies of the beasts and iming that they were theirs. But curiously, none of them touched the demons killed by the two ck arrows that flew in the middle. ''The first shot flew like lightning and killed the boss mobs, and the second arrow overturned the entire swamp like a siege cannon. The second step aside, the problem is the first step.'' He understood the meaning of the ''first arrow'' better than anyone else because he was team leader Han Jae-hyeok, who had seen numerous archer hunters while working for the association. Other hunters must have known the meaning, so they would not have dared to im ownership of the arrow. ''I turned the direction in the sky to find the boss mob and sniped it. As if the arrow had eyes.'' I would have understood if it was a guided missile. It was rather a method of confirming the reality in front of your eyes and then chasing it until the end to hit the target. But flying in a parabolic arc from the far sky and then turning around like thunder and lightning to hunt the strongest beast? ''Who was an archer hunter with this skill? It''s a skill I''ve never seen before.'' However, all these questions were resolved sooner than expected. Suddenly, the best archer in Korea, Lim Tae-gyu, appeared nearby. "omg! Im Tae-gyu!" "Reaper guild leader!" "ah! Somehow I thought someone shot the arrow!" "As expected, the only archer with this skill is Lim Tae-gyu!" Rush! "What! for a moment! Why are you here?!" Lim Tae-gyu couldn''t help but be frightened when he saw the reporters suddenly rushing towards him. "As expected, Im Tae-gyu is the guild leader!" "Isn''t it Hunter Lim Tae-gyu who shot the arrow a moment ago?!" "Im Tae-gyu! Please say something! I heard that the victims of this immigration risk were generouslypensated for the damage...!" "for a moment! for a moment! One question please!" Even the world''s best S-ss hunter could not help but be embarrassed by this situation. Lim Tae-gyu turned his head to look for Suho with a tearful face. Then, suddenly, his eyes met with Suho, who was standing in a corner far away where no one could see and leisurely watching him suffer. ''Ah, that b*stard is real!'' Suho just smiled warmly and nodded towards Lim Tae-gyu. With a nasty expression, asking the uncle to make an excuse on his own. ''what the. You don''t want to be exposed, is this? What mysticism is this again! Kids these days are real!'' Of course, on the other hand, I did understand. Anyway, just getting media attention for this incident didn''t mean the ransom would go up. Rather, there are only a lot of annoying things. In the end, Hunter''s ransom was raised by himself even without anyone knowing. If it wasn''t for the purpose of getting a job in arge guild, it was a simple structure to make money as much as you hunted monsters yourself. Or raising your own brand image and setting up your own guild... ''No, wait.'' stop. It was Lim Tae-gyu who realized something from Suho''s expression looking at him at that moment. ''Could this be for me...?'' Looking at the current situation, the moment he says that this is what he did. It was clear that this was an opportunity to restore the image of the death god guild that had fallen into the abyss. It was an opportunity to widely publicize to the media that even though the death guild was criticized, the guild leader Lim Tae-gyu was still strong. But why? ''The reason why you do this for me is...'' It was then. What kind of voice came to Lim Tae-gyu''s ears, who was just making a questionable expression? [...With this, the debt was paid off.] "...!" Hearing that horrifyingly familiar voice, Lim Tae-gyu trembled as if he had been struck by lightning. He hurriedly turned his head and looked around, but the owner of the voice was nowhere to be seen. But I was sure. ''no way?!'' No, how could I not know! It was the voice of his nerdy friend Lee Min-seong, who made the Reaper Guild look like this! "Where are you!" Suddenly, the reporters around him reacted curiously to the sight of Lim Tae-gyu shouting out loud. But that kind of thing was good. "Where are you! Wherever you are!" [...] But he didn''t know. His bad friend Lee Min-seong was no longer in this world. There is only ''Quay'' who has been reborn as a shadow soldier. And then. Quay, who was still looking up at his old friend''s face while mingling in the shadows of countless reporters, spoke again. However, the contents were not like an apology saying that he was sorry now. In the first ce, Quay had no intention of asking him for forgiveness. So this is just... doing what needs to be done. [...There is a secret ledger hidden in the Death Guild. It''s the slush fund umted by the dead Immigration Department.] "...!" [Anyway, since the money is the property of the death guild, no one but the guild leader will be able to take it out. If only he knew the location and password of the ount...] Lim Tae-gyu''s eyes suddenly turned into astonishment when he learned that the information was hidden. To him, Quay silently called Lim Tae-gyu the password of the secret ount he had umted. Repeat it several times until he can memorize it. * * * [...Thanks Master.] "Are you done?" [yes. There is no longer any lingering attachments.] Ber growled as he watched Quay, who returned to Suho, politely bow his head. [You are truly ungrateful. Giving away that much money to a friend without thinking of giving it to a minor lord.] [I tried to do that at first, but what if it''s legally impossible? That ount is an ount that only the guild leader or assistant guild leader of the deceased guild can ess.] After making such an excuse, Quay looked at Suho with a slightly embarrassed expression. It was blind money that would disappear into the air without anyone noticing at the same time as the death of ''Lee Min-seong''. Now, the guild he bought with that money was able to put out an urgent fire, even if it didn''t look like it used to. So... [I think I''ve done enough of this.] I felt like I could throw away the name Lee Min-seong with real peace of mind now. "good job." Seeing Quay''s relieved expression, Suho also nodded. at that time. Squeak. Quay and Berg returned to the shadow of Suho. Just then, Thomas Andre was trudging towards Suho from afar. Thomas, like Lim Tae-gyu, seemed to have finally been released after dealing with annoying reporters. "So are you ready now?" At Thomas Andre''s sudden question, Suho shrugged and nodded. "yes." The corner of Thomas Andre''s mouth went up as if he really liked that cool answer. "Departure is tomorrow morning." Thomas Andre left that word and immediately turned around and went back to where Laura was. A determined light appeared in Suho''s eyes as he gazed at the huge back. ''tomorrow.'' It''s finally tomorrow. to find the missing mother. ''To the cier dungeon.'' It was then. "Suho." Shaking off the reporters, Lim Tae-gyu approached Suho and started talking to him. "Let''s ask one thing." "yes?" "In that cier dungeon... Are you the only one who enters? Or will your colleagues go with you?" "A colleague?" "okay. Those who want to make a guild with you." Suho put on a puzzled expression at the sudden question, then fell into deep thought for a while. Of course, Eshil would follow, but Lim Do-kyun was a bit vague about whether to say that he would go in with this. Lim Do-gyun has been living in his shadow as he has been training under Ammittely. So, when Suho entered the cier Dungeon, Lim Do-gyun, who was in the shadow, was also taken with him. "hmm. Let''s go in together." "Okay. I see ... Well, Thomas Andre is going with me, so it''ll be all right." "...?" Lim Tae-gyu, who was muttering to himself with a disturbed expression, scratched his head and nodded. "Have a good trip. If your colleagues are in danger, protect them well." "That''s obvious..." Hmm? Feeling a strange sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu, Suho''s eyes widened wide. Someone else''s face was ovepping on Im Tae-gyu''s embarrassed face. ''for a moment. no way?'' "Mister, maybe..." The moment Suho was about to ask something. After cutting off the words in the middle, Lim Tae-gyu opened his mouth first. "Oh, and the empty money came in that I hadn''t even thought of." "...?" "There is a ''bow'' that I was originally going to sell to raise money? I''ll lend it to you, so use it in the cier Dungeon and give it back." "...a bow?" Chapter 117 - 117

Chapter 117:

[Facade Ind] ''Fa?ade'' is a small ind located in the Pacific Ocean and was the smallest republic in the world. It was a very small independent country with the smallest poption among the regr members of the United Nations, and its area was only about a quarter of Jeju Ind. However, the fa?ade was also a fairly wealthy countrypared to its size. Since the ind itself was made of phosphate stones, which were made by umting guano (animal excrement), it was possible to enjoy great wealth just by mining the huge amount of phosphate stones buried in the ind. This was all the more so because the poption was smallpared to the money they earned. However, when the cataclysm urred, problems began to arise from the very underpoption. If the poption was small, the absolute number of hunters who naturally awakened was also small. When the gate urred, the Hunter, the only power that could block it, was utterlycking. And finally... ''that day'' hase. Irnd, whichcked the number of ''Dungeon Break'' hunters, was quickly eroded by the blue fog without any chance to resist. It became a ''field type dungeon''. Btedly, the president of the fa?ade spent a huge amount of money trying to hire foreign hunters as mercenaries, but at that time the situation had already reached a point where it was out of hand. Suddenly, ordinary citizens who had no aptitude for magical powers turned into mist buns here and there and started to run wild. In fact, the fa?ade was destroyed that day. "...At that time, information about Mist Burn and magical aptitude hadn''t spread all over the world yet." "...." While Suho flew to the fa?ade in Thomas Andre''s private ne, he was being briefed on the situation by Laura. "Like that, the whole country of the fa?ade disappeared. There are still a handful of survivors living there, but they are in effect refugees from a ruined country." "But, fortunately or badly, the president of that country is still alive." Thomas, who was leisurely looking at the clouds in the sky with his arms folded beside him, said Suho, looking back at him. "Has the president awakened as a Hunter?" "that''s right. That was lucky. However, the first thing he did after awakening was to kill his own family members, who had turned into mist burns, so... you could say it was bad luck." "..." At those words, Suho had no choice but to keep his mouth shut. It couldn''t have been a really gruesome situation. Laura raised her sses and resumed the briefing. "This is what experts say these days. When the dungeon break goes off, the most dangerous thing is not the monster, but the blue mist itself flowing from the gate." Suho also nodded in agreement. What I''ve learned through experience so far is that demon beasts are, in the end, just refugees wandering through the dimensional rift. Of course, the habit is so vicious that it instinctively attacks and eats humans, but the more fundamental problem is the blue fog. Suho''s mind suddenly recalled a conversation he had with Ber and Lacan''s fangs. [This blue mist is the magic of outer space. It is used to forcibly prate the dimensional wall and cause cracks in the world.] -That''s right. Because of this fog, the sanctuary I was in also wandered through the dimensional rift and connected to Earth. [After all, what the aliens want is to spread this fog all over the earth and cause a great rift. They''re trying to drill a hole that''s huge enough for their army to cross the dimension.] '' ...And, just like the swamp we saw yesterday, the demonic beasts soaked in blue mist spread everywhere, and the contaminated area gets wider and wider.'' Suho put on a serious expression as he recalled the swamp area that was gradually widening in real time yesterday. At that time, there were many hunters around, so the result of not being able to solve the situation quickly was the field type dungeons he had experienced many times. At least, they are tightly wrapped around the circumference with barbed wire, and the outside is protected so that the monsters cannot escape, so the size does not expand any further. By preventing the magic beasts that spread the blue mist from crossing over it. Even these days, it was bing more and more safe as the barbed wire was being developed with the magic of magic stones to develop various methods that demon beasts could not approach. However, Fa?ade Ind, where I am going now, was all around the sea. The problem was that the erosion had already ended before specialized equipment such as barbed wire was developed. "Im here." After a while, the private ne carrying them finallynded on the coast of Fa?ade Ind. When the ne door opened, the fierce cold blowing from outside awaited Suho. "...omg! Did you arrive too?" Lio Sing, who had been sleeping on the side seat all this time, felt the cold and took off the blindfold. Laura pointed to Rio Singh and asked Suho. "By the way, why did you bring this Indian hunter? Are you in cooperation with the Asura Guild?" "I help Suho. I came as an interpreter." Lio Sing proudly introduced himself. Although he is clumsy because he has just learned Korean, he was basically a schr who could speak fournguages. ''I can''t lose the Holy Guardian to the scavenger.'' English was essential to move with the scavenger guild, which was mostly made up of Americans, but Suho didn''t know how to speak English. Leo Singh had been requesting that he be included in the raid team for this reason. ''Anyway, if I move with Thomas Andre, my safety is guaranteed, so I thoroughly help only trante and make Seong Su-ho depend on me.'' It was Leo Singh, who said it was a very perfect n and his eyes lit up. But the problem was elsewhere. Outside the ne, the scavenger guild members who had arrived and were waiting for Thomas Andre set up barracks and were stationed there. "Guild leader!" "The guild leader has arrived!" Rush! Fearing that someone might not be the scavenger, all of them came towards Thomas Andre with a formidable impression. "Thomas! Why are you sote... oops!" "Shut up, you kids." Thomas Andre kicked the first one who ran up to him with his feet, then looked back at the faces of the guild members one by one with grim eyes and smiled. "Is it very cold?" "No, do you mean that!" "Why are you leaving the elite like us here!" "How much money would it cost to go through one more dungeon at a time like this!" "It''s really cold! It''s cold!" As if waiting for a word from Thomas Andre, a noisy uproar broke out. Everyone, without exception, was full of dissatisfaction. However, perhaps because of a colleague who was beaten while fighting, his momentum was a little less than at the beginning. "By the way, Boss. What are those little ones?" One of them asked, pointing to Suho and Leo Singh, who happened to be standing near Thomas Andre. Being caught up in the midst of the alreadyrge scavengers, the two of them had no choice but to look rtively small. "what? Could it be that you kept us waiting just to bring these guys?" "Does it look weak?" "no. Still, I think the mana I feel is about B-ss, right?" "What if it''s B grade? Would you use your strength here with such a poor body?" The scavenger guild members, who had already arrived here a few days ago, frowned as they nced at Suho and the others with open eyes. However, while receiving such stares, Suho had no thoughts. ''What do you mean?'' Because I didn''t know English. However, just by looking at their expressions, it was enough to feel that the atmosphere was not weing them. "Boss, did you really make us wait in the cold to get them?" "Ah, what is it really... Kkeok!" Another was babbling and was kicked by Thomas. But their reaction waspletely natural. The tanker, who had just been beaten, stood up again and protested to Thomas Andre with a genuinely angry expression. "boss. No, I''m not kidding. You''ve been here for the first time, right? In this cold, Hunters with such weak stamina can''t use their strength properly. We also said that our stamina was lost just by being here for three days." "you''re right. But the problem is that even though this ce is still outside the dungeon, it is at this level." It was. This is the outermost area of the field dungeon that has not yet been eroded. So, in Korea, it was right in front of the barbed wire. However, now this area has turned into a zone of severe cold as if it hade to Antarctica. really cier. "If you go into the cier Dungeon with these guys, it''s just a burden. You said you haven''t seen those guyse back alive until now?" "So what are you doing? Of course you''re not a tanker, are you a dealer?" The guild member just nced at the sword in Lio Xing''s hand andughed. But the problem was the moment his gaze passed the two of them and turned to Suho. "Why doesn''t he have a weapon? Is it magic?" "Hmm..." To that question, Thomas Andre put on a slightly puzzled expression. To be honest, leaving the guild members alone in such a cold ce for several days was not good. Even though he was acting like that, he knew that his guild members were by no means weak. In the meantime, they must have been ying their roles while hunting the nearby monsters on their own. The only problem is that the reason they kept waiting was because of Suho, but the words to introduce Suho were very ambiguous. Fortunately, Laura gave it to me at the right time. "The Hunter Seong Su-ho here... is a Korean Hunter and a C-ss summoner." "her?" "Summoning?" "Did I just hear wrong?" I told the truth, but the reaction was even more absurd. In the end, he couldn''t stand it and arge scavenger guild member strode towards Suho. The tall man with a head a head taller than Suho looked down at Suho with kind eyes and gnashed his teeth. "A summoner? yes kid what can you summon Since it''s cold, it would be really appreciated if you could summon a fire moth." The only problem was Suho''s poor English skills. I couldn''t understand his angry English pronunciation, so Lio Xing, who heard the words from the side, quickly tranted for Suho. "Guardian. Is it possible to summon?" "Summons? Ah yes." At that, Suho said he forgot and took out the key to the Shadow Dungeon. Then, plugging into his own shadow, he said. "Me and Esyl." Wow! "Did you call?" "...!" "...!" At that moment, Eshil suddenly appeared in Suho''s shadow. The eyes of everyone who were staring at Suho with an annoyed expression at that shocking appearance were stained with astonishment. "Four people?!" "Summoning someone?!" "What is this again!" Surprisingly, the same was true of Thomas Andre, who brought Suho. While Esil was on the ne, he was staying in the Shadow Dungeon of Suho, and the reason was, of course, because of his overseas visa. He somehow registered as a hunter with the help of Yu Jin-ho to apply for a guild, but Eshil was basically a demon. Even getting a visa was a cumbersome task. "Su Su-ho? Summon someone too? Summons?" Even Rio Singh couldn''t help but be greatly embarrassed when Esil, whom he had seen in Egypt, suddenly popped out of Suho''s shadow. Esyl also recognized Rio Singh. "hmm? What is this human I saw at the pyramid the other day?" "A colleague too? Summons? People?" However, Lio Xing''s mind was getting more and more confused. ''It was a big deal.'' A sense of crisis prevailed. There were two interpreters. Chapter 118 - 118

Chapter 118:

"This is a skill to summon a humanoid pet?!" "Do you have a summoning skill like this?" "I''ve seen a B-ss summoner summon a puppet, but..." "You like puppets! Doesn''t this woman look like a real person? Even the mana you can feel is at least B-ss!" "Does this make sense? A C-ss summoner? But how does C-ss summon B-ss?" buzz buzz. "...Suho, can you trante for me?" "no. Just by looking at his expression, I think I can understand what he means." Suho and Esil looked at the hulking figures surrounding them and even thought they were somehow cute. Haha, the main interest of hunters was the same regardless of nationality. ''What item does that person use? Where did you buy it?'' ''What is that skill again? Interesting?'' It''s only been two years since the cataclysm urred. It was a time when information sharing had not yet been actively carried out, so even a high-ranking hunter in arge guild had to have a lot of information that he did not know. Of course, all the curiosity always came down to who was stronger in the end, but the summoning (?) skill that Suho showed stimted the curiosity of the scavenger guild members to the point of overwhelming them. In particr, the expression of Derek Johnson, the A-ss hunter who was the first to estimate Suho''s magical power, was difficult to express in words. "No, no matter how well you look at it, it''s at the level of B-ss, but there''s no way this kind of skill is possible with just that much magical power..." He was quite confident in estimating the amount of magical power of others. It ismon sense that no matter how good a skill is, if the amount of magic power is low, it will not be able to demonstrate its ability. However, the amazing ability that Suho showed was never at a level that was possible for a ''ss C summoner''. that means that. ''Are you hiding your magic? How amazing is mana control!'' The higher the rank of hunter, the more people hid their magic. Rather than hiding it because he wanted to hide it, it was the result of having perfect control over his magic power. Why? As long as Hunters are human, just by living and breathing, they will consume their mana little by little without realizing it. However, the morepletely he controlled his own magic power, the more he could save unnecessary consumption of magic power. "Then, is this really how much magic is hidden? So what is the original grade? ss A? S-ss?" "Hmmmm. I just introduced Seong Soo-ho as a C-ss summoner." "...!" Derek Johnson put on an expression of disbelief at the words of Laura, who justly repeated what he said next to him. "No way! Laura must have misunderstood something! I assure you, this kid is definitely A-level or higher! I could bet my entire fortune!" How could a C-ss summoner summon a B-ss summoner in the first ce! It was then. "Okay, enough of the small talk, and since we''re all gathered, let''s start right away." tall. Thomas Andre''s words changed the expressions of the scavenger guild members at that moment. The atmosphere of chatter and chatter just before disappeared in an instant, and only the warriors of the reverse who radiated hot fighting spirit existed there. As preparations began in earnest, Laura immediately boarded a ne and returned to her home country. Leave a message that you wille back when the attack is over. "Guild leader, then I will brief you on the work of the past three days." "The rough information has already been delivered through Laura. It''s cold anyway. And there is some new information I just got from Korea." That information was about the ice elves he had heard from Suho. And in return for that information, Thomas Andre promised to pay Suho a fair price after the raid was over. He had to pay the price for participating in this raid anyway, so he decided to pay it all at once. Thomas Andre, who delivered the information to the guild members and thoroughly prepared for the archers, gave an order to the guild members who were staring at him with a smirk. "Let''s end this biting talk. you know our style The rest of the body hits and goes out." "yes! boss!" The scavenger''s shout echoed through the cold wind. * * * The moment you set foot inside the field of Fa?ade Ind. Suho realized that the cold so far was nothing. Suddenly, a huge blizzard mixed with blue fog obscured the view, and the cold like an ice age began. [''Debuff: Curse of Cold'' is applied.] [Attack speed decreases by -30%] [Movement speed decreases by -30%] But, of course, Suho didn''t have that. [Candiaru''s blessing is applied.] [''Debuff: Curse of the Cold'' disappears.] ''Is this the cier Dungeon?'' As the name suggests, all thendscapes thate into view were literally as if the ice age hade. In the streets, the wreckage of buildings and countless cars that copsed under the weight of the thick snow were covered in snowdrifts and buried. High-rise buildings such asrge shopping malls and officetels were covered with snow and ice, making them look like ice castles. This miserablendscape felt like it had frozen and preserved the horrors of ''the day'' when the dungeon break urred. "It is terrible." For some reason, it seemed that this ce perished because of the cold rather than the Witchbeasts. While walking through the snowstorm with the scavenger guild, step by step through the frozen city. He was busy exploring his surroundings with only his face sticking out from Verdot''s shadow. [It seems that there is no sign of Itarim yet. By the way, my lord. Aren''t you cold? How about wearing something?] In the meantime, I didn''t forget to carefully check Suho''s safety. At those words, Suho nodded and opened the shop window. In fact, the higher the magic power, the more cold and hot it was able to endure. But the cold here was beyond imagination. snap. [Purchased ''Item: Ice Bear''s Robe''] [Purchased ''Item: Ice Bear''s Robe''] [Purchased '' Item: Ice Bear''s Robe''] Suho has three fur coats decorated with pure white fur . I bought bees and gave them to Esil and Leo Singh. "Put it on." Ethil epted the suit and put it on, but Lio Singh was shocked. "Su Su-ho! This awesome artifact gift! I am impressed!" "...I''m borrowing it." ''Because I have to earn gold by selling itter.'' Despite Suho''s word of lending, Lio Xing was still thrilled and surprised. [Item: Ice Bear''s Robe] Difficulty to obtain: Grade B Type: Robe Defense +50 A robe made of Ice Bear''s fur. The leather is tough and strong, so it has high defense and is effective in blocking the cold. (However, if your strength is less than 80, your movement will be slow.) -Effect ''cold resistance'': It blocks cold and has resistance to freezing magic. Effect ''cold tolerance''. The effect of this simple option was amazing. The moment he put on Ice Bear''s robe, the ice age level of cold was cut off in an instant. [What a good choice. If it''s Ice Bear''s skin, it should be able to defend against the Ice Elves'' freezing magic. Of course, if the arrow is loaded with freezing magic, be careful as it can damage your clothes...] While Ver was diligently exining to Suho. The scavenger guild members'' eyes widened once again when they saw the fur that suddenly appeared in Suho''s hand. "What! Are you also summoning clothes?" "Well, I summon people too, but it''s about a fur coat." "Does that fur look very warm?" "for a moment! I think that''s made of Ice Bear''s hide?" "what? please give me too!" "me too!" "Shut up, you b*stards!" Seeing the guild members flocking to Suho again, Thomas Andre intervened by threatening them. Then he shyly held out his hand to Suho. "...?" "Do you have any left?" "..." At that time, Leo Sing proudly stood up to Thomas Andre and spoke for Suho. "Show me the money." "..." Of course, contrary to what he said, even if he offered to pay, Suho had no intention of opening a shop window anymore. After all, Thomas Andre''s mana would be able to withstand this much cold. The other guild members didn''t stay here for a day or two anyway, so their clothes were thick. Whoo-oh-oh- But as the blizzard intensified, the scavenger guild members continued to re at Suho and his party with envious expressions. e." Suddenly Thomas Andre raised his head with a ferocious expression. Whee ae ae ae-! Carried away by a frantic blizzard, arrows began to fly from somewhere. "defense!" At his cry, the defense skills of the scavenger guild members spread all over the ce. sphemy! When the arrows were blocked by the transparent magical barrier, white thin ice formed on the wall. And the arrows keep flying. The problem started there. sphemy! Jump! "Guild leader! The shield is about to break!" "The freezing magic is weakening the defense of the shield...!" "These!" Hearing the urgent voices of the guild members, Thomas Andre raised his eyes towards the ice elves, who could not be seen due to the blizzard. strengthen skills. At that moment, a tremendous amount of mana condensed in his arm. "Huh!" As he swung his fist into the air, powerful energy surged like a wave, piercing the blizzard and exploding. Kwaaaaang-! The arrows flying in that tremendous explosion were extinguished all at once. "The battle begins." Finally, the battle of the scavengers began in earnest. However, Suho''s gaze was not looking in that direction, but in the other direction. [Ice Golem] [Ice Golem] A huge presence felt over the blizzard. Although there was nothing visible, the sensory stats were giving a warning. ''These are the real ones.'' Suho immediately took out his bow. And Thomas Andre was already moving there. "That way is real! All scattered!" The S-ss hunter''s senses were already in control of the whole situation. But then the problem happened. In the first ce, the ice golems had no intention of attacking this side. below that. Whoaaaaaaaaaaa-! ''Wait, no way!'' Realizing the sign, Suho''splexion changed terribly. "Spring up, Quay!" While ck arrows are created from his shadow. The ice golems were already striking the frozen ground with their hands together. Kwak Kwak-! From there, the ground cracked and the road began to copse. "Oh no! It''s an earthquake!" I heard the panicking Thomas Andre''s cry. At that moment, the floor they were standing on suddenly copsed and they began to fall at the same time. At the moment of the fall, Eshil suddenly realized something and urgently looked at Suho. "Suho! It''s the gate! A dimensional rift is being felt down here!" Whoo-oh-! At that moment, Suho was already aware of it. Where is this terrible blizzard starting? A sudden ice age on this tiny ind in the sun-drenched Pacific Ocean. This blizzard didn''te from the sky, but from the beginning, it came from underground on the ind. Wow! And a huge cold blizzard sucked all the Hunters, including Suho, into the gate. ''Is this inviting us?'' Suho''s eyes lit up as he watched the gate of the cold that engulfed him. ''Then I can''t go empty-handed.'' Suho, who was falling down, recklessly pulled a bowstring and shot Quay at the moment he passed through the gate. Chapter 119 - 119

Chapter 119:

Quay, who had turned into a ck arrow, flew forward through the frigid blizzard that fluttered like a typhoon. If ordinary archers saw this, they would have cursed at him, saying that he was wasting only so much mana. Because it was a blind arrow. However, Suho''s arrow has an ''eye''. "Quay! Guess whoever sees it first!" [yes! Master...!] Quay''s voice was buried in the blizzard and Asrai disappeared. At the same time, Suho stopped caring about Quay. The important thing right now was this one. Wow! Even in the midst of this, all the hunters of the scavenger, including Suho, passed through the gate and continued to fall down. "Everyone prepare for the impact with magic...!" The voices of the scavenger guild members who responded to Thomas Andre''s charismaticmand faded away. My vision was blurry because of the blizzard that raged relentlessly. Because of that, I couldn''t even see Eshil or Rio Sing right next to me, but I believed that I could deal with this on my own. Wow! Just like Thomas said, Suho himself maximized his senses by protecting his entire body with magic. Then, through the pure white blizzard, I finally began to see a certain scenery down there little by little. Whoaaaagh! "...!" Suddenly, Suho''s eyes widened wide as he witnessed the scene with a strong headwind. forest. I could see the white frozen forest below. Ice-covered river and snow-covered trees. Ice crystals glistened in the stream that ran through the dense mountain range. The spring water that flowed along the small valley formed a smallke and blended naturally with the frozen forest. [Little Lord! You must bring Quay back! If it crashed like this...!] It would be dangerous if it crashed like this because of Ver''s urgent cry. However, if it hadn''t been for even the fluttering of Quay''s wings, it would have never been able to prate such a violent blizzard. This blizzard is not just a meteorological phenomenon, but the storm itself. It was a blizzard loaded with magical power that could prate even the rifts of the dimension. However, while listening to Ver''s urgent cry, Suho couldn''t help but lose his gaze at the wonderful scenery that came into his field of vision through the fluttering snowstorm. The scenery that unfolded before my eyes was so spectacr that it could not bepared to any dungeons I had experienced so far. I only regret one thing. It was that he was falling n.a.k.e.d from a high altitude over that beautiful sight. ''Are you saying that ice elves live in that forest?'' Anyway, I figured out the situation, now it was time to deal with it. "Grey River God!" Whoa- [Reinforces ''Pet: Grey''.] Hui-oh-oh! Even in the harsh snowstorm, a divine wind blew and wrapped around Suho''s body. [Uses ''Skill: Grasnd Wind''.] [The Grasnd Wind frees the priest''s body.] [Movement speed temporarily increases by 30%.] [Attack speed temporarily increases by 30%.] Chew! Suho, who had bleached his silver hair in an instant, quickly opened his inventory and reced the item. A faint smile appeared on Suho''s lips as he held the two horns of Volcan in both hands. If your opponent is a storm. ''Just cut.'' Wow! [Use ''Skill: Storm sh''.] A fierce blizzard entwined Guardian''s twin swords. Twisting the wind in reverse forcibly slowed the fall. Whoop! Suho''s body began to slowly fall into the middle of the forest as if gliding down. He shed Volcan''s horn straight down at arge tree that just happened to be nearby. Kwajijijijik-! A huge tree split into two from Volcan''s horn, and the speed of Suho''s fall further decreased. ...chuck. "Well, I lived for now." Suho, who had safelynded on the thick snow at the noble sacrifice of the tree, looked around with a calm gaze. All I see is pure white snow and trees. The hunters who had fallen together could not see whether the points where they crashed were different. "I was suddenly in distress." [I know the reason why so few hunters havee back alive.] "Sure. If this is the case, I must havepletely failed... Wait a minute?" Suho, who nodded at Ver''s words, suddenly had a question in his head. He raised his head and looked up at the sky where the dimensional rift was wide open, with a puzzled look on his face. "Then how did those who returned alive get back? Could it be that he flew over there?" [Kieek?] At that, Verdo finally narrowed his eyes and looked at the gate in the sky. Of course, it would have been possible for Hunters with flying skills. But before that, there was a snag. [Hmm. Come to think of it... I don''t think those ice golems would have smashed the ground like this every time.] If all the hunters who came to attack the cier dungeon had passed through the gate in the same way now, all thend on Facade Ind should have already been devastated. did. However, there was no way that the ground was covered over it again after falling like this every time. [Perhaps there is not one entrance.] "There is not one gate?" [yes. Look at that sky right now. Humans simply refer to it as a gate, but in reality, the cracks in the dimension widen more and more as time goes on.] As Ber said, the gate through which Suho passed was not just an ordinary hole, but a space torn apart. Since Fa?ade Ind was already an area polluted with magic uncontrobly, it was not strange that there were holes leading to the dungeons here and there. "So until now, other hunters havee this way through other holes..." Startled. Suho stopped talking until the end and immediately twisted his waist and swung his sword. Chow! "Keruk...!" [The Ice Kobold has been killed.] With that single de, the head of the monster who sneaked up on me while hiding in the blizzard was cut off. Suho immediately looked around and smiled faintly. "Looks like I fell too loudly." [It''s already surrounded.] Hwi-oh- oh- In the midst of the blizzard, Suho was surrounded by life-threatening gazes. [Ice Kobold] [Ice Kobold] .... Vision and hearing were disturbed due to the magical blizzard, but it seemed that this was no problem for those monsters whose main habitat was here. "...that''s fun." Suho justughed. A situation where you have to rely solely on your sensory stats. It was at the level of such a kobold now, but how strong enemies lurked beyond that. Besides, of course, he is now separated from his colleagues who came in together. [It''s rather good.] Ber alsoughed. Wouldn''t it be a perfect situation for Suho to level upfortably if his vision was blocked and he was alone? [The time to level up has arrived.] "Mino Tau.e out." Wow! Two gigantic shadow monsters that rise from the shadows at themand of the guardian. [Shadow Minotaur Lv.1] Knight Grade [Shadow Minotaur Lv.1] Knight Grade The madmen that Suho had personally killed and saved in the demon realm had now be Suho''s dependable soldiers. [Mmmuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu!] The shadowy minotaurs that swayed ck steam all over their bodies spread their muscr arms and roared ferociously. The bodies of the ice kobolds, who seemed ready to rush at Suho at any moment, trembled instinctively at that momentum. Pointing at them, Suho ordered. "Trample everything." [Mumu U-!] [ Moody Ah- !] [The ice kobold has been killed!] [The ice kobold has been killed!] [The ice kobold has been killed!] ... The ensuing battle was overwhelming. The number of kobolds constantly appearing in the forest exceeded hundreds, but they were trampled to death by the brutal violence of the Minotaur, the shadow of the tribe. And only then did the real, who had been holding its breath behind them, finally begin to reveal itself. [Ice Troll] "Kwoaaaaa!" The monster, simr in size to the ice golems seen above, swung a log in one hand and struck the shadow minotaur ''Tau'' in the head. Kwajik! Tau''s neck was snapped by the destructive force so great that the log was shattered. but. "...!" [Mum?] It was useless. Enveloped in ck steam, Tau''s savage gaze returned to normal with a broken neck. In front of him, the Ice Troll felt a chill. Tau wasughing with an eerie expression. As if it was only this much. And right away, Tau''s arm muscles swelled as he raised his fist at the ice troll. [Mummuu...!] The moment when that overwhelming violence was about to be poured out on the Ice Trolls. Pooh-! "...!" A ck spear suddenly pierced the Ice Troll''s back and stabbed it into its chest. Chew! When the spear was pulled out, the ice troll lost his life and copsed on the spot. [I killed the ice troll.] The owner of the spear was none other than Quay. Quay, who was shot with an arrow and immediately returned to Suho''s ce, smiled meaningfully at Tau as he trampled on the ice troll''s corpse. [I was faster.] [Mmmoo!] [What? I can''t even speak, it''s like a slow bursting rib head.] Ignoring Tau, who was purring in anger, Quay immediately approached Suho and knelt down. chuck. [The window knight Quay has returned.] However, Quay did not return empty-handed. A strangeness appeared in Suho''s eyes. Quay''s ankle was caught in his hand, and he was holding ''something'' that had passed out. "What did you catch?" [This is the ice elf I flew to and hit.] Surprisingly, what Quay caught was a young ice elf who looked about 10 years old. Of course, I knew as soon as I saw his appearance that he was an ice elf. More than that, what Suho paid attention to was none other than the name tag floating above the elf''s head. [Sirka, Guardian of the Baruka Tribe] ''Guardian of the Baruka Tribe?'' It was a Witchbeast with some meaningful modifier attached to it. First of all, evidence that the Ice Elves are living as a tribal unit, as Lio Singh informed. But even more mysterious than that was the fact that the ice elf was still breathing. "Are you still alive?" [yes. Unfortunately, I couldn''t bear to kill him.] "What?" Suho was genuinely surprised. The truly amazing words came out of Quay''s mouth. There was no way that Quay would have realized the preciousness of life now. But what came out of Quay''s mouth was even more surprising. [This ice elf recognized me. He asked me if I knew the Shadow Lord. So I wondered if it might be a clue...] "What?" Suho''s eyes widened. Quay asked for a big catch. Chapter 120 - 120

Chapter 120:

Quay! Guess whoever sees it first! The onlymand given to Quay, who turned into a shadow arrow and was shot out. To aplish that task, Quay made her way through the blizzard and turned in search of the nearest prey. And I realized That there are too many enemies. frozen forest. There were so many eyes watching the hunters who were falling through the cracks in the sky all over the cier dungeon. And a few of them unrelentingly attacked the ck arrow, Quay, who was flying through the blizzard before anyone else. Shush shush shush shush! Quay''s eyes shed as he watched the countless arrows flying in the blizzard to intercept him. [Who dares to stop me!] Quay growled ferociously. It was justughable. He is his master''s arrow. It was the strongest arrow that added the attack power of the bow to the power of the Shadow Soldier. How can those ordinary arrows block his path! [I am the master''s spearman Quay! It will be a single bolt of lightning and pierce the enemy''s heart!] Kurrung! Quay literally became a ck thunderbolt, deflecting all the arrows and flying away. Then, following Suho''s order, he attacked the ''first seen'', that is, the ice elf in the forefront. "Aww...!" [Did you get rid of it!] But the confident Quay''s wish didn''te true. It was because Quay''s momentum had run out at thest minute as he had already passed through a rough blizzard and numerous arrows. Quay''s arrow, which was trying to pierce the heart with a single blow, eventually pierced the opponent''s side and stuck on the cold floor. At that moment, Quay quickly looked around and judged whether the enemy was alive or dead. [It''s shallow!] But it didn''t matter. Because Quay''s attack was poisoned by Suho himself. [''Debuff: Kasaka''s Poison'' damages the opponent''s muscles.] [Muscle Strength -35] Stagger! In Quay''s field of vision, the ice elf was ovee by the venom and copsed. At that moment, Quay was faced with a choice. Are you going to return to your master? Or will youpletely finish off the wounded enemy and return proudly? Of course it''s thetter. Wow! In an instant, the bee''s wings spread out from Quay''s body, which had be an arrow and was stuck on the floor. And in an instant, it changed to its original form and blended into this fierce blizzard storm. bee himself He was a natural assassin who secretly approached his prey and shot and killed it with a bee sting. However, the Ice Elves were not easy either. Even in the blizzard that obscured his vision, the Ice Elf opened his eyes wide, urately capturing the sight of Quay, who was aiming for his life. [It''s toote.] At that moment, Quay''s spear pierced her heart. "...a shadow soldier?" tall. Suddenly, a word came out of the prey''s mouth and Quay''s spear stopped instantly. Nettles ¨C Crack! Then, he immediately took the spear out of the water, grabbed the opponent''s neck with his other hand, and lifted it up. [What did you say just now!] "Kek kek...!" The Ice Elf struggled, suffocated by that strong grip. Despite the unexpected situation, Quay was not taken aback. In the first ce, Suho had two purposes for entering this dangerous ce. It was to find a clue about Itarim and Suho''s mother. In the current situation, it was rather wee. And soon, amazing words flowed from the ice elf''s mouth. "You, too... you know the Shadow Lord...!" [...!] At that moment, Quay''s eyes narrowed. Just in time, people were gathering from all directions through the blizzard. Probably thepanions of this ice elf. There was no more time for leisurely conversation. puck! "...!" At that moment, without hesitation, Quay struck the ice elf on the back of the neck, knocking him out. Then, with a drooping ice elf wrapped around her waist, she soared into the sky and melted into a blizzard. He just carries out orders. He said he would leave all judgment and thoughts to the Master. * * * "...he said he knew the Shadow Lord." Suho, who heard the whole story from Quay, first looked at the ice elf''s condition. Fortunately, he didn''t die, but hisplexion was pale because of the wounds from Quay and Kasaka''s poison. "I don''t know what the situation is, but I''ll try to keep it alive first." Suho immediately ordered the shadow soldiers to find a nearby cave where they could escape the blizzard. [Master I found. I will guide you right away.] Quay returned first and guided Suho there. Indeed, there was a small cave that appeared to be an ice kobold''s nest. As soon as I entered, the ice kobolds attacked, but after defeating them without difficulty, they settled down inside. snap. [Purchased ''Item: Bonfire Set''.] A camping set containing the right amount of dry firewood and kindlings appeared in front of Suho. I looked it up just in case, but the store that sells all sorts of things also sells these things. [I will fan it. The little lord is resting.] Verga quickly took care of the bonfire with a fan. Roaring! Surprisingly, with skillful workmanship, a warm fire was built in an instant. Suho sat down in front of the bonfire andid the fainting ice elf on his side. [I purchased ''Item: Intermediate Healing Potion''.] When Suho took out the healing potion, Quay said with a worried expression. [Are you okay, Master? Ice elves are warlike beasts. You can attack the master as soon as you wake up.] "Yes. That''s why I''m going to eat only potions and leave poisoning behind." [also! That''s a good decision.] Healing potions alone aren''t detoxifying anyway. As long as this Ice Elf was poisoned by Kasaka''s poison, even if he woke up, he would be much weaker than usual. [The King of Bugs, Lord of gue, is satisfied with the poison, saying it is a convenient poison when capturing prisoners.] Suho forcibly opened the Ice Elf''s mouth and poured the potion into it. "...cool cool!" "If you want to live, swallow well." The wounds of the Ice Elf who drank the potion while in a dream gradually healed. And when you finallye back to your senses. "..." The ice elf opened his eyes and soon realized the situation he was in. chuck. The eerie tip of Quay''s spear, made of ck energy, touched her neck. On either side of it, two giant shadowy Minotaurs surrounded it, emitting fearful energy. [If you act foolishly, I''ll kill you.] Quay''s bluff continued, but strangely, the ice elf didn''t show any signs of embarrassment or fright. Rather... he looked around with a pleased expression. As if looking for someone. "What are you looking for?" surprise. When Suho asked, the ice elf looked like a surprised rabbit and turned his gaze to Suho. Then he stared at Suho''s face with a strange expression. "How can you speak ournguage?" I don''t know if it was because of his birth or because of the system, but Suho was able tomunicate with the Witchbeast. But now that wasn''t the point. The ice elf started pouring out words at Suho like a rapid-fire cannon, as if it had gone well. "Anyway, that''s fine. I am Sirka, the guardian of the Baruka tribe!" "..." "More than that, Sung Jin-woo, the shadow lord! What kind of rtionship do you have with him, why are you with the Shadow Soldier?" Suddenly, his father''s name popped up, but Suho was more cautious than surprised. [...For now, I can''t feel the energy of Itarim.] Suho calmly nodded at Ber''s whisper. Even so, there was a part of me that was cautious about answering questions about my father. ''I have to get the information out there first somehow.'' While Suho carefully chooses what to say. Sirka, who had been staring at that expression intently and waiting for an answer, suddenly realized something and widened her eyes. "...uh?" "huh?" "Wait a minute. Are you?" "...?" Suho made a puzzled expression at Sirka''s unknown reaction. Shirka kept examining her own face with an expression as if her eyes would pop out of nowhere. "what? uh huh Do they really look alike?" "Who do you think I resemble...?" Suho asked again, thinking all 50,000 things in his mind. ''Are you my father''s enemy? If I saw my father during the war, of course I resemble him...'' But his guess waspletely wrong. Now, Sirka, who had been sniffing even Suho''s scent, suddenly pointed at Suho''s face and shouted. "that''s right! Definitely look alike! You were the son of Chacha!" "...cha-cha?" Suho put on a puzzled expression for a moment. However, the next moment, Suho''s expression hardened when he heard Sirka''s confident voice. "Yes Cha Cha! Cha Hae-in!" "...!" [...!] At that moment, not only Suho''s eyes, but also Ber''s eyes widened. Seeing that reaction, Sirka burst intoughter with a bright smile. "okay! That''s right! I heard a lot about you from Chacha! The name must be... Sung Soo-ho! Suho! Right?" "How do you know your mother?" "I just want to know! I''m Cha Cha''s friend! Chacha is the savior of us Ice Elves!" Even Suho, who doesn''t panic at all, couldn''t keep hisposure this time. My mom''s friend who popped out of nowhere was like that, and I just heard something strange. "My mother... what about the ice elves?" "Dragon Shaman Cha-Cha! Cha Hae-in is the savior of us Ice Elves." "Dragon Maiden? What does this mean again..." A strange nickname was attached to the mother who had been missing for five years. [Wait a minute.] In this chaotic situation, Ver suddenly realized something. [Solord, I think I know at what point Cha Hae-in went missing.] Ver remembered it clearly. The point at which the shadow lord Seong Jin-woo and the shadow soldiers entered the foreign press war in earnest. [...That day was the 16th wedding anniversary of the two of you.] And at that time, the two of them were enjoying a date in the sky on the shadow flying dragon Kaisel. And... [He gave Cha Hae-in a special ne made by bearded dwarfs with excellent dexterity.] A special gift for the 16th wedding anniversary. Seong Jin-woo put a beautiful ne shining in the sunlight around his wife''s neck. At that moment, the shadow soldiers who were quietly cheering for their master''s perfect wedding anniversary event in the shadows cheered. Wow-! And just before the lips of Seong Jin-woo and Cha Hae-in, who were getting closer and closer, collided. [Your lord said that.] -Honey, go back first. I''ll follow right away. Cha Hae-in, who received back the memories of the forgotten world with the power of Sung Jin-woo, knew the situation when he said this very well. ¨C Are youing soon? Seong Jin-woo silently nodded at those words. He gave an order to the dragon Kaisel. Send your precious wife Cha Hae-in home safely. Kaisel, who turned to the ground like that, quickly moved away. Seong Jin-woo, who was watching his wife''s back, turned away. And with the most ferocious eyes, I red at the blue mist leaking out of the twisting and bending outer space. [All powerful beings can attract terrible things from other worlds like a ma.] And the number of cracks in the dimension from which the blue mist flowed began to increase rapidly. Hundreds of thousands? Maybe more. [...that was the beginning of the foreign press war.] Chapter 121 - 121

Chapter 121:

The Foreign Press War Begins. At that time, Seong Jin-woo personally led soldiers to the distant universe to fight against the enemies of outer space. An all-out war soon followed. [And that day...] Remembering the fierce battle that day, Ver calmly continued. [The flying dragon, Kaisel, who left with Cha Hae-in on board, never came back. Even now, several yearster.] At the time, Seong Jin-woo''s order to Kaisel was to return Cha Hae-in safely home. However, Kaisel, who left after hearing the order, did not return to the Shadow Legion no matter how much time passed. However, Seong Jin-woo at the time did not care much about him. In the meantime, it was because they had already left too far from Earth for the foreign press war. When the distance between dimensions widens too much, the shadow soldier''s connection with Seong Jin-woo gradually weakens and is cut off. Just like Ber does now. Isn''t it because of the ''distance between dimensions'' that Seong Jin-woo can''t re-summon Ver from the universe after immediately reverse-summoning him on Earth? If the distance is too far, mana cannot be recharged or reverse summoned. [As you know, the method of summoning shadow soldiers is a kind of ''gate''. It is a way to call the soldiers waiting in the shadow world to this dimension through the dimension gate.] But that gate is, after all, an act of breaking through the dimension wall. [If the distance between the dimensions bes too far like this, the gate will not be connected directly. You have to fly through the dimensional gap while tearing down countless dimensional walls.] A representative example of this is the War of Lords, which took ce in a time zone that has now disappeared. Even the powerful rulers took years to reach Earth from their own dimension. So over the years, the monarchs who arrived one step ahead were preparing for war on Earth first. In any case, it meant that the dimension in which the foreign press war was taking ce was also too far away from the earth. After hearing Ber''s exnation, Suho''s expression hardened seriously. "Then, from then on, mother..." [Yes. It seems that Cha Hae-in had an unavoidable ident on the way to move by Kaisel and was unable to return home in the first ce. You got caught up in a dimensional rift on the way.] That''s right. an unavoidable ident. It must have been an absolutely unavoidable ident for Cha Hae-in and the flying dragon Kaisel, who was carrying her. [...Because at that time, a dimensional rift was opening in the sky.] After finishing his speech, Ver nodded with a serious expression. However, regardless of the mood of the two, Sirka, who was listening to their conversation from the side, nodded with a bright expression. "that''s right! That''s why the ck dragon Kaisel always guards Chacha''s side! That''s why it''s Cha Cha, the dragon priestess!" At those words, Suho looked at Shirka and asked. "So where is my mother or my mother now?" Suho''s voice cracked a little when he said mother for the first time in a while. Somehow, my throat was choking. * * * Whoo-oh- When I came out of the cave again, a magical blizzard blew in from all directions, covering my vision. However, the ice elf Shirka did not mind the severe cold weather and set out on the road. "Just follow me. I will guide you to where our tribe lives." "...." Suho''s expression as he silently followed Sirka was full of thoughts. On the other hand, Sirka''s expression when she actually met Cha Hae-in''s son, whom she had heard so much about, was smiling all the time. "I was born in this forest. Weather like this is normal for the Ice Elves." As if to prove that those words were not false, Sirka quickly found her way and moved even in this magical blizzard. His steps were surprisingly light, and he even showed off his talent of jumping over the thick snow. On the other hand, the feet of Suho, who followed him, kept sinking into the snow. Looking back at her, Shirka smiled happily. "I''m afraid he''s not someone''s son, so even that is the same as Cha Cha! If your feet keep slipping out, try spreading your mana thinly across the soles of your feet." "Magic power on the soles of your feet?" "huh. Chacha was difficult at first, but I quickly learned the trick. You are also Chacha''s son, so it''s definitely possible." However, Shirka''s expression when she saw Suho was full of mischief. The look on his face was as if he was watching his little nephew begin to walk with excitement. ''Actually, I didn''t learn it right away.'' It was said to be a trick, but in fact, this skill was not an easy skill for non-Ice Elves. How hard did Cha Hae-in try to learn this skill? It was possible only when the detailed and sophisticated mana control was fully ingrained in every step. "The trick is simple." Shirka twitched the corners of her mouth and taught Suho personally. "We Ice Elves crawl on snow like this before we can even walk. So, at first, I instinctively crawled with mana all over my body, and then gradually reduced the distribution of mana..." " Aha. Like this. I get the hang of it." "huh?" For a moment, Shirka, who was eagerly teaching her nephew how to walk, became bewildered. Before he knew it, Suho was standingfortably on the thick snow. "why? What''s wrong?" "Ugh. It''s still a bit clumsy." Silka, who was dumbfounded for a moment, pointed out Suho''s feet to save face as an adult (?). "Look at this. Are your eyes still squinting? Originally, you shouldn''t leave footprints like this like me." "You say there are no footprints left?" At those words, Suho turned his head and looked back at the path Shirka had passed. ''surely! Only my footprints remain!'' What a strange talent. Walking in the snow and leaving no footprints. When Suho realized his shorings, Shirka arrogantly folded her arms in relief. "Isn''t it? Of course, it can be a bit difficult at first. But if you try a lot..." "Oh, this is it." "..." Before the words were finished, Suho''s footprints were gone. [You have learned ''Skill: Elf''s Step''.] ''A new skill?'' A strangeness appeared in Suho''s eyes. They said it was just a trick, but it must have been a greater skill than I thought. Silka, at a loss for words for a moment, stared nkly at Suho. "...Somehow, whenever Chacha opens her mouth, she brags about her son like that." "mother?" At that, Suho tilted his head as if he didn''t understand. "Did my mother brag about me? Couldn''t it be?" Whenever Shirka talked about his mother, Suho felt strange. His mother Cha Hae-in, whom he knew, was not the type to be stingy with praise, but he was not the type to go out and brag about his children. Rather... ''He always wanted me to grow up normally.'' His normality really... Looking back, his childhood was ''normal'' itself. Although he was always on the superior sidepared to his peers in terms of strength and physical strength, everything else was extremely ordinary. That was his childhood guardian. ''And my parents were strangely delighted with me.'' Maybe because of their happy expressions, I think I tried to live a more normal life. At the time, I took it for granted, but now that I think about it, it was a very strange part. Isn''t it normal for parents from other families to like it when their children show a little better than the children from other families? [Khem. That''s it. It''s the consideration of parents who want the little monarch to lead a normal life...] Ver suddenly jumped out from the side and started looking back on Suho''s childhood. But there was no room for that. "arrived." Just in time, their steps stopped and a certain scenery unfolded in front of them. This is the vige of the Ice Elves. But above all else, the first thing that caught their attention was arge beautiful ice sculpture standing in front of the vige. And surprisingly, the shape of the ice sculpture... "Mother?" [Haein?!] Suho and Ber''s eyes widened. The ice sculptures carved by the Ice Elves were in the form of a huge flying dragon, Kaisel, and Cha Haein. * * * 5 years ago. The shadow dragon Kaisel, who was returning with Cha Hae-in, was unable to bring her safely to the ground. All in all, a dimensional rift had arisen in front of them, which had been multiplying randomly due to Itarim''s invasion. Kwa-O-O-O -A powerful dimensional wind that suddenly blew Kaisel''s wings and turned sharply. -Kyaaak! Cha Hae-in, who was just an ordinary human at the time, screamed as she clung to Kaisel''s staggering back. Kaisel tried his best not to let Cha Hae-in fall, but it was impossible to escape once he was caught up in the dimensional rift. However, when he turned in the opposite direction, a tremendous battle had already begun in the direction he came from. That moment. Kaisel, the flying dragon, repeated the order Seong Jin-woo had given him. That order is... ''Send Cha Hae-in back home safely.'' Cha Hae-in''s safety. Because he was Kaisel, who had been watching Seong Jin-woo, he was well aware of how important Cha Hae-in''s safety was to Seong Jin-woo above all else. The moment he remembered that fact, Kaisel jumped into the dimensional rift without hesitation. Initially, there were no options. Hold on and get sucked in. jump on my feet In the end, they were destined to be sucked into the dimensional rift. But if you jumped in on your own, you could at least choose which crack to get sucked into. And Kaisel turned into the most stable crack for Cha Hae-in''s safety. And the moment they crossed the rift, they could see it. A mighty blizzard raging beyond. The beautiful frozen forest below. "...So Chacha came down to the forest where we live." Remembering the scene of the day, Sirka looked at the ice-carved Cha Hae-in with a hazy expression. The moment Cha Hae-in passed through the dimensional rift. The moment we arrived in this frozen forest. The moment I encountered the Ice Elves. Cha Hae-in.... Awakened the tremendous power he had long forgotten. S-ss Hunter. The magic that was stronger than anyone else in Korea. "And you saved our tribe." "From whom?" "From the ice spirits of the Echo Forest." Echo Forest. The sanctuary where even an ice elf cannote out alive once they set foot in it. That moment. belt ring. [The quest has arrived.] A system message appeared in front of Suho. Chapter 122 - 122

Chapter 122:

"Wow! Sirkkada!" Just then, lively voices were heard from all over the ce. "Sirka!" "Sirka is back!" When Sirka, who had suddenly disappeared, returned safely, ice elves came out from all over the vige to greet her. But that''s only for a moment. The moment they found the stranger standing next to Sirka, they became ferocious and immediately prepared for battle. "intruder!" "It''s an intruder!" "There is an intruder in town!" Ch! Bows and arrows and sharpened daggers were aimed at Suho in an instant. Shirka jumped between them and hurriedly waved her hands. "Everybody stop! don''t fight! He''s not an intruder! Look Carefully! Cha-cha''s son!" "what?" "Cha-cha?" "Are you Chacha''s son?" Everyone looked at Suho''s face with puzzled expressions. "What?" Then, one by one, they realized something and their eyes began to widen. "Huh?" "Uh huh? Really?" The ice elves, who were wary of Suho, hurriedly turned their heads and opened their mouths whileparing the faces of the ''ice statues'' standing in front of the vige with those of Suho. "wow! You really look like Cha Cha, right?" "Come to think of it, our eyes are a bit simr!" "Kodo!" "Smell too!" "What''s your son''s name? gender?" "You fool! Chacha''s son''s name is Seongsuho!" "What is Shirka! Are you really Chacha''s son? Where did you find it?" The immediate, bloody atmosphere suddenly loosened up and turned into a riotous one. Even before entering the cier Dungeon, the atmosphere was so friendly that it was disheartening to have fully prepared to face the Ice Elves. Shirka boasted in front of them, saying that she had found Suho. Standing in the middle of that atmosphere, Suho was calmly examining the ice elves one by one. ''...Everyone is young.'' The lifespan of an Ice Elf may not be the same as that of a human, but once you look at their appearance, all of the Ice Elves who are talking in front of you now appear to be in their early tote teens. He hardly looked like he was in his 20s or older. ''There are no adults.'' Besides, there was another strange thing. ''It''s weaker than I thought.'' At that, Berdo made a strange expression and whispered to Suho. [Most of the Ice Elf warriors I know are A-ss, no matter how weak they are, they are at least B-ss monsters. But the guys here...] "Up to B-ss to D-ss. There is no A-ss at all." [You''re too weak.] Silka, who heard the conversation from the side, nodded. "It has to be. All the capable warriors of our tribe were called out and killed during the war. The only ones in this vige now are the tribe members who were too young or weak at the time." In the war between rulers and lords that had been going on since the beginning of time, the ''King of the Yetis, the Lord of the Cold'', used to capture all the new Ice Elves and lead them to the battlefield when they were born and became useful. Of course, for the Ice Elves, being a soldier of their lord was an honor, and even being able to die heroically on the battlefield was a source of pride as a warrior. However, it did not mean that those left in the vige were not given a role. They also had an important mission that was as important as the role given to the warriors. That is to nurture my next generation by nurturing newly born children. It was to raise those children into excellent warriors who could send them to the next battle. To continue the war with the rulers that has been going on since the beginning. "...That''s us. Children born during the war." The babies had grown up to this extent, and they were carrying bows and arrows and holding daggers in their hands. In order to emte the parents'' generation and be a full-fledged warrior. Suho found a contradiction in Sirka''s words. "But if all the weak were left behind, not all adults were strong, so why are only the children visible?" "...It wasn''t like this from the start. On the day the spirits of the Echo Forest ran rampant, most of the adults in the tribe died, and only one adult is still alive." Echo Forest. At those words, Suho''s gaze naturally turned to the ice sculpture of his mother. There .... There was a carving of a dynamic battle scene of Cha Hae-in, who seemed to be dancing a ''sword dance'' with daggers in both hands and his hair fluttering. And right behind her, a huge flying dragon was spreading its wings as if to protect her. It was just astonishing to Suho, an art student, how he made such an borate and outstanding statue out of ice. "Looks like your mother is using a dagger." "huh. He said he didn''t have any weapons, so he lent me a dagger used by our tribe. And from then on. The fact that Chacha became our savior." One day, Cha Hae-in suddenly descended from the sky on a ck dragon through a blizzard. When she just arrived in this frozen forest. Just in time, the Ice Elves who lived in this forest faced a great danger. "For some reason, the spirits of the Echo Forest came out of the forest all at once and poured into our vige." * * * [Echo Forest] This forest was a sacred ce for the Ice Elves, who said that once they stepped into it, they would nevere out alive. And at one time this forest used to be called by another name. It''s called ''Forest of Trials''. The Echo Forest was also the ce where the adult ice elves went through the ''trial of the warrior'' in order to be recognized as brave warriors. However, even that ordeal did not dare to go into the depths of the Echo Forest, and only took ce on the outskirts of the forest. It was because if he went deeper than that, he could be possessed by the spirits of the Echo Forest and go insane. "You''re possessed by a spirit?" "huh. The spirits of the Echo Forest are insubstantial. that''s why it''s scarier can change in any form. But it''s hard to tell even if it''s in its true form." "...I have no idea what you mean by that exnation." While Suho was listening to the legend of the Echo Forest from Sirka, the surroundings were still noisy. The Ice Elves were preparing a small reception for Suho. "Today is a party!" "It''s a wee party for Seongseong!" "Who keeps saying Seongsung! It''s Seongsuho!" Where did all the bloody looks from the beginning go? Those youthful faces were full of lively expressions. Before I knew it, an elf was making art out of ice sculptures for protection in a corner. Another elf brought out specially saved fruits for protection. And another elf... [Uh-huh! The little lord likes meat! Also, do you have any magic stones I can eat?] Verdo was oblivious to the preparations for the wee party for Suho, meddling hard. Either way, Shirka''s story continued on this side. "But originally, the spirits of the Echo Forest were beings that never came out of the Echo Forest." Due to the location, the forest where the Ice Elves lived and the Echo Forest were right next to each other. Still, as long as they didn''t invade the realm of the spirits first, they weren''t dangerous at all. "At least that''s how they knew until ''that day''." One day, ''the day'' when the sky in the frozen forest was suddenly torn apart and a dimensional crack opened. Perhaps under that influence, the spirits of the Echo Forest suddenly ran out of control. Then, it popped out of the Echo Forest and started attacking the Ice Elves indiscriminately. It was a catastrophe for the young Ice Elves who were left behind in a vige where excellent warriors had already left. "That was a few years ago, so we were much weaker than we are now." "You said my mother saved you then?" "huh. The cha-cha was amazing." Cha Hae-in suddenly appeared on a flying dragon and asked the Ice Elves to lend him a sword. The moment the dagger was gripped in both her hands. "Skill sword dance." Shirka muttered her technique Cha Hae-in had taught her. Cha Hae-in started to draw fancy curves with daggers in both hands as her movements became faster as if she was dancing. Pod! Pod! Pod! The wondrous and overwhelming battle that shrewdly cuts down the spirits as if dancing at a fast tempo. Because of her beauty, the Ice Elves initially tried to nickname her ''Dancer''. However, another nickname was created because the party banned it because it was embarrassing. "That new nickname is ''Dragon Shaman''." "...Are you not ashamed of that?" "Kaisel liked that nickname. So, reluctantly, they let me just call it." And as the nickname suggests, Cha Hae-in''s battles were always apanied by the ck dragon Kaisel. Suho didn''t know about Kaisel, but Ber quickly appeared and exined. [Kaisel was once so great that Baran, the lord of the white me, rode under the name of the flying dragon, Kaiselin. By the way, it was an S-ss monster.] "S-ss monster?" Suho''s eyes widened. Isn''t it said that my mother suddenly awakened the power of an S-ss hunter and rides an S-ss beast? It was apletely different image from the mother who usually led a peaceful life at home. "Anyway, thanks to Chacha and Kaisel, the spirits that were attacking us fled back to the Echo Forest. And Chacha stayed with us for a while and taught us swordsmanship." "You learned swordsmanship from your mother?" "huh. Until then, the vige elders who raised us had all been killed by the spirits. That''s why I don''t know when the spirits of the Echo Forest will suddenly attack again, so it''s chacha who protected us." This was the reason Cha Hae-in was called the savior of the ice elves. She even taught the surviving children how to fight and was responsible for their safety... "Chacha is the mother of all of us." Seeing Shirka smile brightly as she said this, Suho felt a sense of longing. "So after that, my mother is now..." "Yeah. As I said before, I suddenly rode a Kaisel into the Echo Forest a while ago. He said there was a strange smell there. He hasn''te back yet." "Is it a strange smell?" "hmm. What should I exin? Cha-cha can smell magical powers as sensitively as we ice elves." Along with those words, it was Sirka who sniffed Suho''s scent. "Suho, you have a very nice scent. so i knew right away That you are Cha Hae-in''s son." Cha Hae-in talked a lot about his family while living with the Ice Elves. "Chacha said that. His son looks just like his father and smells great. So, by chance, if her husbandes looking for her while she is in the Echo Forest, she told me not to attack her first and tell her this." "what are you saying?" At Suho''s question, Shirka opened her mouth with a serious expression. "...found a ce where ''gray snow'' falls." Chapter 123 - 123

Chapter 123:

Cha Hae-in spent a lot of time hanging out with the ice elves and living in their vige to return to Earth. Whenever they had a chance, they flew on Kaisel and searched for the rift in the dimension they rode over. At first, I thought I would be able to go back soon. I was just going back the way I came. However, Cha Hae-in had no choice but to hit a wall soon. First of all, flying through a terrible blizzard that obscured your vision was a problem. Above all, the biggest problem was that when I went up to the sky, there was not one dimensional crack that existed there. A world that has lost its monarch. This frozen forest was being torn to shreds in real time, wandering through the dimensional rifts. In the sky of the frozen forest, countless dimensional cracks were forming. Finding the rift in the dimension connected to Earth was never an easy task. However, Cha Hae-in and Kaisel did not give up and wandered through the blizzard every day. In the meantime. A really big thing happened. -Grrrung.... -Kaisel?! At some point, the power of Kaisel, the dragon that protected Cha Hae-in, began to weaken day by day. The reason was simple. The reason why a shadow soldier could be immortal was because he was supplied with magic from the shadow lord. However, Kaisel could no longer receive his magical power because the distance from Seong Jin-woo was too far away. ¨C I can''t. If this happens, Kaisel will be destroyed before he can find the gate back to Earth. This wasn''t Earth. You couldn''t predict when and where what kind of enemy would appear. If he had to encounter an unexpectedly strong enemy, Kaisel''s power was absolutely necessary. Cha Hae-in stopped trying to find the gate through the snowstorm from then on. It was never about giving up. ¨C Let''s trust our husband. He will definitely find me wherever I am. A confident voice. Cha Hae-in trusted Sung Jin-woo. He believed that he would surely find him wherever he was. Because he was the one who came to find himself even in this world, where he was destined to never meet. While waiting for Seong Jin-woo here quietly, Cha Hae-in began teaching swordsmanship to the young ice elves. Even if you leave this ce someday. I hope that these children will develop the strength to protect themselves from the ice spirits that invade the vige whenever they have a chance. And it was about then. Cha Hae-in, who frequently dealt with spirits near the Echo Forest, discovered ''gray eyes''. * * * To find his mother, Suho decided to leave for Echo Forest. "Are you really going?" The expressions on the faces of the ice elves watching the scene were full of uneasiness. "Are you okay? The Echo Forest is a really dangerous ce..." "That''s right. I also said To enter there, you have to be at least ss A by human standards." "Is Suho grade A?" "Even though Suho is Chacha''s son, why does he look so weak? I don''t think the energy I feel is less than half of the chacha." "Ah, that''s the same for everyone. Of all the humans who have invaded here, no one has been stronger than Chacha." Ironically, soon after Cha Hae-in left for Echo Forest, heavily armed humans began toe over, as if a new gate connected to the earth had opened. How absurd it would be if Cha Hae-in came back and found out about thister. Anyway, humans started toe over here, but the ice elves did not develop friendly rtions with the humans. In the first ce, the purpose of the demons'' existence is to ''destroy'' everything ording to the orders of the lords they serve. It was an existence that destroyed everything but themselves. It was impossible to have friendly rtions with mere humans. In that respect, Cha Hae-in could be said to be a very unusual existence. Because she was a savior who helped them. No, even if that were the case, if it were not possible to talk to each other, the rtionship like now might not have been created. The reason Cha Hae-in was able to talk with the Ice Elves in the first ce was because of the ''ne'' gifted by Seong Jin-woo. It is a special ne prepared by Seong Jin-woo as a gift for the 16th wedding anniversary. Seong Jin-woo put a number of strange functions for Cha Hae-in into the ne, and one of them was the interpretation function. In fact, the purpose of Sung Jin-woo putting that function into the ne was for a very personal reason. It is to make the conversation work so that Cha Hae-in can run errands even for shadow soldiers who cannot speak Korean. And thanks to that private function, Cha Hae-in was the only one who was able tomunicate with the Ice Elves and not antagonize them. However, other humans who were unable tomunicate with them were just prey to be hunted as soon as they were seen by the Ice Elves. So when I met humans, I only asked one question. Do you know ''Sung Jin-woo''? It was because they could be the people Cha Hae-in''s husband sent to find her. Even if he couldn''t speak thenguage, he was able to pronounce at least his name, so if someone who understood the name ''Sung Jin-woo'' appeared, he was willing to save it. Of course.... Unfortunately, no one knew Seong Jin-woo. At that fact, the Ice Elves clicked their tongues inplete disbelief. ''Shadow Lord Seong Jin-Woo'' rather knew people from other dimensions like themselves. He was the only victor in the long and grueling War of Lords, and as a result he became the true ruler of all these nes. However, none of the people on Earth who were saved by him really remembered him. It was a really brutal thing. "I will guide you on the way to the Echo Forest." Shirka hopped over the snow and stepped in front of Suho. His movements were much lighter and more agile than before. It was thanks to Suho confirming that Shirka was not an enemy and deciphering ''Kasaka''s poison''. As her muscle strength, which had been damaged by the snake venom, recovered, Sirka opened her chest more confidently than ever before. "Ahem. Even if you look at it like this, I am the guardian of the Baruka tribe." Guardians are those who guard the borders of the Echo Forest. Of course, I knew exactly how to get there. "Then please." Suho disappeared through the blizzard with Sirka, and the ice elves of the vige left behind looked at them worriedly for a long time even after they disappeared. * * * The moment we reached Echo Forest through a snowstorm. Suho was able to see with his own eyes the true nature of the spirits feared by the Ice Elves. In the air where the blizzard was blowing, the ice blocks suddenly coalesced and turned into monsters. [Ice Golem] [ Ice Golem] [Ice Golem] ... Shirka''splexion turned pale at the sight of countless ice golems thumping in the forest. "be careful! They are the spirits of the Echo Forest! But why did ite out already?" At those words, Suho and Ver''s eyes lit up at the same time. The spirits that had no substance nested in the ice and created their own substance. That was the true identity of the Ice Golem. [Little Lord! Apparently, all the golems that destroyed the ground outside the dungeon were also spirits!] Even before Ver''s cry was over, Suho was already running towards the ice golems with his twin swords out. "Wake up!" Wow! At that moment, around Suho, the shadow soldiers swaying ck steam rose up all at once. [Because I am the master''s spear!] Wedge-! The shadow spearman, Quay, jumped forward faster than anyone else as if he had been waiting for this moment. [Mummuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu! ] The Shadow Minotaur Minnow and Tau pushed the Ice Golems from Suho''s left and right with force. [Number of storable shadows: 3/3] This is just a full-time job. They were shadow soldiers that Suho could save, but there were a lot of dayborers that Suho had just extracted today. "Everyonee out!" [Shadow Kobold Lv.1] [Shadow Kobold Lv.1] [Shadow Kobold Lv.1] .... [Shadow Troll Lv.1] Knight Grade All those monsters I hunted as soon as they fell right here. Suho had extracted all of the hunting tribes and hid them in the shadows. That number is... [Number of shadows that can be extracted: 36/36] "Wipe it all out!" Kerruk! Wow! At Suho''smand, a total of 36 shadow soldiers began to attack the ice golems. "What is this number?!" Shirka, who was taken aback by the untimely appearance of the ice golems, widened her eyes as she saw the soldiers summoned by Suho. "As expected, you are Chacha''s son!" Of course,pared to Cha Hae-in''s shadow dragon, Kaisel, the power was far less than that, but instead, Suho''s soldiers were more numerous. In addition, unlike Kaisel, who was getting weaker the more he used his strength, this one was truly an immortal army that would never die as long as the guardian had enough mana! However, Sirka fell behind and shot an arrow herself to help Suho, telling him something he didn''t know. "Suho, be careful! Same goes for the spirits of the Echo Forest! No matter how many times I kill them, they keep appearing! [Mummuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu ! Just in time, the Ice Golem''s body, made of ice, was shattered by Minnow and Tau''s brutal strength. [The Ice Golem has been defeated.] [The Ice Golem has been defeated.] At the same time, an amazing sight unfolded. Shwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa new spirits prated into the wreckage of the ice golems that copsed after riding the cold wind. Then, the surrounding ice coalesced again, and the ice golem was resurrected in a normal state. Seeing this, Suho''s eyes shed. ''ying?'' They were weird guys. Although the principles are opposite to those of the Shadow Soldiers, in the end, they were simr to those who were infinitely regenerated no matter how many times they were killed. "Good?" Suho''s eyes sparkled. Enemies that continued to regenerate no matter how many times they were killed were obviously difficult to deal with. But what about the count? "Wasn''t this a good ce to level up?" snap. [Purchased ''Item: Intermediate Mana Potion''.] Suho immediately drank the Mana Potion in one shot and fiercely exposed it. "Come, however you like." And be my experience. [Status Window] Name: Holy Guardian Level: 40 upation: None Title: Wolf yer, Enemy of Bugs Demon yer HP: 15310/15310 MP: 2411/2411 [Stats] Strength: 115 Stamina: 49 Agility: 49 Intelligence: 49(+10) ) Sense: 49 (+5) (distributable ability points: 0) [Skill] Passive Skill: Strength Lv.5 Dual Swordsmanship Lv.3 (Unknown) Lv.max Active Skill: Ruler''s Power Lv.1 Shadow Extraction Lv.2 Saving Shadows Lv.1 Storm sh Lv.3 Giant''s Armor Lv.1 Rigid Combat Lv.4 Living Lv.1 Elf''s Steps Lv.1 Grasnd Wind Lv.1 (Spiritual Only) [ Number of shadows that can be extracted: 36] [Number of shadows that can be stored: 3] [Blessing] Kandiaru''s Blessing, Rakan''s Blessing, gue Blessing [Equipped item] Volkan''s Horn x2 Gray Ring (Sense +5) Horus'' Ring (Intellect +10) Ice Bear''s Robe (Defense +50) Chapter 124 - 124

Chapter 124:

[The level has risen!] [The level has risen!] .... Suho continued to march into the Echo Forest while mercilessly smashing the ice golems that were endlessly swarming. [Clear the way! Keep pushing!] [A death mace to all the cursed tribes that stand in the way of the little lord!] The Guardian Shadow Corps, supported by Quay and Ver, moved forward without hesitation. Even if the ice golems that obsessively block them continue to regenerate. At this rate, even if it was like stepping into the middle of enemy lines. ''If only there was a mother in front of me!'' Suho never stopped advancing. "Pierce!" [Geuuuuuuu!] A terrible battle that kills each other fiercely and resurrects endlessly. And the back of Suho, who doesn''t hide behind the soldiers and takes the lead in destroying and smashing the golems... ''...my God.'' Shirka was watching with a shocked expression. ''Is this the son of Chacha?'' If Cha Hae-in''s battle was like watching a beautiful dance, Suho''s battle is truly a storm. In the center of the storm, he was crushing the bodies of enemies bigger than himself. oh oh! The shadow soldiers did not lose either. A grueling hand-to-handbat led by two shadow minotaurs. The overwhelming violence emanating from that strong body! When Ber''s support was added to it... [Ber uses ''Skill: Harsh Command''.] [''Skill: Harsh Command'' increases the stats of beast-type shadow soldiers by 50%.] [ ''Skill: Harsh Command'' As a side effect of ''harshmand'', beast-type shadow soldiers are cursed with insanity.] [Kwoaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa] Minnow and Tau, who suddenly turned into berserkers themselves,pletely went berserk. He wielded his muscr arms, which were swollen as if they were about to explode, and began to literally destroy not only the ice golems, but also the forest itself. Kwajik! Bang! Kwak Kwa Kwa Kwa Kwa Kwam! It was to the point where the ice golems looked pitiful. ''But the real thing starts now.'' Sirka warned Suho. "This is the Echo Forest! And from now on...!" Before he could finish his words, a huge number of ice arrows began attacking the Shadow Soldiers in the forest. Shush shush shush shush shush! "...!" Seeing this, Suho''s eyes shed. The bodies of the soldiers hit by the arrows were immediately frozen. And h h! It became a piece of ice and shattered on the spot. Suho turned his gaze to find the guys who shot the arrows. Familiar figures atop the densely grown trees of the Echo Forest were aiming their bowstrings in this direction. "Ice elves?" "no! They...!" Shirka opened her mouth with aplex expression. "...Our tribe members whose spirits were eaten by the spirits of the Echo Forest." ''Ah, that''s it.'' Suho recalled the story the Ice Elves had told him about the Echo Forest in the vige. The Echo Forest was a forbiddennd that even the Ice Elves could note out of alive once they set foot in it. That''s why. ''Is that what it means to be possessed by a spirit?'' Suho deflected their arrows with his sword and quickly inspected them. White ghosts aiming their bows on top of a dense tree branch. Their eyes were unfocused, and what I felt in those empty eyes was pure madness itself. In addition, their bodies were half-frozen, and even if their bodies were torn or cut by the shadow soldiers'' counterattack, a cold blizzard came from somewhere and reattached the wounds. No, to be exact, it was ''freeze''. "It looks like an ice golem." "Exactly... they''re the same guys." Suho nodded his head at Sirka''s answer, which seemed disturbed. [Ice Golem] [Ice Golem] .... As Sirka exined, the name tag ''Ice Golem'' was attached to the heads of the ice elves who were possessed by spirits. And as the battle continues to prove it. The more ice clings to their wounds and regenerates over and over again. Gradually, their appearances were changing from ice elves to ice golems. If the golems outside the forest were created by spirits dwelling in the blizzard, the golems here were spirits inhabiting the corpses of ice elves who died in the Echo Forest. However, seeing them skillfully shooting arrows using their innate skills even after death, Suho suddenly realized. "Were these guys the ones who shot the arrows in the first ce?" The ice golems that caused the ground to copse and cause them to fall here. Right before they appeared, it seemed that these guys were the ones who had shot arrows and attacked this side. Basically, they were on the same side. ''...That means there is another gate leading to the outside somewhere in this Echo Forest.'' There was no way these guys flew through the sky and came over to Earth, so there was another passage. "I am here now." Shirka, who had been following Suho until now, suddenly hesitated and spoke. "I want to follow you further, but if I go further into the forest, I will be possessed by the spirits like that." At those words, Suho looked at Sirka. In this sense-disturbing blizzard, Shirka was a road guide I liked, so I wanted to keep taking her with me. "Is there any way to stop the spirits?" "Very few. Basically, our tribe and the spirits here have a high affinity. So, if I make up my mind and the spirits target me, there is little way to protect my mind." "Does saying there are few mean that there are?" "Ugh. That''s actually..." "...?" When Suho suddenly saw Sirka looking at him, Suho had a puzzled look on his face. "I''m asking just in case, that fur." "A fur coat? Oh this?" "huh. Isn''t that Ice Bear''s fur?" "ah. that''s right." Suho nodded, and Sirka opened her mouth hesitantly. "Actually... Ice spirits don''t get along well with Ice Bear. That''s why the spirits won''te close to me if I''m wearing that fur coat." "Oh, was it like that?" "ah! Of course, I absolutely do not mean to ask for the clothes! Ice Bear''s skin is the symbol of a warrior. I know how important the clothes are to the warrior who killed Ice Bear..." Jjagk. [I purchased ''Item: Ice Bear''s Robe''.] "Now, put it on." "...!" Suddenly, a new fur coat appeared on Suho''s hand, and Shirka''s widened eyes filled with emotion. "you you...! What a nice guy!" "Hurry up and get dressed. Can''t you see I''m busy right now?" Even in the midst of this, a huge rain of arrows was pouring down from all sides. While Shirka quickly put on her fur clothes, Suho immediately opened her inventory and changed items. Coincidentally, there were two ''bows'' in his inventory prepared for the cier dungeon. One was Daegung, bought with Lio Xing''s corporate card. And the second bow was a pretty amazing item that Lim Tae-gyu, the head of the Reaper Guild, lent me. [Grim Reaper''s Bow (Imitation)] Difficulty to obtain: A Type: Bow Attack Power +90 This is an industrial product modeled after the ''Grim Reaper''s Bow (S)'', the symbol of the Grim Reaper Guild. Although the attack power is not outstandingpared to the grade, the cohesion of magic arrows is very good, so the archer''s skill effect is amplified by 3 times. ...Of course, this item was an item that Suho didn''t really need. In the first ce, Suho did not condense mana to create magic arrows like normal archer hunters, but just made shadow soldiers into arrows and fired them. However, if something might happen in the dungeon and it was lent for free, shouldn''t we ept it unconditionally? ''As expected, I''m d I epted it.'' Suho took the great bow Lio Xing had bought him and handed the other one, the ''Grim reaper''s bow (imitation)'', to Sirka. "Now, I''ll lend you this too, so from now on you fight too." "...!" Then, Sirka''s expression was several times more shocked than when she received the fur coat. "What what? You''re giving me such a good bow?!" "No, I''m lending it. Not even mine." "Thank you so much! I will work really hard!" I knew right away what he meant by hard work. After receiving the bow of the imitation god of death politely with both hands, Shirka''s momentum immediately changed. If Ver''s harshmand drives beast-type beasts mad, a good bow drives archers mad. Shuwaaaaaa-! In an instant, a great concentration of magical power raged from Sirka''s bow, and six arrows of magical power were immediately created. "Is this happening?!" Sirka, who could only create two magic arrows at the same time, was deeply moved. And when I let go of the bowstring, the six magic arrows flew at tremendous speed and intercepted the arrows of the enemies flying this way in the middle. Damn it! The arrows that collided with each other in the air became ice powder and flew away. "Just trust me and follow me! I''ll keep guiding you to a ce where you can find Cha-Cha!" Shirka became bold again and stood at the forefront of Suho. But then. "Move." Shirka''s pupils widened as she hurriedly looked back with a chilling feeling. There... kuwaaaaaa! There was a figure of Suho carrying a ck arrow of great momentum in the great bow. "Stir as much as you like, Quay." Kwa-O-O-! At that moment, a ck bolt of lightning flew through the white snowstorm. "oh my god." Shirka was shocked. The ck arrows fired by Suho were literally thunderbolts, and they pierced the bodies of enemies, freely changing directions in zigzags instead of straight lines, as if they had eyes. Kwajangchangchang! The ice elves hit by the lightning began to shatter in a chain like an ice statue breaking. At that moment, it was visible in Shirka''s eyes. The spirits of the Echo Forest that dissipate like smoke from the broken and crumbling bodies of the Ice Elves. And as if they had waited for this moment, new spirits approaching to reim that empty body. However, Suho felt the presence of those spirits as well. "I can''t take it away." The ice golems he had encountered so far were nothing more than blocks of ice without a body. However, these guys were still ''corpses'' with even a little bit of flesh left. There was still a chance until the corpse was taken back by the spirits. [This is a target that can extract a shadow.] [This is a target that can extract a shadow.] [This is a target that can extract a shadow.] .... A smirk. Suho quickly sent a few shadow kobolds back to nothing and created an empty slot. And before the spirits take away those precious corpses. "Wake up." It was intercepted from this side first. That moment. Shuhua ah! ck shadows began to rise from the shattered corpses like pieces of ice. [Shadow extraction seeded.] [Shadow extraction seeded.] [Shadow extraction seeded.] .... Chapter 125 - 125

Chapter 125:

[Shadow Elf Lv.1] Knight Grade [Shadow Elf Lv.1] Knight Grade [Shadow Elf Lv.1] Knight Grade A shadow archer unit stands proudly in front of the guardian, waving ck steam. appear. Bows made of shadows were held in their hands, and at Suho''smand, they drew the bowstring at the enemies without hesitation. Suaaaa! At that moment, several strands of shadow arrows were created from their bows. "oh my god." Realizing their identity, Sirka couldn''t help but be astonished. "To bring back the souls stolen by the spirits!" The souls of the Ice Elves were finally freed through true death. And now, Sirka realized the true meaning of the word ''son of Chacha''. Cha Cha No Cha Hae-in''s husband Seong Jin-woo. He is the one who controls death. King over death. The ''Shadow Lord'' and the fact that the one who inherited his blood is Seongsuho. "Full-arms advance." At Suho''smand, the ck archers aimed their bows at the enemies. * * * On the other hand, contrary to Suho, who is attacking the Echo Forest from the outside... The scavenger hunters who came in with Suho had already been wandering deep in the Echo Forest for a long time. Shush shush shush shush! Ice arrows flying from all directions. "Come again Damn!" "Stop!" "I can''t stop you this time! There are too many!" "Then, behind that tree...!" Unlike Suho, who fell alone, they fell into the Echo Forest from the beginning. If Suho hadn''t attempted to glide through the blizzard with a storm sh while falling, he could have fallen this way from the beginning. However, even though it was not the same way as Suho, they were able to calmlynd in their own way, keeping everyone alive. Anyway, these are the scavenger''s guild members representing America. Their ability was verified just by being a part of it. However, even afternding safely, they did not have time to catch their breath. As if they had waited for that moment, ice spirits from all directions began to attack them. "...an ice elf possessed by a spirit." Likewise, Eshil, who had fallen into the Echo Forest and continued the battle, clicked her tongue as she saw the Ice Elves possessed by the spirits. With a look that''s really ridiculous. "It''s worth it. Yeti were eaten by ice spirits? How weak were they in their lifetime?" Perhaps if the King of Yetis, the Lord of the Cold, saw this now, he would not be able to close his eyes gracefully even after he dies. "To think that a yeti specializing in spiritism could eat spirits instead ofmanding them." Demon noble Esil knew very well the true fear of ''Yeti''. The protection of the Ice Spirit always followed the Ice Elf warriors who were put into the War of Lords. So, no matter what bows or weapons were lifted in their hands, the ''Curse of the Cold'' was carried on every attack. If they get hit by an arrow, the area freezes. When cut by the des wielded from their hands, blood did not stter and the cut surface froze intact. If that cold and relentless attack umtes only a few times, the opponent''s entire body freezes and his movements slow down. As a result, the Ice Elves were warriors who demonstrated tremendous power the longer the fight went on. ''If it weren''t for the ice bear robe I received from Suho, I would have been in danger...'' Damn it! "Keep! My arm is broken! healer! healer!" "Wait! I''m on my way...!" Just in time, during the fierce battle, among the scavenger hunters, there was a victim with a broken part hit by an ice arrow. At that moment, Ash''s eyes lit up. Once it was like that, it was impossible to even heal the wound with ordinary methods. Schwack! Eshil quickly approached the injured Hunter and tore off the wound on his shoulder with one hand. "Keah!" "Be patient. It can be cured only when all the cold air that has prated the blood vessels is removed." bloodstone formation. Wow! In front of the Hunter screaming in pain, Eshil quickly pulled the frozen bloodstone from his wound. Then, he ordered the healer who had arrived next to him. "Now regenerate a new arm! So do the other guys! First, cut out all the frozen wounds and then heal them!" "Yes yes!" Due to the charisma of the demonic aristocrat disyed in this melee, Healer was submissive to her orders without even realizing it. And that charisma influenced other hunters as well. "Everyone, don''t get hit by arrows and don''t even rub them! The curse of the bitter cold seeps into your body with the slightest touch!" Since there were so many strong bodies in the scavenger, there were many hunters who fought while just getting hit with their bodies. However, if a blind arrow identally strikes between armor and armor, it was a fatal blow at that moment. In this way, Eshil encouraged the scavenger hunters and gradually increased their power by gathering scattered colleagues one by one. Of course, among the hunters, there were A-ss hunters who were stronger than Esil, but even so, their experience was only two years after bing a hunter. The charisma shown by Esyl, a demon aristocrat who has lived fiercely in the demon realm where she is eaten and eaten since birth, was notparable to human hunters in the first ce. The result of helping each other and helping each other like that. As the number on this side gradually increased, the aspect of being chased one-sidedly at first gradually stabilized. "You''re getting used to it!?" "Anyway, you just have to destroy everything!" "By the way, where did our guild leader go!" "Thomas! Thomas Andre! Can you hear us!" As soon as I started to breathe, I started to look for Thomas Andre, the most important core force. But it was never easy. My senses were dizzy as a snowstorm raged all around me. "Where the hell did Suho fall?" Eshil was trying to find the energy of Suho rather than Thomas Andre. Then all of a sudden Creepy. "What!" Eshil hurriedly raised her head at the sudden, creepy sensation. Whoa oh oh! As I wandered aimlessly through the forest, gray snow was mixed with the blizzard that was raging. "...gray eyes?" Esil''s eyes widened. ''no! It''s not like snow!'' Eshil was basically a demon who was familiar with blood and corpses, so I was sure. "This is... ashes! The ashes from burning the corpses are flying in the snow!" In this bitter cold, did the corpse burn without freezing? It wasn''t such a simple matter. It was because the identity of the aura felt in this tiny gray ash like dust made me feel really unbelievable fear. "Could this be... a dragon?" The energy of the dragon race was clearly felt in the gray ash. Eshil, who realized the identity of it, was startled and looked around urgently. But there was nothing to be seen, and only one thing could be guessed. p! Esil''s eyes stared at the direction where more gray ash was flying. "Somewhere over there, a dimensional rift has opened! That also led to the world of dragons...!" Or maybe it was apletely different world. The war between the shadow army and the monarchs led by Sung Jin-woo took ce in all dimensions along the dimensional gap. And no matter how much you think about it, Sung Jin-woo was the only one who could kill the ''dragon'' race so mercilessly that it would be ashes and scatter like this. There was no way that dragons of the same kind would fight each other. ''This... isn''t good.'' Ethil had an ominous feeling. Among all the races living in the entire dimension, if you were asked to pick the most dangerous ones, there were only two. giants and dragons. Especially among them, the dragons were a race armed with tremendous magical power and power, and the bones and corpses they left behind when they died were treasures with tremendous power in themselves. ''But the corpse is turned to ashes and scattered all over thend like this?'' This is never good. ''The dead dragon''s curse was being sown on thisnd!'' Eshil eximed, looking back at the hunters who were hurriedly fighting the forest spirits. "Go back the way you came! We need to get out of here ASAP!" "what? What''s wrong with you all of a sudden?" "This forest is cursed! These gray eyes...!" It was then. In Esil''s eyes for a fleeting moment, a silhouette passed over the gray blizzard. "...!" In an instant, Esil''s eyes were stained with astonishment. "It''s a dragon!" The identity of the silhouette was a huge dragon. The shadow of a dragon with its huge wings spread wide was pping its wings beyond the gray blizzard! And the hunters of the scavenger who saw it couldn''t help but be frightened. "crazy." "What is that?" "A dragon!" Among the Demonic Beasts that have appeared on Earth in the past two years, there has never been a race called Dragon. At least there were gargoyles that looked simr to dragons, but even gargoyles were not that big. "You have to run away too!" "iced coffee! At a time like this, where the hell did Thomas Andre go!" "retreat! retreat!" "It''s impossible for us alone!" The hunters hurriedly retreat before Eshil''smand is finished. Looking at that dragon, I realized that ice golems were really nothing. But what a fuss they caused while they got here. It was a fight for survival, but it seemed that the disturbance had touched the heart of the dragon who was sleeping quietly deep in the forest. "...shit." Eshil, who was retreating while keeping an eye on the dragon, swallowed a dry spit. The dragon that was flying over the blizzard suddenly turned this way. Then he opened his mouth and let out a roar full of life. That moment. oh oh oh-! "...!" "...!" Dragon Fear. A suffocating, terrible living thing engulfed their bodies. At that moment, everyone''s body stiffened on the spot. will only realize A frog ced in front of a snake. The fact that they are nothing more than mere prey in front of that powerful being. However, in the immediate situation. Whee-a-a-a-a- they could see it. Just at that moment, a new dragon flew to the side of the dragon that was flying towards its prey through a blizzard and crashed into it. Tuquaang! "...!" "...!" And the bodies of the Hunters, caught in the tremendous shockwaves that exploded in all directions, were thrown back helplessly. However, even at this moment, Eshil, who was holding on tightly to her mind, could clearly see the scene in front of her with her own two eyes. And then his eyes widened as if they were about to pop out. "...Can you stand?!" will only see The second dragon appeared, its whole body shimmering with ck steam. And is it an illusion of the eye? Someone was riding on the dragon''s back. The distance was too far and the detailed face was not visible because of the snowstorm, but the silhouette was... a woman with daggers in both hands. Chapter 126 - 126

Chapter 126:

Whoaaa [Oh dear!] Vere''s antennae at Suho''s side twitched, and he hurriedly turned to Suho and shouted: "My lord! Suddenly, the forest is in turmoil!" At the same time, a magical storm of magnitude erupted from the depths of the forest. A shockwave unlike any previous blizzard sent the Guardian Shadow soldiers back. Suho quickly evacuated the rest of the shadow soldiers into his shadows, except for the Shadow Minotaur, and shouted: "Mino! Tau!" [Mmm At Suho''smand, Mino and Tau each threw their arms around Suho and Sirka and mmed their opposing fists into the ground. Stomping! Minowa and Tau''s strong forearms sank deep beneath the snowy ground like the roots of an old tree. Thanks to this, Suho and Sirka managed to survive being swept away by the magic storm, and Suho stared out into the blizzard with narrowed eyes. "What''s going on all of a sudden?" [It seems that there has been a great sh of forces in the distance!] Ver replied, clinging to Suho''s head and ring at the same spot. "Even the spirits are panicking!" As Sirka had said, it had nothing to do with the spirits of the Echo Forest. The problem, however, was that this storm was not a one-off event, but an ongoing one. It was hectic because of the blizzard, and when this situation was added to this, it became difficult to move forward. But Suho had no intention of stopping his advance. "Maybe there is a mother beyond this storm." [I think so.] "I''m going to get through it like this." [Mmm!] [Moore-uh-uh!] Mino and Tau roared at Suho''s resolute determination, drawing on the strength of their bodies. With Suho and Sirka in his arms, he fell t on the floor and began to crawl forward. Even though the speed was slow, the magic storm stopped the spirits'' attacks for a while, making it easier for them to move. As I continued to make my way through the magic storm. Suddenly, Sirka sniffed. "Is there something strange smelling near Suhoya?" "What smell?" "I don''t know. I''ve never been here before. By the way... It smells like something warm." "Smell warm? What kind of expression do you have?" The smell of warmth? At first, Suho expressed his doubts, but then he realized that maybe it wasn''t nonsense. Ice elves are distinctly different from humans. Maybe he was feeling something that humans couldn''t. As he thought about it, something came to Suho''s mind. This is the quest that arrived at the Ice Elves'' Vige as soon as they arrived. [Quest: Spring Water of the Echo Forest] Somewhere in the Echo Grove hides a mysterious spring. Find the spring and earn the reward. ''... I was ignoring it because I had to find my mother first.'' Suho hadn''t paid much attention to it since he received the quest. The purpose ofing to the cier dungeon was to find clues for my mother. There was no time to waste on a quest that didn''t even know how long it would take. "In this cold, everything would have been frozen in the spring, but if it was covered in snow, how would you find it?" However. ''What if the spring water hadn''t frozen in this cold?'' Warm smell. There will be only a limited amount of warmth that can be held in this cold. ''Ten thousand.'' Or hot springs. If it was a hot spring formed by hot groundwater, it would surely not freeze in the cold, but would still exist as a spring. "In which direction do you feel that warm smell?" "Where? Mmmm, wait a minute. I can''t tell for sure if it''s the smell of this magic storm, but..." Sirka furrowed his brow at Suho''s question and kept sniffing. "I can''t fathom the distance, but... We''re definitely on the right track." "Really? If we go in the same direction, keep going and we''ll run into each other." Even if the direction was slightly different, Suho nodded, daring to ignore the quest. And after a while. A hot spring appeared in front of Suho''s eyes. The sight of the hot springs steaming up in the bitter cold was a mysterious and exquisite sight in itself. Strangely enough, as I got closer to the hot springs, the magic storm that had been raging like crazy seemed to have weakened a little. "There was a real hot spring." However, Suho''s reaction to the discovery of the hot springs was unexpected. It was a quest, and on the way to find my mother, I wasn''t in a position to take a leisurely look at these hot springs. "Plus, the quest difficulty is so easy that I can''t expect the rewards themselves." Wasn''t that the case with this Kosaka Quest? If the quest difficulty was too easy, the rewards didn''t seem to help much. However, contrary to Suho''s reaction, Sirkka''s expression was one of dismay when he discovered the hot springs in the Echo Forest. "Oh my God! This is it...!" Sirka was surprised to realize the true nature of the energy in the hot springs. "I can feel Szrd''s energy here! Could it be that this is Szrd''s...?!" "Szrd? Who''s that?" At Suho''s question, Sirka swallowed dryly and looked at Suho''s face with a serious expression. "... Szrd, King of the Yetis, Lord of the Frost." "...!" [Kiek?] "Apparently this is the ce where our king, now deceased, used to stay." Cirka''s answer widened his eyes as he looked at each other. Come to think of it, this Echo Forest is a sanctuary for the ice elves. It wasn''t unusual to have a ce associated with the king of the yetis, the Lord of the Frost. * * * Ring! [Obtained "Item: Spring Water of the Echo Forest."] [You''vepleted the quest.] As soon as Suho bought an empty potion bottle from the shop window and filled it with hot spring water, the quest waspleted. For some reason, I''ve always felt that quests are too easy these days, but when I think about it, this quest wasn''t easy at all. Wandering aimlessly in this awful ce, looking for a spring that I don''t know where it is. Maybe that''s why Suho didn''t even bother with this quest in the first ce. [Questpletion reward has arrived.] [Would you like to check your rewards?] (Y/N) Before checking the rewards, Suho first checked the information in "Item: Spring Water of the Echo Forest". [Item: Echo Forest''s Spring Water] Difficulty to obtain: ?? Type: Consumables It is a mysterious spring in the Echo Forest. When drunk or applied to the body, it has a neutralizing effect on toxins. "Aha, it''s kind of a detox potion." It was said to be a mysterious spring, and it seemed to have a neutralizing effect on toxins. It was a mystery, but for the Guardian with the Blessing of the gue, this kind of detoxification ability was mana. However, that thought changed 180 degrees the moment I saw the quest rewards. [The following rewards are avable.] Reward: Runestone: Crafting the Divine Beast of Life "Hmm? A skill that can craft the Divine Beast of Life?" From the name, something unusual came out. And Ver, who knew exactly what the name meant, said with great amazement. "The Divine Beast of Life...!" Sometimes it''s much easier to see item information than to exin. Listening to Ver''s exnation, Suho learned the skill by breaking runestones. Strapping. [Crafted Item: Beast of Life.] Then, at the very end of the Guardian''s skill window, the [Crafting Skill] slot appeared. [Crafting Skills] Consumables: Divine Beast of Life (1/3) Suho''s gaze stared at the Divine Beast of Life, and an exnation came to mind. [Item: Divine Beast of Life] Acquisition Difficulty: S Type: Consumables It is a mysterious potion that heals all ailments with its powerful magical powers. Only when the entire bottle has been used will the full effect be achieved. "Cure all diseases?!" [Yes, the Divine Beast of Life is a legendary elixir that ispletely different from a mere healing potion.] Vere''s eyes widened, and he nodded in agreement. Suho, who hadn''t expected much from this quest, became quite serious. Of course it had to be. When healers first appeared after the Cataclysm, there was a great deal of interest in them from the world. What a skill that can restore others. People were frenzied by its amazing ability, which far exceeded the level of modern medicine. But unfortunately, the healers'' healing skills were not one-size-fits-all. A good healer could heal even a mortal wound, but very few were able to do so. Also, no matter how good a healer he was, even if he was an S-ss healer, there were limits. "But this is the elixir of immortality, isn''t it? Oh, it''s not ''immortality.''" [Such an ability as fire is really useless, and if you die, you can be a shadow soldier...] "Anyway, I''m going to take as much of this as I can. But what about the other ingredients?" Suho immediately checked the ingredients of the Divine Beast of Life. [Divine Beast of Life] -material Purified Blood of the Demon King (0/1) Fragment of the World Tree (0/1) Echo Forest''s Spring Water (1/1) "Purified Demon King''s blood? Fragments of the World Tree?" When Suho saw the names of the ridiculously absurd ingredients, he had a look of bewilderment. Now I saw that the spring water of the Echo Forest was the easiest material to obtain. I don''t even know where the World Tree grows. Besides, the Demon Lord means the Lord of Demons. "The Demon King died a long time ago? Where do you get this blood?" [I have an idea.] Suddenly, Ver''s eyes shed with a sinister expression. [Make Esil the Demon King and draw blood.] "Oh, that''s how it should be." It was Suho, nodding in agreement with the evil n. Esil was the only demon nobleman in existence and the only candidate for the king of demons. It was still unknown if Esil would be able to be the monarch''s vessel, but it was most likely. Now there''s only one ingredient left. "If we can find the World Tree, we can create the Divine Tree of Life." All the while, the Shadow Soldiers had already been diligently pumping the Echo Forest Spring Water into empty potion bottles at the behest of their guardian. I couldn''t stay here forever and lose time, so I had to hurry. But while Suho is doing this. Beside him, Sirkka looked around, marveling at the aura of the Lord of the Cold in the hot springs. Then, at some point. "...." Sirkka''s gaze zed and unfocused. Their expressions resembled those of the ice elves possessed by the spirits of the Echo Forest, and as if possessed by something, Sirkka slowly began to approach the hot springs. Suho, who spotted the situation a littlete, called out to Sirkka. "What are you doing? If you get wet, you''ll only get colderter..." Ssh. It was toote. The moment Sirka dips his toes in the steaming hot springs. Whoaaa Suddenly, a tremendous light began to emanate from Sirkka''s body. Chapter 127 - 127

Chapter 127:

It was a truly wonderful sight. Suddenly, the hot spring water from the Echo Forest began to swirl around Shirka''s toes, then wrapped around her whole body and gushed out. Kuwaa- At that moment, the hot steam of the hot spring and the bitter cold resonated with each other. What a bummer! The misty steam rising over the hot spring centered on Sirka quickly turned into pure white frost and froze. It was a wonderful moment, as if the whole world froze. ...and so it was. belt ring. [''Sanctuary of the Yeti'' is activated.] Just then, a message appeared in front of Suho. [Passive skill ''(Unknown)'' is activated.] Time froze. * * * A world ofplete nkness. Suho stood alone at the end of the empty horizon. ''...here again.'' Suho calmly looked around. And he found the being who called him here. ''found.'' The end of the empty horizon. An old, shabby ice elf was sitting on the other side of it. Suho took a step and slowly approached him. ''Did you call me?'' [...] When Suho spoke first, the old ice elf''s head slowly lifted. Then, what was revealed was his old and weak expression and tired, empty eyes. [The King of the Yetis, the Lord of the Cold, is watching you.] Suho nodded his head, convinced of his identity at the system message that appeared just in time. ''As expected, you are the king of the yetis, Si, the lord of the cold.'' [...] However, even when Suho spoke to him, there was no reply from Sd. He just stared at Suho with a tired look. ''what?'' Suho felt a sense of wonder at the atmosphere so different from other monarchs he had met so far. Suddenly, he remembered the moments when he faced other monarchs. The king of beasts, the Fang Lord, despite his death, still radiated the power of a king from his body. The Lord of gue, the King of Bugs, also attacked himself with numerous poisonous insects, burning his vengeance even to the point of death. But what can I say about the lord of the cold sitting in front of him... He was just a shabby old man who was old and exhausted. [...okay. Are you his son?] After staring at Suho''s face for a long time, Sd, the lord of the cold, finally opened his mouth. [It''s a really strange skill. To rescue my soul from the sea after death. Should I say he is the son of the shadow lord?] ''The sea after death?'' [Don''t you know? It''s where the dead go when they die. Hey, what''s so important about this expression...] Szrd looked up at the empty sky with a remorseful expression. Of course, nothing was visible on it. nothing. [...waking up in a world of nothingness is such a rare experience. A self ¨C deprecating smile formed on Sd''s lips. [okay. Death is such a futile thing. Even though I knew it would end like this anyway, what on earth did I struggle for?] ''....'' Suho silently looked at him as heined like a madman without making eye contact with himself. [You know what? I don''t know if other lords are different, but I actually fought because I didn''t want to die. The darkness within me constantly whispered to me to destroy everything, but I knew that the end would be only destruction.] Whoa- [ Yes, I knew I would be like this someday.] He let out a low sigh as he sat down. . Then, the pure white steam that flowed from its mouth became frost and created a mirage in the air. Then, countless illusions of ice elves appeared in front of Suho and Sd. [Do you know? We have been forced into war from the moment we were born. From the beginning until now, maybe forever. That''s why God created us.] Quaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah-! In the illusion of a mirage, the Ice Elves were fighting. No, I was running towards a certain death. And among them... There was also ''Shid''. [You know what? At the end of that war, we ''almost'' won. I also killed your father with my own hands.] ''...!'' At that moment, Suho''s eyes widened. The image of a young man reflected in a mirage. It was clear that the identity of the man who looked so much like her was her father, Seong Jin-woo. And... Fuuk! [I stabbed a knife into your father''s heart with my own hand.] In that fantasy, Srd was stabbing a frozen de into Seong Jin-wu''s heart. ''father...?!'' Seeing this, Suho widened his eyes. [The King of Yetis, the Lord of the Cold, uses ''Skill: Echo''.] Just in time, the conversations taking ce in the fantasy passed by Suho''s ears like an echo on a frosty wind. -I''ll give you back your weapon. Now, can you recover like before? Sd in the fantasy was whispering into ''Sung Jin-woo"s ear. In an extremely vicious voice. ¨C Is this far, human? then you can''t see The moment our troops arrive on thisnd. When that timees, your human corpses will form mountains and your blood will form rivers. Srd was pouring a terrible curse on Seong Jin-woo, who was dying from a stabbing in the heart. -But this country where you were born and raised will be different. I will personally freeze all humans on this earth and make them suffer forever. They will live for an infinite number of years, neither alive nor dead. [...hate me endlessly in death like that.] At some point, the voices of Sd in the echo and Sd here ovepped. -That will also be my pleasure. [That will also be my pleasure.] Passeuk. And at that moment, Seong Jin-woo''s body, which was crumbling, shattered and scattered into ice powder. Szrd, who sat staring at the ice powder in vain, looked at Suho with a puzzled expression. [Have you seen it? I murdered your father with the most cruelty, and I intended to curse every life rted to your father. The reason is also the same. Only so that I don''t die.] Szrd didn''t bother to show Suho what happened next. After that, Seong Jin-woo was resurrected, and the fact that it was Side himself who lost his life after being defeated in the war. What does that matter in the first ce? The fact that you are right now proves all the results. ''...why are you showing me this?'' As he watched his father fall apart, Suho''s eyes were boiling like hot mes. His fists were full of energy, as if he would run at the shield in front of him at any moment, but he did not act recklessly. I don''t know if that fantasy is real or false, but at any rate, at this point, my father was still alive. Rather, it was Sd who was dead and here now. So it was even more confusing. Why was Szrd showing himself such an illusion? Why are you provoking yourself like this? [...So, the moment I suddenly woke up from the sea of death and realized that it was the son of the Shadow Lord who woke me up.] At that moment, Side''s eyes, which had been empty until now, were filled with a terribly cold feeling of life. [I was going to kill you right away.] That handful of life gave me goosebumps, as if the cold of the bitter cold had beenpressed to the extreme. [I don''t know how far my power will reach you, but I was nning to somehow drag your soul into the sea after death where I was. But.] ...I couldn''t. Because Suho wasn''t the only one who woke him up. Ice elf Sirka. Shirka, the guardian of the Baruka tribe. Szrd was curious. Who is the heir who discovered the sanctuary of the Lord he hid in the Echo Forest? In order to determine whether or not it is a vessel that will pass on its power. It controlled Shiraka''s body and read the memories contained within it. And I sincerely regret it. [...I shouldn''t have seen it.] Szrd did. The things that happened in thisnd after the war that Sirka personally experienced. Haaa- At that moment, Sd''s sigh created an illusion of frost again. In that fantasy... Surprisingly, there was Cha Hae-in, Suho''s mother. ''Mother...'' Suho also saw the illusion. In that fantasy, Cha Hae-in... was with the ice elves who survived the war. She stood by those young and weak children and brought smiles to their faces that were frozen like the cold. like a mother [...It''s like a mother.] Only then did Suho realize the identity of the expression on Srd''s face. Even at the moment when he stabbed Sung Jin-Woo''s heart with a knife, Szrd cursed at him. -I will personally freeze all humans on thisnd and make them suffer forever. They will live for an infinite number of years, neither alive nor dead. ¨C Hate me endlessly in death like that. That too will be my pleasure. Szrd, who had said so confidently, was sitting here dead like this. And the tribes that survived after losing the war... I would have thought they were being taken care of by the wife of the winner of the war, Seong Jin-woo. In addition, the expressions of the ice elves being cared for by Cha Hae-in were filled with bright smiles without a single wrinkle. Kut. For a moment, Szrd frowned with the most humiliated expression. Ironically, their bright expression was a warm smile that their king and monarch himself had never seen before. That was natural. They were just horses on a battlefield that wouldst forever to him. From the beginning, they were created only for that. however. [He was able to make that kind of expression.] He looked back at Suho with a sigh. [Yes, you guys won. In the end, I admit that I was defeated even in death.] Before I knew it, tears were leaking from the eyes of Sd, who was making a humiliating expression. [Now, in death, instead of hating you, I havee to feel endless gratitude for you. But even this kind of humiliation... I''m just grateful.] Yes. Thank you very much. to shed tears Srd, who had been sitting the whole time, slowly got up. [Son of the shadow lord.] Whoa! Then, the monarch''s energy slowly swaying from his senile body filled the empty world. [The King of Yeti, the Lord of the Cold, is watching you.] That arrogant gaze reached Suho. [I will ask you one favor. This is the cowardly and servile will of a defeated monarch, and myst regret on this earth.] ''....'' [Please... Please give thanks to your mother on my behalf.] Yes. That''s it. [And just as your mother took care of my children, from now on I will also protect you.] At that moment, the energy of frost that filled this empty world blessed Suho . belt ring. [''Prophecy: Blessing of the Cold'' is applied.] At that moment, Suho''s frozen time started to move again. The final voice of Sd, the lord of the cold that was getting farther away, reached Suho. [I heard your mother is in danger nearby. I will send her right there.] Chapter 128 - 128

Chapter 128:

Shwaak! With a blink of an eye, Suho came back to reality. At that moment, the first thing that caught my eye was none other than a pure white lotus, or an ice flower made of frost. A single ice flower rises above the steaming hot spring. Inside came Sirkka''s muffled voice. "... It''s a guardian. I think I just saw my grandfather." "What?" ''Could it be that Sirkha was the granddaughter of the Lord of Frost...'' That''s when Suho questioned. ! Suddenly, the ice flowers that had surrounded Sirkka bloomed and scattered in all directions. At the same time, the ice crystals swirled and condensed in Cirka''s hands. Strapping. [The King of the Yetis, the Lord of the Frost, inherits "Item: Spear of the Ice Tree" to his sessor "Cirka."] Chop Duk! At that moment, a long stretch of ice stretched out of Sirkka''s hand. and a trident made of the ice that was created. [Kihak! Could it be this energy?!] Ver, who had no idea what Suho had just gone through, quickly stood in his way to protect Suho. "It''s okay." Suho took him in his arms and patted him. "It''s on our side." [Kiek?] Ver tilts his head in his arms and looks at Suho''s face. But when he saw the confident look in Suho''s eyes, he knew what was going on. Suddenly, Sirkka''s gaze, which had been staring nkly into the air, came into focus. She looked away and spoke. "I can see it now." Sirkka swung the spear of the Icewood in his hand and pointed beyond the blizzard that blocked his vision. "... That''s where the cha-cha is." Shhhhh At that moment, a blizzard swept through the forest toward the frigid trident. The energy swirled around Sirka and Suho''s bodies, lifting them up. Sirkka''s eyes sparkled, and he smiled confidently. "Hold on tight. I''m going to fly right away." Huu A streak crossed the Echo Forest. * * * Kuwaaa The Scavenger Hunters were floundering in fear and despair. A natural disaster was happening right in front of me. The frigid forest where the earth roars and the sky shakes as if it is about to fall. The Scavenger Guild is arguably the strongest guild in the United States, having tackled infamous dungeons many times that no other guild dares to challenge. But the scene before them could not bepared to any dungeon they had ever conquered. I didn''t think I''d make it back alive. The despair they felt now was impossible to express. "Dragons...!" Suddenly, dragons appeared in the middle of the forest and were engaged in a fierce battle with each other. Caught up in the aftermath, the Hunters were just desperately fleeing like shrimp in a whale fight. "Ahhh "Oh please! Guild Leader! Guild Leader! Where the hell are you?" "If only Thomas Andre had been...!" They waited for only one person, with a glimmer of hope. Mankind''s Strongest Hunter Thomas Andre! If only he woulde here, he would solve all of this. There was nothing they could do but pray so fervently to God. But the longed-for Thomas Andrew, no matter how long they waited, it seemed unlikely toe. In spite of the fact that the whole forest is in turmoil. If it were his senses as an S-ss Hunter, he would have been aware of the current situation long ago. "Ahh Thomas!" But what they didn''t know... It''s not that Thomas Andrew didn''te, but that he was here from the beginning. They didn''t even dare to guess. And there was only one person here who noticed it from the beginning. "Ugh!" It''s just Cha Hae-in. "How could he be here...!" Cha Hae-in had a perplexed look on his face throughout the battle. Cha Hae-in, who had been exploring the incident in the Echo Forest with Caesel, suddenly felt a tremendous presence in the Echo Forest, and hurriedly turned around. And what he found was that demonic ice dragon. The enormous, horrible thing was, in fact, the same kind of ice golem created by the spirits. Banning the Ice Elves. Another name for the Echo Forest is ''Forest of Trials''. The spirits who live here visit the beings who invade the forest and give them the trials they deserve. Therefore, the more powerful a person enters the forest, the more spirits wille to the forest, bncing their power. And those who could not ovee the ordeal were eventually possessed by the spirits and deprived of their bodies. They will be frozen forever, unable to live or die. Of course, that only applied to the ice elves. The ice elves were a race with great affinity for spirits, so they simply dealt with them. On the other hand, it was easy for the spirits to take their bodies. But humans are different. From Cha Hae-in''s experience so far, humans basicallyck spirit affinity. So at least I didn''t have to worry about losing my body because of the ordeal. Of course, there were a number of spirits that matched its power. ''But why?'' That''s why Cha Hae-in was a little confused from earlier. Cha Hae-in, who was fighting the closest to the ice dragon, could notice something. No, I was able to smell it exactly. A smell that is different from what you feel from the Ice Dragon. Cha Hae-in squinted at him and examined the ice dragon, and soon discovered something ridiculous. The existence of a man frozen in the most intimate part of that ice dragon made of solid ice! A white-haired old man. Regardless of his age, he is the strongest man on the with an immensely muscr build. Cha Hae-in immediately recognized his face. ''Thomas Andre! Why is he turning into an ice dragon in a ce like this?!'' Oooo Just in time, the ice dragon holding Thomas Andre near his heart roared and mmed into the Kaesel that Cha Hae-in was riding. Boom! [Uhh A rather exhausted cry escaped Caesel''s mouth against him. "Caysel...!" Cha Haein looked at Kaesel with a sad expression. It''s a big deal. Caesel''s power was waning. Even if it weren''t for today''s battle, Kaisel had been weakening in real time for a long time. Because he was so far away from Sung Jinwoo, there was no way to replenish his depleted strength. However, as he began to fight an equal opponent like he did now, the speed at which he weakened was elerating tremendously. ''If we wait any longer, Caesel''s will be wiped out!'' Of course, if Sung Jin Woo was nearby now, it would be enough to be re-summoned back to Sung Jin Woo''s shadow and try to recover in the shadow world, instead of returning to nothing. But even that was not possible now. ''The only answer is speedy action. I have to do it.'' Cha Hae-in leapt off Caesel''s back and shed through the ice dragon''s massive body with two daggers of sword qi. Kaga ga gaga! With a tremendous bursting sound, the ice dragon''s body cracks and cracks. But the wounds were repaired by a nearby blizzard. New spirits inhabit the ice dragon''s body and restore it. "If we continue to fight like this, it''s just a war of attrition! After all, the only way to do this is to attack Thomas Andre directly!'' The problem was that even that wasn''t easy. The body of the giant ice dragon is not made of ordinary ice, but of thick ice imbued with immense magical power. The defense that came out of it was enormous. No matter how much they smashed and destroyed, new spirits would appear and fill the gaps. If it was a normal ice golem, it would have been enough topletely smash it before the new spirits arrived. But it was so big that it didn''t do any good to attack it partially. While destroying the other side and attacking the other side, the other side is restored before you know it. "That''s why you have to put all your energy into the heart with a blow." Climbing back onto Caesel''s back, Cha Haein quickly crossed his two daggers. Then he pulled up the mana he had. Gooooooo Skill "Sword of Light". The magic power consumed is so great that it can only be used as a trick. Two daggers began to shine brightly in Cha Haein''s hands. ''You only get one chance!'' Cha Haein''s eyes lit cold. "Caysel! Make a gap!" [Kaooooo!] Caesel had been working hand in hand with Cha Hae-in for a long time, so he could understand her words immediately. Chop Duk! Caesel''s damage was undeterred, clinging tightly to the body of the ice dragon, which was muchrger than him. The ice dragon unleashed a torrent of cold that wound Caesel''s body, but he never backed down. The only purpose is to make sure that the attack that Cha Hae-in has put all his energy into will not miss! [Kyaaa ''Thank you Caesel.'' At the sound of Caesel''s roar, Cha Haein''s skills went straight to where the Ice Dragon''s Heart Thomas Andrey to rest. Kuquaaang- Around its power, a wave of immense magical power spread out in all directions. ''I''m sorry, Thomas Andre.'' At that moment, Cha Hae-in''s mind was full of emotions. Cha Hae-in, who had memories of a time period that disappeared thanks to Sung Jin-woo, knew very well who Thomas Andre was. At one point, he was a hunter of American power. One of the strongest humans in the world, he was a warrior who struggled to save the Earth from being invaded by otherworldly beings. But that''s just a story from a time gone gone era. Now he had to be just an ordinary human being. The fact that he suddenly appeared here. and a group of heavily armed hunters nearby. From this information alone, Cha Hae-in was able to deduce quite a lot of facts. "People with magical powers. Could it be that the earth has changed again while I''m here?'' Then.... What happened to her husband, Sung Jin Woo? Suddenly, Cha Hae-in''s mind reminded her of the back of her husband, thest time she saw him before hended here. He''s... ''Are they still fighting?'' Still. Is he fighting there alone? Kagagagagak! Even at this moment, Cha Haein''s sword of light was piercing through the giant ice dragon. Now if we go a little further. An attack will reach Thomas Andrew, who is frozen in his heart. Little. ''Just a little bit more!'' But then. With a sh! Suddenly, Thomas Andrew''s eyes, frozen in white frost, shed open. "...!" The moment when Cha Hae-in''s eyes widened as he faced the blue demon in his empty eyes. Thomas Andre raised the corners of his mouth wickedly as he looked at Cha Hae-in''s brilliant sword qi that had juste close to him. [Itarim, guide me.] ¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D! At that moment. The light burst with a tremendous tinnitus. The light began to spread out like a wave at a rapid pace and encroach on the surroundings. Chapter 129 - 129

Chapter 129:

[Kyaaaaa...!] Caesel hastily wrapped his wings around her body to protect her. The cost was devastating. Wow! ''Oh no...!'' Feeling Caesel''s power rapidly weakening, Cha Haein screamed inwardly. Caesel''s ck shadow was bing a rag. ''Caesel...!'' Caesel had risked extinction to protect himself! But then. In the center of the blinding light, Thomas Andre furrowed his brow and looked away. Whoa-wooh- His eyes were covered in blue ears, and he spotted a trail in a straight line in the distance. It''s a highlypressed freezing wind. The blizzard of the Echo Forest was howling. Puh Finally, at the end of the trajectory through the blizzard, a frozen trident appeared. Wow! The "Spear of the Ice Tree" hit the Ice Dragon''s body as it was. [...!] A massive impact mmed into the Ice Dragon''s body. Around that point, ice crystals shattered and scattered. Shoowaa To fill the void, new spirits nearby flew towards the ice dragon in an instant. But. Gooooooo At that moment, a tremendous sense of daunting pressure overwhelmed the Echo Forest. Ring! Ring! Ring! [The King of the Yetis, the Lord of the Frost, forcibly crushes the momentum of the ice elementals.] [The King of the Yetis, the Lord of the Frost, forces the ice elementals to subjugate.] [The King of the Yetis, the Lord of the Frost, has the Ice Elementals...] ...! The spirits, who had been mad by the sudden appearance of the monarch, screamed in confusion. Even the blizzard that swept through the Echo Forest was shaken by its helplessness. In the heart of it. Ugh! "I found it." Suho managed to hold on to his mother. "Mom." ...! [Kieeeeee At the same time, Verga clung to the head of the Chahaein and howled. "Are you alright, Cha Hae-in? Don''t worry now! This lowly servant Berg hase to save you!" [Colloquial!] The ragged Kaisel recognized Suho and Ver and burst into tears, and Cha Hae-in looked at Suho with a dazed expression. "Oh, son? How did you get here...!" "Cha-cha! I''ve got you! I am the son of cha-cha!" On top of that, there is even Sirkka, who shouts cheerfully when he sees that Cha Hae-in is safe. But it wasn''t a situation where they could have a leisurely conversation. Boom! "...!" "...!" The ice dragon, which had been smashed by a direct hit by the spear of the ice tree, had recovered and was standing up behind them. Suho''s eyes widened when he spotted Thomas Andrew''s face peeking out from the cracks in the thick ice cubes. "Thomas Andre?!" "Could it be that human is possessed by a spirit? Isn''t it something else?" Sirka felt uneasy as she looked at the blue ear on Thomas Andre''s body. What the hell is that energy? It''s simr to a spirit, but it''s too foreign to call it a spirit.... Chuck. [Lord Less, get ready.] Just in time, Verga stepped forward and exuded flesh from his entire body. [The Apostle of Itarim has appeared.] Chop chuh! Immediately with that, Suho took out the Great Pce from his inventory. Then, from the shadows, he pulled out a long quay and fastened it to a bowstring. "Rise up, Quay!" And he sent a shadow bolt straight at the heart of the Ice Dragon, Thomas Andre. "Kill!" [By Master''s Command!] Wedge love juice- There was no hesitation in Suho''s action of firing a quay at Thomas Andrew. Thomas Andre''s condition was not normal by any means. But now there was no time to worry about his safety. His opponent was not an ordinary demon beast, but an "Apostle of Itarim". He was too dangerous an enemy to deal with, and the slightest hesitation could have endangered not only himself, but his mother. Then there was no hesitation. Even if ites at the expense of others. However, such worries are overshadowed. Squeak! Before Quay could reach Thomas Andre, his body had beenpletely buried in the depths of the Ice Dragon. Unfortunately, Quay''s arrowhead failed to prate its thick defense. [Itarim!] And a bizarre voice that came out of the mouth of Thomas Andre deep inside. With him, the ice dragon opened its massive maw. An enormous energy began to stir within him. Cha Hae-in, who had experienced the horror of the attack, shouted urgently at Suho. "It''s dangerous! Dragon Breath ising!" But Suho had no intention of backing down. "Ver!" [Yes!] Suho shouted, ring straight at the ice dragon. "The Shadow Dragon here has already been exposed to the enemy! If this is the case, we won''t care, right?!" Suho''s question pointed to Kaisel, who had turned into rags and was still wrapping around Cha Haein. Verdo replied with a fierce tooth. [Of course it is!] "Everybodye out!" At that moment. His shadow stretched wide around Suho. Shwaaaaaaa Dozens of shadow soldiers stood up in it at the same time. "...!" Cha Haein''s eyes widened when he witnessed this amazing scene from behind. ''Oh my God.'' It was an all-too-familiar sight. Surrounded by a crowd of shadow soldiers, the back of the scene. Cha Hae-in saw the back of her husband''s wide back for the first time in a few years. "When is our guardian like this...!" It was a strange feeling. I never thought I''d feel this way in such a desperate situation. I felt a tickle somewhere in my chest. [Listen All!] And the little ant Ber standing proudly at the front of the soldiers. The former legionnaire roared fiercely and gave them the order. [Scatter the whole army!unch an all-out attack!] Aa At that moment, the shadow soldiers scattered in all directions and attacked the ice dragon from multiple angles simultaneously. Shush! The shadow elves'' barrage of arrows bent at various angles and mmed into the ice dragon''s body. From there, a spider web cracked across its ice. Boom!!! At the same time, the Shadow Minotaur and the Shadow Troll rushed like a tank and rammed into it. Tu Bang! Boom! The ice dragon is about to copse as it cracks again due to the relentless bombardment. But. It was insufficient. This was ridiculously insufficient. The opponent is the Ice Dragon. It was a monster that was superior in attack and defense. Oooh! In the meantime, the immense magical Dragon Breath finally erupted. It shook its head once, and everything in the forest was destroyed in a straight line along its mouth. [...!] The blow melted away all the shadow soldiers who were attacking it. Some soldiers managed to survive, but most of the shadow elves werepletely wiped out by the blow. But. ''Time Gained!'' Gulp! Suho took advantage of this opportunity to feed his exhausted mother with healing potions and mana potions. And the void left by the defunct Shadow Soldiers was immediately filled by extracting new soldiers. There were plenty of things to extract nearby, anyway. Ironically, it wasn''t just the Shadow Soldiers who had just been caught in Breath and killed, but also the Echo Forest''s ice elves who were possessed by the spirits. "Wake up!" [Shadow extraction sessful.] [Shadow extraction sessful.] [Shadow extraction sessful.] .... New soldiers continued to recruit to attack the Ice Dragons, and once again Ice Breath annihted them. In the meantime, Cha Hae-in was remarkably recovering. Even the wounds that had umted over the past few years of living in this strangend were being healed. But Suho wasn''t satisfied. Suho generously used all of his healing items on Cha Hae-in. There was not only "Item: Mummy''s Bandage", but also "Item: Echo Forest Spring Water" that I had just obtained. The Echo Forest''s Spring Water is a valuable detox potion that can only be found in the Sanctuary of the Lord of Frost. ''It will help in some way!'' At the same time, I tried to keep up with everything that was going on around me. Once I heard it in the elves'' vige, I saw with my own eyes that my mother had awakened as an S-ss hunter. I didn''t expect my mother, who I thought was an ordinary housewife, to turn into a strong person with such tremendous energy. I couldn''t believe it even though I was watching it right in front of me. At the same time, he also noticed that the Scavenger Hunters who hade in with him were scattered around. ''There''s Esil, too!'' Suho put all of these situations together in his head and quickly devised a strategy. "I can''t beat that dragon on my own. I have to fight with my mother.'' Just in time, Cha Hae-in, who had recovered enough to regain some control, stepped out of Caesel''s arms. "Caesel, leave it to me and rest now." [Purring....] Caesel closed his eyes as he felt Cha Haein''s hand gently caressing his cheek. It was impossible for him to hold out any longer anyway, and Caesel turned into a smoky ck smoke that seeped into Cha Haein''s ne. ''I''m d I did. Caesel is safe.'' Cha Hae-in squeezes the ne with both hands and breathes a sigh of relief. And when I raised my head forward again. "Son." "Your mother." "Mom, I''m really angry, right?" "...." Oh, it was a little sloppy. Suho, who was stunned by the words, scrutinized his mother''s face with a cold expression. Cha Haein''s clear eyes were burning hotter than ever. "Can you buy me some time? I''m going to put all my mana into one shot." Gooooooo At the same time, a huge amount of magical power began to agglomerate in Cha Haein''s entire body. Skill Sword of Light. The mana consumed is so great that it can only be used as a secret move. "If this one shot doesn''t work, take your time and feed her the mana supplement you just gave her." Did. What Cha Hae-in proposes to Suho is a kind of wheeled battle. This strategy was the most perfect one that Cha Hae-in, the vice president of the Hunter Guild, the strongest in Korea, could have made in a now-defunct timeline. "Can you do it?" Cha Hae-in looked at Suho''s figure with trusting eyes. Suho''s growth into an adult in a few years was both strange and familiar at the same time. She looked a lot like her husband when he was younger. "But we''re still a long way off." Cha Hae-in was calmly grasping Suho. The level she felt in Suho now was too fragilepared to her current self, let alone her husband. But enough is enough. "I''ll buy you time." Yes, that was enough. That was Suho''s n. "Okay. Instead, I''ll decide which direction to attack." "What?" Suho''s eyes light up and he smiles in repentance. In front of such a guardian, he remembered the information window of the "detox potion" that he had given to his mother. [Item: Echo Forest''s Spring Water] Difficulty to obtain: ?? Type: Consumables It is a mysterious spring in the Echo Forest. When drunk or applied to the body, it has a neutralizing effect on toxins. In the first ce, the spring water of the Echo Forest was the material for making the "Divine Water of Life". And, of course, its purpose would be to neutralize the toxicity of the Purified Blood of the Demon King. "Let''s ask one Szrd." Suho asked Szrd with conviction. "Does the effect of the Echo Forest Spring work for the Lord?" Suho''s gaze was on the direction of the hot springs behind the ice dragon. Chapter 130 - 130

Chapter 130:

''... Is this a dream again?'' Thomas Andrew was dreaming in the blue mist. It was a terrible nightmare that had haunted him all his life. - I am Thomas Andrew! Do you think I''m going to fall apart at that level! There, he was screaming and being beaten up unterally. It was no longer a fight. ''One-sided violence'' Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! There was nothing he could do in the face of such a terrifying force. No matter how hard you try to resist, all you get back is one-sided violence that you can''t resist. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn''t beat the man in her nightmare. - That''s why I told you. Tu Bang! In his dreams, he always raised his chin as he spoke. - It doesn''t matter who it is. That chilly voice. An emotionless gaze that looks down on you from so high. I couldn''t remember the face, but the look in his eyes was so vivid in my mind that I shuddered even when I woke up from a nightmare. In front of those eyes, I was just an underdog. Thomas Andrew had always been iprehensible to the dream. Who you are. UFC Unrestricted Champion. A demon in the ring who has won the title of the strongest of mankind. An absolute powerhouse who never experienced a single defeat until he retired. He was a tyrant who always looked down at his opponents with his feet on his knees. ''That''s what I, Thomas Andrew.'' But. ''Why the hell...'' Thomas Andre constantly dreamed of himself being defeated, and he was never able to "sincerely" consider himself strong. No, rather.... -I am weak. This is the real Thomas Andre''s sincerity. Perhaps the world would snort if they knew that he was living with these thoughts. It would be dismissed as humility or deception. But to my surprise, this was his true sincerity. -I am weak. Thomas Andrew genuinely thought he was weak. No matter how much you train your body and hone your skills... He grew stronger and stronger again and again, until he reached the summit and put everyone at his feet. -I am weak. Still. No matter how hard he trained and how strong he became, he was always thirsty. I was anxious and nervous. Clearly, there is no one in the world who can defeat him. The fact that he was still weak was apulsion in his mind. Even after awakening as an S-ss hunter, thispulsion didn''t change. A monster with powers beyond the perception of the Hunter. Even now, when he became the strongest monster called S-ss among those monsters. ''Why!'' He was still nervous. ''Why am I so weak?'' Thomas himself could notprehend hispulsion. ''Who the hell is that man?'' The man in that nightmare that you can forget if you forget it. The presence of the man, who was in a dream but could not be surpassed, continued to haunt him. How ridiculous. A human who has awakened to an S-ss hunter, the pinnacle of humanity, is swayed by a mere dream. ''She might know something.'' Unable to bear it, he went to his old friend, Mrs. Norma Selner, toin. She believed that a renowned shaman and prophet would be able to answer her dreams. But Norma Selner''s answer confused him even more. She looked at herself with a look of some regret. -Thomas: The emotion you feeles from emptiness. - What do you mean by that? -What filled your vessel is gone, and it''s empty. - So what the hell are you talking about? This is how prophets always are. No matter how frustrated I was, I could only answer questions that I couldn''t decipher. But thanks to her, I learned one thing for sure. That his vessel must be empty. That he had been pursuing strength all his life to fill the void that had been created. And. While entering the cier dungeon and fighting the demons that suddenly attacked you. Just like clothes get wet in the drizzle. Without even realizing it. - That void has been filled. ''Yes! This is it!'' Thomas Andrew realized at that moment. Something that he had longed for all his life was filling him inside! ''Is This Real Power?'' Finally, the puzzle hecked was put together. ''This I am! Thomas Andre!'' [... Now! It''s perfect!] Kuwaaa Thomas Andre, who had been floundering in a dream, opened his eyes. He instinctively realized the true nature of his power. [Give me strength, O Itarim!] That ''instinct'' guided his body to his mind. And I will remind those weak human beings who are fearless and unaware of their own strength, what true fear is! ¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D! Hepletely unleashed the power that had filled him within. And began to destroy everything in sight. In the face of its absolute power, the soldiers of the ck shadows who rushed to stop him melted helplessly. However. A tiny human with a feeble but unpleasant aura swerved unstoppably toward him, slicing through the soldiers of ck shadows. [Aaaaaa Thomas Andre roared and exuded power. However, even in the face of such overwhelming power, the little man did not back down, ring at himself with a zing gaze and muttering: "Esil." The voice reached Esil, who was with the Scavenger Hunters. "Come in." Shoowaaa [Volkan''s horns feast on demonic spirits.] At that moment, Esil''s spirit body transformed the two horns of Volkan, causing two horns to sprout above the guardian''s head. [Equip ''Item: Volkan''s Horn''.] [''Buff: Desire to Destruction'' is applied, increasing physical damage by 300%.] "Going with all your might." [Use ''Skill: Wind of the Meadow''.] [Temporarily increases movement speed by 30%.] [Temporarily increases Attack Speed by 30%.] [Use ''Skill: Giant''s Armor''.] Swaaaaa The cool breeze blowing through a blizzard makes the guardian''s silver hair flutter. Thomas Andre Annie The body of the guardian running towards the ice dragon began to growrger with each step. And. [Use ''Skill: Rigid Technique''.] A ck stream of air around your arms. Suho gathered all his strength and mmed into the ice dragon''s massive body. Boom! [How dare you!] Thomas Andrew was furious. He was trying to stand up to himself with his strength! [Are you trying topete with this ''me''?] It was ridiculous. I didn''t think this Thomas Andre would look ridiculous to this kid. "Do you think you can stand up to me?" Boom! In response to his will, the ice dragon mmed into the guardian''s body with immense force. And just as I was about to crush him. Suho''s eyes lit up as he took the power from below. ''The Power of the Dominator!'' Shwaak! At that moment, the ck air current on Suho''s arm stretched forward. And. Boom! [...!] The invisible hand. Guardian has been in it since level 1 ording to Ver, the "power of the ruler," which he had been able to use skillfully since he was a toddler, mmed one of the ice dragon''s legs hard from the side. Then. Whoops! ! The ice dragon''s leg snapped to the side. At that moment, the ice dragon could not bear its own weight and leaned to one side. and uplifting. Kuwaa Suho used the heavy weight in reverse and threw the ice dragon with all his might. And eximed. "Mother!" Now...! At that moment, Cha Hae-in raised his eyebrows. "Yes." He then sent the "Sword of Light" that he had poured out with all his might into a single point. The goal is Thomas Andre! With a sh! [stic!] A blue ear exploded from Thomas Andre''s eyes as he roared as he stared straight at the blinding light. Oooh! The ice dragon wrapped its wings around its body, blocking the sword of light as it flew with full force. Crackle! The light flew through the thick ice. At the center of that power, Cha Hae-in gritted his teeth. ''It was shallow again!'' It was daunting to deal with a single Thomas Andre, but his existence was protected by a greatyer of ice. But this should be enough. In the n of the guardian of one''s son! "Arrived." The ice dragon is being carried and struck, and even the sword of light is pushed back. Before I knew it, the "Spring of the Echo Forest" had arrived behind it. Ssh! The moment the ice dragon''s hind legs step into the steaming water. ¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D! The many ice spirits that made up the ice dragon began to disperse in all directions. [Ugh! What is this...!] The ice dragon''s body suddenly began to melt away at a rapid rate, revealing the Thomas Andre figure within. I could see the embarrassment on his face, but that was it. [What a trick!] The ice around him had vanished, but the power of Thomas Andre had remained within. No, he was far stronger than ever! [Haha! What are you going to do now? Do you dare to stand up to me with a depleted S-ss Hunter and a bunch of gobblemen!] Thomas Andrew smiled arrogantly as hended in front of the hot springs. And immediately opened his power. [Enhance!] Skill Enhancement. This power was one of the basic skills used by so many tanks, but it was the moment when this skill was unleashed by Thomas Andre. This is the true terror that will descend on this earth. But. By the moment he arrived, Suho''s ns had beenpleted. From the beginning, Suho asked the King of the Yetis, the Lord of the Cold, one thing. ''Does the effect of the Echo Forest Spring work for the monarch?'' There are a total of three ingredients for the Divine Tree of Life. Purified Blood of the Demon King. Fragments of the World Tree. And the spring water of the Echo Forest. I didn''t know what the shards of the World Tree were, but I knew exactly what the spring water in the Echo Forest was. If the water from the Echo Forest can purify the Blood of the Demon Lord, what effect will it have on the Apostle of Itarim, who is now subduing the spirit of Thomas Andrew? Suho remembered what he had once heard from Ver. The ''gods'' of our dimension were also ''Itarim'', and the beings created by dividing light and darkness were the rulers and monarchs. Then. What about the ''apostles'' created by the other Itarim? ''What if the Apostle of Itarim is also simr to rulers and monarchs?'' "What would happen if I used the spring water of the Echo Forest on that Apostle of the Itarim?" To his question, Szrd, the Lord of Frost, gave the correct answer. [The King of the Yetis, the Lord of the Frost, nods with a sneaky smile.] [King of the Yetis, Lord of the Frost, activates "Sanctuary: Spring of the Echo Forest."] ! [...!] At that moment, the steam that had been floating above the hot springs froze all at once, grabbing Thomas Andre. [Keep up the tricks!] Chop Duk! Thomas Andrew shook off the frost that surrounded his entire body as if he were the same. But even that frost was the spring of the Echo Forest. [Item: Echo Forest''s Spring Water] Difficulty to obtain: ?? Type: Consumables It is a mysterious spring in the Echo Forest. When drunk or applied to the body, it has a neutralizing effect on toxins. [...?!] Thomas Andrew''s eyes widened, drenched in the spring water of the Echo Forest. Then, suddenly, he shuddered and hunkered down in agony. What have you done to me...!] "Purification." The answer came from the mouth of Sirkka, who was just one step behind him. Sirka muttered as he watched the forest spirits disperse from the hot springs. "This spiritual spring will awaken your mind from the possession of evil spirits. That''s why these hot springs exist in the depths of Sanctuary." [Aaa Of course, the Apostle of Itarim would be far more than a mere elemental. However, the spring water of the Echo Forest is the sanctuary of the "Lord of Bitter Cold", who is the equivalent of the Apostle of Itarim. It was a spiritual water that could purify even the blood of the Demon Lord... Aa In the end, the blue demon couldn''t stand it and bounced off Thomas Andre''s body. At that moment. Gulp. The power of Cha Hae-in, who had been drinking a mana potion from Suho, returned. "Is that the main body?" Cha Hae-in raised the magic power of his whole body and red at the "Apostle of Itarim" who floated in the air. And now... Thomas Andre, who hade to his senses, also raised his head, ring at the Apostle of Itarim. "How dare that crazy bastard cross me?" Quad Duc. Gnashing his teeth with anger on his face. Chapter 131 - 131

Chapter 131:

Flutter. The blue smoke that fell from Thomas Andre created a pair of blue wings. The appearance of the apostle of Itarim, revealed in such a perfect form, was truly bizarre. A gray giant with blue wings, gross to be an angel and too holy to be a devil. A ferocious twisted smile appeared on that huge face. [It''s like an apostle who was given a higher rank than a mad tyrant!] It was Ver who quickly evaluated the level of an apostle. One day, Ber exined. The ruler of this world and the fragments of brilliance were created by Itarim, who was called the ''absolute one''. If so, the monarchs and splinters of brilliance created with the same status were essentially the same as the ''Apostle of Itarim'', with only a difference in their names. However, as long as the Creator is different, there is bound to be a difference between the creations. In fact, Seong Jin-woo, the greatest fragment of brilliance and the shadow lord, was a very different being from other monarchs and fragments of brilliance. Likewise, the powers of Itarim''s apostles were different. And above all, there was one clear difference between the apostles of this side and that side, and that was the ''created number''. The only beings that Itarim of this world created and gave a rank to were the eight monarchs born from the primordial light and primordial darkness and the eight fragments of brilliance. Yes. was only sixteen. On the other hand, the Itarims of the Outer Universe created as few as tens to hundreds of times as many apostles and divided their powers and gave them ranks. The apostles of Itarim, born in this way, were naturally weaker than the rulers and rulers of this world. Even if it seems omniscient and omnipotent, its power is not infinite after all. Just as the absolute creator of this world was removed by his creatures, all power had an end. In short, it was this. Itarim = Fragment of Absolute Radiance = Lord > Apostle of the Outer Universe In other words, the Fragment of Luminosity and Lords in this world were few in number, but each one was endowed with a great rank. On the other hand, the apostles of Itarim in outer space were weak as they were numerous. Especially among them, the apostles who hid behind this side were only low-ranking ones. If stronger guys had left the battlefield, Seong Jin-woo would have noticed it first and blocked it in advance. [...That''s why.] At Ber''s words, Suho red at the apostle of Itarim and nodded. "okay. It''s worth a try." The odds were. No matter how much that giant was an apostle one step higher than the mad blooded tyrant, the protection of the dead lords was with him now. In addition, there were two S-ss hunters by his side, including Thomas Andre and his mother, who hade to their senses. But the problem wasn''t thebat. Damn it! Rurrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr! "The sky is falling!" Shirka screamed as she watched the sky cracking like a spider''s web around the apostle of Itarim. [The King of the Yeti, the Lord of the Cold, warns that the dimensional wall will copse at this rate!] [ The Lord of the Fangs, the King of the Beasts, exins that they too borrowed the bodies of humans to strengthen themselves on Earth because of this very problem.] Damn it ! Whoops! [Little Lord! The cier Dungeon can''t stand the presence of the Itarim Apostle in its spiritual form and is about to copse!] Beings with great power like the Itarim Apostle needed a considerable amount of time to cross the dimension with full strength. It was because the world itself might not be able to handle that power. So, the chosen method is to steal the body of another being. The reason why the rulers of the disappeared time zone borrowed their bodies from humans and strengthened themselves on Earth. It was for this reason that the apostle of Itarim, who appeared in the demon realm, stole the body of the mad blooded tyrant. at that time. "I don''t know what you mean." chuck. Thomas Andre, who had heard Ber''s words from the front, bent his legs with a grim expression. "Anyway, you''re saying we can kill that b*stard as quickly as possible?" bang! Without hesitation, Thomas Andre jumped off the ground and rushed towards the blue-winged giant. Shush! In an instant, Thomas Andre, who rose to the top of the Itarim Apostle''s head, immediately raised both hands and struck hard. bang! The Apostle of Itarim raised his arm and easily blocked the attack. snap! "How dare you!" Thomas immediately grabbed the arm in mid-air and smashed the body down with incredible force. [...!] Kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa! The huge angel plummeted straight into the middle of the Echo Forest. Thomas thennded on his head and punched him. "You make me serve such an eerie god?!" Quaang-! I felt dirty. To Thomas, who was an atheist, the feeling of sincerely worshiping an unknown god called Itarim, even for a moment, was so humiliating. bang! bang! bang! bang! Tremendous violence was unterally unleashed upon the apostle of Itarim. but. shit. The apostle of Itarim, who had been lying down, suddenly showed Thomas a vicious smile, revealing his teeth. and. Aaaah-! A beam of destruction like a dragon''s breath shot out from its mouth towards Thomas. "...!" Thomas instinctively crossed his arms to block the beam, but Kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa! The armor of magic that had been applied to his body quickly melted away. that desperate moment. [Uses ''Skill: Storm sh''.] Kwaooooo! A storm of des spread from Suho, who ran at a short distance, hit the head of the apostle of Itarim directly, and the direction of the ray of destruction narrowly missed Thomas. Quaang! Thomas Andre bounced back, and at the same time Cha Hae-in jumped out and attacked. In the meantime, Suho approached Thomas and fed him a potion. "...yeah. Is that person your mother?" "yes." "Your mother was an S-ss hunter. But what is this potion?" Thomas raised his eyes as his wounds healed. In the meantime, Cha Hae-in came back to avoid the rays of destruction that were fired again and shouted at Thomas. "Thomas! I can''t do it alone! When all is well, let''s pincer!" "I will." The apostle of Itarim, who was incarnated in the form of his body, was much stronger than when he was wearing Thomas'' body. In the aftermath, the dimension was copsing, and I was wandering through the forest looking for a host to possess again. Since he couldn''t target Thomas or Cha Hae-in, who ate the spring water in the Echo Forest, he was looking for a new host. In the process, all the trees that had grown densely were trampled down and at the end, they finally found a ce where numerous creatures gathered. "Oh, no! There is our vige over there!" To Sirka''s bewilderment, Ver looked at Suho with a serious expression. [Italim''s disciple''s bowl is not for anyone. Just like a weak vessel will break, those with weak power will lose their vitality the moment the Apostle of Itarim possesses them.] At that, Suho remembered ''Mist Burn''. Although the scale is different, isn''t the principle of slowly burning to death unable to withstand the blue fog very simr? "For now, go after him and recover." As Suho said those words and nced at Sirka, Sirka immediately raised the spear of the ice tree forward and shouted. "Hold tight! I''m going to fly in a blizzard!" At that, everyone''s hands grabbed the spears of the ice tree. At that moment, a great blizzard raged and sent them flying to the apostles of Itarim. Whee ae ae ae ae-! In the meantime, Cha Hae-in began to gather strength to use the skill Light Sword once again. Just then, Suho saw the daggers that had been in her hands since earlier. Those daggers were the weapons Cha Hae-in, who fell into this dimension empty-handed, received from the Ice Elves. ''It''s too bad for an S-ss hunter''s weapon.'' Suho immediately held out the horn of Volcan to her and said. "Mother, I will use a bow, so with this sword..." But after hearing Suho''s words, Ber''s eyes also began to see the weapon Cha Hae-in had been using so far. Then, in great bewilderment, he opened his eyes wide. [Kieek?! Haein! Why are you fighting with such rubbish! What about the ne!] "A ne?" When Cha Hae-in made a puzzled expression at those words, Ver put his head on his head with a sorry expression. [Kehak! Come to think of it, the lord only received the ne and never heard how to use it... Oops!] "What are you talking about? How to use the ne?" Cha Hae-in was also embarrassed and looked down at his ne. This ne was a 16th wedding anniversary gift from Sung Jin-woo. Thanks to the mysterious effect of this ne, I have been able to understand thenguage of the ice elves. ''But the function didn''t end there...'' Ver exined, pointing to Cha Hae-in''s ne. [This ne is an artifact crafted by bearded dwarves, and the lord has carved a special rune for Cha Hae-in!] "A special rune? what is that?" [Come on, follow me!] Ver''s eyes shed and he opened his mouth clearly. [Inventory.] "...this inventory?" It was the moment when Cha Hae-in stammered along with the words. sh! "...!" Suddenly, a translucent system window unfolded in front of her eyes. Cha Hae-in''s eyes widened as he looked at the items inside. "This is this?!" It was. As one of Itarim''s apostles, the Giants, invaded the Earth, Seong Jin-Woo had a hunch that the same situation could happen in the future. So, in preparation for the unexpected, he made a ne with various functions for his beloved wife Cha Hae-in. Even if he is not by her side, Cha Hae-in can protect himself. The first function of the ne made for Cha Hae-in was to be able tomunicate with other races. The second was the subspace inventory function. [Our soldiers also collected their own gifts for Cha Hae-in and put them inside. One of them is...] Su-wook. Just in time, a blue sword was pulled out of Cha Hae-in''s hand. "...!" At that moment, Suho''s eyes widened wide. Item information popped up in front of me. [Item: Demon King''s Longsword] Difficulty to obtain: S Type: Sword ATK +350 This longsword contains the power of the demon king ''Baran''. Every time the sword is swung, the ''Storm of White me'' effect is activated. Effect ''Storm of White me'': Creates a storm of lightning in a certain area. [Could this sword be used by the Demon King...?!] Even if it wasn''t for the information window, Eshil recognized the identity of the sword at a nce. A scream erupted from Volkan''s horn. However, Cha Hae-in also knew what this sword was. "...This is Ygritte''s gift." The current Ygritte was using a better sword made by bearded dwarves, given to him by Seong Jin-woo. In other words, it was a sword that Ygritte had no reason to use anymore. but. This sword had a special meaning because it was the first weapon that Ygritte was bestowed by Seong Jin-woo. To Ygritte, it is a valuable item that cannot be exchanged for life. A small smile formed on her lips because she was not Cha Hae-in, who did not know what it meant to hand it to others. Pajik! Pajik! "Ber." A blue electric current was reflected in Cha Hae-in''s eyes as if he was possessed by the de of the ''Devil King''s Longsword'', where blue lightning was swirling. "If I meet Ygritteter..." Quaang! Just in time, the spear of the ice tree brought them to the very edge of the Apostle of Itarim. "Would you like to thank me for the gift?" Sararak. From Cha Hae-in''s hand on the ground, the Devil King''s longsword came up in a semicircle. That moment. The atmosphere of the battlefield has changed. Chapter 132 - 132

Chapter 132:

Squeak! Gurrrrrrr A storm of white mes is gathering. ''Thunderbolt...'' He looked up at the sky and saw dark clouds wailing in his eyes. "Take care of your son." Cha Hae-in smiled and walked towards the center step by step. "This mom is younger...." Or should I say a past life? I don''t know what the hell this feels like. It''s been a long time since I''ve seen my son, and I want to show him how cool he is. Pajik! Crackle! A flurry of blue thunderbolts swept along Cha Haein''s de. Then Cha Hae-in moved. Skill "Kenmu" - Storm of White mes Wowahhhh The sh of light from the tip of her sword splintered into hundreds of pieces. And then it rained down and mmed down on the Apostle of Itarim. Suho looked at the scene as if possessed. I haven''t seen my mother in a long time... It was truly awe-inspiring. ''Strong.'' Those were the only words I could think of to describe the scene in front of me. Countless thunderbolts striking the Apostle of Itarim. Zeng! Gurgling! Each lightning bolt mmed into its massive body, causing the forest to rumble with a heavy roar. How dare you be a lowly creature!] The Apostle of Itarim writhed in agony, waving his blue wings. Kuwaaang! It wasn''t just a pping of wings. A sudden gale tore the air apart and the spirits screamed. The strong wind, which embraced a bitter chill, soon swept over the Chahae people like a tidal wave of giant ice spikes reminiscent of stakes. Disasters. It was the kind of cmity that no human being dared to face. But. Rumble! [...!] The Apostle of Itarim widened his eyes. Cha Hae-in held aloft the demon king''s katana. The lightning bolt that had split into hundreds of branches along the tip of the sword suddenly became a sh of light, shooting up into the sky. And. ''Cut.'' Skill "Sword of Light" - Storm of White mes A massive bolt of lightning turned into a sword and struck in a straight line. A dazzling sh of light sliced through the sky, engulfing the heavens and the earth, and then a huge tidal wave of ice swept down in front of it. And the power doesn''t stop there. Aa Even the blue-winged giant was cut off. * * * "...." "...." There was a heavy silence in the frozen forest. A blue-winged giant who waspletely split in two by Cha Haein''s sword and died. The enormous corpses were gradually dispersing and disappearing in a cold blizzard. Annihtion, not death. Because he was an apostle in a spiritual state, he had returned to nothingness at the time of his death, leaving no corpse behind. Suddenly, Suho saw the system message in front of him. [Killed the Apostle of Itarim.] [Level up.] [Level up.] ''I didn''t do anything this time...'' The role of the guardian itself in this battle was not great. Since the contribution is small, it is natural that the experience pointsing in are low. Even so, I leveled up twice. This was a testament to how strong the Apostle of Itarim had been. But to kill such a guy in one fell swoop. He couldn''t believe it, even though he had seen it with his own eyes. Unlike himself, who inherited some of his father''s power and became stronger with the protection of other monarchs. She had reached this point on her own. "Is this the power of an S-ss Hunter?" Suho''s body, which had never missed a moment of his mother''s battle, was still filled with the thrill he felt at that moment. Whoops. ''Someday, too...'' Suho''s eyes lit up with determination as he clenched his trembling fists. But it wasn''t just the guardian who felt such a strange feeling. Thomas Andre had a puzzled expression on his face, his brow narrowed. [Kiek?] Ber narrowed his eyes at the changes in Thomas Andre''s body. As the Apostle of Itarim vanished, some of the energy that flew through the air inhabited Thomas Andrew''s body. And Suho noticed it, too. "Did you level up like me?" [It''s not a level-up, but rather a little bit of the power I''ve lost.] "Lost power?" [In the now-defunct timeline, Thomas Andrew was a "state power-level" hunter who transcended S-ss.] The Kamish Raid, which was the first S-ss gate and the worst raid on earth. The U.S. seeded in the raid that nearly destroyed its country, and gave the five survivors equal status with the rest of the world as "living nations." That was the beginning of the title of "state power." But there was a secret to the strength of the first state powers. They were vessels chosen and empowered by the rulers. Simply put, one of them, Thomas Andre, was exceptionally stronger than the other S-ss Hunters because of the power of the Dominator. [Not now.] Today''s Thomas Andre was just an ordinary S-ss hunter, not a state power level. To get back everything you had to lose in the fight. Sung Jin Woo goes back in time through ''Cup of Reincarnation'' He alone endured all suffering, erasing all traces of the monarchs and rulers from the world. As a result, there are no Demons or Hunters in the new timeline. Thomas Andr¨¦ and other first state-powered hunters were no longer granted the power of the rulers. But that''s just the emptiness of the vessel that was filled. Thomas Andre''s vessel didn''t disappear. This was the identity of the ''emptiness'' that Thomas Andr¨¦ felt and lived with all his life. [However, it seems that the energy of the Apostle of Itarim has flowed into the void, and since it is a vessel that could contain the power of the ruler, it must also contain the power of the Apostle of Itarim.] Suho nodded, understanding the situation. "Thomas Andre can ept the power that others have to throw away because they don''t have a vessel to ept. So your mother was also a state-level hunter?" [Kiek?] Hearing Suho''s words, Ver btedly turned his gaze to Cha Hae-in, and his eyes widened. Cha Hae-in''s body was permeated with the apostle of Itarim who fluttered in the air like Thomas. "... What''s this energy?" "Are you okay?" "yes, I''m so fine." Ver fussed and checked on Cha Hae-in''s physical condition, but Cha Hae-in seemed to be fine. Originally, they were the first state-power-level hunters to be chosen because they possessed a vessel that could hold the power of the ruler. Unlike them, if an ordinary human took the power of a higher being into his body, his body would not be able to withstand it and would perish. However, to his surprise, Cha Hae-in was still intact and received the apostle energy of Itarim in his body. I couldn''t figure out how this was possible. That was then. [The King of the Yetis, the Lord of the Frost, clicks his tongue as if it is natural.] "Do you know anything about Szrd?" The guardian''s question came from the Lord of Frost. [The King of the Yeti says that this is because the Lord of the Frost has alreadye out of her body, just as the other humans have the power of the rulers.] Suho asked, startled. "What? That someone simr to the rulers was in my mother''s body? Who''s that?" [Oh.] "Oh." "...?" At Suho''s words, Ver and Cha Haein turned their heads at the same time to look at Suho. Then they looked at each other again and nodded in agreement. "Huh?" The two of them looked puzzled for a moment. Then, suddenly, he realized something and pointed to himself. "Could it be me?" Ver nodded in assurance. [The Little Lord is the son of the Great Shadow Lord, and it seems only natural that Cha Hae-in, who had such a great being in his belly, had arge vessel.] Cha Haein nodded at that. She is probably the one who knows better than anyone that her son is unusual. "He was exceptional, though. He was kicking in the stomach so much that I thought I was going to give birth to some kind of dinosaur." Cha Hae-in smiled mischievously but looked at Suho with a warm gaze. "He''s my son, too." * * * After some time. When the Apostle of Itarim''s enormous body waspletely annihted, the cier dungeon that seemed to copse at any moment fell silent like a lie. The entire ne was already almost in rags, but the wounds were healing at a noticeable rate. But there was still something unsettling. Although Sirkha had been recognized as the next monarch, he stillcked a vessel. [The King of the Yetis, the Lord of the Frost, snaps his tongue that it is not enough for Sirka to embrace the primordial darkness.] The primordial darkness was the primordial force that created the monarchs of the now-dead gods. He needed a vessel to inherit that power. "Are you a bowl again? Everywhere you go, you have to have a big bowl." "Do you need a big bowl? I''ll go to the crockery store and buy a bowl for you!" "...." Liao Xing, who hade to the side, proudly took out his corporate card. ... Looking at that, I thought I knew why I hadn''t been promoted by the guild until now. Unlike the seemingly idle Rio Singh, the Scavenger Hunters were busy at the behest of Thomas Andre. He hade to attack the dungeon, but he couldn''t go home empty-handed. However, they were not in the mood to hunt the ice elves in the vige of Sirkka, so all they could do was pump water from the Echo Forest. "Don''t spill a drop! It''s a very effective detox potion!" "Yes boss!" After all, the spring water in the Echo Forest was groundwater, so no matter how much it was pumped, it would not decrease. This would go back to the Scavenger Guild''s profits, so they were excited that their hard work would be worth it. In addition, Sirka found the gate where the ice elementals had crossed over to Earth in the Echo Forest, giving them an exit back to Earth. For the Hunters who were injured there, it was a perfect ending with no injuries thanks to Suho''s potion feeding them. "It''s just as Grandma prophesied." Thomas Andre nodded, remembering Norma Selner''s prophecy to take the Holy Guardian to the cier dungeon at all costs. Thomas Andre, who had been pampering his men with a satisfied expression, approached Suho and said, "I''m going to take this spring water and go and feed the people who were at the level of state power." "Oh, that''s a good idea." Suho nodded in agreement. This time, those who had embraced the power of the rulers, like Thomas Andrew, were equally likely to be targeted by the Apostle of Itarim. On top of that, they''ll be S-ss Hunters this time around, and if they side with the Itarim, they''ll be a significant threat. If Thomas Andrew had visited them and force-fed them with spring water, such a danger could have been prevented. There was only one concern. "Oh, but just in case, there are people out there who are already possessed by them, so be prepared... Huh?" Suho, who had been talking to Thomas Andrew, suddenly realized something and looked at his face with wide eyes. "Why are you so bunny-eyed?" "Thomas, you can''t...." Protecting Guard''s expression made Thomas grin and bared his teeth. "Yes, I remembered. Everything." Chapter 133 - 133

Chapter 133:

Thomas Andre, whose memories of his previous life returned as he epted the godhead of the outer universe, was confused in his mind. another self. Memories that shouldn''t exist were mixed with current memories, making my head feel like it was messed up. He did not know why he had to live a new life, but he had already experienced situations in which it would not be strange no matter what happened, so he did not have much doubt about it. More than that... ''Damn it! shit!'' Amid all the chaos. This was the final emotion left to Thomas. chagrin. ''It''s really unfair, I''m going crazy!'' He realized the reality of the nightmare that had gued him for years. The reality of that nightmare was the memory that he burst into dust while fighting with ''Sung Jin-woo''. ''Why can''t I just remember that damn memory...!'' This was the most unfortunate. But, in a way, this was normal. Thomas Andre, who was called America''s strongest hunter. Of course, being beaten so unterally by someone else was the first time in my life. The psychological shock he felt at that time was indescribable. The more you don''t want to recall, the clearer the memory. Wasn''t Min Byeong-gu like that too? ''No, after that, we reconciled and got along well, right? We even fought together!'' But whatever the reason, it was unfair to be unfair. If I had only a little more memory after that, I would not have suffered from nightmares. But now, who are you going to tell this resentment to? This was entirely up to Thomas Andre himself, and it was fortunate that he would no longer have nightmares. In addition, since he realized why he felt weak, the homework that had been bothering him all his life disappeared overnight. ''I guess that''s why grandma sent me here. After all, if you listen to Norma Selner carefully, rice cakes wille out even while you''re sleeping.'' The reason why I studied Korean hard enough to be fluent in Korean proverbs was also thanks to Norma Selner''s advice. ''I also understand why the old woman told me to study Korean. Seong Su-ho was Seong Jin-woo''s son.'' After knowing the inside story, I saw Seong Soo-ho, and his face was the real Seong Jin-woo. Even his age was exactly the same as when Seong Jin-Woo hit him. ...Remembering the nightmare, I was about to feel bad again. "It''s bigger than that." Thomas Andre, who heard all about the situation facing the earth through Suho and Ber''s mouth, hardened his expression. "The enemy has be stronger than then, but Seong Jin-woo is not on Earth? Isn''t this really ruining the earth this time?" As someone who had already been caught up in a war between rulers and lords, he could say that. "Their war is not a fight that mere humans can intervene in." [You understand the subject very well.] Verga stood on Suho''s shoulder and nodded arrogantly at Thomas Andre''s words. [On the level of human beings, you have to be at least at the national power level to be able to face the Itarim Apostle. ] Or at least..." Thomas Andre''s gaze, which was sympathetic to Ber''s words, suddenly turned to Cha Hae-in, who was next to the Ice Elves. "...Or at least an S-ss hunter with powerful items." After witnessing Cha Hae-in''s fighting power with the long sword of the Demon King right in front of his eyes. As soon as he returned to the guild, Thomas Andre''s mind began to pile up a pile of things to do. "...I guess we should start developing weapons as soon as we go back." It''s only been 2 years since the cataclysm. Things were very different now than in the past, when more than 10 years had passed since the opening of the Hunter era. Human science and knowledge were more advanced than then, but hunter technology was far behindpared to the old days. There may be many reasons, but the biggest reason among them is that there has been less research on ''materials''. Two years after the cataclysm, other studies were the same, but in particr, research on minerals mined in dungeons or dead bodies of demons was still at an early stage. It would take at least five more years to reach a levelparable to the vanished time zone. ''But I have knowledge of the future, no knowledge of the past. If you use those memories, you can develop many times faster.'' And that wasn''t all. It would have been possible to achieve the development of hunters in many ways, such as not just the development of technology, but also various raid strategies and efficient training methods. Recalling the memory of the vanished time zone, Thomas Andre felt as if he had reached the second round of his life. "Even if you tell me how to increase the cohesion of mana, the development speed will be much faster... Hmm?" While Thomas Andre was thinking this, the image of Leo Singh, who was passing by, suddenly came into view. To be precise, the quality of the ''sword'' in Rio Sing''s hand was unusual. Thomas summoned Leo Sing and stopped him. "What is that knife for you? Did you get an item from Seong Jin-woo or Suho?" "...yes? Is this knife?" Leo Sing raised his sword with a puzzled expression and replied in fluent English. "I just bought this at Hunter Mall with money?" "what? Did you just buy it with money?" To this unexpected answer, Thomas Andre quickly grabbed Leo Sing''s knife and took a closer look. But still. "What is it? Why is the quality so good? At this level, it''s almost like the old days..." Creepy. Something is strange. Thomas Andre felt strange and asked Leo Singh. "Where the hell did you buy this sword? Even the US can''t handle dungeon ores with this level of precision yet?" "India is also greatpared to other countries, but it''s not quite there yet." "So where the hell..." "Korea." "...!" Thomas Andre''s eyes widened wide at those words. On the other hand, Leo Singh felt good because he felt that his eyes were recognized by Thomas Andre. And as soon as he saw this sword, he bought it right away and answered confidently, praising his speedy action. "I bought it when I visited cksmith in Korea with Suho''s guidance." As soon as he received the approval of Thomas Andre, an S-ss hunter, the next n was immediately formed in Rio Singh''s mind. ''If this is enough, I''ll have to buy a lot of weapons in Korea and send them to our guild. The guild leader will look good on me again if I airlift a quality weapon...'' However, Rio Singh''s promotion n was irrelevant. Thomas Andre said to Suho with a serious expression. "Something is strange. It doesn''t make sense that this level of technology has already been developed in the second year. Apparently, there seems to be someone in Korea besides me who has memories of my previous lifeing up!" "Are you in Korea?" At those words, Suho also hardened his expression. The fact that the memory of the previous life came to mind without the Shadow Key meant that it was rted to the apostle of Itarim. "okay. He must have had memories from the very beginning, not recently." The matter was serious. No matter how much knowledge you have, it took at least two years tomercialize this level of technology. And that meant that at the same time as the cataclysm, the apostle of Itarim was working secretly in Korea. But then. "Are you Suho?" Cha Hae-in, who was next to the ice elves, heard the conversation between the two and approached them. "Maybe he... knows who your mother is?" "yes? Someone your mother knows?" "You know?! how?" Suho and Thomas Andre, who were surprised by Cha Hae-in''s words, focused on her. It was unbelievable. Cha Hae-in was living trapped in this cier dungeon even before the cataclysm, so how could he know about Korea? However, Cha Hae-in responded to Suho with a strange smile as if their reaction, which had the same expression, was fun. "hmm. Suho, how many times have you probably seen it when you were young?" "Am I? Who are you?" "Do you remember the boss at work who was close to Dad?" "...Your father''s boss?" Suho shows a bewildered reaction to those words. He remembers his father''s job as a ''police''. And if it''s your father''s boss, he''s also a police officer . Cha Hae-in nodded as if he could do that at Suho''s reaction. Like most sons, there were not many sons who lived by remembering every detail of their father''s boss at work. However, to her husband Sung Jin-woo, ''he'' was a boss at work with a little special meaning. "How is that person doing now..." It was Cha Hae-in who fell into thoughts while suddenly thinking of "him" face. * * * North Korea. After the cataclysm, Korea was virtually unified. However, the process was problematic. A dungeon break began to appear in North Korea at the same time as the cataclysm. Demons pouring out from there. In the end, the North Korean government could not properly prevent the tremendous disaster that urred as a result, and ended up destroying itself. Were there no hunters? It wasn''t. Many North Koreans have awakened to this ability. Perhaps, if North Korea were a normal country, it would have blocked the dungeon break and wiped out the beasts with its awakened people as the main axis, like other countries. However, the moment when the awakened people of North Korea gained transcendental power. revolted The ideological dissatisfaction that had been suppressed so far, centering on those who suddenly had supernatural powers, began to burst out in various ces. In the end, all the Awakeners in North Korea became viins and eliminated all factors in the government. At the same time as the cataclysm, all systems and systems in North Korea copsed, and in fact, North Korea was ruined at that point. Even the Awoken who had rebelled fought and fought against each other and scattered. In the end, most of them died as they were individually defeated by demonic beasts that appeared from various ces. It was a natural ending because the Awakeners scattered in a ce where even if they joined forces, it would not be enough. Anyway, when that situation came to a head, the dungeon break that urred in North Korea spread out of control in all directions. The aftermath passed over to China, which was attached to the top, and Korea, which was attached to the bottom. And that was the reason why the Korean Hunter Association came out to support North Korea. It was because North Korea''s field-type dungeon continued to expand its territory, eventually causing damage to its own country. "...after. It really never ends." The head of the Korean Hunter Association was leading the association''s hunters in the midst of sweeping North Korea''s demons. This endless battle had been going on for several months already. "The president of the association." Just then, a middle-aged Hunter approached the president of the association. final person. He is a magic hunter who uses me as his main force, and was the first S-ss hunter who was attracted to the association as soon as the association was established. "Everybody is tired. How about taking a break at this point and starting again?" "...so be it." At Choi Jong-in''s words, the president of the association smiled bitterly and took off the sunsses he had been wearing throughout the battle. Then, the beaky eyes resembling birds of prey were revealed in it. The president of the association red at North Korea, which had turned into a monster field, with ferocious eyes and wiped his sunsses with a handkerchief, which had spattered the monster''s blood. Then, when someone''s face suddenly came to mind, a low sigh escaped from his mouth. "ha. Where the hell did you go at a time like this..." The president of the Korean Hunter Association, ''Woo Jin-cheol'', muttered, thinking of Sung Jin-woo. "Wherever you are...please just return safely." Until then, I will finish all preparations. Hunter Seong Jin-Woo. Chapter 134 - 134

Chapter 134:

¨C Woo Jin-chul? A newscaster once interviewed officials about a man named Woo Jin-cheol. Then the officials would ask this first. -Before and after the cataclysm, what are you asking? And this answer was the same no matter who asked. If you ask what kind of life Woo Jin-cheol has lived so far, it is because the answer is dramatically different before and after the cataclysm. -Before the cataclysm, Woo Jin-cheol was originally a police chief. Maybe it was the central police station? The Central Police Station was a very legendary ce among the police. For more than 20 years, it has been a police station with the highest criminal arrest rate in the country. Of course, it wasn''t Woo Jin-cheol who created the legend. At the time, there was a legendary detective called ''Ghost'' in the Homicide Division of the Central Police Station. The arrest rate is 200 percent. In front of the ''ghost'' who is said to catch not only the case he was assigned, but also the culprits of past cases that were left unsolved, any vicious criminal or gangster would be a mild-mannered sheep. However, he was also an outlier who refused to be promoted despite achieving such a great feat. Even the reason for the refusal was absurd. to focus on the field. To catch more criminals directly. The name of the police officer who continued to remain as a homicide detective by saying this obvious but obvious thing was ''Sung Jin-woo''. He was a shadow lord who was now at war with Itarim in outer space. And Woo Jin-cheol was his direct supervisor and closest colleague, who had been following him since he was a high school student and made him take the police exam. And thanks to Seong Jin-woo passing his achievements to Woo Jin-cheol every time, Woo Jin-cheol somehow kept getting promoted at high speed alone. Then, eventually, when he became the chief of police. There were many people who were jealous of him behind his back and gossip about him. -A person who was promoted by selling a colleague. -Why do you take care of your subordinates'' performance? ¨C Didn''t Detective Seong Jin-woo catch some kind of weakness from Woo Jin-cheol? However, the people who said such gossip in the back did not say such things again after one day having a private meeting with Seong Jin-woo. However, other rumors circted after that. The real power of the Jungbu Police Station is Detective Seong Jin-woo. Of course, it was like that from the beginning, so it wasn''t new. In fact, it was because there were not one or two people who witnessed Woo Jin-cheol always treating Jin-woo Seong, who was his direct subordinate, with respect. But since when did the extremely famous Central Police Station stoping up and down in the mouths of the police? Exactly that point was when Detective Seong Jin-woo suddenly started to be absent from work. ¨C Rumors abounded. That the ghost detective went missing, that he beat the police, that he went on an extended vacation... But what was the detective''s name? But curiously, the ghost detective''s name was not known to the general public. I don''t know if it was because he wanted it, but strangely, the name that was revealed to the media was always Woo Jin-cheol''s three letters. However, the name Seong Jin-woo was so famous among his fellow police officers that his sudden absence caused a lot of rumors. However, the chief of police, Woo Jin-cheol, simply treated Jin-woo Seong''s absence as a ''leave of absence'' without any exnation. As if I took it for granted that I would return someday. And like that... The name Seong Jin-Woo was quickly forgotten in the memories of his colleagues. It had to be. Because the vacancy left by Seong Jin-woo was too great. In the meantime, all the detectives of the Central Police Station, who have been solving casesfortably thanks to Sung Jin-woo, were busy running around to prevent incidents from happening here and there. ¨C And then, suddenly, a cataclysm happened. The interview with the official started from now. -And at the same time as the cataclysm, Mr. Woo Jin-cheol revealed his true face. Coinciding with the cataclysm, no one believed the rumors that he had been promoted thanks to his subordinates. -I don''t know, but Woo Jin-cheol is probably the first person to wake up in Korea? It was. The cataclysm of that turbulent period when gates and monsters suddenly appeared all over the earth. ''Woo Jin-cheol'', who was the chief of police at the time, awakened his magic faster than anyone else. But most of all, it was because of his actions after his awakening that people worshiped him as he is now. Woo Jin-cheol has never been amazed or embarrassed that he has this ability like other awakened people. Rather, like a fish in water, it naturally began to use its power as if it were originally there. And although this fact was not known to people, he actually calmly closed his eyes at the same time as he woke up and measured his strength first. "...A grade. It''s the same as before." At this time, the United States had yet to announce the Hunter rating ording to the amount of horse power. Even before the magic meter was developed, he was able to gauge his magic level from the start. It was natural. Because he was already a person who had already awakened all the memories of his previous life under the influence of Sung Jin-woo decades ago. Until the cataclysm, those memories were useless to anyone, but when the earth suddenly became a hunter era like the old days, he literally became a hunter for the second time in his life. And at the same time, Woo Jin-cheol realized the seriousness of the situation. ''It''s a big deal. The earth has be like this again, but Hunter Seong Jin-woo isn''t there.'' Even before the cataclysm, he knew that Seong Jin-woo would often go somewhere to stop enemies from the other world. At that time, she would assist him by giving him a leave of absence or a leave of absence. But this time, Seong Jin-woo hadn''te back for several years. But he did not lose hope. ''Sung Jin-Woo Hunter will definitelye back. Then until then I... let''s do what I can.'' It was from then. Woo Jin-cheol started to move in earnest by using the memories of his previous life. right after the cataclysm. At that time, it was a time when the world was confused by countless incidents and idents as not only witches but also awakened people appeared in the middle of the day. Woo Jin-cheol, who was the chief of police at the time, established the ''Hunter Association'' by mobilizing his power and all his personal connections. And he himself became the first president of the association and started negotiations with government officials. -Maybe our country has the fastest hunter association in the world? ¨C Thanks to that, the Hunter Act was revised very quickly. In order for a neww toe into existence, it required numerous procedures and a period of time. Woo Jin-cheol, president of the association, who was clearly aware of this, passed the most importantws step by step. One of them was the ''Viin Punishment Act'', which confuses society the most right after the cataclysm. And with thew in front, he began to wipe out the viins who were swayed by power and caused idents. ''Even demon beasts are troublesome, but humans shouldn''t fight among themselves.'' Of course, even in this life, it was difficult to wipe out all the viins with the power of Woo Jin-cheol, who is only A-ss. but. ''It''s enough to fill theck of strength.'' He decided to recruit the S-ss hunters in his memory as the first step to strengthen the power of the association. Especially among them, the S-ss Hunter who was nicknamed ''the final weapon''. ''Choi Jong-in'', who was the guild leader of Korea''s No. 1 guild, seeded in bing friends by feigning coincidence before awakening his magical power. The moment he became an S-ss Hunter again this time, he politely handed out his business card. "Will you be my ally in defending the world for justice for this country." "...All right." From that day on, Choi Jong-in began to y an active role as an S-ss hunter representing the Korean Hunter Association. Thanks to Woo Jin-cheol''s performance, Korea, which was in chaos, was able to quickly regain stability. The speed was so great that it was recognized worldwide, and Woo Jin-cheol, the president of the association, suddenly rose to stardom. ¨C National hero Woo Jin-cheol! However, he was never shaken or fascinated by the interest and poprity pouring into Woo Jin-cheol. Rather, the fact that he focused only on what he had to do as if it was nothing special made the people more like him. It was natural. Woo Jin-cheol is literally a second life car hunter. In particr, since he was a careerist who seeded Ko Kun-hee as the president of the association in his previous life, he skillfully and skillfully rallied the hunters and maintained security, just like a person born to be the association president. At this point, no one in the Republic of Korea denied that he was a national hero. His strength was still only that of an A-ss hunter, but even S-ss hunters did not dare to present their business card in front of him. -All the roads Jincheol Woo, the president of the association, has walked as a national civil servant hunter for the past two years are the history of the hunter world in Korea. Finally, the official who responded to the interview request left these words and disappeared. And after the interview, the newscaster nodded with a satisfied expression and made the nextment. ¨C This concludes the interview. The next news is about Jisan Prison. Jisan Prison is a concentration camp specializing in viins established by the Hunter Association two years ago . thank god." Cha Hae-in, who came out of the cier dungeon and checked the news on Korea through Inte news, sighed in relief. If it was an association created by Woo Jin-cheol, Korea was safe. I couldn''t imagine all the effort and hardships he had to prepare to fill the vacancy of Sung Jin-woo over the past two years. Cha Hae-in, feeling somewhat heartbroken, gave advice to Suho. "Woo Jin-cheol is an old friend who knows about your father. He said he is currently out of aid to North Korea, so please meet him as soon as you return and tell him about the situation. You will get a lot of help." "...then what about your mother?" Sensing something strange in her mother''s words, Suho looked at her mother''s face with a hard expression. "I can''t go with you." Surprisingly, Cha Hae-in was thinking of reentering the cier dungeon he had escaped with difficulty. Cha Hae-in said with a sad expression on the head of Kaisel, who had shrunk to the size of a parrot and sat quietly on his shoulder. "Kaisel will soon perish at this rate. I can''t let it go like that." The flying dragon, Kaisel, has been a precious existence that has protected him for the past five years. So, the ce Cha Hae-in is trying to leave now is the deep ce in the Echo Forest where the ''gray snow'' was falling. "Mysteriously, the more we went into that gray snowy ce, the more Kaisel''s depleted energy was filled very little." [The reason is probably... because those gray eyes are actually dragon ashes.] Cha Hae-in nodded at Ver''s words. "that''s right. i think so too." Cha Hae-in still remembered the story Seong Jin-woo told him while looking at the white snow falling from the sky. One of the most threatening enemies in Seong Jin-Woo''s life was Yong-Jae. The day that the Dragon Emperor defeated all the many light dragons under hismand. The gray ashes of countless dragons that fell from the sky reminded me of the white snow falling from the sky. "And beyond those gray eyes..." [There will be a dimensional rift leading to the tombs of the light dragons.] Chapter 135 - 135

Chapter 135:

Tomb of the Light Dragons. It was the dimension where the Shadow Lord, Sung Jin-woo, the King of the Dead, and the Dragon Antares, the King of the Dragons, and the Lord of Doom, fought the final battle. The strongest of the Eight Lords born from the Darkness of the Beginning. The only monarch who overpowered the Shadow Lord. Antares, King of the Light Dragons, Lord of Doom. He was the embodiment of destruction, willing to destroy himself for the sake of a war wedged with blood, screams, madness, and destruction. However, he was eventually defeated by Sung Jin-woo, and the Legion of Doom he led was absorbed into the Shadow Legion. As a result, in what was once called the "World of the Dragons," only the soulless and decaying corpses of the dragons were reduced to ashes. And the vast amount of ash spread across the crevices of the ne. Just in time, the ashes had flowed into the Echo Forest, where the dimensional rifts had been everywhere. Thinking about it now, it was a miraculous coincidence that Cha Hae-in and the Wyvern Kaisel had entered the Rift of the Dimension among the many. If he had entered a ne other than here, Caesel might have vanished without ever recovering his strength. Curiously, however, Caesel''s strength began to build up from the moment he stepped into the grey ash-strewn space. And the more of the gray snow fell, the deeper into the Echo Forest, the faster it recovered. So what happens if you go directly to the source of those grey ashes, the Tomb of the Light Dragons? He might be able to restore all of Caesel''s powers. [I think so.] Ver nodded in agreement. That was then. "If Chacha goes, I''ll follow!" "Huh?" Suddenly, Sirka interrupted the conversation, clinging to Cha Hae-in''s arm and ring at him. "I left him alone this time and I can''t live because I''m anxious. I''ll always be with you wherever I go." [The King of the Yetis, the Lord of the Frost, is willing to allow it.] "No, wait. Don''t allow it to happen." Suddenly, even the Lord of Frost intervened, and Suho was taken aback. I barely met my mother for the first time in a few years, but as soon as I met her, I ended up parting with her again. Even the ce where my mother is going now is apletely different dimension. Passing through the dimensional rift that exists beyond the Echo Forest and entering the Tomb of the Light Dragons. "I''m sure there''s a dungeon out there somewhere out there that is full of the ashes of the dragonkind. Once he gets inside, Caesel''s power will increase even faster." "I agree with that. But if that''s the case, I''ll go with you." "Nope. That''s not good." Cha Haein looked at Suho with a stern expression. "You go back to Korea first. And you don''t know when or where the Apostle of Itarim will appear, like this time, and you must stop them instead of your father." "If that''s the case, then the Apostle of Itarim mighte to the ce where my mother wants to go, right?" "And what about again?" Suho''s words made Cha Haein''s eyes widen and a confident smile emerged. As he did so, he spun the Demon King''s katana in his hand and stuck it firmly on the ground, asking Suho. "Son, are you really worried about your mom now?" Pajik! Pajik! The guardian''s eyes saw the demon king''s katana flowing through the blue thunderbolt. Come to think of it, my mother was an S-ss hunter who had cut down the Apostle of Itarim with that sword. Cha Hae-in smiled mischievously and yfully nagged Su-ho. "Who''s worried about whom? You''re going back and leveling up first. Do you sleep at that level? Come back and check what level it is?" "Ugh." Suho was genuinely frustrated. My mother didn''t say this when I was ying games when I was younger... Even Ver was nodding his head in agreement. [Well, the little lord is stronger than an ant caterpir these days, but I still can''t live because I''m too anxious to put it out.] Suho finally sighed and decided to let go of his mother. "Then I''ll just help you find the gate to the Tomb of the Dragons. That''s fine, isn''t it?" Anyway, I had to stay here for a while and do something. The so-called post-processing. * * * "Brother-inw!" Off the coast of Facade Ind, AJINSOFT''s private ne has arrived. As soon as Yoo Jin heard the news that Cha Hae-in had been found, he had crossed the Pacific Ocean in a month. "Uhhh Brother-inw, how hard you''ve been! I really worried about it... Uhhh "It''s Ji Jinho. I''m fine, so stop that...." Seeing Yoo Jin Ho squeezing tears and snot in front of Cha Hae In, Cha Hae In nced behind him with an embarrassed expression. Behind them, the secretaries apanying Yoo Jin Ho were confused by Yoo Jin Ho''spletely different appearance. But Yoo Jin-ho didn''t care. "Whoa! Brother-inw! I remember everything! I''m gone! No, well! Brother, brother-!" "Ahh "Whoops! Whoops!" But no matter how hard he tried, Yu Jinho just dragged on for a long time. Ever since the memories of his past lifee to mind, when he thinks of Sung Jin Woo, who sacrificed himself alone without anyone noticing, his tear ducts can''t dry up. However, it turned out that Cha Hae-in also had memories of that time, and he had even been alone in a strange dungeon! If not at this time, then when will you cry? "Hey...." "No, Jinho, please... Think about your age. People see it." But guess what. The person standing here today was no longer Yu Jin-ho, the Sangvis representative of AJIN Soft''s sess story. He had returned to Yoo Jin-ho, a spoiled man in his 20s who had been following Sung Jin-woo around a long time ago, smiling brightly. Cha Hae-in, who knew how he felt, smiled as if he couldn''t stop it. Then, suddenly. Yoo Jin-ho''s puffy eyelids met Su-ho''s eyes as he stood next to Cha Hae-in. "... Ahem. Anyway, I''m d you''re safe, brother-inw. You''ve been through a lot, Suho." "...." I btedly tried to save face in front of the guardian, but it was toote. Suho just shook his head. And to some extent, when Yoo Jin-ho''s tear ducts calmed down. He dared to bring him to this faraway ce. "Anyway, uncle. Lend me some money." "Oh yes. Did you say you wanted to buy the exclusive rights to the cier Dungeon?" "Yes, I''ll pay you back soon by selling the water from the Echo Forest." When the topic of work came up, Yoo Jinho''s eyes changed. Of course, my eyelids were swollen, so I didn''t feel as charismatic as usual. Suho had told Yoo Jin-ho that he had found his mother and that Fa?ade Ind was currently in trouble because of the cier dungeon. The general situation was as follows. "The cier dungeon is no longer essible. I can''t wipe out the demons that live in it." In order to conquer the cier dungeon, they had to wipe out all the ice elf tribes, including Cirka. But since I couldn''t do that, I had no choice but to think about what to do next. "yes, I understood that. The ice elves are friends with my brother-inw, so of course we shouldn''t kill him. So how about relocating the ice elves out of the dungeon altogether?" "You mean to let the ice elves live on Earth?" Even if he took all the ice elves out of the dungeon, he still had conquered the dungeon. However, the ice elves rejected this method. "I absolutely hate that. We, the Baruka n, have a duty to protect the Lord''s Sanctuary. We''re going to keep living in the forest." Yu Jinho said as he met the eyes of Sirkka, who appeared suddenly and red at him. "She''s so cute. But what are you talking about?" "...." To Yu Jinho, the sight of Sirka babbling the Mashunguage was just a surprise. "Anyway, let''s say we can''t move. After all, the detox potion called Echo Forest''s Spring Water in the cier Dungeon is worth the money, right?" "Yes, it''s groundwater, so it''s not going to dry up." Of course, no amount of groundwater is infinite. If he kept pumping it up, he could run out one day. But that didn''t matter. "Hmm, if too much is released into the market anyway, the price will only be cheaper, so the key is to loosen the right amount little by little. And... I don''t know how good the detoxification will be." It was Yoo Jinho calmly rolling the calctor in his head. The item''s description simply stated that it had a neutralizing effect on toxins. It was necessary to verify to what extent and with what effect it detoxifies certain poisons. Knowing the value of a product before selling it was one of the basics of business. And, of course, such a process required a lot of manpower, time, and money. Therefore, the person who was needed was Yoo Jin-ho as a businessman. "Before that, it''s Suho. Let''s check one thing. Technically, you''re just joining the Scavenger Guild in this walkthrough, but the Scavengers don''t want a monopoly, right?" Yoo Jinho wondered. In fact, this business was a water business. If you go into the cier dungeon and scoop up hot spring water and sell it, you can make money. Why isn''t Scavenger greedy for such an easy and good business? Just then, Scavenger approached Thomas Andre''s secretary, Laura. "That''s a shame for us, but the ice elves will only allow you ess to the spring water of the Echo Forest." Laura looked genuinely sad. But for the ice elves, it was a no-brainer. The springs of the Echo Forest were the sanctuaries of the Lord of Frost, and of course they were forbidden to open to anyone. It is very difficult for an ordinary human to find a way through the magical blizzard in the Echo Forest. In the end, I have no choice but to ask the ice elves to go there and get some spring water... "The ice elves said they would only grant the request to Seong Su-ho or Cha Hae-in." It was a no-brainer. Suho and Cha Hae-in were friends of the ice elves who had even been recognized by the Lord of Frost. "So we''d like to make a suggestion to Suho at Scavenger...." "Wait." Yoo Jinho raised his hand and interrupted Laura. At that moment, thick stacks of papers in the hands of the secretaries rushed to his side. Laura was overwhelmed by the sight and swallowed involuntarily. ''... It''s not going to be an easy fight.'' Yu Jin-ho, the spoiled master who had been swollen and squeezing his eyes in front of his brother-inw, was no longer there. Yoo Jin-ho, who had just returned to Sangvis as a businessman, was looking down at Laura with a chilly momentum. Chapter 136 - 136

Chapter 136:

From now on, it was a real game. AJIN Soft''s legal team, led by Jin Ho Yoo, and Scavenger Guild''s legal team, led by Laura. They exchanged numerous documents using all their skills and argued fiercely for a long time. The scene was reminiscent of a war between hunters and demons, and it was a series of tense tensions without any concessions. Finally, the oue of the game was decided. "It''s Suho. We decided to split the profit exactly 5-5 in half." Yu Jin-ho appeared in front of Su-ho triumphantly, like a triumphal general who had returned from a victory in the war. "Instead of spending all of our money to purchase the exclusive rights to the cier Dungeon, the Scavenger Guild will take care of all future operations rted to the Echo Forest''s spring water, including supply and demand, distribution, and sales." In fact, this was the part that Suho had asked Yoo Jin Ho to do first. After all, he didn''t have the staff to take care of such a thing. Above all, while he was busy leveling up, he didn''t want to be distracted by such business matters. Suho nodded and asked. "That''s great. So what do I care about?" "You? You just have to sit back and get a deposit." It was Yoo Jinho, one eye squinting at Suho''s question. "Don''t worry, there''s nothing you need to worry about. In the course of our work, we have decided to assign our employees to monitor and supervise them so that they do not mess with the distribution volume or the settlement." In fact, this was a lot of concessions. In short, Suho had a monopoly on the spring water of the Echo Forest. The Scavenger Guild, on the other hand, was a thorough warrior who couldn''t get a drop of spring water without a guardian. Of course, in order for this to be possible, Suho would first have to purchase the exclusive rights to the dungeon from Fa?ade Ind, where the cier dungeon is located, and then take care of the dungeon thoroughly and take responsibility for the safety of the people of the fa?ade. However, the Scavenger Guild has decided to take over the management of the dungeon, so Suho has nothing to do. In addition, the money to purchase the exclusive rights to the cier dungeon was to be paid by Yu Jin-ho. In other words, AJIN Soft has given arge amount of investment to an individual named Seongsuho. And AJINSOFT had the rightful authority to monitor Scavenger''s every move in order to oversee how the money was spent. Listening to Yu Jinho''s exnation, Suho suddenly saw Laura sighing tiredly in the distance. ''... It''s awful.'' Laura was able to experience the notoriety of CEO Yoo Jin-ho, who is famous in the industry. The process was long and arduous, but in the end, it all came down to the 50% that Yoo wanted from the beginning. Along the way, Scavenger had no choice but to grant him everything he wanted. "You''ve literally been robbed. Is this the position of Eul?'' Even if the Scavenger Guild was thergest Hunter Guild in the United States, its name was stillmon among the same Hunters. In the first ce, Yoo Jin-ho''s AJIN Soft was not even a Hunter Guild, but apletely different business, so he was in a position where he was not afraid of repercussions or anything to worry aboutter. On the contrary, he was even the majority shareholder of the Scavenger Guild, so he had no choice but to unterally detach from the sword match between Gab and Eul from the beginning. ''But... It''s not a bad condition for us. No, it''s just too good.'' Laura''s wavering gazended on Yoo Jin-ho, who was smiling brightly beside Su-ho and Cha Hae-in. The reason why Scavenger had no choice but to ept all of these unteral conditions. It was because of the sweetest offer Yoo Jin-ho had ever offered. "I can''t believe that Scavenger is the distributor of the Echo Forest''s springwater. This will at least double Scavenger''s brand value among Hunters.'' The value of a guild''s brand was not something that could be easily increased simply because it had a lot of money or power. It was a question of how much the guild could have a positive impact on the hunter world. "In the end, he''s ying the way he wants, but I don''t feel too bad." Is this the CEO of Sangvis businessman Yoo Jin-ho? Reflecting on the meaning of the name again, Laura sighed softly. Then he approached Suho again and spoke to him. "Holy Guardian Hunter." Suho, who was talking to her mother, turned around, and Laura raised her sses and continued. "Now that the business is done, the personal business of Thomas Andr¨¦ remains." "Personal?" "Our Master would like to thank the Holy Guardian Hunter and the Holy Guardian Hunter''s mother for their help in many ways. If you want anything, let me know." "Oh, that''s fine. Thanks to me, I was able to find her." Suho politely declined. He entered the cier dungeon at the behest of Thomas Andre, but it also led to a dramatic reunion with his mother, who had been missing for years. Rather, it was the guardian himself who should be grateful. But Laura wasn''t going to back down either. Laura had been Thomas Andre''s assistant for decades. So I knew how long he had been gued by nightmares and anxiety. The reason I came to this difficult cier dungeon was because of Norma Selner''s advice that the way to ovee it was in the cier dungeon. -Conquer the Thomas cier Dungeon and you''ll be able to escape the nightmare. However, a hunter named Seongsuho in Korea... However, it seems that the prophecy has finallye true. The expression on the face of Thomas Andrew, who giggled as he tormented his men in the distance, brought a smile to Laura''s lips. "... Our master is a man with a strong desire to win, so if you think that you owe him, you can''t help but pay him back. It doesn''t matter what it is, can you tell me? It''s also an expression of my personal appreciation." At Laura''s repeated requests, Suho looked confused. I thought it wouldn''t be polite to refuse toe out like this from the other side. But there''s a problem. "I don''t need much." I found my mother. Thanks to the cier dungeon, he was now making a lot of money. When I asked him what he wanted out of nowhere, he couldn''t think of anything. ''Wait.'' Suddenly, something shed through Suho''s mind. "If so, can you give me some advanced Magic Gems?" "Advanced Magic Stone? Absolutely. How much do you need?" "The more, the better." "The more, the better...." At Suho''s request, Laura thought for a moment and nodded willingly. "I see. However, since the supply of high-grade magic gems is so small, it may take a little time to get them. Are you okay?" "Absolutely." Suho was well aware of this. It had only been two years since the Cataclysm urred, so it was only natural that the amount of high-level Magic Gems was low. In addition, such items were not easy to obtain for ordinary hunters like Guardian because there were so manypanies that wanted them from the Hunters'' equipment and the scientificmunity. But if it''s arge guild, Scavengers, you''ll be able to save it with a little effort. After receiving the answer from Suho, Laura returned to a satisfied face. Cha Haein asked, looking puzzled. "Magic Stone? Didn''t you ask for a weapon that you could use?" "A weapon worth it. You''ve seen Thomas Andre marvel at his mother''s sword this time." Suho''s judgment was correct. Still, it was unreasonable to expect items that could be used by the Scavenger Guild. Even if he were to start developing weapons as soon as he returned to the United States, it would take a considerable amount of time to create a usable weapon. "Then why the magic stone?" "I''m going to feed it to Ver." "Ver?" "Yes, Verdo has run out of power...." [Kieeee Boom! "...." Before he could finish his words, Berga was so moved that he clung to his face and burst into tears. "Hey! You think of me so much! After all, there is only our little lord! It''s worth it for me to carry him on his back and wash his poop diapers and raise him!] "base...." Contrary to Suho, who had a poop-chewed expression, Cha Hae-in, who was next to him, couldn''t help but smile. I''m not exaggerating, I really was. Anyway, Suho was going to feed all of the high-grade Magic Gems he had obtained from Scavenger to Ver to replenish his strength. In the meantime, Ver had been following the guardian and devouring the demons and gems in the mines, regenerating his mana power from time to time, but the amount of recovery was too poor. The reason for this was basically that Ver''s original strength was so high that no matter how much he ate, he poured water on the poison that had fallen to the bottom. However, if he feeds the high-level Magic Gem to Ver, theck of power will be made up for a little faster. * * * After talking to the Scavenger Guild, Suho and Cha Hae-in re-entered the cier Dungeon and stood side by side in front of the gate that led to the Tomb of the Deep Dragons of the Echo Forest Wheeoh. An ominous gate oozing gray ash. Cha Hae-in passed through it with Sirka and suddenly looked back at Suho. "I''ll be back then." "Your mother. Be careful... Take good care." Suho bowed his head, feeling somewhat depressed. The separation was regrettable, but as her mother said, she had to do her own thing. First of all, until my mother restores Caesel''s power within me and returns... "To stay here and level up." And by the time she returned, she would at least be stronger than her. ''... I knew for sure from this incident. How weak I am.'' After watching thepleted S-ss Hunter Cha Hae-in''s battle, Suho had a clear goal. In order to be useful to my father, I must first be stronger than my mother. In addition, this incident made me realize one more important thing. ''Ver always said.'' His father had always fought alone. In a ce where no one remembers. I''ve always fought such a lonely battle alone. But not anymore. ''Now I am.'' He was no longer alone. ''And there we are.'' This time, Suho realized it properly. That he is not alone in wanting to help his father, who is fighting alone. Mother. Uncle Yoo Jin-ho. Thomas Andre. And now I''m going to meet the president of the association, Woo Jin-chul. Of course, none of this could have been enough to help my father in his struggle against the enemies of outer space from on high. They weren''t hunters who leveled up like themselves. But not so much as that. ''It''s the same. As much as I, my son.'' All of them were trying to be a strength to their father, Sung Jin Woo, in their respective positions, in their own way. "... I mean." Suho''s gaze lit up at the endless sky. ''Wait a minute. Father.'' I''ll be right away. Thoroughly prepare things that can help him. Suho watched for a long time until his mother disappearedpletely from the gate. And. "Ver." [Yes.] He turned around with Ver and spoke calmly. "Let''s go back. to Korea." Chapter 137 - 137

Chapter 137:

-At one time, the entire ind of Fa?ade Republic almost became a giant gate. The speech of the President of the Republic of Fasad was spread to the people of Fasad, who fled to various parts of the world on the news. -But the people of the fa?ade! You can rest assured now. The Ice Age is over! As the speech said, starting from the moment the Apostle of Itarim disappeared, countless gates with holes like rags were quickly closing on the facade. Because of that, the bitter cold that flowed through those holes disappearedpletely. The area of the field type dungeon, which had been eroded by magical power, also rapidly decreased. ¨C The ice age is over! Like the president''s speech, the fa?ade is now secure. Of course, not all gates were closed. Only one. Even after the dimension stabilized, there was still only one gate leading to the cier Dungeon. In order to close the gate, they had to subdue the demons in the cier Dungeon. However, since Suho had bought the exclusive right to the dungeon this time, no one would be able to enter the cier Dungeon without his permission. In short, it meant that the cier Dungeon would continue as an independent district for the Ice Elves. However, in such a state, the people of the fa?ade were still insecure. Because you have to live with a time bomb that doesn''t know when the dungeon break will explode again. So what was needed was the existence of the scavenger guild. Thergest guild in the US, the Scavenger Guild, has announced that it will continue to mine the cier dungeon while protecting it. Now, all the people of Fa?ade who had been evacuated abroad should be able to return safely. ¨C On behalf of the entire nation, I would like to thank the Scavenger Guild for saving the Fa?ade Republic. [Kieek! They are like ignorant fools!] On the way to the airport, Ver gnashed his teeth as if he didn''t like President Fasad''s speech. [Really, there is nothing to be ashamed of!] [That''s right, Master. They didn''t even know who really saved them, and they only thanked the mothers!] "It''s because that was the contract in the first ce. And besides, it''s to our advantage." Despite knowing the details of the contract, Suho only smiled at the sight of Ver and Quay getting along well. The scavenger guild immediately officially announced that they had conquered the cier Dungeon, and starting with this, they would be able to enjoy such sweet intangible benefits in the future. As Laura nned, the scavenger guild seeded in raising the scavenger''s brand value in return for taking on all sorts of chores for the cier dungeon. On the other hand, the existence of Cha Hae-in, who made a decisive contribution to solving the cier dungeon, and Suho, who owned the exclusive right to the actual cier dungeon, werepletely hidden on the surface. This was entirely at the request of both of them. It was because they were two people who didn''t like to be in the spotlight, and they needed to divert their attention right now. "Don''tin too much. If another Itarim apostle is secretly moving somewhere, it''s to direct their eyes to the scavenger guild." Thomas Andre, who came out to see Suho off at the airport, smiled and soothed Ver and Quay. Then he pointed at Suho next to him with his thumb and said. "Leave it to me. I''ll definitely be your shield until this kid gets as strong as his father. This time, I was embarrassingly inconvenient, but after all, I was the strongest tanker in the human race." In fact, Thomas Andre was a tanker who even took the breath of the red dragon Kamish, who was said to be the strongest magician, with his bare body, so it was not enough to be called mankind''s strongest tanker. [What is mankind''s strongest?] [Don''t go somewhere else and be bewitched.] "Huh, these guys? Do you keep doing this embarrassingly? Don''t shadow soldiers these days even know how to respect the elderly?" Thomas Andre only giggled at the words of Ber and Quay, who responded right away without losing. and. "Suho." I saw Thomas Andre''s big, rough hand shaking Suho''s hand. "Thank you." Sensing the emotion implied in that short word, Suho lifted his head and looked up at his face. A relieved expression appeared on the face of a muscr old man whose gray hair was turned into an all-white. It was the look in the eyes of a man who solved a long-standing homework and decided on a direction to walk forward. Suho smiled and grabbed the huge hand. "yes. me too." That hand was as hard as stone, which surprised Suho a little. The texture of these calloused hands was a badge of honor that gave us an idea of how grueling this man had been through training. At the same time, this callus was also a weapon developed to the extreme so as not to catch the opponent or miss the weapon in battle. But that wasn''t the reason why Suho was surprised. ''My father''s hand... was like this.'' No, it would have been worse if it had been worse, not less. Compared to him, it was Suho who briefly looked down at his hands that were still swollen. To him, Laura raised her sses and said. "Sung Soo-ho Hunter, please create a guild as soon as possible as soon as you return to Korea." "Ah yes." "Please, please. As you know, our contract is between guilds. Our contract will take effect in earnest only when the Sung Guardian Hunters establish a guild." Dungeon exclusive rights were, in principle, impossible for individuals to purchase. Now, the scavenger took care of it temporarily, but if Suho didn''t officially create a guild, it would be difficult. "I heard that in order to establish a guild in Korea, you must have at least 20 dungeon raids. If there is anything we can help with in this area..." " Oh, you don''t have to worry about that part. I have found another good way." "...?" At Suho''s words, Laura put on a puzzled expression for a moment, then recalled a piece of information in her head. Although it is a method that is not used very well, there was a way to supplement it with experience other than dungeon raids in Korea''s guild establishment conditions. "Are you going to fulfill the career requirements instead of hunting viins?" "Yes, that''s right." At Suho''s answer, Laura made an even more puzzled expression. "Wouldn''t that take longer? It''s not like viins with high bounty that are recognized for their careers just roam the streets..." "Oh, there are. these days." "...?" * * * I came back to Korea. From the moment Suho got off Yoo Jin-ho''s private ne, he could feel the changed atmosphere of Korea. -The next news is about Jisan Prison. A newscaster reporting urgent news with a serious expression was being broadcast throughout the airport. -Jisan Prison is a vin specialized camp established by the Hunter Association two years ago . It''s not like that, but the country is very upset these days because of that." Yoo Jin-ho, who was walking beside Suho, clicked his tongue as he watched the news. Korea was originally famous worldwide as a country with good security. It was all thanks to the viin countermeasures that Woo Jin-cheol, the president of the association, intensively operated as soon as he created the association, and the representative example was ''Jisan Prison''. "Suho, you weren''t very interested in these things, so I don''t know, but Jisan Prison wasn''t originally a prison specializing in viins." As the representative of a conglomerate, Yoo Jin-ho was in a position where he had no choice but to be sensitive to what was going on in the world. So I was very familiar with the early days of Jisan Correctional Institution, which was created by Woo Jin-cheol, the president of the association. "Our country''s prisons are ssified from S1 to S5 ording to the security level. Among them, Jisan Correctional Institution was a prison for S5 prisoners with the highest sentence." "You mean it wasn''t a prison that only confined viins." "okay. But, strangely, the prisoners who were put there by the president of the association, Woo Jin-cheol, began to awaken one by one in it, right?" At first, everyone dismissed it as a coincidence. Because there is now against awakening as prisoners. However, the awakening of the prisoners continued to be repeated after that, and most of the inmates at Jisan Correctional Institution had turned into awakened people. "At that time, I talked a lot. What is the site of that prison like? It is said that there is actually a secret hidden in it that can make ordinary people into Awakeners...." Criminals who wanted to be Awakeners at the time went out on their own to im that they wanted to be imprisoned in Jisan Prison. Even the guys came out. However, in the early days of the cataclysm, most of the criminals arrested by the head of the association, Woo Jin-cheol, awakened, and those imprisoned did not wake up no matter how long they waited. They decided to be imprisoned in Jisan Prison for no reason, and ended up living in prison trembling among the tough viins. As theughable story spread, rumors circted that the foundation of the Jisan Correctional Center was not good, and that Woo Jin-cheol, the president of the association, had the skill to recognize a person who would be an awakened person ... I''ll give it a go." Yoo Jin-houghed and muttered. It was not difficult to confirm that those who had awakened as hunters in the vanished time zone would awaken as hunters in the present time zone, even with a little cross-validation. Even those who were S-ss hunters were equally awakened as S-ss hunters and E-ss hunters, so it was not difficult to be sure. So, Woo Jin-cheol, the head of the association, ssified those who would awaken as hunters among the criminals and drove them all to Jisan Prison. Even if they wake up in the future, gather them in one ce so that they can be managed. "The problem is that I couldn''t figure out all of the criminals'' abilities in detail." The result was that. -Awakened prisoners who rioted and escaped from Jisan Prison two days ago are still missing. -The association formally defines them as viins and requests urgent cooperation from all hunters across the country . "Maybe the information that the president of the association went out to support North Korea was leaked. Not only the president of the association, but also the association''s S-ss hunters were put in there together, so they must have considered this an opportunity." Of course, since it is a ce to house dangerous viins, information was thoroughly controlled, but since it is unknown what abilities the viins might have awakened, there may have been some method. And through that method, what if the information that Jin-chul Woo and the S-ss hunter of the association were absent came to them? It was highly likely that the viins decided that now was the right time to break out. "We are also judging that way, Hunter Seongsuho." Suddenly, a familiar voice came from behind. When Suho and Jinho Yu turned their heads, team leader Han Jae-hyeok of the association was there to meet Suho. "I am so d you came back safely." Team leader Han Jae-hyeok let out a sigh of relief as soon as he saw Suho. These days,rge overseas guilds are increasingly taking out useful talent in Korea. However, seeing Suho kidnapped(?) by Thomas Andre right in front of his eyes, I wondered if he was going to join the American scavenger guild. As team leader Han Jae-hyeok, it was quite heartbreaking. He even witnessed Suho fighting Thomas Andre on equal footing, so it was regrettable that such a Hunter was taken away by the United States. ''The scavenger guild must have offered huge conditions, but to refuse it ande back.'' Team leader Han Jae-hyeok expressed his gratitude to Suho for his patriotism. "Fortunately, you came on time." "Of course you shoulde. In this situation, Hunter Sung Soo-ho is helping as a bounty hunter." Han Jae-hyeok, the team leader, had an expression of regret. Just in time, the news about Jisan Prison was continuing on the news. ¨C Meanwhile, the person who led this great escape turned out to be C-level viin ''Hwang Dong-seok'', and he is now... "So, so." Turning his back on the news, Suho''s gaze at team leader Han Jae-hyeok had already changed to that of a hunter aiming for prey. "How many people do I have to catch before I can be a guild leader?" Chapter 138 - 138

Chapter 138:

Due to the mass exodus from Jisan Prison, public opinion of the Hunter Association has been very bad in recent years. -Is it a problem that you put all those dangerous viins in one ce in the first ce? - It was a ticking time bomb that could have exploded at any moment. -So you should have killed all the viins instead of locking them up in the first ce? - Where are all the human rights bastards of the viin? - No, I mean, how much neglect did you manage so many of them to escape at once? The most secure facility? -Aren''t the guards bribed by the viins? -Were the guards also viins? How can this just happen when the president of the association, Woo Jin-chul, is absent? -Let''s kill all the Hunters of the Association except for the President of the Society! - Isn''t it right for the president of the association to take responsibility and take off his clothes before that? - So who is the president of the association? - Thest person should be the president of the association. It''s an S-ss Hunter. -To be honest, Woo Jin-chul was a ss A, so he wasn''t qualified to be the president of the association. -Still, I have to admit that the person who made our country run like this is Woo Jin-chul. -The reason why we are in this situation now is because of the Jisan Prison that Woo Jin-Chul built, right? - But is this really something that can be resolved? - I''m afraid of viins, so I can''t even go out. - Isn''t it practically the same as a dungeon break? Dungeon Break. In a way, it was urate. The number of viins who escaped from Jisan Prison is as high as 500. Of course, most of them were low-to-mid-level viins, but for the non-awakened citizens, encountering even one low-level viin was actually life-threatening. The Awakened who became a criminal was a demon beast. However, there was another reason why the situation was so serious. So many viins had escaped from prison, but there weren''t many hunters willing to catch them. The reason was the same as in the case of Min-sung Lee. I can''t afford it. For the Hunters, it was much more profitable to go into the dungeon one more time to find the viins who might be hiding somewhere. In that sense, the Korean Hunter Association has beenpletely out of fire these days. "I don''t care about inte opinion. The important thing now is to hunt down the escaped viins as soon as possible to ensure the safety of the citizens." Team leader Han Jae-hyuk briefed Suho on the current situation with a serious expression. "We sent arge letter of cooperation to Hunters across the country, but in the end, the only guild that actively cooperated this time is the White Tiger Guild." However, the scale of the incident was different from that of Min-sung Lee. At that time, I only had to catch one Min-sung Lee, but this time it was as many as 500. There were not enough manpower to capture such arge number. "That''s why we''re giving you the status of ''Association Certified Bounty Hunter'' for a limited time." "What''s the difference if you''re an association official?" "Yes, Bounty Hunters who are redited by the Society may enter the territory of another Guild without obtaining a separate permit." "...!" At that, Suho''s eyes widened. "Does that mean you''re free to enter dungeons that other guilds have exclusive rights to?" "Yes, that''s right. Just don''t hunt down demons in the process." "What if you''re chasing a viin and run into the monsters in the dungeon?" "Oh, I''m sorry. I''m being vague. To be precise, it is illegal for you to bring out the corpse of a demon beast or a magic stone." "The only thing you''re allowed to do is enter." "That''s right. To prevent this, please understand that your belongings will be inspected when you exit the gate." "Well, I can''t help it." It was Suho who nodded obediently at Team Leader Han Jae-hyuk''s exnation. But inwardly, he was smiling with repentance. ''... Is this a big hit?'' I tried to catch some viins, but unexpectedly gained a lot of power. "If you want to, you can use the viin excuse to go into any dungeon and hunt down the demons, right?" You want to check your belongings at the gate? So what are you supposed to do? Will they be able to inspect their own "inventory"? What about the Shadow Dungeon? If he made up his mind and hid the by-products of the beast, no one would notice. Of course, it would be difficult to conceal the traces of the hunt, and if he did so, he would end up arousing suspicion. But the by-products of the Demon Beast were secondary. What was more important to Suho was the hunt itself. "You can level up anywhere!" On the contrary, if he only hunted and left the corpses of the demon beasts behind, it would not be a bad situation for the guild at all. They don''t gain experience by killing demons like they did, so if they could just get by-products effortlessly, it couldn''t be better. "It''s a shame that this permit is only on hold for a limited time." I wish I could do it for the rest of my life. * * * Suho began the viin hunt in earnest. It started out just like any other bounty hunter. "Let''s gather information first." In order to find the viin who hid from the hunters'' pursuit, it was important to analyze the information. Of course, I had already received the basic information from the association through Team Leader Han Jae-hyuk. However, the information was only personal information about the escaped viins and which of them were caught so far. Team leader Han Jae-hyuk said that he would share the information that came to the association directly in the future, but Suho decided to take the initiative to investigate the information more actively. The first way to do this is through the White Tiger Guild. The White Tiger Guild, which was actively cooperating with the viin hunt, must know a lot. And it just so happened that Suho had the contact information of a fairly high-ranking person in the White Tiger Guild. ''Vice President Baek Mi-ho.'' Suho immediately called Baek Miho. Exactly one hourter. "Oh my gosh. I''m meeting a great person today." Standing in front of Suho was Baek Miho, who had crossed his arms with a very sad expression. She had every reason to do so. "In the meantime, you''ve chewed up all my calls, and then you call me all the time? Do you want information?" But Suho was brazen. "Oh, did you? I''ve been out of the country for a while." "Foreign? Oh, somehow the phone was turned off... No, you don''t roam abroad, what are you doing? In this day and age, is there anyone who goes abroad without a cell phone?" It was Baekmiho who grumbled at Suho''s words. But the excuse worked, and his voice was much softer than it was at first. "Anyway, I''m busy right now, so I''ll get down to business. Need information about the viins of Jisan Prison?" "Yes, I''m a certified bounty hunter." "Well... Good job. The more hands the better." As the conversation continued, Baek Miho''s eyes, which had been pouty the whole time, gradually rxed. After all, the reason why Baek Mi-ho has been so busytely is because of Jisan Prison. Perhaps if it hadn''t been for Suho, she wouldn''t havee to see her in person. In the first ce, the vice president of the White Tiger Guild wasn''t something that just anyone could meet. However, Baek Mi-ho had already worked hand in hand with Su-ho once, so she knew hisbat power better than anyone else. That''s why, from that day on, he crumpled his pride to recruit Suho, and kept in touch. ''Of course it''s all chewed.'' "Oh, I was overseas." "... Oh my gosh. I''ve got a quick eye." Baek Mi-ho, who was about to feel bad again, ended upughing at Suho''s sudden interruption. "Anyway, what information do you need?" "Everything. I just arrived in Korea today, so I don''t have much information." "Looks like you''ve been to a real foreign country." Finally, her tight arms were untied. In fact, Suho felt a strange feeling when he saw Baek Miho''s reaction. ''I don''t think it would have been like this if I had blocked the information that I had followed Thomas Andrew.'' ording to team leader Han Jae-hyuk, the association hadpletely blocked information about him at the time. The reason for this was that if it became known that Korean Hunters were being recruited into overseas guilds, there would be a long-term trend of Hunters to go abroad more and more. In fact, Suho wasn''t recruited by Scavenger, but it was something the association had to take care of for the safety of their country. "Anyway, where do you want to start? Area? Figure? If that''s the case, why don''t you just move with our guild this time?" "That''s the same as scattering up and looking for it anyway. And I know the region. In the first ce, Jisan Prison is located in Pocheon, so they must have scattered around there." "Then I guess you can focus on the characters." Baek Miho said as he unfolded the documents he had brought with him to Suho. "First of all, you know who started this crisis, right? C-ss viin brassstone." "Yes, it''s on the news. But one thing I wonder is, how did a C-ss viin be the ringleader?" Suho decided to solve the questions that arose after parting ways with Han Jae-hyuk. There were also A-ss and B-ss viins in Jisan Prison. But how could the instigator of this situation be just a C-ss viin? "Oh, to exin that, I have to tell you how the viins in Jisan Prison were controlled." Jisan Prison. As a viin prison with the highest security rating in South Korea, there was one thing about it. All prisoners have a pair of electronic anklets attached to each ankle. "Those that sex offenders kick?" "It''s a two-step development from there. There''s a tiny bomb built into it." In response to Suho''s question, Baek Miho shrugged and continued. "The tiny bomb is designed to explode when the anklet is impacted or the wearer uses mana." The dangerous invention, the so-called "magic restraints," was developed under the leadership of the association''s president, Woo Jin-chul. "But the president of the association actually insisted that the bomb should be put on the neck instead of the ankle in the first ce." The argument was that if you use magic, you should be able to control the viins if you blow your throat off. "Unfortunately, the proposal was ultimately voted down and it was just a matter of time. The reason, of course...." "The viin is also a human being, and there is room for rehabilitation, but are you depriving him of human rights too much?" "That''s right. At that time, several civic groups staged a protest in front of the courthouse. That argument was epted." Of course, having to live with a bomb around his neck was a very horrible punishment for human beings. If there is a machine error, the neck will be blown off. "So the bomb that was going to be around my neck at first came down to my ankle. After all, it was just to prevent the viins from using their magic." "What if you regenerate your ankle after the bomb goes off?" Suho''s question was answered by Baek Miho with a nod. "That''s a sharp point. After all, some of the viins are healers. So the president of the Society gathered the healers from among the viins and dropped them into another prison." For Woo, he had chosen the best course of action. "Anyway, when we blocked the viins'' magical powers, a hierarchy was created among the viins that had nothing to do with their magic. It''s like a normal prison." "s. That''s why a C-ss viin could be the ringleader." Only now did Suho''s mind begin to picture what the situation was like in Jisan Prison. Suho''s gaze scanned the papers for the brass stone that Baek Miho had handed him. "Name Hwang Dong-seok. AKA Hairy Inspiration." "But it was only the guards who really called him by that nickname. There was no big man who could call the Brass Stone, who reigned as the king of Jisan Prison, such a ridiculous nickname." "Looks like you fought well." "No, sir. It wasn''t so much about the fight as it was about his brother." "Brother?" With that, Suho''s gaze naturally checked the "brotherhood" that was checked under the document. His eyes widened. "S-ss viin?!" "Yes, S-ss viin Hwang Dong-soo. He''s Hwang Dong-seok''s brother." [Kiek?] At the familiar name, Berga suddenly raised his head in the shadows. Chapter 139 - 139

Chapter 139:

"Suho-san, apart from moving separately from our guild, why don''t we continue to share information with each other?" After handing over all the information to Suho, Baek Miho made this proposal onest time before returning to the guild. "You''re not going to catch all the escaped viins anyway, are you? Sound... If you want to meet the requirements for a guild, you should only need to have about 50 people." The reason for the "roughly" 50 is that the experience of hunting viins is not based on the number of viins captured, but on their bounty. Based on low-level viins, it was enough to catch 50 viins, and if you could catch a viin with a high bounty, you could meet the guild''s founding requirements with a smaller number. Baek Mi-ho had already heard of Su-ho''s purpose to catch the viins, so she decided to give up her desire to recruit him and focus on solving this case. "And it''s not like we''re all about money. For the safety of the citizens, the key is to catch the viins as quickly as possible. We don''t care if you take all the bounties, so let''s help each other." It was an offer that Suho had nothing to lose, so he nodded. "Yes." Suho sped Baekmiho''s outstretched hand. *** After breaking up with Baek Mi-ho, Su-ho went straight to Pocheon, where Jisan Prison is located. [Master, do you n to start the hunt for the viins from the prison?] On the way, Quay sneaked up and asked about Suho''s n. "Quay, what do you think you''d be doing if you were one of them?" Quay was a former viin, so he understood the viins'' point of view. [In my case... I was going to leave the country right away.] In the first ce, there weren''t many options for the viins who were being chased by the Society. [No matter how strong the viin is, there is no answer if the stronger Hunterse all at once, so you must hide from the shadows.] It is for this reason that the viins of Jisan Prison, which now numbered as many as 500, have been quietly hiding after their escape, without causing much trouble. Of course, for ordinary citizens, the fact was even more appalling. Criminals with superhuman strength could have quietly mingled with them. If they were openly on a rampage, they would have been able to avoid it, but if they were hiding like they are now, it would be impossible to avoid them when they suddenly revealed their true nature. Such a potential threat made citizens feel uneasy. [In one case, a seemingly ordinary woman sneaked into another person''s house and murdered a family in order to hide in the house.] The alleged viin was on the run andmitted another crime. The awakening of this ability was often outwardly invisible, so it was virtually impossible to distinguish it from others from the outside. However, the viins possessed powers that could not bepared to ordinary criminals before the Cataclysm, and their threat was iparable. "But that''s what it was all about." In today''s Korea, it was almost impossible to hide from the Hunters'' Association''s pursuit. Their pursuit was relentless and relentless. [If you want to avoid the Hunters'' Association, you must leave this country, and there are only two routes to do so.] The viins'' passports are immediately suspended. As a result, due to the topography of Korea, there were only two ways for the viins to leave the country. "If you''re like me and want to swim bareback in the ocean, or if you can''t, you''re going to have to go up." "North Korea." [Yes, Jisan Prison happened to be located in Pocheon, so it would be much easier to go to North Korea than to the sea.] "But now there is a Hunter in North Korea, who is thest one." The president of the association and the association''s S-ss hunter Choi Jong-in are holding out in North Korea, but there was no way they would go up to North Korea on their own without the viins going crazy. At Suho''s words, Quay nodded loudly in agreement. [I see, that means that those half-hearted people who don''t have the confidence to swim bareback in the ocean will still be isted in Pocheon.] "That''s right. And it just so happens that the ringleader of this breakout, Brass Stone, is also a halfway C-ss." This was the first reason why Suho was going from Jisan Prison now. And the second reason is.... After all, our minor lord is brilliant!] Vere, who had been listening quietly until now, raised his head and his eyes lit up. [And in order to get that Hwang Dongsuk, Greed will have toe to Pocheon as well!] Suho had already heard about the true identity of the brass beast from Ver. Hwang Dongsuk It is said that in his previous life, he was a shadow soldier of Sung Jin Woo named ''Greed''. However, as time on Earth went back in time, he went back to the time before he became a shadow soldier and then returned to living as a human named BHwang Dongsuk. I''ve forgotten all the memories of my past life. But that didn''t matter to Ver. Ver was very excited when he found out that Hwang Dong-so was involved in this case. [That''s great! take this opportunity to kill the brass beast again and bring him back to the grid! "That''s easier said than done. An S-ss viin." [S-ss or whatever, if you rip the skull off the throat of the humans, they will all die.] "My mother is also S-ss, isn''t she?" [Kikik...!] At Suho''s words, Ver was taken aback and did not know what to do, so he hurriedly fell to the ground and bowed. [This unfaithful servant is guilty of death...!] "Anyway." Suho turned his head away from Ver and looked ahead. "Arrived." Jisan Prison. The smell of blood wafting from the door, Suho frowned. The smell of blood was enough to give a sense of the horrors that had unfolded here two days earlier. And it just so happened that there was a being beside him that smelled better. "Gray." Queaaaa With that, a gray puppy emerged from the shadow of Suho. [Gray Lv.35] Fang Wolf "Let''s start the chase." *** Two days ago. The atmosphere in Jisan Prison was the same as usual. Rumble. When it was time for exercise, the prisoners rushed out to the yground to enjoy the outdoors. There were people who enjoyed a simple exercise in the middle of the yground. There were groups of threes and threes in the corners, giggling and chatting. Even though this is a viin prison with the highest security rating in Korea, daily life was not much different from that of a regr prison. Then it was. "Ugh. Good weather!" Just then, someone stretched out and walked out onto the yground, and suddenly all the prisoners in the yground felt tense. Hwang Dongsuk He was a C-ss viin who reigned like a king among the inmates as the real situation of Jisan Prison. "Uh-oh yes. Don''t worry about me, take care of your errands." Hwang Dong-suk sat down on the bench, grinning with satisfaction at the sight of the prisoners bowing their heads respectfully when his eyes met. Then, as if he had been waiting, his men, known as the "Hairy Gang," gathered around him. Conscious of this, the prisoners turned their heads to avoid eye contact. "Don''t scare the kids for nothing." "Ugh. What else do you think I did? It''s a shame. Hmph." Despite the guard''s warnings, Hwang Dongsuk brushed his bushy beard and shivered sadly. But while his mouth and tone were smiling, his eyes were as cold as his eyes as he scanned the guard. The snake-like gaze sent a chill down the guard''s spine, but he tried to remain as expressionless as possible. In fact, there was no reason for the guards to be afraid of brass stones. He''s a petty criminal at best. He was just a C-ss viin. The only problem was Hwang Dong-seok''s younger brother, Hwang Dong-so. "Oh yes." Suddenly, Brass asked the guard in a passing tone. "Has my brother been caught?" "...." "Oh my gosh. Judging by the look on your face, it looks like you still haven''t caught it. If you catch them quickly, the citizens will be safe." "...." The guard, who knew exactly what he meant, silently gritted his teeth. - My brother is still outside? Aren''t you scared of the night? Hwang Dong-seok''s younger brother, Hwang Dong-so, was an S-ss viin. As I said, I still haven''t been caught. And he was a dangerous person who I couldn''t even imagine if he would ever be able to catch him in the future. And Hwang Dong-seok took advantage of that fact very well, and enjoyed a good escort in this prison. His younger brother, who was an S-ss viin, was wandering around outside the prison, so no inmate dared to disobey Brass Dongseok''s words. In the first ce, not all of the prisoners here were sentenced to life imprisonment, and one day they would be released after serving their sentences. Or because they were afraid of repercussions that Hwang Dong-su would appear in front of the families of the prisoners living outside. And that feeling was no different for a prison guard. "Gasoles. The weather is so nice." With a single word, Huang Dong-seok silenced the cheeky guard, and he chuckled and stared at the sunny sunlight. Well-manicuredwn. Colorful flower garden. Bees and butterflies flying freely above it created a peaceful atmosphere. However. No matter how much this ce became real and easier to live in, it was a bloody prison where freedom was suppressed. He wanted to be as free as those bees and butterflies. ''Hmph. Really... It''s the perfect weather to break out of jail.'' His smirk drifted naturally down to the electronic anklet that was strapped to his ankle. Until now, the mere sight of this magic restraint would make me feel good and then plummet. But not today. "Boss." As soon as the guard withdrew from his side, one of his subordinates stepped up to him and whispered: "Everything is ready." "Hmph. yes, well done." Suddenly, a meaningful smile appeared on the corner of Huang Dongseok''s lips. How much effort you''ve put in to escape from this damn ce. But that was the end of it. Prison Tight Guard? Association Hunters? It didn''t matter. If the number of viins gathered here rioted at once, he was confident that he would be able to break through. That is, of course, if only this damn magical restraint was resolved. "Tonight." Brass''s eyes lit up. "We''re going out of here." Eventually, they figured it out. Even if you have a magic restraint, you can still use your magic power. And the brass gang avoided the eyes of the guards and distributed blue pills to all the viins in the prison. "Stardust." How many cumbersome and cumbersome methods have been used to smuggle this magic booster into the prison. Finally, all of that hard work paid off. 10 o''clock at night. All the viins in Jisan Prison all at once, following the orders of the brass stone, took stardust and amplified their magical power. To their surprise, the magical restraints on their ankles didn''t react at all to the mana amplified by the stardust. "Gasoles. He''s right. How did he figure this out?" The feeling of fullness of magical power boiling in your body for the first time in a long time. Even though he had been tested by his subordinates several times beforehand, it was the first time he had taken stardust himself, and a satisfied smile appeared on his lips. "Let''s get started, shall we?" Then, with the most cruel look in his eyes, he gave orders to his men. "Kill all the guards." Why? Riots broke out. Sirens and screams echo through Jisan Prison. At the sudden noise, the bees and butterflies perched on the flowers flew out in unison. Why-a-a- Chapter 140 - 140

Chapter 140:

[Little Lord.] The moment Suho stepped into Jisan Prison, Berg sent a warning. "okay." Suho also nodded and looked ahead. People were being felt all over the prison. Is it because they say that criminals always reappear at the crime scene? But no. "This is anotherpetitor." "Are you a summoner?" The bounty hunters who arrived at the prison first frowned upon seeing Suho. To be precise, it was because of the little wolf sniffing in front of Suho and looking around. "Is it a summoned beast that specializes in tracking?" "Tsk. One annoyingpetitor has increased." Suho was able to feel once again the fact that the bounty hunter industry is a thoroughlypetitive society by looking at the eyes that were wary of him. However, among them, there were people who did not simply think of Suho as apetitor, but approached him first with goodwill. "Hey, do you have a separate team?" "Looks like it''s not a summoned beast for battle. How about going around with us?" "Team with us...." In the dungeon raid, which has no meaning other thanbat-rted abilities, the situation waspletely different when summoners were unpopr jobs or when hunting viins like this. In particr, summoners with a developed sense of smell or abilities specialized in tracking were well received by summoners. [The little lord''s poprity is sky-high.] Ver nodded his head very satisfied with the expression of a well-raised child. But apart from that, Suho had no intention of forming a team with them. When Suho rejected their love call with a single knife, they withdrew each time. "hmm. It would be dangerous for a summoner alone to encounter a viin." "Is it because you are still young? Why do you struggle when you are young?" "Looks like a newbie, so why don''t you ask for helpter?" Despite the generous advice from countless old people (?), Suho didn''t care. However, there were people who put their business cards in Suho''s hand, as if they had no regrets even after withdrawing. "If you change your mindter, call me. We''ll be seeing each other often in the future anyway." ''...Baek Mi-ho is right.'' Suho remembered what Baek Mi-ho had said about theck of manpower. "Certainly the number of bounty hunters is too small for the scale of work." [Not everyone here will be. It happened two days ago, so there must be more people who have already stopped by here to check on things and left for other ces.] Suho also nodded at Ver''s words. Just as Suho came to investigate this ce first, most bounty hunters probably started their investigation here. It was because, by examining the traces of battles left here, one could figure out what level the viins were. some kind of estimate. "Hmm. I''ve seen that there are a lot of guys who are stronger than I thought." "Should I just back off this time? I''d rather go around the dungeon." "Let''s do it." There were also hunters who judged that this viin hunt would not be easy and turned away without hesitation. It was very different from the Baekho Guild, which jumped into this for the safety of citizens. [In fact, the White Tiger Guild is unusual. That is the general appearance of hunters. There are usually no people who would risk their lives for something that doesn''t even cost money.] Quay whispered to Suho as he watched the hunters leave the prison one by one. [The reason why the White Tiger Guild is taking the same steps as it is now is probably because the White Tiger Guild leader was a firefighter before awakening.] "He was a firefighter?" It was said that S-ss hunter Baek Yun-ho''s previous job was to risk his life to save citizens. When Suho showed interest in a fact he didn''t know, Quay''s eyes lit up. It was an opportunity to look good for Suho. [yes. However, it will all be at some point in the end to be able to act like now.] Quay, a former vice president of arge guild, evaluated the White Tiger Guild in a calm tone. [The Baekho guild leader will eventually change his policy toward not doing things that don''t make a profit. After all, money is needed to maintain a guild, especially arge guild. ] [Hmmmm.] As soon as he was hit, Quay quietly disappeared into the shadows. Seeing that, Suho smiled and thought. ''that''s interesting. The Baekho guild leader was a firefighter. My grandfather was a firefighter too.'' It was a really funny coincidence. A nonsensical thought came to my mind, ''Maybe they know each other, right?'' And I was sure of one thing. "I am sure. No matter where I look, there is no sign that the electronic anklet has been removed." [yes. There is no sign of the bomb exploding.] Berdo was also positive. In the aftermath of the battle, inside the prison, which was stained with blood, there were scars from all kinds of skills. However, no matter where I looked, there was no trace of the torn off anklet or the explosion of the anklet, and in the end... "It means that the anklet was neutralized using a special method..." that you used Looking around the site now, that was the only conclusion that could be drawn. I don''t know what method he used, but it was that it was no longer possible to control the viins with the electronic anklet. However, Suho didn''t have to worry about this. This was something the association had to do on its own, and Suho decided to focus on the investigation. "Grey, remember all the smells here." "I''m sorry." It was Gray who sniffed harder at Suho''s words. It was difficult to remember the faces of 500 viins one by one. Besides, there''s no way the viins would go around covering their faces with confidence. However, it was clear that if Gray remembered all the smells in Jisan Prison, it would make it much easier to track him down in the future. This was the reason why other bounty hunters coveted Suho from earlier. However, it was at the point where Suho had just looked around the entire area of Jisan Prison. Swoop. "Hey, is the investigation over?" A bounty hunter approached Suho smiling. "When it''s over, how about we go out together?" "..." Suho stopped walking and stared at his face without a word. At the same time, Gray red at him, baring his teeth ferociously. "Rurrung!" "Hehe. he''s a cute dog It''s quite hard to live for a tracking pet." [Your little lord is suspicious.] Suho also nodded at Ver''s warning. [Your body smells like blood, and it smells like human blood. He has killed a lot of people.] "Oh, do you recognize that? You summon strange summons. Would it be worth using?" Even at Ber''s words, the man was not taken aback, and only shrugged his shoulders with a rxed expression. Then, he took out his wallet from his pocket and opened it to Suho. [Association Authorized Bounty Hunter] Name: Kang Tae-shik Rating: B Then, when he saw the association license revealed, a strange thing came to Suho''s eyes. "Even if you look at it like this, I''m one of the few professional viin hunters? It''s different from other gossips, so if you''re with me, it''s sure to be quite helpful." Kang Tae-shik formally introduced himself. However, the introduction was unusual. "Did I tell you that I smell human blood? Of course you will. I''ve killed more people than the Witchbeasts." "..." "Hey, but if you look at me that way, no matter how much I am hurt? Could it be that I killed ordinary people with an association-certified license? Of course, I only killed the viins." Curiously, Kang Tae-sik was a real bounty hunter who specialized in hunting for viins without attacking dungeons. However, when Suho''s face still showed wariness, Kang Tae-shik shrugged his shoulders and showed his favor first. "Then how about this? I''ll give you the information I found out first. Why don''t you listen to it and decide if you want to go with me?" "Information?" "okay. Of all the bounty hunters gathered here, I probably have the most information." "Let''s listen first." I would tell you first, but there was no reason to decline. As Suho calmly nodded, Taeshik Kang smiled knowingly. Then, after checking his surroundings to see if he did not want his information to be leaked to otherpetitors, he quietly opened his mouth. "You know that Hwang Dong-seok, the mastermind behind this incident, is Hwang Dong-soo, right?" Suho nodded. Hwang Dong-soo, an S-ss viin. It was a person who used to be a shadow soldier Grid. "In fact, Hwang Dong-seok was immediately killed by Hwang Dong-soo." "...a loss of money?" "okay. To be precise, Hwang Dong-seok lost Hwang Dong-soo." Kang Tae-shik took out the story he knew in earnest. * * * Brother scammers. Until the cataclysm, Hwang Dong-seok and Hwang Dong-soo''s brothers were mere third-rate petty criminals called by that nickname. Basically, they were greedy for money, and as they got older, that greedy personality got stronger. From the day he was released from prison after serving his full sentence, hemitted crimes again as if it were natural. I was living a life that was in and out of prison as if it were my own home. However, the brothers Hwang Dong-seok and Hwang Dong-soo were quite satisfied with their lives. If bothmit the same crime, receive the same sentence, and end up in the same prison. It was worth living in prison more than I thought. After all, brothers are on one side. But right after the cataclysm. Their lives have turned 180 degrees. ¨C What is this? -Hyung, did you really wake up? Among the brothers, it was the older brother who awakened first. The moment Challo Seok felt a tremendous power boiling in his body. he realized The fact that you don''t have to live servilely and fraudulently anymore. fraud? Isn''t that what guys who can''t fight make money with their hair? right after the cataclysm. A time when the world was in turmoil. Hwang Dong-seok became the viin at that time. He turned from a con man into an armed robber and started robbing convenience stores and restaurants. ¨C Ha ha ha! money! money! Making money has never been so easy! I felt so insignificant of the years I spent cheating and fooling around to earn some pennies. And... ¨C Tsk. Haven''t you awakened yet? don''t you have any talent? The appearance of the younger brother who had not yet awakened even a handful of magic began to look very pitiful. -Hyung, I heard that there are many things that suddenly wake up even after doing this. So if you wait a little longer... ¨C So, until when? -.... -Tsk. useless guy. Despite the elder brother''s tant criticism, the non-awakened younger brother could not say anything. because it was true magic is innate. It wasn''t that you could suddenly be an Awakener by working hard. and after a while -You go away now. -brother? What does that mean... -F*ck you ipetent b*stard! Hwang Dong-seok threw out his younger brother. It was much morefortable with two than one person when cheating, but now there was no reason to give money to my younger brother. Hwang Dong-seok, who abandoned his younger brother mercilessly, began robbing the country in earnest after that. His mobility was different from when he was with his younger brother, who was slow. Because I did not share the money I earned with my younger brother, the money kept piling up no matter how much I spent. But those good times didn''tst long. One day, the Hunter Association was suddenly established. Woo Jin-cheol, the head of the association, dered a war against the viins on arge scale. And Hwang Dong-seok was easily captured by the association hunters who came to catch him. I tried to fight back, but I was suppressed helplessly to the point of futility. And until then, Hwang Dong-seok, who had lived to the fullest with his power, realized it only after he was brought to the association. The fact that he was a frog in the well. Just in time, a horsepower measuring device developed in a foreign country was introduced to Korea, and Hwang Dong-seok realized that he was only a C-level Awakener. And as a matter of course, he was sent to the notorious Jisan Prison, where viins from all over the country were caught. Hwang Dong-seok heard a piece of news there. The fact that his younger brother Hwang Dong-soo became an S-ss viin. Chapter 141 - 141

Chapter 141:

"...Does that mean that Hwang Dong-seok was bluffing the whole time in prison? Like you''re still close with your brother?" "that''s right. You understand quickly." At Suho''s question, who was listening to the story, Kang Tae-sik smiled and nodded. Hwang Dong-seok and Hwang Dong-soomitted crimes together for over 20 years and repeatedly went in and out of prison. It is also known that the friendship between the brothers is quite deep. Who would have guessed that those guys suddenly fell out of love? And if anyone knew about it, it probably wouldn''t have changed much. Because blood-connected siblings naturally grow up fighting. No matter how much the brothers quarreled, wouldn''t it be possible to be close again as if they were like that again? However, that was impossible for Hwang Dong-seok, who was already locked up in prison alone. No matter how much you try to ''reconcile'' and get along well again, shouldn''t you be in touch with each other in order to do that? "From Hwang Dong-seok''s point of view, there was no way to contact Hwang Dong-soo, who was hiding from the association." But even if there was no way to contact them, it wouldn''t be a problem. The story was as if there was no way for anyone else to confirm that the rtionship between the two had gone wrong. "That''s why Hwang Dong-seok was able tofortably say that Hwang Dong-soo woulde to visit him from outside if he was touched." "That must have worked." "The effect was great. With that word, even an A-level viin bowed his head to Hwang Dong-seok." Suho understood why Hwang Dong-seok had no choice but to be the real power of the prison. Didn''t he already witness the power of Thomas Andre, an S-ss Awakener, and his mother right in front of his eyes? For someone with simr powers to be a viin is a walking natural disaster. For the viins, the moment they went against Hwang Dong-seok''s words, the fact that an unmanageable disaster woulde to retaliate against them must have been a great fear. "Besides, Hwang Dong-seok was lucky. The fact that Hwang Dong-soo was an S-ss viin was known because of Choi Jong-in in the first ce." Those who officially engage in hunter activities officially register with the Hunter Association after measuring their horsepower. However, it wasmon for viins to not go through that process. Hwang Dong-soo was a viin who had never been formally measured for his magical power level. Nevertheless, the reason he was announced as an S-ss viin was because of an opportunity. "The head of the Woo Jin-cheol sent even thest person to catch him, but he missed it beautifully. In fact, the game is already over there." From that day on, Hwang Dong-soo literally became an untouchable that even Choi Jong-in, the strongest S-ss hunter in the association, could not catch. After that day, he disappeared, but the more he did, the more Hwang Dong-soo became the object of fear. Because no one knows when and where they will be decorating. Suho, who was listening to Kang Tae-shik''s exnation, asked what he was most curious about. "Did you say Kang Tae-shik? How do you know all these inside stories?" "Ah, that?" Kang Tae-sik shrugged his shoulders as if it was nothing. "I was Hwang Dong-seok''s prison mate before. Before Hwang Dong-soo woke up, I heard Hwang Dong-seok insulting his younger brother Hwang Dong-soo directly from me." "...was it a viin?" "no. It was a case of awakening while I was in prison, so I quickly volunteered to be an association hunter. Was that enough of an answer?" Suho nodded. Since its establishment, the Hunter Association has always suffered from a shortage of manpower. Who would want to be a public servant in a world where money can be swept away by entering a dungeon? So, as ast resort, the association often recruited talents who had room for rehabilitation among the viins or who had notmitted violent crimes after awakening. One of them was Kang Tae-shik. "How are you? Did you like my information? Well, even if you just suck up my information and nowe back and say you don''t go out with me, I have no intention of stopping you." Unexpectedly, Taesik Kang was cool. But he was also intelligent. "Oh sure." Kang Tae-shik made eye contact with Suho and smiled meaningfully. "This may not be the end of the information I have, so use your judgment." "Let''s go together." Kang Tae-shik''s smile deepened at Suho''s answer. "It''s good that the young friend answered coolly. So, are we on one side?" * * * Suho came out of Jisan Prison with Taeshik Kang. And right away, Gray started to track the smell of the viins. "Kuuuuong!" Unsurprisingly, the Grays were far more sensitive than trained police dogs. Gray''s sense of smell could even smell magic. "As expected, it was good to form a team." Kang Tae-sik nodded with a satisfied smile as he followed Gray as he confidently ran forward. "Hey, did you say your name is Seong Su-ho? Don''t you want to go out with me after this work?" "Think about it." "Don''t draw the line too much and think positively. Summoners aren''t popr in dungeons anyway..." Shocked. At that moment, Suho and Kang Tae-shik''s expressions suddenly changed and they looked ahead. At the end of the direction Gray was running, he saw a small city. "...Hidden in the city, not in the forest. This is bothering me." Kang Tae-shik''s eyes shone sharply. * * * Yami-ri, Yeongbuk-myeon, Pocheon-si. In fact, it was more like a small town than a city. There was a saying that a long time ago, there was a thick pine forest here, and thieves were infested at night, and it was said that the thieves had fun at night, so it was called Yami-ri (ҹζÀï). It was a terrain surrounded by dense forests and mountains. Not only here, but also the area called Pocheon itself was a ce with many mountains. There is no better ce to hide than a mountain, so of course I judged that the viins would have hid in the mountain... "But did you dare to hide in a vige inhabited by people?" "You mean to take citizens hostage." "It got really tricky." Suho and Kang Tae-sik, who had been running all the way here with Gray at the fore, had no choice but to stop in front of the vige. From now on, I had to move as carefully as possible. If the fact that a bounty hunter came to the viins who had been hiding in the vige for no reason was known, the situation could have escted. "Suho, you control your magic... Uhm." Kang Tae-sik, who was looking at Suho, saw a different color in his eyes. Suddenly, he couldn''t feel any sign of magical power from Suho''s body. ''Summoners can control magic this much perfectly?'' Kang Tae-sik couldn''t help but be genuinely surprised. It is difficult for a summoner to store mana inside. Especially in a situation where summons are taken out like now. "You''re not a summoner... tsk." Kang Tae-sik, who was about to ask Suho something, soon shut up. Then, after capturing his magical power so that he could not feel it on the outside, he hid the dagger in his hand in his bosom. However, Suho had no weapons to hide. This is because I had all my weapons in my inventory from the start. "Suho, isn''t that it? Why did I choose you out of so many bounty hunters?" "I heard it was because he was a summoner." "That''s the biggest but because you were the most basic." "Basic?" "okay. Because if we want to catch the viins, the most important thing is not to show that we are bounty hunters." Most of the bounty hunters gathered at Jisan Prison were wearing armor. So that anyone can see that you are a Hunter. It was natural to protect oneself from the viins'' attack, but in the first ce, the viins were not fools, so it was enough to see them from afar and hide. But now, Suho was different. Like Kang Tae-sik, a professional viin hunter, he looked just like an ordinary person on the outside. But even this was not enough. Even the young wolf, Gray, could feel the magical power. If I went into the vige with this guy at the forefront, it would be like I was openly advertising to the viins that I was a summoner. However, if Gray was reverse summoned, there was no way to track the smell of the viins. When Kang Tae-shik pointed out that fact, Suho''s eyes turned to Gray. ''It''s a pass once it''s done.'' Even if it were a wolf, it was still young and small, so there was no problem pretending to go out for a walk with the dog as long as it was on a leash. "How can you not hide your gray magic?" "Kwuung?" Watching Gray tilt his head, Suho gave up. However, if you strengthen your body, Suho''s appearance will be different from that of an ordinary person. It was then. [The King of Beasts, the Fang Lord, requests a conversation.] [Are you sure you ept?](Y/N) ''Rakan?'' When Rakan spoke as if he had been waiting, Suho tilted his head this time. ''Suddenly asking for a conversation. Once... ept.'' The moment Suho pressed ept. [Passive skill ''(Unknown)'' is activated.] Shuwaaaaaa! Suho''s vision turned white. * * * A world ofplete nkness. Suho stood alone at the end of the empty horizon. Suho was not taken aback and stared straight ahead. Then beyond that line of sight. At the end of the empty horizon, arge figure that looked well over two meters stood looking at Suho. A wild man dressed in clothes made of animal skin. It was Rakan, the king of beasts, the canine lord. [Long time no see. Thank you for responding to the conversation.] ''So why did you call me this way?'' [Don''t be in such a hurry. This is the realm of consciousness. Because the time outside will stand still.] Through several experiences, Suho already knew that much. [I want to make a suggestion to you.] ''A suggestion?'' [okay. It seems like these days, my heir is mainly used for strength.] ''Ah, that''s right.'' Suho nodded. But the reason was simple. Because gray is too weak. Suho tried to raise him in his own way, leveling up from time to time, but he was still weak. ''Still, since I used it for tracking like this time, it seems useful?'' Since it was a realm of consciousness, Suho''s thoughts were conveyed to Rakan. At that, Rakan clicked his tongue with a disapproving expression. [If the purpose of the next king of beasts is just to smell, isn''t it too unsightly?] But what if that was the reality? [So I would like to make a suggestion. There is a way to make Gray stronger.] At those words, Suho''s eyes lit up. ''Is there such a way?'' [there is. Hand over my holy relic to Gray.] ''Rakan''s Fang?'' A strangeness appeared in Suho''s eyes. Rakan''s relic, ''Item: Rakan''s Fang'', has been in the inventory ever since he obtained the Vulcan Horn. ''Can Gray use those fangs as dentures?'' [Frame... Anyway, it''s possible. I didn''t say anything in the meantime because you''re using it as a weapon, but if you inherit that power from Gray, you''ll inherit that ability intact.] '' That''s right.'' Suho nodded coldly. Then a thought came to me. ''for a moment. If so, can I drive another fang into it?'' [...What?] Suho said with a mischievous smile to the puzzled Rakan. ''Finally there''s a fang or a fang tooth hanging out in my inventory.'' [Now wait.] Rakan made a puzzled expression. Chapter 142 - 142

Chapter 142:

''Why? no? Are you the king of beasts? A snake is also a beast.'' [...nope. I understand.] Rakan made a moaning noise at Suho''s words, but eventually nodded. [Because even the venomous snake venom would be useful to him now.] Then, he stared at the empty space in front of Suho with a disapproving expression. Wow! Then, two swords floated in front of Suho. [Item: Rakan''s Fang] Difficulty to obtain: ?? Type: Sword Attack +60 A sword made from the fangs of Rakan, the king of beasts. Rakan''s heroic spirit dwells in it, so if someone of a lower rank possesses it, the body may be taken away. -Effect ''Contempt for the weak'': Puts the designated opponent into fear for 1 minute. (All stats -50%) -Effect ''Mortal Wound'': Inflicts more than 3x fatal damage with a 20% chance. [Item: Kasaka''s Fang] Difficulty to obtain: C Type: Dagger ATK +25 A dagger made from Kasaka''s venom. Kasaka''s poison remains, granting paralysis and bleeding effects when attacking. You can keep it in your inventory or sell it in the shop. Effect ''Paralysis'': The attacked target bes unable to move with a certain probability. Effect ''Bleeding'': The target''s HP is consumed at a rate of 1% per second with a certain probability. It was ''Racan''s Fang'' and ''Kasaka''s Fang'' that had been stuck in the inventory since Volcan had two horns. Even if I checked the item information again, it seemed that there would be no chance to take out the ability again in the future. Suho gave a satisfied smile. ''I was thinking of selling it to a store, but I end up recycling it this way.'' [It''s recycling. In the first ce, my sacred object is used for just this purpose.] ''Ah, is that so?'' Rakan''s words suddenly brought up Suho''s memory. Wasn''t there a word that this sword shouted incessantly from the first time it touched ''Rakan''s Fang'' in the Sanctuary of Beasts? -Prove your qualifications to be the king! In fact, Rakan''s fangs were Rakan''s ''baby teeth'', to be precise. In other words, the lower tribes received Rakan''s baby tooth that fell out as he grew up and made it into a sacred object. The purpose is, of course, to find a sessor to seed Rakan. It was a minimal device prepared in case Rakan died in a war with the rulers one day. This was the reason why Rakan''s fangs would be immediately taken away if they fell into the hands of someone less worthy. [And the reason why my spirituality dwells in my holy relic is also the role of a minimum guide to raise the sessor stronger.] ''Raise it stronger? Should I stick around and nag?'' [Something like that. As expected.] ''There''s one right next to me.'' Of course, what Suho thought of was Ver. Ver didn''t really help in battle, but he always made me aware of theck of protection and was constantly whipping me. His words and actions were never meant to criticize or insult Suho. It was just... because Ver knew it. How strong is the real ''lord''s power''. what is true strength Perhaps in the future, the heroic spirit dwelling in Rakan''s fangs will also y a role simr to Ber''s for Gray. After the exnation, Rakan smiled and looked at Suho and said. [Anyway, I am always grateful to you. It''s all thanks to you that Gray has grown enough to ept the holy relic.] Then he reached out with both hands and grabbed the two swords floating in the air. OK. Wow! The two swords turned to silver powder in his hands and scattered. Numerous system messages appeared one after another in front of Suho. belt ring. belt ring. [Gray has equipped ''Item: Rakan''s Fang''.] [Gray has equipped ''Item: Kasaka''s Fang''.] T-ring. belt ring. belt ring. belt ring. [Gray has learned ''Skill: Despise the Weak''] [Gray has learned ''Skill: Mortal Wound''] [ Gray has learned ''Skill: Paralysis''] [Gray has learned ''Skill: Bleeding'' It is.] ''Wow. Isn''t this kind of great?'' Suho couldn''t help but admire. The options on the sword were turned into Gray''s skills. Even if only these skills were properly used, Gray seemed to be able to y a role in the battle. ''Really perfect recycling!'' [Tsk. Because it''s not recycling. Anyway, stop going back to your world now.] Rakan sighed with a disapproving expression until the end and sent Suho back to reality. [Please take good care of Gray in the future.] Shuwaaaaa! "...Kwuung?" When Suho''s consciousness returned to reality, the little wolf Gray opened his eyes wide with a surprised expression right in front of him. Suddenly, he felt a new power arise in his body. ''Still, it looks the same. No, it seems that the fangs have sharpened a bit?'' However, appearance was not important. [Gray Lv. 50] The level of the canine wolf Gray had risen. That''s a whopping 15 levels! Of course, this kind of growth was possible not simply because they absorbed the performance of items. ''It must be because the spirit of Rakan dwells in Gray.'' so-called session of power. Wouldn''t it be simr to when Sirka inherited the ''Ice Tree Spear'' from the Lord of the Cold? "...So, is there a way to hide this wolf''s magical power?" At the words of Kang Tae-shik, who just happened to ask again from the side, Suho smiled and looked at Gray. "Is Gray possible?" "Kwuuung." At that, Gray suddenly pricked up his ears and fell t on his stomach. The spirit of Rakan, who resided in Gray, was teaching Gray how to use power. Then... "...Amazing. Is this for real?" Kang Tae-sik''s eyes widened. The signs of magical power he felt from Gray disappeared like a lie. Admiration came out of nowhere. "Contrary to what he looked like, he was a pretty outstanding summoner. It makes things easier." As Kang Tae-shik said, they now had an absolute advantage over the viins. The other side doesn''t know the identity of this side, but this side has a means to find them. "Then let''s go." "okay. Take the lead." "Kwuuuong!" Suho and Kang Tae-shik set foot in Yami-ri vige in earnest with Gray at the fore. Gray kept his ears upright, sniffed confidently, and looked around to track the viin''s scent, but there was no sense of incongruity at all because it looked like an ordinary small dog walking. It was not at all threatening in size or appearance, so it was natural even without a leash. "...the town is so quiet." Kang Tae-shik''s eyes shone sharply as he read the atmosphere of the vige. It was a dreary atmosphere, as if the entire vige of Yamiri was in ruins. He murmured softly to Suho. "Listen as you walk. Since ancient times, many military bases have been stationed around this vige." The reason was, of course, that the area called Pocheon itself was close to North Korea. "Of course, now that North Korea has turned into a monster field, there is no need to defend the North Korean army." "I heard that the unit changed its purpose fromst year to defend against monsters in the north." "Yeah, that''s right. You did some research too. But now..." "The soldiers are nowhere to be seen." It was a guarded area with many military bases around it, so it was normal to see a few soldiers out and about. But right now, Yamiri Vige was very quiet without even that. "Because of the association." Taesik Kang exined. "Since Woo Jin-cheol, the president of the association, went out to aid North Korea, the country sent all military units in this area to the association." "Even the non-Awakened soldiers?" "okay. Even hunters are human. You have to eat during battle, and you have to stay vigil while camping. You never know when and where demon beasts will attack you." In short, the soldiers were in charge of all other chores so that the Association Hunters could focus only on battles with the monsters. "So, in fact, themercial district in this vige has been ruined sincest year. It''s a townpletely filled with amenities and restaurants for soldiers." Perhaps because of this, most of the stores I could see were temporarily closed. But it wasn''t very crowded. "Still, the convenience store is open." Coincidentally, Gray''s footsteps were also heading to the convenience store. "wee." When they opened the convenience store door and entered, a part-timer greeted them brightly. "Rurrung!" Parbat! Suho and Kang Tae-sik rushed at the part-timer without asking anyone first. "Ahh! Why are you doing this?!" The part-timer who was subdued with both arms bent was greatly embarrassed and struggled. Kang Tae-sik smiled and pulled up the part-timer''s trousers. Then, the electronic anklet was revealed. "The smoke is clumsy. What kind of part-time job student greets you so brightly these days?" "...!" The part-timer''s expression, which was smiling kindly at first, was distorted like a demon. "F*ck! Everyonee out!" At that moment, three viins came out from behind the convenience store warehouse and spewed mes at Suho and Kang Tae-shik. Chew! In response, Kang Tae-sik mercilessly cut the neck of the viin he was suppressing with a dagger. "...!" I picked up the decapitated corpse with one hand and stopped the mes. Perong! "F*ck! Kill!" "I''m a bounty hunter!" "There are only two of them!" Kudangtangtang! Roaring! In an instant, fireballs flew in all directions, knocking down convenience store stands and breaking fluorescent lights. A hot fire spread. However, contrary to the words, the viins took advantage of thismotion and turned their bodies outside. "Don''t let me run away!" Kang Tae-sik shouted at Su-ho and rushed at them. Then, he began to wield two daggers indiscriminately with both hands. chump chump chump! "Sea Shield!" One of the viins hastily opened a transparent shield to block the attack. but. "Rurrung!" he hadn''t seen In the midst of all this chaos, a little wolf cub was approaching behind him. Gray approached secretly and quickly bit his Achilles tendon. "Ah!" [''Effect: Fatal Wound'' activates.] [''Effect: Bleeding'' activates.] [The target''s HP is consumed by 1% per second.] He screamed and kicked Gray. "You b*stard!" However, Gray avoided the kick with swift movements like a real rat and bit the thigh of another viin right next to him. "Eww?!" [''Effect: Paralysis'' is activated.] Thrash! The viin suddenly limped and fell forward noisily. "Aren''t your summons really good?" Kang Tae-shik blew a whistle and dodged the shield to the side, chasing after the paralyzed guy. Chew! "...!" That''s how another person''s head flew off. Chow Chow! I also killed the next guy. "Weak. Too weak." Kang Tae-sik smiled cruelly as he wiped the blood from his face with the back of his hand. "Why on earth would someone like D-ss do such a viin?" Then he looked back at Suho, who was standing behind him, and asked. "Why are you staring at me so stupidly? Is this the first time you''ve ever seen someone die?" "Oh don''te. Do note...!" Just then, Suho hid behind a transparent shield and crouched against the wall, approaching the frightened viin. His ankles were bleeding non-stop from the bleeding effect of Gray''s bite. "Why? Do you really want to save me out of pity?" Taesik Kang smiled and slowly walked towards Suho. The fire was spreading as the stalls burned behind him, but this did not pose a great threat to the Awoken. "It''s hard to be a bounty hunter with such a weak heart..." It was then. Suaaa. The corpses that had just been decapitated by Kang Tae-sik''s hands suddenly rose up and attacked him from behind. Chapter 143 - 143

Chapter 143:

"...!" Feeling the presence behind his back, Kang Tae-sik instinctively turned his body to block the attack. bang! And when he saw the corpses that had attacked him, he cried out in astonishment. "How could a corpse...!" An unbelievable thing happened. The corpses of the viins, who had been cut off by themselves, were standing up and attacking. Suaaa. Even the head, which had been cut off and rolled on the floor, floated up surrounded by a blue demonic air, and was soon attached to the top of the neck again! "Undead?!" I was taken aback, but Kang Tae-shik responded quickly. He immediately lowered his stance with a nimble movement and swung his dagger at them. Ch! If the opponent is an undead that can''t die, it''s basic to take away their mobility first. Their legs were mercilessly cut off by Kang Tae-shik''s attack. However, the blue demonic air that leaked out again glued those severed legs back together. [Geuuhuh!] "No, what are these guys...." Kang Tae-sik eventually stepped back with his teeth clenched against the undead who put his body back together no matter how much he cut it into pieces. In the meantime, three undead attacked Kang Tae-shik at once. Tup! Until then, Suho''s hand, which had been still, grabbed the corner of the stall that had copsed on the floor and swung it. Kwajangchang-! ...! Arge convenience store stall hit the three undeads vigorously and was smashed to pieces. "Huh." Kang Tae-sik stepped back for a moment and looked back at Suho with a strange gaze. "You are quite strong for a summoner...." In the first ce, he did not expect great fighting ability from the summoner, Suho. Just by guiding the way to this point with the abilities of the summons, the role of guardian was practically fulfilled. But what kind of monster is this? ''Are you a Druid type?'' In the world these days, it was popr to ssify hunters into upations in the game ording to their skills. And one of them is ''Druid''. Druids in the game are generally divided into two main categories. After putting the beak animal in front, the person himself supports from the rear. Or in closebat with animals. Judging from her current appearance, I thought maybe Suho would be in the middle position between thetter, the summoner and the tank. ''...Maybe he''s more worth using than I thought.'' Kang Tae-shik, who was lost in his thoughts for a moment, looked at the direction the undead had flown with a sigh. This kind of physical attack couldn''t kill the undead. [That''s it.] And as expected, the undead were wriggling under the smashed stalls and getting up again in good shape. furthermore.... [Goooooooooo!] [Gwoaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!] Perhaps because of themotion just now, undead appeared outside the convenience store and were gathering. "I came here to catch a viin, and suddenly, what is this like?" Kang Tae-sik burst intoughter with an expression of absurdity. Convenience store on fire. The undead who raise their bodies again no matter how much they break them into pieces. It''s like watching a scene from an apocalypse movie. No, you can still kill the zombies in the movie. It was a problem because even if these guys were cut off, they would stick together again. Taesik Kang held his dagger in reverse and shouted at Suho. "Sung Suho! Let''s get out of the building! Take the avant-garde with your summons!" "...." However, there was no answer from Suho despite his cry. Currently, Suho was thinking of the ''mad tyrant'' he met in the demon realm. If the mad tyrant was a parasitic demon wearing a demon''s corpse like armor, don''t those zombies also feel like someone is wearing a human corpse like armor? ''Could it be the apostle of Itarim?'' But I can''t exin it in words, but the feeling was a little different from then. ''Besides, their name tags don''t appear on their heads.'' First of all, it was proof that those undead were not normal monsters. furthermore.... "Ah, ah, ah...!" "...." Suho''s eyes turned to the viin who had been in his eyes all of a sudden at the sudden scream. He was still hiding in the shield and bleeding, but suddenly he started a match with his colleagues who had be undead. "Again, and like that! Eventually we too... ...!" ''okay. First of all, this guy.'' Suho''s eyes narrowed and he shouted at Kang Tae-shik. "Kang Tae-shik!" "why! Come quickly!" Kang Tae-sik was busy dealing with the undead flocking outside. "Wait a little while there!" "What, what?! I''m a dealer, not a tank... ...!" Kang Tae-shik is confused. Of course, there was no way that even a dealer, even a B-ss hunter, could not handle this amount. Suho strode towards the viin hiding inside the shield. "Hee! Oh, don''te! Don''te!" "hey." As Suho approached, Viin became even more frightened and shrank back. "Look at me for a second. Let''s talk." "Sir, I hate it! Don''te!" bang! Suho''s fist mercilessly struck the transparent wall surrounding him. But the shield was solid. Inside, the viin got even more angry and shouted at Suho. "Go, do you think you can pierce my shield with just that much power! Until my mana runs out, the shield will never break through... ...!" bang! "Hib." When Suho''s fist hit the shield again, the viin instinctively shuddered. However, the shield was still strong, and the viin shouted with even more confidence. "I can''t! Don''t work on useless things, please get out of here! My shield can be broken with just bare fists... ...!" bang! "Riga...." bang! "Oh, no...." As Suho''s fists grew stronger, his voice grew more and more hoarse. Why? I really can''t. There''s no way his shield would ever break with such a brutal physical attack. "You never say the same thing." Suho smiled and raised his fist again. A ck aura was oveid on that fist. "If you hit it harder than the shield, it will break." And, bang! Wow Changchang! "...!" In an instant, the viin''s eyes widened as if they were about to pop out. His shield, which he was so confident in, was shattered and a hole was pierced. Through the hole, Suho''s hand grabbed his cor and pulled him out. "Kekek?! uh, how... ...!" "hey." Suho lifted the stunned man with one hand and red at him in the eyes. e out." "My, please save me...!" "Stop acting like that." Suho red at the terrified Viin''s pupils and red. No, to be precise, towards someone beyond that. "Come out? The one hiding inside." It was Suho who smiled whitely. "...." Scared to finish the words. tall. The expression disappeared from the face of the viin who was trembling as he was caught by the cor. "...ah." The viin tilted his head at an odd angle, stared into Suho''s eyes and licked his lips. "how did you know? how did you know? how did you know? how did you know? how did you know? how did you know? how did you know... ...." bang! "Oh sorry. I was so scared that I hit him without realizing it." As Suho''s fist hit the boy''s head, the mouth that had been talking nonstop was shut. Then, with his pupils dted, he stammered and opened his mouth again. "...Yes, you are scarier." "Get them before I get scarier." "How did you really know? how did you know... ...." His mouth, which was about to repeat the same thing, was shut when Suho raised his fist again. ''How do I know.'' Suho''s gaze moved over the guy''s head. [???] A name tag filled with only question marks. Among the viins I met at the convenience store, only this guy had this strange name tag on top of his head. That''s why Gray didn''t attack this guy in the first ce either. "Ber." When Suho opened his mouth, Ber, who understood the meaning right away, answered. [I can''t feel the energy of Itarim. Rather... ....] While fighting numerous enemies with Seong Jin-woo, Ver knew quite a few races, and in the current situation, there was only one presumed one. [It seems to be a demon tribe.] "A demon tribe?" Demonic Spirit. It literally means evil spirit. [yes. They mainly refer to ghost-type monsters, and they are also called illusions because they live in the fantasy world. Since they are spiritual beings, they have a characteristic that they are not easily killed by physical attacks.] "also." Suho nodded and looked around. Somehow, I kept thinking it was weird. Fires are burning everywhere like this, but isn''t it normal that the ceiling firefighting facilities are working at this level? Suho raised the cor of the captive Demon Tribe again and said. "I don''t know where the hallucination came from, but solve this illusion right away." "Oh, no. If you do, I will die." The Demon Tribe was embarrassed and shook their heads desperately. But I had no intention of being fooled by such a false expression. That expression would also be just acting. Power entered Suho''s hands. "Shall I kill you now?" "lie. lie. You couldn''t kill me anyway... ...." It was then. [Use ''Skill: Live''.] "...!" The demons'' bodies trembled as Suho''s eyes met. And an earthquake urred in that dted pupil. [''Effect: Fear'' is activated.] [All stats of the target are reduced by 50% for 1 minute.] What is this feeling! The demons'' bodies felt heavy, as if they were struggling in the water. And I saw it. The deep abyss contained in the long ck shadow behind Suho. "You, who are you? Why do you live with such thick death under your feet?" The Demon Tribe felt fear in front of Suho and found themselves getting smaller and smaller. It wasn''t just because he was exposed to the skill to live. Since the demons themselves were spiritual beings, it seemed like they would be devoured by the far abyss that was always with Suho. "...Oh, I see." In the end, the demons were ovee with fear andplied with Suho''s request. That moment. Whoaaaaaaah-! The phantom magic that was spread around the convenience store disappeared. Then, the reality of this vige hidden in the hallucination was revealed. "Woo-wook. what else is this?" Kang Tae-shik, who was fighting with the undead in front of him, was distorted. Suddenly, the disgusting smell of blood came from all sides, and an even more horrifying sight unfolded before my eyes. Numerous corpses were lying in front of the convenience store, covered in blood. The vige of Yamiri, which seemed quiet and peaceful at first nce... ...It was already ruins itself. A great disaster had already unfolded before they arrived here! "Could we have been hallucinating? Haven''t you heard that there is a prisoner with this skill?" At Kang Tae-sik''s words, Su-ho red at the demons with an extremely ferocious expression and gnashed his teeth. "Tell me everything. What happened here?" "That, that...Aaaagh!" The Demon Tribe, who rolled their eyes and tried to answer meekly, suddenly started screaming. Chapter 144 - 144

Chapter 144:

"...Tsk. Some ipetent guy broke the barrier." The old man who was sitting on the sofa in a rxed position suddenly clicked his tongue and looked out his window. "what?!" At those words, Hwang Dong-seok, who had been drunk on the sofa across from him while drinking wine, suddenly lost his energy. "What the f*ck! Isn''t there already a pursuit party?!" He jumped up and hurriedly checked the movement outside the window. sky dyed red. Roads stained with blood and corpses. The corpses walking on it were moving in the same direction all at once. It was proof that an outsider had entered the vige. Hwang Dong-seok gritted his teeth and red at the old man. "This is a different story! You said you erased all traces, what is this!" "Don''t be too fussy. Only two of them entered the vige. All of a sudden, the magic was broken because they discovered the demonic spirit that was the medium for the magic." After hearing the old man''s exnation, Hwang Dong-seok''s face returned to hisposure. "What, only two of them?" "Yes, there are two of them. They were probably hunters who happened to pass by." "Hehe. okay?" He licked his lips with a condescending smile. "Good. Hunters must be carrying some weapons, right?" Somehow he managed to escape from prison, but it was still too early to be relieved. Although they scraped off the prison guards'' weapons as much as possible, most of the subordinates were still empty-handed. The first priority was to secure as much armament as possible before the pursuing party found them in earnest. "How are those two guys?" "well. Since they are the ones who broke the demons nted in the bodies of your subordinates, one must be at least a B-rank or higher magic hunter." "B-ss or higher magic?" At those words, Hwang Dong-seok rolled his eyes and tapped the calctor in his head. ''hmm. Of course it can''t be S-ss.'' S-ss hunters are literally walking giants. They weren''t idle enough to identally pass through these remote neighborhoods. The probability that such expensive guys, who are few in Korea, would show up here just to catch the viin was close to zero. In addition, for the same reason, the A-ss ransom was not easy, so there was no one who wanted to be a bounty hunter. "Hehe. Then, at most, it must be two B-ranks. The magic world is a bit tricky, but you can''t beat the quantity offensive." Hwang Dong-seok called his subordinate who was waiting outside and gave an order. "Hunters broke in. Call all the b*stards who are resting at home. There is a possibility that they are two B-ss people, so they attack at once." "Yes, yep! I will deliver it like that!" Hwang Dong-seok murmured with a fishy smile at the sight of his subordinate, who stiffened his body at hismand and hurriedly rushed out. "young. Now, the military is definitely captured. After all, you onlye to your senses when you see someone die." Hwang Dong-seok, only a C-level Awakener, still reigned as their king outside the prison. However, this hierarchy rtionship was a series of precarious tightrope walks that could end at any moment. The only reason why the viins still follow Hwang Dong-seok is that he is the older brother of Hwang Dong-soo, an S-ss viin. "Hey, won''t you help?" Hwang Dong-seok, who was about to go outside after sending his men, suddenly looked back and asked, Then the old man, who was still sitting on the sofa, didn''t even look at him and just replied indifferently. "As you can see, I don''t like to use my body. When you''ve dealt with all the outsiders, call them. I will cast a spell on the vige again." "...I will." Hwang Dong-seok had a slightly disapproving look on his face, but he didn''t speak at length. For at his own call he heard the sound of his men gathering outside. "Everyone, get your tools! There are only two of them!" After Hwang Dong-seok went outside. why- A beended on the window sill in front of the old man, who was still staring out of the window with a confused gaze. "...Are you here?" A small smile appeared on the old man''s lips. * * * [Gaaaaagh!] "hmm?" Suho couldn''t help but be embarrassed. Suddenly, the blue ghost screamed and escaped from the body of the demonic tribe, no, the viin. Then burst. Seeing the viin copse and pass out on the spot, Ver muttered with a serious expression. [The demon tribe hiding in this human body has disappeared.] "suddenly?" [yes. It seems that there was some kind of restriction imposed by the higher level Demonic Tribe. Originally, the beings of the fantasy realm are good at this kind of magic.] "It means that there are high-ranking demons around here." At Ver''s words, Suho nodded his head with a thoughtful expression. ''Come to think of it, the guy who made my level up system was also said to be a phantom shaman.'' Grand sorcerer Kandiaru. The level up system he designed could also be seen as a kind of magic. Even if it wasn''t to that extent, it was said that it was possible for a high-ranking Demonic n to use magic that would limit them to death if they performed certain actions. ''this...I think I came across a few more viins than I thought aftering here to catch some viins.'' "Seongsuho!" At that time, Kang Tae-sik, who was fighting the undead in front of him, heard an urgent cry. "Come quickly and help! The undead areing in more and more!" As the magic of the demons disappeared, the vige of Yamiri became an apocalypse in earnest. If it were ordinary undead, Kang Tae-sik, a B-ss hunter, wouldn''t have been so flustered, but these guys were strange enough to stick together even if their bodies were cut off. furthermore. "Anyway, these undead seem to be the original inhabitants of this vige! As soon as the viins took over this vige, they must have annihted them all!" Kang Tae-sik was making an expression of absurdity even as he spoke. It was an extremely ordinary person''s point of view to think that they would not harm citizens who could be held hostage in case their location was discovered. "what the. These guys were a lot crazier than I thought. After all, these are the viins." ... After all, the viins have to leave the light and kill them all. Kang Tae-sik, who muttered that and smiled bloodyly, red ahead. And he cut off the limbs of the undead and shouted to Suho. "Usually in cases like this, there''s going to be a b*stard lurking nearby! Use your summons and find him first!" But it didn''t have to be. wow wow! Because it showed up first from the other side before that. Viins suddenly appeared from all sides and started attacking Suho and Kang Tae-sik all at once. "Hahaha! Were all gathered here after all!" Even though the crisis was approaching, Kang Tae-sik rather shed his eyes. And at the same time, he looked back at Suho with cold eyes and smiled. "Sung Soo-ho, you did a good job. Your role ends here. From now on, each of us is on our own." "...?" Before Suho could react to those words. Swoop. Kang Tae-sik''s image was erased on the spot like a lie. Suho''s eyes widened at the mysterious appearance. "A stealth skill?" [Such a traitor!] Berg gnashed his teeth. Somehow, even in this situation, he seemed to be rxed all the time, and he was hiding that ability. However, the purpose of Kang Tae-sik''s stealth skill was not to escape. "Keep?!" "What, what? big... ...!" Screams began to erupt from the mouths of the viins who were attacking Kang Tae-sik along with the undead. And blood streams gushing out like firecrackers. "Ah, an assassin!" "What crazy! You never said anything like that!" "It''s called magic!" The atmosphere of the viins, who had been rising with one stealth skill, changed rapidly. But that was then. "Tsk. Where are the assassins?" Whoops- Kwaaang! The magic-type viin behind them exploded a fireball at the dying viins, spraying blood. "Ahh!" "Why me...!" They just agreed and escaped together, and there was no such thing as loyalty between the viins. The viins caught in the explosion were engulfed in mes and rolled on the floor. But the effect was certain. "...Keugh!" I heard Kang Tae-sik''s short scream. She is revealed to be a translucent silhouette engulfed in mes in the empty air with nothing to do with him. "That way! Kill!" When the viin who fired the fireball triumphantly pointed towards it, the viins smiled viciously andunched an all-out attack. But there was one person they forgot because they were confused by their stealth abilities. "...Srd." Surrounded by the undead, Suho''s low voice awakened the sleeping entity in the sea of death. [The King of Yetis, the Lord of the Cold is watching you.] Feeling the presence''s gaze, Suho confidently opened his mouth. "Blessings from the cold." [Prophecy: Protection of the severe cold] The protection of the King of Yetis, the Lord of the Cold. Syd, Lord of the Cold, has chosen you to be its Shaman. His priests can use their magical powers as his offerings to cause frigid blizzards. Whoo oh oh- That moment. A white wind began to blow around Suho. [Use ''Skill: Cold Blizzard''.] [Requires 100 mana per second.] The blizzard that turned Fasad Kingdom into a cier city wrapped around Yamiri Vige. "Me, crazy!" "what''s this!" "blizzard?!" Like the cries of the greatly embarrassed viins, the tremendous cold hit them. Great! sphemy! The cold ice grabbed the legs of the viins who were on the ground. "Hey, damn it! legs... ...!" Both the undead and the viins, everyone''s legs started to freeze on the spot. "...What is this?" Kang Tae-sik, whose stealth skill was released, looked back at Suho with a puzzled expression. Thanks to the cold wind, the mes that had spread to his body were extinguished before he knew it. "To use even natural magic, was it a druid?" Kang Tae-sik nodded, saying that his guess was correct. And the moment he turned his head toward the viins again, his eyes shed with the most cruelty. Among the viins, there were those who broke the ice and escaped by strengthening their legs, but they were very few. Most of the viins gathered here were only low- and mid-level Awakeners. "Now you are my prey." chump chump chump chump! Kang Tae-sik licked his lips and jumped forward. And he mercilessly picked out only the deadliest parts of them and cut them down. neck. carotid. Wherever his dagger passed, blood spurted out. "Aww!" "Aagh! Run away!" The viins, who btedly removed their frozen legs from the floor, began to run away in a panic. but. [''Debuff: Curse of the Cold'' is applied.] [Attack speed decreases by -30%.] [Movement speed decreases by -30%.] They were still struggling in the freezing blizzard. Kang Tae-sik, who was recognized as Suho''s colleague by the Lord of Cold, was free from the debuff. Kang Tae-shikughed cruelly as he killed the fleeing viins one by one. "This is why I like fighting humans." Unlike the dungeon monsters, humans are really easy to kill. He shouted at Suho with an expression of bliss. "Sung Suho! As a senior, I will teach you an important lesson! just remember this one All humans die! No matter how strong a hunter is, that''s an unchanging truth... ...." F*uck! That moment. Kang Tae-shik''s head exploded. "...How can such an insignificant b*stard pretend to be proud?" chuck. The viin, who blew off Kang Tae-shik''s head with all his might, gnashed his teeth and trampled his corpse. And with that foot, he stepped on Kang Tae-shik''s corpse over and over again and shouted. "Yes, baby! Everyone dies! Did you think you wouldn''t die?! uh?! Ha ha ha!" And with a bloody expression, he red at Suho, who caused this blizzard, and growled. "ruler! Now there''s only one baby left! porridge...." But then. "Wake up." Immediately behind him, Kang Tae-shik''s shadow began to shimmer ominously. Chapter 145 - 145

Chapter 145:

The sea of ??the afterlife. Kang Tae-sik''s soul was falling into the endless darkness. ''...Is this death?'' The moment of pain was short, but the moment of death was extremely long. In an instant. The abyss that seemed tost forever was dragging his soul down. In the continuing fall, Kang Tae-sik''s soul... ...I was looking at the shlight. Fragments of his life were unfolding before him like a panorama. And at every moment, he was harming someone''s life. ''Kill, kill, kill...'' ....'' Suddenly, Kang Tae-sik looked down at his blood-soaked hands. Yes. Since awakening this ability, he has killed many people with his own two hands. There was never a day when the blood would dry on these hands. Even when I thought about it, I really thought I was crazy... ...It was fun. But even so, the period is only two years. Although he had been caught by the police formitting petty crimes before, it was only two years before he became a viin hunter in earnest and began to enjoy killing. ...but. p rock! As the shes of light continued, Kang Tae-sik''s appearance in those memories became increasingly younger. And at the end, the ''memory of that day'' was finally revealed. ''...Yes, that was the beginning.'' For a moment, a blue glow appeared in the eyes of Kang Tae-sik, who was falling into the abyss of death. sh! At that moment, he saw a beaten boy in front of him. -You b*stard! If only you weren''t there! die! die! die! die! I mean, get out and fall! -Ahh! Ah, Dad...! I was wrong! Argh! please! It hurts so much...! Argh! Broken liquor bottle. A narrow and messy room. There, there was a small boy being trampled mercilessly by a very drunk man. In those memories, the boy''s body was always covered in bruises, and he was always crying out loud. It hurts. Stop hitting me. That I was wrong. But the more I did this, the more my father''s kicks became stronger. After years of harsh beatings, the boy finally realized. To avoid being beaten by my father any more. That you have to be strong. The first way to be stronger is to stop crying. -Off! Turn it off...! No matter how painful or scary it was, if I covered my mouth and held back even the screams that were trying to escape, my father''s beatings lessened. very little. And I had to kill them as much as possible. So as not to disobey my father. No, I had to bepletely invisible. If you make a sound, your father will wake up. Then my father will drink again. Then again...Because you''re going to beat yourself up. So, I had to live as if I was not at home as much as possible. He held his breath so that his strong and scary father''s anger would not be directed at him. Then suddenly. ''...ah.'' The boy realized. The fact that there is the easiest and simplest way to avoid being beaten. ''Ah, this will do.'' Why didn''t I realize it? It was supposed to be like this from the beginning. So, seven-year-old Kang Tae-sik. With those two small hands. ''I killed my father.'' That was the ''first murder''mitted by Kang Tae-sik. And surprisingly, no one knew about it until now. No, no one was curious in the first ce. No one could have imagined that that little seven-year-old kid would have murdered his own father. Police officers and doctors. Everything happened just by ident. It just ended with a drunkard getting into an ident. ...And so on. The boy, who had erased the existence of his father from the world through his own power, looked down at his blood-soaked hands and realized. ''I am strong.'' Yes. It turned out that he was strong. Enough to kill that scary father. When Kang Tae-sik realized that fact, he was ovee with pleasure so intense that he shivered. Ah, yes. Just kill it and that''s it. No matter how scary a person is. Even strong people. ''Because all humans die!'' From then on, Kang Tae-sik was not afraid of anything. Because I am stronger now. Because he could kill anyone he wanted. Of course, they were not criminals who were crazy about murder, and they had no intention of killing just anyone. He just...I just realized that murder is an option as a way to solve a problem. As time passed, a cataclysm urred on Earth. Demonic beasts appeared. Kang Tae-sik was lucky enough to awaken as a hunter, and when he saw the demonic beastsing out of the dungeon and brutally tearing people to death, he sighed. ''What, they''re no different from demonic beasts.'' It''s just that it looks a little unusual. In the end, isn''t killing someone something that anyone can do, whether it''s a demonic beast or not? No, in the first ce, there must have been far more people killed by humans than those killed by demonic beasts throughout human history, right? To be honest, it was steamy. But that was then. The ''association president'' came to see him. -Taesik Kang. Did you awaken recently? -...What is it? Have you been quiet these days? -know. That''s why I came. -What are you talking about, you old man? At first, I was shocked by his sudden visit. Woo Jin-cheol, the president of the association, was once a detective who personally shackled both wrists when hemitted a minor crime. But then they suddenly set up a strange organization like the Hunter Association, and what? -I was thinking about what to do with you, and a good idea came to me. Association President Woo Jin-cheol smiled meaningfully at himself and immediately made a strange suggestion. ¨C Taesik Kang, I created a certificate called ''Association Certified Bounty Hunter'' for you. -what is that? -So-called a license to kill allowed by the country. -...Are you out of your mind? -why? So you don''t like it? -.... Of course, I was a little dissatisfied with that unlucky face that I had no doubt would ept his offer. In the end, Kang Tae-sik could not resist Woo Jin-cheol''s proposal. Because honestly, it was attractive. These are people you can kill. They give you money if youmit murder. ''okay. ''Killing people is much easier and more fun than killing demonic beasts.'' That''s how Kang Tae-sik became a bounty hunter, and over the past two years, he killed hundreds of viins with his own two hands. ''Hehe. ''I killed so many people.'' Kang Tae-sik''s soul, wandering the sea after death, chuckled as he watched each and every moment of the many murders. But why? As their deaths piled up in the blink of an eye, Kang Tae-sik''s soul was bing more and more buried in the darkness. In the darkness, hundreds of hands came out and dragged Kang Tae-sik''s soul deeper and deeper like evil spirits. ''Let go, you b*stards! It''s suffocating! Breathing... ...Wow... ...!'' When I looked again, I saw that the ce was a pit that Kang Tae-sik had created with his own hands. And that was then. [Cluck. What a delicious-looking evil spirit.] ''...!'' Kang Tae-sik''s soul suddenly trembled at the sound of the old man''sughter echoing from beyond the darkness. An instinctive feeling of rejection came over me. At that moment, Taesik Kang realized. The fact that his soul is now caught in the middle of a magic circle made of red threads. The witch doctor grabbed Kang Tae-sik''s soul like a spider''s web and did not let go. and. e here. I will personally turn you into a demon spirit.] Suddenly, a thin old man''s hand appeared from the darkness and grabbed his hair. ''Kwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah... ...!'' At that moment, a sharp pain struck me as if my limbs were being torn apart. Kang Tae-sik let out a terrible scream and struggled desperately to escape from the giant old man''s hands. But even that was just entertainment for the old man. [Cluck. That''s a good scream. It is the perfect material for making demonic spirits.] ''Quaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhh!'' [okay. doing well. You are chewing up and swallowing all the sins you havemitted with your own hands. The process may be painful, but if you endure it....] Beyond the darkness, the old man smiled, showing his white teeth. [...] ...Because you will be reborn as a thoroughly corrupted soul who will feel that pain forever!] ¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D! Eventually, the red magic circle waspleted. The old man''s huge hand grabbed Kang Tae-sik''s soul and lifted it up. [Hehehe! Now you fallen demon! Now you are my... ...!] It was then. -Get up. A ray of darkness that came down from a high ce illuminated Kang Tae-sik''s soul. Damn it! The power of darkness tore apart the red magic circle. [What is this...!] The old man burst out in confusion and let go of the hand that was holding Kang Tae-sik''s soul. ''Ah, this power... ....'' Kang Tae-sik, who was forcibly dragged up into the darkness, trembled in a different way. ''What the hell is this memory... ....'' Suddenly, memories from my past life that had beenpletely buried in my memory began to emerge like a sh of light. For some reason, even in those memories... ...He was covered in blood and dying. And in front of him as he was dying, he saw a man coldly looking down at him. -Let me ask you just one question. As I faced those cool eyes, I asked myself this. -What the hell are you? Assassination ss has healing magic... ...Moreover, I''ve never heard of it being able to use debuff magic. However, the man was asking questions rather than answering his own questions. -...If I''m a hunter who grows every time I fight, how strong do you think I can be? -her.... Kang Tae-sik couldn''t help butugh at that absurd question. Are you asking because you don''t know that? -Your shadow... ...It''s connected to the darkness. Death is strength. -As deep as that...You will be stronger. Shwaaaaaaaa! Two deaths. Two lives. At the end... .... Kang Tae-sik''s soul walked out into the world again. [Shadow Assassin Lv.1] knight rank Shwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa [...] ...Great Shadow.] Kang Tae-sik, who was reborn as an assassin with ck vapor wafting from his entire body, approached Su-ho, who had called him, and knelt on one knee and bowed his head. Then, with an even more ruthless spirit shining in his eyes, he asked in a very solemn manner. [Who can I kill?] "...." And I thought. Suho''s eyes looking down at himself like this... .... He said that the look in his eyes was very simr to that of the man who once killed him. Soon, Suho''s cold gaze turned to the numerous viins attacking him from all directions. They are murderers who killed all the innocent people living in this vige and took over the vige. There was no mercy to be shown to them. "entire. "Kill him." [...] ...As instructed.] The moment Suho''s order was given. The figure of Kang Tae-sik, the shadow assassin, disappeared on the spot. Chapter 146 - 146

Chapter 146:

...Fit! Sigh! "Huh?!" "Bwak!" At that moment, red solid lines were drawn one after another on the necks of the viins nearby. Sigh! Red blood spurted from its neck. "..."It''s a stealth skill!" "Ugh! "He came back to life!" ??????! Beneath the fountain of blood exploding like firecrackers, the invisible assassin''s dagger began to mercilessly ughter the viins. "Oh, no! The body is definitely over there... ...!" The viins, who had been ted for killing Kang Tae-sik for a very brief moment, were horrified and looked at Kang Tae-sik''s body still lying dead on the floor. but. Even in that split second. "Bwak!" Someone had their head cut off. "Ahh!" Someone had their leg cut off. "Save me!" As they turned and ran away, there was a crazy assassin who followed them and let out a silentugh. Skill, stealth. The skills that Kang Tae-sik had during his lifetime were still maintained even now that he became a shadow soldier. "Hey, it''s over there!" at that time. Grumble! The magic viin who burned Kang Tae-sik earlier gritted his teeth and created a huge fireball again. "Anyway, these ragtag bunch! "There''s all this fuss over just one assassin!" With a confident expression, he zed a huge me in his hands. "He''ll die in one hit anyway!" These words were neither exaggerated nor pretentious. The downside of Assassin Hunters was that their defense was weakpared to their strong and sharp attack power. They didn''t even wear armor because it made their bodies dull. So, they were half-baked guys whose synergy was only revealed when they fought while hiding servilely behind strong tanks. On the other hand, what about the magic world? First of all, since it is not a job that involves direct physical activity like an assassin-type hunter, you can protect yourself by wearing heavy and sturdy armor. Moreover, no matter how many monsters flock to you. Even if an invisible enemy appears like now, using wide-range magic like this is enough! "You guys! Avoid it yourself!" Grumble! "Ugh!" "Dodge, dodge!" At the warninging from behind, the viins became confused and scattered in all directions. Even at this moment, an invisible assassin was ending their lives, but right then, a huge fireball flew towards thest victim and exploded. Wow! [...!] At that moment, Kang Tae-sik, who became a shadow assassin, was caught in the explosion. The feeling he felt as his whole body melted in the hot mes... .... [...] ...ha.] It was a feeling of utmost reverence and joy for Suho, who had made him a shadow soldier. And at the same time. [Is this a shadow?] He felt the true value of this power given to him. Life and death. A person who controls the life and death of enemies at the boundary between light and darkness. Could it be an assassin? [Really, this power is the one best suited to an assassin.] Suddenly, the look in the eyes of the man who had first sentenced me to death a long time ago came to mind. I remembered his movements, which had a darker shadow than anyone else. Imitating the man''s movements, Kang Tae-sik held the two daggers backwards and his eyes shed. That moment. Shwaaaaagh! New power flowed into my melting body. The ck vapor that formed the body came together again. His body rushed forward like a demon. And he stepped on the toes of the magic world viin who had sentenced him to his second death. Kwasik! "Ahh!" He was startled by the pain rising from his toes and tried to quickly retreat. te.] ??????! "...!" The body of the man whose movement was temporarily blocked was mercilessly cut to pieces. fast. Faster. Faster! Numerous straight lines were drawn on its body. A terrible scream came out of the b*stard''s mouth. The most cruel and beautiful blood was sprinkled. Below, the blood-soaked silhouette of a cruel assassin was revealed. His eyes and mouth... .... He was smiling brightly. [Try to struggle as much as you can. Because today I am invincible.] Kang Tae-sik, a B-ss assassin hunter. The moment he became a shadow soldier. He had be the strongest Shinigami, with his only weakness as an assassin disappearing. ''...He''s like Quay.'' As Suho watched him fight, he was internallyparing him to Quay, the Shadow Lancer. Lee Min-seong, a ss A viin. When he was transformed by the queen bee, all his skills were melted away, and instead he turned into ancer whose power was focused on prating power and speed to pierce the enemy. Instead of giving up defense, he became a dealer specializing in agility. However, Kang Tae-sik, who was a B-ss assassin hunter, became a shadow soldier in apletely different way from Quay. His speed was a little slower than Quay, but he had stealth skills more than anything else. Quay attacks at a speed so fast that the eye can''t follow it, and Kang Tae-sik is truly invisible. The two were shadow soldiers of the same ''knight grade'', but just because they were the same grade did not mean that their level of power waspletely the same. however. A knight is someone who fights for the king. The distinction as to which of the two was stronger was not very important. In any case, its use will vary depending on the differences between individuals and their abilities during life. Suho''s own ability to utilize the abilities of the knights at the right time and in the right ce was more important. Just one thing. In Su-ho''s judgment, the current Kang Tae-sik had one distinct strength that other shadow soldiers did not have. [If he is that guy, he can use it as much as he wants without worrying about his abilities being exposed to others.] "okay." At Ber''s words, Suho smiled slightly and nodded. "Pretty..."He''s a coveted guy." at that time. Suddenly something strange happened. ¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D! "...!" A heavy air descended on Yamiri Vige along with an indescribable roar. At the same time, something incredible happened. Coo coo coo coo coo! Suddenly, the vige itself began to shake strangely. Roads and buildings began to bulge and merge, and huge walls began to rise up here and there. "W-what!" "Ugh!" Seeing that even the viins were embarrassed, it seemed like it wasn''t their doing. Spot! At that time, Kang Tae-sik, who was ughtering the viins, hurriedly returned to Su-ho and said, [master! I have something to tell you! At the moment of my death, an old man tried to corrupt my soul!] "old man?" [yes! I didn''t see his face, but I think I saw the witchcraft that had been ensnaring me at that time spread out over the entire vige!] [Why do I have to say that now!] When Ver scolded him, Kang Tae-sik could not reply at all. It was difficult to answer that I was so absorbed in the pleasure of murder that I forgot. [Solord! This must be a spell used by the demon race!] Ber had already experienced first-hand the various magic spells of the Demon Race during the Monarch War. But the problem was that the types of magic were so varied that only the magic I had seen for the first time was revealed every time. [The demons are vicious guys who enjoy capturing, torturing, and experimenting on their enemies! Thanks to that, they are adept at all kinds of bizarre magic and sorcery!] The demon race''s obsessive curiosity and observation skills were notorious among all races. Among them, the most famous shaman would be ''Kandiaru''. Wasn''t the fact that he was able to design a level-up system that transcended human standards ultimately the result of all kinds of experiments at the expense of countless people? One of them was the ''Pyramid of Ammut'', where strong body techniques were studied. When inferring all the evidence. Su-ho seemed to know the intention of the ''old man'' who was trying to corrupt Kang Tae-sik''s soul. "Could it be that experiments by demonic tribes were being conducted in this vige? Like the Pyramid of Ammut?" Suho ran between the ground and buildings that were folding and tilting at right angles, and looked at the viins who were also running here and there. And I found the electronic anklets still attached to their ankles. "..."Maybe the guy who helped the viins escape from Jisan Prison was also a demonic tribe." Ammut''s Pyramid was a ce where many challengers over the years entered on their own, were captured by Ammut, and died while being tortured under the guise of forcible physical training. The item created through numerous experiments was ''Item: Mummy''s Bandages.'' Even after the bandages were made, many people could not endure the training and died and became mummies. So what about this ce? [That''s my opinion too! There is a possibility that the demon tribe escaped prison to use the viins as test subjects for their own research... ...!] Before Ber finished speaking. Something amazing happened. Coo coo coo coo...! Suho and Ber raised their heads at the huge shadow that suddenly appeared over their heads. Then, a truly gigantic hand appeared from above the ominous sky and wasing down this way. Kang Tae-sik recognized the figure and urgently shouted. [It''s that hand! These are the hands of the old man who tried to grab me!] The hand of the skinny old man who tried to snatch Kang Tae-sik''s soul actually appeared. This time, the old man''s hand was aiming for Kang Tae-sik''s soul. [Cluck. You can''t miss such a delicious evil spirit right in front of you.] Kang Tae-sik, even as a shadow soldier, trembled at the sound of the old man''s voice booming from the sky. The demon race''s unique nature of treating souls like toys was precisely targeting them. Of course, no one could know what would happen if Kang Tae-sik, who had already be a shadow soldier, was caught by those hands. But the moment the enemy revealed his true nature. Suho immediately took action. "gray!" "Quuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu...!" Crash! At Suho''s call, Gray came running up the wall from far away. Gray had been chasing the viins from the convenience store and attacking them fiercely, and despite his cute appearance, his teeth were soaked in the viins'' blood. Ver noticed Suho''s intention and immediately used his skill. [Kureunga! The time hase to show your changed power!] [Berga uses ''Skill: Harsh Command''.] [''Skill: Harsh Command'' increases Gray''s abilities by 50%.] [As a side effect of ''Skill: Harsh Command'', Gray is cursed with insanity.] That moment. Gray''s eyes suddenly changed. "Grumbling...!" But this time it didn''t end there. The heroic spirit of the Fang Lord''s holy relic, ''Item: Rakan''s Fang'', dwells in Gray. Gray has now begun his path as Rakan''s true sessor. Shwaaaaagh! Gray''s body, which was running toward Suho, was engulfed in a spiritual silver light and grew bigger. At the same time, Gray''s expression, which was once cute like a small dog, gradually became more ferocious like a huge tiger. And the energy of ''Rakan''s Fang'' and ''Kasaka''s Fang'' is revealed in the mouth. "Crumble!" The roar of a wild beast that came out of Gray''s mouth shook the world. Suho takes out a mana potion and replenishes the mana he lost while using the cold snowstorm. Taaat! I jumped up from the nted floor, jumped on Gray''s back as he approached me, and shouted. "gray! Just run!" "Crumple!" With Suho on his back, Gray''s thick paws kicked strongly up the nted wall and jumped up. The target is the giant old man''s grasp! [Use ''Skill: Rigid Body Technique.''] "Whether it''s an illusion or a spell." Suho threw out a huge fist covered in ck energy. "Men are fists." Wow! A huge explosion urred centered around that power, and the huge old man''s grip was shattered. [This power... ...!] The old man cried out in embarrassment. [Lord of the rigid body?!] Chapter 147 - 147

Chapter 147:

Gurgling! A thunderous roar resounded in the sky, and the huge old man''s hand shattered like shards of ss and copsed. Along with that, the distorted and distortedndscape of the vige also stopped in that state. The viins who witnessed the wondrous sight opened their mouths with eyes filled with astonishment. "W-what is that guy..." ...!" "How could that old man''s skills be so easily...!" But that was the time when everyone was confused and didn''t know what to do. "Everyonee to your senses!" "...!" Suddenly, a fierce roar came from behind them. "With that level of skill, my mana would have beenpletely depleted with just one hit! "We can all just attack together now instead of jumping around!" "...!" The viins came to their senses at Hwang Dong-seok''s words. It really made sense. It was an immutable principle that the more powerful a skill was, the more magical power it required. Even if it was a B-ss or even an A-ss, if it had that level of skill, it would have squeezed out all the magical power it had. The evil light returned to the viins'' eyes again. "Yes, yes! let''s go!" "There is only one guy anyway!" "Aaaah!" As the viins each raised all their magic power at once, the momentum soared through the sky because there were so many of them. "Yeah, guys! "Don''t forget that we''ve already eaten high-grade stardust!" Hwang Dong-seok''s exciting shout further ignited their morale. chuck! Just then, Gray, carrying Suho,nded on the twisted space. The viins'' all-out attack rained down on that ce. "Kill me!" "Crunch!" Gray bit off the arm of the leading viin with his strong teeth and struck him. Boom! "Ahh!" Its body flew backwards faster than the speed at which it was running. ''Stardust?'' Su-ho''s eyes twitched after hearing Hwang Dong-seok''s words encouraging his subordinates. At that time, Verga shouted, ring at the sky where the old man''s hand disappeared. [Little Lord, his presence has disappeared!] "okay. "I think he ran away." Suho nodded, recalling the sensation of the moment his fist touched. And above all, if you had just killed him with a single blow, a system message would have appeared. It was clear that he was still alive. "You couldn''t have run that far." [I think so too.] Ver said, looking around the vige with narrowed eyes and seeing the strangely distorted space. [If you ran far away, there is no way this genjutsu would still be in effect like this. He is definitely hiding nearby, waiting for an opportunity.] Ber also exined the temperament of the guys he had experienced during the Monarch War. [In essence, the people of Hwan-gye are cowardly and conniving people. To put it bluntly, during the War of the Lords, even Yogmund, the king of demons and the lord of the world of illusions, did nothing but hide behind other monarchs and use illusions or open gates.] Anyway, just like during the war, dealing with the Demon Spirits was extremely annoying and inconvenient. Suho asked Ber, who clicked his tongue as he recalled that time. "So, how did you break their genjutsu, father?" [Of course...It''s power.] Ber grinned at that question and looked at the ck energy covered in Suho''s fist. [No matter what tricks they used to get in your way, you tore them all down with absolute power and faith.] bang! Suho shed his fists together and smiled, showing his teeth. "I like it because it''s simple." And his eyes turned to the numerous viinsing towards him. This was my first time fighting against the same people, and against so many people. Not all of them were made of scraps. It was an incredible force with B-ss and A-ss mixed in as well. Thanks to Kang Tae-sik, who uses stealth skills, as a shadow soldier, he did well in the early fights, but his daggers were difficult to prate the defense of B-ss or higher tanks in the first ce. On the surface, it is an absolutely unfavorable situation. But why? ''I don''t think we''ll ever lose.'' Outnumbered? As long as he had the ability to use the dead as soldiers, being outnumbered was no problem for him. But I''ll skip that for now because the Demon Spirits are still watching this from somewhere. ''Because they may be in collusion with Itarim.'' then? Suho looked down at his own shadow and opened his mouth. "Esil,e out for a moment." Shwaaaaagh! From the shadow of the guardian, the demon noble Esil appeared. "...Where are we again? "You want me to fight like hell?" Esil looked at the group of vicious humansing at him from all directions and made a bewildered expression. But even for a moment. She slowly raised the corners of her mouth and stretched out her hand to the side with a belligerent look in her eyes. "I like this." Sigh- A long spear appeared in Esil''s hand. Demons are a fighting people who have been in constant struggle since the moment they were born. To the demon noble who stands at the top, battle is more valuable than conversation. "Can I kill them all?" I didn''t hear an answer. Before that, the tip of Esil''s spear pierced their hearts. "Crunch!" As if Gray wasn''t going to lose, he jumped forward, exposed his vicious fangs, and started biting the guys'' limbs. Suho also pulled out Volkan''s horns with both hands and showed his teeth brightly. "Okay, let''s make some trouble." Despite this, the overwhelming numerical inferiority still remained. But really... .... ''I don''t think we''ll lose.'' [Use ''Skill: Storm sh''.] Wow! A storm of des from Suho''s twin swords struck the viins. ''My skills are more useful when enemies are gathered together.'' When Suho breaks down the enemy''s formation with a wide range of skills. Gray boldly entered the enemy lines and used hisrge size to knock out the enemies'' souls by headbutting his body or pping his front feet. In this way, Esil yed the role of a spearman who pierced the hearts of the confused enemies one by one on the battlefield that Gray had ravaged. Their appearance reminded me of a bnced attack force. Then, suddenly, Eshil tilted his head. "what? "Why do they cut their own throats?" Push shot. Okay. Wow. Grumble. There was also an invisible shadow soldier who had been killing the enemies'' lives while hiding himself without stopping even for a moment. "..."You got an interesting guy, right?" Esil brandished his spear with a truly happy expression and shouted at Suho. "Suho! These guys, they have a lot of numbers, but they are all ragtag! "They''re brats who don''t even know how to use their power properly!" At that moment, Suho had just realized that fact. After experiencing the movements of the viins in Jisan Prison who are currently fighting, I found that they had very littlebat experience, regardless of their magic level or skills. And it seemed like the viins fighting Suho and his group were feeling this very reality. "Ha, surrender!" "Please save me!" At that moment, those who had run out of magical energy raised their hands and began to surrender. There were people who fell t on the spot, crying and begging for help. ''...''Look at this?'' Suho, who read the atmosphere, realized a strange fact. chin. Suddenly, Suho''s steps stopped on the spot. And he shouted fiercely at the viins everywhere. "Everyone kneel!" [Use ''Skill: Living''.] ...! Of course, there were people who could ovee this fate. But what about this? Suho shouted again, exuding tremendous lethality. "Look to the side! "Your captain escaped!" "...!" "..."Wow, that furry b*stard ended up?!" The viins were embarrassed. * * * Meanwhile. "Huff!" After Hwang Dong-seok pushed all of his men forward, he himself turned his back and ran away in the opposite direction without hesitation. ''You idiots! ''Is that going to work!'' Inside, heughs at the foolishness of his subordinates who were easily fooled by his instigation. ''Anyway, this is why people without actualbat experience have no clue.'' Jisan Prison is known in the world as a notorious prison that houses the most vicious criminals, but when Hwang Dong-seok, who lived there as a king, thought, all that was nonsense. what? Viin? The worst superhuman criminals of all time? ''F*ck. ''It''s all ridiculous.'' Actually, they are viins, but how many of them have actually fought someone properly with their abilities? ''There are a lot of people who were caught by that b*stard Woo Jin-cheol before they could even use their strength properly.'' In any case, Woo Jin-cheol was a born b*stard. I don''t know how they knew, but whenever the viins tried tomit a crime in earnest, they would appear on the scene like ghosts and catch them in an instant. With S-ss Choi Jong-in at the forefront. Fortunately, his younger brother Hwang Dong-su was able to escape because he was in the S ss. Jisan Prison was where most of the helpless prisoners who were caught without any real resistance were gathered. Because of this, the viins at Jisan Prison were severelycking in actualbat experience as people with special abilities. Not only did he not know how to utilize his own abilities properly, but he also failed to develop the ability to estimate the abilities of his opponents. So, unless you''re an S-ss hunter like Choi Jong-in, wouldn''t you all have been deceived by your own nonsense that you can win by simply pushing the envelope? ''Stupid b*stards! Well, thanks to that, I''ve been able to use it well so far.'' But that too is over now. ''More than 50 people have already died.'' They brought as many as 500 people, but one-tenth of their strength was reduced overnight. If we thought positively, there were still 9/10ths left, but in reality, that wasn''t the case. Last night, 6/10 of the 500 people, that is, about 300 people, rebelled against him and left. In the end, there were only about 200 people who followed him, and another 50 of them were lost. Even at this moment, I am still dying. ''Now there are only 150 people left, and if this continues, they will all die today.'' It was very painful. Actually, it was something that would happen someday. In the end, it was thanks to his younger brother, Hwang Dong-su, that he was able to rise to prominence in Jisan Prison. And the reason why he was able to escape by uniting the hearts of 500 prisoners was also the same. In order to escape from Jisan Prison, he lied to all the viins there. -If we break out of prison, my brother wille for us sooner orter! -Oh oh! So, are we going to be subordinates of an S-ss viin? -Of course, b*stards! S-ss viin Hwang Dong-su will be their ally. Hwang Dong-seok''s lies moved the hearts of all the viins in Jisan Prison, and everyone participated in the prison escape. but. ''There''s no way that b*stard woulde to save me.'' Even though it had been two days since the tumultuous prison escape, Hwang Dong-su never came to Pocheon. Then, one by one, anxiety began to sprout among the viins. I trusted Hwang Dong-soo and made things grow like this, but there is no sign of himing... ...Gradually, trust in Hwang Dong-seok began to disappear. The fact that Hwang Dong-seok''s criminal record before bing a viin was that he was a fraudster also yed a role. And then finallyst night. In the future, a group of people decided to take individual action instead of following Hwang Dong-seok, and Hwang Dong-seok had no reason to stop them. No, there was no power. Hwang Dong-seok, who was not worthy of his younger brother''s name, was at best a C-level viin. ''But it doesn''t matter.'' Hwang Dong-seok smiled meaningfully and opened the door to the hiding ce where the ''old man'' was. "Inspiration! I''m in big trouble... ...omg!" At that moment, my body froze. Wow! It wasn''t just the old man in there. Countless bees were gathering and taking the shape of a woman. Chapter 148 - 148

Chapter 148:

"Hehehe!" Hwang Dong-seok was so shocked that he sat down on the spot. But no one here cares about him now. "...Arsha, what did you say just now?" The old man red at the queen of bees with his mysterious eyes. Weeeeeeng- Queen bee Arsha. The alluring lover, who appeared after countless bees had disappeared, said while making eye contact with the old man. [I said I would let go at this point.] "Why on earth? Could it be that the so-called queen was scared?" [joy. She was scared....] But despite his provocation, Arsha just snorted and crossed her arms. Suddenly her eyes turned out the window. Now, there were countless bees following him flying all over this vige. And even at this moment, a strong warning signal wasing from them. Arsha smiled and confidently responded to the old man''s words. [Then why not? She realizes that it is natural for her to run and hide when she encounters a predator she cannot deal with.] "Predator? Could it be that someone with the power of a rigid body appeared and was so frightened? "A wound like this is nothing to me." The old man noticed that Arsha''s gaze was directed towards his charred hands, and an unpleasant expression appeared on her face. "restoration." The old man recited his incantation and pped his charred hands in the air. Then, like a haze, the distorted expression of the ghost screamed and permeated above him. The old man moved his well-recovered hand and looked at Arsha with rxed eyes, persuading her. "Queen Bee Arsha, although something unexpected has suddenly urred, it does not interfere with my ns. No, it''s moving forward." [Even though the power of the rigid body broke your illusion?] "...It is true that the strength of the rigid body and the magic of the demon race are notpatible with each other. But that''s the same thing over there." Tarnak was the strong lord who ruled over all elements, including goblins and orcs. His ''Strong Body Art'' was the power to train the body to the limit and ultimately transcend the level of the soul. A rigid body technique that transcends thews of physics and can even strike spiritual bodies. On the contrary, the magic of the demon race was the power to obtain physical power using the soul as an ingredient. In short, the magic and magic of the demon race could be said to be exactly opposite abilities. "I was careless earlier and the illusion was broken, but that won''t happen again. The intruder is now wandering through thebyrinth without even being able to find my location." [And what if you eventually find it?] "Then what else? All I have to do is cast another illusion. "They have already entered my territory on their own, so it is impossible to escape." [Because it''s impossible.... Confidence is good, but is there anything impossible in this world? This is a world where even the absolute gods, let alone the great monarchs, are dead.] The old man eventually got up from his seat due to Arsha''s tant sarcasm. "Cluck. "Isn''t this a better world?" A thin, decrepit body. This body originally belonged to the ''head'' of this Yamiri vige. There were many other strong humans in the vige, but there was a reason why he possessed such a skinny body. "I am Harmacan, the great chief of the Demon Spirit Tribe. And he is a great demon who will be the next king." Harmakan smiled the cruelest smile and raised his bony arms. Wow- Then, desperate screams echoed from the air. At Harmakan''s fingertips, ghosts as pale as a haze were screaming in pain. Seeing that scene, Harmacan burst intoughter with an extremely mean smile. "Look at this. "Do you think I''m going to engage in a clumsy direct grab with idiots who only believe in their physical strength?" ...Hehehe. Hwang Dong-seok, who witnessed the scene while sitting in a corner, turned pale. Among the ghosts were some of his men who had been beheaded by an intruder a little while ago. Yes. All of Harmakan''s illusions were made using the souls of people who died in this vige. Considering the number of people who died in this vige, it was natural for him to feel confident now. Har Makan, who was teasing the translucent ghosts like toys with his bony fingers, chuckled. "Cluck. Great demons always make detailed ns and fight behind the scenes. "There are plenty of people who can be sent instead." [...] ...Tsk. I don''t know who is more scared.] Arsha was shaking her head as if she was disgusted by those words. But Harma Khan was proud. "That would be you giving up the fight and leaving. I''ll give you another chance. "Stay and help me." [hate. If I had known ''he'' woulde here, I wouldn''t have evene here in the first ce.] The bees that made up Arsha''s body were shaking, showing the embarrassment she was feeling right now. [...] ...I stillck the strength and power to deal with ''him''.] At this point, Harmakan also became curious. "Daejoint, what kind of ''him'' are you talking about, and why are you so afraid? If he followed the progress of the Lord of Strong Body, aren''t you a descendant of the Lord of gue? I can take on him alone, but if the two of us join forces, it''s much better... ...." [He is not a descendant of a rigid monarch, but a descendant of a canine monarch.] "what? "Fang Lord, what does that mean?" Harmakan looked even more iprehensible at Arsha''s words. The word "Fang Lord" suddenly reminded me of the giant wolf he was riding. It was not unusual for a descendant of a canine lord to have such arge wolf. But there was something I couldn''t understand. "If he is a descendant of the Fang Lord, how can he use the power of a rigid body?" [I don''t even know that far. But one thing is certain. he is...You have be much stronger than when I met you.] Arsha chewed her lips with a perplexed expression. After getting beaten up by Suho in the past, she had no intention of confronting him. Even now, the situation is much more unfavorable than then. He lost all of his spear knights and became weak, but Su-ho, whom he met after a long time, was much stronger than then. [The n to train new Lancers from the viins here has beenpletely canceled. Since he appears anyway, they will all die.] With those words, Arsha''s body began to scatter into numerous bees. Then, as if it was a waste of time to even talk to him anymore, he opened the window and went out. Harmacanughed at her andughed at her actions without the slightest hesitation. "...A coward like that would seed Quresha. "The king of bugs won''t appear for a while." Harmakan immediately withdrew his attention from Arsha, as if he was okay with it. "It''s better. "The flying insects that were snooping around to prey on my ns have disappeared, so now the souls here belong solely to me." And he extended his hand to Hwang Dong-Seok, who was sitting on the floor with a cold gaze. "...Huh?!" Following the gesture, Hwang Dong-seok''s body suddenly stiffened and rose into the air. Hwang Dong-seok, whose limbs were bound, screamed desperately in fear. "Woah, old man! Ah, no, old man! Why are you doing this? Our contract is... ...!" "Cluck. OK. "I had a contract with you." At those words, Harmakan smiled wickedly and his eyes lit up. He approached Hwang Dong-Seok, who was a powerful figure in Jisan Prison, and there was one reason he induced a great escape. "Our contract allows you to lead your men outside of prison. And I take the souls you killed." "Yes, that''s right! But why me... ...!" "Why? "Are you asking because you don''t know that?" Harmakan tilted his head and asked back at Hwang Dong-Seok, who was struggling in the air and protesting. "Isn''t it possible for you to lead your men even after you die?" "..."Kwaak!" Quad deck! Harmakan grabbed his bony hand, and at the same time, Hwang Dong-seok''s body, which was floating in the air, suddenly crumpled. Hwang Dong-seok, whose bones were all shattered, vomited blood and died. Harmakan''s grim voice whispered to his soul. "It''s okay to be happy. "I will especially use your soul as a Death Knight for the Demon Race." Kwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa Harmakan savored his meal with a satisfied smile as he heard the soul of Chaldeongseok, held in his hands, cry out. "I like evil souls like you." * * * "Surrender! "It''s surrender!" "I''m going back to prison!" "...." Esil was dumbfounded as he saw the viins suddenly losing their will to fight and raising their hands in surrender. "No, so suddenly? "Shouldn''t we rebel a little bit?" "What can I do? "Their leader ran away first." Suho chuckled and shrugged his shoulders. However, even though the viins surrendered, the battle was notpletely over. Spot! Sigh! "Kruk!" "Oops!" "Save me! Please stop this!" Because even at this very moment, someone transparent was passing by those who had lost their will to fight and mercilessly cut their throats. For Kang Tae-sik, a shadow soldier who enjoyed killing, the moment they surrendered was the right time to kill them more easily. [It''s pretty good.] Ver was nodding his head with a special expression on his face as he looked at the guys Kang Tae-sik was killing. [They don''t just kill them randomly, they only select and kill those with a strong scent of blood.] "The smell of blood? "Among those viins, you''re only killing those who have killed people?" [...] ...Yes that''s right.] Suddenly, Kang Taesik appeared in front of Suho and bowed his head. [Even when I was alive, I could roughly tell who hadmitted murder just by looking at their eyes. Among them, I could immediately recognize those who especially enjoyed murder.] Since Kang Tae-sik enjoyed killing, it was a talent that was close to recognizing his people. [But then I died and was reborn, and now I see it much more clearly than then.] "It''s called a viin discriminator." Suho nodded, saying it was an amazing ability. He turned his gaze back to the viins and asked Kang Tae-Sik. "Then who is still alive?" [At least they are not people who have murdered with their own hands. They were probablymon criminals in prison as well.] "Yes, that''s right!" As if they had been waiting for those words, the viins all started screaming. "I''m just a fraud!" "Well, I''m just threatening...!" "Even though I''ve hit people before...! Huh?!" Sigh- Blood spurted out. Kang Tae-Sik, who quickly approached and cut off thest guy''s head, returned to Su-ho and nodded. [sorry. That guy was a bit ambiguous, but I think it would be better to just kill him.] "...." "...." Suho and Esil, who were looking at this scene in silence, suddenly became aware of each other and made eye contact. And Suho saw. The demon noble Eshil was talking to himself with his mouth open. ''I''m a little scared of this guy.'' Suho answered those words with his eyes. ''Then you are the devil....'' It was then. "...!" Suho''s eyes shed for a moment, and he suddenly stretched out his hand into the air and snatched something. Wow! "Look at this?" Suho twitched the corner of his mouth as he watched the bee fluttering in his hand. But the eyes were not smiling. [The King of Bugs, the Lord of gue, looks pleased.] "Come out, Arsha." At Suho''s words, the bee that was caught in his hand trembled. Chapter 149 - 149

Chapter 149:

... Wow! A swarm of bees came down from the sky and coalesced into one on Suho''s palm. Queen bee Arsha. As soon as she revealed herself, she gently ced her hand on her chest and bowed her waist. [It''s been a while, Seong Su-ho. How have you been?] "It got a little smaller while I wasn''t looking." Arsha responded to Suho''s words with a bitter smile. [yes. My body has already left this vige.] Currently, Arsha was floating in front of Suho in a doll-like size. [This is my alter ego created by gathering scout bees that were left around.] "reconnaissance?" [Keeeeek! As expected, you were also part of the demon tribe!] As Suho''s eyebrows rose, Ber immediately grabbed Arsha''s waist with a strong hand and growled. Since Arsha was so small, the size of her Ber seemed veryrge inparison. Arsha, who was appalled by her ferocious spirit, responded urgently. [Oh, no. At one point, she decided to do that, but they didn''t agree so they broke up a little while ago.] "Breakup?" [yes. In the first ce, I had no intention of being hostile towards Seong Su-ho... ....] "What, you are Quresha''s people?!" Esil''s eyes widened at the sudden appearance of Arsha. However, the person who was most embarrassed here was Arsha herself. Arsha let out a small exmation as she looked at her Essil while being held by her Ver''s hand. [...] ...When I saw him from afar, I thought he was a real devil noble. It is an honor to meet the great demon noble like this.] "Hmm. Yes, it could be an honor." In response to Arsha''s polite greeting, the corner of her mouth twitched and she responded. She then cocked her nose and introduced herself haughtily. "I am Esil, the eldest daughter of the Ladir family. "Who are you?" [Ah, it was the Radir family. My name is Queen Bee Arsha.] "..."What are you guys doing now?" Next to me, Suho made a bewildered expression. Arsha felt dizzy at the sight of Suho and Esil looking close to each other. ''I never would have thought that there were demon nobles still alive.'' What he meant was that there was a high probability that the devil in front of him would one day be a descendant of the Demon King. And such an amazing being is now apanion of Seongsuho, a descendant of the Fang Lord. No, moreover, how on earth did a descendant of the Fang Lord gain the power of a strong body...? .... ''I can''t even guess what''s going on with therge joint.'' Besides, isn''t it borate? What on earth is this small outskirt vige that brings so many races together in one ce? And the fact that her strength was currently the weakest among the races gathered here frustrated Arsha more than anything else. ''As expected, this vige was a ce that did more harm than good.'' Arsha said that she should never have set foot here in the first ce and that sheter regretted it. Anyway, in this situation, there was ultimately only one option given to her. To fall t. Even if the main body had already left this ce, it was urgent to avoid causing as much hatred as possible in case one encountered Suho again like today. [Seong Su-ho, I didn''t do anything here except scouting.] Arsha fervently maintained her innocence. She then began to open up honestly about her past experiences. [Since ''that day'', I have been wandering around looking for ces where Seong Su-ho is not as much as possible. But it turned out to be not as easy as I thought.] The problem started when Suho suddenly said he wanted to be a guild leader and was moving around to build up his dungeon experience. Whether it was coincidence or bad luck, wherever Arsha moved, Suho would visit the nearby dungeon. From the guardian''s perspective, it was just a matter of stopping by for a day, but Arsha had no choice but to leave the area in a hurry, even though it was ominous. Then Arsha couldn''t do anything, so she finally made up her mind. In this case, I would rather go to another country where Seong Su-ho is not present. However, the problem is that the Korean Penins is made up of sea on three sides. Bees couldn''t fly across the Pacific and Antic to another country. [...] ...However, if you try to hide in an airne, these days, airnes are under strict security to prevent viins from sneaking in.] Given the situation, there was ultimately only one option left to Arsha. North Korea. [I was just moving north to go to another country. Then, I happened to encounter Harmacan near here.] "Harmacan?" [yes. Harmacan, the war chief of the Demon Race, was nning to use the viins of Jisan Prison to increase his power, and offered me help with reconnaissance.] [Anyway, I guess it helped.] As Ber''s grip on her waist strengthened, Arsha hurriedly finished speaking. [At first, I thought it was a n to use viins who deserved to die, so I only helped them a little! If I had known it would get this big, I would never have helped.] Arsha was truly aggrieved. Didn''t he already encounter Suho while he was resolving the viin situation? However, I couldn''t help but think that if the viins caused another incident, Su-ho mighte to visit again. [The n that Harma Khan initially told me was to kill the viins in Jisan Prison and use them as material for his shaman camp.] Arsha, who judged that Su-ho would not care if the viins in the prison died, as long as the viins killed the citizens, readily epted the offer. What Harmacan wanted from her was to scout out the situation within her prison and the movements of the viins after they escaped. [If I just helped with the reconnaissance, she agreed to give me some viins to create new spear knights in return. But it turns out....] Arsha thought that the moment the viins escaped, Harmakan would kill them all. Then, the n was to keep some of them alive rather than kill them, and feed them royal jelly to transform them into the new queen bee''sncers. But the n went awry when the viins escaped all at once. [Harmacan especially likes souls tainted by evil.] Harmakan wanted to further defile the souls of viins to make his shamans more powerful. And it was an extremely simple thing. As Hwang Dong-seok, who leads them, is a viin with an extremely greedy personality, he does things on his own even with a little coaxing from his side. The moment the viins, led by Hwang Dong-seok, escaped from prison and arrived in a nearby vige, they liberated the freedom that had been suppressed for so long. And the sight was truly terrible. The moment when awakened people with superhuman abilities be free from thew. Because it was a living hell. [This vige is already heavily under Harmakan''s spell. And that spell further fueled the viins'' desires.] Suho, who was listening to Arsha''s words, suddenly turned to the side. Then, the viins who had not yet been killed but kept alive tried to avoid his gaze with servile expressions. The surprise of Arsha''s sudden appearance onlysted for a moment. As the story of what they had done so far flowed out of Arsha''s mouth, she felt that her life was in danger. Of course, they were not directly involved in the tragedy that urred in this vige, as they had not yet been killed by the sword of shadow assassin Kang Tae-Sik. But they also destroyed viges to their heart''s content, and the reason they didn''t kill people was just... .... This was because he had been confined to nearby restaurants and bars to eat the food and alcohol he could not eat in prison. Sigh. [Shall we kill them all?] The viins''plexions turned pale as they saw Kang Tae-Sik, the shadow assassin who noticed Su-ho''s gaze, raising his dagger as if he had been waiting. "No, wait." Suho raised his hand to stop Kang Tae-sik. "Don''t kill anyone from now on." [...] ...yes.] Kang Tae-sik lowered the dagger again without saying a word due to his firm will. However, the reason why Suho told him not to kill the viins was by no means because he felt sorry for them. "It seems that the more someone dies in this vige, the stronger the magic of the demon tribe bes." [you''re right. As expected, Seong Su-ho is truly an amazing person. You can see right through the core of Harmacan''s magic circle!] Arsha couldn''t help but be surprised by Suho''s words. The demon race''s evil magic, which treated souls like toys, was aplex magic that was difficult for other races to understand. Arsha also knew this because she heard it from Harmakan, but she couldn''t figure out anything just by looking at it vaguely. But it wasn''t difficult for Suho. This is because system messages that I had never seen before appeared above the corpses of the dead viins. [There is no soul, so extraction is impossible.] [There is no soul, so extraction is impossible.] [There is no soul, so extraction is impossible.] The missing soul probably fell into Harmacan''s hands. Arsha''s story is that Harmacan tried to kill the viins and use them as material for a sorcerer''s camp. Putting all these stories together, the answer was obvious. The more people who die here, the stronger Harmakan''s spell will be. [Seong Su-ho, if you trust me, I will show you the way to get out of this vige.] It was Arsha who quickly stepped forward and said she would tell Suho''s escape route. No matter how much of the magic of the Demon Spirit tribe was activated in this vige, Arsha was already the one who evacuated the main body from here. but. "no." Suho tly refused her help. It wasn''t that he didn''t trust her. "In times like these, we need to attack head-on." Suho looked ahead with his eyes shining. The Death Knights sent by Harmacan were already walking there. thud. thud. thud. thud. Hollow full body armor was walking towards me. Just looking at the ominous energy wafting inside was creepy. "W-what is that!" Theplexions of the viins who had surrendered to Su-ho turned pale due to the enormous force. but. Suho was the opposite. [Death Knight] [Death Knight] .... These guys even have name tags on their heads. The corners of Suho''s mouth couldn''t help but go up when he saw that. "It''s Harmakan..."He was surprisingly a good guy, right?" [What a remarkable guy.] Ber followed Suho and smiled sinisterly. Suddenly, Suho nced at Esil, and Esil noticed the gaze and immediately stepped back. She was not to be disturbed from now on. "..."You''re creating monsters from the souls of viins with little experience." Suho smiled meaningfully, raised his dual swords, and jumped forward with Gray. "Crunch!" Now, it was time to level up. Crumbling! That moment. The two huge hands of Harmacan sprouted from the ground, tore down the surrounding buildings, and struck the guardian. Wow! "What an amazing talent." Suho chose to attack head-on. Chapter 150 - 150

Chapter 150:

... The real disaster has begun. Grumble! Thend and all the buildings of Yamiri Vige began to twist and sway like strong waves. [Harmakan''s spell is not just a hallucination! It''s a real thing with physical power, so you have to be careful!] As warned by Arsha, who was captured by Ber, Harmacan''s magic circle,plete with numerous deaths, was truly showing the extremes of illusion. [He who inherits the power of the rigid body! Feel free to show off your tricks!] With a bizarre sound ofughter echoing across the red sky. Wajikkeun! Harmakan''s huge hand violently tore the building apart and mmed it towards Guardian. Suho, rushing forward, swung his sword and split the building in two. Above, therge buses thrown by Harmacan''s hand flew one after another and exploded in front of Guardians. Qarring! Ku-kwa-kwa-kwaang! The debris from the sidewalk blocks that exploded with the explosion flew in all directions. The all-out attack of Harmakan''s Death Knights, the armored unit charging through the dust, began. Ahhh! "Ugh!" "What on earth are these?!" The viins who had surrendered to Su-ho became frantic and began to hurriedly block the Death Knights'' attacks. But no matter how they looked, they had no chance of winning. There was an unrealistic disaster everywhere, with the ground shaking below and piles of buildings falling overhead. The number of Death Knights charging unstoppably onto the trembling ground was at least several hundred. On the other hand, there were only a few dozen people. They were overwhelmingly inferior both environmentally and numerically. "Hey, this must be a dream!" "It''s a nightmare!" Moreover, the viins whocked experience dealing with monsters had no idea how to deal with these Death Knights. "The armor is empty!" "I''ve heard that before! "It''s a monster called Living Armor!" "What does a name like that matter now?! "Tell me how to kill him!" "Armor! "We have to destroy the armor!" "Who asks that because they don''t know?! So how do you destroy it?" "Tae, while the tank blocks from the front, the dealer...!" "Ah, so the armor is too hard!" A hectic battle unfolded with viins fighting all over the ce. It was then. One viin who had at least some dungeon experience shouted as he recalled his memories. "no! "Gaps, when dealing with living armor like this, you have to aim for the gaps in the armor!" "A gap in the armor!" Information that seemed useful at least caught the attention of the viins. "Yes, yes! Aiming for the gaps in the armor... ...!" It was then. "Move!" Suho''s voice suddenly sounded from above their heads. The eyes of the viins who looked up at him were filled with astonishment. "...!" "Bounce, bounce...!" At that moment, Suho caught therge bus thrown by Harmacan out of the air with both hands. Wow!!! Therge bus was pushed down and pinned to the ce where the Death Knights were gathered. Ku-kwa-kwa-kwaang! Death Knights bounce in all directions like bowling pins. Those who were in the middle of it were crushed to death by therge bus. Suho, whonded in front of the scattered viins in a panic, grinned and showed his teeth. "Because these are all my prey." Damn it! Volkan''s horn, which had been in the inventory for a while, was pulled out again in Suho''s hands. bang! Seeing him kick the ground again and jump forward, the viins who managed to step back couldn''t keep their mouths shut. "S-you''re crazy...." "We were trying to fight someone like that... ...?" "Is it hell outside the prison? ...." It was a moment when I truly regretted escaping from prison. However, unlike Suho''s performance, the reality was not easy. Kang! Kang! Kang! Kang! Kang! ''The damage is not as effective as expected.'' The Death Knights who were hit by Volkan''s horn wielded by Suho took less damage than expected, even though their armor was dented. ''Defense is higher than expected.'' Their armor was thick, and more than anything, the surface was slippery, so hitting a target didn''tnd properly and it was easy to slip. Wow! [Do you think my Death Knights will die with just that much attack?!] The Death Knights, who had been thrown away with Harmacan''s bizarreughter, rose again and attacked Guardian. Boom! At that time, the Death Knight''s sword made arge straight line. Suho ducked his head to avoid the attack. He simultaneously leaped forward and let go of Volkan''s horn he was holding. I hit that guy''s head with my bare hands! I grabbed it and tore it off with force. Kwasik! The hollow helmet was grabbed by Suho''s hand and pulled out. At the same time, the empty interior of the armor is visible to Suho''s field of vision. Suho, staring at the ominous spirit, or rather, soul, overflowing within him, smiled, showing his teeth. "Yes, as long as the outside is hard." Shwaaak! Volkan''s horn, which was dropped from his hand for a moment, flew through the air and returned to Guardian''s hand. "It will be soft inside." Kwasik! Suho held his sword backward and thrust it straight into the empty hole. ...! A silent scream erupted from inside the armor. As Suho pulled out the sword from within, a system message appeared. [The Death Knight has been defeated.] Suho smiles. "Yeah, this is what it feels like." [Now there is only one. There are still a few hundred more left.] Suho nodded his head at Ber''s words. "know. "More than that, it seems like these guys can''t be recycled?" [yes. Unfortunately, it seems that it is because the soul was consumed as an ingredient for the demon race''s evil spell.] As Ber said, saying that it was a waste, this message was floating above the Death Knight that had just been killed. [Extracting contaminated Manara shadows is impossible.] It was like the time of the Devil''s Soul. but. "What do you think? "You can just recycle it." Suho smiled mischievously as he looked at the space of the Death Knight where his head had been torn off. "Quay." [yes.] "Go in." [Follow orders.] Shwaaagh! At that moment, from Guardian''s shadow, Quay seeped into the Death Knight''s armor that had lost its owner. Suho grinned as he put the helmet he had torn off with his own hands back on Quay''s head. "Okay, if you do this, you''re now a recycled Quay Knight." [The name is a bit...Huh.] Quay seemed to want to say something but kept his mouth shut. But whatever the name, Quay''s appearance wearing Death Knight armor was quite convincing. thud. thud. The appearance of ck vapor leaking through the cracks of the hard body armor was simr to but different from that of Harmakan''s Death Knights. especially. Shwaaagh! A long spear made of ck energy shot out from the hands of Quay Knight, or rather Quay. [The Master''s enemy is my enemy.] Schwak- Quay swung the ck spear and rammed it into the helmet of the Death Knight who was attacking him just in time. Kwasik! [master! I, Quay, will watch Master''s back! Enter the battle with peace of mind!] Quay thought to himself, "That figure was truly reliable," and began the battle triumphantly. Ber was impressed by the sight and pped. [As expected, you are the Solord! If this is the case, we will be able to increase our troops as much as possible!] But before he could finish his words, the figure of the shadow assassin Kang Tae-sik disappeared, and suddenly the helmet of a nearby Death Knight was pulled out of its own ord. Kang Tae-Sik, who quickly jumped into it, began an invisible battle with the soul residing within it. Kwasik! Sigh! Sigh! Sigh! Kwasik! For a moment, numerous sounds of cutting continued, and then a message came to mind. [The Death Knight has been defeated.] "Oh. you are good?" Suho admires Kang Tae-sik''s unexpected performance. Kang Tae-sik got out before he knew it and ran to pull off another Death Knight''s helmet. Suho made the shadow soldier Mino dwell in the empty armor that Kang Tae-sik defeated. Originally, the size of the armor couldn''t have been the right size, but as it was armor specially made by the Great Chief of the Demon Spirit Tribe, the size was naturally adjusted to fit Mino perfectly. [Mmmuuuu-!] Boom boom boom! As soon as he put on his armor, Mino charged furiously at his enemies andunched a shoulder attack. Suho dressed Tau in armor like that. As the number of armored soldiers following Suho increased one by one, Harmacan, who saw this, could not help but be greatly embarrassed. [What on earth did you do? Howe my Death Knights... ...!] "You should have been good at it regrly." [Gaaaa!] Enraged, Harmakan''s huge hand began throwing the surrounding buildings at Guardian again. Ku-kwa-boom-boom! ... Although it was just a random attack, its power was truly daunting. The numerical inferiority remained the same. but. ''I''m just getting used to the pattern now.'' Suho rode Gray and properly dodged the flying buildings. While all therge-scale attacks were focused on Su-ho, his shadow soldiers steadily reduced the number of other Death Knights. "oh my god...." The viins who were running away scattered all over the ce were speechless at the sight. However, the shock to Arsha, who was still being held by Ber''s hand, was much greater than that. [No, what is this....] The Suho who interfered with his work in the past and the Suho now have bepletely different people. Power and speed. It wasn''t just a problem at that level. [The status has changed. There is no way something like this is possible for humans... ...?] I was just confused. [What on earth happened during this time? ....] And then I realized it again. I thought humans were the most uncivilized and weak race. The fact that there are beings among those humans that must never be touched. The fact that it is impossible for me to ever be able to oppose Seong Su-ho with my current self, or even with my abilities. [The Death Knight has been defeated.] [The Death Knight has been defeated.] [The Death Knight has been defeated.] .... [Your level has risen!] [Your level has risen!] "Good!" Because there were so many Death Knights, their levels were rising steadily. [No matter how you look at it, he is an amazing guy. How about capturing them and hiring them as shadow soldiers? Turn all remaining viins into Death Knights and kill them.] It was Ver who was plotting an evil n using Harmacan and whispering to Suho. Not only did Ver, who was not human to begin with, have no interest in things like humanity, but he couldn''t help but envy Harmakan since he said he could only turn evil souls into monsters anyway. However, the contaminated ghosts of the Death Knights could not be turned into shadow soldiers, so it was unclear what would happen to Harmakan himself. [I will find out once I kill it.] And Ver''s eyes, who had been searching the surroundings while waving his antennae from earlier, shed. [I found it.] Chapter 151 - 151

Chapter 151:

... Meanwhile, the White Tiger Guild, which was tracking down the viins, was going through terrible difficulties. "Vice President, the traces of the viins have been lost again." "...Is that so." Baek Mi-ho frowned at the guild member''s report. There were particrly dense forests and mountains around Jisan Prison located in Pocheon City. So, the White Tiger Guild has been closely tracking all the predictable movement routes of viins in Bojangsan Mountain, Bulmusan Mountain, and Eunjangsan Mountain along the Hantangang River for two days already. But the result was always the same. "Teams B and C also contacted us saying they missed the trace." "..."I see." Nodding his head, Baek Mi-ho scanned the sunny, sun-drenched ridge with a mixed gaze. Whiing- A cool wind blew through the mountain ridge. In a dense forest. It was a perfect environment for viins to hide, but they were nowhere to be found. "...." Baek Mi-ho put together in his head all the clues he had found out so far. ''At some point, the viins who escaped from Jisan Prison dispersed.'' At first, when I saw the traces, I considered the possibility that the viins were divided due to a conflict of opinion at the same time as the prison escape. In reality, that was the most likely possibility. In the first ce, they were united for one purpose: to escape from prison. Hwang Dong-seok, the leader, was only a C-level viin, so Hwang Dong-seok''s leadership could not have been maintained by the viins forever. ''But those scattered traces disappeared? And that too, without even one person left?'' Is this a coincidence? ''No way.'' A special purpose was felt in the viins'' actions. In the end, the purpose could not help bute down to one conclusion. "...No matter how you look at it, it doesn''t look like it''s divided. "It seems like they dispersed and promised to gather again in a specific area." The guild member nodded with a heavy expression at Baek Mi-ho''s words. "I think so too. It''s hard to believe, but it seems like all 500 people are moving with one purpose. I don''t know what the purpose is, but the probability is high... ...." "Hwang Dong-su, I guess." "...." The guild members were silent at Baek Mi-ho''s words. He had no choice but to hold back his words. If an S-ss viin had been involved, this would not have been normal. Baek Mi-ho sighed softly and continued. "In the end, the possibility that Hwang Dong-soo was involved in this incident is increasingly increasing." "I heard that you received information from Hunter Seong Su-ho that the probability of that happening is low." "Yes, I heard that." Baek Mi-ho muttered, recalling the information given to her by Su-ho. "Brothers Hwang Dong-seok and Hwang Dong-soo are not close to each other." This was information that Su-ho learned as soon as he met Kang Tae-sik, and in return, Baek Mi-ho shared with Su-ho all the routes that the Baekho guild is currently searching. Thanks to that information, Suho began tracking the remaining areas, with Gray at the head. As agreed in advance, they were cooperating and sharing information. Baek Mi-ho was greatly relieved after hearing the information Su-ho gave her. The value of the information was so significant that Kang Tae-sik, a professional bounty hunter, only told it specifically to Su-ho. In the first ce, the most representative reason why other hunters were concerned about this mass escape was the possibility that Hwang Dong-su was involved. "Maybe that information is wrong. No, rather than saying it''s wrong, no matter how conflicted we may be, from my younger brother''s perspective, I probably wouldn''t want my older brother to die." "Blood is thicker than water..."Is that so?" Baek Mi-ho''s expression became confused at the guild member''s words. The most unwanted thing was gradually bing a reality. The power of an S-ss awakened person is truly a natural disaster. Hwang Dong-su could never handle it with just the power of the Baekho Guild currently deployed. ''Of course, if you do your best, you can cause at least some damage, but....'' Instead, they will have to risk their lives. Perhaps even annihtion had to be prepared. ''After all, the only thing that can deal with an S-ss is the same S-ss.'' After organizing his thoughts, Baek Mi-ho finally made a decision. "As expected, I have to ask my father, or rather the boss, for support." "yes! "We will contact you right away!" As soon as Baek Mi-ho finished speaking, a guild member immediately contacted the president''s office. And after a while, the answer came back. "The boss also said he would rush to Pocheon as soon as possible!" Baek Mi-ho breathed a sigh of relief at those words. The reason Baek Yun-ho, the president of the Baekho Guild, did not step forward in this situation from the beginning was extremely simple. Because I''m busy. This was not simply a question of ransom. The very few S-ss hunters were running around frantically at this very moment, taking on the most dangerous ces among the country''s dungeons. So, like now, all matters that required legwork were handled by Baek Mi-ho, the vice president. That was the most efficient, and it was also the most effective way to protect the safety of citizens from dungeons and demonic beasts. but. ''Now I''ve sold all my feet.'' The work they had done so far was not in vain. After all those areas were removed using the elimination method, there were only a few areas left. And one of them is right over there. ''Yamiri.'' At that moment, Baek Mi-ho was leading the guild members to a small vige in Pocheon City that had not been searched until now. Then, Baek Mi-ho suddenly remembered. ''Oh, now that I think about it, this is the direction that Hunter Seong Su-ho said he would search.'' In that case, Hunter Seong Su-ho would probably have passed by that vige as well. Considering that no contact had been made yet, there was a high possibility that no traces had been found in that vige either. Even if you look at it from a distance now, it looks too quiet to say anything happened. Baek Mi-ho gave an order to the guild members with a bitter smile. "We will pass through the vige as quickly as possible so that the citizens will not be anxious." And as soon as I stepped into Yamiri Vige, the vige was as quiet and peaceful as I saw it from the outside. Should I say that it is like a town on the outskirts? A quiet atmosphere where you can''t even see people walking around on the streets.... Creepy. "What?" At that moment, Baek Mi-ho noticed the strange atmosphere of Yamiri Vige, and her expression hardened. And that was the same for the members of the White Tiger Guild, which was made up of beast hunters. "Vice President! "Something is strange!" "I didn''t feel any signs of people in the vige...!" * * * And that time. "White Tiger Guild?" The White Tiger Guild was also seen in the eyes of Guardian, who was continuing the battle by moving in the direction indicated by Ber to find Harmakan. At that moment, members of the Baekho guild, led by Baekmiho, were entering Yamiri Vige. Suho, who was approaching the ce through a hectic battle, could not help but be embarrassed. Suddenly, a system message he had never seen before appeared in front of him. Tiring! [You cannot leave the dungeon. Defeat the boss or use the hearthstone.] "hmm? what?" Suho knocked on the transparent wall blocking his path with a puzzled expression. Boom, boom! "Is it a barrier?" But an even more curious thing happened next. "Vice President! Something is strange... ...." "The presence of people in the vige... ...." Slurp. On the other hand, the White Tiger Guild members who were entering the vige were able to walk through the transparent barrier without any problem. And with that wall as the boundary, their figures disappeared from Suho''s sight. "uh?" Suho''s eyes widened. It seemed like there was a different space between here and beyond, bordered by this invisible wall. As Suho tried to force himself to leave, he received another message. Tiring. [You cannot leave the dungeon. Defeat the boss or use the hearthstone.] Ber, aware of the situation, touched the transparent wall with a serious expression. [This can''t be right....] "Do you know anything?" [It looks like we are now in an instance dungeon.] "Instance dungeon?" Suho made a puzzled expression. As far as he knew, there were two types of dungeons. Normal dungeons and field-type dungeons entered through gates. But what about instance dungeons? Regardless of whether such a dungeon existed, he had never even set foot in the gate in the first ce. "Did we pass through the gate without us knowing?" [It''s not that kind of problem. In the first ce, an instance dungeon is not a dungeon that exists.] There was another reason why Ber became serious. [Instance dungeons are dungeons developed by Candiaru, the designer of the level-up system. And the purpose is only....] It was to help Seong Jin-woo, who was the Shadow Lord''s vessel, grow! Suho''s expression hardened at Ber''s exnation. "A dungeon developed by Candiaru? But how did Harmakan create it?" Meanwhile, Harmakan''s huge hand was attacking the guardian trapped in the vige. Crumbling! Suho dodged the attack and his eyes lit up. "Well, you''ll know if you ask directly." [yes. It is just around the corner.] Thanks to Ver, it was Su-ho who discovered the exact location where Harmacan was hiding. He violently smashed through the wall of the onlymercial building that was unharmed despite this natural disaster and entered. Boom! [Hey, you guy! How dare you find me!] Harmakan, who was hiding inside, gritted his teeth and recited a spell. [But just because you found me doesn''t mean you can kill me! Because the spell has already beenpleted!] Harma Khan quickly spread his hands and unfolded his magic formation. Kaaaaaa-! Numerous ghosts swirled from his hands and attacked Suho. But Suho was not fooled. "It''s a genjutsu all the way." As he dodged the ghosts, he stretched out his hand and blew Volkan''s horn aside. ''The power of the ruler!'' Chop-chop-chawn! A dazzling beam of light began to cut through the entire space, creating numerous straight lines. and. bang! [...] ...Pfft.] ... Something amazing happened. With a short groan, Volkan''s horn stuck in the empty air. Slurp. At that moment, the real Harmakan that was hiding there began to slowly reveal itself. Volkan''s horn was pierced in the middle of his bony body. [Dae, how on earth....] At that moment, something strange happened. Hwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa The moment when Harmacan, the center of this shaman group, was directly attacked. An invisible wave centered around his body and spread out in all directions. Tiring. [Contaminated mana is purified.] [Contaminated mana is purified.] The ghosts of the Death Knights that had been contaminated by Harmakan''s shamans began to be purified one by one. But for now, that was probably good for Harmakan. [This power... ....] Harmakan was looking down at Volkan''s horn that had pierced him with a very embarrassed expression. The reason he was surprised was not simply because Su-ho was not fooled by the hallucination and found the ce where he was hiding. This was because he noticed that the power contained in Volkan''s horn was the ''power of the ruler.'' [How on earth can you use the power of a ruler? ...!] Harmakan shouted at Suho with an expression filled with astonishment. Originally, the ruler''s power was not simply telekinesis. That power, as the name suggests, can only be used by rulers... .... It was a symbol of angels born from light and a unique ability that allowed them to fly in the sky. Their sky soldiers could fly using wings, but their rulers could fly without wings. And the ability that made it possible was the ''power of the ruler.'' But how? How on earth could a mere human being use this power? [Surely there are fragments of the rulers... ...No, that can''t be possible.] Harmakan, who saw Suho''s appearance right before his eyes, was able to make a statement. It''s clear that he''s an unusual human, but hasn''t he been using the power of a canine lord or a strong-body lord ever since? A force that is opposite to the rulers. Then suddenly. [No, wait.] Harmacan''s eyes soon began to be filled with fear as he realized the incredible truth. [Seo, no way you....] Descendants of the Fang Lords? Descendants of the Lord of the Strong Body? No, that can''t be! It was impossible to inherit the power of monarchs born in the dark and at the same time use the power of a ruler born in the light. But there was just one exception. [You are the Shadow Lord... ...!] Stand tall. At those words, Suho, who had been running to defeat the surrounding ghosts and Death Knights and finish off Harmakan, suddenly stopped. Then he looked a little embarrassed and muttered. "..."Oh, I got caught." and. Sigh. Suddenly, his eyes looked around at the fallen Death Knights around him. "Then there''s nothing you can do." [Shadow extraction is possible.] [Shadow extraction is possible.] .... Numerous messages float above the shadows of purified Death Knights. Suho slowly raised the corner of his mouth with a somewhat relieved expression. "Get up." Shwaaaaaaaa! [...] ...?!] At that moment, numerous shadows surrounding Harmacan began to rise at once. Chapter 152 - 152

Chapter 152:

... Ahhh! Hwang Dong-seok. His soul was screaming in the dark, shedding bloody tears. His entire body, except for his face, was bound in blood-stained chains. The chain not only wrapped itself around his body, but also passed through his soul, or was rooted at one end. This chain was the curse of punishment that Harmakan engraved on Chalcolitha''s soul and the prison of his sins in which he would remain locked up for eternity even after his death. Ahhh...! Hwang Dong-seok cries out in pain. There was no way his soul could escape this infinite pain. All he can do is. Screaming. Crying. suffering. All I could do was grit my teeth and shed bloody tears in this hellish prison that was squeezing my soul to the limit. It was then. -Get up. Finally, a voice of salvation was heard above his head, calling to his soul. Hwang Dong-seok raised his head, shedding bloody tears. Patter. At that moment, the chain broke. Harmakan''s curse, which seemed tost forever, was dissipating. The limbs were liberated. Hwang Dong-seok raised his body. but. Ahhh...! The bloody tears did not stop flowing from his eyes. The chain of curse was broken, but the prison of sin that imprisoned him was still constricting his soul. Armor of evil spirits. The Death Knight''s Curse was specially created by Harmakan to trap evil spirits. Even though the chain of this armor was broken, it still squeezed Dongseok Chalk''s soul to the limit and caused him terrible pain. But to a Death Knight, pain is power itself. Ironically, in proportion to the pain Hwang Dong-seok felt, the armor he was wearing became stronger. so that.... [Shadow ve Lv.1] elite level The spirit of Hwang Dong-seok, wearing the armor of an evil spirit, rose from the shadows, shedding bloody tears. He became a shadow soldier, but the pain he felt remained, and the number of evil spirits like him gradually increased. [Shadow ve Lv.1] [Shadow ve Lv.1] [Shadow ve Lv.1] .... Ahhh! Full body armor with swirling ck vapor. Terrible screams came out from the mouths of dozens of Death Knights wearing evil spirit armor created by Harmakan. It was a cry of pain and at the same time a roar of anger towards Harmakan, who had dressed them in such terrible armor. "Full force attack." At that moment, an order from the guardian was given to them. [Kaaaa!] [Kaaaaaa-!] Harmakan could not help but be taken aback by their fierce, fierce attacks. "Oh my... ...!" Harmakan hurriedly summoned ghosts to counter their attacks. Sigh! At the same time, he pulled out Volkan''s horn that was stuck in his body, and blood spurted out. Harmakan formed a water hole in the air with the blood and shouted a curse. "You evil spirits who dare to rebel against me! "Cursed be you all!" At that moment, the bloody smell spread all around him. [Harmacan, the war chief of the Demonic Tribe, uses ''Skill: Damage Amplification.''] [Increases the damage received by those cursed.] [Even a normal attack will result in fatal wounds.] ''Amplification of damage?'' Suho''s eyebrows rose as the system messages appeared one after another. Harmakan''s curse was applied to all shadow soldiers. Then, the attacks of his ghosts began to cause much greater damage to the shadow soldiers. At the same time, Harmakan unleashed a new curse. "Thend of death wille here!" [Harmacan, the war chief of the Demonic Tribe, uses ''Skill: Exploitation.''] [Harmakan recovers health equal to 2% of the damage inflicted on the opponent.] Shwaaagh! Then, whenever the ghosts attacked the shadow soldiers, Harmakan''s wounds from Volkan''s horn began to heal quickly. Ber was amazed by the amazing appearance and shouted to Suho. [Solord! This guy is good at curses!] "I know. "The connection is quite good." Should I call him the great chief of a tribe? A curse that amplifies damage and then absorbs a certain amount of the amplified damage. It was a fairly annoying connection. but. "It means nothing to me." Suho looked at the messages that appeared in front of him with a meaningful smile on his face. [A curse has been detected.] [The treatment begins with the effect of ''Blessing: Healthy Longevity''.] [3, 2, 1...The task has beenpleted.] ¡ª Shwaaak! Harmakan''s curse that resided in Suho''s body was instantly washed away and disappeared. The blessing received from Kandiaru, the great shaman of the Demon Race, ''Healthy Longevity'', has ovee the curse of Harmacan, the Great Chief of the Demon Race. "It is clear which of the two is superior." At the same time, Harmakan also noticed this and looked at Suho with an expression of astonishment. "Candiaru''s blessing?! As expected, you are rted to the Shadow Lord! Could it be his sessor!" It was a surprise at first, but soon Harmakan began to feast on Suho with eyes filled with greed. "Hehe! Is there such a windfall? "I thought today would only be a loss, but I never thought I would discover such valuable research material!" That moment. Whioooooooo! All the ghosts around Harmakan were swirled around and sucked in. At the same time, Harmakan''s momentum began to grow bigger and bigger in front of the guardian. Crumbling! [Harmacan, the war chief of the demon race, appears.] "...!" Harmakan escaped from the body of the head of Yamiri Vige, who was possessed by him, and revealed his true form! [Gaaaa!] [Gaaaaaa!] At that moment, the Death Knights and shadow ve soldiers who were freed from the ghosts rushed at him all at once with explosive force. ...Quang! Surprisingly, all of them were bounced back by a repulsive force that exceeded the momentum of the rush. "Hahaha!" At the center of it all, a strange energy was swirling around the body of Harmacan, who was bursting outughing. [Harmacan, the war chief of the Demonic Tribe, uses ''Skill: Thorn of Pain.''] [All pain and damage Harmacan receives is shared with the attacking target.] "A thorn of pain?" As the shadow ve soldiers were instantly annihted with just one blow, Suho frowned. ''It''s a skill that reflects the damage received and returns it to you.'' Of course, Harmakan himself could not be safe from pain and damage. But the problem is amplification of damage and exploitation. The curse skill used before was the problem. ''You share the pain, but you increase the damage your opponent receives by amplifying damage, and at the same time, you recover with exploitation skills?'' Isn''t the linking of skills truly extremely efficient? "..."He''s a really fun guy." Suho chuckled and pushed back all the shadow ve soldiers who were repairing their damaged bodies. And after he ordered all the shadow soldiers to kill the Harmakan Death Knights that were still swarming the vige. "Esil!" Now that he has discovered the boss mob, he decides to go all out on this side as well. Shwaaagh! Volkan''s horn, which Harmacan had pulled out of his body and thrown away, flew through the air and was caught by the guardian''s hand. Esil, who heard Suho''s call and rushed over, cast spirit form without saying a word. [Volkan''s horn feasts on the devil''s soul.] [Equip ''Item: Volkan''s Horn''.] [''Buff: Desire for Destruction'' is applied, increasing physical damage by 300%.] "Oh, devil''s horns?!" Suddenly, two horns sprouted on the guardian''s head, and Harmakan''s eyes filled with astonishment. "How can a descendant of the Shadow Lord use the power of a demon noble!" But it''s still too early to be surprised. Kangshin. Giant''s armor. The wind in the meadows. Gang body art. Suho applied all the skills to his body. Every time that happened, Harmakan''s eyes grew bigger as if they were about to pop out. "This is ridiculous! No matter how much he is a descendant of the Shadow Lord, how can he possess so many different powers with a mere human body? ...!" Hwioooo. The now gigantic guardian walked towards Harmacan, his silver hair flowing. "I know that? They say my father was a necromancer. "Then what am I?" Long strides. As he approached Harmacan, the smile on Suho''s lips grew stronger. bang! bang! bang! bang! bang! The two fists, engulfed by the guardian''s powerful body technique, began to rain down on Harmacan in earnest. A huge explosion erupted from each shot. The aftermath turned the entire area upside down. "Hey, Innoom! no use!" Harmakan gritted his teeth and shouted, repelling all the attacks. "No matter how much of Candiaru''s blessing you have, the thorn of pain is a curse to me!" [Harmacan, the war chief of the Demonic Tribe, uses ''Skill: Thorn of Pain.''] [All pain and damage harmakan receives is shared with the yer.] I''m crying. At that moment, blood poured out from Suho''s mouth, who was attacking without hesitation. As Suho bes stronger, the returning force also bes stronger. Seeing this, the corner of Harmakan''s mouth twitched and a bizarreugh burst out. "Kkkkkk! Yeah, I know you''re a big guy! But how long can youst?" Boom boom boom! Of course, blood was flowing from Harmakan''s mouth, which was taking the guardian''s attack intact. But Harmakan was confident. "You know what! This is an instance dungeon created with Candiaru''s legacy! And I am the king of this dungeon! That means all the ghosts who died on this earth are giving me strength!" Instance Dungeon. Candiaru''s legacy was discovered by chance in the world of illusions. Since I began studying it in earnest, Harmakan''s power has be incredibly strong. It was because of this that he, who was just an ordinary tribal chieftain, was able to rise to the level of war chief. "You only have Candiaru''s blessing, but I am different! "I, Harmacan, am a disciple of Kandiaru, the greatest shaman of the Demon Race!" Candiaru''s disciple. The implications of those words were truly enormous. The power of Candiaru, the great shaman who designed the level-up system, was once so great that even the next monarch of the Demon Race was afraid. His power was such that Harmakan became war chief just by discovering a part of Candiaru''s legacy. So, no matter how much Candiaru''s blessing protects the guardian. Thisnd of death, the instance dungeon, was also Candiaru''s legacy... .... "Haha! Go for it wherever you want! The stronger your power, the more it will eventually eat away at itself... ...." But then. "You have a long tongue." Creepy. For a moment, Harmakan couldn''t help but feel an eerie feeling at Suho''s words. ''Now, wait a minute.'' Something was strange. Now that I think about it, Suho has been sharing all the pain from before and hasn''t stopped attacking at all. Are you sick? Of course, it hurts. but. ''What do you think?'' Suho was smiling even though blood was bleeding from the corner of his mouth. "I''m also confident in my tenacity." When Suhoy down to sleep, Ber would sit next to him and tell him old stories. Although most of the stories were things that Ber had personally seen and experienced, there were also some stories about Seong Jin-woo''s younger days that Ber had heard about. ''My father also did something called a job change quest.'' The profession was first given to his father was said to be a necromancer. It was probably the first job given ording to the design of the level-up system, gradually increasing strength until the size of the bowl became suitable. However, his father had grown beyond the design of the system, and he was able to immediately be a Shadow Lord. At that time, his father''s level was only 40. However, even though he was over level 40 and was looking at level 50, he wasn''t doing any job advancement quests. The reason was obvious. The level-up system is solely for creating a vessel for the Shadow Lord. The job change quests were all just a fa?ade, and in the end, they were just steps for my father to grow into a suitable person. That''s why Suho couldn''t be a necromancer, a shadow lord, or anything else. [upation: None] Suho''s eyes shined intensely as he looked at the top section of the status window, which had been nk from the beginning. ''...therefore.'' Even if you don''t have a job. Even without job change quests. What do you think? ''It''s okay if I decide.'' For now, he just trusts this strong body he inherited from his father. All you have to do is use all your strength to crush and crush the enemy that appears in front of you and move forward. Just do that first and that''s it. "So now I''m a barbarian." Doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo! Barbarian. A warrior who withstands all pain with tenacity and attacks with all his might against a powerful enemy. "I decided that way." Tiring! [You have learned ''Skill: Martial Arts Lv.1''.] At that moment, his two fists gained even more strength. "Kaaaaaaak!" Finally, a scream of pain came from Harmakan''s mouth. Chapter 153 - 153

Chapter 153:

... He vige was quiet. It was too quiet. So it even looked peaceful. Baek Mi-ho also thought that way until she found out the truth. "Vice President! "This house is empty too!" "There''s no one in this mall either!" As she continued to hear reports, she frowned and looked around her. ''I just don''t know. ''What on earth happened in this town?'' That shouldn''t be the case, but if at least a human body had been found here, there would have been some clue as to what was going on. However, she checked all over the vige, but there was no one anywhere. ''How is this possible?'' It was a situation that made absolutely no sense. If all the vigers had left the vige, at least there should have been traces of their movements. But not even the slightest trace remained. It''s like... ...Doesn''t it seem like all the citizens of this town have disappeared in an instant? "Vice President, none of the viins at Jisan Prison have the skills to cause this phenomenon." "...yes. I know." In the end, there was only one thing to doubt in this unrealistic situation. "Is it possible that a gate has opened somewhere in this town?" "It''s realistic, but there''s no blue fog." "...." Yes. To say that a dungeon had urred, the blue fog flowing from inside the gate was nowhere to be seen. Baek Mi-ho picked up her cell phone with a serious expression as she continued to hear reports from the guild members who were searching the vige. "I need to contact the association first...." It was then. Damn it! Above their heads. A crack appeared in the clear sky. "...!" "Hey, over there!" "Look at the sky!" All the hunters'' heads rose upward at the sound of someone''s shout. Damn it! Damn it! And that moment. The cracks in the sky cracked and splintered even more, and began to shatter and copse like ss. Gurgling! "W-what!" "Everyone gather together!" "yep!" As soon as White Tiger''s abstractmand was issued, the White Tiger guild members spread out in her vige and gathered around her at a tremendous speed. "Ready for battle!" Chachachachacha! Even before hermand was over, the eyes of the White Tiger guild members, who had alreadypleted all battle stances, were burning with fighting spirit. But something even more surprising happened next. Finally, the transparent barrier that surrounded the entire vige of Yamiri like a dome shattered. Let''s go! "...!" At that moment, the hunters of the White Tiger Guild covered their noses in surprise. "Woof!" "This, this smell...?!" Suddenly, the terrible smell of blood began to emanate from all directions. I thought the sky would copse and the ground would copse or the buildings would copse, but that expectation waspletely different. The scenery of the vige had not changed at all. The only thing that has changed is that people who had disappeared have reappeared. But it was anything but peaceful. Numerous corpses with white bones exposed were strewn about on the blood-covered floor. The vige was spread across the vige in such a terrible way that it seemed as if life had been sucked out of it. "Could it be that all these citizens have disappeared...." But then. "...!" "Yes, it''s a person!" Hunters saw. On top of the tragedy revealed like this. A man standing tall in the middle of it all. Baek Mi-ho immediately recognized who he was and opened her eyes wide. "Hunter Seong Su-ho?!" "...ah." Only then did Suho raise his head and turn his gaze to the hunters of the White Tiger Guild who were looking at him. And when he made eye contact with Baek Mi-ho, he smiled faintly. "It just so happened. "I didn''t want to bother counting them all, but could you count them for me to see if there are 500 people?" "...yes?" At Suho''s words, the hunters were startled and turned their heads to look at the white skeletons around them. "Then all these corpses?!" And my eyes grew wide. "omg! "He''s a viin!" "All these corpses are viins!" "What?!" Surprisingly, the ankle bones of corpses that had turned white were filled with electronic anklets! "It''s true!" "Then how can these many viins... ...?" "You killed that person by yourself?" After confirming the truth, everyone''s attention once again focused on Suho. Even amid so many gazes filled with extreme astonishment, Suho just sighed, wiping away his blood-and-sweat-soaked hair. "after. "I feel ufortable." Even if you level up, the only thing restored is your physical strength. My clothes were still soaked with blood and sweat, so I couldn''t help but feel ufortable. ''I guess I should go back and take a shower.'' Trudging. "...." I flinch. When Baek Mi-ho saw Su-ho slowly walking towards him, he barely managed to avoid taking a step backward without realizing it. There was something strange about him. ''I didn''t feel this way when we met yesterday.'' What on earth happened to him? No, what on earth is that guy? It was so strange. The Suho I met today felt like apletely different person from the Suho I met yesterday. Baek Mi-ho''s senses, which had raised his beast transformation skill to the limit, were screaming for him to run away from Su-ho right now. "Baek Mi-ho." "...yes?!" Seeing Baek Mi-ho startled, Su-ho chuckled and passed by her. And just keep things simple. "Please do some post-processing here. As you can see, I am alone... .... Oh, and the bounty is all mine?" "Now, wait a minute!" "...?" Baek Mi-ho finally mustered up the courage to urgently call Su-ho over and ask him the most important thing. "If these corpses are all viins, where are all the citizens who lived in this town? No way, everyone is dead... ...." At those words, Suho lowered his head for a moment and stared at his feet. "...?" Baek Mi-ho''s gaze followed him and went down to his feet, but there was nothing there. Other than his shadow. "Could it be that all the citizens are buried underground...?" ...." "ah!" "Kya?!" When Suho suddenly raised his head, Baek Miho was startled and screamed. Then, seeing Suho cover his mouth with both hands in surprise, Suho said with a grin. "Fortunately, there seem to be quite a few people still alive. "Go towards the vige hall." "...!" As Suho said, I went to the vige hall and found quite a few people passed out there. Everyone''splexion looked bad, as if their blood had been sucked by some kind of vampire, but their lives were still alive. "What the hell is this..." ...." "what...." All Baekho guild members, including Baekmiho, looked at Suho again with questioning eyes. But Suho just shrugged his shoulders and said nothing. "Couldn''t there have been a viin who absorbed the vitality of others? It''s a good idea to save them up to use them whenever you need them, and you''ll be able to manage hostages effectively. "...?" No way. The Baekho Guild had all the information about the viins at Jisan Prison. There was no such simr skill anywhere. So what is it? Has someone been hiding such a skill like Suho said until now? "Vice President." Just then, the guild members who were searching near the vige hall returned to Baek Mi-ho and reported. "The bodies of many dead citizens were found in this area." "When we checked the citizens'' causes of death, they were all caused by the skills of the viins listed in the information." "I don''t see any other bounty hunters around." "I..."Except for Hunter." "...okay." Baek Mi-ho nodded his head. Her mind was still confused. What on earth happened in this town? Citizens who were killed by viins outside themunity center and citizens who were trapped inside themunity center and had their life sucked out of them. but. ''One thing is certain.'' Hunter Seong Su-ho. This man killed all 500 viins. As a result, he saved the lives of all the citizens who were still alive. he is...He was a hero. "Hunter Seong Su-ho." Baek Mi-ho, who understood the situation, walked in front of Su-ho, who was about to return home. Then she bowed politely and said hello. "Thank you." "...." "Thanks to you, the citizens of this town were able to survive." As soon as Baekmiho finished speaking, the hunters of the Baekho Guild who were standing behind her all bowed towards Suho. "thank you." "thank you." "thank you." Suho''s expression couldn''t help but be serious as well, looking at their solemn expressions. ''White Tiger Guild.'' Suho was able to see why they were the most respected guild in Korea. Numerous hunters attack dungeons chasing only money. No one criticized their actions as they pursued practical interests and engaged in battle. Because it was only natural for a person with the ability to chase money. but. At least it wasn''t the hunters in front of her. These were hunters who were truly hunting down demonic beasts to protect the citizens. Sensing their sincerity, Suho also bowed his head politely and responded to their greetings. * * * "...." Suho was sitting leisurely on a mountainside far from Yamiri Vige, watching the White Tiger Guild rescue survivors. [...] ...Solord.] Suddenly, Ber''s voice came from behind him. [This guy still has some strength left.] "Take one step." [...] ...yep.] Harmakan, who was lying down with his head buried behind Suho''s words, hurriedly lifted one of his legs. His trembling legs looked even more pitiful. [Harmacan Lv.1] Elite Knight Grade Thanks to defeating Harmakan and raising the level, the number of shadow soldiers that can be stored has also increased. Thanks to that, Suho was able to extract Harmacan''s shadow, and this was the result. ''It''s an elite knight level.'' Harmakan seemed like a very difficult person to deal with, but he became the highest-ranking soldier so far. However, just because he had a high grade did not mean he had good physical strength. Since Harmakan''s true power lies in powerful curses and magic, he was suffering greatly from this simple pretense. He hasmitted evil deeds so far, so he will continue to do so from time to time... .... [master.] At that time, a shadow soldier suddenly appeared in the empty air. Then he knelt in front of Suho and earnestly bowed his head and asked. [Please give me a name too....] ''Oh, now that I think about it, there was this guy.'' Suddenly, Suho''s eyes looked at him. Kang Tae-sik was a bounty hunter. His talent as a shadow assassin was confirmed in actualbat. However, the name above his head was different from the first time. [?? [Lv.5] knight rank ''I guess it''s because the number of shadow soldiers that can be stored has increased. But your level has already risen as much as mine?'' It was level 1 at first, but how much did this guy do in just one day? Suho thought for a moment as he looked at Kang Tae-sik''s soul, which was solemnly awaiting his disposition. Name, name... .... Suho thought about the name for a moment, then smiled and opened his mouth. "Kira." It was because I suddenly remembered the name of a character in a cartoon I watched a long time ago who had no hesitation inmitting murder. "From now on, your name will be Kira." [Thank you, master.] As Suho chose the name, the soul of shadow assassin Kang Tae-sik turned his bowed head even lower. At that moment, information was updated above his head. [Kira Lv.5] knight rank Chapter 154 - 154

Chapter 154:

... "Okay, now...." After giving me the name Kira. Suho''s gaze turned to the side. Even though the Jisan Prison incident was solved, there was a reason why Su-ho still stayed around. When- This guy. It was because of Arsha, the queen bee, who identally found out Suho''s identity. [Suho, my body has already left this ce. therefore...Even if you search for me like this, it''s all in vain... ...Squeak.] As Ver squeezed her power into the hand that was holding Arsha, Arsha''s doll-sized body was squeezed. But that was all just an act. An alter ego is an empty shell made bybining several bees, with only the spirit connected to the main body. Even if the empty shell was slightly crushed, she would not feel any pain. [Little Lord, we must find him and kill him anyway. It would be a really big problem if this queen bee were to collude with the apostles of Italim in the future.] Ber had a serious expression. When Suho revealed his shadow power while fighting Harmacan with all his might. Arsha, who was nearby, also noticed Suho''s true identity. So, the moment Suho defeats Harmakan the instance dungeon is terminated. He immediately released all the shadow soldiers in all directions to search for Arsha''s main body. However, even with the use of both Esil and Gray, who had excellent senses, finding Arsha''s true body was not an easy task. The reason was that this area was entirely made up of dense forests and mountains. Since there were so many flying insects living in the forest, Pocheon City was the optimal environment for bees to hide. Tsk. Suho eventually clicked his tongue and gave up his desire to find Arsha''s body. He didn''t give up though. Catching and killing them would be the best and easiest way, but there was also a second method. ''Maybe this might be better.'' "Arsha." Suho looked straight into Arsha''s small eyes and asked directly. "Are you doing this because you''re curious as to why you can feel Quresha''s energy in me right now?" I flinch. "She could have run away a long time ago if she had wanted to." Arsha''s small body trembled as those words hit her in the head. And then he looked up at Suho''s face with an awkward expression. [know...You were there.] As Su-ho said, Arsha''s body could have escaped right now by splitting her body with numerous punishments. But why is Arsha stillnguishing here, obediently held in Ver''s hands? "It doesn''t matter if she dies because it''s her body anyway, but there''s no reason for her to take it upon herself to reduce the number of her subordinates." And Suho guessed the reason from the beginning. "You''re probably curious about my exact rtionship with Quresha, right?" [...] ...Phew. As expected, you are Suho.] At those words, Arsha finally sighed softly and confessed her true feelings. [yes. It is like that.] Arsha''s voice was trembling with tension. She, Arsha, has lived for a very long time to be a descendant of Queresha, the King of Bugs and the Lord of gue. But for some reason, she was feeling a slight but strong Quresha energy from Suho, and she was very embarrassed. Of course, the energy was so weak that it was like a kind of pheromone that would not have been noticed by other insects. ''...It wasn''t like this when we first met.'' Arsha recalled the moment she first met Suho. Until then, only the scent of an animal was emanating from Suho''s body. ''So of course I thought they were descendants of the Fang Lord....'' But the problem came after that. When Suho was fighting hisncer, Lee Min-Seong, he could not only sense the scent of an animal but also different energy. A poisonous energy was oozing from his entire body. However, at that time, Arsha did not even think that the identity of the poisonous energy was that of Queresha. ''I thought it was just poison from Lee Min-seong.'' but. The moment I saw Suho up close when I met him again today. Arsha was convinced. [Suho, have you ever...? ....] "for a moment." Suho interrupted Arsha''s sentence and spoke firmly. "It''s not difficult to satisfy your curiosity. "It''s not a big secret." At those words, Arsha''s eyes instantly sparkled with anticipation. However, Suho, who saw the reaction, continued speaking with a mischievous smile. "by the way. "Even if I give you an obedient answer, will you believe me?" [...] ....] At those words, Arsha closed her mouth with a serious expression. Based on her own experience, humans were a species that could lie without any hesitation. The lies were even so clever that they went far beyond the level of mimicry that insects use to deceive their enemies. "therefore." Suho smiled meaningfully and added one condition. "Why don''t you take the ''Pledge of Faithfulness'' with me?" [...] ...?!] Arsha''s eyes widened at those words. [How do you, a human being, know the ''Oath of Faithfulness''?] A pledge of faithfulness. It was a covenant that even rulers and monarchs could never deviate from, and that they could never tell lies to each other until the contract was broken. [That''s because this body taught me.] Ber looked proud and raised the corners of his mouth. These days, Ber has developed a hobby of telling old stories to Suho at his bedside whenever he lies down to sleep. This is kind of like an ant''s instinct. Just like ants catch food one by one and spoon-feed thervae until they be adults. Since Ver still regarded Suho as a caterpir that needed to be taken care of, he was anxious to teach him something whenever he had the chance. [Whoa. All right. If it''s for mutual trust... ....] Arsha eventually epted Suho''s offer. But there was a problem. [But how do you intend to take the oath of faithfulness? The oath of faithfulness cannot be used unless you have power equivalent to that of a ruler or monarch... ....] "That''s no problem." Suho smiled and raised his eyes. "Right, Quresha?" Then, as if waiting, an answer came back from a faraway ce. Tiring! [The King of Bugs, the Lord of gue, casts ''Oath of Faithfulness (Deal).''] [Once the ''Oath of Faithfulness (Deal)'' is epted, the eptors cannot tell lies to each other.] [Do you want to ept the ''Oath of Faithfulness (Deal)''?] (Y/N) [...] ...!] At that moment, Arsha was so startled that her body trembled. She suddenly had the energy of the dead Queresha extend through her guardian, and she gave herself herpulsion! [Uh, how did this happen... ...! This is Quresha''s...? You too!] In response to her confusion, her guardian forced her to answer with a meaningful look in his eyes. "Now, swear." [Everything, I swear.] Then, Suho also chose to ept. That moment. Tiring! [The ''Oath of Faithfulness (Deal)'' has been made.] [eptors cannot tell lies to each other until the contract is terminated by mutual consent.] [The King of Bugs, the Lord of gue, looks at this situation with a very satisfied expression.] Even Queresha, who is not usually pleased with Suho, has no choice but to wee this situation. Because it meant that her guardian was determined not to kill Arsha, who was likely to be her descendant. ''Shall we check where only the real truth can be told?'' Suho opened her mouth to confirm the validity of this oath. "I am... ...." It worked well. The moment I was about to tell a lie, my mouth was forcibly shut. Suho was finally satisfied and asked Arsha. "Okay then, let''s get started. Arsha, what are you curious about me?" [Suho, have you be Quresha''s priest?] It was Arsa who asked a question as if she had been waiting. Suho obediently nodded his head. "right. I became a priest of the king of bugs and the lord of pestilence, and received the protection of Quresha." [also,!] At that moment, Arsha asked Suho with her earnest eyes. [Then please make me one of his...!] "Okay, now it''s my turn." Seeing Suho''s expression as he decisively interrupted Arsha''s words, Arsha couldn''t help but feel nervous. "I have so many questions about you." [...] ...Ask anything. I will answer everything.] Arsha obediently bowed his head. The role of the priest is to choose the next king. He had to look good to Su-ho so that he could inherit the power of Queresha. "Then I will ask. Arsha, are you an apostle of Itarim, or are you in collusion with Itarim?" [no. Not.] "Then do you intend to stand on Itarim''s side in the future?" [no. That will never happen in the future.] Arsha''s tone was firm. [All I want is to seed Quresha and be the king of bugs. I can assure you that no one who ims to be a descendant of a monarch like me will stand on the side of foreign media.] "The reason is that? "Is there any possibility of an exception?" [of course...I can''t speak for all races, but the goal of the foreign gods is to consume all the remaining magical energy in our world. The moment their goal is achieved, we all be just a handful of mana and be their prey.] And that was something no one wanted. Suho rubbed his chin and nodded. "Hmm. That means there is no need for us to be at odds with each other." [you''re right. So please... ....] "by the way. "The word ''us'' doesn''t include humans, right?" [...] ....] In response to Suho''s question, Arsha''s mouth was forced to close. Then she sighed and opened her mouth again. [That''s right. In the future, I n to kill and use humans whenever necessary.] "Then I guess I''ll have to kill you." Creepy. Knowing that Suho''s words were sincere, Arsha could not help but feel fear. The current guardian was a descendant of the Shadow Lord and even possessed the divine protection of Queresha. If he tried to kill her in earnest, her fate was that she would eventually be caught by him and die. [Now, wait a minute! From now on, I promise to only kill people who are defined as viins!] "Then you could frame him as a viin first and then kill him? "Humanws are imperfect." [...] ...So what should I do then? If you tell me, I will obey whatever you tell me.] In the end, Arshapletely turned her back on Suho. Then he looked at Suho with extremely pitiful eyes and earnestly made a request. [I can be your ve. Even if I inherit Quresha''s power, I will serve you forever until I die.] "..."That''s a really interesting thing to say." Stand tall in those words. Suddenly, a great deal of murder erupted from Suho. [Use ''Skill: Living.''] Whoa! [Sigh...!] Arsha became mncholy due to his overwhelming killing power, which even contained Queresha''s blessing, and let out her scream. Suho''s ck eyes, filled with a distant abyss, looked down at Arsha with an arrogant gaze. "Until you die? Aren''t you a colony of numerous bees? "If even one bee dies, that oath will be broken immediately." [Sorry! sorry! I never intended to do something like that!] "okay? Then, appear before me in your true form right now." [Well, that''s....] "why? no?" Suho asked with a smile on his lips. "Are you really scared? "Are you afraid I''m going to kill you right away?" [me...Will you promise not to kill me?] "No, I n to kill you at any time." [...] ....] "But I promise I won''t kill you if you don''t go against my wishes." [Such an unreasonable promise... ....] "If you don''t like it, you will live forever as a mere insect, not a descendant of Quresha." [...] ....] Arsha felt deep despair at those words. in fact...She knew from the beginning. The fact that this conversation is bound to be against you. Now, Suho was the absolute best. Arsha desperately wanted something from Suho, but Suho wanted nothing from Arsha at all. Rather, if there''s anything he wants, it''s Arsha''s death. So he had no choice but to suffer this one-sided abuse of power. Of course, if you obediently follow the abuse, the reward will be certain. ''Because I will be able to be the king of bugs that I have longed for.'' So, Arsha''s answer was decided from the beginning. In the end, Arsha nodded her head, looking even more humiliated and desperate. [Oh, I understand....] "hmm?" [Kiek?] But that was then. "...!" [...] ...!] sudden! Suho and Arsha, plus Ber and Harmacan, who was receiving attention. They all opened their eyes wide at the same time and turned their heads to look in the same direction. [Little Lord!] [Someone ising!] Sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo! Someone with tremendous magical power was running towards us at high speed along the ridge! But that power... ...! [S-ss!] "Could it be Hwang Dong-su?!" The second reason why Suho remained around here. It was because of the possibility that Hwang Dong-Sok''s younger brother, Hwang Dong-Su, might appear here after hearing the news. "Let''s all go in!" The moment when all the shadow soldiers disappeared at Suho''smand. Kwaang-! Finally, ''he'' arrived in front of Suho. But he was not Hwang Dong-su. "Such a terrible smell of blood!" As soon as he found Su-ho, he radiated ferocious energy from his whole body and struck Su-ho with his sharp white furry fist. Kwaaang-! "...!" He bared his teeth and roared at Suho, who quickly dodged the attack. Crumble! "Avoid this? "You''re a viin after all!" "Uh, isn''t it?" It''s Suho. Chapter 155 - 155

Chapter 155:

... "No, no!" Ku-kwa-kwang! The middle-aged man who suddenly appeared did not stop attacking Suho. His name is Baek Yunho. He, the guild leader of the White Tiger Guild and an S-ss hunter, had rushed to Pocheon City a month after receiving White Tiger''s request for support. ''I heard that Hwang Dong-su may have been involved in the Jisan Prison escape incident! ''I never thought I''d find such a strange guy!'' He was truly an unpleasant guy. Baek Yun-ho could have bet everything on the fact that Su-ho was a viin. The moment he set foot in Pocheon City, an ominous energy was captured by his highly developed senses! While chasing that energy, I discovered the terrible smell of blooding from the body of this suspicious guy! ''There''s only one of the two who gives off this unpleasant smell!'' Either a viin or a bounty hunter hunting viins. And Baek Yun-ho was 200% sure that Su-ho was the viin. Isn''t it so? There was no way that a person skilled enough to avoid attacks from an S-ss person would only chase after viins. Plus, one more thing. There was clear evidence to convince us that this suspicious guy was a viin. "You''re not a viin? Do you think I would be fooled by such a shallow lie? "Hurry up and reveal that ominous power you''ve been hiding!" Baek Yun-ho constantly pushed Suho, but Suho was able to handle it without difficulty. But that was because Baek Yunho did not show his full potential. As an S-ss hunter, his power was naturally not at this level. Just because he was wary of the ''ominous'' power that Su-ho was hiding, he was also hiding his power as much as possible. "Ominous power?" Suho''s brow furrowed at those words. ''I guess that''s....'' [You seem to be referring to Harmakan, Little Lord.] Hearing Ver''s whisper, Suho sighed softly. It was like that. Harkaman, a demonic race, was a sinister being whose very existence corrupted the souls of others and used that despair as a curse. He was a useful guy, so I hired him as a shadow soldier, but I never thought it would create such an awkward misunderstanding. ''We''ll see, Harmakan.'' Suho internally grinds his teeth. Harmakan sensed his mood and trembled ominously in the shadows. Weeeeenn- [...] ....] Besides, there was another reason why Suho was in a bad mood. ''Why, at times like this....'' Taking advantage of this moment of panic, Arsha transformed into an ordinary bee and observed the situation from afar. "Where are you looking? How dare you go easy on me?!" "Ah-oh." There was no time to look away from Baek Yunho''s continued attacks. Suho grumbled and thought of the most efficient way to end this pointless fight. Green onions! Suho immediately turned and started running at full speed. "Stand there!" Su-ho suddenly ran away, and Baek Yun-ho chased after him at breakneck speed. He was truly dumbfounded. He knows who he is! Baek Yun-ho was the strongest beast hunter in existence. Surely that viin knows that fact. "You wouldn''t know it if you hadn''t been discovered by me in the first ce. You don''t think you could fool my senses and run away!" Of course, if the opponent is an S-ss viin like Hwang Dong-soo, things will be different, but just looking at that young guy, that young guy is not Hwang Dong-soo. I don''t know what kind of power he''s hiding, but he''s not afraid to turn his back on an S-ss hunter! however. ''W-what is it?'' Something is a little strange. No, it was very strange! ''Why is he so fast?'' Baek Yunho could not help but be embarrassed. No matter how much he chased, the distance between him and the viin running ahead of him was not narrowed. Of course, ying tag in a forest full of trees was quite tricky. Because the trees grow irregrly, it is impossible to just run in a straight line. In this situation, having high agility would be much more helpful than normal strength. however... I couldn''t make that excuse when I was watching the guy running right in front of me. Ujikkeun! Wajikkeun! Ku-kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa! "..."Have you ever seen such an ignorant guy?" That young guy was running in a straight line, smashing down all the trees blocking his path without avoiding them with his body. ''Are you using a running skill or a charging skill?'' no. He didn''t feel like he was using any skills. Baek Yunho was always on guard for the power he was hiding, so he had an intuition that he had not used the skill right now. ''...No, that can''t be true. Of course, it''s a skill.'' okay. It would be a skill. If that''s not a skill, what is it? There''s no way he could do such an ignorant thing with pure strength... .... Creepy. ''Now, wait a minute. Come to think of it!'' Baek Yun-ho, who was following Su-ho, suddenly felt an ominous feeling. ''Could this be the direction?!'' just as expected. "...!" At that moment, the dense forest suddenly ended, Suddenly the view bes wide open. And beyond that, a small vige appeared. At that moment, I saw White Tiger Guild members working hard to rescue the survivors of Yamiri Vige. "Oh my!" Baek Yun-ho, who realized Su-ho''s intention, was greatly embarrassed. And he immediately revealed all his hidden power. Demonic painting. -Complete transformation. Quaoooooo! As he chases Suho, his whole body gradually begins to change into a monster-like appearance. Because Baek Yun-ho did not want others to see this hideous appearance, he did not give his best unless it was something serious. But now was not the time for him to think about such things. At the end of the direction that viin is running right now... ...! It was because he was the vice president of the Baekho Guild and was leading the guild members in the vige, and his daughter, Baek Miho! ''swine! How dare you think of taking my daughter hostage!'' Wow! From the moment the demonic fire was cast, his speed had already increased tremendously. And finally, the strong ws that sprouted from his hands were about to scratch the viin''s back. "hmm? "Hunter Seong Su-ho?" Baek Mi-ho turned her head and blinked her eyes at the familiar energy she suddenly felt. "Why did youe back? "Is there something you forgot?" "Your father''s delivery has arrived." "..."My dad?" chin. At that moment, Baek Yunho''s body suddenly stiffened. And he was incredibly embarrassed. In apletely different sense than before. "...Oh, father? "Your father?" first. It wasn''t my mother. *** "...." "...." A rescue scene in Yamiri Vige, where numerous ambnces and healerse and go. There was an awkward silence in the middle of it all. "...." Of course, the only person here making an awkward expression was Baek Yunho. There was Baek Mi-ho ring at him with his arms tightly crossed in front of him. "...dad." I flinch. Baek Yunho''s shoulders shook greatly at his daughter''s cold words. "Aren''t you going to apologize?" "Oh, no. Did I feel it? I really felt an unpleasant vibe from that guy... ...." "So what kind of energy is that?" "..."I don''t feel it at all right now." "Then I guess they buried it while dealing with viins here." Baek Yun-ho, who was intimidated by his daughter''s sad look, grovellingly avoided his gaze and muttered in a loud voice. "No, and the smell of blood lingers all over my body...." "Of course, it smells like viins'' blood." "...." "Besides, you''re wearing blood-covered clothes like that, so it''s natural that you smell blood." "...." "You know what? There are a whopping 500 people. "This is the number of viins that Hunter Seong Su-ho faced alone today." "...." Baek Mi-ho''s words were not without a single mistake, and the more he gave excuses, the more Baek Yun-ho''s gaze went down to the ground. "Besides, you haven''t been able to go home yet because of someone else, so you probably haven''t been able to shower." "Daughter, the pressure method is a little...." "Write." "...." Baek Yun-ho, who had gathered up courage for no reason but was not able to get his money back, lowered his head again. But even in the midst of all this, he still had doubts about Suho. He could not exin it logically, but his sense was a much more urate faculty than logic. ''The energy I felt was not an illusion.'' And it was something extremely ominous that could never be felt in humans. In the end, Baek Yun-ho decided to trust his own senses. "Dad, stop." "hey." No matter what his daughter said behind him, he just walked straight towards Suho. Then he stretched out his hand and grabbed one of his shoulders, stopping him and saying: "Did you say your name is Seong Su-ho? From what I heard, you''re a C-rank hunter?" Ha, that can''t be true. This guy is a C-rank hunter? A C-rank hunter defeated all 500 viins by himself? Rather than believing such nonsense, it would have been more credible to say that a passing dog turned out to be a boss mob. "Fraudulent registrant." Baek Yunho growled softly into Suho''s ear. Among the hunters, there were a very small number of them who could control magical power. If those guys wanted to, it was possible to lower their grades when measuring magic power. Hunters who hid some of their magic power and received a lower grade than their original grade were often called ''unauthorized registrants.'' and.... "Most of those who registered illegally are perverted killers whose hobby is massacre." "..."What do you want to say?" Seeing Suho looking at him with a shameless expression, Baek Yunho smiled meaningfully and boosted his momentum. And he pressed Suho hard, carefully engraving Suho''s face into his mind. "Go to the association right now and get your horsepower remeasured. Of course, even so... ...I will continue to keep an eye on you from now on. So, you have to be careful about everything you do... ...Hmm?" But something is strange. Eyes, nose, mouth. Baek Yunho''s expression, who had Suho''s face clearly engraved in his mind, became increasingly strange. "Now, wait a minute. wait for a second!" Baek Yunho then quickly takes out his cell phone from his pocket. "No, that can''t be...." With trembling fingers, he turned on KakaoTalk on his cell phone and checked the profile picture of the senior he admired the most. Then there... [Captain Seong Il-hwan] A photo of a ''beloved grandchild'' hanging on one''s senior''s profile. When Baek Yunho saw that, his eyes grew bigger and bigger. "...Huh? "Uh huh?" "...?" Suho couldn''t help but make a puzzled expression when he saw Baek Yunho''s appearance bing contemtive in an instant. Chapter 156 - 156

Chapter 156:

... Baek Yunho. If you stop by and ask passers-by in Korea who Baek Yun-ho is, the answers you get will be very diverse. S-ss hunter. The guild leader of the White Tiger Guild. Korea''s best beast hunter. But if you catch them and ask them again, this time ''what kind of'' Baek Yunho is. Surprisingly, the answers that came back were almost simr. as soon as possible. hero. Yes. The president of arge guild? S-ss hunter? Hunters with that modifier were everywhere in the world. However, none of them were struggling for the safety of citizens as sincerely as Baek Yun-ho. Hunters have always been people who work for money. They all became rich that way. Of course, such utilitarianism was by no means a bad thing in this obvious capitalist world. However, even in a world like this, it was natural for a guild that gave up extremely reasonable practicality and sincerely stepped forward to save the citizens to receive praise from the citizens. That was the case with this viin incident. Wasn''t the White Tiger Guild the only one that put all their efforts into a case that all hunters neglected, saying it wasn''t worth the money and was just a waste of time? That''s exactly why people respect Baek Yunho. Therefore, Baek Yun-ho was a proud hero of Korea recognized by all citizens. but. Baek Yun-ho also did not have this image from the beginning. When he first awakened as a Hunter. The special ability he realized was none other than the ability to ''transform into demonic beasts.'' Demonization is a skill that changes the body into an appearance reminiscent of a demonic beast and gains wild power. Even in the early days of the cataclysm, Baek Yun-ho, who possessed that skill, was not viewed very kindly. No, there was no need to go that far. Hunters with the lower level skill, Beast Transformation, also received the same cold gaze. The reason was extremely reasonable and natural. No, isn''t that too scary! The ability to transform your body like demonic beasts pouring out of the gate! -You never know when those people might suddenly turn into real monsters. -A gate has appeared, and now people are gradually turning into demonic beasts. -What if they are nearby and suddenly turn and eat us? -Before that, shouldn''t they at least be put to death first? -No, since he still has some humanity left, he should at least be locked away... .... At the time, numerous concerns about wild beast hunters agitated public opinion on the Inte. Such public opinion continued until the Hunter Association wasunched and its president, Woo Jin-cheol, supported wild beast hunters on arge scale under his name. However, no matter what Woo Jin-cheol said, people''s concerns about wild beast hunters did not disappear. Moreover, the problem was that even the beast hunters themselves were thinking like that. When will they suddenly lose their senses and turn into magical beasts? Who can guarantee that that will never happen? So, they were always ashamed of their abilities and lived in fear so as not to lose their senses. And it was the same for Baek Yunho. He already had an unusuallyrge physique, and he had a formidable look as if he could strike down all the demon beasts with one hand at any moment. Because of his appearance, there was always a mixture of fear and terror in the eyes of people who looked at Baek Yunho. but. There was someone who gave Baek Yunho courage by his side. -Yunho. Baek Yun-ho lived his entire life as a firefighter until the cataclysm. When he raised his head, he saw the senior he respected the most, Captain Seong Il-hwan, with a warm expression on his face with his hand on his shoulder. -...Yes, sir. Baek Yun-ho looked into Seong Il-hwan''s eyes. Seong Il-hwan''s hand, which was holding his shoulder, was hard with old calluses. Veteran. Or a famous general. Captain Seong Il-hwan, no matter how he was called, was an outstanding firefighter who always demonstrated an unrivaled presence at the scene of a fire. He looked at Baek Yunho''s face and advised in his calm and reliable voice as always. -No matter whether you awakened or gained some abilities, nothing has changed. -.... -No matter what the world says, you are still a firefighter and my subordinate Baek Yunho. -.... -So, just like it was until now. As always. Captain Seong Il-hwan spoke with a faint smile, ck soot smeared all over his face. -Save the people. -...! Baek Yunho was shocked by those words as if he had been struck by lightning. Anyone could say something like that. But who was the one who said that? It was Captain Seong Il-hwan who risked his life and struggled to save people for the past several decades! Because these words came from the mouth of someone who lived and lived those words. Because it was Baek Yunho who watched it closer than anyone else. There was no need for any more words between the two. -You''re a firefighter, right? Sigh. A confident smile finally appeared on Baek Yun-ho''s lips as he looked into the eyes of Captain Seong Il-hwan, who was smiling at him. And that very day. in Korea, A hero is born. S-ss hunter Baek Yun-ho. He went straight to the most famous reaper guild in Korea. More than anyone else, he deployed his demonic skills at the forefront and began tearing the demonic beasts to death. Even his colleagues were afraid of his intense and terrifying power. ''Does not matter.'' Baek Yunho didn''t care. Because it was for the people''s sake to kill at least one more demonic beast in front of them while they were paying attention to those gazes. ''Just saving people.'' which.... Over the past few decades. This was the most important lesson he learned from Captain Seong Il-hwan as he followed in his footsteps. That was only two years ago. And justst year. Baek Yun-ho, who became famous through his tremendous performance in just one year, went so far as to establish his guild under his name. But that move was never about making money. Quite the opposite. At the time, the beliefs of Baek Yun-ho and the leader of the Reaper Guild, who were only pursuing practical purposes like other hunter guilds, shed with each other. Baek Yun-ho called in all the wild beast hunters in the country who were still living in fear, fighting against people''s prejudices, established the ''Baekho Guild'', and began rescuing citizens in earnest. Why does he do this? There was only one reason. -You''re a firefighter, right? Thest word he heard from Captain Seong Il-hwan. This was because that calm and heavy voice was still deeply engraved in Baek Yunho''s heart. * * * "...Hehehe! So, hi! Captain Seong Il-hwan said, "I have a firefighter..." ...! Ugh!" "No, I understand the situation, so please..." ...." "Dad, stop crying. Guild members are watching. "Blow your nose." "Heung!" Baek Yun-ho, who was engrossed in an old story, took the tissue Baek Mi-ho gave him and vigorously blew his nose. But even then, I saw tears streaming down from his eyes... .... Baek Mi-ho sighed softly and ced the entire roll of toilet paper in his hand. Then he apologized to Suho with an expression of sincere regret. "I''m sorry, Hunter Seong Su-ho. "My father is getting older these days and he is crying more." "Yeah, whatever. I understand." Suho just looked dejected. The image of Baek Yun-ho, who roared and attacked with overflowing charisma upon his first appearance, did not match the image of Baek Yun-ho now, crying and squeezing snot. He was also fascinating at the same time. ''Is there such a coincidence? I can''t believe my grandfather knew Hunter Baek Yunho.'' Suho also knew that his grandfather Seong Il-hwan worked as a firefighter all his life and then retired. But of course, he did not know every one of his grandfather''s former colleagues. But who would have guessed that the famous Baek Yun-ho was his grandfather''s subordinate? However, from Suho''s point of view, it was a matter of wonder, but from Baek Yunho''s point of view, this fact was a very important issue. Pang! "Hehehe. "Suho, Suho?" Baek Yun-ho, who vigorously blew his nose again, approached Su-ho and spoke to him. Unlike the first time, his tone was very cautious, as if he were handling sswork that would break if he touched it. "Hmm. I think there was a minor misunderstanding between us earlier. There is no way Captain Seong Il-hwan''s grandson can fall in a bad direction. "Cancer, cancer." Baek Yun-ho knew the personality of Captain Seong Il-hwan better than anyone else. Didn''t he even go on to live as hard as he could to save others with just a few words? ''There is no way his grandchild could ever stray. I was wrong earlier. ''Cancer, cancer.'' With that in mind, Baek Yunho gave Suho a subtle look and spoke to him. "Well, I don''t think you''ll ever tell his grandfather about such a trivial matter...." "ah! Now that I think about it, I haven''t been able to call my grandfather to say hello these days!" "Huh! Now, wait! Calm down!" Baek Yunho was surprised to see Suho suddenly taking out his cell phone. However, no matter how surprised he was, he did not use force to snatch the cell phone from Suho''s hand. Instead, he just hovered around Suho, sweating and struggling, trying not to touch a single hair of his head. Sigh. Seeing that, Suho smiled mischievously and put his cell phone down again. "Haaa...." Then, seeing Baek Yunho sighing in relief with an almost corpse-like face, an even deeper smile appeared on Suho''s lips. ''Anyway, that''s good. ''I can''t believe I owe this much to the Baek Yunho of the world.'' Since one day I would have to deal with Itarim''s apostles, the more strong allies I had, the better. This time, he became close to Thomas Andre, but since he was working in the United States, it was difficult to get help when an urgent situation arose. Suho, who had been thinking for a while about how to cook Baek Yunho, finally decided what to do with him. "President Baek Yun-ho, don''t worry, I won''t contact your grandfather for now." "Yeah? Hahaha! I knew it! "Maybe it''s because he takes after his grandfather, but he has an angry personality!" "However, I have a favor to ask." "Hmm? "A favor?" Baek Yun-ho, who was greatly relieved by Suho''s words, suddenly looked anxious when Suho put a condition on him. But surprisingly, the conditions Suho proposed were ordinary(?). "Could you please find Hwang Dong-su for me? "Since he hasn''t shown up here yet, I think I''ll have to go find him myself." "..."Do you want me to find Hwang Dong-su?" At those words, Baek Yunho''s expression, which had been flustered from before, turned cold. "Why are you looking for Hwang Dong-su?" "What other reason does a bounty hunter need to catch a viin?" What Suho held out along with the answer was the ''Association Certified Bounty Hunter'' certificate. "...Right." After checking the certificate issued by the association, Baek Yun-ho nodded in understanding. But the uneasy feeling remained. "Hwang Dong-su, we were nning to find Baekho anyway, so leave it to us. "But there''s one thing I''m curious about." Baek Yun-ho''s eyes, which were suddenly looking at Su-ho, were full of doubt as before Seong Il-hwan''s name was mentioned. Doesn''t saying that he wants to catch Hwang Dong-soo ultimately mean that he has the confidence to deal directly with even an S-ss viin? If that''s true, then why on earth does he hide his level of power and still work as a C-ss hunter? "If you find Hwang Dong-su, will you kill him yourself?" In response to his direct question, Suho tilted his head as if asking what he was talking about. "no? If you kill me yourself, of course, I''d be happy. "It''s standard for S-ss viins to be directly dealt with by S-ss hunters." "Ah, that''s what you said." Only then did Baek Yunho let go of his doubts. However, he couldn''t help but widen his eyes again at Suho''s words that followed. "Even if you kill me instead, please leave behind Hwang Dong-su''s body." "...Yes? "Why the corpse?" "Oh, I want to see the body. "It only takes a moment." "...?" No, Captain Seong Il-hwan. What kind of grandchildren do you have? Baek Yunho felt like he should at least call his captain to say hello to him after a long time. [My beloved grandchild?] "...." The profile photo of the captain, who is living leisurely after his retirement, was full of love for his grandchildren. So it was even more confusing. Chapter 157 - 157

Chapter 157:

... As the day passed, the Inte was once again in turmoil. -Breaking News) Case closed! "The Great Escape from Jisan Prison." -Breaking News) 500 viins were eliminated! Korea has be safer! -Intensive coverage) Ask the Baekho Guild. "Who is the identity of the hunter who eliminated the viins?" -Interview) Vice President Baek Mi-ho, "He is a hero." Remarks emunicated. People''s reactions to the news that began to spread all over the Inte were more enthusiastic than ever. -and; It''s awesome; It wasn''t the White Tiger Guild that caught the viins?? -What does this mean? Who on earth caught so many viins if not the White Tiger Guild? -Do you have dyslexia? They said it was someone else who solved the case, and the Baekho Guild only handled it after the fact. -No, so who is that?? -Anyway, it''s just one person. ¨C Haha, that''s awesome. Anyway, that means that one hunter killed 500 viins, right? -?? At this point, isn''t that hunter also a viin? ¨C ?? It''s a massacre. Here, people''s reactions werergely divided into two. Clearing out the viins in Jisan Prison was of course a good thing, and the person who solved it was a hero who deserved praise. But the problem was that the number of viins he killed was too many. -This is a person who massacred 500 people in one day, but it doesn''t seem normal. -At least a murderer. -Isn''t it okay since we killed viins, not people? -Ah~ Viins aren''t even people? -?? : Even viins have human rights! Quack. -Fact 1) All the human rights organizations that said that are dead now. -Fact 2) They were also killed by the viins they secretly hid. -Rted link) "I killed it because it was the same." -Rted link) "Who dares protect whom? "On the topic of ipetent people." ...At one time, many organizations raised their voices advocating for the human rights of viins. However, due to the various incidentsmitted by the viins after that, most people were now epting the Hunter Association''s im that ''viins are defined as humanoid demon beasts.'' still.... There was such a thing as a degree. ¨C Statement of conviction) Still, killing all 500 people was a bit harsh. If he was that strong of a hunter, there would have been a way to save him and send him back to prison. ¨C Haha, you are a saint in the corner of your room. And what if he escapes again? Do you want to catch it again? -no!! So who are you?? Why don''t you reveal your identity? He''s a hero! -?? The atmosphere is like this, but if it were you, would you reveal it? It''s not enough to be held up as a national hero, but the national character is condemned as a massacre haha. -Besides, I heard that Hwang Dong-seok also died this time. Hwang Dong-soo must be desperately trying to hide his identity out of fear that he wille looking for revenge. ¨C Haha Hwang Dong-soo is scary. Stand tall. "...." Late at night. S-ss viin Hwang Dong-su was reading Inte news one by one in his hideout when he suddenly stopped. Beyond that was a list of viins who had died this time. -C-level viin Hwang Dong-seok (deceased) "...her." The corners of his mouth, which had been tightly closed the whole time, forcibly twitched, revealing his pure white teeth. I burst outughing at the news that was so absurd. "Your brother died?" Hwang Dong-seok was her older brother who broke up with her two years ago. He suddenly awakened alone, and he was also an abusive older brother who mercilessly abandoned him, calling him a useless b*stard. So, even when he was awakened to S-sster, he had no intention of going there first and trying to get along like before. But that didn''t mean he wanted to receive news of his brother''s death this way. "...I thought he was quietly imprisoned in prison, but he suddenly escaped and was caught and killed three dayster? And that to one person?" When he heard that his brother had escaped from prison, he had no intention of helping. Since he has a very clever personality, I thought he would hide himself well and pay no attention to him. But if my brother died, things would be different. Shouldn''t he at least take revenge on his younger brother? ''...But I still don''t know who did it.'' I searched all the rted articles, but the White Tiger Guild waspletely hiding the identity of ''him''. As someone said in thement earlier, it was clear that he was worried about Hwang Dong-su''s retaliation at this point. but. "There are no eternal secrets in today''s world." Hwang Dong-su exposed his teeth and raised his huge body from the bed. Therge gold ne hanging around his neck ttered. Hwaak- As he opened the bedroom door and walked out, the lobby of a luxurious mansion unfolded. This was once the secret vi of a corrupt politician and the third hideout of Hwang Dong-su, who killed him and took over. Hwang Dong-su walked out of the building through the empty lobby and called somewhere. We were connected soon. -Yes, Hwang Dong-su. What did you contact me about? A voice in a businesslike tone came from the other end of the phone. Hwang Dong-su asked directly. "I want information." -Do you want any information about Hwang Dong-seok''s death? Hwang Dong-su smiled and said as if he had been waiting for the answer. "You''re good at business. Yes, I want to know who killed my brother. "I''ll give you any amount of money." -The money is fine. Instead, if you don''t mind, would you mind helping us with one task this time? "work?" -yes. A slightly troublesome request hase in. Hwang Dong-su frowned at those words. "You know very well that I am being chased by the association, right?" -yes. Of course, I understand Hwang Dong-soo''s position very well. So, for what we wanted to do, we chose not a city center, but a rural area that would never be noticed. "...Tsk." Hwang Dong-su clicked his tongue with a disapproving expression at the business-like tone of the other person, who immediately poured out a prepared message as if he had been waiting for him to contact him. ''Anyway, they are clever guys.'' Of course, thanks to this, he is still livingfortably without being caught by the association. -Of course, Hwang Dong-su can solve this problem in an instant. If you do the work, we will hand over the information you want right away. "Okay, tell me where it is." -This is Yangpyeong. It''s not too far from where you are right now. * * * [Enter the Shadow Dungeon.] The next day, Suho returned home, had breakfast, and went straight into the shadow dungeon. The Jisan Prison incident caused a huge stir on the Inte, but the daily life of Suho, the person involved, did not change at all. This was all thanks to the White Tiger Guild hiding information about Suho as much as possible. Of course, since there was more than one hunter from the White Tiger Guild who witnessed Suho in person, that information could not be hidden forever. No matter what public opinion was, Suho''s identity would eventually be widely known to the public one day. However, it was at least possible to dy the timing slightly and release it when Suho wanted. [Little Lord, the grid is strong. To reap Grid as a shadow soldier, the Little Lord must be equally strong.] "I said I understood. That''s why I came to train so hard." Hwang Dong-su, who was once said to be his father''s shadow soldier, ''Grid''. Someday, I will either meet him and fight him directly, or the White Tiger Guild will find him and kill him first. To sessfully extract him as a shadow soldier again, Suho''s abilities were most important. [Skill: Shadow Extraction Lv.2] Shadow power. No mana is required. It extracts mana from a lifeless body and turns it into a shadow soldier. The probability of extraction failure increases in proportion to the target''s abilities and the psed time of the target''s death. -Level 2 effect ''Shape Transformation'': The shape of the shadow soldier can be changed arbitrarily. [Number of shadows that can be extracted: 50/50] ''There is a chance of failure in the shadow extraction skill.'' Suho recalled the dizzying experience of failing twice while trying to extract a ''poison-toothed sand centipede'' in Egypt. At that time, the centipede was not at a level where Suho could kill it alone, so the extraction almost failed. ''There are a total of 3 extraction opportunities. To safely extract the S-ss awakened in those three opportunities, we must be much stronger than we are now.'' So, Suho entered Ammut''s Pyramid to be stronger again today. As always, for the daily quest, to practice Gangseojutsu. However, when we arrived here, there was a miserable mummy(?) who had been forgotten by everyone and was continuing her solitary training. "Sooooo...." [Khaha! Yes, that''s it! Keep running! Even if my leg bones are pulverized! Even if my spine hurts! You can still run!] "...." A mummy trudging through thebyrinth of the pyramid under the terrifyingughter of Ammut. No, Do-gyun Lim. Currently, his entire body is wrapped in ''Item: Mummy''s Bandages'' and he is being trained by Ammut. No, it was just training; in fact, it was torture itself. Of course, Suho was also repeating a set routine every day in the name of a daily quest. However, even though the number of times was the same, the intensity was different each time. Ammut was increasing the intensity of training by adjusting the gravitational field more and more in proportion as Suho''s abilities increased. So Suho was also undergoing training, enduring severe pain every time. But even so, Su-ho was the son of Shadow Lord Seong Jin-woo. There was even a level-up system, so its potential was indescribable. But what about Lim Do-Hyun? He was just an ordinary E-ss hunter. He was said to be the weakest among the hunters, with physical abilities and recovery abilities that were only slightly better than those of an ordinary person. But he had one special talent. It was ''running skills''. [You don''t need push-ups! Just run and run until you''re almost dead! No, if you stop walking, you will die by my hands!] "Hey...." As he felt Ammut''s sincere and murderous spirit right behind him, Lim Do-gyun''splexion quickly turned pale. Human limitations have already been surpassed. Even though he looked like a half-corpse, with his limbs tattered, Lim Do-gyun kept running and running. But he still didn''t manage to die. The mummy''s bandages wrapped around his body were an evil, or rather useful, item that somehow forcibly fixed his broken body even when his bones crumbled and his muscles and ligaments were torn. "I don''t think it was originally meant to be written like that...." [what are you talking about? This bandage is a masterpiece by Candiaru, who created it to be used like this!] Ammut chuckled and epted Suho''s muttering. [Do you know what? I love watching such insignificant creatures struggle to be strong. Usually, they die then. but!] And I looked with great satisfaction at Lim Do-gyun, who was still running around inside the pyramid even though he was in a near-dead state. [If you somehow survive the pain, that is strength.] "...." Suho could not help but nod his head at the resonance felt in those words. No matter what anyone says, Lim Do-gyun continues the grueling training of his own will. As a result, his leg muscles were swollen to the point of bursting. Without the help of a level-up system or status window. He was just running. With one intention to be stronger. [So, let''s start the daily quest.] Nod. Soon, Suho''s training began. and. [Hmm.] Behind them, the newly recruited shadow soldier Harmakan was looking around the pyramid, his eyes shining. [This could not be the ce of the great sorcerer Candiaru... ...?] Chapter 158 - 158

Chapter 158:

... Shadow Dungeon. A quiet world of rest made up of ck and white. Now here, the untimely pping of the wings of bees was making a small noise. Weeeeenn- [...] ...It''s amazing.] Queen Bee Arsha let out a small exmation as she walked through the shadow dungeon. [Is this the world of rest ruled by the Shadow Lord?] Surprisingly, she was now in the shadow dungeon in her ''main body'' state. The conversation between Suho and Arsha was cut off for a moment due to Baek Yunho''s sudden intrusion, but after that, Suho dared to bring Arsha''s body in front of him. In any case, Arsha was in no position to disobey Suho''s orders, so in the end, she had no choice but to obediently follow Suho''s words. The result is this situation right now. From now on, Arsha''s main body will live trapped in the shadow dungeon. A pawn, so to speak. Or confinement. In short, from now on, Arsha''s main body will be unable to leave the shadow dungeon without the Guardian''s permission. However, her body remained outside, and by using that body, she was able to observe the situation outside. But that''s it. Since her main body was trapped here, it was difficult for her to fully demonstrate her power. At best, reconnaissance was the best. ''...But this isn''t necessarily a bad thing.'' I didn''t know it when she was being subjected to one-sided bullying, but Arsha was surprisingly quite pleased with her current situation. ''I''m sure it''s a case of abuse of power, but the welfare is better than I thought.'' Arsha''s ultimate goal was, of course, to inherit the power of Queresha, the King of Bugs and Lord of gue. But before that, her most important goal was, of course, ''survival.'' In that sense, this shadow dungeon was a safer ce than any other ce. ''What she likes most is that she doesn''t have to act anymore.'' Arsha was not particrly dissatisfied with her current treatment based on this fact alone. In the past, when she identally fell to Earth while wandering through a gap in her dimension, she chose to imitate herself as a human and naturally blend into human society. She yed a human and catered to humans. It wasn''t an adaptation, it was just parasitism. It was shameful. She, who was born as a queen bee, has to live her life acting like a mere humans. But no matter how strong she was, she couldn''t take on all the humans on Earth. That''s why she had to increase her load and build up enough strength that she no longer had to hide herself. For her to reign as a true queen bee. But not now. She didn''t have to act like a human any more than she did here in the shadow dungeon. That fact appealed to her more than anything else. Of course, there was just one element of anxiety. It''s Suho. Since the main body is trapped here, from now on Suho can kill himself whenever he wants. -I n to kill you at any time. But I promise I won''t kill you if you don''t go against my wishes. [...] ...It''s okay, right?] A very unreasonable and one-sided contract. Arsha''s eyes trembled with anxiety as she suddenly remembered her vow to Suho. But what can you do? Now that things are like this, I have no choice but to do my best not to go against Suho''s wishes. Even when she was outside, wasn''t she running away from Suho? [hmm. This would be good.] Arsha, who had been wandering around the shadow dungeon for a while, found somewhere and suddenly stopped. This is a corner of the shadow dungeon, a little away from Ammut''s pyramid. Arsha, who was carefully examining her surroundings around this area, smiled in satisfaction and stretched out her hand. [Fly soar, my worker bees.] When- Then the bees she had brought with her flew out of her body all at once. Addressing her guys, Arsha solemnly dered: [Imand you in the name of Queen Bee Arsha. Work hard, worker bees. Let''s build our new kingdom here.] When- Arsha ended up like this anyway, and she decided to create afortable pce in the corner of the shadow dungeon where she would reside from now on. Anyway, the main material for the honeb was Arsha''s magic power, and the remaining materials could be sufficiently collected in this area. So after some time. Before she knew it, the beehive, with its basic structure already visible, was gradually bingplete. But is it because we have be so ustomed to human life? It could be said that it was a beehive, but the queen bee''s bedroom was built like a veryfortable and elegant princess room. [Hehe. Good, good. Make a bed here. Queen size would be nice. And over here, there''s a tea table and a sofa....] The worker bees were buzzing and working hard to match Arsha''s detailed orders. Arsha could not hide her satisfaction. Then a thought suddenly urred to me. ''Maybe it wouldn''t be a bad idea to continue living like this.... hmm? What was I thinking....'' Arsha said that for a moment she had a thought that was unbing of a queen bee, and hastily erased the thought that had just urred to her. But deep down she knew. The queen bee''s life was all about living in a safe ce and leaving all the other troublesome and dangerous tasks to her worker bees. Arsha felt grateful to her guardian for providing her with such afortable space, and she passed on her thoughts to her worker bees wandering around Korea. The content of her thoughts was precisely the order given to her by her guardian. -My worker bees! Hurry and find Hwang Dong-su! Yes. Suho not only entrusted the role to the White Tiger Guild but also enlisted Arsha''s workers to search for Hwang Dong-su''s location. Weeeeenn- Arsha''s worker bees outside the shadow dungeon heard the queen''smand and began to p their wings even more and disperse throughout the country. * * * So while Arsha was constructing her hive. Suho finished his daily quest and walked out of Ammut''s pyramid. [Thank you for your hard work.] Behind Ber, who approached first and spoke, the Shadow Soldiers of Guardians were gathered. Suho''s eyes looked at them. Excluding Ver, the total number of shadow soldiers he has saved so far is five. Shadow Lancer Quay. Shadow Minotaur Minnow. Shadow Minotaur Tau. Shadow Assassin Kira. Shadow Shaman Harmakan. The strongest among them was, of course, Harmacan, an elite knight. However, from the perspective of dealing with him directly, Harmakan''s specialty was ''magic.'' In that sense, to use Harmakan appropriately in the future, it was necessary to properly understand its abilities. "Harmacan, tell me about your abilities." [Yes, master.] Harmacan''s answer followed, and in summary, he was able to broadly categorize them into three categories. 1) Wraith magic 2) Curse (debuff) 3) Activate instance dungeon [...] ...However, witchcraft to cast a spell is only possible when there are spirits of the dead around.] "It''s an ability that has limitations depending on the situation." [That''s right.] Suho suddenly remembered Harmakan attacking him using the ghosts of the dead people in Yamiri Vige. At that time, Harmakan used the souls of humans, but he seemed to be able to use the Wraith Art on the souls of the demonic beasts in the dungeon. ''However, the abilities of wraith magic ovep with shadow extraction.'' Strictly speaking, Shadow Power could be said to be a much higher level ability than Wraith Art. "Then, from now on, we can collect strong demonic beasts as shadow soldiers, and use the souls of the remaining misceneous mobs as ingredients for wraith magic." [I will keep this in mind. And the curse I use is....] "Oh, let''s see that with our own eyes." [...] ...?] Suho''s sudden grinning smile made Harmakan feel ominous and he quickly looked around. Then, before he knew it, other shadow soldiers were surrounding him. [Lord, master?] "Attack everyone." [...] ...!] Wow! As soon as the order was given, the shadow soldiers began to attack Harmacan. [Oh my!] Harmakan was taken aback and started cursing quickly. At that moment, system messages appeared one after another in front of Suho. [Harmacan uses ''Skill: Damage Amplification''.] [Harmacan uses ''Skill: Exploitation''.] [Harmacan uses ''Skill: Thorn of Pain''.] "Yes, this was it." Suho nodded his head, once again confirming the performance of the Harmakan curses he had personally encountered. ''Damage amplification is a debuff. Exploitation absorbs vitality. Thorns of pain are reflection damage.'' Looking back, they were quite interesting skills. In terms of the game, Harmakan could be seen as a necromancer specializing in debuffs. And just as the debuff in the game cannot exert much power without party members, the same was true for Harmakan. Even now, even if he applies a debuff, there are no ghosts that will attack him. [Aaaah!] As a result, Harmakan was one-sidedly beaten by other soldiers without even being able to attack properly. Although he was an elite knight in name and appearance, he had an unsightly appearance. However, in the process, the ''thorn of pain'' shone through. [All pain and damage Harmacan receives is shared with the attacking target.] Quaaaang! [...] ...!] At that moment, Kira''s body, which attacked Harmakan with great force, exploded and was thrown backward. At the same time, Harmakan also felt pain, but Kira, who had a rtively weak defense, fell first. Suho chuckled at that sight. "So this makes me a tank and not a necromancer?" But what if it were like this? Suho changed his fighting style. "Harmacan! Can you apply the thorns of pain to all other soldiers as well?" [Wow! Yes, yes! Anything is possible!] Even though Harma Khan was beaten by his soldiers, he steadily answered his questions. "Then use it all on the other soldiers!" [Harmacan uses ''Skill: Thorn of Pain''.] As soon as he said those words, a curse enveloped the bodies of all the soldiers, and Su-ho this time ordered the soldiers to attack each other. Then an indiscriminate fight broke out. [Kaaaa!] [Haaaap!] Chack chack chack-! Ku-kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa-kwak! The shadow soldiers attacked each other without hesitation, perhaps because they had umted so much from each other. Then, at the same time as the attack, their bodies exploded one after another. But in the meantime, they look like berserkers who don''t stop attacking each other... .... [Guys like cockroaches.] Queen Arsha, who witnessed her grueling and fierce battle from afar, clicked her tongue and ran away to build a beehive again. Shwaaaaagh! In the meantime, Suho''s mana drained out, and the damaged bodies of the soldiers began to recover quickly. Suho''s eyes sparkled when he saw that. "Good?" Thorn of Pain, which returns damage taken, had very good synergy with Shadow Soldiers. Because the shadow soldiers were able to recover no matter how much damage they took. Of course, the prerequisite for this was that it had to be supported by the Guardian''s mana. "..."From now on, I think I''ll have to invest in intelligence stats as well." Suho immediately invested everything in his intelligence stat, starting with the daily quest rewards he received today. Chapter 159 - 159

Chapter 159:

... "Now for thest time...." It was time to check Harmakan''s third ability. "Harmacan, exin the instance dungeon." Instance Dungeon. This time, Harmakan could turn the entire vige of Yamiri into a world simr to a dungeon. Harmakan said that he was able to learn this ability after repeatedly studying the legacy of Candiaru, which he discovered by chance. That''s why he imed to be Khandiaru''s disciple. Harmacan answered Suho''s question while putting his tattered body back together after being beaten by the soldiers. [Yes, master. An instance dungeon is a spell that twists the existing dimension to create a ''backside world''.] "What is this world?" [To use an analogy, you can think of it as the world beyond the mirror. It is simr to the surrounding environment but creates apletely different virtual dimension. Ah, now that I think about it...!] Harmakan opened his mouth, looking around him with an expression of sudden great realization. Where is this ce? Isn''t this the shadow dungeon, a world of rest that has crossed the border of the guardian''s shadow? The ruined city that now exists in this ck-and-white world could be seen as a world simr to an instance dungeon in some sense. This ce is simr to the scenery of Earth where Suho lives but has apletely different appearance. Harmakanined to Suho and took back what he had just said. [iced coffee! Sorry, master! I think the analogy was wrong! It was not a world beyond the mirror, but a world beyond the shadows!] Harmakan''s body trembled as he realized where Kandyaru got the inspiration to create the technology called instance dungeon. [The order was reversed from the beginning! Candiaru must have developed a spell called Instance Dungeon after this shadow world! And the purpose is ultimately...!] "Level up." Suho received the words and nodded his head. "I guess it was developed to help his father level up." [It seems so!] Until now, Harmakan had mistakenly believed that the purpose of instance dungeons was to create his world. Because he, the central axis of the world, could reign as a king. But now I see that wasn''t the case! He was not a king. Just a boss mob. It was just a device to give enormous experience points to yers who came to conquer the instance dungeon! [Besides, when I looked at it earlier, that pyramid was also the same.] Harmakan pointed to the Pyramid of Ammut. [That pyramid was also full of traces of Candiaru''s repeated research to grow the Shadow Lord''s vessel.] "I guess so." At those words, Suho nodded his head. Strong Body Training Center and Instance Dungeon. In the end, after much research, the level-up system my father used waspleted. Ironically, the ''unfinished traces'' of Candiaru''s efforts toplete the system were gathered to Suho one by one. And the result. [Master, the instance dungeon that I learned independently has the characteristic of attracting beings with evil spirits nearby.] "Evil spirits, like viins?" [yes. You can lie with your mouth and deceive, but you cannot deceive your soul. I can assure you that nothing can be better than my magic when ites to identifying evil spirits.] Harmakan, who likes evil spirits, smiled confidently and showed his teeth. [That means that by using my instance dungeon, the owner can gather viins that he can hunt with peace of mind.] [Very good! I thought he was a special guy, but then I realized he had such an amazing talent!] Ber suddenly appeared and nodded with a very satisfied expression. Then, with a smile even more sinister than Harmakan, he urged Suho. [Solord! Very well! I''ve been frustrated with how slow the level-up has been, but now I can run properly! From now on, you will kill everyone you see, whether they are viins or evil spirits, and be stronger!] "Arsha." When Suho raised his head while listening to Ber''s nagging, a swarm of bees the size of a small doll gathered above his head. [Yes, Suho. Did you call me?] "What happened to what you asked me to find?" [I scattered my bees all over the ce, but I haven''t found any traces yet. Instead, I figured out the locations of several viins in case they were rted to Hwang Dong-soo... ....] [Keeeeeeek!] [Kyaaaah?!] Arsha screamed as Ber suddenly snatched her body with terrifying force. Ber held Arsha high like her trophy and showered her with praise. [It is truly amazing! What a useful bee! Solord! It seems that only now are Lord So''s soldiers starting toe together. Let''s go level up right away!] "Why?" [Kiek?] Ber was taken aback by Suho''s reaction and didn''t know what to do. [Le, aren''t you leveling up?] "I have to do it. But the goal of hunting down viins has already been achieved. "If you are simply trying to level up, it is more efficient to just enter the dungeon." Yes. Like all hunters, Suho''s activities as a bounty hunter were now much more inefficient. However, there was no need to leave the viins that had already been found alone. Suho said with a grin. "Anyway, even if the shadow soldiers kill me, I still get experience, right?" [Keeek! Of course it is!] "Then let''s split the team into two. I hunt in the dungeon, and the viins... ...." The shadow soldiers watched Suho''s gaze scan them one by one, their bodies tensed and waiting for his orders. "Quay." [yes! master!] At Suho''s call, Spear Knight Quay leaped forward and knelt before him as if he had been waiting. "I will leave the viins to you. Take Harmakan and Kira and go around and deal with them. "Is it possible?" [Well, like that...! Whether there is! If you leave it to me, I will handle it perfectly! Before killing him, I will gather all the information and find traces of Hwang Dong-su!] At Suho''smand, Quay felt extreme shivers and his body trembled. He gave orders to himself, who was only a knight, to use Harmacan, an elite knight, as his subordinate! Quay looked down at Harmacan, a new soldier who was stronger than him, with an incredibly proud expression. [Hehehe! Did you see it? I am the Master''s first knight, Que!] [This can''t be happening....] Harmakan felt great humiliation from that tant gaze. Kira was just quietly smiling next to Quay and Harmakan, who were sharing their joys and sorrows. [Murder....] * * * Right after that. While public opinion is in an uproar over the Jisan Prison incident. A dark cloud was casting over the viins who had been operating secretly across the country, avoiding the attention of the Association until now. "...So, the metropolitan area is dangerous." "I know yeah. "Hehe." "After all, some hunters move to Seoul when they make money, right? The Hunter Association headquarters is also in Gangnam." "So in the end, if you''re going to do viinous things, it''s safer to go on a local tour like we did?" A suburb far from Seoul. In the middle of the town market, where food was sold to travelers, the viins were sitting and chatting peacefully. "Wow. "Anyway, the weather is nice today." Wasak. The viin took an apple sold nearby and took a big bite, looking up at the sky with a leisurely expression. Warm sunlight. A pleasant, gentle breeze. Isn''t this happiness? but. Except for the fishy scent of blood that vibrates in the wind. ...! The mayor was covered in blood. Bodies strewn about in horrendous condition. This ce, which was peaceful until morning, became a living hell overnight due to a group of viins who suddenly appeared. However, the people whomitted this terrible act were sitting calmly and chatting quietly. "Ugh. These demons...." "uh? Is there anyone still alive? "Your name is long?" The corner of the viin''s mouth went up as he saw the survivor crawling on the floor, breathing hard. Then. Sigh. "Okay, now it''s over." The viin, who had neatly ended the survivor''s life, took another bite of the apple he was eating with a refreshed expression. Crunchy. "So, the people who were caught in the first ce were assholes? If they kill all the witnesses like this, how will they know who we are... ...." It was then. Creepy. The viin who was eating an apple was suddenly startled and jumped up to look around. Something has changed. The gentle wind stopped. The sunlight shining down felt somewhat awkward. however. "W-what! "What is this?!" "Why are you making such a fuss all of a sudden?" When the viin who was eating an apple suddenly made a fuss, his colleagues tilted their heads in confusion. Yes. On the outside, nothing had changed. The smell of blood. Corpses. And his colleagues, who have been working hand in hand with each other for several months. But things have changed. "F*ck you! "What are you doing?" "No, what? "Why is this guy like this?" The viin, who did not notice any change, just made a puzzled expression as his colleague shouted at him. and. Suddenly. "...uh?" His head was cut off while he was sitting still. Tuk. Degururu. My colleague''s head was tilted to the side so vainly and rolled on the floor. "W-what the f*ck!" "Ugh!" Only then do the viins feel rmed and wake up all at once and begin to be wary of their surroundings. At that time, there was a ray of voice passing by their ears. [one.] "Who, who...!" Suddenly. The viin''s head was cut off again as he looked back in shock. [Now two.] Once again, the voice that sounded like the wind was mixed with a satisfied smile. "Ugh! Everyone be careful! "I''m an assassin-type hunter!" "Use your tracking skills!" "Ahh! "F*ck, what is that again!" The viins were shocked. Ssaaaaaa- They discovered the appearance of ghosts rising like a haze from the corpses they had killed. [Hehehe. Many souls have a grudge against you.] Wraith magic. With Harmakan''s sinisterughter, numerous ghosts grabbed the viins'' ankles and strangled them. "Ears, ghosts?!" "Holy shit! I don''t know what it is, but run away from here... ...!" [That won''t work.] I love you so much- "Ouch!" Quay suddenly approached and pierced the thigh of the viin who was trying to run away with his spear. He then grabbed the terrified viin by his hair with a vicious hand, lifted him, and looked him in the eyes. [I like people who talk a lot.] "Hehe...." At Quay''s narrowed, sinister smile, the viin''s expression turned pale with fear. Before he knew it, Quay had returned to the gaze of Lee Min-seong, the Vice President of the Reaper Guild and an A-level viin. Smirk. Quay asked him. [Now, whatever you want, tell me everything you know. If you stop talking, I will rip your tongue out of this snout.] Not to be outdone, Harmacan grabbed the already dead viin''s soul with his evil hands. [Cluck. After all, it is a knight grade. You can ask questions after killing them first.] [...] ....] Quay gritted his teeth. ...And that time. Tiring! [Your level has risen!] "uh? already?" Suho suddenly leveled up. Su-ho, who was going through the guild creation paperwork with Jin-ho Yoo''s secretaries, scratched his head with a puzzled expression. "..."How many times are they killing those guys?" As it turned out, Korea was steadily turning into a viin-clean country. Chapter 160 - 160

Chapter 160:

¡ª¡ª- thud. "Now, these are all the documents needed to create a guild." "..."There are a lot." Suhoughed as he looked at the pile of documents in front of him. As if he had anticipated Suho''s reaction, Jinho Yoo grinned picked up the topmost stack of documents, and exined. "There are bound to be a lot of documents. "The guild you will establish is already arge guild from the start." "Is it because of the Scavenger Guild?" "Okay. The Scavenger Guild has already started selling ''Echo Forest Spring Water'' in earnest. And half of the profits will be used as your guild''s ie. "But is there any way that there are not enough documents?" Suho nodded at Yoo Jin-ho''s words. ''Item: Spring Water of Echo Forest'' The effectiveness of the detox potion obtained from the ice elves in the cier dungeon was proven through several verifications by the Scavenger Guild. From Suho''s perspective, he had already seen the item information, so he knew the effect very well. To sell to other hunters for money, such a verification process was necessary, even if it was somewhat cumbersome. As soon as the value of the detox potion was confirmed, the Scavenger Guild began the detox potion business in earnest. The public''s reaction has already been enthusiastic. It was natural. When hunting magical beasts that use poison, a hunter with detoxification skills was essential. But not everyone had such a hunter as a colleague. In such a situation, even though it was inconvenient, I had to go into battle wearing a gas mask. Otherwise, I had no choice but to go to the association''s healer after the battle and receive detoxification. But now, with just the detox potion, the paradigm until now would bepletely different. And because of Suho''s contract with Scavenger, he was to receive half of the proceeds from future sales of Echo Forest''s spring water. However, in principle, suchrge-scale contracts are only transacted between guilds. "In other words, Seong Su-ho''s guild will be a close partner with arge American guild upon its establishment. And since Ajin Soft has to coordinate and supervise that rtionship, a three-party contract is also required... ...." "yes. So where should I start signing?" Since it was something he was familiar with, Suho picked up his pen and listened to thewyer''s exnation. Still, thanks to Yoo Jin-ho, all theplicated contracts and document procedures were resolved, so the guild could be founded by simply signing numerous documents. Yoo Jin-ho, who had been watching Suho eagerly sign his name, suddenly looked at Suho with very serious eyes. "Rather..."As a guild leader, there is probably one most important thing left to do." "What is that?" Suho''s eyes also became serious at that expression. His uncle Yoo Jin-ho was his father''s closest colleague who had his memories of his previous life returned intact. What does he think is most important? Jinho Yoo asked seriously. "Have you decided on a guild name?" "ah." What else can I say? Suho shrugged his shoulders in response. It was a topic I had never thought about because I was so busy. But anyway, toplete these thick documents, the guild name had to be written at the top. "hmm. "We just call it a solo guild." "Now, wait!" "...?" Suho was taken aback by Jinho Yoo''s sudden, greatly embarrassed reaction. Yoo Jin-ho''s expression was veryplex. Yoo Jin-ho didn''t know whether to cry orugh at this or what kind of expression he should make right now. ''...what the. ''I wonder if someone is your son.'' It was Yoo Jin-ho who brought back a nostalgic memory that now remains only as a memory. In the past, didn''t Seong Jin-woo also try to roughly name his guild "Solople Guild"? "why? Weird?" Yu Jin-ho asked Su-ho''s question back. "...Why do you want to use that name?" "There''s no particr reason, I just like moving alone. "I have no intention of recruiting more guild members in the future." "That''s true, but strictly speaking, you''re not fighting alone. "There are also shadow soldiers." "hmm." "More than anything, it''s so tacky! "Later, as the guild name bes more known, it will be exposed in many ces!" After hearing it, I saw it. Su-ho nodded to Yu Jin-ho''s logical and desperate persuasion. It made sense. It was a guild that I might be joining for the rest of my life. It was right for the guild name to have a meaning that could express oneself well. ''That''s why I chose ''Solo''...If the meaning is not clearly understood, it is of no use.'' It''s a word that can express me. Suho asked again. "Then how about ''Woojin Guild''?" "Woojin?" Yoo Jin-ho''s eyes widened slightly as he reflected on the tone. "Is that your brother''s or your father''s name backward?" "Yes, that''s true, but it also has other meanings." "What do you mean?" "Wu (Óî) of the universe (ÓîÖæ), Jin (ßM) to move forward." Suho reflected on his purpose. He has to do what he needs to do next. What I want to do. And for that purpose, the name I want to give to the guild that will grow together. "The two together make Ujin (ÓîßM), which means ''moving into space.''" "...." Yoo Jin-ho couldn''t say anything in response to Su-ho''s subsequent answer. "Because I will go to the universe where my father is." ...That is how the Woojin Guild was created. * * * After forming a guild, Suho began to attack the dungeon in earnest. When I became a guild leader, I realized that there was a big difference between when there was no guild and when there was a guild. Surprisingly, the fact that the guild leader was a C-ss hunter was not very important. Such elements are only needed when recruiting guild members anyway, and in the end, ''money'' is what is needed to dominate the dungeon to be conquered. And Suho now had a lot of money. "10 billion." "...!" "First of all, please focus on the highest-grade dungeons with 1 billion won, bro." "Ah Okay. no! "I understand, guild leader!" Lim Do-gyun, who came out of the shadow dungeon for the first time in a long time, could not get used to the sight of Su-ho suddenly bing rich. But making money is difficult, so why spend it? "And since the moneying in from scavengers next month will be much more than this month, we take that into consideration and make reservations in advance." "yes!" Lim Do-gyun answers energetically. Suho noticed that his movements were very different from before. ''fast.'' And that change became clear when I took Lim Do-gyun into the dungeon. "Ugh! "Why did you bring me here?" Lim Do-gyun''s role is a porter. It was a task for Suho to run between shadow soldiers and hunt demonic beasts to collect magic stones. It didn''t matter if you did this after the dungeon raid waspleted. Otherwise, you could have left it to the shadow soldiers without having to order Lim Do-gyun to do it. However, there was a reason why he brought Lim Do-gyun in person this time. "...oh. "He''s really good at running away." Suho was impressed. Ammut just told Lim Do-gyun to run all the time. As a result, Lim Do-gyun''s lower body was trained to the limit, and he was still able to run away from the mid-level magic beasts that were attacking him. ''Magic power is still at level E, but the strength itself has increased significantly. This is enough... ...''Wouldn''t it be possible to deal with a D-ss demon or higher on your own without difficulty?'' Of course, just because his running got faster, that didn''t mean his attack power improved. But what if we put a good weapon in Lim Do-gyun''s hands? ''For example, a bow.'' Of course, a hunter''s bow uses magic arrows as standard. Therefore, no matter how good the bow was, if it was in the hands of an E-ss hunter, its attack power was bound to be very poor. Can you even fire one shot properly in the first ce? ''But what if it''s not a magical arrow?'' "Dogyun hyung, listen to this." "huh? "No, yes?" Lim Do-gyun, who was holding the bow given by Su-ho in his hand, made a puzzled expression. "Guild leader, why is this? I don''t have enough magic power, so I can''t use a weapon like this... ...." "Because I know, let''s just aim for a demonstration first." "...?" Although Lim Do-gyun did not understand, he obediently followed Su-ho''s words. Joowoouk- The moment he pulls the bowstring. "Mino, shapeshift." "...?!" Shwaaaagh! Lim Do-gyun could not help but be shocked. Suddenly, the shadow minotaur that was fighting with Guardian ran towards him and turned into a single ck arrow. [Mino Lv.1] Transmogrification ¨C Arrow "Hehe, hehe... ...." [Mmmuuuu!] "Hey, what is this? scared." Lim Do-gyun suddenly looked at Su-ho with his hands trembling as he saw a ck shadow arrow fluttering ominously on his bow. "Soo, Suho? No, guild leader? This, this... ..."What happens if I shoot you?" "What happens? "It will fly forward, right?" "I guess so...." "Now, take a shot." "...." At Su-ho''s urging, Lim Do-gyun closed his eyes tightly and pointed the shadow arrowhead toward those scary-looking beasts. and. Tuk. The moment you let go of his hand. [Mmmuuuu-] Kuwaaaaaaa! "Hey?!" The ck ray of light left his hand and passed through arge hole in the body of the gigantic beast like a cannonball. Lim Do-gyun''s expression as he stared nkly at that scene was a sight to behold. "W-What on earth is this...?" ...." "What is it?" Suho smiled and answered. "From now on, my brother is also a full-fledgedbatant of the Woojin guild." "..."Guild leader." At those words, Lim Do-gyun''s eyes as he looked at Su-ho quietly fluttered. E-ss hunter. He is the weakest hunter who deserves to be a miner, not a fighter. That was who he was. ''...I am weak.'' no. Always been weak. so that.... ''I always just ran away.'' From scary demonic beasts. And from his mother who tried to kill him by turning into Mistburn. and. ''Even from her father who killed her mother.'' mother. Still, when Lim Do-gyun falls asleep, he always dreams of ''that day.'' In that dream, there was always a father who casually killed his mother, a demonic beast. I saw my father like that before my eyes. -Ugh! -Do, Do-gyun...! ...He was so scared that he turned his back on his father and ran away. So forever, until the dream ends. Lim Do-gyun ran and ran endlessly. To run away from his father. maybe.... It must have been from then on. ''My life was always about running away.'' Did you gain running skills after awakening? That was probably a natural result and a natural reason. ''Because I am weak.'' Even after awakening, it is only an E grade. Because he is still not as strong as his father, who is an S-ss hunter. however. Right now, Lim Do-gyun was looking down at his own two hands that had killed an extremely strong magical beast in one fell swoop. My hands were shaking with bted excitement. Of course, he had no intention of being mistaken. This power was not his own. It was just a manifestation of the ability that Seong Su-ho had temporarily lent to him. But why? Just from this one experience, I felt like I had gained courage that I had never had before. "..."Suho." Lim Do-gyun looked at Su-ho with serious eyes. And he revealed an important secret that he had been hiding until now. "My father actually..." ...." "Ah, you are Lim Tae-gyu, leader of the Reaper Guild? "I know." "I''m Tae...what? Uh, how did you do that?!" Suho looked at Lim Do-gyun''s shocked appearance in bewilderment. "What should I do? Even though we look alike, we are so simr. "If you don''t know that, you have to return your certificate of eptance to Korea University''s College of Fine Arts." "...." "Anyway, seeing as you''re finally saying that, I guess you''ve gained some courage now, don''t you?" "What?" chin. Suho ced his hand on the shoulder of Lim Do-gyun, who looked puzzled. And he smiled meaningfully, his eyes shining. "So now, can you please contact your father directly?" "W-what kind ofmunication?" "I''ve been getting calls these days asking me to return the weapons they lent me. Haha." "...huh?" A ss A weapon that Lim Tae-gyu lent to Su-ho before going to the cier Dungeon. The ''Reaper''s Bow (replica)'' was no longer there because it was taken away by the ice elf Sirka who left with his mother. Even if Suho became rich overnight, it was only 1 billion won. No matter how much Echo Forest''s spring water is selling like hotcakes, it''s only been a few days since sales began. So there was no money yet to pay for those expensive ss A weapons. "So, take this opportunity to make peace with your father. If possible, could you please hand over the advanced dungeon to me? ...." "...." Looking at Suho''s brightest smile, the emotion on Lim Do-gyun''s face quickly cooled. * * * And that time. "...Chacha!" Sirka was urgently calling out to Cha Hae-in, aiming the Reaper''s bow (replica) at the sky. Wow! At those words, Cha Hae-in also looked ahead with a heavy expression. "That can''t be...." Gray blizzard. A huge shadow loomed beyond it. Chapter 161 - 161

Chapter 161:

¡ª Tomb of the Dragons. This was the ce where the final war between the Shadow Lord Seong Jin-woo, the King of the Dead, and Antares, the King of the Light Dragons and the Lord of Destruction, took ce. The war between the two powerful forces was truly fierce and brutal, and in the end, it was Seong Jin-woo''s shadow army that emerged victorious. As a result, from that day on, the corpses of countless dragons turned to ash were scattered like a blizzard across thisnd. Cha Hae-in and Sirka had entered this bleak and destend to restore the power of the shadow dragon Kaisel. Kaisel, whose strength had weakened while protecting Cha Hae-in, fell into a deep sleep immediately after arriving here in Cha Hae-in''s arms. This is a kind of hibernation. On the outside, it looked like he had just fallen asleep, but now Kaisel was absorbing the power of the tiny dragons contained in the gray ash. While Kaisel was recovering his strength, there was only one thing for Cha Hae-in and Sirka to do. Vaguely wandering around this destend. At first, they nned to find a suitable ce to stay and wait for Kaisel to recover. But not long after that, Kaisel woke up yawning profusely. What Kaisel wanted was clear. Keep moving. This was because there was a limit to the power that could be absorbed in one ce. In a way, it was natural. In the first ce, the energy contained in the corpses of the light dragons was only a mere glimmer of energy. In order for Kaisel, who had hit rock bottom, to absorb enough energy to recover his full strength, he might have to travel all over this dimension. Cha Hae-in and Sirka, who understood the principle, began wandering thend in search of new ces to help Kaisel recover. After a while. "...!" As they wandered aimlessly, a truly huge and majestic silhouette appeared in front of them. "Chacha! "I''ll cover you!" Under Sirka''s cover, Cha Hae-in drew his sword and slowly approached him. After approaching through the gray blizzard... .... Finally, the reality was clearly revealed before them. "oh my god." They couldn''t help but be astonished. "..."It wasn''t all reduced to ashes." Surprisingly, in front of them were the huge corpses of dragons that had not yet been reduced to ashes, with only their bones remaining. "It feels like I''m at some kind of dinosaur museum." Cha Hae-in felt a little overwhelmed by the grandeur of the giant dragon bones. [purr....] At that moment, Kai Sel also woke up and looked around him with sleepy eyes. Cha Hae-in asked while stroking Kaisel''s back. "How are you? Do you think your strength will recover faster here?" [Grrr....] Kaisel slowly closed his eyes as if he felt good at Cha Hae-in''s touch. Sirka, who saw that expression from the side, said with joy. "Great. It is inevitable that the recovery rate will be much higher around corpses that have at least bones left than corpses that have been reduced to ashes. "The corpses of dragons are a tremendous treasure in themselves." In response to Sirka''s words, India nodded. Even when I think back to my past life, dragon bones were truly a tremendous resource. It boasted tremendous strength and durability to bear the weight of the massive dragon, and of course its mana sensitivity was the best. "Great. "If we take all these bones to Earth and make weapons, it will be of great help to Su-ho." "I know. It''s been so old that it''s weathered and deteriorated, but if you look closely, you''ll find many intact bone fragments... ...." It was just at the moment when Cha Hae-in reached for his ne to open his inventory. Creepy! "damage!" "...!" Cha Hae-in and Sirka suddenly felt like they had made a promise to live, so they scattered in opposite directions. Kwaang-! Then a huge explosion urred where they were standing. Grumble! In the aftermath of the explosion, the bones of nearby dragons copsed. Cha Hae-in and Sirka hurriedly avoided the debris and prepared for battle. "I''ll cover you!" Wow! Sirka quickly retreated and pulled the bowstring, and Cha Hae-in immediately jumped forward with his sword in hand. Then, the identity of those who caused the explosion was finally revealed to Cha Hae-in''s vision. "Kika!" "Kirukadra!" "...!" Cha Hae-in''s eyes widened. Surprisingly, they were warriors and shamans made of bones. However, the figure was not like an ordinary human being like a skeleton. Sirka, who was protecting Cha Hae-in by shooting arrows from behind, recognized their identities and shouted in surprise. "They''re mercenaries!" "Dragon disease?" Dragon infantry. In Greek, they are a legendary race also called Spartoi (¦²¦Ð¦Á¦Ñ¦Ó¦Ï?), meaning ''the sown ones.'' As the name suggests, they were warriors who appeared when a dragon''s tooth was nted in the ground. "It seems like the dragon''s teeth that haven''t been reduced to ashes have been reborn as demonic beasts!" Sirka recalled. King of the bright dragons, Lord of Destruction. Antares, moremonly called the Dragon Emperor, was the most powerful monarch among all monarchs. He was the strongest dragon in name and reality, and the light dragons he led were an invincible army with tremendous power and magic. For a long time, their bodies were left on this earth instead of turning into ashes. There was no doubt that the power contained in their bone fragments had created the Dragon Soldiers. however...There was something unclear. "A dragon child without an owner is born! "This is possible?!" "What does that mean?" Cha Hae-in, seeing Sirka''s surprised appearance, shouted at Sirka while fighting with the dragon soldiers. The number of dragon soldiers was asrge as the corpses of the dragons left on thisnd, and they were continuously crawling out of the ground and surrounding Chahaein and Sirka. but. "White me Storm!" Rumble! As Cha Hae-in raised the Demon King''s long sword high, hundreds of lightning bolts began to strike from the sky. "Kirakrak!" "Karkak!" The Demon King''s long sword was a long sword that contained the power of Baran, the King of Demons and Lord of the White me. The sword had the power to create a storm of constant lightning in the area. In that overwhelming disaster, the dragon soldiers simply screamed and copsed. but. "Kaaaa!" "You can withstand this?!" Cha Hae-in''s eyes widened. Even in the storm of white mes that caused great damage to Italim''s apostles, the dragon soldiers were rising again. "Chacha! "I heard that dragon soldiers are born from dragon teeth and have high defense!" "It sure looks like that." Cha Hae-in carefully adjusted his sword. [Crumbling.] "Don''t worry, Kaisel. "You can keep sleeping." Sensing something strange, Kai Cell opened her eyes with a worried expression, but Cha Haein smiled andforted Kai Cell. "But the damage was definitely done." As the saying goes, the speed of the dragon soldiers who were hit directly by lightning was noticeably slowed down. If you deal with them one by one, won''t they all end up lying down one day? Quack! Cha Hae-in, who swung his sword and cut off the waist of the dragon soldier in front, looked back at Sirka. "Sirka! So what did you just say? "What''s strange?" "ah...!" Sirka responded by firing an arrow at the dragon soldier shaman who was making a magic attack from the furthest distance. "I don''t know much about the dragon race, but I know one thing for sure! "A dragon soldier without an owner cannot exist!" "There must be an owner?" "huh! I originally heard that dragons make dragon babies by pulling out their own teeth! The purpose is, of course, to protect oneself! To be more precise... ...!" Sirka''s gaze turned to Kaisel, who was sleeping on Cha Hae-in''s shoulder. "Protecting the dragon while it is hibernating! That''s the purpose of Yongahyeong''s existence!" "what?" Cha Hae-in, who heard Sirka''s words and realized something strange, looked around. "But there are no living dragons here?" "That''s why it''s strange! "Dragon soldiers who lose their masters return to their teeth!" "Then what are these guys...." It was definitely a strange thing. For this many dragon soldiers to exist, it meant that there had to be that many living dragons here. But no matter where I looked, I couldn''t see any living dragons. What this means is that the material for these mercenary soldiers is the teeth of these corpses. "..."So you''re saying there''s a new owner?" "Or, someone has appeared who can make dragon infantry using the teeth of other dragons." "In the end, it''s a simr conclusion. "It feels like they won''t answer even if I ask." Thanks to Cha Hae-in''s ne with an interpreter function, he was able to understand the wordsing out of the dragon soldiers'' mouths from earlier. "Kirkara (Kill the intruder)!" "..."You''re an intruder." ''That means we''ve invaded somewhere, or we don''t want to invade.'' Where is that somewhere? Cha Hae-in calmly looked around and shouted as he cut down another dragon soldier. "Sirka! "I will be in charge here for a while, so you can say a ''prayer'' to the Lord of the Cold!" Sirka is a descendant of the Lord of the Cold Cold, and was able to convey his thoughts to the Lord of the Cold Cold. Guardian, a ''priest,'' was able to awaken the heroic spirit of the Lord of the Cold from his eternal sleep, but Sirka was even able to send a one-sided message through ''prayer.'' And the message sent in that way would be delivered to Suho, the priest, through the Monarch of the Cold. "..."This is not what the prayer was supposed to be." Sirka began to pray to Sd, the Lord of the Cold, with a slightly embarrassed expression. "So what do you want me to tell you?" * * * By that time, Suho and Lim Do-gyun had arrived in Busan. The purpose is, of course, to conquer dungeons. However, this strategy was a bit of a special case. "Are you by any chance the guild leader of Woojin''s guild?" "no. My name is Lim Do-gyun, the deputy guild leader. Our boss is this...." "Oh, sorry!" At Lim Do-gyun''s words, the female hunter who came to greet Woojin''s guild blushed and urgently apologized. Then, with a shy expression, he came in front of Suho and greeted him with a bright expression. "hello! My name is Lee Joo-hee, a healer from the Knights Guild! "Wee to Busan!" "Ah yes. hello. "My name is Seong Su-ho, the guild leader." "...." "...?" But why? When Lee Joo-hee, who had greeted Suho, came face to face with Suho, she suddenly looked intently at Suho''s face with a strange expression. Suho asked with a puzzled expression. "Is there anything wrong?" "Oh, no! Excuse me. The boss''s face looks familiar. "I guess it''s just my mood." "...?" It was Lee Joo-hee who btedly apologized to Su-ho with an embarrassed expression. ''I''m a very picky person too. How do I know this young man? ''When I lived in Seoul to begin with, this person wouldn''t have been born yet.'' Joohee Lee quickly got to the point, ming herself for making so many mistakes today. "Hmm. Anyway, CEO Seong Su-ho. Thank you so much foring to help our Knights Guild. Hunter Lim Tae-gyu arrived first and is waiting at the guild office. "I will guide you." gulp. It was Lim Do-gyun, who swallowed dry saliva with a nervous expression upon hearing that his father was waiting. Chapter 162 - 162

Chapter 162:

The criteria for selecting dungeons for Suho''s ''Woojin Guild'' were clear. Level up. In other words, the level of the dungeon is high. Alternatively, dungeons with arge number of demonic beasts were best for gaining experience points. But of course, those dungeons were also popr with other hunters. This is because the by-products of stronger magical beasts are often more valuable, and the greater the number of magical beasts, the more by-products can be obtained. And of course, those dungeons were expensive to ess. However, the current amount of funds held by Guardian''s Guild is 1 billion. If it was a lot, it would be a lot, if it was a little, it would be a lot. With this ambiguous amount of money, Suho''s guild had to make a choice. 1) Should we split the 1 billion won in guild reserves and attack several low- to mid-level dungeons? 2) Should I spend a lot of money at once and buy just one ticket for a higher dungeon? Both of these could be considered not bad choices if you were a normal guild aiming for profit. For Suho, whose main goal was to level up, either way was ambiguous. I''ve already passed level 50, and now I can''t even gain experience points, let alone level up, in mid- to low-level dungeons. Even if it was an advanced dungeon, it was difficult to guarantee whether it would be possible to raise it to level 1 with just one dungeon. Of course, if more moneyes in from the Scavenger Guild starting next month, the whole situation will be resolved. However, I can''t just sit in the office and suck my fingers until then. ...So the choice Suho made was neither of those two options. Although it may be somewhat inefficient for a guild that pursues utility, there was another method if the goal was to level up. 3) Entering a dungeon upied by another guild. This third method is further divided into two. One was to provide support as a mercenary, that is, by receiving requests for cooperation from other guilds. When the guild that purchased the ess rights through a biddingpetition determined that the difficulty of the dungeon was higher than expected, the guild requested support from other guilds or hunters. However, such cases were very rare. This is because most people purchase dungeon ess rights appropriate for their guild''s level. Then there was only one way left. Transferring the strategy rights purchased by another guild. Usually, in this case, a premium is added to the amount paid at the time the guild bid, and the item is handed over at a higher price. However, since this was also difficult for the Woojin guild with limited funds, the method Suho came up with was ''blood ties.'' ''...That''s why Do-gyun tried to buy the guild''s strategy rights that he bought through his brother.'' After the Lee Min-seong incident, the Reaper Guild suffered from a manpower shortage. It goes without saying that he no longer has the energy toplete all of the dungeon ess rights he possessed. You may need to urgently sell off your dungeon ess rights just to save money. Since it was the guild his son belonged to, he might hand over the right to attack at a slightly cheaper price, so Su-ho''s n was indeed perfect. Just one thing. There was something Suho hadn''t thought of... .... ''I can''t believe the Shinigami guild was that ruined.'' Yes. Lim Tae-gyu is ruined. The Reaper Guild, once considered the best guild in Korea, has steadily declined since the Lee Min-seong incident. At least, thanks to Quay handing over all of the slush funds he had hidden during his lifetime to Lim Tae-gyu, he was able to find some relief from the financial difficulties that were on the verge of bankruptcy. The problem was that the hunters who had already canceled their contracts and left the guild did note back. Because thepany''s image has already gone into ruin. So Lim Tae-gyu made a bold decision to use this opportunity to find his original intention. Rather than recruiting new guild members, the remaining funds were used to increase the ransom of guild members who remained loyal and did not leave even in this situation. Then, they took off their clothes fromrge guilds and began working as a small elite guild. Just like the Woojin guild led by Suho. Anyway, as the situation was like this, Lim Tae-gyu was also in the same situation as Su-ho. The Shinigami Guild he leads has decided to operate as a ''mercenary group'' for the time being, as it can save the most capital. And contrary to their public image of having gone to hell, they were instantly weed by the industry. A mercenary group that included S-ss hunters was unprecedented. In particr, the guild that first sent a love call to them was the ''Knights Guild'', a representative guild in the Yeongnam region. "...As you probably already know, our Knights Guild is arge guild with thergest number of A-level hunters in the country." While moving to his office, B-ss hunter Lee Joo-hee stood by Su-ho''s side and exined about his guild. "However, although there are many A-ss hunters, there are actually no S-ss hunters, so difficult cases like this one sometimes arise. So, I am really grateful that Hunter Lim Tae-gyu came as a mercenary this time." Rattling. Every time Lim Tae-gyu''s name came out of Lee Joo-hee''s mouth, Lim Do-gyun, who was walking next to Su-ho, shivered and became stiff. Seeing that, Suho smiled and lightly patted Lim Do-gyun on the back. "Brother, rx your expression. "If anyone sees you, they''ll think you''re going to fight." "Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah." "...." Lim Do-gyun was alreadypletely broken. And finally it came. "This is the office. "It looks like they are having a strategy meeting at the moment." smart! When Lee Joo-hee knocked on the office door and entered, Su-ho and Lim Do-gyun followed. At that moment, the eyes of the hunters who were having a heated meeting all turned towards them. "what?" "During a meeting, someone suddenly...." As they were about to say a word, they recognized Lee Joo-hee next to Su-ho and silenced her. Lee Joo-hee, a B-level healer from the Knights Guild. That woman, with her elegant and graceful aura, was a well-known figure within the knights'' guild due to her unique bright and caring personality. A healer with a good personality is weed wherever he goes. She was even given the nickname ''Angel in White'' among Busan citizens who had received help from Lee Joo-hee at least once. Of course, it was impossible for her to gain such recognition simply because of her good personality. Above all, Lee Joo-hee''s former job was a nurse. She had been working at the hospital for a long time before awakening, and was not only skilled in recovery skills but also in various emergency treatments. What she meant was that she was a professional healer with the ability to calmly take care of patients even when her magic power was depleted during battle. "Hmm. Hunter Lee Joo-hee, who is with you?" "This is Seong Su-ho, the president of Woojin Guild, who promised to visit today." "ah! Additional support as mercenaries... ...!" Lee Joo-hee''s answer instantly brought Lee Chae to the hunters'' eyes. At the same time, their eyes quickly swept over the figures of Su-ho and Lim Do-gyun next to Lee Joo-hee. Those gathered here are the leaders of the Knights Guild. As this is a gathering ce to resolve the emergency that has hit Haeundae, Busan, any outstanding hunter is always wee. However, if you have not clearly proven your skills, the situation is different. ''Woojin Guild. ording to the information, it was a new guild that was recently established.'' ''It''s also a small guild with only three members, including the guild leader.'' Originally, a guild that had no such certification would never have epted them as mercenaries. In an emergency situation like the present, if people without skills were to hold on to their ankles for no reason, there was a risk that it could turn into a major ident. But the problem was that the person who rmended Woojin Guild was none other than Lim Tae-gyu. Although he is a mercenary in the Knights Guild, which does not have an S-ss hunter, Lim Tae-gyu, an S-ss hunter, is actually the core and actual leader of this operation, and his influence was considerable. ''Still, if Tae-gyu Lim personally rmended it, there must be some hidden potential, right?'' ''Seeing as there are so few troops, it might be a guild that focuses on buff skills or healers.'' Various thoughts passed through their heads, but ultimately they had no choice but to look down on Suho. The reason was none other than the frozen appearance of Lim Do-gyun, Su-ho''spanion. "Gggggg..." ...." ''Tsk. ''Were they kids after all?'' ''I''m anxious. It would be nice if I didn''t have to hold on to my ankle for no reason.'' The hunters couldn''t help but click their tongues at the sight of Lim Do-gyun, who was frozen like a stone in the same posture he entered the conference room and unable to breathe properly. Without even thinking about who was first, they went up to the podium at the right time and looked at Lim Tae-gyu, who was presiding over the meeting. ''In this case, no matter how much Hunter Lim Tae-gyu''s rmendation, I have to oppose it...hmm?'' ''What on earth is Mr. Lim Tae-gyu thinking...? ...hmm?'' But what is this again? In fact, Lim Tae-gyu, who was nning a strategy with a charismatic spirit on the podium, suddenly had a breakdown just like Lim Do-gyun''s. "Gggggggg..." ...." "Gggggggg..." ...." "..."What is this?" The hunters took turns looking at the two people, who froze with the same expression as soon as they saw each other, making puzzled expressions. * * * "...." "...." Thanks to Suho(?), the reunion of father and son after a long time began in a very breathtaking atmosphere. Seeing Lim Tae-gyu and Lim Do-gyun not having the courage to speak to each other first, the leaders of the Knights Guild couldn''t help but swallow their saliva and be nervous. When they realized that Lim Do-gyun was Lim Tae-gyu''s son, they remembered Lim Tae-gyu''s heartbreaking story from their informationwork. ''On the day he awakened, his wife turned into a mist burn.'' ''And the Mist Burn attacked his son.'' ''In order to save his son, Tae-gyu Lim took the mist bun that belonged to his wife with his own hands....'' This story was a very famous one as it happened on the day Lim Tae-gyu awakened as an S-ss hunter. ''Did you say your son left home after that?'' ''It''s worth it. Whatever the circumstances, he witnessed his father killing his mother.'' Since they were aware of the situation, it was not that they did not understand this atmosphere. but. ''Why are you doing this here....'' ''I wish everyone would just turn it off.'' Breathing... ...I''m stuck. ''I''m so busy.'' Park Jong-su, the president of the Knights Guild, and Su-ho shook hands, trying to ignore the atmosphere. "Nice to meet you. "My name is Park Jong-su, an A-level hunter who leads the Knights Guild." "This is Seong Su-ho, the president of the Woojin Guild." Park Jong-su was a fairly decent and polite person. No, to be precise, I had no choice but to show that attitude. This is because, unlike other leaders, he received information about Suho from Lim Tae-gyu in advance. ''The main character in the photo taken with Hunter Lim Tae-gyu during the Lee Min-seong incident.'' A mysterious person whose face could not be clearly recognized because the quality of the drone photo was so poor. With the emergence of a new promising talent, many guilds were eager to find out his identity, but to think that he found out on his own like this. This was an opportunity. If, as Lim Tae-gyu said, he would grow into a great talent in the future, there was no harm in forming a good rtionship. Park Jong-su smiled kindly and personally pushed the chair and handed it to Su-ho. "Now, CEO Seong Su-ho. Please sit down first. Since we are in a situation where time is running out, let''s have a more in-depth conversation after the meeting." Soon the meeting began. In the end, Tae-gyu Lim went up to the podium to conduct the meeting again without even having a proper conversation with Do-gyun Lim. Lim Do-gyun''s eyes gradually became calmer as he sat next to Su-ho and watched his father like that. Chapter 163 - 163

Chapter 163:

Busan Haeundae. It was rtively recently that strange signs were discovered on this beautiful white sand beach, which is crowded during the holiday season. The Knights Guild, a representative guild in the Yeongnam region, patrolled the entire area of Haeundae after receiving reports that people kept going missing there. And he found it. "Skeleton." The leadership of the Knights Guild was silent at Lim Tae-gyu''s words. "The area where skeletons appear is expanding." In the video, numerous skeleton soldiers were seen crawling out from hiding under the sandy beach. And the hunters of the Knights Guild were seen defeating them. Looking at the battle taking ce on the screen even at this very moment, Park Jong-su, the president of the Knights Guild, gritted his teeth with a serious expression. "The problem is that I don''t know where they came from." Looking at the situation, it was clear that a dungeon break had urred in the waters off Busan. However, the location of the key point, the gate, could not be found. "...Judging by the constantly proliferating skeletons, it seems clear that there is a Necromancer-type monster behind them that summons these guys." "Assuming it is a boss mob, the location of the boss mob is usually at the very end, that is, inside the gate or near the gate." Only then did the speechless leaders rush to open their mouths. "So, our knight guild is doing its best to search for the gate...." "We are unable to find the location of the gate." "Currently, it is even questionable whether a gate has urred in the ocean." "That can''t be possible! "There is no precedent for a gate to ur under the sea!" "It''s only been two years since the cataclysm urred! "A new precedent can always be created!" A dimensional rift, a gate, connecting the Earth and the extraterrestrial dimension. The mysterious phenomenon would suddenly appear anywhere in the world. But why? Until now, a gate has never been observed in the sea with its constant waves and turbulence. I don''t know the reason, but it was a truly fortunate event for humanity. No matter how one imagines, the future of humanity, deprived of the sea, could not help but be bleak. But I couldn''t feel safe forever. Just as no one could have predicted the cataclysm two years ago, no one can know what unexpected changes will ur in the future. The hunter who raised his voice at the end was pointing out this very point. "stop." With one word from Tae-gyu Lim, the atmosphere of the hunters who were shouting at each other was instantly cleared up. Those gathered here were the leaders of the Knights Guild, that is, A-ss hunters. Each may have their own strengths and weaknesses, but since they were hunters of the same level, they also had equal rights to speak. However, even more so, Lim Tae-gyu, the only S-ss hunter among them, had a higher right to speak than anyone else. As soon as the atmosphere became quiet, Lim Tae-gyu opened his mouth again. "I agree that we must remain open to any possibility, but there are limits to the power we can mobilize." If the gate really urred under the sea, this was not a problem that could be solved with the power currently gathered here in the first ce. Lim Tae-gyu''s judgment was that if it was not a problem that could be solved anyway, it would be better to exclude it. "So, first of all, we will set up a search team under the premise that the gate''s location is hidden somewhere along the coast." After exining the situation, Lim Tae-gyu''s eyes moved and made eye contact with Su-ho. ''Well, you understand the situation, right?'' Suho read his intention and nodded silently. "Hmm. In that sense, there are two tasks facing us now." Then, Tae-gyu Lim suddenly saw Do-gyun Lim next to Su-ho, cleared his throat briefly, avoided his eyes, and continued exining. "One is to continue to block the magical beasts that appear endlessly on the coast. Of course, you are doing well now, but we need to deploy as many troops as possible here." Hearing those words, everyone nodded. To prevent demonic beasts from leaving the beach and flowing into the city center, the more troops there were, the better. Moreover, the first ones that appear in Dungeon Break are always weaker than the ones that appearter, as if they were a scouting party. In other words, due to the nature of the dungeon break, there are only skeletons now, but there is a high probability that more and more dangerous demons will appear in the future. In order to prepare for this, it was necessary to deploy sufficient military power. "Two, in the meantime, find the location of the gate as quickly as possible. "This role requires me to go through the crowds, so I n to select only a small number of elite investigators led by me." At those words, President Park Jong-su raised his hand and asked a question. "Do you have separate standards for the elite few?" "yes. Since the main purpose of this job is exploration, we will mainly hire people who are confident in speed rather thanbat power." ''Speed rather thanbat power?'' The moment I heard those words. Lim Do-gyun''s eyes brightened. And he raised his hand just in time to select people to volunteer for the search team. Lim Tae-gyu was startled by that sight, but soon continued speaking in a calm tone. "Oh, I forgot to mention one thing. We ask that only B-level or higher volunteers volunteer for the gate search team. "It is very dangerous because there is a high chance of suddenly encountering a boss mob." "...." But even after hearing those words, Lim Do-gyun had no intention of putting down his hand. ''I am confident in my speed.'' Because there is a problem with running away. Seeing Lim Do-gyun''s eyes showing that he would not back down, Lim Tae-gyu looked at Su-ho, asking him to do something to stop him. But Suho chuckled and said, raising his hand as well. "Although it is not ss B, our Woojin guild will also join the search team." "..."Yes, please do so." In the end, Lim Tae-gyu had no choice but to nod his head with a shocked expression. Wasn''t the reason Suho came here in the first ce to have him join the gate search team? However, he never imagined that his son, who was only an E-ss hunter, would also step forward. ''But since he is the guild leader, he will be responsible for the safety of his guild members. He even went to the cier dungeon with me.'' Lim Tae-gyu suppressed his anxious feelings and ended the meeting after delivering detailed strategies to the hunters. "..."Then, the operation begins now." * * * A total of 20 people were formed as an exploration team. Lim Tae-gyu divided the group into 4 people each, forming 5 groups. But here a problem urred. "I will be the leader of Group 1, and Hunter Seong Su-ho of the Woojin Guild will be the leader of Group 2. And Article 3...." "yes?!" "I beg your pardon?" Naturally, the hunters who volunteered for the search team, thinking that Lim Tae-gyu, an S-ss hunter, would lead everyone, could not help but be embarrassed. "No, this is different!" "I heard that Hunter Seong Su-ho is a C-rank hunter!" "Our lives are at stake, so how can we do this..." ...!" Lim Tae-gyu calmly responded to them as if this level of dissatisfaction was expected. "Again, our purpose is exploration, notbat. So, I guess I told you from the beginning to only volunteer those who are quick on their feet?" "Well, that''s true, but...." "What we are looking for is the location of the boss mob, but shouldn''t the minimum level of safety be guaranteed?" "you''re right. Besides, I am a B-rank hunter. Does it make sense to follow the instructions of a C-rank hunter?" "after. At best...." Although it was a reasonableint, Lim Tae-gyu could onlyugh at those words. "Suho. No, CEO Seong Su-ho. "Have you not been re-measured yet?" "I was busy creating a guild." "Be sure to get re-measured after this is over. That way, you won''t waste your time on such useless arguments... ...." "If that''s the case, I''ll take charge of team 2! "I''ll leave Group 3 to my subordinates." "hmm?" While talking with Suho, Hunter, who was the leader of Group 3, stepped forward with great vigor. A-ss hunter Jeong Yoon-tae. He was the vice president of the Knights Guild, and had a close rtionship with the president, Park Jong-su, who were like older brothers and younger brothers. Jeong Yun-tae looked at each of the 2 trillion won members with a disapproving gaze. Seong Su-ho is a guild leader and a C-level hunter. The guild member is Lim Do-gyun, an E-ss hunter. And next to it.... ''Who is that woman? Is she a hunter from the Woojin guild? Next to him, Esil, whom Suho had summoned from the shadow dungeon, was included in group 2 as a member of the Woojin guild. And the other one was a B-ss hunter from the Knights Guild. "Tsk." Jeong Yun-tae clicked his tongue and said. "Compared to the other groups, Group 2''sbat power is particrly poor. If this is the case, it would be better for me to move to group 2. Of course, I am the leader... ...." "Yes, of course." "Ugh?" When Suho obediently epted, it was Jeong Yun-tae who was rather embarrassed. Suho transferred the members of the Knights Guild to Group 3 and resigned from his position as leader. And he said, pushing the back of Jeong Yun-tae, who became the leader of Group 2 in his ce. "It''s okay for me, so let''s leave quickly." "Huh?" Jeong Yoon-tae, who suddenly became the leader of Group 2, felt something strange, but anyway, the four people were decided. And after a while, Lim Tae-gyu gave the final instructions to the search team that arrived at Haeundae. "Then, each group will disperse to designated areas. "Regardless of whether there is a special situation or not, we will exchange opinions in real time as much as possible." "Yes, I understand!" Jeong Yun-tae coolly responded to Lim Tae-gyu''s words, and he looked back at the two meager groups of hunters he led and gave an order. "Our second group will go right through the skeletons and search from there! Then let''s go...!" Faaah! With those words, Jeong Yun-tae jumped forward at incredible speed. Then he looked back and shouted to keep pace with his teammates. "Never fall behind...huh?" There was no one behind. "huh?" Jeong Yun-tae turned his head forward again with a puzzled expression. Then, surprisingly, all the hunters in Group 2 were running in front of him. ''The speed is fast! This is why Hunter Lim Tae-gyu added the Woojin guild to the search team!'' Jeong Yun-tae was impressed and also increased his speed. But what is this? No matter how hard I ran, I couldn''t keep up with their speed! Even Lim Do-gyun, an E-ss hunter! ''This can''t be happening?'' Does this make sense? Jeong Yun-tae was not the only one surprised by the scene. Even Lim Tae-gyu, who was looking at Group 2 with concern from afar, couldn''t help but widen his eyes. Then suddenly. Jeong Yun-tae, who came to his senses, hurriedly followed behind the second group of hunters ahead and shouted. "Wait! There are too many skeletons there, so it''s safe if youe with me... ...!" at that time. "It''s just right." To level up. Suho, who was running ahead, raised his fist towards the skeletons crowding in front of him. "A frigid blizzard." Whioooooo- At that moment, a bitter cold swirled around, covering the skeletonsing in front of Suho. What the heck! Just like that, a pure white blizzard swept away the bare bones and even froze the wavesing behind it to white. [The King of the Yetis and the Lord of the Cold Opens His Eyes.] At that moment, Sd, the Lord of the Cold, who had been in a state of eternal sleep, opened his eyes. Chapter 164 - 164

Chapter 164:

Arge crowd of people gathered around Haeundae Beach. They were citizens and reporters who came out to see the untimely outbreak of undead monsters. "No ess is allowed from here on!" "ah! "It''s dangerous!" Police officers and Hunter Association Busan branch employees who had been asked to cooperate were having a hard time setting up barricades and preventing citizens from essing the area. But somehow, the flocking of footsteps did not decrease at all. "How dangerous! "I heard an S-ss hunter came down from Seoul. I can''t stand this!" After the Cataclysm, Hunter became one of the most popr sses. If you enter the dungeon at your own pace, there aren''t as many dangerous things as you might think. However, it was natural for everyone to envy hunters because they could make a lot of money. And among them, one of the few S-ss hunters in the world has gained poprityparable to that of a celebrity. So, when the dungeon break urred in such an open area, the reactions of the citizens werergely divided into two. Or flee far away. Come take a look. Most people chose the former, but surprisingly, there were a lot of people who flocked to see it in person without any fear. For example, this type. "Oh my, dear viewers! Can you see well? I took a risk and came out to see the skeletons you only see in movies! "If you send us a donation, we will fly the drone right away!" "Haengnim! I heard that Lim Tae-gyu, the leader of the Reaper guild, has applied for support. Shouldn''t this be something you have to intuit? Thank you for the moon balloon!" Among the citizens who came out to watch, there were quite a few personal broadcast YouTubers who called themselves citizen reporters. They even brought out expensive drone cameras and ryed the battle situation. Then, there were many cases where people were exposed to risk by engaging in more provocative actions aimed at receiving donations. "senior." A female employee of the association who had been hit by the crowd in front was in tears and asked the shooter. "Do we have to repeat this every time a gate opens?" The shooter also had a tired expression on his face, pressing his throbbing eyebrows. "Then what should we do? "They say this is thergest-scale dungeon break ever to ur in Busan." At the same time, the fatigue became even stronger as the gunner looked back. If the gate had been discovered earlier, the situation would not have escted to this level. ''Besides, the sea off Busan and the skeleton soldiers.'' Isn''t it like being in a scene from the ssic movie Pirates of the Caribbean? Moreover, this time, the S-ss hunter, who had recently attracted the hottest issue, appeared in person, so the level of interest and stimtion was indescribable. "...Isn''t this material perfect for attracting aggro? "Even if I were a YouTuber, I would have brought my camera out myself." Sasu, who was a fan of personal broadcasting himself, sighed with a sense of irony. "But when you see it in person, it''s really amazing." "who? Lim Tae-gyu?" "yes. I wonder if it''s something different. "It fires 10 magic arrows at once, and they all hit the target." "...Well, there may be some controversies, but first of all, I''m an S-ss hunter." Even as he said this, the shooter''s gaze had been following Lim Tae-gyu from before, making small exmations of exmation. I heard that Lim Tae-gyu was sent to the gate search team rather than participating in the battle directly. So instead of just shooting from a safe ce like an archer like usual. Rather, he was using his agility to run directly between the skeletons and trace the traces of the gate. Then, only asionally, when he was surrounded by skeletons, would he shoot a bow to clear the path ahead. As a result, the situation continued to be dangerous for the general public, and YouTubers were even more excited. "Kya! Guys, have you seen it now! One shot ten kill! "This is Lim Tae-gyu, the famous legend!" "You know what? Even though the Reaper Guild went bankrupt, Lim Tae-gyu is still the best archer in Korea?" Parabam! Parabam! [10,000 won donation for every 10 kills by Lim Tae-gyu!] [50,000 won donation for every 100 kills by Lim Tae-gyu!] "Kya! Thank you for your donation!" "Viewers! "I am currently counting the skeletons Tae-gyu Lim catches in real time!" ''what the.'' ...Unlike the hunters who were risking their lives and fighting, something truly absurd was happening in the outskirts. In proportion to the number of demon beasts dying, huge donations are pouring in from viewers in real time. Less than a minute had passed since the search team, including Tae-gyu Lim, was deployed to the scene in earnest. ''...How can I note out like this? My country also appears.'' This seems to be why the proverb arose, saying that talent is done by a bear, and money is made by the bear owner. Of course, in reality, the hunters who yed the role of the bear earned much more money than the personal broadcast YouTubers, so there was actually no one to me. ''Well, is this also a type of creative economy?'' anyway. From the association''s staff''s perspective, they just hope that the situation will be resolved safely without anyone getting hurt... .... "...uh?" But that was then. What happened was strange. Wheeoooo- A sudden cold wave. "Huh?" At that moment, the eyes of the people who had been looking at Lim Tae-gyu all turned in one direction. And his eyes widened. "W-what is that?!" The search teams scattered in different directions at the same time as Lim Tae-gyu. They were several hunters from Busan, including a famous A-ss hunter who was the deputy master of the Knights Guild. But there were a few unfamiliar faces among them, and the moment one of them, the one who went ahead, stretched out his hand. What the heck! ...The sea off Busan was frozen. "...!" "...?!" Skeletons crawling out of the sandy beach. At that wondrous sight, including those magical beasts and even the waves that were sshing behind them, were frozen... .... The expressions of everyone who saw that scene froze temporarily. "...Who, who are you! That person?!" "Do it, monks! "Does anyone have information about that hunter?" The astonishment that btedly began to erupt here and there. The entire Haeundae area was filled with loud cheers. "Bah, search quickly! "So-and-so volunteered for this search team!" "I''m making a call now!" Even reporters from broadcasting stations began to hurriedly request information from the Knights Guild. The reckless YouTubers grabbed the association employees who were controlling them and began to beg for mercy. "Who on earth is that Hunter? Please give me some information... ...!" "That''s Blizzard, right?! Even among advanced magic hunters, only a very small number of people can do it... ...!" "As far as I know, it would take a huge amount of magic power to use that wide-range magic, but who..." ...!" Parabam! [If you find out that hunter''s identity the fastest, you''ll get 1 million won!] "Huh! "I will share the donations with you, so please let me know!" "Stoping closer! "No ess is allowed from here on!" "Please follow the safety line...!" The reaction of people who were almost crazy waspletely natural. Who in their life would have ever seen such a wide-ranging spell that could cause abnormal weather conditions only within a certain range? A harsh snowstorm suddenly blows across the sunny sky, freezing hundreds of skeletons at once! "This is the first time I''ve ever heard of a hunter like that in our country...!" "I found the car!" "...!" Everyone suddenly turned their attention to someone''s shout. There, a YouTuber who happened to have connections in the Knights Guild was shouting triumphantly while holding up his cell phone as if it were a World Cup trophy. "Woojin Guild! It was Woojin''s guild! "I am Seong Su-ho, the master hunter of the Woojin guild!" "Woah, Woojin guild?" "Is this the first guild you''ve heard of?" "Is this a new guild?" When they finally found out the identity of the hunter who used Blizzard magic, people fell into confusion. There was no information about the Woojin guild at all. However, there were some who had good memories. "Now, wait! "Maybe it''s Seong Su-ho?!" They quickly started searching for an article they had seen before on the Inte, and finally found it. "Seong Su-ho! "That guy is the hunter who solved the Lee Min-seong case?!" "Wow, that''s right! "There is even a photo taken side by side between Baek Mi-ho and Lim Tae-gyu!" The collective intelligence of people was truly amazing. After Suho used the skill, his identity was discovered in an instant. ''It goes as nned.'' Suho was secretly smiling as he heard themotioning from afar. ''I would have created a guild as well. There is rarely a situation like this where it is good to promote our guild.'' While solving various cases, Su-ho has continued to hide his identity, half on his own and half on others. The purpose was, of course, to avoid revealing the use of shadow power to the Apostles of Italim, who were operating in secret somewhere. However, it didn''t matter that it was shown to the public as a skill other than the Shadow Power, as it is now. ''It''s rather good.'' The guild''s reputation was more important than anything to Suho''s ns. What was the reason he created the guild in the first ce? Of course level up. You needed a guild to enter higher dungeons and level up more. However, you could actually buy ess to those advanced dungeons if you had money. And as for money, it was scheduled toe from the Scavenger Guild next month. In such a situation, why is Suho trying to increase the guild''s fame? That''s why. North Korea. ''To go to North Korea, the guild''s reputation is essential.'' Advanced dungeons are of course important, but Suho''s ultimate goal was to go to North Korea and hunt. After the cataclysm, North Korea was transformed into a monster field everywhere and became an inessible magicalndscape. How could it be that the president of the association, Woo Jin-cheol, went out directly to provide aid to North Korea with Choi Jong-in and couldn''t even return? If we don''t eradicate the monsters swarming in North Korea in time, they will alle down to South Korea. In words, it was support for North Korea, but in reality, it was closer to conquest of the North. And the worst environment in North Korea was like a different world to Suho, with chunks of experience all over the ce. But the problem was that North Korea was not a ce anyone could go just because they wanted to. Although North Korea copsed, North and South Korea were not actually unified. Moreover, hunters whomitted crimes like the viins at Jisan Prison tended to move to North Korea. In this situation, if anyone was allowed to cross the border without any standards, hunters whomitted crimes could run away to North Korea whenever they wanted. And there was a strong possibility that they wouldmit merciless crimes against North Korean survivors who were still alive in various ces. It truly bes awless ce. Therefore, the Korean government and the Hunter Association legally prohibited unqualified guilds from ever setting foot on North Korean soil. And the most important of those qualifications is awareness. In other words, this guild was at least recognized by the public as not going to North Korea for bad purposes. And in order for the guild to be known to the public, the most effective way was to perform prominently in situations like this where citizens are paying attention. ''...However, issues such as Jisan Prison are a bit ambiguous.'' Eliminating 500 viins was certainly an amazing and respectable task, but public opinion was more divided for and against than expected. -This is a person who massacred 500 alive people in one day, but it doesn''t seem normal. -At least a murderer. -Isn''t it okay since we killed viins, not people? It is said that the Baekho Guild is currently forcibly blocking information about Jisan Prison. If that information were to be released to the public first, it would have been a bit difficult for Su-ho, who wanted to go hunting in North Korea. So like this. What the heck! Suho, who jumped into the middle of the skeletons as a member of the gate search team, disyed his power without hesitation. "Hey, that guy is real! "I sent you to find the gate, and you''re exterminating the skeletons!" Lim Tae-gyu couldn''t help but be taken aback by Su-ho''s brilliant debut as the guild leader of Woo-jin''s guild. ''Did Suho have skills like that? Did you follow Thomas Andre and receive a skill rune stone as a gift?'' It was truly an incredible sight. A frigid snowstorm rages unstoppably in the waters off Haeundae. A pure white icy road spread out like a red carpet in front of Suho, who runs forward without hesitation from the center. Skeleton statues frozen to the side. With that incredible scene being broadcast live, I was excited to see what nickname people would give this ridiculous guy. Stand tall. It was then. "huh?" Su-ho, who was rushing forward without hesitation, suddenly stopped his steps and listened to Sd''s words. [The King of the Yetis, the Lord of the Cold, listens to Sirka''s prayers.] Chapter 165 - 165

Chapter 165:

Sd, the king of the yetis and the lord of the cold! Sirka, the monarch''s descendant, prays earnestly! Sd heard the earnest prayers of Sirka, who had previously left for the tomb of the dragons with Cha Hae-in. Descendants'' prayer. Its essential purpose was originally to praise and worship dead spirits. Sd willingly responded to that earnest prayer. Sirka was a descendant of his own choosing. I wonder how noble and noble his heart must be in the prayer he prays to himself for the first time... .... -that...Hey, what is it? ...Of course, nothing was the same. -Srd. I''m saying it''s really urgent, but could you please tell Suho? ...? [The king of the yetis, the lord of the cold, cannot believe his ears.] -ah! And if possible, could you please tell us what we are seeing? Ah, even for the monarch, this must be a bit difficult... .... ...?! [The King of the Yetis, the Lord of the Cold, widens his eyes and opens his mouth at Sirka''s provocation.] It was like that. Prayer is just an excuse. Sirka''s purpose in speaking to Sd was clear. To use the expression of humans these days, text message. Or a video message. So cruelly, that descendant said that he would only use himself, the king and monarch of the Yetis, as a messenger! No, it is still the first prayer in name and in name, but at least there is an offering or a greeting... ...! [The king of the yetis, the lord of the cold, soon falls into thought with a deeply regretful expression.] [The King of the Yetis, the Lord of the Cold, lets out a long sigh.] "What''s so loud?" In a different way from Sd, Suho also briefly clicked his tongue as he looked at the system messages that appeared one after another in front of him. Suho, who could not hear Sirka''s voice, was suddenly in a situation where he could only hear Sd muttering to himself. And just in time, Su-ho continues to run forward, cheerfully striking down the frozen skeletons blocking his view. Kwajangchang-! Tiring! [Message has arrived.] ''message?'' A message window appeared in front of me. ''Is this a new quest?!'' Quests will soon level up. Suho was very happy and immediately opened the message box. [There is one unread message.] [Mother''s letter] (unconfirmed) "Mother''s letter?" Lee Chae appeared in Suho''s eyes. At first, I was wondering what was going on with Sirka''s prayer, but surprisingly, it wasn''t a quest, but a real message. But why is it that it was a letter sent from my mother who had gone to the tomb of the dragons? ''Did something happen to your mother?'' Suho urgently opened the contents of the message. "Check your message!" Tiring. At that moment, Cha Hae-in''s voice was heard beyond the dimension. [Suho, I think we discovered something here. Can you ask Ver about it?] [Keeeeek?!] Ber''s small head suddenly popped out from Suho''s arms. And then. [The King of the Yetis and the Lord of the Cold uses ''Skill: Illusion of Ice Flowers.''] Wheeoooo- Suddenly, the frigid snowstorm that was swirling in all directions came together in front of Suho and began to bloom into transparent ice flowers. Those ice flowers are like the haze of spring. Like a mirage in the desert. In front of Suho and Ver, the images of Cha Hae-in and Sirka at the grave of the dragons were disyed. "...!" [Keeeeek?!] At that moment, Suho and Ber''s eyes widened at the same time. The illusion of the ice flower became smaller and smaller, embodying the overall situation that Cha Hae-in and Sirka found themselves in. The bones of gigantic dragons rise up like huge ruins or like pirs. Below, Cha Hae-in and Sirka are fighting while surrounded by numerous mercenary soldiers. [Unbelievable! It''s Yongahbyeong!] Ber looked at the g with an expression of disbelief. [Solord! We''re in big trouble!] And why Cha Hae-in tried to show him that scene, he immediately realized his intention and exined it to Su-ho. [Dragon soldiers are beings born from dragon teeth, and they disappear as soon as the owner of the teeth dies! But how....] "for a moment. "Does that mean that there are as many dragons alive as me where my mother is?" [no! That''s nonsense! In the past, all of the Dragon Emperor''s legions died and were all incorporated into our shadow legion... ...!] Startle. As Ver was speaking, he realized something and his eyes widened. [Could it be that the descendants of the dragon emperor havee now...? ....] Ber had no choice but to hold back his words. Who is the dragon? Antares, the king of wild dragons and the lord of destruction! He was the strongest of the eight monarchs born from the darkness of the beginning, and the only one who overpowered the Shadow Lord Seong Jin-woo. He was the true embodiment of destruction, willing even to destroy himself for the sake of a war filled with blood, screams, madness, and destruction. That''s why Seong Jin-woo pushed back against the Dragon Emperor''s army even more thoroughly. Not a single dragon survived the path of the shadow army he led. What was the reason why Seong Jin-woo fought such a fierce battle? Perhaps it was because they were concerned that a new descendant of the Dragon Emperor would appear in the future. [...] ...But the descendants of the Dragon Emperor could have appeared!] Ber couldn''t believe this situation. But aren''t these swarming mercenaries the proof of that? Suho, realizing the seriousness of the situation, hurriedly opened his mouth. "Srd! I told my mother to get out of there as quickly as possible... ...." It was then. Gurgling-! At that moment, in the fantasy of the ice flower, Cha Hae-in raised his sword, and from above, silent thunderbolts shot out and struck the dragon soldiers. At that time, Cha Hae-in''s cheerful voice was heard again by Su-ho and Ber. [Ah, but aren''t you worried about your mom now?] "...." [...] ....] The Demon King''s long sword now in Cha Hae-in''s hand was none other than the weapon of ''Baran, the King of Demons and Lord of White me.'' There was absolutely no danger to an S-ss hunter carrying such a dangerous object. Even if a descendant appears to seed the Lord of Destruction, he will still only be a descendant. He would not be Cha Hae-in''s opponent yet. [...] ...Anyway, something is strange here. There are so many dragon soldiers, but no matter how much I walk around, I can''t see a single living dragon.] Hearing Cha Hae-in''s words, Ber also suddenly regained his senses. Considering the size of the light dragon, there was no way to hide its huge body in that vast world. [But as I watch the movements of these mercenaries, I get a strong feeling that they are protecting something. Anyway, in this situation, can Ver give me some advice on what to do?] [Large. I understand the situation....] At those words, Ver looked around the ice flower fantasy with calm eyes. Meanwhile, Suho was still wandering among the skeletons in the bitter cold snowstorm, looking for traces of the hidden gate. Ver finally opened his mouth. [First of all, the dragons have a habit of gathering all their magical power in their hearts. So, if there is something important, there is a high probability that its location will be near the heart.] No matter how many bones remained, the corpses of the dragons were lying in a simr shape to when they were alive. Those huge corpses looked like a huge ruin. The point that Ver pointed to was right near the hearts of the corpses. [The King of the Yetis and the Lord of the Cold Nods, saying he will convey it.] It was the moment when Sd said that he would convey Ver''s words to Cha Hae-in in their entirety. -Who dares use genjutsu in front of me! "...!" Pachangchang-! [''Skill: Illusion of Ice Flower'' is forcibly canceled.] Suddenly, the illusion created by Sd''s skill was shattered, and the entire sandy beach full of skeletons began to rock like waves. "Huh?!" "Aaaah!" "What is this!" The hunters who were fighting with the skeletons were greatly embarrassed and struggled to keep their bnce on the rolling sand. but. Kuwaaaa- Eventually, the white sandy beach they were standing on formed a huge whirlpool and began to suck everyone, including the skeletons, down like a swamp. The aftermath was felt even by citizens watching from afar. "Oh, dear viewers! Something strange has happened now... ..."Ugh!" The YouTuber, who unknowingly came close to the scene while operating a drone camera, ended up getting his legs sucked into the sandy swamp instead of running away. "Ugh! Ugh! Yes, people live... ...!" The more he tried his best to struggle in the sandy swamp, the more helplessly his body was sucked down. ''Lord, I die!'' A shadow of death, something he had never thought of in his life, burrowed into his mind as he lived in a single cabin. at that time. Hot! "...!" Someone''s hand violently grabbed the YouTuber''s cor and lifted him up. "Puhak...!" He was forced to the top and was struggling, breathing heavily. And he instinctively turned his attention to the person who saved him. "Thank you...Ahh!" Swish! Before he could finish his words, his body was mercilessly thrown out of the sand. "Ugh...!" "Bah, take it!" Fortunately, the association hunters outside the sandy beach caught his body, and the YouTuber, who almost fell headlong to the ground, gasped and turned his head to find the person who saved him. But that was the beginning. Swish! Swish! Swish! "Ugh!" "Ugh-!" In the distance, I could see people flying through the sky looking as if they had just been killed. And past the sight of the association hunters barely catching them, the YouTuber''s gaze confirmed the face of the person throwing them out. "Hunter Seong Su-ho...!" Seong Su-ho, the president of Woojin Guild! It was Seong Su-ho, the person who caused the snowstorm in the dry sky! But he wasn''t the only one. The guild members of the Woojin guild who follow Seong Su-ho also! "Dogyun hyung!" "okay! "Leave the rescue to me!" Surprisingly, Lim Do-gyun, who was only an E-ss hunter, escaped the sand swamp faster than any of the hunters here and rescued people! His nimble legs did not lose his bnce even on the whirlpool of sand whirling mercilessly beneath his feet, and he was even rescuing hunters of a higher rank than himself. ''Running away is really....'' Suho didn''t even dare to imagine what kind of torture or training Ammut had been putting Lim Do-gyun through all this time. But thanks to him. Suho was able to fully concentrate on the battle in the center of the sudden chaos. Sand swirl? That wasn''t a problem for Suho. "Gangchejutsu." Kwaang-! Unlike usual, Suho was running towards the center of the sand swamp with his strong body energy on his legs. [Solord.] "okay." Suho''s eyes shined intensely at Ver''s words. I could feel a familiar energy at the end of his re. illusion. An ability most favored by the evil race living in the phantom world. "We are a demon race." [The King of the Yetis, the Lord of the Cold, frowns at the fact that his illusion is broken.] Just like Sd, who reacted that way, it seemed like the illusion he used had touched the pride of the Demon Spirits hidden here. Suho shouted as he rushed towards the center of the sand swamp, towards the ce where the demons were hiding. "Srd! "Tell Mother Ber''s words!" Sd had already conveyed those words to Cha Hae-in. And the moment he heard those words. Coincidentally, Cha Hae-in had arrived near the heart of Gwangryong, which was guarded by dragon soldiers. Then there.... "..."What are all these?" Cha Hae-in and Sirka were looking at the numerous eggs gathered there with stern expressions. Sirka muttered in a groaning voice. "..."It''s a dragon''s egg." Chapter 166 - 166

Chapter 166:

Dragon''s Nest. This expression would be appropriate. In the ce where the dragon soldiers were guarding, eggs the size of people were gathered in one ce. I didn''t have time to count them individually as I was trying to block the mercenary soldiers that wereing in, but at first nce, there were more than a few hundred. "Did the mercenaries move it?" "I think so. "There is no way the dragons would have gathered here andid eggs during the war." It was as he said. Given the circumstances, it seemed like the mercenary soldiers here had gathered eggs that were hidden somewhere in one ce. I don''t know where these eggs were originally, but maybe they thought it would be easier to protect them this way? ''Or it''s the instinct of mercenary soldiers.'' Then, a strange question suddenly urred to Sirka. "But why did your husband leave these behind?" "Leave it behind?" "No, that''s right. "The Shadow Lord is famous for automatically transferring enemies into his shadow army when they are killed." "ah!" Cha Hae-in also realized something from Sirka''s words. The souls of countless dead dragons here had already be shadow soldiers and served Seong Jin-woo as king. Is there any reason for them to keep the existence of these eggs a secret from Seong Jin-woo? Even though the eggs were hidden in a secret ce before the dragons served Seong Jin-woo, their location was now bound to be in Seong Jin-woo''s ears. In other words, as Sirka said, the conclusion is that Seong Jin-woo deliberately left these eggs behind even though he knew they were here. ''Why?'' Eventually, Cha Hae-in was able to understand the reason. "...ah." The moment I inadvertently touched a nearby dragon egg. Damn. Passyek- "...!" Surprisingly, the surface of the egg, which seemed as hard as a stone, began to disperse like dust as soon as I touched it. "W-what is it?" Cha Hae-in and Sirka''s eyes widened. Surprisingly, the inside of the egg was empty. "It''s empty, right?" Seeing this, Sirka was also excited and hurriedly touched the other eggs nearby one by one. Passyuk. Pasasasak- The eggs turned to ashes and scattered into the air so vainly that I wondered how they had maintained their shape until now. It''s like a gray snowstorm that fills the tombs of these wild dragons. "These are hollow too!" "What happened?" "Maybe your husband knew they were already dead and didn''t care?" Sirka''s guess was quite reasonable. But Cha Hae-in''s expression was still serious. "Sirka, is it normal for a dragon''s egg to be empty like this when it dies without hatching?" "Well, well? I''m fine up to that point... ...." Sirka, an ice elf, did not have much knowledge about the ecology of the dragon race. However, one more usible guess came to mind. "Maybe it was an egg that was almost ready to be born? So your husband took all the souls of these eggs... ..."What if it was taken away as a shadow soldier?" "Even if that were the case, wouldn''t there have been a body left in the egg?" "That''s right." Cha Hae-in was silent for a moment at Sirka''s sighing affirmation. Regardless ofmon knowledge about whether eggs are unfertilized or fertilized, it was doubtful no matter how many times I looked at the fact that the eggs, which seemed fine on the outside, were actually empty. Moreover, why are these eggs being guarded by mercenaries? "..."For now, let''s check everything." Cha Hae-in and Sirka began to touch all the remaining eggs in earnest. However, there was nothing unusual, and the eggs inside the nest began to scatter and disappear one by one. In the meantime, Cha Hae-in''s gaze was coolly observing the behavior of the mercenary soldiers. ''The numbers haven''t decreased at all. ''Aren''t these eggs the owners of the mercenary soldiers?'' It would be hard to say that there was no connection, but as the number of eggs decreased, the ferocious spirit of the dragon soldiers became more and more brutal. ''Or is there a separate owner? Or, there are still live eggs left among them.'' While carefullying up with various hypotheses in his mind, Cha Hae-in continued to reduce the number of eggs. And finally. "This...." I found it. "Isn''t this a little small?" Cha Hae-in''s eyes sparkled as he discovered a small egg the size of an ostrich egg that was hidden among the human-sized eggs. The egg had a mana scent that was distinctly different from other hollow crystals. And when Cha Hae-in suddenly picked up the egg in his hand, he felt a fairly heavy weight. It did not turn into powder and scatter like other eggs. And the moment the egg was held in Cha Hae-in''s hands. Wow! The brutality of the dragon soldiers became extremely intense. "Chacha! These guys are in a weird state! First, evacuate to a safe ce... ...uh?" [purr.] It was then. The shadow drake Kaisel, who had been sleeping quietly until now, opened his eyes. [Kyaaa-] Kaisel spread his wings wide and yawned, as if stretching on Cha Hae-in''s shoulder. Then, he took the real dragon egg that was in Cha Hae-in''s hand into his arms, wrapped it in a coil, and hugged it carefully. As if it were his own egg. OK... "ah?" The spirit of the mercenary soldiers, who were overflowing with brutal murder, died down in an instant. Cha Hae-in and Sirka looked around with puzzled expressions at the sudden change. Quick and easy! The mercenary soldiers who had rushed in as if they were going to make a life-or-death decision surrounded Cha Hae-in and Sirka and began to kneel down on one knee and bow their heads. No, not exactly.... [purr.] Toward Kaisel, the shadow drake who cherishes the egg. Looking at that scene, Cha Hae-in and Sirka muttered with bewildered expressions. "I guess..."I think I won?" "Chacha, are you praying for this too?" "Okay, tell it to Suho." I think I''ve found a dragon egg that is still alive, possibly the only one in this universe. * * * Coo coo coo coo coo! Meanwhile. [Solord! A whirlpool of sand surrounded the entire coast!] As Berr reported, Haeundae was hit by an untimely natural disaster. The whirlpool that started on the sandy beach did not simply suck people down, but turned into a sandstorm above and swept all around. Like a barrier. ''It''s simr to the Harmacan era, but much more explicit.'' Harmakan, a fellow demon race, had surrounded the entire vige with a barrier called an ''instance dungeon''. It was a barrier so clever that people who stepped into it did not even notice that they had fallen into it. However, I don''t know if the demon race that appeared this time was a difference in style or clumsiness, but they tantly created a barrier and trapped people in a sandstorm. "Seong Su-ho!" Just then, a voice calls out for Suho from behind. Lim Tae-gyu, leader of the Shinigami guild and S-ss hunter, was running fiercely through the sandstorm. "Slide to the side!" He attached a magical arrow to the Shinigami''s bow and aimed it at the center of the sand swamp. Quaoooooo! Powerful magic arrows grazed Suho''s body and flew toward the center of the barrier. Kukwakwaang-! That moment. The arrow that prated the sandy swamp exploded. [Wow! How dare a human being-!] Suddenly a scream echoes all around. Along with that, the angry voices of the Demon Spirit tribe were heard. "It was there as expected!" Lim Tae-gyu''s eyes sparkled like an eagle that had caught its prey, and magic arrows rained down again. Phew! Kikekekekeke! At that time, numerous skeletons appeared through the sandstorm and attacked Lim Tae-gyu from all directions. Lim Tae-gyu snorted as if it wasughable and hit the skeletons that came to interfere with him with the Reaper''s bow. Kwajangchang! The Reaper''s Bow, an S-ss weapon, was harder than most clubs, and the skeletons were shattered with an exciting noise. "Is it just this much?" [No way.] "...!" Creepy. Im Tae-gyu hurriedly became alert to his surroundings when he heard a gloomy voice whispering right behind him. [For a human, he is quite strong.] Of all the hunters here, the eerie voice was only ringing in the ears of Lim Tae-gyu. [but...No matter how much magical power we have, humans are just a weak race.] ''He'' said to Lim Tae-gyu with a chuckle. [The human soul is of inferior quality.] Hahaha! "...!" As soon as he finished speaking, the scenery that caught Lim Tae-gyu''s eyes changed in an instant. [The demonic illusionist Jarvier uses ''Skill: Mirage.''] ''mirage?'' Thanks to the system message that appeared right in front of him, Suho realized two pieces of information. The culprit behind this situation is Jarvier, an illusionist from the Demon Spirit tribe. And mirage. [Solord! Be careful of illusions... ...!] Ber''s urgent voice faded away, and the scenery before Suho''s eyes also began to change. * * * Jarvier, an illusionist of the demon race. He never doubted his victory. He had no choice but to do so. He conducted various experiments using the souls of humans collected on this beach, and as a result, he came to one conclusion. ''Humans are weak.'' The demon race was born as a race that enjoyed conducting various studies with souls. To them, souls were experimental materials with infinite potential, and by using them, they could create really interesting magic. It might be terrible for some people. mirage. A powerful illusion that brings out the most terrifying or intense moment in the target''s memory. Through the illusion, Xavier was able to enjoy the various fears hidden in the lowly inner world of humans. ''What a fun race this is.'' Because humans were fundamentally weak, the fear they felt was much more fundamental and raw than that of other races. ''Other races have at best the fear of death.'' But look at the humans gathered in front of us! How many different fears are being expressed? ''for example....'' Just like that one. -...honey. "Wow, that''s ridiculous...." Lim Tae-gyu, who had the most magical power among the hunters who fell into illusion, was in the greatest despair. This is because the image of his ''dead wife'', or rather, ''the wife he killed with his own hands'' appeared before his eyes. And the wife''s body... ...It was slowly burning, surrounded by blue smoke. Her wife slowly approached Lim Tae-gyu with extremely sad eyes. -Why are you looking like that? It was you who killed me. "I''m sorry. I''m really sorry...." ''Hehehe.'' What a joy it is to watch a soul struggling in despair! Xavier, an illusionist from the Demon Spirit tribe, was feeling the utmost pleasure while appreciating Lim Tae-gyu''s despair and fear. [Khaha! Absolute terror that cannot be resisted! How beautiful this is!] Regardless of whether it is S-ss or not, the soul is just an insignificant human soul. Her own illusions were on a different level from simple illusions. It was able to bring into reality the intense memories engraved deep in the subject''s soul, while also demonstrating physical strength. [S-ss hunter, don''t struggle and just ept death. In fact, I wasn''t just hoping for this moment... ....] Creepy. Xavier was giggling and mocking Tae-gyu Lim, and then she quickly turned her gaze somewhere else. And she couldn''t help but believe her eyes. [W-what is that...!] The young hunter who caused a snowstorm out of nowhere earlier. He too was looking at the fantasy that was deeply engraved in her memory from afar. however.... Something was strange. Shwaaaagh! [What on earth is that?!] Xavier couldn''t believe her eyes. mirage. A powerful spell that brings out powerful memories engraved deep in the soul. By her illusion that Xavier boasted about, A being in her guardian''s memories was slowly revealing itself. Surrounded by ck energy like the abyss. Chapter 167 - 167

Chapter 167:

...Looking back, Suho''s school days were always a series of boredom. Square desk. Square ckboard. Square ssroom. People wearing the same clothes gather together. A standardized world where everyone learns the same things. That was all Suho remembered from his school days. ''...''It''s boring.'' Looking back, back then, there were many moments when I yawned inexplicably and felt bored. ...Something. A faint feeling as if my heart was beating a little more and I knew many amazing things. Every time he felt that way, Suho couldn''t bear the boredom. It was right then. Tick. Time has stopped. And an unbelievable sight unfolded before Suho''s eyes. Students leaving the school gate. Students exercising. A car passing through the roadway. People passing on the sidewalk next to it. And even the ball in the air. Everything that was moving stopped at once. ''It'' appeared. gate. A round ck hole suddenly appeared at the back of the ssroom. A door of deep darkness where it feels like you''ll be sucked in if you get close. It would have been something that would have frightened any normal child, but instead of crying or screaming, Suho put his hand on his chest. Thump, pound, pound. My excited heart was beating wildly. perhaps. Maybe he had been looking forward to something like this for a long time. ''Mom always said I looked like her dad.'' If she had been the father... .... How did she move at a time like this? The answer was there. Suho jumped into the gate without hesitation. That''s how it started. In short, it was the most intense and intense experience of his entire life. Really... ...It was a terrible dream. Wow! Kyaaaaaaaaa! KEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE! [Your level has risen!] [Your level has risen!] [Your level has risen!] .... In that dream, Suho was injured and died countless times. He continued to run forward and forward, defeating the enormous number of demonic beasts that were attacking him. And finally. At the end of the dream, Suho was able to encounter ''him''. A man wearing a hood that makes his face unrecognizable. An unidentified man whose entire body was radiating pressure that took his breath away. But now he knows. Who ''he'' was. ''...father?'' Su-ho couldn''t help but be embarrassed by the sight of his father, Seong Jin-woo, appearing in front of him. Of course I know. He said it was definitely an illusion. There''s no way my father in space would suddenly appear here. So that''s fake. but. It was an inevitable problem to be worried about. ''Can I win against my father now?'' gulp. Suho swallows dry saliva. Looking back, even though I was level 99 in my dream, I was knocked out in one hit. However, his current level is lower than then. ''no. My father won''t be as strong as he was then. ''That''s a fake created with genjutsu.'' Suho was sure. There was no way that a mere demonic illusionist could replicate the power of his father, the Shadow Lord. So enough... .... ''No, even if that''s the case, isn''t there too much pressure?'' A merciless pressure weighing down on the area. The magic of the Great Joint Demon Spirit was so amazing that Guardian''s sensory stats were fluctuating like crazy from the moment his father''s illusion appeared. Even though he clearly knew it was an illusion, Suho couldn''t help but break into a cold sweat due to the pressure pressing down on his entire body. [...] ...Hahahaha! I never thought there would be someone with memories like this! A shadow lord!] Xavier, who came to his senses btedly, burst intoughter. He finally figured out what was going on. Xavier pointed at Suho and shouted in a confident tone. [You! I guess I encountered the Shadow Lord somewhere! cancer! The Shadow Lord is a nightmare in itself!] Xavier, a demonic illusionist, had seen the Shadow Lord for a moment from afar. Of course, as soon as he saw it, he ran away without looking back, so he was able to survive until now. However, just seeing it from afar made the memory of that day truly terrifying and cursed. At the same time, it was a huge shock. The energy of death emanating from the Shadow Lord! If only I could bring out the horror of that day from my memories! ''I will be able to have even the Shadow Lord as a subordinate!'' Re-presentation of memories! That was the genjutsu that Xavier had devoted his entire life topiling. Of course, it can''t bepletely the same, but even if you seed in recreating the Shadow Lord, the King of Death, your soul will achieve a tremendous level of transcendence! But unfortunately, his research ultimately failed. No, to be exact, it was only half a sess. The illusion of mirage waspleted, but the sight of the Shadow Lord that Xavier himself saw was only a fleeting moment. It was impossible to create the Shadow Lord as an illusion using such flimsy memories. [But I never thought I would find it this way!] I knew well that the Shadow Lord had been living in the human world for a long time. But who would have thought that there was a soul among humans who remembered the Shadow Lord so clearly! Xavier looked at Suho with greedy eyes and quenched his appetite. [Cluck, click. You are mine now! I will bind your soul and use it as material to summon the Shadow Lord''s illusions forever!] And hemanded in a cruel voice towards the Shadow Lord, who was spewing out terrible energy. [Listen! Shadow Lord! I am your master Xavier! Kill the human in front of you right now and bring his soul to me!] At those words, Suho raised his entire body''s magic power with a nervous expression. ''Do your best from the beginning.'' In fact, the most effective way to deal with an illusionist was to ignore the illusionist and aim directly at the illusionist. But of course, the illusionist never revealed himself in public. Xavier was also hiding somewhere, and only his voice could be heard. Suho expanded his senses to catch his energy, but strangely, his energy was felt in all directions at the same time. -honey.... "I-I''m sorry.... I, with my hands...." Even in the fantasy of his wife, who is facing Lim Tae-gyu with a painful expression. Even in the fantasy that many other hunters are facing. And even from the shadow lord Seong Jin-woo standing over there. [Cluck. You''re quick-witted.] ...Xavier''s energy was present. [Yes. All the illusions here are mine. And now even the Shadow Lord you summoned is... ...!] Xavier''s evilughter echoed throughout the ce. however. Stop. [...] ...uh?] Suddenly a confused voice was heard from Xavier. At the same time, Suho also noticed something strange. His own father. No, it''s a fake Seong Jin-woo. He seemed like he was going to attack with all his might. Soon, he looked at Suho''s face and smiled. Like it''s cute. -You''re still weak. "...?" Moment. It was Suho who felt something strange. Indeed, the magic of the demon race was amazing. Doesn''t that voice and atmosphere really sound like my father? The problem is that the father was an illusion that attacked him in his dreams. however. [What, what! Why doesn''t it move ording to my will? ...!] What is this again? For some reason, Xavier''s voice sounded very confused from earlier. -hmm. ''Seong Jin-woo'' took his gaze away from Su-ho and looked around in a rxed manner. Quaoooooooo-! A fiercely swirling sand storm. Hunters trapped inside, facing the illusions with painful expressions. Seong Jin-woo, who was watching the scene, nodded his head and opened his mouth again. -Well, I see. Am I an illusion now? "uh?" [...] ...What?!] Xavier was extremely shocked. Something truly unbelievable happened. An illusion created through genjutsu has an ego and realizes that it is an illusion! [This is impossible...!] -Nothing is impossible. [...] ...!] -At least for me. At those words, Xavier''s body trembled. I got goosebumps. Suddenly, Seong Jin-woo''s vision was talking to him, looking straight into his eyes while he was hiding in the sandstorm. ''He'' smiled and asked Xavier a question. -Do you know how many demons have be shadow soldiers so far? [Now, wait a minute.] At that moment, an ominous feeling came over Xavier. He didn''t ask a question because he wanted an answer. Xavier immediately realized the intention behind the question. How many of their own people died at the hands of the Shadow Lord in the fierce war and were incorporated into the Shadow Legion? What if they were still studying magic ''as demons'' even after bing shadow soldiers? And now, the king who rules over those who have be the Shadow Demon Race, the Shadow Lord... .... -okay. Thanks to this, I have be quite familiar with the magic of the demon race. ''Seong Jin-woo'' expressed his sincere gratitude to Xavier. -So, let me praise you. Your genjutsu is quite useful. Especially in situations like now. And suddenly ''he'' lifted his head and looked up at the sky. Although there was nothing to be seen due to the sandstorm. He paid no attention to his eyes and quietly gazed at the sky beyond. The vast universe that spreads beyond, and my own body that exists there. Eat. Suddenly, a faint smile appeared on Seong Jin-woo''s lips. Then he took his gaze away again, looked at his son Su-ho, and called someone''s name. -Ber. [...] ...Kieeeeek!] Ber, who had disappeared at thatmand, suddenly appeared through the sandstorm. And he recognized his master, Seong Jin-woo, and burst into tears. [Wow, King!] The illusion of a mirage. However, Ber''s eyes, which were psychically connected to Seong Jin-woo, were able to discover Seong Jin-woo''s will through the illusion. -...Ber, your strength has diminished. Seong Jin-woo, who recognized Ber''s condition at a nce, clicked his tongue. -Well, it doesn''t matter. He lifted his hand and ced it on Ber''s head. -Know this. Shadow soldiers share all of the senses with their monarch. That is level 2 of the shadow storage skill. At the same time, he muttered as if he wanted Suho, who was watching him, to listen. -If you mix that with the magic of the demon race, something like this is possible. Paaaaat! ck energy swirled from ''his'' hand and seeped into Ber. Feeling his touch for the first time in a long time, Ber closed his eyes happily. That moment. Tiring! [Quest has arrived.] "What about this?" Suho''s eyes widened as a system message suddenly appeared in front of him. And before checking the contents of the quest, he turned his gaze to look at his father''s illusion, and saw that he was grinning at himself. -okay. It''s a bit primitive, but that''s how quests were originally created. Level up system. It is an advanced magic created by Candiaru, the great magician of the demon race, for one purpose. The purpose is.... -The reward is the next shadow power. ''Seong Jin-woo'' said to his son with a slightly mischievous smile. -So, go ahead and prove yourself. [Do you want to ept the quest?] (Y/N) Chapter 168 - 168

Chapter 168:

That moment. Coo coo coo coo coo! [Don''t be funny! Do you think that a puppet born through my genjutsu would dare to disobey me!] Xavier shouted in a fit of rage and created a sandstorm to attack Seong Jin-woo''s illusion. [I will have you!] Wow! The sandstorm turned into a huge hand and attacked him as if it were going to grab him. I felt a tenacity in that touch, as if his favorite doll had been taken away right before his eyes. [I mean, be quiet and be my doll!] However, Seong Jin-woo''s illusion floated into the air and so easily avoided Xavier''s touch. He spoke to Xavier in a rxed manner. -Are you okay? You won''t have time to worry about me from now on, right? [What?] -My son just started a quest. His eyes turned to Suho, who was checking the contents of the quest. Suho''s eyes were reading the contents of the quest. [Urgent Quest: Prove your qualifications!] A vision of Shadow Lord ''Seong Jin-woo'' asks his son to prove his qualifications. Defeat the demonic illusionist ''Xavier'' and awaken new shadow powers. Moment. Suho shouted, his eyes shing intensely. "ept!" And without hesitation, he rushed towards the sandstorm that wasing from all sides to grab his father. [Use ''Skill: Storm sh''.] Ku-kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa! His twin swords whipped around brilliantly, tearing Xavier''s grip apart. Qarring! At that moment, an amazing sight unfolded. The sand that exploded and scattered began to take the shape of numerous skeletons. "Then, are all the skeletons so far?" Seong Jin-woo nodded his head as if responding to Su-ho''s realization. -Yes, that''s right. Those skeletons are all illusions created by that guy''s magic. It was like that. Skeletons suddenly started appearing in Haeundae. It was all an illusion created by Xavier. Kikekekekekeke! The skeletons, whose presence was so distinct that it was hard to believe they were illusions, rushed towards Su-ho all at once. [No matter how strong you are, do you think you can win against infinitely created illusions?] Illusions with substance and physical power. It was truly an amazing ability that could be considered an illusionist of the demon race. however. Suho didn''t show any change in his expression as he looked at the skeletons that were charging at him with vicious force. "Gangshin." [The spiritual body of ''Pet: Gray'' is strong in the priest''s body.] Shwaaaagh! Suho''s silver hair flutters with the divine wind. At that sight, Lee Chae suddenly appeared in Seong Jin-woo''s eyes. -hmm? That couldn''t be... .... It''s amazing. The blessings of the canine lord he personally killed resided in his son''s body. At the same time, Suho''s movements suddenly became faster. [Use ''Skill: Grasnd Wind''.] [Movement speed temporarily increases by 30%.] [Attack speed temporarily increases by 30%.] ''The power of the ruler!'' When Su-ho let go of the swords he was holding in both hands, the swords rushed like beams of light and cut into the skeletons. At the same time, Suho also fiercely pumped his two fists. ????????! Doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo! The skeletons were mercilessly destroyed and shattered by the fierce attack. Dozens or hundreds of skeletons disappeared without a trace in an instant. There are so many of these guys. Even if he kept rushing, he couldn''t even buy time against Suho. However, Seong Jin-woo''s eyebrows were slightly furrowed as he watched the scene. -Hmm. As I watched closely, I noticed that I could not only feel the energy of the canine monarch in Suho''s body. Can''t you feel the energy of the Lord of gue? -How did my son be a priest of dead monarchs? This makes me a little curious about what happened. Suddenly, Seong Jin-woo''s eyes turned to Ber. As if it was only natural, Ber had been by his side reliably, looking very loyal. A fierce force radiates from narrowed eyes. If this had been its original size, it would have looked really sturdy, but the current Ber was so small that it just felt cute. Seong Jin-woo chuckled and ced his hand on Ber''s head again. -Ber, I need to look into your memories for a moment. [I will follow you as much as you want.] Ber willingly closed his eyes and felt Seong Jin-woo''s hand on his head. That time was never long. -...is it. Seong Jin-woo, who glimpsed Ver''s memories, tilted his head with a somewhat disapproving expression. Then he suddenly spread his hands in the air and began manipting Xavier''s magic circle at will. Faaah! Pot, pot, pot! Following the touch,plex magic circles made of ominous light emerged and began to spin. At the same time, the sandstorm that was sweeping the area began to gradually change, showing strange movements. [What is this?] Xavier was greatly embarrassed by the sudden situation and struggled. Her magic, which had been unfolded perfectly, was being corrupted without permission. [There is no way something like this is possible...!] No matter how hard he tried, once the magic circle left Xavier''s hands, it began to deteriorate into a mess. Seong Jin-woo gave words offort to Xavier. -No need to worry. I don''t mean to damage your magic. Even though it looks like this, I am just an illusion and have almost no magic power. [Oh, no...!] -Rather than that, I''m trying to improve your magic. ''That doesn''t make sense!'' Xavier could not contain his astonishment. How could he, who is nothing but an illusion, do something like this! ''What kind of monster have I summoned?'' Xavier was feeling an unknown fear that he had never imagined. And in fact, as he said, Xavier''s magic team was developing into more and more perfect form. Whoa! [Huhhh?!] Xavier was extremely embarrassed by the sudden feeling of his power increasing. But whatever the process is, if you look at the result, it was clearly a good thing for him. [I don''t know what your intentions are, but....] Xavier grabbed this power that ''he'' had given him. And he looked down at Suho, or rather at all the hunters including him, and revealed his evil nature without hesitation. [I will use this power gratefully!] sh! [The level of ''Skill: Mirage'' has increased.] Coo coo coo coo coo! The sand storm became more intense. At the same time, the strength of the skeletons born from the mirage became much stronger. -Come on, my son. The illusion of Seong Jin-woo, who was looking down at the scene from above, slowly raised the corner of his mouth and crossed his arms. -Fatherid the board like this, so use all the strength you have. Dad will take care of the rest, so don''t worry. "...!" Moment. Suho''s eyes widened in surprise. And even though he was in the middle of a battle, his gaze instinctively moved to find his father. Later. I realized what those words meant. Italim. Apostle of Itarim! All this time, he had been suppressing his power, knowingly or unknowingly. To not be a burden to my father. To avoid revealing to his father''s enemies that he was a descendant of the Shadow Lord. He was using his most powerful power, the Shadow Power, to a minimum. The reason was obvious. He had to. For my father. ''Because I am my father''s only weakness.'' however. Now the father. -Tsk. This guy has gotten older and his hair has gotten thicker. He was clicking his tongue at himself. -No, how old are you already worrying about your parents? ...He was reprimanding himself in a tone that seemed to see through all the worries he had had until now. -Suho. my son Unable to hide the cute and unique smile from his mouth. -That''s basically what I''m worried about. This is what parents do to their children. He was smiling. ¨C Basically, it means that higher-ranking people worry about lower-ranking people. And as that smile gets deeper. Gooooooooo! Before I knew it, Seong Jin-Woo''s momentum was taking over the entire area as if it were going to engulf it. -Know this now. And he sincerely scolded his son, who had been worrying about him all this time. ¨C This dad is a horse. He has never lived a single moment in vain until now. I''m not so weak that I need to be worried by a brat like you. "...." -therefore. My father''s voice resonates in a low voice. -Stop worrying about your dad so needlessly. The moment I heard those words. With a huff, something heavy inside Suho disappeared. I realized it at the same time. The real reason why his father appeared in Xavier''s vision. ''Xavier''s skill, Mirage'' An illusion that reveals terrible memories deeply engraved within the target. The scariest thing about this skill was that it brought to life the weakest part of a person, the subject''s most anxious and vulnerable memories. And as the current results prove. The traumatic feelings that Suho had been suppressing all this time were about his father. ''Because of me, my father....'' ''If my father gets caught because of me....'' ''If I be a hostage to them, it will be a big problem....'' ''I am my father''s only weakness...'' ....'' It was the fantasy of me, the ''father,'' that came out and expressed all those thoughts. But now the father has given permission. That moment. Suho''s eyes changed. The corners of his mouth rose. A smile that somehow resembles his father. An extremely rxed expression appeared on his face. He stopped walking and looked in front of him. With bright eyes that resemble his father. And then he opened his mouth. "Get up." ...! That moment. Shwaaaaaaaaa! At Suho''s feet, his shadow soldiers rose up all at once. Shadow soldiers billowing ck vapor from their entire bodies. Wow! They stood with Su-ho at the center and spewed out ferocious murderous energy in all directions. Among them were Quay, Harmakan, and Kira, who were traveling around the country to hunt viins. "Harmakan, create an instance dungeon." [Yes, master.] sh! When themand was given, Harmakan spread his arms and performed a spell. [Instance dungeon has been created.] sh! At that moment, a transparent force field spread out in all directions centered on Harmakan. That huge sphere dragged the entire sandstorm created by Xavier into the other world. All of the hunters gathered here, including Xavier. -That''s novel. You''re using instance dungeons to trap enemies. Seong Jin-woo nodded, saying that it was now a bit interesting. Xavier, on the other hand, couldn''t help but be embarrassed. [This could not be Candiaru''s...!] Xavier was horrified to realize that he had been trapped in a magic camp of a much higher level than himself. But that wasn''t the problem. A shadow lord-like energy was suddenly radiating from Suho. [Uh, how could you...No, wait! You can''t believe it... ...?!] "okay." Suho willingly answered the question. Like letting out the breath you''ve been holding. "I am Seongsu-ho, the son of the Shadow Lord." That moment. [You have learned ''Skill: Lord''s Realm Lv.1''.] Hwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa The shadow of the guardian dyed the entirend ck. Chapter 169 - 169

Chapter 169:

A new skill has emerged. [''Skill: Monarch''s Realm'' has been cast.] Shadow power. Next step. The monarch''s domain. [The abilities of shadow soldiers fighting in the caster''s shadow increase by 50%.] Wow! The soldiers standing on the shadow of the guardian, which was dyed ck everywhere, surrendered themselves to the boiling shiver and began to roar. [This, this power...!] Xavier couldn''t help but be astonished. Something unbelievable happened. It is the energy of a monarch! The Shadow Lord''s domain has spread out before your eyes! [...] ...It''s a lie!] He denied reality. okay! This is definitely a trick. It may be a high-level illusion or an illusion. It will definitely happen. It had to be that way. Isn''t the reason obvious? [Only when the monarch dies can he inherit his power! But why... ...!] But the Shadow Lord never dies. Why? Because he is the king of death! [But how can you inherit the power of the Shadow Lord! He''s not even a shadow lord-!] Coo coo coo coo coo! Xavier, feeling extremely rmed,unched a fierce attack towards Suho. A sand storm ising. Illusions with physical power turned into vicious beasts and attacked Suho all at once. In front of him, Suho smiled, showing his teeth. "Why can''t my son take after his father?" Yes. He was already able to use the power of a ruler from the moment he was born. He''s not even a ruler. But how could he now use the power of a monarch? The monarch''s domain. It''s time to test the effectiveness of this new skill. Suho ordered. Toward the soldiers awaiting his own orders. "Full army advances." An order was given. [Mmmuuuuuu-!] As if they had been waiting for this moment, his soldiers rushed forward with tremendous force. Shadow Army. A small elite that is very shabbypared to the great army led by his father. Moreover, the number of people was smallpared to the illusions of Xavier that attacked from all directions. but. It was enough. [One-hit kill.] ???? ??! The shadowncer, Quay, bes a single spear and cuts through the entire field of vision. A very confident smile appeared at the corner of his mouth. [It''s a bet. The soldier who catches the most is the captain.] [It''s Daejangjeon. These are words that cannot be ignored.] Harmakan''s eyes glowed sinisterly. Although he was an elite soldier and the strongest among the soldiers, he was treated as the lowest ranked soldier, so he willingly epted the match. [Vengeance spirits steeped in hatred! Everyonee to me!] He spread his arms and used a new spell. [Harmacan uses ''Skill: Dead Man''s Provocation''.] [Nearby enemies ignite their hostility towards Harmakan.] Kikekekekekekekeke! At that moment, all attacks from nearby enemies began pouring down on Harmakan. [Harmacan uses ''Skill: Damage Amplification''.] [Harmacan uses ''Skill: Thorn of Pain''.] [Harmacan uses ''Skill: Exploitation''.] And Harmakan returned all the attacks back to them. [This...It''s a foul!] Quay gritted his teeth and elerated his attack even more. [Are you a shaman and fighting like a tank?] [Mmmuuuuuu-!] Meanwhile, the shadow minotaurs rushed through the fierce sandstorm without hesitation. And it mercilessly crushed its enemies with a more terrifying force than ever before. Boom! Quack! Ku-kwa-kwa-kwaang! At the center of it all, Suho clearly felt the effects of the new skill. ''This is the monarch''s territory.'' A buff skill that strengthens shadow soldiers. With this one skill, the power has be more than twice as strong. And the synergy of this effect would obviously increase as the number of soldiers increased. Creepy. At that moment, he was thrilled to imagine what it would be like when his soldiers increased in number. ''okay. That''s it... ....'' -okay. It''s a legion. Suddenly, as if reading his thoughts, he heard his father''s voice. When I turned around, I saw him smiling in satisfaction as he watched the battlefield where shadow soldiers were rampaging. -Now he''s more like my son. Wow. When Seong Jin-woo gestured in the air, Su-ho''s status window appeared in front of him. Status window. The result of all the efforts and choices that Suho has made alone so far. Seong Jin-woo, who skimmed through the contents, nodded his head. -okay. Raising the strength stat first was a good choice. In order to recruit excellent soldiers, you must first be strong. But isn''t it a lot better than I thought? Compared to the level, the strength stat was incredibly high. In fact, the level-up system used by Seong Su-ho was half-formed. This is because the ultimate goal of developing yers into vessels for the Shadow Lord has been lost. ''I can''t believe I grew so much using a half-baked system that didn''t even have job change quests.'' Just by looking at this, we could see how much effort Suho had put in so far. but. In the future, the direction of growth will have to change slightly. Because the ''monarch''s domain'' alone changed the entirendscape. ...But there is no need to give advice on this. In any case, the path you take is worth choosing if you choose it yourself. -Well, now that''s done with my son, let''s go to the other side. When he suddenly looked somewhere else, his appearance disappeared in a sh. * * * hot. It''s so hot. My whole body was on fire. But his wife, whom he killed with his own hands, must have been this hot too. "Ugh! Sorry.... I couldn''t help it either... .... To save Do-gyun... ...." Lim Tae-gyu was crying, embracing his wife with his whole body, still burning with blue mes. in fact...He knew it too. That all of this is an illusion. But there were times when he wanted to be deceived even though he knew. Besides, you never know. This may not be just an illusion, but may have summoned the spirit of my real wife. If there was even the slightest chance of that happening, he truly felt that he could just die with his wife like this. [Hehehehe!] Seeing that scene, Xavier burst intoughter. [It can''t be this good!] Enemy or friend? I really don''t understand the Shadow Lord''s intentions. His magic circle, which he had tinkered with at will, had developed into a much more perfect structure than before. That is the result! -Honey, I don''t want to die. We need more horsepower. Grumble! Lim Tae-gyu, engulfed in hot mes, was obediently giving his magic power to his wife''s request. S-ss magical power. It was truly a huge amount, and unlike other hunters, it seemed like it would never end no matter how much they scooped out. That enormous magical power was gathering directly into Xavier through Lim Tae-gyu''s wife. Not only that, but the same was true for all the other hunters who were under the illusion. [All of this is in my power!] Xavier trembled from the tremendous exhration. And he gritted his teeth as he red at Suho, who was cruelly destroying his illusions on the other side. [I don''t know what your intentions are, but it will be different from now on!] Xavier finally raised her crouching body. And in real time, he burned the magic power that had gathered in his mana core all at once and spread out his magic power. Directly into his own body. [Xavier, the demonic illusionist, uses ''Skill: Mirage.''] Huwaaaaaaaaa! The illusion of the mirage began to increase his size. At the same time, the corners of his mouth became increasingly sinister. [I will show you the greatest fear I can show you.] Xavier recalled. One day, while wandering through a dimensional rift, he encountered the being. He made His Godhead so great and terrible! [I''m looking forward to it too! How far can I imitate his great power?] Huwaaaaaaaaa! Xavier''s huge body split apart, and dozens of tentacles stretched out in all directions. The huge body finally broke through the sandstorm and appeared in front of Suho. [Xavier, the illusionist of the demon race] "...Kraken?" [Be careful! That figure is clearly one of Italim''s apostles! It seems like I encountered an apostle of Italim somewhere while wandering the dimension!] Vera was next to me and quickly exined when Suho''s words came to mind. ''You imitated the Apostle of Italim through illusion?'' Suho red at Xavier, who had transformed into a Kraken-like figure with narrowed eyes. The energy he felt was too unusual to dismiss as simply imitating his appearance. [It is at least an A-ss top level, no, it is an S-ss magical beast.] "You''re still getting stronger." Suho sensed the magic waves flowing around him and gritted his teeth. He noticed it. From now on, the real quest is the test given to him by his father. ''Is it possible?'' Of course, this wasn''t the first time he faced an S-ss magical beast. But before that, I always fought together with other colleagues. Even with S-ss hunters. But not now. ''I have to deal with it alone.'' Is it possible? It was not the time to specte on such possibilities. Because the conclusion was decided from the beginning. Pot! The body moved first. [Make a path!] ??? ??! As Guardian rushed towards Xavier, the shadow soldiers defeated all the illusions that blocked his path. Guardian jumped along the shadow path they had pierced. Excited, Excited! He felt his heart pounding like he was going to explode. fault! fault! fault! Suho''s body rushed in front of Xavier in an instant, stepping into the air and jumping. [Laughing b*stard!] Just then, Xavier''s huge tentacles came crashing down on his head. From a distance that can never be avoided. Kuqwaang! With a huge explosion sound, a huge tentacle crushed Suho. [Khaha!] Xavier roars. But even after getting hit by that attack. [''Skill: Tenacity'' reduces damage.] [...] ...?!] Suho''s body still stood firmly beneath him. and. Tup. Suho''s hand grabbed the huge tentacle. His hands started to get bigger and bigger. Whoa! [Use ''Skill: Giant''s Armor''.] Suho''s body swelled, and he grabbed hold of his tentacles and swung them around. Huuuung- [...] ...?!] Quang! [Gasp!] Xavier''s body flew through the air and crashed to the floor. [What kind of power is this... ...!] Xavier burst outughing, forgetting about his pain. Even Sung Jin-Woo acknowledged the path that Suho has taken so far. strength. [Strength: 140] Yes. At least the power of protection is limited to the strength stat. An S-ss hunter who is said to be the strongest human race. Goliath, Thomas Andre level. The fist is raised, concentrating all of its power on one point. Suho said, looking straight into Xavier''s huge eyes with his zing eyes. "It''s going to hurt a little." [Uses ''Skill: Rigid Body Art.''] Shwaaaagh! ck energy was wrapped around his fist. One more thing here. [Mmmuuuuu-!] Transmogrification, Gauntlets. The shadow minotaur was wrapped around Suho''s fist. Chapter 170 - 170

Chapter 170:

Toukwaang-! ck steam rises. A huge shock wave spread out like a wave centered on the spot where Suho''s fist was inserted. [Kaaaaaaak-!] The pain that Xavier felt pierced the air. The sound of a heavy body shaking loudly. With that, Suho''s attack began in earnest. Boom! Phew! Ku-kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa-! One hit after another, heavy attacks. Suho''s two fists wrapped in huge gauntlets began to beat Xavier mercilessly. [Hey, Inooom-!] Xavier was not left alone. Ku-kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa! Dozens of huge tentacles rained down from all directions and fiercely struck Suho''s body. Suho did not stop it. I endured all of those incredible attacks with my bare body and focused only on attack and attack. ''It''s a head-onpetition.'' No matter how stubborn your skill is, it cannotpletely reduce all pain. If you get hit, it hurts. The intestines are shaken. I was sobbing, and the taste of blood came out of my mouth. At the same time, HP decreases steadily in real time. But Suho did not stop. He had no intention of stopping his attack. Because this is a test. Because my father is watching. I left the rest to you and was given permission to run wild as much as I wanted! ''So let me show you.'' The way he confidently tackles the homework his father gave him. Jjjwajwa! Suho tore the tentacles wrapped around his body with force, clinging to him even more and carrying out his attack. Boom! strength. And stubbornness. Fierce attacks wereunched against each other without even an inch of retreat. The appearance waspletely different from the raids of ordinary hunters. A bloody battle between two monsters. And they had one thing inmon. That you are not alone. Kikekekekeke! Skeletons attack from all directions to grab Suho''s ankles. Suho ignored even that and only attacked Xavier. Anyway, this side was using the same strategy. Squirt- Bang! Just then, Quay''s spear flew through the air and hit Xavier''s eyeball. [Kaaaaaaah!] An enraged Xavier grabbed Quay''s body and crushed it mercilessly. OK. Wow! [...] ...!] Xavier''s tentacles, which had turned Quay''s body into mush, ruptured at the same time. [Harmacan uses ''Skill: Thorn of Pain'' on all shadow soldiers.] [All pain and damage Quay receives is shared with the attacking target.] All damage received by shadow soldiers is reflected back to them. Of course, the results were not exactly the same due to differences in defense and stamina, but it resulted in Xavier losing one of his tentacles. furthermore. Wow! Xavier''s wound was forced open, and his ck blood poured out like a fountain. [''Skill: Damage Amplification'' increases the damage received by Xavier, the demonic illusionist.] Xavier grits his teeth as he heals his wounds. On the other hand, Harmakan mocks him with an extremely evil smile. There was a mixture of joy and sorrow between the two. [This traitor of the demon race! Although he is a great sorcerer in name and appearance, he is not ashamed of it... ...!] bang! Suho''s attack exploded again from that snout. Xavier gritted his teeth and growled. [Ugh! quite...It''s strong, but it''s useless!] I was frantic because a series of embarrassing things suddenly happened, but even so, nothing changed. Xavier was overflowing with confidence thanks to his improved magic thanks to Seong Jin-woo''s wee. [Hehehe! Pour out as much of your strength as you can! The more it goes on, the more exhausted you be, but even at this very moment, my magical power is constantly building up! Hahahahahaha!] His roar echoed through the sandstorm. [I am invincible in this illusion!] "Invincible... ...." At those words, Suho bared his teeth and responded. He didn''t know much about witchcraft like his father, but he had a rough understanding of it. "Are you continuing to extract magical energy from hunters who are in illusion? Like batteries?" Suho chuckled and continued speaking. "So I sent that one separately." I need to get rid of the battery. *** Grumbling. "Ugh...Ugh...." Many hunters are struggling in the illusion. Lim Tae-gyu, the strongest among them, was still crying while hugging his wife. But his hot tears vaporized and flew away the moment they came out. Extreme heat. He had already suffered severe burns all over his body and was on the verge of fainting. In his heart, he wanted to die like this with his wife, but the S-ss magic power within him was protecting his life. [Honey, I want to live. You need magical power.] And his wife, who was in his arms, smiled even more affectionately and whispered to him. [You need magical power.] And she put more strength into her hands that were holding him. As if she would never let him go until his magical powers ran out. [Honey, this time we will die together.] Lim Tae-gyu felt very fortunate that he had a lot of magical power. As long as I have magical power, this illusion will never end forever. He also knew that what awaited him at the end of this fantasy was his own death. But he felt so at ease when he thought that even that was atonement for his wife. The pain of the burning body was also beautiful. How long has it been since he heard his wife''s sweet voice whispering into his ear? .... [Honey, this time we will die together....] [They say the same thing together.] Tsk. ...! Suddenly at that moment. A clicking sound was heard in the empty air. and. An unbelievable scene unfolded before Lim Tae-gyu''s eyes. So bad. His wife''s head was cut. [ah.] "...uh?" For a moment, Lim Tae-gyu''s eyes were filled with astonishment. Tuk, Degururu. Her wife''s head rolls around on the floor. So vain. Grumble! The figure disappears, engulfed in blue mes like a lie. At the same time, numerous incontinence began to be torn to pieces on the body of his wife, who was being held by Lim Tae-gyu. ???? ??! Then her wife''s body began to shatter and disappear in his arms, so vain. "iced coffee. Ahhh.... no...." Lim Tae-gyu, who was struggling with his hands and couldn''t figure out what to do, knelt down in front of him. A being slowly appeared in those empty eyes. Shadow Assassin Kira. He was clicking his tongue as he looked down at Lim Tae-gyu, dangling the dagger that killed Lim Tae-gyu''s wife. [That''s ugly. An S-ss hunter is obsessed with an illusion of memory. What kind of love is that?] "...bloke!" When the person who murdered her wife suddenly appeared, Lim Tae-gyu''s devastated eyes became bloodshot. Life is soaring. Immediately, his strong hand reached out and grabbed Kira''s neck. Kira was caught helplessly by the hand and her neck was broken. But even with his broken neck, he still didn''t die. [hmm. After all, it''s S-ss.] Instead, he mocked him in a calm tone. [If you still have this strength, go find your son rather than deal with me.] "...!" Lim Tae-gyu widens his eyes at those words. [If you are like this, what do you think your son''s trauma will be?] "...!" At the word "son" that came out of Kira''s mouth, the light in her eyes, which had felt like madness, quickly returned. "Oh, no! Do-gyun...!" [It''s over there.] Parbat! It was Lim Tae-gyu who ran without hesitation in the direction Kira pointed. Kira, who was left behind and looking at his back, shrugged his shoulders expressionlessly. [...] ...Well, there are parents like that.] It seems like I''m the only one who doesn''t have parent clothes. anyway. [Please try to catch it well. That guy... ...I can''t chase after you at all.] After leaving those words, Kira slipped into the air and hid himself again. And he visited the illusions of other hunters and began to mercilessly kill them. Regardless of the will and emotions of the people suffering from the illusion. Mercilessly. *** And that time. Lim Do-gyun... ...I was running away again today. From a vision of his mother chasing him. [Dogyun....] "Aaaah!" [My son....] "Aaaaaaaaa!" Run and run again. He puts forth his best effort, just like when he was being trained by Ammut. Lim Do-gyun''s running speed was already far beyond that of an E-ss hunter. However, the illusion of his mother that he created was also following him at the same speed. I remember being chased right behind my mother. It was a reflection of the image deeply engraved in Lim Do-gyun''s memory. Watching the fierce and endless chase unfolding in the sandstorm, Kira quickly gave up on saving Do-gyun Lim and turned his back. He said it would be more efficient to save other hunters at that time. Instead, he handed Lim Do-gyun over to his father, Lim Tae-gyu. "Oh, no...." Lim Tae-gyu, who discovered Lim Do-gyun as Kira had intended, could not help but make a despairing expression. "how...." His own son was being chased ''just like that time''. From his own wife. From his mom. And ''just like that time'', Lim Tae-gyu was faced with a choice. A situation where he had to kill his wife with his own hands to save his son. Of course he knew in his head. The answer is the same as then. On the contrary, now that he is weed by his wife, it is much more.... No, even then, her wife had already turned into a demonic beast. However, sometimes there are situations where it is difficult to make a decision even if you know it in your head. "Dogyun...!" But just like back then. He didn''t hesitate. Sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo! Lim Tae-gyu''s body jumped forward. Chasing Lim Do-gyun, who is running far away. But, what is this? The speed is not easy. ''how?! Do-gyun must be an E-ss hunter!'' The distance was gradually getting shorter, but even so, this was by no means an ordinary speed. "Ugh!" Fearing that Do-gyun would be caught and killed like this, he eventually aimed his bowstring. And he aims at the weing heart of his wife, who is following closely behind Lim Do-gyun by a narrow margin. No, that''s not her wife. ''It''s a mist bun.'' A person transformed into Mist Burn is no longer a person. It''s a magic beast. That''s all! Sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo! The bowstring is released and magic arrows are shot and fly. And it pierced the heart of Mist Burn. "Huh! "Huh!" Only then did Lim Do-gyun stop running and look back, taking a deep breath. "Ah, father...?" And when he found Lim Tae-gyu, his eyes widened. Im Tae-gyu, who was finally filled with relief at that sight, sat down on the spot. But his eyes were still studying his son. "..."Are you hurt anywhere?" For some reason, tears welled up in his eyes along with the relief that filled him. And another illusion was looking down on the whole scene from above. -Hmm. ''Seong Jin-woo'' was watching Lim Do-gyun with an interesting expression. I never thought I would see something like this. -...An E-ss hunter. Somehow I don''t feel like anyone else. Seong Jin-woo smiles. Wow! Suddenly, his hand manipted a new magic circle in the air. And then, bang. The ''door'' was opened. [Would you like to enter the Shadow Dungeon?] (Y/N) Chapter 171 - 171

Chapter 171:

[You have entered the Shadow Dungeon.] Gangseojutsu Training Center. Ammut, who was sitting with his back in the depths of the pyramid, slowly opened his closed eyes. [...] ...An uninvited guest came in.] Seaaaaaa- Suddenly, the dimensional door seemed to open, and an enormous presence entered the shadow dungeon. But why? To say it was simply an intruder, there was no feeling of any unnaturalness in the process. ''He'' opened the door so naturally, as if he had entered his own house, and appeared in front of Ammut. [you...Who are you?] Ammut bared his teeth at the man. The moment the giant crocodile man stood up, a tremendous sense of intimidation overwhelmed the man. Coo coo coo coo...! However, he remained calm, as if such a feeling of intimidation was nothing. He nodded, scanning Ammut''s appearance with interest. -Ammut...Is it a family of factors? [...] ....] Ammut paused at the strange aura he felt from the man. Her man was not looking at her and speaking. His eyes stayed on his head, not his face. As if there was something there. [No way, you....] Ammut''s eyes lit up when he btedly noticed that the ck energy flowing from his man was strangely simr to that of the Holy Guardian. [...] ...Are you the Shadow Lord?] -no. To be exact, it''s something simr to that. [what?] -You would know, right? [What on earth are you talking about?] Ammut frowned at the ambiguous answer. However, despite that reaction, Seong Jin-woo''s wee met Ammut''s eyes and showed a faint smile. -So, magically, I am rather simr to you. [...] ...!] Ammut''s eyes widened at those words. As if it was an expected reaction, Seong Jin-woo''s wee turned his gaze to look at his surroundings with a calm expression. His eyes pierced through Candiaru''s incantation engraved on this pyramid. Parbat! Pot! Pot! Following that gaze, numerous magic circuits engraved throughout the pyramid flickered and gave off a ray of light. [You can''t believe it... ....] Seong Jin-woo, who was appreciating the results achieved by the circuit diagram, opened his mouth. -okay. Just like you, I am also a fake soul realized through witchcraft. There are some expressions that sound a little better, such as avatar or NPC, but in the end, they are all the same. [...] ....] Ammut''s appearance reminded Jinwoo of the demon king Baran whom he had encountered on the top floor of the demon castle dungeon a long time ago. Baran, the king of demons and the lord of white mes. Baran was the only monarch he encountered who was not alive. To be more precise, Baran had already been killed by Asbon, the first Shadow Lord, before meeting Seong Jin-woo. Only the soul was recreated in Candiaru''s hands and used for the level-up system. However, the demon king Baran thus created was nowhere near his original power. This was because the ''darkness of the beginning,'' which could be said to be the source of the monarchs'' power, had escaped. -But I''m curious. How long have you been trapped in here? [Crumbling.] Ammut smiled and opened his mouth at the ck eyes that seemed to see right through him. [well. I don''t remember. Because you can''t tell the flow of time here.] -Do you want me to kill you? [what? Hehehe. This is the funniest joke I''ve heard recently.] At those words, Ammut chuckled self-deprecatingly. and. Kwaang-! He swung his huge arm and smashed the wall next to him. The bricks copsed around that area, creating a huge hole. But strangely, after a while, the holey wall began to repair itself. [Did you see it?] Ammut''s eyes looked directly into Seong Jin-woo''s eyes. [Even if you are the real Shadow Lord, I will never die. This is because this is my grave, and at the same time, myself.] -It''s a spell that automatically restores itself even if it is destroyed. Seong Jin-woo nodded at those words, and his eyes deepened. However, even if it was impossible for him, if he was his ''real'' self, it was not a difficult matter to inflict death on him. However, since I didn''t ask him because I really wanted to kill him in the first ce, I decided not to interfere with Seong Jin-woo''s wee any longer. Rather, it was better to check about this ce first. About this pyramid that does not exist in ''Sung Jin-woo''s'' memories. ...This ce was, so to speak, Candiaru''s legacy. There must have been many experiments in the process of developing the level-up system, and it was clear that this pyramid was one of them. But what I was curious about was how on earth this huge magical device came into the shadow of Seong Su-ho. ''It is a system that is automatically restored even if it is destroyed.'' Soon Seong Jin-woo realized the reason. -...Could it be that the level-up system, which has lost its purpose and is iplete, is working to restore itself? In fact, the reason for the level-up system''s existence has long since disappeared. Because that goal was already achieved a long time ago. In that situation, a new yer named Seong Su-ho reactivated the level-up system. Then the system started to repair itself. In the same way as before. No, to be exact... .... -Are you revamping the system to suit the changing situation? The purpose of the level-up system was, of course, to ''make yers into vessels for the Shadow Lord.'' However, Seong Su-ho could not be a shadow lord no matter what. So what is the purpose that the system is trying to achieve? -Could it be a job change quest in itself? The level-up system isplementing itself for Seong Su-ho''s career advancement. So Seong Jin-woo''s wee was certain. The existence of an NPC called Ammut and all the results of interpreting the incantations engraved on this pyramid proved this. -That''s right. When he finally realized that fact, he immediately burst outughing. I am anxious and excited about what kind of job my son will get. If you think about it, it''s not much different from the concerns of ordinary parents. but. -I''m sure I know what to do. It was the moment when Seong Jin-woo, who had organized his thoughts, smiled. Passyuk. Suddenly, his body began to shake and the entity was about to disperse. Like a radio wave that has lost its frequency. Ammut, who was silently watching the scene in front of him, chuckled and opened his mouth. [But you are better than me. I can''t believe I can escape the realm of witchcraft and move freely, even if just for a moment. But I guess that''s the end of it.] Passyuk. Seong Jin-woo''s illusion looked down at his blinking hands and muttered as if it would go out at any moment. -I know. I guess I should go back soon. Anyway, I checked everything. As he gestured in the air, a system message appeared. [Do you want to leave the shadow dungeon?](Y/N) Ammut asked as he watched him turn without hesitation and walk toward the shadow door that appeared in front of him. [But why on earth did youe here?] -Why? I came here because I wanted to give his son some help. [Crrrrrrr? So did it help anything?] -Okay. a lot. [for example?] In response to Ammut''s question, Seong Jin-woo''s illusion stretched out his hand and touched the air. Pabababat! At that gesture, the magic circles engraved on the pyramid began to emit light at once. Seong Jin-woo spoke to Ammut, who was standing tall as always in the center of the splendid magic circle. -Ammut, your soul trapped here has been linked with the real soul in the sea of \u200b\u200bthe afterlife. Just like me now. [...] ...What does that mean?] -If you want, you can now be a shadow soldier. [...] ...!] Seong Jin-woo spoke with a mischievous smile towards Ammut, who widened his eyes upon realizing what those words meant. -You don''t want to rot in this prison forever, do you? If that''s the case, then you should be my son''s soldier. Ah, for that to happen, at least my son.... [Enough to get me... ...I need to be stronger. Much more than now!] Quad deuk! At that moment, Ammut''s expression turned extremely enthusiastic, and he clenched his two huge fists. He pped his fists together and bared his teeth fiercely. [Leave it to me. We will double or triple the intensity of daily quests in the future.] -...I give him potions and order him to eat. Seong Jin-woo became a little anxious due to the overflowing motivation that seemed to explode. But if only Suho could endure that training and take on the real Ammut as a shadow soldier. It was clear that the power of the Guardian Corps would increase significantlypared to now. -Oh, and one more thing. Sigh! When Seong Jin-woo snapped his fingers, the pre-manipted magic circle began to operate in earnest. Coo coo coo coo! [...] ...!] Ammut looked embarrassed as the entire pyramid suddenly shook as if it would copse. Since he was one with the pyramid, he noticed that the size of the pyramid was getting bigger. and. Paaaaaaa! The top of the pyramid. A ck ray of light rose vertically from its pointed center. The light even pierced the dimensional wall and stretched vertically toward the distant universe. [What is this?] -This is a kind of insurance. It doesn''t concern you, so don''t worry about it. With those words, Seong Jin-woo returned to where he came from. [her....] Ammut just stared at the ce where he had disappeared with a helpless expression. ''How can something that is nothing more than an illusion have such power? ....'' While living for a long time, Ammut sometimes had such thoughts. What if he, the most powerful person, followed the strong monarch and participated in the war? Maybe we could have won the war. [Nothing would have changed.] * * * [You have left the Shadow Dungeon.] The moment Seong Jin-woo returned to Su-ho''s side. Suho''s battle was alsoing to an end. Kwasik! Quack! Ku-kwa-kwang! Suho''s strong hands tore off all of Xavier''s tentacles and grabbed the neck of the main body hidden in the illusion. [Ugh. How could this... ....] The main body of Xavier, a demonic illusionist who boasted of incredible illusions, was nothing more than an ugly skeleton. Between those pure white ribs, Xavier''s soul was emitting an evil light. [This doesn''t make sense...!] Xavier gritted his teeth and red at Suho. Thanks to the activities of the shadow assassin Kira, the hunters who were bound by the illusion were breaking free one by one. Then, Xavier''s magical power, which seemed infinite, eventually ran out, and his illusions gradually lost their power. However, even as Suho grabbed the back of his neck, he was hesitating to strike the final blow. The reason is of course.... -What are you doing? I didn''t finish it. "...father." Suho''s eyes wavered at the sight of his father who had suddenlye to his side. Although his feelings were admirable, what actually came out of Seong Jin-woo''s mouth was the same reprimand as before. -Just kill him. Don''t worry about Dad. Kuuk. Suho''s mouth was forced shut, piercing Xavier''s ribs and destroying his soul. bang! [You have defeated the demonic illusionist Xavier.] [Your level has risen!] [Your level has risen!] [Your level has risen!] .... Chapter 172 - 172

Chapter 172:

[You havepleted the quest.] Power filled Suho''s whole body. Level up five times. It seemed that the experience points were gained by returning the vast amount of magical energy that Xavier had absorbed from others. [Questpletion reward has arrived.] [Do you want to check your reward?] (Y/N) Rather than checking the reward, Suho quickly turned his gaze to find a vision of his father. "father...!" Shaaaaaaa- When Xavier died, all the illusions he created, including the sandstorm that was covering the area, turned into powder of light and dispersed. Sung Jin-woo''s reception was not much different. However, he looked rxed even as his body disappeared. -There is no need to make such a fuss. Because the person I am now is just an illusion. Then he slowly raised his head, looked up at the sky, and spoke. ¨C Really, I''m doing well up there. Oh, it''s been a little busy these days since someone is away. [Keeeeeeek! O king! Here is this unfaithful sinner! Please forgive me... ...!] At those words, Ver quickly fell down in front of him and began to wail. [I really want to go back, but I don''t have enough magic power, so there''s no way to go back!] -it''s okay. If I couldn''te back for that reason, I wouldn''t have to worry too much. Although the current Seong Jin-woo is an illusion, his soul is linked and his consciousness is shared with the real Seong Jin-woo. He used Xavier''s magic to turn himself, who was merely an illusion, into a kind of avatar, the incarnation of the real Seong Jin-woo. Thanks to this, the real Seong Jin-woo in space was able to know that Ver, who had been sent to Earth for this incident, had safely released Su-ho''s seal. I was worried that Ber might have been interrupted by some kind of interference and still not be able to reach Suho, but that worry was resolved this time. -More than that. Seong Jin-woo said, looking at little Ver, who was lying t on the floor. -I think it would be better for you to remain on Earth for the time being. [Kiek?! Well, is that okay?] Ber''s eyes widened. The war with outer space was indeed fierce and tightly bnced. Therefore, the vacant position of his corpsmander was bound to be an enormous burden to Seong Jin-woo. [If there are no small people, the bnce of war will be...!] -Ah, it''s okay. I recently recruited some useful soldiers. [...] ...?!] Rattling. Seong Jin-woo''s answer was so shocking that Ber froze on the spot with his mouth hanging open. -Of course, the sooner you return, the better, but it seems that Earth is not as rxed as I thought. Even as he said this, half of Seong Jin-woo''s body was already scattered. -I don''t have much time. Seong Jin-woo immediately turned his head and looked at the remains of Xavier, who had just been killed by Su-ho. A skeleton with his ribs shattered. A message floated above the shadow. [Mana is contaminated and cannot be extracted.] Seong Jin-woo looked at the message and calmly exined it for Su-ho to listen. -Among the Demon Race, there are sometimes people like the Demon Race that cannot be extracted. Suho looked regretful at those words. As Seong Jin-woo said, Xavier''s soul was said to be impossible to extract, like the souls of demons. It was said that it was impossible to make it into a shadow soldier like Harmakan. -Anyway, you won''t be able to use this guy. Seong Jin-woo stretched out his scattered hand and grabbed Xavier''s soul. -I''ll use some. Wow! Xavier''s mana-contaminated soul was caught in his hands and forcibly pulled up. Then he began to let out a bloodcurdling scream, as if he had sensed the fate that was about to befall him. Kaaaaaa-! How dare you! This is impossible... ...! -They say nothing is impossible. Seong Jin-Woo raised the corners of his mouth as he looked at the ck shadow struggling to get out of his hands. Xavier''s soul trembled with extreme humiliation. The illusion created by his own magic had, on the contrary, taken possession of his own soul! -You know it well. On the other hand, demonic spirits who have umted spells over a long period of time like you can be ingredients for very good spells. Seong Jin-woo said so and performed the final spell using Xavier''s soul. Sigh! Suddenly, a-like magic circle spread out from his hand and tightly bound Xavier''s struggling soul. Wow... ...! The magic circle began to be increasingly denser and smaller. And when Xavier''s screams became quieter and quieter, they eventually stopped being heard at all. Seong Jin-woo held a fist-sized jewel in his hand. -Now, it''s a gift. Swish. [You have acquired ''Item: Xavier''s Soul Stone''.] Suho looked at the jewelry that Seong Jin-woo gave him and made a puzzled expression. "This...." [Item: Xavier''s Soul Stone] Difficulty of acquisition: ?? Type: Jewelry This is a gem made bypressing demonic spirits. -This is insurance just in case, so keep it in your inventory. "Insurance?" -okay. Watching you fight makes me feel a little...I have something to worry about. Seong Jin-woo looked at Su-ho''s face with a bitter smile. Part of me wanted to exin something more, but no words came out of his mouth. No one knows the future. His son followed in his father''s footsteps, but the path was never the same. Because my son''s future was his to choose and decide... .... ''It would be better to support them now rather than nag them pointlessly.'' Seong Jin-woo typed out all the countless words that came into his head. -So, it''s Suho. And he said, holding on to Su-ho''s shoulder with his hand that was falling apart. -I leave this ce to you. "Yes, father." Suho''s eyes were burning quietly as he nodded heavily. Seong Jin-woo looked at those eyes and made a somewhat satisfied expression. At that moment, his bodypletely copsed. Passyuk. Eventually, even the hand that patted Suho''s shoulder turned into powder of light and scattered and disappeared. At that moment, the whole sky copsed. [The instance dungeon is unlocked.] Pachangchang! Harmakan''s barrier has disappeared. Then, the boundary between inside and outside the barrier copsed, and the civilians outside the barrier finally appeared. At the same time, the sight of the hunters who had been swallowed up by the sandstorm appeared in the civilians'' field of vision. "...Wow!" One stepter, cheers erupted from people''s mouths. "All the demonic beasts have disappeared!" When the hunters heard that loud shout, they finally realized the situation. The fact that today''s terrible battle is over. However, the reason why there is a feeling of relief and extreme helplessness on their faces at the same time. That was because they knew very well that they had done nothing here today. and...While they were struggling in their illusions. Only one person. ''Seong Su-ho....'' The fact that that young hunter fought against the boss mob alone and achieved victory. Because everyone saw it clearly with their own eyes. ''Seong Su-ho Hunter.'' ''Woojin Guild.'' As the hunters'' eyes all looked at Suho, who stood tall in the center, the gazes of the civilians outside naturally had no choice but to turn in that direction. And Ber was very satisfied with those awe-filled gazes. [Solord, please at least wave your hand. Everyone looks up to the Solord.] "...it''s okay." Suho looked a little lost in thought. When I saw his father, whom I hadn''t seen in a long time, disappear before my eyes, I couldn''t help but feel good. But I had no intention of staying in this mood forever. Shouldn''t you do what you have to do? "Esil!" Esil, who had not been seen for a while, responded to Suho''s call and waved his hand from somewhere on the shore. "Suho! I found it!" Everyone forgot due to the sudden appearance of the boss mob. The Woojin guild led by Suho still had not forgotten the purpose ofing here. "I found the gate!" ...! It was only when Eshil shouted that everyone looked at him with surprised expressions. ''Oops!'' ''Come to think of it!'' ''We were looking for the gate?!'' Although we happened to catch the boss mob, Suho''s guild was a gate search team from the beginning. And while everyone is dealing with that boss mob. Esil was the only one who managed to find a gate hidden somewhere on this beach from far away. "good job." It was only then that Suho smiled at the sight of Esil waving his hand from afar. He then turned his gaze to find other guild members besides Esil. "Are you okay!" "Healers this way!" "Medical staff! Medical staff!" Healers and medical staff from the Hunter Association were already rushing around to treat the injured. In particr, Lim Tae-gyu, an S-ss hunter, suffered visibly serious burns. However, Lim Tae-gyu himself did not care about these burns. Rather.... "Please treat my son first, rather than me." "Was this the son of Hunter Lim Tae-gyu?!" The medical staff looked surprised at Lim Tae-gyu''s words. Lim Tae-gyu responded to their words with a warm look and patted the back of Lim Do-gyun, who was lying exhausted next to him. "...yes. "He is my proud son." It was truly fortunate. Because he was able to save his son even in such a terrible disaster. But today was different from ''then''. -Ugh! The son did not look at his father with the fearful expression he did then. And he no longer ran away from himself. "Brother, are you okay?" "no. "It''s not okay." Lim Do-gyun stood up holding Su-ho''s hand with an expression of happiness that he was alive. Then he extended his other hand to his father, Lim Tae-gyu, and said, "Is your father okay? "It hurts a lot, right?" "..."This guy." Who cares about whom? Lim Tae-gyu chuckled at the sight of his son worrying about his own burns, held his hand, and stood up. * * * The gate that Esil discovered was already empty. I wondered if Xavier had eaten all the living things inside. Still, the amount of dungeon minerals that existed within it was significant. And the ownership of all those minerals returned to the Woojin Guild led by Suho. Of course, this matter did not exist in the contract, but it was thanks to Lim Tae-gyu giving up all the authority he was supposed to receive to Su-ho. However, there was one problem. Right time. At the point where all the demons disappeared and even the boss mob died, the time this gate was maintained was extremely short. To mine ore in such a short period of time, a huge number of miners had to be deployed at once. But that was no problem for Woojin Guild. "Get up." Numerous shadow miners rose up from the guardian''s shadow all at once. They ran into the dungeon with pickaxes and shovels and began mining ore at incredible speed. "Unbelievable...." Lim Tae-gyu, who witnessed the wondrous sight, opened his mouth wide. Although he knew that Seong Su-ho was a summoner, he never imagined that he would be able to summon this much at once. Suho approached him and attempted to negotiate in earnest. "Do you have any dungeons left in your guild? "The more dangerous the better." "..."I was wondering why Do-gyun was so good at running away." "Oh, that''s a misunderstanding." It was a real misunderstanding. Chapter 173 - 173

Chapter 173:

Although there was a minor misunderstanding, Suho began negotiations with Lim Tae-gyu in earnest. Suho''s original n was to buy back at a low price the dungeon ess rights that the Shinigami Guild, which was struggling with a manpower shortage, could not handle. However, there was a big variable here: the financial difficulties of the Reaper Guild had be much worse than Suho expected. Lim Tae-gyu had already sold all of the dungeon ess rights held by the guild. "...So you really don''t have any?" "okay." "Really at all?" "That''s right." Tae-gyu Lim exined the situation with a shy expression. "Our guild decided to operate as a small mercenary group for a while. "Most of the money from selling the strategy went to the cost of equipment." "...." Suho flinched slightly at this part. A ss A weapon that Lim Tae-gyu lent to Su-ho before going to the cier Dungeon. The ''Reaper''s Bow (replica)'' was taken away by the ice elf Sirka who left with his mother, and there was no way to return it to him. Fortunately, Lim Tae-gyu had no intention of asking for the bow back. The reason he lent the bow to Su-ho in the first ce was because his son Lim Do-gyun belonged to the Woojin guild that Su-ho led, so he gave it to him in the hope that his son would be safe at least a little. Until Lim Do-gyun left Woojin Guild, he was willing to continue lending. "okay. It just worked out well. Since you are now a guild leader, I will take this opportunity to briefly exin guild operation. Do-gyun, you are also the vice president, so please listen." Tae-gyu Lim gave very realistic advice to Su-ho and Do-gyun Lim. The point was ultimately ''money''. "In the first ce, for a guild to monopolize an entire dungeon, it requires arger investment than expected. "Without a doubt, the ce where the most money is spent is the right to conquer the dungeon." In other words, in order to win the fierce biddingpetition between guilds, the financial power of the guild is required. The more so-called ''bullets'' there were, the more advantageous it was. "But purchasing a strategy ticket is not the end. Aren''t you supposed to recoup your investment in that dungeon? "To do that, again, a lot of money is needed." "Labor costs?" "okay. "Seeing as how quickly you understand, I see you''ve put off being a beginner now." Lim Tae-gyu nodded his head and continued his exnation. personnel expenses. In other words, thebor costs required to call in external services such as mining and collection teams are also significant. Of course, most of those people were E or D level, so their ransom was not high. But there were more than one or two of them, and the bigger problem than anything else was.... "I have to give those people the day''s wages in their hands when they leave work. However, if the guild''s reserves be tight due to purchasing dungeon ess rights, it means that they cannot even think of calling for services right away." No matter how great a hunter he was, he didn''t make money as soon as he entered the dungeon. The structure was such that money could only be deposited into the bank ount by selling the corpses of demonic beasts, magic stones, and minerals acquired in the dungeon. However, even if you dug up minerals in a dungeon, you could not sell them right away that day. It took at least two days, maybe a few more days. "From here on, it''s a real business area, so it''s apletely separate area from hunting monsters." All of Lim Tae-gyu''s exnations were correct. But in fact, there was no need for Suho to worry about this. It was decided that Su-ho''s uncle, Yoo Jin-ho, would handle such chores in the future. "however." There was a reason why Lim Tae-gyu bothered to give these exnations to Su-ho. "..."I guess your guild doesn''t need to hire services like other guilds do." His eyes turned to Guardian''s shadow soldiers who were frantically using pickaxes. With a very dejected expression. Boom boom boom boom! Boom boom boom boom boom! [Two sets! I can see my hands! If the quantity is less than 1 trillion, it will be out of my hands!] [Keeeeek! Where does someone like the eternal second-inmande from?] [Ugh! That damn second-inmand!] Quay and Ver were leading the shadow miners andpeting for mining. Lim Tae-gyu was unable to hide his dejected expression at the fierce and tremendous sight. "..."I knew very well that he was a summoner, but I never thought he would be like this." While others were going bankrupt in real time, the sight of this guild gradually reviving was just disappointing. However, my feelings wereplicated because it was a guild where my son was the vice president(?). Of course, if he found out that Quay, who was ying with a pickaxe more excitedly than anyone else in front of him, was the one who ruined him, he could have vomited blood right here and there. Sometimes what you don''t know is medicine. ''hmm. But has Suho been able to summon this many summoned beasts in the past?'' I couldn''t help but wonder this question. ''Could it be that you were hiding your power back then? There would be no reason to do that.'' It was impossible for Lim Tae-gyu to reach the truth that Su-ho was a special hunter who gradually grew as he leveled up. Because such a thing was far beyond the scope of imagination in the first ce. Suho nodded his head and asked Lim Tae-gyu. "Anyway, what you''re saying is that you really don''t have any ess to the dungeon. "Then can you do me one more favor?" "What please?" "Currently, our Woojin Guild''s reserves are 1 billion. Since I have alreadye down to Busan, can I buy a dungeon for the Knights Guild with this money?" "You''re asking me to act as an intermediary. "That''s not difficult." It was Lim Tae-gyu who quickly nodded his head at those words. "I guess that''s what you want too?" His prediction was correct. These days, there are quite a few dungeons in Busan that are difficult to clear. Because of this, the Knights Guild was also experiencing a manpower shortage to the extent that it hired several mercenary groups, including the Reaper Guild. As a result, the right to conquer the dungeon could be transferred for a fairly low price. "But will you be okay?" "What?" "Because of this, all the reporters in Busan are flocking to Haeundae to interview you. Moreover, in Busan city now... ...." "Oh, that''s okay." Suho shrugged his shoulders as if it was no big deal. and. * * * "thank you!" ''...hmm?'' Park Jong-su, the president of the Knights Guild, was smiling broadly and holding Lim Do-gyun''s hands and shaking them. "Thanks to the hard work of the Woojin Guild, this situation was able to be resolved smoothly!" Wow! Along with that, cheers poured heavily towards him. ''...''Hmm?'' "In that sense, on behalf of Busan City, I would like to give a que of gratitude to Hunter Lim Do-gyun, Vice President of Woojin Guild, for resolving this situation." "...?" Suddenly, it was Lim Do-gyun who was receiving a que of appreciation from the mayor of Busan. Papapapapapapang! Camera shes exploding from all directions dazzled his eyes. Lim Do-gyun thought. ''Who am I?'' If you ask who it was, it was the Vice President of Woojin Guild. ''Where am I?'' Busan City Hall. In the middle of the event hall where appreciation ques are awarded. It was the center of all spotlights. Haeundae, off the coast of Busan, was one of Busan''s core areas. If this ce copsed, Busan could have suffered an economic blow in many ways. However, Woojin''s guild, who had resolved the dangerous situation, said that they would ''specially'' stay behind and attack more dungeons in Busan, and in the end, even the mayor of Busan showed up in person with a que of appreciation. Of course, these appreciation ques were useless items that did not make any money and could not be sold even on the second-hand market. But it had its own meaning. Now Woojin Guild can proudly operate in Busan City as a trustworthy guild directly certified by the Mayor of Busan. "But it looks like CEO Seong Soo-ho is very busy. "Hehehe." "yes. Our boss has now entered the dungeon... ...." To the Mayor of Busan''s subtle question as to why the president did not personally attend such an auspicious asion, Lim Do-gyun struggled to answer while suppressing the feeling that he was about to cry. Yes, it was a dungeon. Although it was a shadow dungeon. Seong Su-ho, who was supposed to be here, left all the troublesome work to Lim Do-gyun and suddenly went back to doing daily quests. "Hehehe. Well, it''s okay. Are the hunters busy for a day or two? Well, Vice President Lim Do-gyun, since the appreciation que awarding ceremony is over, please go to our office. "I have prepared a contract rted to conquering the dungeon." "...yes." "Oh, by the way, I heard that Vice President Do-gyun Lim is the son of Hunter Tae-gyu Lim? "Maybe it''s because he takes after his father." Lim Do-gyun, who was suddenly surrounded by high-ranking people, followed behind the knight guild leader with a face like a corpse. in real time...I was feeling dizzy. However, in apletely different sense from Lim Do-gyun, there was also a huge crisis ahead of Su-ho. * * * "what...." Suho, who entered the shadow dungeon to do the daily quest, couldn''t help but be scared. Ammut, the master of strong body techniques... .... [Hehehe. Can you feel the difference in power?] For some reason, Ammut was twice as big as usual! The pyramid is getting bigger too! Moreover, for some unknown reason, an unusual ck light beam was shooting out from the top of the pyramid. However, the biggest problem was that Ammut did not just increase in size. Coo coo coo coo...! [Then let''s start training.] "Now, wait a minute. "It seems like the atmosphere has changed a lotpared to usual?" [Ah, nothing to worry about. Because I already got permission from your dad.] ''What on earth!'' Nerves... ...It was written! The state of the gravitational field pressing down on my entire body was also very unusual! At that time, from a distance away, Ver was nodding his head with an extremely happy smile. [It''s okay to go through hardships when you''re young. As hard as it is, the reward is definitely... ....] ''The reward is the same anyway!'' Suho was disgusted and started doing his push-ups. Tdu-duk! "Turn it off!" And both arms were broken at once. Whirling! Then, a bandage flew out and wrapped the arm, and today''s Chi Gangseojutsu training began in earnest. "Aaaah...!" [Khahahahaha!] And so the torture, or rather the training, twice as much as usual began. [The level of ''Skill: Tenacity'' has increased!] [Physical defense +140% ¡ú +160%] Even when engaging in hand-to-handbat with Xavier, his quiet tenacity skills improved immediately. And after some time. The reward arrived in front of Su-ho, who was lying on the floor like a rag with his limbs tattered. [The following rewards are avable.] Reward 1. Status recovery Reward 2. Ability points +5 Reward 3. 2 random boxes "..."Has the reward increased?" The daily quest reward, which originally gave +3 ability points, had been changed to +5. There are also two random boxes. But why? I wasn''t thankful at all. Chapter 174 - 174

Chapter 174:

After that. The Knights Guild received 1 billion won from the Woojin Guild and handed over the rights to attack a total of three intermediate dungeons. Three intermediate dungeons in the Yeongnam region, including Busan. The fact that they handed over this ce for only 1 billion was proof of how grateful they were to Suho for this matter. The Knights Guild even provided consideration that was not requested. "There is no healer in the Woojin guild yet. "While you are active in Busan, we will provide support to one of the most skilled healers in our knight guild." "Healer? No, you don''t even need to do that...." Lim Do-gyun, who was buried in the contract handed over by Su-ho, initially tried to reject the consideration of Park Jong-soo, the president of the Knights. However, Lim Tae-gyu, who was helping with the contract process, quickly epted the offer. "Is that skilled healer, by any chance, Hunter Lee Joo-hee?" "Yes, that''s right." "Hoo." Lim Tae-gyu looked quite surprised. Then he immediately whispered into Lim Do-gyun''s ear. "Take it unconditionally. Hunter Lee Joo-hee would be quite helpful. "In many ways." "yes? In many ways...?" Lim Do-gyun is puzzled. Lim Tae-gyu did not even listen to his son''s answer, but took the initiative and grabbed President Park Jong-su''s hand and smiled. "Thank you for your consideration. As expected, the reputation of the Knights Guild is well-known, and they pay great attention to even the smallest detail." "Oh no, no. "Hunter Lee Joo-hee volunteered for this first." "Ah, you are Hunter Lee Joo-hee as expected." "...?" Lim Do-gyun was still confused as he did not know how the situation was going. ''Anyway, does this mean that the Knights will reduce dungeon prices and provide support for healers?'' This was proof that Haeundae, which Suho protected, was of great value in Busan. Anyway, like that. Woojin Guild, led by Suho, began full-scale activities in Busan. ...However, like the Knights Guild, not all hunters in Busan were friendly to the Woojin Guild. ''Hey, did you hear? I heard that the Knights Guild handed over three intermediate dungeons to the Ujin Guild? And that too at a cheap price.'' ''No, if that''s the case, why did you have such a fierce biddingpetition with us?'' ''No matter how active they were in Haeundae, this is not the case!'' ''If there was ack of manpower from the beginning, we could take over the dungeon first or not. Or isn''t it right to give our guild a chance first?'' ''If the Haeundae Knights Guild had done its job properly in the first ce, wouldn''t there have been a need to bring in mercenaries from outside?'' ''Anyway, therge guild is big, but it doesn''t have any substance.'' Dissatisfaction began to emerge from small and medium-sized guilds in Busan that were usually pressured by the Knights Guild, thergest guild in Busan. It was some kind of territorial bird. But theirints were not entirely unfounded. Haeundae incident resolved by Woojin Guild. There were many people in Haeundae who saw this serious situation in person, but hunters from other guilds were busy attacking other dungeons at that time. That is why most people were able to hear about the incident onlyte through the news. Seeing a disaster through a screen is bound to be less effective than actually seeing it in front of your eyes. But now, when the news came out that the mayor of Busan personally came out and gave a que of appreciation, they couldn''t hold back their anger. ''No, f*ck. ''What on earth are the Woojin guild doing, making such a fuss?'' ''I heard it''s a new guild with only three people?'' ''what the. The guild leader is a C-level hunter and the vice-guild leader is an E-level hunter? ''It''s not even funny.'' ''So what on earth did they do?'' ''At the end of the video, a foreigner named Esil found the location of the gate?'' ''I heard that a guy named Seong Su-ho killed a boss mob, but there was nothing captured on video about how he did it?'' ...Because most of the full-scale battle took ce within the instance dungeonunched by Harmakan, the embers created began to burn their dissatisfaction. And eventually. "for a moment." There were people who stood in front of the Woojin guild, who arrived at the gate to attack the intermediate dungeon that had been transferred to them in exchange for money. ''hmm?'' Suho looked at them with a puzzled expression. They were faces I didn''t know. "Suho. "No, guild leader." Lim Do-gyun, who was next to him, quickly whispered into Su-ho''s ear. "They are famous hunters in Busan. name is...." "What''s going on?" Suho asked them while listening to Lim Do-gyun''s exnation. Then, therge hunter among them stepped in front of Suho with a grim expression and exposed his teeth. "hey...." "Now, wait a minute! Hunter Noh Jun-ki, you can''t do this here! "This dungeon is the territory of the Woojin guild!" The Hunter Association employees of the Busan branch who managed the gate were very embarrassed and blocked the way for the hunters who suddenly entered the scene. Then, therge hunter, Noh Jun-ki, red with a disapproving expression at the association employees who were restraining him. "I know. "Who doesn''t know Korean?" His eyes nced at a sign posted nearby. [Gwangalli Gate] ¡ùNo entry except Woojin guild. Puzzle. Then, he gritted his teeth and turned his vicious attitude towards the association employees again. "Well, is it okay for the association to do this?" "yes? What do you mean... ...." "I mean, is it okay for the association to break thews established by the association first?" Noh Jun-gi said as he looked at each of the Hunters in the Woojin Guild. Guild leaders Seong Su-ho, Lim Do-gyun, and Essil. "under. This is truly absurd. Only 3 people? Since when did it be eptable to attack a mid-level dungeon with only this many people?" "you''re right. "Isn''t there a minimum of 10 people in the raid group?" "This is clearly illegal." The other hunters that Noh Jun-ki had brought along also raised their voices and began to agree with his words, as if they had been waiting. ''You came here withplete intention.'' Suhoughed at that sight. Hunters'' sit-in protests are on a different level from those held by ordinary people. As the hunters, led by Noh Jun-ki, expressed their dissatisfaction by substantially increasing their magical power, even the air in the area was shaking ominously. "Now, calm down for a moment...." The problem was that the association employees who had to deal with that energy were non-awakened people because they had office jobs. They were so weighed down by the energy that Hunters, including Noh Jun-gi, were emitting here and there that they could not even breathe properly. It was then. "S-sorry... ...! "I''m a littlete!" The moment Lee Joo-hee, a B-level healer supported by the Knights Guild, arrives at the scene. "...uh?" In an instant, the heavy air became lighter, and the hunters'' energy disappeared like a lie. "Hey, Hunter Lee Joo-hee?" "What is Joohee Lee doing here?" Their eyes widened as they recognized Lee Joo-hee. "ah! Long time no see. "I''m really d that everyone looks healthy." Lee Joo-hee also recognized the hunters and bowed to them, and they waved their hands, not knowing what to do. "Oh my, Lee Joo-hee. Why are you doing this! "We should say hello!" "Joohee Lee, have you been okay so far?" "I heard that you joined the Knights Guild. "But what are you doing here?" "Ah, after hearing that there were no healers in the Woojin guild, I came out to provide support for the time being." "...!" ''hmm?'' Lee Chae appeared in Suho''s eyes. With the sudden appearance of Lee Joo-hee, the situation began to take a strange turn. "President Seong Su-ho, I''m sorry I''mte." Lee Joo-hee approached Su-ho and politely apologized again. "No, thanks. "You''re only a few minuteste." "And actually, I have one more thing to be sorry about. "I came across a car ident scene on the way, so I used up some of my magic power to heal the emergency patients." It was Lee Joo-hee who sincerely apologized once again. It was a very big mistake for the healer to waste magic power before conquering the dungeon. However, if the reason was to save emergency patients, no one who knew Lee Joo-hee''s usual personality could fault that mistake. "Ah, you''re still the same." "As expected, Lee Joo-hee...." "Hmm." especially...It was a time when I was a novice hunter with no money or connections. It had a special meaning to the hunters in Busan who had experienced receiving heals from her for free at least once. Until rtively recently, Lee Joo-hee worked as a frence healer and treated injured hunters for free. She was not given the nickname ''Saint of Busan'' for nothing. "Hmm." "Hehehe." The hunters attacked with great force, but suddenly hesitated in front of Lee Joo-hee with a shy expression. ''Ah, that''s why I said it would be helpful in many ways.'' In the returning atmosphere, Lim Do-gyun was finally able to understand what Lim Tae-gyu said. "...Well, still!" Noh Jun-ki closed his eyes tightly and opened his mouth again. Then the other hunters also tried to avoid Lee Joo-hee''s eyes and gained momentum again. "Illegal is illegal!" "The minimum number of people to attack is a rule set by the association!" Limiting the number of people is the minimum safety measure for hunters. It was a rule put in ce by the association to prevent hunters from blindly entering dungeons and losing their lives. "Selling a dangerous dungeon to such a weak guild!" "Oh, you don''t have to worry about that." "...yes?" Lee Joo-hee, who finally noticed what was going on, suddenly smiled and calmed theirints. "It is true that there is a minimum number of people limit, but when making the rule, Association President Woo Jin-cheol made a special exception condition." "..."What is that?" Looking at the frowning hunters, Lee Joo-hee suddenly had this thought. Woo Jin-cheol, president of the association. A great person who has always taken special steps after the cataclysm. Could it be that his insight had anticipated this situation from the beginning? "The number of people in the raid includes the number of summons." As soon as Lee Joo-hee finished exining, Su-ho opened his mouth as if he had been waiting. "Get up." ...! That moment. There was astonishment in the eyes of all the hunters. Numerous summoned beasts rose up all at once, centered around Suho! The powerful energy emitted by the shadow soldiers, with pitch-ck steam swirling all over their bodies, exploded in all directions. Noh Jun-ki, who was in front, was so startled by the fierce momentum that he almost took a step back. But then. suddenly. Ver, a small ant that put its face in front of Noh Jun-ki, unleashed even more ferocious force. [Keeeeeeeeeeeeek-!] "Uh huh...!" Craddangtang! Noh Jun-ki ended up getting his ass kicked. "Okay then." Suho was dumbfounded and turned away from them sitting there. He smiled faintly as he red at the ominously blue gate in front of him. "Let''s get started soon." and. [Your level has risen!] [Your level has risen!] The time it took for the Ujin guild to conquer all the intermediate dungeons handed over to the Knights guild. It was only 3 days. That includes the time it took to mine. "..."This is ridiculous!" All the hunters in Busan, including Noh Jun-gi, were astonished at the incredible speed. * * * And around that time. In America. "hmm. "I should tell this to Seong Su-ho." Steve Thomas Andre, the president of the guild and America''s strongest S-ss hunter, leisurely took out his cell phone. -Thomas? "oh. "I''m getting a phone call right now." Thomas Andre said with a grin as he heard Seong Su-ho''s voiceing from the other end of the cell phone. "You''ve be quite famous in Korea these days, right? "We''re both busy, so let''s just get to the point." There was a soft lighting from Thomas Andre''s body as he spoke on the phone. "First of all, your mother said she found something in the tomb of the dragons, and she asked you to pass it on to her. "I heard that Laura also found a high-grade magic stone, so I sent it with her, so she will arrive soon." Cha Hae-in, who decided to stay a little longer at the Tomb of the Dragons, decided to deliver the goods through the Scavenger Guild working on Facade Ind. "Oh, and." Tomas Andre''s other hand, which was not holding his cell phone, nced at the face of the corpse he was holding by the cor and continued. "I just killed an Apostle of Italim." ...! Surprisingly, the ground where Thomas Andre was standing now had a huge crater formed, as if a meteorite had fallen. Passyuk. Soon the corpse he was holding broke into pieces and scattered like ashes. Shaaaaa. And the ash turned into light powder and seeped into Thomas Andre''s body. -Who was it? "It''s just as we guessed." Absorbing that power, Thomas Andre looked back at the face of the hunter he had killed. "Christopher Reed." He was a man who was a national power level hunter in the United States in his previous life. Chapter 175 - 175

Chapter 175:

ng syne. So, in the world before Shadow Lord Seong Jin-woo turned back time on Earth... .... There were hunters who received the title of ''strongest'', which was given to only five people in the entire world. ''National power level hunter'' The title was literally a symbol of absolute power, meaning that one person''s power was equivalent to that of a country. It was an honorable title given only to hunters with tremendous power that could not even be described as ''S-ss''. However, the reason why such an honorable title was actually given to those five people was anything but glorious. Humanity''s worst disaster. The first S-ss gate. A boss-level beast that jumped out from there. ''Dragon Kamish'' The worst red dragon in history was a monster with such tremendous power that it wiped out the entire western United States at the same time as Dungeon Break. At that time, the United States invited the world''s best hunters with a huge reward, and barely seeded in hunting Kamish. However, as a result, only five survived until the end. A single demon beast had killed all the world''s top hunters. It was clear that if it had not been for their sacrifices, the nation of the United States would have been erased from the world map. Therefore, the United States promised to treat the five who saved its country''s fate as ''one nation'' rather than as one person. This is said to have been the origin of the term ''state power level''. But there was one interesting fact here. National power level hunters had something inmon. To be more precise, all four people except the hunter who was the healer in the Kamish raid had one skill inmon. Telekinesis. It was a skill to apply force to an object without touching it. There were many strong people before and after the Kamish Raid, but there were only four in history who had such abilities. So, the Hunter Management Bureau at the time, which was the only one who knew what they had inmon, even considered ''telekinesis'' as a condition for being a national power-level hunter. But now many years have passed since then. Suho knew exactly the true identity of the ''telekinesis'' they had. [Skill: Ruler''s Power] That power was none other than the result of the ''Rulers'' inhabiting the bodies of ordinary S-ss hunters. In other words, four hunters who became strong at the level of national power by borrowing the power of the ruler at the time. Those who had the courage to ept the rulers were the ones most likely to be taken over by Italim''s apostles this time. Like Thomas Andre in cier Dungeon. * * * "Thomas Andre, you are under arrest for the murder of Christopher Reed." While Thomas Andre is talking on the phone with Suho. Before he knew it, numerous fully armed hunters were approaching and surrounding him. United States Hunter Administration. The agency with the most powerful authority in the United States was dispatched to stop Thomas Andre''s rampage. However, despite this numerical superiority, it was not the beleaguered Thomas Andre who was nervous. "Ah, wait a moment. As you can see, I''m on an important call right now." Thomas Andre sent a light gesture towards the hunters who surrounded him. He continued his conversation with Suho calmly. "...." gulp. On the other hand, the Hunters of the Hunter Management Bureau who werepletely surrounding him looked determined. The person they were now trying to arrest was none other than Thomas Andre. But the problem was that the person killed by him was also Christopher Reed, one of the S-ss hunters representing the United States. ''Why on earth did someone like Thomas Andr¨¦ suddenly do something like this?'' ''You wouldn''t gain anything by killing an S-ss hunter.'' ''If you go into the dungeon with all the effort you put into this, you can make an astronomical amount of money, so why on earth?'' The Hunter Management Bureau, which had no information about Itarim, could not help but be taken aback by Thomas Andre''s unexpected behavior. It''s not that there have been no fights between S-ss hunters until now, but it was an unprecedented event that they fought until someone died like this. This was because a system called Hunter Point Ranking was created, and there was no longer a need for hunters topete pointlessly with each other. How many more dangerous demon beasts have you hunted? How many more dungeons have you conquered? The Hunter Ranking, which is created by converting these various experiences into scores, was the only indicator recognized around the world. Hunters began to focus more on conquering dungeons rather than focusing on fights that were worthless. ''But why?'' No matter how much I thought about it, I couldn''t figure out why Thomas Andre suddenly murdered Christopher Reed. It was then. "Thomas Andre." Suddenly, the hunters split to the left and right, and there was a man walking through them. An old gentleman neatly brushing his hair. Surprisingly, unlike other hunters, he was not armed in any way. "Director...!" "It''s dangerous!" "Ah, it''s okay." After he stopped his subordinates who were trying to stop his reckless actions with a light gesture. Tap, tap, tap. I walked towards Thomas Andre. At his appearance, even Thomas Andre had no choice but to pause the call for a moment. "Adam White." The corner of Thomas''s mouth curled up as if he was interested when he recognized his identity. "What brings the Director of the Hunter Management Bureau to this point?" "...Thomas Andre. "Please kindlyply with the investigation." At those words, the corners of Thomas Andre''s mouth rose even more. "What if I don''t like it?" Thomas Andre is grinning and showing his teeth. Despite his provocative remarks, the director of the Hunter Management Bureau, Adam White, only sighed softly rather than raising his voice. Suddenly, his eyes scanned thepletely devastatednd around him. Originally, this was where Christopher Reed lived, a luxurious mansion. But now.... ''It''s like a nuclear bomb exploded. Is this what happens when two S-ss hunters fight?'' Saying that an S-ss hunter is a walking weapon of war was certainly not an exaggeration. Adam White smiled bitterly and politely asked Thomas Andre again. "...If you say you don''t like it, is there any right? We will have to ask even more earnestly. "Everyone is someone''s precious child and parent, and I also have a wife and children that I need to take care of." "her." Thomas Andre opened his mouth with an expression that seemed to have been drained of steam by Adam White''s words. "You''re still a boring guy." "Even after all this, I''ve always heard people say I''m a fun boss." "That must be social life. "My subordinates also explode when I say something." Even as the meaningless conversation was going on between the two, the hunters surrounding Thomas Andre could not even make a sound. You know it. Even if Thomas Andre shows a little whim here today, they will never see the sun of tomorrow again. "...." "...." There was a moment of silence, and the eyes of Thomas Andre and Adam White crossed in the air. For some, it was a moment, but for others, it seemed like eons. "Well, sure." Thomas Andre eventually smiled and obediently raised his hands as if he was surrendering. At the same time, the body of Christopher Reed he was holding fell to the floor. Pasasak. Surprisingly, the moment the body hit the floor, it crumbled and shattered like a piece of burnt charcoal. The eyes of everyone who witnessed this widened. But at the same time, they all breathed a sigh of relief when they realized that they would not have to fight Thomas Andre. Thomas Andre spoke to Suho again into his cell phone. "Did you hear? Well, the atmosphere was roughly like this. So, I think it will be difficult for people from other countries as well for the time being." ''Other countries?'' Adam White''s expression hardened when he heard those words from next to him. Thomas Andre, who saw his surprised expression, smiled and added one more word to Suho. "It''s okay for Chris because he''s an American, but people from other countries have political problems." -Oh, that''s definitely true. Suho also agreed to those words and nodded his head over his cell phone. People who were national power-level hunters in their past lives were still S-level hunters. For someone like Thomas Andre to say that he would go to another country to deal with them, it was literally the same as the United States dering war on that country. "Then the matter ends here. "I will send you detailed information about Christopher Reed separately." -All right. Thank you for your hard work. Pop. The call was disconnected. "May I ask who you were talking to?" In response to Adam White''s subsequent question, Thomas Andre smiled instead of answering and said, putting his muscr arm on his shoulder. "Adam, it''s been a while since Ist saw you, so would you mind buying me a hamburger on the way? "I used some strength and got hungry." "..."I''ll buy you abo." "nice. As expected, you are a director, so you have a lot of courage. While you''re buying it, buy the subordinates behind you too. "Everyone''splexion is not very good." "All right." Adam White smiled bitterly and listened to all of Thomas Andre''s requests. * * * After Thomas Andre was obediently arrested by the Hunter Management Bureau. As he said, his secretary Laura visited Korea with gifts to deliver to Suho. "Laura, how is Thomas?" "You don''t have to worry about our boss. "I''m the type of person who eats well and lives well wherever I go." Laura responded to Suho''s concerns as if it was no big deal. In any case, from the U.S. perspective, it was too risky to tie up Thomas Andre for a long time. As the ie earned by S-ss hunters from dungeons decreased, the corresponding taxes also decreased. Considering their country''s safety, the U.S. government had no choice but to pressure the Hunter Administration to release Thomas Andre. The fact that he not only massacred civilians but also killed hunters of his own rank also yed a role. No, on the contrary, as the number of S-ss hunters decreased by one, Thomas Andre had to fill the void. "...Moreover, our boss had no intention of killing Christopher Reed from the beginning. Rather, I came here in person to give a gift of detox potion, which is our main product these days." Spring water in the Echo Forest. The detox potion obtained from the Ice Elves'' sacred ce was so effective that it restored the spirit of Thomas Andre, who had been possessed by the Apostle of Italim. Prevent simr idents by feeding the spring water to other hunters who were at the level of national power in their past lives. That was exactly what Suho and Thomas Andre had nned from the beginning. "But our boss said there was a slight ident while delivering the detox potion to Christopher Reed." "A little ident?" It was Suho who looked dumbfounded at those words. I couldn''t imagine how little it took to kill an S-ss hunter. "Oh, I also brought information rted to that, so it would be quicker for you to see it in person. "It''s confidential from here on." Laura ced a USB in Suho''s hand. And along with that, he had the employees bring other items that he had originally intended to deliver to Suho. After a while, two specially made sturdy bags appeared in front of Suho. "Is this it?" "yes. This is the advanced magic stone you asked forst time. And this one..."This is an item that Cha Hae-in found in the tomb of the Gwangryongs." "...." Suho was silent for a moment as he looked at therge bags Laura handed him. [Solord, I feel an unusual energy.] Ber, who suddenly appeared next to me, also looked quite cautious. Click. Suho first opened the bag that came from his mother. Of course, since I had been contacted in advance by Cha Hae-in, I already knew the identity of the contents. ''It''s a dragon''s egg....'' Soon the bag was opened. Inside it, as informed in advance, was an egg the size of an ostrich egg. But the problem was that the system message that appeared the moment the egg touched Suho''s hand. Tiring. [''Item: Kamish''s Egg'' has been acquired.] Chapter 176 - 176

Chapter 176:

[Kamish''s egg!] Suho asked with a puzzled expression as he saw Berg jumping next to him in surprise. "why? "Do you know the name?" [Of course I know! Kamish is...!] Ber spoke passionately and told Suho about the red dragon Kamish. Suho, who heard the whole story, nodded his head. "Right. "It''s the egg of a light dragon that his father met when he was young." [yes. Kamish was one of the prisoners of war captured by the rulers during their war with them. So, I think this is the egg that Kamishid before he went to war.] While listening to Ber''s exnation, Suho felt a strange feeling. "hmm. perhaps...." ''Will the dragon that will be born from this egg someday be a descendant of the Dragon Emperor?'' Suho, who was looking closely at Kamish''s egg, couldn''t help but think of this thought. When he looked back on the series of events he had experienced so far, there was a very high probability that he would end up like that. Laura, who was listening to the conversation between Su-ho and Ber, then ryed to Su-ho what Cha Hae-in said when he handed over Kamish''s egg. "Cha Hae-in said it would be a good idea to put this in the shadow dungeon." "It would certainly be better to do so." Suho nodded his head. After Cha Hae-in discovered this egg in the tomb of the dragons, he thought a lot about what to do with it. It would be a waste to just break it. But I feel ufortable just leaving it in its original ce. Then, what he finally came up with was Suho''s Shadow Dungeon. No matter what monster was born from this egg in the future, it seemed safe as long as the ce was the Shadow Dungeon. It was a good idea. "thank you for telling me. "I think we can dispose of this egg as his mother says." Suho immediately thanked Laura, and Laura then opened the second bag she brought. "And this is the high-grade magic stone you asked forst time." At the same time, Lee Chae appeared in Suho and Ber''s eyes. Surprisingly, the number of high-level magic stones in the bag was not just one. "You got three?" "yes. Of course it wasn''t easy. "Because the number of high-grade magic stones on the market was so small, the biddingpetition was a bit fierce." Year 2 of Cataclysm. The hunter industry is still in the early stages of development, so there is a lot of things to develop, but there is always ack of resources, so there is a thirst for it. In particr, the high-grade magic stones that hunters retrieved from dungeons are truly the rarest of rare items. As they were released on the market, the scientificmunity and the hunter industry were eager to grab them. So, of course, the price was also very high. "It must have been very expensive, but thank you very much." "It was nothing. "If you think of it as the price of our boss''s life, would this be a problem?" Laura promised that she would bring it again if she found a higher-level magic stone. "...and now is the real point." With a stern expression on her face, Laura slowly turned her gaze to look at her subordinates who were currently in the office of Woojin Guild. Then, as if they had promised in advance, the Scavenger Guild employees left the office. "From now on, it will be confidential, and if it bes known to the outside world, there may be some sensitive content." "Ah, our guild members are fine." "All right." Anyway, the only members of Suho''s guild were Lim Do-gyun and Esil, and they weren''t people who would go around sharing secrets. On the contrary, Su-ho caught Lim Do-gyun as he got scared and secretly tried to follow Scavenger''s employees out. "You should know this too." "No, I don''t think you need to know...." Lim Do-gyun was feeling anxious because the scale of Suho''s activities these days was bing more and more unbearable. However, he had no way to escape because Lim Do-gyun was in charge of most of the work exceptbat. Esil sat down next to Suho as if it didn''t matter. Suho plugged the USB stick that Laura first handed him into hisptop, and Laura exined by disying the video files in the data on the screen. "Then please watch this video." "Christopher Reed?" The face that appeared on the screen was Christopher Reed, an American S-ss hunter who was killed by Thomas Andre. "This is data discovered during our current investigation. "Christopher Reed was receiving psychiatric counseling periodically after awakening as an S-ss hunter." As Laura said, in the video, Christopher Reed was having a conversation with a psychologist. -...I don''t know why I feel so empty these days. Do other awakened people feel this way too? He looked quite tired, and the counselor opened his mouth with an expression of not understanding. -Chris, other awakened people I have counseled feel the exact opposite of you. Everyone gets intoxicated with energy and feels a sense of tion. -But why am I the only one who feels this way? -People... sometimes feel anxious when they win a huge jackpot that they can''t handle. You may feel better as you gradually adapt to your own strength. -Are you saying it''s because I became an S-ss hunter? Do you suddenly feel like you won the lottery? But sir. What I feel is a little different from that. Christopher Reed continued to express his feelings with a serious expression. Laura showed Suho the videos he received regr counseling in order. Most of the conversations that took ce in those consultations were simr. -Teacher, I''m still anxious. I think I have lost too much strength. -Why did you think like that? Chris, you are an S-ss hunter. -I do not know. Although I have clearly be the pinnacle of hunters, I feel weaker than before. I want to be stronger. "...." While watching the videos, Suho exchanged nces with Laura with a stern expression. Laura nodded her head and said. "you''re right. "What he was feeling is exactly what our boss was feeling not too long ago." Meanwhile, Christopher Reed''s counseling videos were continuing in order in the video. Most of the content was there. -Teacher, I want to be stronger. No, I think I can be stronger. But I don''t know how to do that. -Teacher, I thought about it carefully. Maybe there is tremendous potential hidden within me? S level or higher? -Teacher, I... But suddenly. Suddenly, at some point, Christopher Reed''s expression while receiving counseling began to change into a confident one. -Teacher, he seems to have found a clue to bing stronger. -Chris, this is some good news. But what is the method? -I can''t tell you that... it''s a secret. But I''m sure it is. If I use the methods ''they'' taught me, I can definitely be stronger. -Who are they? "them?" At that moment, Suho also had doubts about those words. Pop. At the question asked by the counselor, all expressions disappeared from Christopher Reed''s face in an instant. Creepy. His eyes look as if his soul has gone out. Christopher Reed, who had always received counseling with an empty and despondent expression, had apletely different expression than before. Then he looked straight at the camera lens that had been recording the entire counseling process so far and slowly raised the corners of his mouth. -I don''t think I can answer that. If that were the case, I would be... Anyway, thank you for everything, teacher. Pop. The video was paused, and Laura exined further. "...After that counseling session, he never went to a counselor again. Instead, he bought a luxurious mansion and began to live in pleasure." There were many cases where hunters lived in shamanism. These were the ordinary actions of those who became wealthy over a long period of history, transcending gender or age. However, in a way, Laura did intensive research into Christopher Reed''s actions, which were obvious to her. She was able to discover one strange fact. "But many of the people who had been invited to his mansion went missing." "Si, are you missing?! Could it be murder?" At those words, Lim Do-gyun asked back with a frightened expression. Laura shook her head slightly and responded. "hmm. If it was murder, it would be murder, but upon investigation, it was a little different. "Arge amount of stardust was discovered in Christopher Reed''s mansion." "Stardust? "Stardust?" "Yes that''s right. "It is a magic power booster that is quite widespread in Korea." Suho, who heard the unexpected story, suddenly looked at Esil. Originally, stardust was a magic power booster developed by low-level demons in the process of imitating bloodstone, the exclusive property of demon nobles. Esil nodded with a stern expression. "It seems like there are demons of our race in that country too." In a way, it was natural. Even at this moment, the demon world was still torn into several pieces and wandering through the gaps in the dimension. And from a global perspective, there was no way that the fragments of the demon world were connected to the dimensional rift only in Korea. If this were the case, there was a high probability that devil factories existed in the United States, or more precisely, throughout the world. "It''s a demon factory... I also know quite a bit of information about Stardust. But rather than the demons, our boss actually had a different reason for killing him." "...?" Laura turned on the next screen. It''s one photo. The interior of Christopher Reed''s luxurious mansion, which has now disappeared after being destroyed by Thomas Andre. It was a photo taken by a brave reporter who snuck inside and risked his life. "...The reporter said that at some point, Christopher Reed seemed to have been drawn into a strange cult." "A pseudo-religion?" Suho asked back with a puzzled expression. "yes. And the very next day, the reporter suddenly disappeared from the face of the earth without anyone noticing it. "He is probably dead, but we recently found a note left by the reporter." Click. Laura turned to the next page. Immediately, the words he left appeared on the screen. [Outer God] ...! At that moment, everyone''s eyes, including Suho''s, widened. "Foreign religion." Laura opened his mouth, looking at those words with a heavy expression. "They seem to be calling their religion by that name." Chapter 177 - 177

Chapter 177:

foreign god Outer Gods There are many different names of gods on Earth, but as far as Suho knows, there has never been a god called by that name. If there is only one. "Italim." [It seems that the apostles of Italim have begun their activities on Earth in earnest.] Ber red at the screen Laura was showing with narrowed eyes. "ording to the investigation, Christopher Reed''s mansion appears to have been used as a temple for foreign religions." "sanctuary? Could it be that there were other Itarim apostles there as well?" "I presume that is not the case. "It seems that the only Apostle of Italim that our boss dealt with was the one who took the body of Christopher Reed, and the rest were all just his followers." Suho suddenly noticed something strange in Laura''s words. "I think I did it? "Aren''t you sure?" "yes. The others were all caught up in the battle between Boss and Christopher Reed and died, making exact confirmation impossible. But the strange thing is, every time Christopher Reed killed his supposed followers, his power grew stronger." "...It''s a simr situation to the time of the Gwanghyeolma." Esil, who was listening quietly next to her with his arms crossed, changed. "It seems like our demons are being raised well somewhere. "In many ways." Esil Ladir, the only demon noble. She gritted her teeth with an expression of utmost resentment. Those who made stardust in the first ce were demons, but the most important ingredient in stardust was also demon blood. In short, the so-called foreign religions are now thoroughly using demons for their own purposes. And the purpose is clearly... ''They are probably trying to find a vessel that can absorb the power of Itarim and make them their own limbs.'' And the most qualified are those who were national power-level hunters in their previous lives. Suho looked at Esil and Lim Do-gyun and said. "Esil, haven''t you heard anything about the Light-Blooded Demon from your subordinate demons?" "There wasn''t much ie. In the first ce, those guys didn''t even know that the Light Blood Demon was an apostle of Italim. "But just in case, I''ll go back and find out." "okay. Please do me a favor. And Dokyun hyung." "Yes?" "Please look into the dungeons that our guild will be targeting in the future that are infested with demon-type monsters. "If we start by shaking things up in our country, something wille out." "okay." Suho decided to use this opportunity to eliminate all evil factories in Korea. Then, wouldn''t somethinge out, whether it''s an apostle of Italim or a foreign religion? "Laura, do you have any other information about the Foreign Religion?" "yes. We are continuing to investigate, but it appears to be a secret organization whose true identity has never been identified. "If it had been an ordinary pseudo-religion, there would have been many believers." "Then let''s reverse the order." "On the contrary?" Suho recalled the conversation Christopher Reed had with his counselor. If everything he said was true, ''they'' approached him first. If so, there was a high possibility that they would approach others first as well. He might already be hovering nearby, looking for an opportunity. "...So, if we hover near those hunters and keep watching their movements, wouldn''t somethinge out?" "That''s natural, but the problem is that it has be difficult for our scavenger guild to carelessly interfere in countries other than the United States." As Thomas Andre said directly to Suho, for the time being, Skevinje was in a situation where he had to buy his body. However, Suho had no intention of just giving up. "I have another way." "Are you really nning on going in person?" "no. "I have someone to send instead." Suho smiled and answered. * * * "Guardian! Thanks for inviting me! "This is a housewarming gift!" "...Why are you here so fast?" "I came running at full speed! Because Suho is my friend!" Asura Guild''s B-ss hunter Rio Xing. As soon as he received the call from Suho, he immediately rushed to Woojin Guild''s office. He even had a gift wrapped in both his hands. After Lio Xing saw Laura and greeted her warmly, he told her about what he was up to these days. "These days, I am in charge of the business of purchasing weapons from cksmith in Korea and sending them to the guild!" Rio Xing was demoted to Korea and failed to recruit Suho, but he did not give up and took a new opportunity for himself. "Korean weapons are of very good quality! "I heard that the Korean Hunter Association is supporting it, which is really amazing!" Lio Xing had just be more proficient in Korean. "But what is the reason you called me?" Lio Xing didn''t think that given Suho''s personality, he would have called him for no reason. Moreover, since he had Laura from the Skevin''s Guild in the same ce, he was able to sense his purpose with his instinctive business sense. "Are you talking about Echo Forest''s spring water and detox potion?" "That''s almost correct." "Lio Xing, we would like to sell a detox potion to the Asura Guild." Laura stepped forward and presented her contract to Lio Xing, formally proposing business. Lio Xing nced over the contract and nodded his head with a bright expression. "If it is such a good offer, of course I would like it. But what are these requirements? Would you like the guild leader to taste it himself?" "yes. This is a courtesy promotional purpose. "Our detox potion has not been promoted yet, so the mere fact that someone like the guild leader of the Asura Guild tried it himself will have a significant publicity effect." "I''m sure so." Hearing Laura''s exnation, Lio Xing nodded his head, his eyes sparkling. Since he had already been to the cier Dungeon, he knew very well about the efficacy of the spring water in the Echo Forest. "This is a huge undertaking! "I''m sure I''ll get promoted this time!" "...You don''t even hide your true feelings anymore." "ha ha ha." Afterughing heartily, Rio Xing contacted the Asura Guild Leader and seeded in receiving confirmation of his demands. And he immediately signed all the contracts presented to him by Suho and Laura. "This business is very important, so I have to go to the guild myself." "Lio Xing, let me ask you one favor." "What are you asking? "He entrusted me with such a big project, and I will listen to anything Suho asks." Suho spoke with a serious expression to Lio Xing, who was smiling happily. "Be careful of the guild leader." "Our guild leader? why?" Hearing the strange words, Lio Xing looked puzzled. Suho''s eyes were too serious to simply dismiss it as nonsense. Suho recalled the information he had heard from Ber in his head. There are a total of five people who were national power-level hunters in their past lives. Among them, the names of the four people who used the ruler''s power, excluding one healer, were as follows. 1. Thomas Andre of the United States 2. Christopher Reed of the United States 3. Liu Zhikang of China 4. Siddharth Bachchan of India The previous two have already been resolved, and only the remaining two need to be confirmed. And the first person Suho paid attention to was none other than the fourth. Siddharth Bachchan of India. He was none other than the guild leader of the ''Asura Guild''. "An unidentified group called the Foreign Religion may have approached your guild leader, Siddharth Bachchan." "Foreign religion? "What is that?" "Do you remember Thomas Andre''s appearance in the cier Dungeon?" "...!" Since we had been through that situation together, there was no need for further exnation. Lio Xing made a shocked expression as he remembered the image of Thomas Andre transforming into a huge ice dragon and running wild. "Are you saying that our guild leader will be like that too?" "Nothing is certain yet. So, can you take a look when I get back to the guild?" "Of course. "Even so, I have a lot of respect for our guild leader." Rio Singh boasted like that and packed a lot of detox potion to feed to Siddharth Bachchan. Meanwhile, Suho''s eyes nced at his own shadow. ''Kira, follow me.'' Slurp. Then, Suho''s shadow grew longer, and shadow assassin Kira hid in Lio Xing''s shadow. Suho''s eyes sparkled as he saw that. This was an opportunity to use the new skills he had acquired bypleting the quest his father had given him. * * * [yes? You found a dragon egg?!] When Suho entered the shadow dungeon with the ''Egg of Kamish'', the person who was most surprised was queen bee Arsha. "huh. "Her mother sent it to me, saying she found it in the tomb of the wild dragons." [oh my god. It''s real...?] Arsha felt dizzy as she looked at the egg in Suho''s hand. Although it was too small to be a dragon egg, the dragon energy gently flowing out of it was real. That energy continued to stimte Arsha''s survival instinct. she asked, as Arsha looked at Kamish''s egg with a reluctant expression. [Why did you bring this... dangerous thing here?] "Of course I brought it because it was dangerous. "You''re safe here, right?" Suho shrugged his shoulders and responded. "Just like my mother said, I think it would be safer here than putting it in the tomb of the wild dragons or on Earth. Besides, if something happens here..." [Crook?] As he said those words, Suho''s gaze slightly shifted to the side. Ammut, the huge crocodile monster there, showed his teeth with an extremely ferocious smile. [If ites to this, can I just chew it and eat it?] "hmm. After all, this is the right ce." It was very reassuring. Suho nodded his head, satisfied. "But don''t really eat it. "Maybe this egg could be thest remaining descendant of the dragon race." Ver also agreed with Suho''s words and nodded his head. [There is a strong possibility that this is the case. At that time, the Dragon Emperor led all the dragons under hismand into battle.] Ber frowned as he remembered that terrible war. ''Dragon Emperor'' Antares, the king of the bright dragons and the lord of destruction, was the only monarch who overpowered the shadow lord Seong Jin-woo. He was the strongest dragon in name and reality, and the light dragons he led were also an invincible army, each with tremendous strength and magic. The Dragon Emperor was a true embodiment of destruction who did not hesitate to destroy himself for the sake of a war filled with blood, screams, madness, and destruction. That''s why Seong Jin-woo pushed back against the Dragon Emperor''s army even more thoroughly. But that''s why, the more I looked back, the more amazing I was at the Dragon Emperor''s power. At the time, the Shadow Corps led by Seong Jin-woo had absorbed the troops of all other monarchs. Nevertheless, Yongje fought fiercely with Seong Jin-woo until the veryst moment against that enormous army. Of course, it was Seong Jin-woo who ultimately won, but it was an unavoidable fact that the Dragon Emperor''s Legion was truly the strongest when considered as a single race. [Well... it''s a bit unpleasant to see a new descendant of the Dragon Emperor be born.] "Well, if you raise it as a ''pet'' from a young age, there will be no problem." Sniff, sniff, sniff. As he said that, Suho looked at the gray wolf that was clinging to him from earlier. Gray, a canine wolf tamed through the pet system. Unlike Arsha, this guy was busy sniffing Kamish''s eggs with his beady eyes. p, p, p! Moreover, he flicks his tongue and tastes it. Meanwhile, the tail was very busy, wagging excitedly. However, it didn''t seem like he really wanted to eat it, and it looked like he had found a fun toy(?) after a long time. [Well, for now. Just in case, I''ll make a nest here.] Arsha, with her own worker bees, began to build her nest in the corner of Ammut''s pyramid, where she would ce Kamish''s eggs. Why~ It was a nest, in effect a prison for the monsters that would be born within it. Chapter 178 - 178

Chapter 178:

[phew. I feel reassured at this level.] "...." Suho was dumbfounded when he saw Arsha looking refreshed afterpleting the nest. "Is this a nest or a safe?" [If you think that a dragon is born from this egg, this is actually not enough.] Arsha still felt uneasy about Kamish''s eggs. [The dragon race is already an apex predator from the moment it is born from an egg. In particr, red dragon hatchlings breathe fire from their mouths from the moment they are born. Suho is human, so you may not know, but the dragon race...] [what are you talking about! Our Solord has been flying in the sky since he was a baby!] [....] Arsha had no choice but to keep her mouth shut at Ber''s angry words. When she thought about it, Suho here wasn''t normal either. No, in some ways, she could be said to be the most sinister being among these. ''under. ''How did I end up living in such an ugly ce?'' Arsha chewed her lip and let out a sigh of relief at this harsh environment she had been thrown into. Suho asked Arsha. "But do you know anything about the dragon race?" [Collecting information is my specialty.] Clearly, her ability to create numerous clones was specialized for information gathering. In fact, aren''t her worker bees traveling around the country looking for viins at this very moment? "Then do you know how to hatch dragon eggs?" [I heard that the dragons periodically shower their eggs with magic to hatch them.] "Baptism of magic? "What is that?" [To put it simply, it means continuously infusing magical power. Umm. Now that I think about it... this egg is too small to be called a dragon egg. Perhaps because her parents died young and she was unable to receive the baptism of magic, she was unable to grow up normally.] Arsha''s guess was very urate. Kamish''s egg was the smallest among the eggs found by Cha Hae-in in the tomb of the dragons. Suho''s expression hardened slightly at those words. "Does that mean this egg might not hatch?" [I''m not sure what''s exact.] "hmm. "It''s a baptism of magical power..." After hearing Arsha''s exnation, Suho was lost in thought for a moment. "Then shouldn''t anyone other than the parents be able to imbue the egg with magic?" [Nothing is certain, but wouldn''t it definitely be helpful?] "Then I guess I can too." [yes?] Suho grinned and ced his palm on the surface of Kamish''s egg in the nest. Then, he slowly began to raise the magic power within his body and push it into the egg little by little. Seaaaaaa. [oh my god. How can humans be like this....] Arsha was once again impressed by her delicate magic control ability. Considering that Suho was human, this was truly an incredible ability. For demon beasts, using magic power is as natural as breathing, but humans have only been using magic power for two years. However, Suho became even more awakened... [Khem. Our Solord was already a prodigy since he was a newborn. He took his first steps with the power of a ruler....] [....] It was Ver who had been patting his shoulder next to me earlier. Since she was very familiar with Ber''s outstretched arms, Arsha tried not to look at Ber and expressed her concern to Suho. [Suho, I think you can do it that way. However, no matter how much you do, the effect will be minimal.] "Why is that?" Suho asked as he continued to pour his magic into Kamish''s egg. [The Bur are a race of people with innate magical power. This is because the egg continues to receive the parent dragon''s enormous magical power as nourishment until it hatches.] Therefore, the baptism of magical power was also called ''mana shower''. Even if the egg cannot ept all of that enormous magical energy, it continues to inject an overflow of magical energy into it. [I know that Guardian is a great person, but no matter how much magic he pours into the egg until he is exhausted,pared to the magic power of the dragons, it is nothing more than fresh blood... hmm?] Startle. While saying that, Arsha felt something strange. For some reason, the protective magic that went into Kamish''s egg... showed no signs of being depleted. And before I knew it, Suho had something in his mouth and was continuing to drink. gulp. gulp. gulp. [Use ''Item: Intermediate Magic Potion''.] [Use ''Item: Intermediate Magic Potion''.] [Use ''Item: Intermediate Magic Potion''.] .... "There is enough horsepower." A confident smile appeared on Suho''s lips as he drank the magic potion without stopping. It is confidence that has a clear basis. His eyes were constantly focused on his status window, which was rising and falling in real time. [MP: 358/6,410] [MP: 1,410/6,410] [MP: 431/6,410] [MP: 2,160/6,410] .... "Even though I''m not a dragon, I can use magic all day long as long as I have gold." [This can''t be happening....] Arsha, who saw this, was astonished and opened her mouth wide. Truly a mana shower! The guardian''s magic was infinitely showering Kamish''s egg with magic! [Khehe. Huh. For our Solord....] [....] Ber is ttered that it''s this time again. Su-ho, the person in question, was keeping quiet, but why was Ber taking care of the condescension? Arsha thought it would be good if someone could tell her. Seaaaaaa- Anyway, Suho nodded as he looked at Kamish''s egg, which was endlessly absorbing his magic power. "good. "From now on, I will have to earn gold as well." In order to use magical power to the level of the dragon race, the cost of the potion was going to be quite high. *** Lim Do-gyun, a ''former'' university administrative assistant, had been doing simr work since he somehow became a seonhunter. There is only one thing that has changed. The only thing that happened was that the professor, who always gave only difficult and difficult tasks, had now changed into a boss named ''Sung Su-ho.'' "Now, let''s see...." For the first time in a long time, Lim Do-gyun took out the tablet PC he used when working in the school''s teaching assistant''s office and began writing down his work diary. "The conditions of the dungeons that Suho wants...." Ssuk suk. 1) A dungeon where the Demon Factory is likely to be hidden. (A ce where demon-type monsters haunt?) (Rumors about stardust, or where the missing person is?) 2) A dungeon where you can earn a lot of gold. (What is this again? A ce where a lot of expensive materials are found?) Brainstorming urred in Lim Do-gyun''s head as he wrote down numerous thoughts. And his eyes and ears continued to do whatever it took to find dungeons that met all the conditions. First of all, connections. "hello? Dad, can you call me? "If you''re not busy, I have something to ask you." I even called my father, whom I still have an awkward rtionship with. "Oh, hello? This is CEO Jinho Yoo''s secretary''s office, right? CEO Jinho Yoo told me that if I need anything, I can ask for it here. yes. What we need is information..." I tried my best to call the secretariat of that great, greatpany. "ah! Vice President Baek Mi-ho? I am Lim Do-gyun, Vice President of Woojin Guild! "Can you please share some information about the dungeon?" It was like that. Lim Do-gyun is usually very scared. However, he was a former teaching assistant who could do anything for public affairs. And he achieved the feat of finding dungeons that met all of Suho''s requirements in less than an hour. "Suho! No, boss! The dungeons I found are listed here! "I have prioritized them ording to my own standards, so I think you can attack them in this order!" [Kiek? what? Has this coward ever been this capable?] "Hehe." Lim Do-gyun felt extreme catharsis at the sight of even Berg being surprised. And riding on that momentum, he confidently conveyed his demands to Suho. "So I don''t have to go into the dungeon this time?" "What can I say, of course I have to go in." "...." Lim Do-gyun suddenly became sullen. *** So, Su-ho''s guild began touring the dungeons found by Lim Do-gyun and attacking the demon factories one by one. There was enough money. Coincidentally, a huge amount of money from selling all the dungeon resources mined in Busan was deposited into the guild ount. With that money, Su-ho bought the dungeons found by Lim Do-gyun without hesitation and started attacking them right away. Having already worked together in Busan, the shadow soldiers led by Suhopletely destroyed the dungeons at a truly dazzling speed. [Your level has risen!] [Your level has risen!] .... At this level, the leveling up speed was not bad. ''As expected, you did a good job creating the guild. ''It''s much easier to get a dungeon than when you''re a frencer.'' You don''t just increase your level by going through dungeons. Expensive materials obtained from defeated demons were sold in store windows to earn gold. The cost of a potion is the same as that of a potion, but to speed up the battle, I also bought defensive items from the store and wore them. [Item: Senior Knight''s Breastte] Difficulty of acquisition: B Type: Armor Physical damage reduction + 7% (If your strength is less than 80, your movements will be slow.) [Item: Senior Knight''s Helmet] Difficulty of acquisition: B Type: Armor Physical damage reduction +6% (If your strength is less than 80, your movements will be slow.) Because of myck of strength stats, I bought the items I was coveting from the store. As you increase your defense, you can save on potion costs and the speed of battle bes faster. ''It seems like he is gradually bing a full-fledged tank.'' Suho was a little surprised by his own fighting style. When you look at him leading shadow soldiers, he is clearly a necromancer, but in reality, he stands out in front of his summons and calls himself a tank. Then, the shadow soldiers who followed him took out the remaining demonic beasts that he had left behind. "...Should I call it a ''necro tanker''?" Suho smiled and continued to conquer the dungeons. Then I actually discovered the Devil Factory. However, since they were ordinary(?) devil factories, they could not obtain any information about the Foreign Religion. Instead, I was able to obtain the magic stones that were stored there as an ingredient for stardust, which went into Ver''s mouth intact. And once again, Guardian himself drank the potion and repeated to infuse Kamish''s egg with his magic power.... It was then. [Suho.] Queen Bee Arsha spoke to Suho with a serious expression. [I think my worker bees found something.] Chapter 179 - 179

Chapter 179:

These days, queen bee Arsha has been under a lot of mental pressure. She has no choice but to do that. Since her body was already held hostage in the shadow dungeon, her life was mortgaged to her guardian. In addition, Suho was the priest of Quresha, the king of bugs and the lord of gue, so he had to show off to him as best as possible. But the problem was that no matter how much I tried to impress him, there wasn''t really much I could do for him. At best, she can use her worker bees to gather information... I couldn''t help but feel impatient when Lim Do-gyun, who I thought was a useless person, suddenly began to show tremendous work ability. ''I can''t believe I should feelpetitive with a person like that!'' Are there any other shameful situations like this? It was a very unpleasant situation for Arsha, who had so far treated Lim Do-gyun''s status as lower than that of a worker bee. But what can you do? I had to do something to avoid getting caught by Suho. At the very least, shouldn''t he be more helpful than Lim Do-gyun, who is at the bottom of Woojin''s guild? ''This can''t go on. ''Let''s increase the number of worker bees as much as possible.'' Although he never thought that his men werecking, he decided to increase it tenfold. ''If it''s a worker bee without fighting ability, he can increase it as much as he wants!'' Arsha has never expanded her worker bees in this way before. Because quality was more important than quantity to ensure the safety of her queen bee herself. But now that her true self was staying in the safe(?) hideout of the Shadow Dungeon, she decided topete with quantity rather than quality. Why ae ae ae ae- In this way, the number of worker bees under Arsha''s control began to increase. Arsha''s method of increasing her load was extremely simple. Feeding her own royal jelly to the ordinary worker bees living on her. With just a human-sized sip of royal jelly, she was able to keep an entire hive in her household. like that.... Weeeeeeeeenn- Arsha''s worker bees were scattered all over the country. ''Until now, we have only dealt with information about viins, but from now on, we will select information about the Devil Factory, Stardust, and Foreign Religion among them!'' Weeeeeeeeenn- The worker bees began to p their wings busily and gather as much information as possible from Arsha. But worker bees are smart. This is because no special abilities were given to increase the number. So, Arsha, the queen bee herself, had to do the work of receiving and analyzing the information they asked for. [Tsk. Two, headache...] Arsha''s eyes almost rolled back from the flood of information overflowing in her head. But Arsha didn''t give up. Her queen bee pride would not allow her to back down to this extent. Arsha desperately tried to control the information sent by tens of thousands of worker bees by cramming them into her head. OK.... An unexpected phenomenon urred. [...!] Arsha''s consciousness, which was leading so many bees, suddenly exploded and expanded widely. [Ahhh...!] Arsha sat down on the spot and her whole body trembled. and. Jjoljjajak-! Eventually, the transparent skin peeled off her body. [The King of Bugs, the Lord of gue, is keeping an eye on the queen bee.] "hmm?" Suho, who was in the middle of a daily quest, suddenly looked puzzled when he heard a message from Queresha. Her limbs were crushed and she had no strength to raise her head, but Quresha''s messages continued to be heard. [The King of Bugs, the Lord of gue, remembers the name of her queen bee, Arsha.] ''...Arsha''s name?'' It was the first time that Quresha had mentioned Arsha''s name so directly. Quresha was the king of all insects. Among them, the queen bee Arsha was just an insect, a member of her household who did not ce much value on her. But suddenly Quresha remembers Arsha''s name? ''I don''t know what''s going on, but does this increase the likelihood that she will be a descendant of Ar Shaga Que Lesha?'' [Forty-one.] "...?!" At that time, Suho stopped thinking and protested at the sudden sound of Ammut''s stern voice. "Forty-two!" [Your posture is wrong. Forty-one.] "Tsk." Suho gritted his teeth and resumed doing push-ups due to Ammut''s determination to never back down. And just when I had barely finished the daily quest, Arsha appeared in front of Guardian. [Suho, I think my worker bees found something.] Arsha conveyed the information she had received from her worker bees to Suho with a slightly serious expression. [It seems like a strange ''superstition'' has emerged among low-level hunters these days.] "Superstition?" [After the association designated stardust as an illegal drug, the number of hunters who make stardust into essories and wear them has increased.] "essories? "What does that mean?" Making stardust into essories? When Suho made a puzzled expression, Arsha continued her exnation seriously. [Stardust is hardened into stone and made into a ne to wear. And every time I enter a dungeon, I pray into that ne.] "...Pray?" Suho felt strange. He said that star dust was not illegal as long as he did not eat it. But why bother making it into a ne and praying over it? There''s no way that magic power could be amplified, right? "If that''s the case... I saw it on Hunter Net recently too." At that moment, Lim Do-gyun, who had fainted while training with Su-ho, woke up and crawled up next to him and joined the conversation. When Su-ho opened his mouth and fed him the potion, Do-gyun Lim stood up with an expression of determination to live and continued his exnation. "Recently, star dust was made illegal, so people who paid forrge quantities of star dust in advance went into an uproar. I suddenly ended up with a lot of bad inventory. However, the association has no obligation to pay that money instead." Moreover, since it was discovered that people were burned alive during the production process, no one wanted to eat it anymore. "Then, at some point, an atmosphere of prayer began to emerge, saying that we wouldfort the souls of those who died during the production of stardust." "hmm." "At the same time, people started selling the stardust they bought before it became illegal to make nes and sell them. Doping magical power with stardust is illegal, but this is a trick that started out with a strangely good meaning." Suho had a serious expression on his face the entire time he was listening to Lim Do-gyun''s exnation. ''We honor the souls of the dead.'' This in itself clearly had a good meaning. However, the object of the prayer was the problem. ''Blue Fog'', the most basic ingredient of stardust, is the magical power of outer space that melts the boundaries of dimensions. In other words, wasn''t it the Itarim invasion itself? But praying into that blue fog? "This... is a bit strong." [I told you this because I think it is rted to foreign religion in some way.] Suho nodded his head at Arsha''s words. Looking back, nothing like this was idental. Especially things rted to Italim. "Arsha, hunters praying to the ne...." [As for those hunters, my worker bees have already found out.] "No, rather than those hunters, please find out who are the guys who are selling stardust nes to those hunters." [ah...!] Arsha''s eyes widened at Suho''s words. [All right! I''ll find out right away.] Arsha answered quickly, sending her thoughts to the worker bees spread out across the country. And after some time. [I found it.] Since she had already looked for hunters who wore nes, it was not difficult to find the route by which they obtained the ne. It wasn''t illegal to begin with, so they didn''t even think about living in secret. But Arsha went one step further and even investigated where the people who sold them the nes got their items from. [There are many distributors, and they all bring stardust nes from one region.] "One area? "Where is it?" [This is Yangpyeong, Gyeonggi-do.] "Yangpyeong?!" [...?] [Kiek?] At Suho''s violent reaction the moment he heard about that area, Arsha and even Ber next to her looked puzzled. [Solord, is there any problem?] In response to Ver''s question, Suho sighed, touching his forehead with a serious expression. "That''s where my grandfather and grandmother live." [Keeeeeeek?!] * * * Su-ho''s grandfather Seong Il-hwan. When Suho was young, the image of his grandfather that he remembered was a firefighter who could always smell smoke from his body. And Seong Il-hwan never quit his job as a firefighter, even though his son Seong Jin-woo nagged him to retire and take some rest. And he eventually retired from active duty, working with young juniors until the moment he retired. Suho still vividly remembered his grandfather''s retirement ceremony. ''Seniors! Thank you for your hard work!'' ''Thank you for your hard work!'' ''Thank you for your hard work!'' .... The grandfather proudlypleted his retirement and came down from the podium, receiving apuse from all his colleagues and junior firefighters. Even to that day, the faint smell of fire could be felt from his grandfather''s firefighter uniform. Su-ho''s grandfather, having finished the work he had devoted his entire life to, went down to the countryside, saying he would live a small life by farming with his grandmother. Of course, it is a rural area, but in fact, it is not outside the Gyeonggi-do area. Yangpyeong, Gyeonggi-do. A ce that is moderately far and moderately close to Seoul, and at the same time has beautiful natural scenery such as wide ins and valleys. The person who provided a suitable house for Su-ho''s grandfather and grandmother to live in was none other than Jin-ho Yoo. But why Yangpyeong? ''After all, this is where my grandfather lives!'' Suho became anxious at the thought that there might be an organization rted to foreign religion there. But there was someone who was more restless than him, and that was Ber. [Everyone, we have to go right away! This is a really big deal!] Only then did Ber remember what he had forgotten. No, why! Did it just ur to me now? [This is entirely the little man''s fault! He deserves to be severely punished, but now it is too urgent!] "what''s the matter? "Is there something I don''t know about?" Suho runs straight to Yangpyeong, where his grandfather lives. Next to him, Ber answered with a serious expression. [Until now, we have thought that Italim''s apostles would target national power-level hunters who have the vessels to house their power... but they may not be the only ones with a chance!] "What are you talking about?" [The Solord''s grandfather was also a hunter who received power from the rulers in his past life!] "...!" At that moment, Suho rushed to Yangpyeong with all his might. Chapter 180 - 180

Chapter 180:

While Ver was on the move, he told Su-ho about what he knew about Seong Il-hwan''s past. Seong Il-hwan. Su-ho''s grandfather and the father of Shadow Lord Seong Jin-woo. He was once a top-level hunter who epted the power of the ruler. The exact grade is unknown. The reason is that when he awakened, a clear hunter grade had not yet been defined. However, Ber said that it would definitely be S-ss. In any case, it was possible for his body to ept the power of the rulers. [And there is a very high possibility that the Solord''s grandfather has reawakened to be a hunter like before!] There is no age limit for Hunter''s awakening. A constitution suitable for magical power is innate. This is because it is an area of talent in the first ce. That is why the ''former hunters'' I have met so far have awakened the same power as before in this era. So Seong Il-hwan was probably no exception. Just one thing. Regardless of talent, the timing of awakening magical power varied. There were times when I suddenly awakened with or without any reason. [Maybe you haven''t awakened yet!] "I''m more worried about that." [That''s right!] Suho had never heard of his grandfather''s awakening. ''He would have said that if his grandfather had be a hunter, he would be a firefighter again. He also set up a guild with simr characteristics.'' Considering Seong Il-hwan''s usual personality, there was a high probability that he had not awakened yet. So I felt even more anxious. The perfect vessel for Italim''s apostles to aim for has yet to even realize its power! Sooooooo! Suho''s silver hair flutters in the strong wind as he grits his teeth and runs down the highway. The speed was much faster than Baek Mi-ho, who ran with Su-ho on his back during the previous Lee Min-seong incident. Even Gray was already physically strong, and his strength stat had increased tremendously, making it iparable even back then. "Hey, what is that guy!" "Dangerously!" "Someone report it to the association!" Numerous drivers on the road were shocked when they saw Suho. asionally, people were seen taking out their cell phones and reporting them to the police or hunter association. But Suho didn''t care and he ran and ran at the fastest speed he could. As a result. He literally arrived in Yangpyeong at the speed of light. Seaaaaaa- Paldang Dam. Along with the noise of the river flowing, a thick fog gently obscures the view. Yangpyeong, Gyeonggi-do is divided into two with the Namhangang River as the center. And water fog like this often urs in areas near rivers that meet the Namhan River. Among them, Paldang Dam in particr was a ce where a lot of water was trapped up to a high water level, so the water fog was even more severe. Shwaaaaak-! ''huh?'' Suho, who was running through the thick water fog, suddenly felt a strange sensation that could not be described in words. It seemed like his sensory stats, which had significantly increased due to his level-up, were activated, but it felt a little different from usual. ''what?'' Suho looked around him with his narrowed eyes, expanding his senses. But it''s strange. There was no sign of any living creatures or demonic beasts around. What on earth? From the moment he set foot in Yangpyeong, an unexinable feeling of difort continued to irritate Suho''s senses. "Ber." [I understand.] Now, if you pretend, you pretend. Ber immediately began to twitch his antennae and look around in earnest. Meanwhile, Suho took out his cell phone and called his grandfather. Even before he left, he had already tried calling his grandfather and grandmother, but no one answered the phone. But this was amon urrence. This is because they are people who returned to farming and live leisurely lives, so they do not always wear cell phones. "...You keep not epting it." Suho frowned as he listened to the endless beeping sound. [...Do you not know the address?] "huh." In response to Ver''s question, Suho nodded slightly shyly. "For the past five years, I''ve been really out of my mind." In fact... the same would apply to anyone. How many people would be able to remain sane when both of their parents suddenly disappeared overnight? "...I was at a loss." Suho recalled his feelings at that time with a wry smile. Although he now knows everything about his situation, at that time he really felt like the sky was falling. And he realized. He realized how weak and insignificant he really was. "My parents went missing, and there was really nothing I could do as a high school student." What did I do? Yes, at first I reported her missing to the police. Contact his rtives and inform them of the situation. As I watched from the sidelines as the adults who came in such a hurry had a serious conversation with the police... Sitting at home, waiting and waiting for my parents to contact me. Then, I was worried that I might suddenly get a call at any time, so I held on to my phone tightly without letting go of it even for a moment. ...That was the best effort he could make. "At that time, my uncle came to see me and said this." -Suho, leave these matters to the adults and stick to your studies as usual. That''s probably what your parents really want. And Suho had no choice but to follow those words. His uncle, Yoo Jin-ho, was a well-known conglomerate in Korea. It is said that such a person was doing his best to find his missing parents, and there was nothing he, a high school student, could do. So Suho returned to school. "...But you know what?" Suho, who was recalling bad memories from that time, asked Ber with a slightlyplicated expression. "What do you think my grandfather was doing in that atmosphere?" He continued speaking without waiting for Ber''s answer. "It''s really amazing... Grandpa was turning off the lights as usual. "Even though his own son was missing, he was saving other people." [Kiek?] At those words, Lee Chae appeared in Ber''s eyes for an instant. "You keep not answering the phone. It won''t work. "I''ll have to ask my uncle." When Su-ho''s grandfather and grandmother did not answer the phone, he immediately called his uncle Yoo Jin-ho. However, at a time like this, Yoo Jin-ho was at work, so it was impossible to talk on the phone, so Su-ho tried the next best thing, contacting his aunt. -Oh my, is it Suho? Fortunately, I got it this time. "aunt! "Can you tell me the address of my grandfather''s house?" -huh? Why all of a sudden? A look of surprise was evident in the voice of Su-ho''s aunt ''Seong Jin-ah''ing over the phone. Well, this reaction would be natural. As he had just said to Ber, the rtionship between his grandfather and himself had be somewhat estranged since then. Suho smiled bitterly and picked his words out of his mouth. "I just wanted to see you after a long time." -Yes, yes! Well thought out, Suho! My aunt will send you the address via text message right away! Oh no! Instead, would you like to go with her aunt? "yes? No, there''s no need to..." -no. Even if it wasn''t for you, I was going to stop by anyway. Su-ho immediately declined, fearing that her aunt might be involved in something dangerous, but her aunt was also stubborn. On this asion, I could feel the will to resolve the rtionship between Su-ho and his grandfather. -Yes, Suho. How about like this? I''m leaving work soon, soe to Ajin Hospital right away. I paused at those words. Suho''s expression hardened. "...yes? "Ajin Hospital?" Then, my aunt reacted even more strangely to that reaction. -Oh, didn''t you know and called me? My aunt opened a hospital in Yangpyeong. "...yes?" -You really didn''t know? "...." Suho realized once again. How carelessly he had lived all this time. * * * Suho arrived at Ajin Hospital in Yangpyeong a monthter. "Suho!" Seong Jin-ah, wearing a white doctor''s coat, weed Su-ho warmly. "Howe youe right after you hang up the phone? Was it nearby?" "How you doing?" Seong Jin-ah, Su-ho''s aunt and the younger sister of Shadow Lord Seong Jin-woo, was a doctor. After all, she opened a hospital in Yangpyeong. ''Ajin Hospital'' is not an extremelyrge hospital, but it was famous for the fact that each and every facility was greatpared to its size. Suho looked at the name of the hospital and asked Seong Jin-ah. "Aunt, are you here...?" "That''s right. "This is a hospital built by a foundation sponsored by ''Ajin Soft.''" In other words, it was no different from a hospital established by thepany of Yoo Jin-ho, Seong Jin-ah''s husband. Seong Jin-ah smiled bitterly as she said those words. "So there was a lot of gossip." "What do you mean?" "You may have seen it on your way here, but there are a lot of rich people living in Yangpyeong. To be exact, rich people who are old and retired." "ah." Suho was convinced by those words. I saw a lot on the way here, but there were a lot of country houses built around here that looked expensive at first nce. If you look at it this way, it was a perfect situation for a bigpany like Ajin Soft to say that it had built a medical facility for the rich. But in fact, the order was reversed. Seong Jin-ah said as if she felt a little unfair. "I don''t know if you know, but this neighborhood is reasonably far and close to Gangnam, so it''s the perfect location to retire and build a country house. So, when your grandfather and grandmother said they wanted to return to farming, I rmended this ce." As Seong Jin-ah said, the area called Yangpyeong, which Seoulites generally think of, is a good ce to lead a leisurely life with nature after retirement. Enjoy healing and rxation in nature, but it''s not too far from Seoul, so it''s a good distance for children to visit. "There is a saying. I sleep in Yangpyeong, but I spend my daily life in Seoul. But when I let him live here, he suddenly started to worry. "There are no big hospitals here!" Even if they live a life in a country house surrounded by nature, the most important thing for seniors is whether there are medical facilities nearby. And after realizing this fact, Seong Jin-ah made a decision. To build a hospital near her parents. "So, when I opened a hospital here, people knew about it and kept gathering around here." However, there was another reason why Seong Jin-ah actively chatted with Su-ho. "... So now you''ve decided to make peace with her grandfather?" "We''ve never had a fight, well." "okay. Good idea. But my dad, or rather your grandfather, has always been cool. You know that? "Did your dad suddenly run away from home for two years when he was in middle school?" "... I heard about it from her grandfather." As Seong Jin-ah said those words, an image of her grandfather saying those words appeared in Su-ho''s mind. -Originally, it was good that your father disappeared suddenly from a long time ago. Don''t worry too much, this time it wille back just like before. -No, take that as constion...! It was from then on. What caused Suho to be at odds with his grandfather. "Suho, it''s here. "It''s really close to the hospital, right?" Before he knew it, the rice fields that his grandfather and grandmother had grown were spread out in front of Suho. Suho immediately expanded his spirit. Chapter 181 - 181

Chapter 181:

Sung Il-Hwan''s house was quite modestpared to other cottages in Yangpyeong. He only had a small paddy field and a greenhouse built around it. "It seems a bit small, doesn''t it? I told him to make it bigger, but your grandfather said that if it''s big, it will be harder to clean it..." Suho listened to Sung Jin-Ah''s words from one of his ears as he focused on his senses. Suddenly, the expression on his face became serious. ''....It''s deserted.'' Suho''s senses scanned all the greenhouses and rice paddies that spread around his grandfather''s house, but there was still no sign of his grandfather. "Beru." Shuaaaa At Suho''s nce, Beru''s shadow stretched out quickly to scan his surroundings. "Oh my, are they out again?" No matter how much she rang the doorbell, Jin-Ah didn''t get an answer, so she tilted her head. She wasn''t too worried about them since they usually went out a lot to farm. They were also very minimalist for their age. "Well that is to be expected since they never like to stay in the house for too long. I also set up a hospital for them and yet they''ve never gotten sick either. Of course, it''s a good thing but..." Sung Jin-Ah smiled and pressed the password for the front door, which she had known in case a situation like this had appeared. The door opened. Titititi. T-ring! "Suho, I''ll go in first and you wait..." But as the front door opened, and their eyes caught the inside of the house, a mess appeared in front of them. Sung Jin-Ah and Suho''s expressions hardened at the same time. "What is this..." For a moment their hearts sank. Out in the open there were scattered objects everywhere. This was quite the contrast to the always neatly clean and tidy house that Jin-Ah was familiar with. "Mom?" With a chill prating the corners of Sung Jin-Ah''s chest, many thoughts started to pass through her head. "Mom! Are you at home?!" Sung Jin-Ah''splexion quickly turned pale and she began to search all over the house in search of her parents. Suho''s gaze, on the other hand, was centered on something else. From the beginning, he knew no one was here right now. So instead he looked for something else. ''Their cellphone.'' Suho pulled out his phone again and tried to call his grandfather. Suddenly he heard the sound of a cell phoneing from the corner of the living room. His grandfather''s cell phone, which was plugged into the charger, was ringing alone. When Jin-ah found out about this, she contemted the situation. "No, why would dad leave his cellphone here? Where''s my mom''s cell phone then?" This time, Sung Jin-Ah called Suho''s grandmother, Park Kyung-Hye. Whether this was lucky or not, Park''s cellphone was never found inside the house. "Perhaps she took her cell phone with her? No, how could it be that they left their house like this?" Someone else was just as anxious. [My young liege! I looked in the garage and there was a parked car!] Just in time, Beru, who had been looking around, whispered to Suho, who then went straight outside and checked the garage. "Su- Suho! Where are you going!" Sung Jin-Ah followed Suho out and opened her eyes to find a truck parked quietly in the garage. "Why is the car here? They didn''t even drag the car out?" Sung Jin-Ah''s expression became even more serious. There was a long stretch of paddy fields around Sung''s house, and it was difficult to go anywhere without a car. "Arsha." Suho said, looking down at his feet with a scared face. [Yes.] Immediately, Arsha''s answer came from the Shadow Dungeon. "Do you have your worker bees in Yangpyeong?" [This is my first time in Yangpyeong, so there aren''t many, but there are many farmhouses nearby, so I can increase them as much as you want.] "Get started on that." [Yes, I will.] Buzzzzzz At that moment, the sound of bees'' wings suddenly came from all directions. The first thing Arsha did was to look at the picture frames hanging in the house. Then, after carefully examining the faces of Suho''s grandfather and grandmother, he scattered the worker bees in all directions. The worker bees in Yangpyeong began to change into Arsha''s worker bees by the minute. However, Suho was not so relieved. Just the thought of his elderly grandfather and grandmother having only lost contact with them was serious enough. But what if we add to this the possibility that their disappearance could also be connected to the Foreign Religion? "Gray." Shuaaaaaaa Above Suho''s shadow, Gray the little wolf appeared. "Ah!" Sung Jin-Ah was momentarily surprised by the appearance, but she immediately calmed down because she had learned beforehand from her husband that Suho had already awakened. Instead of being too shocked, a sudden idea had popped inside her head. "Right! There was the Hunters Association!" Fortunately, not far from here was a branch of the Hunter Association. It has been building a cooperative rtionship with Ahjin Hospital, the best hospital in Yangpyeong, for some time now. "Suho! This auntie of yours has an acquaintance at the association! I''ll ask them for help!" Sung Jin-Ah said while she urgently called the Association. "Gray, find anything that''s useful. Raikan, are you listening now?" Suho decided to use everything he had at his disposal. [The Beast Monarch, King of Beasts watches you.] Raikan''s gaze centered on him. Looking in the direction where the presence was felt, Suho opened his mouth. "You know what''s going on, right? Can you tell by the smell of magic what happened here?" It would be much more efficient to pamper a dead monarch himself than to let Gray do all the work. Realizing Suho''s intentions, a dark smile appeared on Raikan''s lips. [The Beast Monarch, King of Beasts offers a deal in exchange for help.] "What else do you suggest?" As expected, the dead monarch did not readily help. [The Beast Monarch exins that he needs sacrifices in order to exert his influence.] It was true. Originally, a deceased monarch could not have any influence on this life. However, there were cases where this was possible, and that was the method of "sacrifice" in which offerings were made and prayers were offered. Suho, who understood the situation, nodded obediently. After all, the condition that Raikan demanded the other day was that he finally handed over the items¨C that had be useless to him¨C to Gray. "Alright. What do you want? I don''t have much time, so tell me quickly." [The Beast Monarch raises the corners of his mouth to say that this is not a bad proposition for you, either.] At that moment, Raikan''s presence began to grow more and more. It was then... "Suho! She is in the Association!" The words burst out of Sung Jin-Ah''s mouth, who was on the phone with a serious face. Immediately, Suho''s head turned to her. "Who? Grandma?" "?Yes! One of the staff members drove her there!" And at the same time... [The Beast Monarch sighs.] Raikan''s growing presence faded away. Whether he helped or not, Suho''s attention had already drifted away from him. "No, why did grandma go to the Hunter''s Association? Is grandpa there too?" "No... That''s why she went there." "What?" To Suho''s question, Sung Jin Ah replied with a chuckle. "Well, my dad... Your grandfather..." Upon hearing Sung Jin-Ah''s story, Suho shouted, his expression hardened. "Gray!" "Woof!!" Gray, who had been sniffing his surroundings at the abstractmand, swelled his size significantly. "Get on!" Suho put Sung Jin-Ah on Gray''s back before running straight to the Yangpyeong branch of the Hunter Association, where his grandmother was. *** Min Dae-Seok, the head of the Yangpyeong branch of the Hunter Association, was a man full ofints. ''Personal change? What is this? A demotion?'' As in any country, the Hunter Association had branches throughout Korea. And depending on the peculiarities of the jurisdiction, the work of the Association''s staff varied greatly. Of course, the most basic tasks were quite simr. Stabilizing security while the guilds attacked the dungeons. And since they didn''t know when or where the gates would ur, they searched the area all year round to detect anomalies. But there was a problem here. No matter how much you search, what if dungeons rarely appear in your jurisdiction? Will citizens like it now that they can live in peace? There are so many different personalities in the world, and sometimes some people get fed up with thatfort. "No, why should someone like me rot all his youth in the countryside like this! Why am I stuck in a ce like this!" ''....Here he goes again.'' ''Look away.'' ''If you make eye contact for no reason, you''ll get shouted at likest time.'' There is no work to be done around. In this peaceful daily life that seems tost forever, the branch manager Min Dae-Seok keeps having a bad temper. The only way for his subordinates to deal with his tantrums was to do their best to pretend they didn''t see. But the biggest problem they had to sigh about was that he wasn''t reallyining because he didn''t have a job. ''Despite having no work ...'' ''Comints keeping in.'' ''But all the cases are taken over to the police station because we don''t have the jurisdiction.'' The employees, who were familiar with the usual working style of the branch manager, just sighed quietly. However, there was also some ambiguity whenever they should or not agree with Min Dae-Seok. It''s only been two years since the Hunter Association was founded. There was still noplete separation between the duties of the police and the work of the Hunter Association in the event of a gate rted incident. Either way, if you put it on your nose, it''s a nose ring, and if you put it on your ear, it''s an earring. (1) But no matter how much you face a boss like this, someone has to be brave in the end. "Well, sir... Park Kyung-Hye is still outside." "What? Why did that olddye here again?! Make her go to the police station!" Min Dae-Seok, who was yawning profusely at the right time, immediately opened his eyes when he heard that. ''I knew this was going to happen,'' the employee continued. "Oh, no. This time, we drove her here. After investigating, it seems certain that Mr. Sung Il-Hwan is missing..." "So? Have her go to the police station!" "..." "Hah. Got it, got it. So when and where did you say that old man had disappeared?" At Min Dae-Seok''s words, the staff member couldn''t help but sigh inwardly. ''If she knew where he was then it wouldn''t be a disappearance at all.'' "If she knew where he was then it wouldn''t be a disappearance at all." "Huh?" At the sudden sound of a cold voice, the employee realized that his thoughts had jumped out of his mouth. But fortunately, such a voice had not been directed at him. Kugooo! "...!" "...?!" Suddenly, a tremendous presence weighed on the air behind the employee''s back. There he stood... Suho, who exuded so much energy that the entire floor of the Association was shaking from it. [Use Skill: Bloodlust.] [Use Skill: Bloodlust.] [Use Skill: Bloodlust.] Exposed to the terrible bloodlust head-on, the branch chief Min Dae-Seok shouted, hisplexion bing white. "You, who¨C who?!" Suddenly, his body stiffened and began to float into the air. In front of him, Suho walked over and checked the name tag around his neck with a puzzled expression, as well as the other ''ne'' wrapped around his. "The head of the branch..." Chills crept upon his body. Why is it that even those simple words sounded out gave him goosebumps? Indeed, the sudden and terrifying sight caused the Association''s employees to raise their mana at the same time. ''?Viin!'' "A viin has appeared!" ¡ª----------------------- 1: "If you put it on your nose it''s a nose ring, if you put it on your ear it''s an earring." A Korean idiom that means that all kinds of things can be used ording to the point of view of each person. In this case, people had different opinions about Min Dae-Seok''sints but one of them still had to step up and say something. Chapter 182 - 182

Chapter 182:

Rumble! Was that an earthquake? All the surrounding windows and fluorescentmps exploded at the same time like bombs. RRRumble!! The ce waspletely chaotic. The pressure was so overwhelming that the building would be torn down at any moment, and the staff of the Hunter Association could hardly breathe properly. "Attack!" A few of the hunters, who managed to react, drew their weapons and pounced on Suho. But¨C ?BOOM! "?Grrrr!" !!! A huge wolf appeared out of nowhere, standing in their way and roaring fiercely. "RAWWWRR!" [Gray uses ''Skill: Abhor the Weak''.] [''Effect: Fear'' is triggered.] [All abilities of the targets are reduced by 1% for 50 minutes.] The appearance of a giant wolf filling the room made the hunters realize. If an attack like this has been made... Then he must have been determined to break in! Surely this was a terror attack aimed at the Association and was thoroughly prepared! The shocking fact only confused them even more. No, what kind of crazy viin in this world would invade the Hunter Association! Even the famous Hwang Dong-Soo wouldn''t do such crazy things! ''What the hell are you doing this for?'' ''Why?'' ''Why the hell?!'' ''I do not understand. I really don''t know!'' No one had time to think clearly among themotion. They barely suppressed their rising fears and charged blindly at the viin in front of them. Bang! "RAWR!" However, at the same time as the charged, they were struck by the front paws of the giant wolf and thrown back. At the sight of some of their colleagues helplessly being mmed against the wall, the Association''s staff lost all its will to fight. ''We are going to die.'' They had a hunch that what stood in front of them was certain death. "Urgh!" At that moment, the head of the branch Min Dae-Seok, who was elevating in front of Suho, pulled up all the magic power and desperately resisted the bloodlust that was crushing his whole body. He gritted his trembling teeth and red at Suho. "You think you will be saved like this... Huh?!" In a second, Suho reached forward, and Min Dae-Seok''s body flew towards Suho''s as if he was being sucked in. And as Suho''s hand approached as if it were going to break the nape of his neck, Min Dae-Seok finally closed his eyes. Crack! It wasn''t the nape of his neck that Suho''s hand ripped off, but the chain of the ne that hung around it instead. "I''m going to ask." His voice was cold. When that demonic voice prated his ears, Min Dae-Seok shuddered in terror, chills spread across. Suho''s fierce eyes were clearly etched over his frightened pupils. "And you will answer me." Suho asked, holding the ne he was wearing in front of his face. "Where did you get this Stardust ne?" The Stardust ne. Why is he, one of the heads in the Association, wearing something that is rted to the Foreign Religion? In Suho''s mind right now, he was imagining all kinds of things. What is the rtionship between the Foreign Religion and the Association? And does Woo Jin-Chul, the president of the association, who was once a colleague of his father, know this? But then¨C At Suho''s question, Min Dae-Seok squeezed his eyes shut and shouted. "...Bought¨C I bought it!" "You bought it?" Suho tilted his head back. At the horror of seeing such an expression on his face, Min Dae-Seok was stunned and hurriedly changed his words. "I''m sorry, sorry! In fact, I got it for free!" "Free?" "I''m so sorry! Even though I told him I would pay him back, but the boss just handed it to me..." Going one step further, Min Dae-seok''s condescending gaze turned to his subordinates scattered around him. "And I wasn''t the only one who got it! All the other employees have them as well!" "...!" That snitching bastard! (1) The guy who is the boss at work dragged down even his subordinates! At Min Dae-Seok''s sudden revtion, the expressions of his subordinates changed rapidly. They hastily covered or ripped off the Stardust nes they were wearing. However, when he saw them, Suho''s face, the expressionless one that had been stark until now, was a little broken. He asked again. "Who is the boss you talked about?" "...Huh?" Feeling a strange atmosphere for a moment, Min Dae-Seok asked, looking at Suho''s eyes with a confused expression. "I don''t... Aren''t you from the merchants'' association?" "...." "We got a Stardust ne from there..." "...Huh?" He stood surprised. It was Min Dae-Seok who shook his body at the slightest sigh of Suho. Soon enough, Suho''s hand lowered him. Then Min Dae-Seok''s body flew through the air again and forced him to sit down on a nearby chair. "...?" The wheels of the chair rolled on their own, and Min Dae-Seok returned to his original seat with a stiff manner. "...?" "...?" Seeing this, the faces of the association employees all at once had puzzled expressions. The air was thin, the atmosphere so tense that they couldn''t even breathe properly, and all their eyes instinctively followed Suho''s every move. In the midst of it all, Suho walked slowly to the desk of the branch chief and slumped down on the chair across from him. Then, looking at the trembling Min Dae-Seok, he proudly stated his business foring here. "Are you the branch manager? I''m here to file aint." "...Ah?" At that moment. Everyone''s breath was open like a lie. All the bloodlust that had weighed down the area was gone. However, Min Dae-Seok couldn''t help but look puzzled. "Me, aint? All of a sudden, what do you mean by that?" "Apparently my grandfather is missing. Do you know anything?" "???" Only then did Min Dae-Seok''s head, which had malfunctioned for a moment, creaked and began to spin a little. He soon started to recall the situation before this crazy viin had arrived and thus came to an even crazier conclusion. "Hey, perhaps... Are you Mr. Sung Il-Hwan''s grandchild?" "Yes, my name is Sung Suho, the Guildmaster of the Woojin Guild." "So you''re not a viin...?" "No, in fact, I''m an Association-certified viin hunter." "...Eh?" Suho proudly handed out his business card and his viin hunter certificate. "Woof!" The giant wolf grew smaller and smaller until he was a small puppy(2), and then sat down, his nose up and his hips glued to Suho''s feet. Seeing the series of appearances, Min Dae-Seok''s mind suddenly became confused. Everyone, including the staff who stood around, looked at him with a puzzled expression. ''No, wait.'' ''To sum it up....'' ''You made all this ruckus just to file aint?!'' Of course, no one was brave enough to say this outloud. Noticing the stares focused on him, Suho apologized with a serious expression. "I''m sorry. I was overwhelmed after hearing about my grandfather''s disappearance." "Oh, no. No. If your family member is missing, it''s understandable anyone would act like that..." The wheel of the chair rolled by itself, and Min Dae-Seok returned to his original position as he sat calmly. Min Dae-Seok''s voice became less and less as he hurriedly waved his hands in response to Suho''s apology. The Association''s office became a mess overnight. All the ss is broken, the fluorescentmps rattle from the ceiling, and the mes crackle like ghosts. He was too sympathetic to agree that anyone could do such a thing, but the sight behind Suho''s back was too horrible. ''...So you didn''t do this because you are a viin?'' When he realized that the other person was not a viin, a heat rose from Min Dae-Seok''s chest a second after. When the situation was settled, he was suddenly upset that he had made an unsightly appearance in front of his subordinates. ''Aiya.... I know you''re a Hunter with great powers. But isn''t Korea a country that follows thew? How dare such a young kid like you make such a ruckus with just a bit of magic? What do you know about the Association!'' Min Dae-Seok clenched his fists and red at Suho. ''You may be the Guildmaster of the Woojin Guild! But I''ll be sure to brand you as a viin!'' ''Only when you are the president of the association, can you give yourself that much authority!'' Then, when Suho''s eyes met his, Min Dae-Seok''s stubborn expression suddenly rxed. "Hmmm. Pleasepensate for the property damage." "Of course I will." "Thank you." *** By the time Suho''s grandmother, Park Kyung-Hye, and Sung Jin-Ah entered the Association''s office, the mess had already been cleared up. Some of the fluorescent lights were still broken, but beneath them, Suho heard about what had happened with her grandmother and aunt. "That ''s . . . First, let me apologize. The reason why we have rejected Ms. Park''sint for the past few days is because we have determined that Sir Sung Il-Hwan is not missing." Min Dae-Seok exined to Suho as if he were making excuses based on what his subordinates had investigated so far. "You see... Mr Sung Suho''s grandfather, Sung-Il-hwan, we know that his hobby is fishing. He also enjoys fishing alone, and he says he can go for two or three days at most." "That''s right." Park nodded obediently. In Yangpyeong, where the South and North Korea rivers diverge, there were quite a few secluded fishing spots. As a result, after Sung Il-Hwan came to Yangpyeong, he used to go fishing from time to time. "...But this time, there was something weird." "What was weird?" "His expression." "...Mrs Park Kyung-Hye, such abstract ideas are not helpful to the investigation at all." After all, dealing with the elderly is so frustrating. It was Min Dae-Seok who sighed. However, when he saw Suho sitting right next to him, he couldn''t help but manage his facial expressions. "So, what expression was he wearing?" "My husband . . . I''ve only had that look on my face three times so far." "When is that?" "The first time was when our son ran away from home." Flinch. At that, Suho''s expression couldn''t help but harden. "When he was in junior high school, he ran away from home with a note saying he had something to do. He was gone for two years." Park Kyung-Hye said with a bitter expression, groping for memories of the past. "I was so shocked when my husband stopped me from running to the police station." Her husband''s attitude, which showed no signs of alertness when her son was missing, was iprehensible to Park Kyung-Hye even when she looked back on it now. At first she was angry, then she was frustrated. My son suddenly ran away from home, but which parent can keep their sanity? Unlike Park Kyung-Hye, Sung Il-Hwan was calm. But she also couldn''t me her husband for being too cold. The expression on Sung''s face at the time seemed to be holding back the emotions that were about to spill out at any moment. Eventually, Park Kyung-Hye went to the police station and reported her son missing. But despite this, Sung Il-Hwan did not even pretend to look for his son. "He even stopped me from going outside and putting up missing flyers. Often telling me those words..." - Let''s trust our son. Remembering the look on her husband''s face as he uttered those words, Park continued. "In the end, our son came home safely two yearster. Then, as an adult, he disappeared again five years ago. This time, with his wife." "..." "Even then, my husband calmed me down with the same expression. Let''s trust him this time." Park continued. "Well, that look had appeared on his face again." The moment he heard those words, Suho couldn''t help but be convinced. ''Beru, maybe grandpa...'' [Yes, I guess his memory came back again.] ¡ª------------------------- 1: The realm term was ? ??? ?? ? That water Ghost! which is often referred to people who do or say wrongful things and then drag others down with them, mostly the drag others down part. 2:The original is "As if it were a lie" which is just a saying for bing small so i just used the word puppy. Chapter 183 - 183

Chapter 183:

When exactly did Sung Il-Hwan regain his memories of his previous life? Beru did not know, but one thing was certain. [The monarch''s memory transcends time.] Suho also knew what Beru was trying to say. ''The Cup of Reincarnation.'' [God''s instrument that turns back time, the Cup of Reincarnation, does not have any effect on the consciousness of higher beings such as rulers and monarchs.] Beru recalled an old memory, just a few decades ago, in a time when all wars were over and peace came to Earth. It was that moment where Woo Jin-Chul, who lost his memory of his previous life and lived as an ordinary police officer, suddenly regained all his memories in an instant. Looking back, the reason was very simple. The reunion with Sung Jin-Woo. That ''s all... But in fact, it was by no means normal. Who is Sung Jin-Woo? The King of Death, the great Shadow Monarch who slew all other Monarchs and brought entire nes to his feet. How much significance can an event that is directly rted to such a great and noble higher being have in a person''s life? Can we dare to dismiss the meeting as ordinary? [...Mister Sung Il-Hwan was my liege''s father who had lived with him for most of his life, and he has had at one point the ability of directly epting the ruler''s power into his body.] For example, a son with the power of a monarch and a father with the power of a ruler. It''s been decades since the two of them lived together in the same house. Yoo Jin-Ho was able to regain all his memories just by touching the key to the Shadow Dungeon. ''...Given the opportunity, it''s not strange to see his memoriese back.'' At Beru''s words, Suho nodded in agreement. Anyway, the bottom line is that his grandfather suddenly left somewhere with the memories of his previous life. ''But where did you go? For what?'' Several questions floated around in Suho''s head. He decided to focus on the most important part for now. ''The Itarim.'' To what extent is Itarim involved in his grandfather''s disappearance? Is his Grandpa all right now? ''Let''s just focus on that.'' Perhaps there is a chance that his grandfather is in a simr situation as his mother, so it was urgent to find anything as soon as possible. Suho asked the branch manager Min Dae-Seok, who was talking with Park Kyung-Hye and Sung Jin-Ah. "So who was thest person to see my grandfather?" Today, Suho''s grandmother, Park Kyung-Hye, came here hurriedly after receiving a call from an Association employee. Until then, the Association had rejected Sung Il-Hwan''s disappearance, but today they are finally convinced that he is missing. "That... I''m not sure yet." The one who answered Suho''s question was a new female employee who brought Park Kyung-Hye here. The female employee''s eyes nced at the branch manager, Min Dae-Seok, and then opened her mouth. "There were people who saw Sung Il-Hwan at a ce other than a fishing spot." "A different ce? Where is it?" "Near the merchant Association..." "What?!" At those words, branch manager Min Dae-Seok turned to the female employee with a visibly embarrassed expression. Then, in a low voice, he quietly threatened her. "Why would he be at the merchant Association? Can you be sure he went there and it isn''t some baseless lie? Can you take responsibility for that?" "?Oh no! I only heard that they saw him walking in that direction, too! Even the branch manager knows. People don''t fish here these days." "Of course. Yes...hmm." Sensing the eyes of Suho''s family, Min Dae-Seok suddenly cleared his throat and shut his mouth. However, since it had already been heard by Suho, there was no turning back. "The merchant Association..." ?Woosh! Min Dae-Seok held his breath. Slowly turning his head, he could see Suho''s aura was gradually bing more and more brutal like when he first invaded this ce. Suho asked while fiddling with the Stardust ne he had ripped off Min Dae-Seok''s neck earlier. "I think you said the merchants Association had given you this ne, Right?" The words began to shorten again. ''No, does this man have anger issues or something!?'' Min Dae-Seok really wanted to cry at Suho''s pressure, which seemed to explode at any moment. "Answer." "Yes, yes! The Merchants Association is just a gathering of people who do business in Yangpyeong. It''s like that in every town!" "More." "Yes! In fact, there is a separate Yangpyeong merchant Association! The Merchants Association we talked about is actually more of a private Association created by hunters active in Yangpyeong! Stardust nes are also made and distributed there!" In response to Suho''s question, Min Dae-Seok reflexively began to tell the truth. At those words, Suho felt something odd. "Why do hunters create merchant Associations instead of guilds? and what for?" There is probably no one here who doesn''t know that going into a dungeon once can bring more money than spending time on such useless things. Of course, there were cases where businesses were conducted at the guild level, but that was only an incidental area. "That, that..." Seeing Suho''s cool eyes, Min Dae-Seok didn''t know what to do and rolled his eyes here and there. Then, the images of the other employees trying to avoid his gaze, and the Stardust nes hanging around their necks... Suho intuitively realized. ''Something is going on here.'' Crack! At that moment, the corner of branch manager Min Dae-Seok''s desk was crushed in Suho''s hand. Beru whispered like a demon into Suho''s ear. [Should I just kill him? I will eat his brain and read his memory.] Did he hear that whisper? Or did Beru''s ''sincerity'' work? The moment his desk was smashed, branch manager Min Dae-Seok was startled and finally opened his mouth. "¨C it''s a ck market!... Hick!" It was Min Dae-Seok who spoke recklessly and suddenly covered his mouth. "...ck market?" Suho''s eyes grew even more frightening, on the contrary, Min Dae-Seok''splexion turned pale and he hurriedly began to make excuses. "Yeah, that''s it. To be clear, I have nothing to do with it. I only heard that they were still preparing, so I, to be exact¡ª" "What is a ck market?" When Sung Jin-Ah, who was listening to the story, asked, Min Dae-Seok sighed deeply and exined. "That... Non-awakened people have no idea about it, of course. The ck market is a direct transaction market only used by hunters." "So a normal market?" "Yes. To be precise, it is a ce where direct transactions or auctions for tax evasion take ce." Tax evasion. It was Sung Jin-Ah who understood what he said. Even for hunters with superhuman abilities, taxes were a scaryw. In particr, the tax rate applied to hunters who are ssified as extremely high-ie earners is a whopping 50%. Basically they take exactly half of the money earned by fighting the demons at the risk of their lives and extort it from the country. Of course, the money is used to rebuild the citizens who have been damaged by the dungeon or the destroyed city. And the organization that manages and supervises the exact use of the tax was the Hunter Association. "But why is the Association turning a blind eye to the ck market for tax evasion?" "?Oh no! This was going on before I came here, so I was against it at first¨C!" Crack! At that moment, Min Dae-Seok''s desk began to be crushed like tofu in front of his eyes, gradually, slowly. Crack! Crack! Crack! "Ah..." Min Dae-Seok, who witnessed the scene, caught his breath in the feeling that sooner orter he would end up like that too. But he wasn''t the only one who felt that way. Standing up from her seat, Suho looked at all the Association employees in the office with a cold gaze. At that gaze, just like Min Dae-Seok, the staff who were wearing Stardust nes shivered with pale faces. The legal issues against them will be resolvedter by Woo Jin-Chul, the president of the Association. Suho asked. "So where is the Merchants Association?" * * * Yangpyeong is wide. Its size is almost as wide as Jeju Ind. However, if there is a little difference from Jeju Ind, is that there are many development restrictions in Yangpyeong, such as water source protection areas and nature conservation areas. As the situation was, Yangpyeong was made up of mountains, forests, and valleys on all sides, and there were countless fishing spots. However, since the mountain is so rough, it was also an area where missing people like Sung Il-Hwan frequently appeared. "...It is very foggy." [Yangpyeong is a humid area. It is because there are many dams.] During Suho''s self-talk, Quay appeared and began to talk about what he knew. Listening to that exnation, Suho was walking on and covered in water and fog. [Little lord, now I understand.] Beru noticed the identity of the sense of incongruity he felt when he first set foot in Yangpyeong. [It seems that the Blue Mist has melted into this water mist.] "Could there be a dungeon hidden inside?" [Yes. Since the Blue Mist didn''t flow more than the water mist itself, I think the Association didn''t notice it until now.] Quay, a former viin and Vice-Guildmaster of the Reaper Guild, recognized the value of this ce at a nce. [If I knew about this ce, I too would have also wanted to create a ck market.] A ce where even the existence of the gate can be hidden. It meant, in other words, a ce where anything could be hidden. "Quay, hit your head." [Yes.] ?Boink! Unlike someone who wasn''t a former viin, it was Quay who deeply sympathized with the psychology of criminals. "I''m starting to feel it." Suho stopped walking. The magical power of the gate, which had been faintly felt as it melted into the water mist, began to grow thicker and thicker. "Is this whole area a field type dungeon?" Esil, who was walking by Suho''s side, looked around with her eyes shining. Then she finally found something. "It''s a demonic totem." "Do you know what it is for?" "For protection barriers. It informs you when non-demons approach." "Anything other than demons?" At those words, Suho smiled softly. "Then I''ll just have to be a demon." Suho took out the ''Item: Crow Mask'' from his inventory and hid his face. A badge worn by demons working at the Stardust Factory. But, of course, it was impossible to deceive the barriers of the demons with this alone. "Esil." "Yes." [Equip ''Item: Horn of Vulcan''.] If you pretend now, you pretend till the end. Esil immediately transformed to her spiritual body and attached herself to Vulcan''s horns in Suho''s head. From the crow mask to the demon''s horns. Suho''s appearance has turned into that of a demon. [This should be enough to fool the barrier.] Hearing Esil''s whisper, Suho proudly passed through. At that moment, the view changed, and the image of the ck market that the branch manager had talked about unfolded in front of Suho. Chapter 184 - 184

Chapter 184:

The scenery was one that looked as though it came from an oriental painting. That was the first impression Suho felt on the way to the ck market. A deep valley road covered in misty mountains. As he walked up the winding road, a huge building in front of Suho slowly revealed its outline and eventually revealed its true nature. ''A temple''F It was as such. There was no other way to express it. Soaring ceilings, a rough but borately decorated stone pir, a huge door made of bronze in the middle of it. This sacred atmosphere, which is overwhelming as soon as you see it, made him instinctively aware that this ce is a ''temple'' even if I don''t know who it is for. Wince*.* Suddenly, Beru''s eyes shone sharply as he looked ahead. [Small liege, I can feel a lot of people in the depths of that building.] "Human? Or a demon?" Flick*.* To Suho''s question, Beru flicked his antennae and answered confidently. [People with magical powers. Probably most of them are hunters.] "What about the demons?" [I can feel the demons too, but not many, and there is no one right across the door.] "It is as the branch manager said." Suho nodded and walked carefully in front of the temple. Then he raised his head and looked up at the huge door that was firmly closed in front of him. A heavy door that ordinary people will never be able to open. Of course, if it was Suho''s absurd strength stat, he could have smashed it in one hit rather than simply opening it. ''But if that''s the case, it would be pointless to hide.'' It wasn''t a good way to cause a fuss at all in a situation where his grandfather might or might not be in this building. Besides, Suho already knew how to open this door. Snap. Suho took out the ''Stardust ne'' he had stolen from branch manager Min Dae-Seok from his pocket and held it up. Then, after putting the ne around his neck, he reached out his hand and gently pushed the closed door. Creeaakk. Then, to his surprise, the heavy door began to slide so lightly. Swing! Eventually, the door opened wide, revealing a spacious interior. A shady interior with moss on the floor, walls, and ceiling. Suho followed the torches hanging on the wall and stepped into the hallway, bursting intoughter. "So it worked. I never thought that the real purpose of the Stardust ne was actually a pass for the ck market." Nowadays, the reason why Stardust nes were made is widely known as a memorial meaning. The so-called ''Let''s honor the souls of the victims who died as ingredients for Stardust'' was a really meaningful and good intention. In addition, since most of the proceeds from Stardust nes are actually used for the bereaved family, no one doubted the purpose. ''But in fact, it was all a smoke screen.'' ording to branch manager Min Dae-Seok, there are still only a handful of hunters who know this truth. In the first ce, since it wasn''t long since the ck market was created, few people knew about its existence. But it was only a matter of time after all. [Even if information about the ck market is distributed to only a few people, they will spread word of mouth on their own in the future.] When the information about the ck market gradually became known, then the hunters would move to get their hands on the Stardust ne. Quay showed interest. Really, the more you know about the ck market, the more interesting it can be. [It''s like a multi-level pyramid scheme.] Ponzi schemes,monly referred to as pyramid schemes, used to increase victims this way. A method of starting with a small number at first, and increasing the number by enticing others as if introducing good things. Among them, there were many ces with a strong religious intention to the point of being suspicious at times. However, as long as there was no direct damage to himself, it really didn''t matter to Suho. But what if that religion is the Foreign Religion that serves the Itarim? ''Anyways, one thing is clear.'' If this was a real temple of Foreign Religion, it seemed that the Apostles of Itarim had already perfectly adapted to Earth. After walking along the hallway for a while, a wide dome-shaped space opened up in front of Suho. It seemed as big as an Olympic stadium, or even bigger than several of them put together. However, Suho, who witnessed the scene unfolding inside, couldn''t help but be a little surprised. I thought it was a ck market, so I thought it would be very dark and secretive, but when I came in, it was much brighter and more upbeat than I thought. "Only 200 stones! ?Negotiations are avable!" "All types of dungeon ores are avable here except for the rare ones!" "Drop a demon corpse today! Only thest person on a firste, first-served basis will be given a discount!" "Super Sale! Super sale!" "If you don''t have money, you can pay with magic stones!" "Ah-oh! Are you new here? What idiot in the world would hold out a credit card on the ck market?!" Suho felt like he was at a fairground. Numerous mats and booths filled the wide space. Numerous merchants set up their seats there, eagerly soliciting customers, buying and selling goods. Watching the scene, Suho couldn''t help but burst outughing. "It looks like I came to some kind of bazaar." It was said that it was a ck market created for tax evasion, but when he saw it, he felt like he was in a second-hand market. However, there were also unexpected appearances. [My small liege, there seems to be a smithy that smelts ore and sells weapons.] "I know. cksmiths seem to be mainly demons." Surprisingly, humans and demons lived in harmony in this ce. Hunters were the main traders who briefly visited and traded goods, but those who set up here and made and sold goods in earnest were demons wearing crow masks. In other words, they were the organizers. ''A market where humans and demons coexist. It''s really bizarre.'' [Master, you can see the auction house and gambling hall over there.] ''hmm?'' Looking at the direction Quay was pointing, he finally started to see something that resembled a ck market. "Ha, one more time! lend me some more money please! I can pay it back!" Hunters who seemed to have wasted all their fortunes in front of the gambling house were begging with bitter expressions. When they finally raised their mana from their whole bodies, the crow masked demons guarding the gambling hall grabbed their shoulders. "Dear customers, calm down. You shouldn''t be like this here." "We also don''t want to walk out of here either!" "Yeah, just once! Please lend me just this once!" "...Whoo. There''s nothing we can do. Then why don''t you y a few rounds yourself?" "Wait what?" "Don''t worry. I''ll take responsibility and match you to your weight ss." The gamblers'' eyes were shaken by the demon''s suggestion. In the meantime, the hunter in debt couldn''t keep his eyes off the gambling house because he held some lingering feelings before ending up making a decision that he shouldn''t have made. "...You''re really going to match the weight ss, aren''t you?" "Oh, of course. You know it well, don''t you? Underground fighting is a pure bare-bodied fight, taking off all the items from the participants. What should a strong hunter like you be worried about?" "...Then, can I get a deposit in advance?" The moment those words came out, Suho looked at them. The corners of the mouths of demons tearing beyond the crow mask. The demons smiled brightly and held the hands of the gamblers, no, hunters. "What an obvious thing to say. Then, let''s talk about the actual contract over there." Suho quietly watched the backs of the gamblers following the demons one after another. ''An underground arena. They literally made a deal with the devil.'' [My young liege, you know that gambling is a shortcut to bankruptcy, right? Why are you going there?] "It''s an underground arena. The view is fine." As Suho walked to the gambling den, the gatekeeper demons who were guarding the gates bowed respectfully to Suho and started talking to him. "I don''t think I''ve seen you before. Are you, by any chance, visiting from another factory?" At the same time, he raised his gaze and looked at the pair of horns hanging above Suho''s head, feeling a little wary. [Just answer in half words. Since you have Vulcan''s horns, they think you''re a much higher demon, so be careful.] At Esil''s timely advice, Suho nodded briefly and opened his mouth. "I heard some rumors and stopped by for a while. Any problems?" At the same time, when he gently lifted the Stardust ne hanging around his neck and showed it, the gatekeeper demons hurriedly backed away and responded quite favorably. "Oh, it''s no problem. Our new factory is always wee. If you need any guidance, could we be of help?" ''It''s strange.'' Suho got the feeling of a salesperson who wanted to break through a new ount from the demons. And the demons seemed to have no intention of hiding their innermost thoughts. "Although... If you don''t mind, may I know how much Stardust you have?" At the same time as that question, their snake-like eyes scanned the appearance of Suho, who came here empty-handed. "As you know, there are so many factories that have be broke these days." "..." While Suho chose his words for a moment, Esil whispered in displeasure. [What the¨C How dare such insignificant demons talk like this to a horned demon?!] ''Why are you angry? I''m not even a real demon.'' It seemed that this was a ce where people coulde regardless of the ranks of the demons. However, when Suho was silent for a while, an outright sneer appeared on the gatekeepers'' lips. "Ah I knew this would happen." "So did I." He recognized it from the moment he came empty-handed. These days, there are so many demons whoe to us because they want to join us. "Hmm?" It was then. A bunch of Stardust suddenly appeared in Suho''s hand, who had been thougt to be empty. "...!" At that moment, the gatekeepers'' eyes widened. No, it wasn''t just a bag, then came two, three, four. In the meantime, while robbing Demon Factories, Suho kept the Stardust he had acquired there in his inventory. A fishy smile appeared on Suho''s lips as he took out a package full of them and showed it to the demons. "Do you need more?" "Ah no, that''s enough." "Pleasee this way. We will escort you to the VIP room!" "Let me guide you." "Yep!" The gatekeeper demons immediatelyhumbled themselves and guided Suho to the gambling hall. Suho followed them, his eyes shining sharply. ''A VIP room... Demons really live like real people here.'' It was certainly a good thing he pretended to be a demon from the start. In order to find out if his grandpa is here, it would be quicker to investigate from the depths. Chapter 185 - 185

Chapter 185:

Suho was guided by the demons and entered the ck market gambling area. As he heard from the outside, the gambling that was being done here wasn''t the same kind as hanafuda or poker. "Ah!" "Die! die!" Instead, it was a vast underground arena where blood and sweat vibrated. There, two hunters who took off all their equipment were fighting a desperate battle. Looking at the venom in the eyes and the expression of evil, it was clear to everyone what kind of situation this was. "Hehe. Doesn''t it look really fun? They are all human beings who jumped in to pay off their gambling debts." While the gatekeeper who was guiding Suho keptughing, Esil''s cynical voice was heard. [How pitiful for all these lower demons to...] Now that all demon nobles with absolute status have disappeared, the lesser demons living scattered here and there seemed to be eager to imitate the former. ''By the way, the guys in the demon realmst time made the demons fight each other, but here, humans fight each other and also watch themselves.'' In an instant, a cool light passed through Suho''s eyes. Suho was also well aware of the Colosseum duel, the culture of demon nobles. hasn''t he fought as a diator before? But somehow it turned out to be the opposite this time. After a while, Suho arrived at a ce that looked like a terrace with the best view of the underground fighting arena. "This is the VIP room. This is a space where humans are not allowed to enter, so you should be able to watch the gamefortably. If you would like to join the game, please call us anytime." "I will." Suho sat down on the soft sofa and looked around in a rxed manner. In the VIP room, some demons who were watching the underground arena were sitting. They were almost identical in color, but they covered their faces with a crow mask and wore Stardust nes around their necks. However, from the moment Suho entered the VIP room, their attention was focused on Suho rather than fighting underground. "Hoo. You''re someone I haven''t seen." "Are you a new guest?" "The horns are really... Oh my." Vulcan''s horns. Their attention was focused solely on the horns of Vulcan growing on Suho''s head. Eyes full of curiosity. A servile look mixed with fear. Beyond fear, there were gazes full of awe. Beyond the crow masks covering their faces,plex emotions toward Suho were tantly felt. However, no one dared to speak to Suho first. [It''s a natural reaction.] Esil exined. [Because the horns of Vulcan now arepletely different from when you were a diator.] Originally, Vulcan was a clumsy aristocrat who couldn''t make Bloodstone, which is a fine meal for demon nobles. That''s why he was the demon who preyed on his own people more than any noble. He had been so anxious to devour the souls of other demons even when he had been dead and only had his horns left. So, although it is invisible to the human Suho, it is visible to the eyes of the demons. This vicious and greedy demon''s energy zed from the horns of Vulcan, who had eaten his fill of the demon souls. ''... How terrible.'' ''How many people do I have to eat to get this kind of energy?'' ''Could it be that he ate all the demons in his factory?'' Even if they didn''t say it directly, the thoughts that the demons in the VIP room had while looking at Suho were almost the same. It was then. "Tsk." Suho suddenly clicked his tongue and woke them up. "The spectacle is over there." The demons, who suddenly came to their senses at those words, turned their eyes away from Suho with embarrassing expressions. But not everyone was like that. "I''m sorry if this was rude in the first meeting. It''s because everyone is quite thrilled to see you. I don''t know if you know this, but this is also a ce to make new friends." Suddenly, a demon approached Suho and spoke to him in a friendly way. It looked simr to the others, but there was one difference when he looked closer. ''The ne... He doesn''t have one.'' [Could he be the host of this ce?] Suho and Esil exchanged a quick conversation. In the meantime, the demon, who hade closer, opened his mouth again with an awkward smile when Suho just looked at him without replying. "Haha, you are quite taciturn. So let me introduce myself first. My name is ''Lotto'' and I am in charge of running this casino." [It''s not a demonic name. I think it''s a demon with no name in the first ce, or a rough pseudonym.] Listening to Esil''s exnation, Suho pondered for a while. ''Hmm. What should I do?'' This demon named Lotto was now directly demanding his identity. The other person was also using a pseudonym anyway, so it didn''t matter if they said anything about names. But then you won''t find out anything this way. Wouldn''t it just make time go by sluggishly if you avoid it? "My name is," Suho finally opened his mouth. "Vulcan." !!! At that moment. All the demons in the VIP room widened their eyes and looked at Suho with shocked eyes. [Su¨C Suho?] Even Esil called for Suho with a clear tone of embarrassment. "...As a pseudonym, it seems to be quite a dangerous one to use." "A pseudonym..." Suho looked straight into Lotto''s eyes with a smile as if he had heard something really interesting. Lotto''s expression, which had been wearing a friendly smile the whole time, hardened. Suhoughed and asked him instead. "Why should I use a pseudonym?" "It is known that there are no demon nobles left in the world." "That must be for the other demon nobles." "So you say your name is Vulcan?" While having a short conversation with Suho, Lotto''s eyes were getting colder. Simrly, the other demons were also focusing their enormous bloodlust on Suho. However, there were too many strong people that Suho had faced so far to be weighed down by such an unpleasant life. Rather, Suho took a more rxed attitude, crossed his legs, and leaned back on the sofa. Then, he raised one hand and reached out to the gatekeeper demon standing next to him, calling out to Esil. ''Esil, can you make a Bloodstone?'' [I don''t know what you''re thinking, but Vulcan is... Just for now.] Esil did not know what Suho was up to, but she obediently epted the request. After all, if it was necessary, they were strong enough to hit and fight all around the ce. Shuaaa!! "Oh my?!" Suddenly, following Suho''s hand, ck blood began to be forcibly extracted from the gatekeeper demon''s body. All the demons who witnessed the scene had no choice but to jump up from their seats with faces full of astonishment. The demon''s blood that had just been drawn from Suho''s hand formed into a ball and began to turn into ck Bloodstone. "A Bloodstone?!" "It''s a Bloodstone!" "Oh my god! A real demon aristocrat?!" At that moment, Suho spewed his bloodlust from his entire body at just the right time. [Use ''Skill: Bloodlust''.] "... !" "... !" Fwooom! When Suho''s life-threatening spirit surpassed the VIP room and filled the entire casino, the demons instinctively had no choice but to lower their bodies or step back. The Bloodstone that appeared in front of them and the tremendous bloodlust that surpassed their own energy. When these two werebined, even Lotto, who confidently appeared in front of Suho, had no choice but to grow pale. "Oh, this could be...." "No way, is he the real Vulcan..." "He looks different..." "Being possessed by humans...." ''Hmm. This reaction is good.'' Suho and Esil had a conversation to themselves, listening to the demons'' mutterings and holding breaths from all sides. [What do you mean?] ''What do you mean what do I mean? I''m acting like a real noble in front of those who act like nobles.'' [You know. Vulcan was a nobleman who couldn''t make Bloodstone. They probably know it too.] ''Yeah. That''s why this is even more meaningful.'' Suho smiled faintly and withdrew the killing spree. Then he looked at Lotto again and asked. "How is it? Was that a little convincing?" At that question, Lotto erased the embarrassed expression on his face and tried to calmly reply to Suho''s words. "I was really surprised to see a real Bloodstone." His eyes were still on the Bloodstone in Suho''s hand. He couldn''t believe it even when he saw it. But, no matter how you look at it, it''s not ''real'' real. So it was even more confusing. "But...Originally, I knew that Lord Vulcan was someone who couldn''t make Bloodstone." "That''s true. But once I figured it out, it wasn''t that difficult." "You figured it out?" Lotto''s eyes widened at those words. In a moment, all the eyes of all the demons here were filled with great greed. Suho''s words were enough to arouse the demons'' desire. What was the reason the demons developed Stardust in the first ce? Wasn''t it because they wanted to imitate the noble''s unique power and create a Bloodstone? Bloodstone is the proof of true nobility, proof of existence. Only by being able to create Bloodstone, demons could grow their power more efficiently and be nobles. And furthermore, only by bing a real nobleman could he be qualified to seed Baran, the White mes Monarch, the Demon King who is now dead. By the way, how can you make Bloodstone? ''Vulcan'' had once been ignored by the same nobles because he couldn''t make Bloodstone for an incredibly long time. So when did this change happen? It no longer mattered whether Suho was the real Vulcan or not to the demons here. "Have you taught yourself how to make Bloodstone?" "Why? Do you want to learn?" "!!!" Lotto''s eyes widened to the point of popping out. Now, whenever something came out of Suho''s mouth, the demons'' expressions were changing every moment. Seeing those reactions, Esil muttered as if she was fed up. [You''re really...] But everyone, no, even demons, when someone tells you what you want to hear, you want to believe it, no? Lotto stuttered and asked Suho. "You- you can learn it?" [No, no of course you can''t learn to make them! Bloodstones are¨C] "There is nothing I can not learn." [You liar!] Esil''s words flowed into the back of his ears, and Suho held the act as much as possible as he talked to Lotto in a sincere voice. Then all of a sudden... "But." Flinch! ''But?'' ''But what?'' First came caution, then shock and horror. The demons are now listening to every word Suho says. Suho continued speaking while leaning back on the sofa, enjoying the eyes of the demons that were excessively focused on him. "Wasn''t this a gambling ce? If you''re here to gamble, let''s gamble and have fun." "Now, wait a minute. Lord Vulcan...!" Gambling wasn''t important right now! Crack! At that moment, Suho crushed the Bloodstone he was holding with his finger. ''Ahh!!'' The demons looked anxiously at the sight of the Bloodstone that turned into dust and scattered from Suho''s hand. Chapter 186 - 186

Chapter 186:

"..." "..." There was a strange atmosphere in the gambling hall of the ck Market. In the meantime, the exciting atmosphere where humans were fighting and betting with each other was no longer there. The demons in the VIP room no longer paid attention to the game, and all their attention was focused on the sudden appearance of the demon aristocrat, ''Vulcan''. ''oh my god. Lord Vulcan was alive.'' ''A real demon noble.'' ''As long as I can learn how to make Bloodstone, I''ll be a demon noble.'' Numerous eyes kept ncing at Vulcan, no, Suho. A pure desire was clearly felt. The primary and tant emotion of pursuing that power was like gluttony to demons. However, even in such a thin cold atmosphere, Suho himself was still watching the underground fight with a rxed look. Like a male tiger lying down in the middle of the jungle and enjoying the sun. It looked like the dignified appearance of a true demon aristocrat. At least in the eyes of the other demons. [Is it really okay to do this?] ?What?'' [Do you really need to take such a risk?] Esil had been worried for a while. [Do not forget. The reason our family was destroyed was all because of the rebellion of the lower demons. Right now, they might just be surprised after seeing the Bloodstone, but they could soon attempt to attack you and eat you at any time.] ''Yeah, I know. But I''ve been curious about something.'' Suho looked around the underground arena with a rxed gaze and asked Esil. ''In a demon realm with such a clear hierarchy based on power, how on earth were the lower demons able to exterminate your family?'' [That''s because we were outnumbered.] ''Are you sure? Is that really the only reason?'' [...What are you trying to say?] Esil was a little furious. What Suho was saying now sounded like he was ming the Radir family for being weak to the point where they could be eaten by such low-level demons. However, Suho''s words were not over yet. ''I''ve be quite strongpared to before, haven''t I? That''s why I realized that...'' As Suho''s gaze swept over the demons around him, the demons caught in his gaze flinched. ''...No matter how many times these guys try, it doesn''t seem like I''ll ever lose.'' Suho''s eyes grew cold, like a lion looking at a pasture with hundreds of sheep. [What do you mean? Is this about the Itarim? Are you saying that they must have been behind the rebellions of the lower demons?] ''Doesn''t that make more sense than saying that the lower demons simply ate the demon nobles?'' Suho was almost certain. It was already like that during the Blood-eyed Tyrant Demon, and demons were the perfect race to be Itarim''s ves in the first ce. Besides, their souls were made from uncontaminated mana, so the power of the Shadow Monarch wouldn''t work on them. From the standpoint of the Itarim, where else could there be a better race to deal with the Shadow Legion? [...Its possible.] At Suho''s persuasive words, Esil could only nod. ''Well, then.'' Suho smiled meaningfully and opened the inventory. ''From now on, let''s take everything from these guys.'' Ding! "I bet on that man." Lotto, who suddenly received a package of Stardust from Suho, couldn''t help but be flustered by its heaviness. "Lord Vulcan, are you sure you want to spend this much in one game?" "I can''t?" "It''s not a problem in terms of regtions, but if the stakes are high, other guests will have to agree..." At Lotto''s words, Suho''s gaze slid over the other demons. Then, without saying anything, the demons scrambled to nod. "Yes, I agree." "Hmm. Oh this? Yes, it''s not a big deal." As expected of demons with strict hierarchical order, from the moment they saw Suho using the Bloodstone, honorific words automatically came out of their mouths. Seeing that, Lotto smiled bitterly. ''This... is not good.'' After all the nobility disappeared, the demon realm became a truly egalitarian society. Of course, that look was a little far from the democracy that humans talk about. A fair world where anyone can eat each other equally and be eaten. The weak are bitten and eaten, and the strong, if they find a loophole, bite their necks and suck their blood. In this endless hell-like disorder, demons were scrambling to do anything to create a new order for themselves. One of the representative orders was here, the ck market. ''...But all of a sudden, a demon aristocrat whom I thought was extinct appeared?'' Now, just when a new order was about to be established, the old order suddenly returned. They couldn''t help it. They had already seen him make Bloodstone right in front of their eyes. And since he''s given room to teach everyone here how to make Bloodstone... ''Psychologically and realistically, it has be an absolute rtionship between superior and inferior.'' In this way, a proper gambling could not be made, and the rm Lotto felt had immediately be a reality. "...Well then, I will also bet on the human that Lord Vulcan bets on." "Just by the looks of it, that human seems stronger." "So will I..." The demons rushed to the same side as Vulcan and started betting. Not one demon wanted to stand on the other side of Vulcan. Eventually, the bet was lost. Lotto sighed, rubbing his throbbing forehead. "Guests, we can''t start the game if everyone bets on the same side." But these words did not work at all. "Still, even in my judgment, that human will win, so what can I do?" "Nothing." "Besides, I can''t doubt Lord Vulcan''s keen eye." "..." Looking at the demons shrugging their shoulders with shameless expressions, as if asking what was wrong, Lotto gnashed his teeth inwardly. It was then... "Tsk. This is no fun." Suho, who was leisurely watching the scene from behind, suddenly clicked his tongue briefly. Then, with a faint smile on his lips, he murmured softly. "Hmm. Could this make it more fun?" A shocking deration suddenly jumped out of his mouth. "I will teach the Bloodstone recipe to the guy who picks up the most Stardust against me here." ...?! At that moment, the stiff eyes of the demons were frozen in astonishment. Suddenly a tremendous desire began to boil. "Bah, are you serious about what you just said?!" "No, I don''t doubt Lord Vulcan''s words but...!" "Wait a minute! guests! Please calm down!" Lotto tried his best to calm the heat of the demons, but the atmosphere was already chaotic. However, Vulcan''s proposal was so enchanting that even Lotto himself was greedy. "This is going to be fun now." Pleased with the hated atmosphere, Suho opened his inventory. Ding ding ding! "...!" "...?!" Huge stakes. Suho, who had piled up Stardust pouches on the table, said with a meaningful smile. "Then let''s start the game." Woooo! Thus began the gamble of a lifetime for the demons. *** What does it take to win at gambling here? Great luck? Huge stakes? Or, a great eye? ''None.'' In fact, the demons were confident of defeating Vulcan in this underground arena because this wasn''t just a ce to fight and watch humans. After all, they are just VIPs here. The real guests here, no, the watchers were human guests. Whoaaaaaa-! The spectator seats are wrapped around the bottom of the VIP room. Hunters using the ck market gathered there and betted money on the oue. The odds of winning are practically 5 to 5. A very simple bet where one party wins or loses. But that was only a superficial win rate. What kind of ce is a gambling den then? A ce that grants you an illusion where you can win money, but then makes you fall into a greater debt, making it impossible to escape. That is the mechanism of the gambling house. ''It''s a game where the winnings can be manipted.'' The moment he heard Vulcan''s deration of shock, Lotto struggled to hold back the tant ridicule that rose to his lips and secretly gave instructions to the attendants in the underground arena. "Use the rabid-blood poison." Nod. Seeing the nodding demon attendants, Lotto smiled meaningfully without Vulcan''s knowledge. It was for this reason that they dug the floor of the gambling den to create an underground fighting arena. There was quite a distance between the VIP room and the underground arena, so it was only a matter of deceiving the eyes of demons and ying tricks on opponents. ''No matter how dominant the demon nobles are, they can''t notice the rabid-blood poison from this distance.'' After instructing the attendants to manipte the game appropriately without being seen, Lotto approached and sat next to Vulcan with a friendly smile. Seeing that, Vulcan looked at him as if he was having fun. "Are you sure you want to participate in gambling yourself?" "Of course. An event such as this rarely happens, but to be honest, what demon isn''t greedy for a te of Bloodstone? Oh, don''t worry too much. No matter how much I am the host of this ce, the people who participate in the underground fighting arena change every time." "Are you saying there is no way to manipte the match?" "That''s right." Lotto smiled at Suho''s words and added his own stake on the table. He tried to stay calm, but his eyes were already burning with ambition. "I will learn how to make Bloodstone." "Well, it''s good to be honest." On the other hand, Suho smiled and muttered as he cast his gaze back to the underground arena. "Yes, this will certainly be fun." It was then... [The Queen of Insects, the gue Monarch, smells the rabid-blood poison and licks her lips.] ''As expected, he used the rabid-blood poison.'' Suho smiled and muttered to himself at the just-in-time message from Queresha. ''Queresha, detoxify it.'' She did so. [''Debuff: Rabid-blood poison'' has been detoxified.] The debuff disappeared from the hunter who was poisoned with rabid-blood poison by the demon servants. ''Beru.'' [Did you call for me?] ''Use your skill as well.'' [Kihehe.] At Suho''s words, Beru''s meaningful eyes lit up as he secretly went down to the underground arena. Beru hid in the shadow of the hunter Suho had bet on. Quite coincidentally, this hunter was that same hunter with the Beast Mode skill, who had be broke earlier. [Beru uses ''Skill: Harsh Command''.] [''Skill: Harsh Command'' increases the target''s stats by 50%.] [As a side effect of ''Skill: Harsh Command'', the target is cursed with madness.] "...GRRR." Gradually, the hunter''s eyes turned red. Chapter 187 - 187

Chapter 187:

There was no one who could stop the gue Monarch, the Queen of Insects: Queresha, whose protection she had given to Suho. [Quay uses ''Debuff: Paralysis Poison''.] [Quay uses ''Debuff: Sleep Poison''.] [Quay... ... .] When Suho made up his mind and started manipting the match, the match in the underground arena started to flow very biasedly. "Wait, what!" "Why is that human suddenly limping?!" "Hmm. He must have sprained his ankle somewhere. After all, humans are weak." "?Ah! Why did that human suddenly lose his eye? He was fighting so well!" "Hmm. He must have had a hard time sleepingst night. After all, humans are weak." "...?" "...?" "Huh. Is this my victory again?" Swoop. Suho pulled all the stakes gathered on the table to himself with a really shameless, no, solemn expression. Looking at the Stardust pouches gradually piling up in front of Suho... "Oh, it can''t be." The demons who lost the bet had no choice but to look devastated. In this atmosphere, Suho calmly looked at the situation and had a conversation with Esil. [...Surprisingly, they don''t make them fight to the death unlike in the Colosseum. Even a healer is prepared.] ''Of course. If people die here, rumors will spread that hunters keep disappearing in Yangpyeong. Even the ck market wouldn''t want that.'' [Then what is the real purpose of these guys? Unless they are using the corpses of hunters who died here as ingredients for Stardust...] ''Isn''t that what we are trying to find out?'' All the demons here were low-level demons who were much weaker than Suho. Still, there was a reason why Suho didn''t kill them right away and took such a cumbersome method. ''Even if I kill a demon, I can''t extract their soul.'' Against the demons, he couldn''t try to talk to their shadow after killing them like in the case of Quay or Harmakhan. So, he had to create an atmosphere where they could freely share information by their own will while keeping them alive as much as possible. And one more thing here. While the attention of the demons in the ck market was increasingly focused on the gambling hall, Beru had been diligently looking around for Sung Il-Hwan. Although he would sometimes... "Uh? Where did the magic stone that was here go?" "Ah, there''s a thief!" ¨C By avoiding people''s eyes, he would sometimes steal and eat the magic stones that were on the stalls one by one. ''Oh, am I gonna get a reaction?'' Just as Suho said, Lotto, who was watching the situation, chewed his lips with aplicated expression. *''How could this happen...''*He couldn''t help but be perplexed. Originally, all the hunters who participated in the underground arena fought each other without equipment, and with simr grades and physiques. That''s why this game was more fierce than usual, and the game was overturned even by a moment''s carelessness or poor physical condition. But for all thepetitors to have such weakened conditions... Isn''t this more than coincidental? ''How is it that each of the guys who Lord Vulcan betted against were in such bad shape?'' Could this be the keen eye of a real demonic aristocrat? ''No.'' This was more than a little¨Cno¨C this was very suspicious. "How about you choose a hunter first?" "..." "..." Yes. Vulcan had never chosen his opponent first. Unconditionally, only after all the demons had staked their bets on both sides, did he make thest bet. That''s only a reverse bet with a high dividend because the bet is small. It was very shameless, as if he already knew the oue of this game. As a result, in front of Suho, there were more than three times as many bags of Stardust piled up than when he first entered this ce. Lotto gnashed his teeth. ''It''s clear that you''re cheating here... So what is your intention?'' From a while ago, Vulcan had been ying tricks very proudly. Honestly, If you rather cheat at least have some losses too so you can keep up the facade! But the problem is... There was no evidence to incriminate his cheating. In fact, his side was also the one who was cheating as well. However, even though the organizers were determined and kept fixing the match while using the rabid-blood poison, the winner was always the human chosen by Vulcan. ''In addition, people who were poisoned with the rabid-blood poison are already detoxified. I haven''t heard any rumors that Vulcan has this ability.'' At this point, he had no choice but to admit it. In the first ce, Vulcan had no reason for him to y around with them like this, he could tear them apart and eat them whenever he wanted. Which is what made his intentions even more suspicious. ''No way... Did youe here after already knowing everything?'' Lotto''s eyes that were set on Vulcan gradually narrowed. It was a widely known rumor in the demon world that Vulcan was originally an insignificant creature who could not speak. Then, after identally picking up a branch from the World Tree and eating it, he suddenly became the ruler of a region and became a demon noble. That was Vulcan. However, a half-demon noble who was thought to have died in that war suddenly appeared with the ability to make Bloodstone, and he could even speak? ''...It''s not just about havingnguage skills. His intelligence has also improved.'' This demon with suchplex thoughts came to this ce without hesitation and in an instant led the atmosphere of the gambling hall to his own will. ''Could it be that Vulcan is still evolving?'' ''Did he barely survive the war because of the protection of the World Tree?'' ''The World Tree that gave birth to the rulers would do it...'' A lot of thoughts were floating around in Lotto''s head. At the end of it, Lotto eventually decided to step back. "Hah. I understand, Lord Vulcan." "... Hmm?" When Roto suddenly spoke to him, Suho, who was excitedly sweeping up the Stardust, turned to him. "If you want Bloodstone, you''re saying that we should start sharing all the cards we have." "..." At that, Suho stared at him without a word. Lotto smiled bitterly as he looked at the Stardust piled up like a mountain in front of Suho. "If you had that thought, you could have told me from the beginning, before trying to y such mischievous pranks on me." "..." "A Star Piece. Did youe here because you wanted that from the beginning?" ''?A Star Piece?'' [Star Piece?] For a moment, a question mark appeared in Suho''s mind, but he never showed it. Then Lotto suddenly tore off his jacket and showed Suho the blue jewel imnted in the middle of his chest. "That''s right. As Vulcan predicted, our real trade is these Star Pieces. It is on a different level than the unfinished Stardust." [So what is a Star Piece?] ''I don''t think they''ll show it off so arrogantly if it was made by simply hardening the Stardust.'' Answering Esil, Suho kept his expression as nonchnt as possible. Finally, useful information began to emerge. Well, from now on the real deal appeared. Suho opened his mouth in a low voice. "The Star Piece... Could it be a substitute for a Bloodstone." "Hoho. Could it be now? I guess you must be curious about the performance of the Star Piece if you said such a thing." Lotto stroked the star fragment transnted to his chest with an infinitely proud expression. "If you thought our Stardust nes spread among humans was the real deal then you are very mistaken. Things like that are just by-products thrown away in the process of refining Star Pieces. Although they are useful in their own way." ''They are useful? Are you saying there are other functions besides them being a ck market pass?'' Although he was sticking to hisid-back attitude, Suho''s head was spinning with many thoughts. "Of course, we first started researching ways to simply imitate Bloodstone. But then we demons began to grow curious as to what kind of synergy will ur when the god of the outer universe dwells in the blood of a demon." The magic of a deity from an outer universe. That was the Blue Mist flowing from the gate. The Blue Mist is magic sent from outer space to melt the dimensional walls. In other words, it was the power of the Itarim. "Well, that sounds interesting." Suho leaned back leisurely again and pointed at the Stardust piled up in front of him with his chin. "Then I''ll trade all of these in exchange for a Star Piece." Hhaha. That seems a bit difficult. No matter how much Stardust you trade, it cannot bepared to the value of a Star Piece. In the first ce, the trading units are different." [Eh, Does he want a transaction?] Hearing those words, Esil''s angry voice came to Suho. Considering this was the attitude of a nobleman, Suho decided to follow Esil''s heart. "... You want a deal. That''s quite a funny word." The moment Suho smiled¨C [Use ''Skill: Bloodlust.] Fwoom! "...Agh, how can it be so powerful?!" Lotto had no choice but to step back with a paleplexion due to the tremendous amount of bloodlust emanating from Suho''s entire body. The other demons were also frightened and hurriedly lowered their stance. Another demon had also identally fallen t on the floor and bowed to Suho. "...Even in this world, there are some things that will never change." Suho slowly got up. Then, with the most nonchnt expression on his face, he slowly approached Lotto. "Nobles don''t make any deals. We just give orders." "..." *Rub, rub* Even as Suho touched the Star Piece imnted in Lotto''s chest with his hand, he was oppressed by the bloodlust and could not move. It seemed as if he would tear off the Star Piece from his body with his violent hands and chew it up. But Suho didn''t. If this guy dies, there will be no way for him to find more information. Suho raised his hand and said. "The reason I am responding to the y you made is just for entertainment. If I was truly hungry..." Growl~ Just in time, all the demons in the gambling hall were startled by the sound that echoed from Suho''s stomach. ''This is a big deal!'' ''Vulcan is hungry!'' ''I''m going to get eaten... ... !'' The greedy demon Vulcan''s eating habits were a tremendous fear to the lower level demons. However, Suho... ''Hmm,e to think of it, I was so busy today that I might have skipped a meal. This wasn''t what I intended.'' In the midst of Vulcan''s method acting, Suho felt a bit embarrassed. But that''s how it happened. *Lick* It was Suho who licked his mouth. "...!!" At that moment, Lotto had to fight the survival instinct of wanting to run away from here right away since he was still the manager of the gambling house. ''?No! If Lord Vulcan wanted to eat me, I''d be dead by now! I''m sure he came here because he wanted something...'' Gulp. ''There has to be...'' Another mouth-watering Vulcan. ''Does he want to... eat it?'' Vulcan, the demon of greed, is a guy who immediately tries to put everything in his mouth as soon as he sees it, no? "Ah, I see!" Lotto finally closed his eyes and shouted. As if the Star Piece nted in his chest was his lifeline, he eagerly grabbed it. "Then, how about a duel between the great warriors that have a Star Piece? It will surely be good entertainment!" "A great warrior duel?" At those words, Suho''s bloodlust instantly disappeared. "Yes. There are hunters who have been imnted with Star Pieces for experiments! Choose one of them, Lord Vol¡ª." "Did you mean that even where humans experimented for the usage of Star Pieces?!" "!!!" At that moment, Suho''s angry hand grabbed Lotto''s neck. Lotto screamed in surprise as if he had been struck by lightning. "Ah, most of them are just a waste, but we still gave them one for the study of the Star Pieces! Even the Foreign Religion missionaries agreed!" Suho rose. ''I found it, these bastards.'' At that moment, Suho''s eyes shed. Chapter 188 - 188

Chapter 188:

"They are from the Foreign Religion!!" Hearing Lotto''s cry, Suho''s expression quickly cooled. He had all sorts of thoughts going through his head right now, but he had to stay as calm as possible. "How interesting." Shook. When Suho let go of his hand, Lotto''s body copsed to the floor as if he was crumbling. "Ugh!" Lotto hurriedly confirmed that his neck was still attached and looked at Suho with a servile expression. Suho looked down at him with a lofty gaze and thought that the demons here naturally misunderstood that ''Vulcan'' already knew everything. So what to do in this situation? He only had to reduce the number of words as much as possible, and only repeat what these guys say like a parrot. "Foreign Religion... So you made a deal with them?" "Yes, yes! Upon cooperating with us, they will be able to increase their followers on Earth!" "Increase followers... So, is that the only result?" Suho''s gaze scanned the messed up gambling hall. Then, the manager of this ce, Lotto, replied with a slightly flustered expression. "Not just that! The ck market isn''t just here! Even now, in cooperation with Foreign Religion, we have started to spread Stardust all over the world using various methods!" "This cooperation..." Suho smiled at the corner of his mouth and provoked him. "It seems to me that you guys have be their ves instead." "?No!" Could this be a trigger? Lotto shouted in a fit, forgetting that he had just been begging for his life a moment ago. "We were the first to develop Stardust and we were the ones who seeded in manufacturing the Star Pieces! Rather, they are being used by us demons!" "Do you really think so?" "Yes, yes." "Hmm." It was only now that a satisfied expression appeared on Suho''s lips. Suho''s heart was sincere as he looked at Lotto with admirable eyes. How could he not admire him? ''After all, I learned quite a lot thanks to this guy.'' [You''re kinda... cool?(1)] ''Where did you learn that word?'' [On the Inte.] Esil''s voice was genuinely admiring. Isn''t this enough to make us believe that Suho is not actually a human being, but a real demon aristocrat? [Tell me honestly. Are you actually Vulcan?] ''So noisy. This is just getting serious.'' Suho skipped over Esil''s words and raised Lotto''s body back up with Ruler''s Authority. Then, Lotto realized that he had just fought against the Demon Noble, and became contemtive. "If what you say is true," Suhomanded him solemnly. "Then guide me to them. Now." "!!" "I will meet the Foreign Religion missionaries myself." Lotto closed his eyes tightly as if he had expected him to say that. However, at the same time, borate calctions were running in his head. ''No, maybe this is for the better. Slowly they were getting out of control. From the beginning, Vulcan must have known everything and came to us.'' He finally answered. "I will guide you right away. To the temple of the Foreign Religion¨C" "There is no need for that," !!! Then, all the sudden, a series of people entered the gambling hall, emitting tremendous power. "Because we are already here." * * * [Hunter Association] -Yangpyeong Branch "... Is it true?" Team leader Han Jae-Hyeok, who ran after receiving a call from Suho, was shocked to learn all about what had happened at the Yangpyeong branch. Buzzzzzzzzzzz! Numerous bees flew around the Yangpyeong branch as if besieging them. Arsha''s alter ego, a woman with an alluring smile, was touching her lower lip with her fingertips, acting all cute. She smiled and nodded at team leader Han Jae-Hyeok''s words. [Yes. It''s all true. Right, everyone?] Eeek! When Arsha looked back, the Yangpyeong branch staff who were sitting there shivered at the same time. Buzzzzzzzzzzz! Bees hovered around them like piranhas. These countless bees, each of which felt ominous magic, were ready to attack them and sting all their blood vessels at any moment if the woman so much as flicked her hand. ''What, what kind of skill is this...'' ''Where did this woman suddenlye from?'' Because of Arsha''s skill(?) that Suho had called for while leaving for the ck market, the employees of the Yangpyeong branch had been imprisoned in the Yangpyeong branch office. They had stayed like this until the Association Surveince Division arrived to arrest them. This was due to Suho''s judgment that some of them might be in contact with the ck market. [Branch manager, all of what I said is true, right?] "Oh, that''s right! All right!" Branch manager Min Dae-Seok nodded in session with a pale face at Arsha''s kind urging. Seeing this, team leader Han Jae-Hyeok opened his mouth to let out a sigh while holding his throbbing forehead. "...Arrest them." "Yes!" At his words, the surveince and hunters who came with him arrested all the employees of the Yangpyeong branch. ''Just how did this all happen?'' Team leader Han Jae-Hyeok, who heard the whole story, was really dumbfounded. An Association that hides the ck market. ''The Association is running well, really. How long has it been since the President of the Association was away...'' In fact, it was likely that any organization with arge number of people would fester from within and cause corruption. However, the Hunter Association was only two years old. It''s really unbelievable that something like this is already happening. It was almost suspected that someone had intentionally infiltrated the Association. "No way... Who would have thought that the Stardust ne was made for the purpose of acting as a ck market pass." Team leader Han Jae-Hyeok sighed and lowered his gaze. Right away, he grabbed the Stardust ne hanging from his neck with his hands to tear it off. The Stardust ne, which started as a memorial for the victims of Stardust, was actually quite a driving force on the side of the Hunter Association. Of course, it wasn''t like an organized event by the Association, but literally, ''No one said anything about it at first'', they started to wear one by one around their necks... However, Stop. Why? "..." His hand, which was about to take off the Stardust ne, suddenly stopped. New thoughts came to his mind at the same time. ''...Hmm. I bought it with money anyway, so why don''t I just hold on to it a bit longer? I might need it to sneak into the ck marketter anyway.'' [Huh. Why did you hesitate? Could it be that you suddenly don''t want to throw away that ne?] "...!" Startle. At that moment, team leader Han Jae-Hyeok raised his eyes wide and raised his head forward at the alluring voice that pierced his ears. Then, right in front of him, Arsha was looking at him with a strange smile. She whispered to him as if she had just seen through his thoughts. [Have you ever thought about it? If it''s just for the purpose ofmemoration, you can just buy a ne and leave it at home, but why does everyone bother to wear it around their necks?] While saying that, Arsha touched the Stardust ne that team leader Han Jae-Hyeok was wearing with her soft hands. Crack! As the chain of the ne was forcibly ripped off by that touch, a momentary light of regret passed through team leader Han Jae-Hyeok''s eyes. [Did you think it''s a waste to throw it away?] "Ah!" Only then did team leader Han Jae-Hyeoke to his senses, and his eyes widened. Then, Arsha wrinkled her nose with a mischievous expression, gently shook the ne in front of her and said. [Be on alert. If this nees to the hands of ordinary people, won''t they be possessed?] Even while talking with Arsha, team leader Han Jae-Hyeok had a nk expression. His spine was cold. Looking back at the emotions he had just momentarily felt, they were all so strange. ''...I wanted to take it back. I didn''t want to lose the ne.'' [Hmm. Don''t worry too much though. From what Suho found out, the effect of the Stardust Ne disappears quickly if you keep it away from your body.] Arsha''s alter body is the one present right now. The true body of Arsha was in the shadow of Suho, who was still imitating Vulcan in the ck market. Thanks to that, Arsha was able to convey the information Suho found out to team leader Han Jae-Hyeok. [The Stardust ne seems to be a by-product of the process of making Star Pieces. However, no matter how weak it is, if it falls into the hands of ordinary humans, it is said that strangely, they want to keep it by their side and develop some vague faith. Itarim, a foreign deity, is literally a ''god''.] So, people whoe into direct contact with the power of the gods develop faith in the unknown god. "...Wait a moment. A foreign deity?" At that time, there was a certain memory that suddenly popped into team leader Han Jae-Hyeok''s head. "Foreign? I''m sure I''ve heard of it somewhere..." [The Foreign Religion?] At those words, a curiosity came to Arsha''s eyes as well. [Has the team leader ever heard of the Foreign Religion?] "Foreigners? Foreign Religion?... Ah, the Foreign Religion!" Team leader Han Jae-Hyeok opened his eyes and looked around. Where is this ce? Yangpyeong branch of the Association! He looked at the branch manager Min Dae-Seok, who was arrested by the Surveince Division. "I-I see!" Branch manager Min Dae-Seok was the one who had been suddenly assigned here a few months ago. The reason was that the branch manager, who was originally in charge of the Yangpyeong branch, suddenly quit the Association due to personal circumstances. The former branch manager... He was an A-rank hunter who had been directly selected by Woo Jin-Chul, the president of the Association and assigned to take charge of the Yangpyeong branch. At the same time he had also been Han Jae-Hyeok''s senior whom he greatly respected. [...Why did the former branch manager quit?] Hearing the words of team leader Han Jae-Hyeok, Arsha tilted her head and asked. He gritted his teeth as he recalled the memory of that time. "I have only heard rumors, but that senior suddenly joined a pseudo-religion and disappeared..." [Hmm?] A person who is an A-rank hunter has fallen into a pseudo-religion? If you hear it like this, it sounds really absurd, but when the subject is about the Foreign Religion, the problem bes quite different. "He was always such a nice person. But all of a sudden he..." * * * The Foreign Religion. With cold eyes, Suho nced at those who entered the gambling hall. People wearing priestly clothes. All of them had blue Star Pieces on their foreheads. A middle-aged man in the middle of them stepped forward and looked at Suho with an infinitely benevolent smile. "Wee. Are you the demon noble named Vulcan?" "Who are you?" "I am a priest serving the Great Foreign Religion. But in this secr world, I go by the name of ''Kim Chul''." [Kieek?] At that time. Beru, who had returned from exploring the surroundings, eximed with a bright smile. [Iron is back!] ---------------------------------- 1: The trantion literally was [? ?... ???] "you are quite the... hit" and uh, it''s ng, so the trantion might be off from what it''s intended. Chapter 189 - 189

Chapter 189:

After the cataclysm, it hurts to talk about the steps taken by the president of the Association, Woo Jin-Chul. He was a person that everyone in Korea respected. At the same time, he was also a person with sharply divided likes and dislikes. Looking back, his choices were always right, but the process seemed to always be reckless and bold. So, inevitably, a lot of resentment had been built behind the scenes. Among them, there was one problem that the guilds were dissatisfied with... It was the ''recruitment of talent''. ''What? You said he was stolen by the president of the Association? again?!'' ''Yes. As soon as he awakened, the Association found out who he was and offered a job proposition.'' ''No! This Awakener hadn''t even gone for a rank test! How the hell did the Association find out about the awakening!?'' ''I know. Haha. The Association''s recruiting department must have a lot of information...'' Yes. Truly an incredible amount of information. Woo Jin-Chul, the head of the Association, used to go before anyone else and somehow attract them to the Association. His ability to act was enough reason for the guilds, who wanted to recruit talented people and increase their power, to hate him. Among them, when Woo Jin-Chul first took the S-rank hunter ''The Ultimate Soldier'', there was a famous anecdote about the many guilds that hit the ground in regret upon having the S-rank be snatched away from them. The same went for another hunter. "... Senior ''Kim Chul'' was also one of the talented people recruited directly by the president of the Association." Team leader Han Jae-Hyeok was talking to Arsha and recalling the memories of that time. The conversation between Kim Chul and Woo Jin-Chul, who had just awakened as A-rank tanks, was a very famous anecdote. ''What kind of Hunter do you want to be?'' Was the question Woo Jin-Chul gave. Kim Chul said instead of answering, had asked back. ''President, do you know what my motto is?'' ''What is it?'' ''To live kindly.'' Grin. Kim Chul smiled brightly at Woo Jin-Chul, saying the motto he had always had in his heart since his adolescence. Kim Chul was already in his middle age, but his smile had the innocence of an adolescent boy. Faced with a sense of good justice that was clearly felt in his eyes, Woo Jin-Chul asked again with a satisfied smile on his lips. ''...Does that mean you want to be a good hunter?'' ''Yes. Since I have awakened, I want to fight to protect this world with pride.'' ''What a wonderful mindset. Come to the Association and I will entrust you with an important responsibility to protect the world.'' ''I hope it goes well.'' So Kim Chul held hands with Woo Jin-Chul and entered the Hunter Association without hesitation. But... "Senior Kim Chul, who joined just like that,ter said he was deeply disappointed in the Association." Team leader Han Jae-Hyeok muttered with a bitter look. In fact, he couldn''t help but be disappointed. Kim Chul joined the Association because he wanted to be a great hunter who protects the world. "And the job the president of the Association had entrusted to that senior was to directly manage the Yangpyeong branch." [Ahh.] It was Arsha who nodded in agreement with those words. Yangpyeong was a very quiet town for a Hunter with an aspiration to protect the world. There are even a lot of rich people living here, so badmenters go so far as to say that the Yangpyeong branch manager is a dog that protects the rich. "Eventually, Senior Kim Chul left the Association himself. There were many spections that he fell into a cult of sorts, but rumors are just rumors." [...] Arsha conveyed what he heard from team leader Han Jae-Hyeok to Suho. * * * Suho, who received Arsha''s words in real time, was a little surprised inside. ''The president of the Association, Woo Jin-Chul, personally selected and entrusted the Yangpyeong branch to him?'' ording to Beru, Kim Chul was a soldier named ''Iron'' of the Shadow Corps led by Sung Jin-Woo a long time ago. However, as the Earth''s time returned to before he died, he came back and led a new life. Like Hwang Dong-Soo, who was once the shadow soldier ''Greed'' and now lives as an S-rank viin. But to think that Kim Chul would be a hunter of the Association and work as the branch manager of the Yangpyeong branch where his grandfather and grandmother live. Is that really a coincidence? ''No, it could never happen.'' Suho realized the situation right away. ''It was for my father.'' Woo Jin-Chul, the president of the Association, was a person who remembered his past life rted to his father. So it means that. ''He was afraid that my grandfather and grandmother would be in danger while my father was away, so the Association set out to protect Yangpyeong. Entrust the Yangpyeong branch to someone you can trust!'' Perhaps, in the mind of Woo Jin-Chul, the president of the Association, there was no other person as trustworthy as Kim Chul, who was his father''s shadow soldier in the past. ''But maybe... He would never have thought that Kim Chul would have be a priest serving Itarim in such an absurd ce.'' It seemed that even the great Woo Jin-Chul had not anticipated this variable. "...Are you a priest of a Foreign Religion?" "That''s right." "And if you are Kim Chul, you were once the head of the Yangpyeong branch." In response to Suho''s question that hit the mark, Kim Chul nodded with a benevolent smile. "Heh heh heh. Is there anything you don''t know, Lord Vulcan? That''s right. There was a time when I was involved in the Hunter Association." "But why are you here now?" "Hehe, that is a very sad word. Are you suspicious of me just because I''ve been with the Association for a while? Or, do you doubt the performance of this Star Piece?" At Suho''s words, Kim Chul smiled benevolently and raised hisrge palm to touch the Star Piece on his forehead. Then, an auspicious blue energy slowly burned from the Star Piece, and mad eyes shed between his fingers. The corners of Kim Chul''s mouth went up. "We, the Foreign Religion, baptize only those who have proven their faith as Star Pieces, or ''Outer God''s Jewels''. There''s no need to doubt it. I''m just saying that the Foreign Religions offer more to the world than the Associations..." [Kill him now. I don''t want to hear any more nonsense like that.] Beru whispered like a demon next to Suho. kill him kill him kill him kill him kill him kill him¨C [You must strike down and kill that fallen soldier, Iron, and bring him back to the Shadow Legion!] "Haha. Lord Vulcan, please calm down for a moment. As you know, there is absolutely no reason for us to antagonize each other." Kim Chul said while wiping the cold sweat on his forehead with a handkerchief, perhaps because of the energy emitted by Beru. After subduing Beru by stepping on him with his foot, Suho solemnly opened his mouth while looking at Kim Chul. "I will ask, priest of the Foreign Religion." No matter how much he pretended to be Vulcan, he felt like he had to ask because he was really curious about this one thing. "Haha. So there is something even the Demon Noble doesn''t know. Yes. You can ask anything." "If you nt a Star Piece on a human, are there any side effects? Like, hair loss?" "..." At that moment, Kim Chul''s smile, which had been benevolent all along, flinched for the first time. Kim Chul replied with a slight trembling of eyes. "This is just in hair loss." "Right. Come to think of it, the other humans next to you have hair attached to them. Alright then, are there any other side effects of the Star Piece?" Suho pretended to know nothing and nodded. Then, a slight wrinkle wriggled on his forehead, where Kim Chul''s Star Piece was embedded before gritting his teeth and smiling. "Please. How could there be any side effects in the first ce? The Outer God''s Jewel is the very grace bestowed by God for lowly human beings like us." Woooshh! With those words, the Star Piece on his forehead radiated blue energy. "Huh." Kim Chul inhaled the energy and made a look of ecstasy. "Hehe. Do you feel it? If the Stardust was at a level that amplified the power it possesses, then the Outer God''s Jewels raises the owner''s power to a higher level. In short... You will be reborn as a higher being!" Woooshh! At the same time, he could feel Kim Chul''s Star Piece brimming with blue light and his energy gradually grew stronger. Undoubtedly, that energy was far beyond the magic limit of Kim Chul, who was known as an A-rank hunter. [Unbelievable. By epting the godship of an outer god into its body he has started to exude an aura close to an S-rank.] ''It''s simr to the principle that I use when I merge Gray into my body.'' At a nce, Suho could understand the principle of the Star Piece. No matter how he misunderstood that expression, Kim Chul spread his arms toward Suho with a benevolent smile, mad eyes and smiled brightly. "So, would you like to join us, Lord Vulcan? Worshiping and praising Foreign gods is the mission and destiny of mortals." "If it is a mortal mission. Then what good is it to me?" As Suho smiled and made a small fortune, Kim Chul''s eyes shed with a meaningful expression. "You must already know, right? The real reason Lord Vulcan, a demon aristocrat, dared to visit us! You want to be the Demon King by using the Outer God''s Jewel, right?" "...You are quite quick-witted." "Heh heh heh. It''s because I''ve seen many demons by my side. The lower demons say they want to be demon nobles, but if Lord Vulcan''s goal is to be the Demon King, of course we could grant that!" [Hold on, really?!] ''Why are you like this?'' Ignoring Esil''s surprised voice, Suho scanned the surroundings with a cool gaze. ''For now, it seems my grandfather isn''t among them.'' After checking the faces of the Foreign believers, Suho asked Kim Chul, who was excitedly evangelizing here and there. "Are all the Foreign Believers here?" "Oh no. All the other believers are offering sacrifices in the chapel." "Guide me." "Heh heh you showed interest in the chapel right away! My prediction was correct. Come with us to the chapel and ept the faith of the Foreign Religion!" Kim Chul never doubted Suho. Vulcan was called the ''Demon of Greed'' because he was more greedy than anyone else among the demons. Now that all the other demon nobles are gone, what he most covets must be the seat of the Demon King. [So when do you n to kill him?] ''Wait. We will get everyone gathered so that no one escapes...'' Hearing Beru''s whispers to continue to ambush and kill Kim Chul from the side, Suho left the gambling hall and headed for the chapel following the guidance of the Foreign believers. Before long, a huge door appeared in front of Suho. When Kim Chul ced his palm on the huge door, his Star Piece shone and the massive door opened by itself. Crrreakk. Then, arge dome-shaped room appeared in Suho''s field of vision. Inside, he could see Foreign believers lying t on their stomachs, muttering prayers like crazy people. However, there was a reason why this incrediblyrge space felt cramped. ''That''s...'' Suho''s eyes shed. The innermost part of the chapel. There, something huge, iprehensible tomon sense, was sitting on a chair as big as the ce itself. A figure of an enormous size. "Wee, Lord Vulcan. This is the chapel of our Foreign Religion Church." As soon as Kim Chul had finished talking: Tilt. The heads of the Foreign believers who were kneeling in prayer in the chapel all raised their heads and looked at Suho. Then they all smiled brightly with the same expression on their faces. Still, the prayers flowed incessantly from their mouths. "Worship God. Worship God. Worship God. Worship God." "Praise God. Praise God. Praise God. Praise God." "Prove your faith. Prove your faith. Prove your faith. Prove your faith..." m! The chapel door closed with a loud roar behind Suho''s back. Thest phrase of the prayer flowed from Kim Chul''s mouth, who was smiling brighter than anyone else in front of the door. "Those who do not abide by this rule will not be able to return alive." Chapter 190 - 190

Chapter 190:

[Rules of the Cartenon Temple] First: Worship God. Second: Praise God. Third: Prove your faith. Those who do not abide by this rule will not be able to return alive! T-ring! [''Itarim''s Blessing: Cartenon''s Discipline'' is activated.] "Ah!!!" Suddenly, the atmosphere in the chapel changed drastically. [Little Lord! This aura is from the Itarim!¨C] [It''s a trap! I think this is!¨C] Even before the urgent voices of Beru and Esil, who felt the change, were over... "Praise the Itarim!" Wooooo! Woooo! ...Along with Kim Chul''s booming voice, bizarre singing voices erupted from the mouths of the Foreign believers in the chapel. [It seems like a ce where non-Foreigners are sacrificed!] "Worship and Praise!" "Prove your faith!" T-ring! T-ring! T-ring! System messages appeared one after another in front of Suho''s eyes. [Itarim''s protection limits the magic power of unbelievers.] Fwoom!! An unknown force suppressed Suho''s magical power. [The protection of Itarim permits the use of magic to those who prove their faith.] [The protection of Itarim grants divine power to those who prove their faith.] "Kill Vulcan!" Ahhhhhh!! At Kim Chul''s order, all the Foreign believers focused their attacks on Suho with bright smiles on their faces. Punch punch punch! "Haha! Who would have thought that a demon noble woulde to my feet!" "No matter how demon nobles are, if their magical powers are blocked, they are nothing more than sacrifices!!!" In that moment. Gah! Suho''s fist suddenly swung around, and the chin of the Foreign priest who had been attacking at the front turned sideways. Bam! His body ricocheted backwards far faster than he hade, crashing into the wall. "!!!" The eyes of the Foreign believers, including Kim Chul, widened at the same time. [Fitness Lv.7] There, Suho was smiling, showing his teeth in such an enthusiastic manner. "Now, since I''ve confirmed that my grandfather isn''t among them..." Fwoom! Suho clenched his fists and walked forward. He checked the faces of the believers who attacked him one by one as his eyes lit up. "I''ll kill you all first and then ask!" Woosh! Suho''s new model kicked off the ground and shot forward. No matter how much they tried to block his mana, some of Suho''s skills did not consume magic at all. In addition, the stats from the horns of Vulcan were still engraved in his body! [Effect ''Desire for Destruction'': Increases physical damage by 300%.] Punch punch punch punch! "?Aaaahhhh!" The Foreign believers scattered in all directions like autumn leaves. When Suho started rampaging in earnest, there was nothing to block his path. Kim Chul stepped forward. "Haha! It seems we are struggling quite a bit! As expected of a demon aristocrat, the offerings are very fresh!" Swishh. He radiated blue energy from the Star Piece on his forehead and swung hisrge shield at Suho. Whoosh- Bang! Fist and shield collided with each other. A huge shockwave spread out in all directions. Suho and Kim Chul''s eyes crossed in the air. ''This is not an ordinary A-rank level!'' ''Is this the power of the demon nobles!?'' But for a moment he thought. ''I''m going to destroy it!'' Suho''s fierce attack followed straight away like a shotgun. Doo doo doo doo doo doo doo! "Kuh!?!" Kim Chul gritted his teeth and endured all the attacks while swinging his sword with his other hand. Then, Suho immediately grabbed the horn of the Vulcan mounted on his head with both hands and swung it forward. Kwaaaaang-! Vulcan''s two horns, which returned to sword form in an instant, cut through the air. ''The Ruler''s Authority!'' The power of a ruler which does not consume mana. Vulcan''s horn shot out of Suho''s hand. Slice slice slice slice! "Oh, no!" Kim Chul widened his eyes and took a step back. Every time he avoided Suho''s attack, other Foreign believers were mercilessly hacked to death instead. "Ah!" The Foreign believers caught in the attack died vomiting blood from their mouths. At that moment, an amazing thing happened. ?Woosh! The Star Piece embedded in the foreheads of the fallen Foreign believers began to radiate blue energy. The energy that spewed out like that wrapped around the bodies of the Foreign believers and soon created blue mes. ROAR! Right after. The blue demon took control of their corpses and raised them up like puppets. "A Mist Burn?" No, it''s simr to Mist Burn, but different. The Foreign believers were only being ruled by the Star Pieces until they died. "Ah!" The Foreign believers caught in the blue mist flew through the air and started attacking Suho. [Little Lord! You must attack the Star Piece itself!] Beru and Esil shouted. [I think the Star Piece is the medium that connects Itarim and these guys!] "So it''s that kind of priestly concept?" Hearing those words, Suho''s eyes lit up. "...Just like me." In that moment... [The King of Beasts, the Beast Monarch, licks his lips.] [The Queen of Bugs, the gue Monarch raises her eyes.] [The King of Snow Folk, the Frost Monarch is watching you.] Even if the magical power was sealed, it had nothing to do with the souls of the monarchs who had already died and wandered the sea after death. Just as the energy of the Itarim, which exists far away in outer space, gives strength to the Foreign cultists through the medium of Star Pieces. "Come out, Gray. Esil." Whoosh!! "GRRRRR!!!" At that moment, a huge wolf wrapped in silver suddenly jumped out of Suho''s shadow and attacked the Foreign believers. BITE! Esil, which was nestled in Vulcan''s horn, also jumped out and swung a spear at them. "Wha- how¨C did all of a sudden?!!" When Suho''s colleagues suddenly increased, Kim Chul couldn''t help but be exasperated. [Iron, wee.] "?!?!?!" Suddenly, a voice whispered from Kim Chul''s back. Kim Chul shuddered and hurriedly looked around, but there was nothing there. ''A ghost?!'' Kim Chul was startled and turned around to correct his posture. But why? ''Wee?'' He wanted to go there, no matter where it was. ''What the hell is this feeling?!'' Confused! He was so confused! His subconscious was just delighted with that ghostly voice! "Rise up everyone! They are few and far between! For the glory of the Itarim!" Kim Chul suppressed his unconsciousness and shouted at the believers as if talking to himself. "For the Itarim!" "For the Itarim!" The followers raised their voices and the strength of their bodies. "We may die!" "Even if I live, it''s for Itarim!" "Even if I die, I will be an apostle of the Itarim!" "Kill Vulcan! If you have the blood of a demon noble, you can make a lot of Star Pieces!" The Foreign believers that were alive as well as those who had died were ruled by the Star Pieces as they joined forces to attack Suho. Despite the enormous inferiority, Suho smiled. The corner of his mouth rose and he opened his mouth. "All of you, arise." I can''t use magic, but what does that mean? Shadow Powers are all skills that do not consume mana. (1) [Use ''Skill: Monarch''s Domain''.] [The stats of shadow soldiers fighting in the shadow of the caster increase by 50%.] WOOSH!!! With Suho at the center, his shadow spread out in all directions. And within it, the shadow soldiers following Suho rose up. "Scatter and destroy the Star Pieces!" [Yes Master!] Fwoom!!! Quay became a single spear faster than anyone else and jumped out and pierced them. Slice! Chachachachachak! "Ahgk!!" As his spear pierced the Star Pieces embedded in the foreheads of the followers, they shattered into blue light dust. Along with that, the energy of the Itarim that dominated them was scattered and their bodies copsed on the spot. "Hey, what the hell is this!" Kim Chul, a priest of the Foreign Religion Church who was in charge of them, was greatly embarrassed and confused. "Oh Itarim! save us! Us... Us... ?" Incidentally: ''... What is this feeling?'' Something strange happened. Terribly strange. The shadow of Suho filled the chapel where the battle was taking ce. The skill, Monarchs''s Domain. From the moment Kim Chul stood in his shadow. For some reason, Kim Chul was barely able to hold back his instinct from running towards Suho and kneeling down. ''Why, why! What the heck! Could it be that the demon noble named Vulcan brainwashed my mind?'' If true, it was a truly diabolical ploy! "Aagh! Trying to bewitch me, a priest who serves God! Do you think I will pass!" Kim Chul gritted his teeth and charged at Suho. He concentrated his entire body on one point. BOOM! "Vulcan! die!" [Iron.] "Who are you?!" Again, at the voice of the ghost whispering behind his back, Kim Chul shouted and twisted his body to hit the back. Then, there was a real ghost there! A ck shadow. The ant-like evil spirit was smiling brightly at himself with the cruelest grin. [Wee.] Stab! "!!!" That was thest thing Kim Chul saw before he died. [Hm? Why is this strong guy looking away instead of fighting? Must have been because I was fast.] Quay tilted his head after having pierced the back of Kim Chul''s, smashing the Star Pieces along the way. Beru giggled and looked down at Kim Chul''s corpse. [Iron must have missed the Monarch''s realm for so long, Little lord! Come on, Iron, wake up!] Suho was standing in front of Kim Chul''s corpse. [Shadow extraction may be used on this target.] ''Didn''t he say he was my father''s soldier?'' Maybe that''s why, even before Suho came closer, Kim Chul''s shadow was shaking. He hadn''t even extracted it, but it seemed like it would wake up on its own right now. "Hmm. Arise?" [Shadow extraction seeded.] ?Woosh! As soon as Suho finished his words, Kim Chul''s shadow surged up. [Ha ha ha ha! I''m back!] [Kieheek! You''re finally back, Iron!] [Ha ha ha ha! I remembered everything! All my memories are back!] [Kiehehekekekeek!!] As soon as he became a shadow soldier, Kim Chul and Beruughed at each other. He suddenly turned his head to Suho. Kim Chul, who once served Sung Jin-Woo as a shadow soldier, instinctively knew what kind of rtionship Suho had with Sung Jin-Woo. [Young Lord. My new lord...] It was then¨C Zap! "...!!!" Suho''s sensory stat sent an ominous warning. At the same time he turned his head toward it with a frightened expression. Before he knew it, the two eyes of the huge god statue sitting on a chair in front of me were staring at him. [Be Caref¨C!] Before Iron''s desperate cry was over, Suho instinctively turned his body to the side. Almost simultaneously, blue rays emanated from both eyes of the statue. SHING! The light barely passed by Suho and caused a huge explosion. VOOOOOOM! A blue ray of light swept across the area andpletely melted the bodies of the Foreign believers there. "?Aaaaaagh!" "??Ahh!!" In the ce where the beam passed, only the remains of the Foreign believers remained. The screams came not from them, but from the mouths of other believers who witnessed their end. "I don''t think he is a very merciful god." Suho smirked and looked ahead. The god statue, who personally killed the believers who had prostrated themselves in front of him and prayed, smiled brightly at Suho, cruelly. [I never thought I would see the Power of the Shadows in a ce like this.] A grotesque echoing voice flowed from the statue''s mouth. The emotion felt in that voice was an obvious murderous intent towards Suho, with a distinct appetite, as if he had discovered delicious food right in front of his eyes. [Ridiculous. Acting so arrogant about killing one priest.] The statue of Itarimughed at Suho and opened his mouth. [However, there are many priests who serve me. Even those who are much stronger than that guy.] The god statue smiled meaningfully and turned his head. Soon after... CRACK! One wall of the chapel was destroyed by the blue rays emitted from the statue of God. A Blue Mist was flowing from the hidden gate beyond. [Come out, high priest.] ?Woosh! At those words, a silhouette slowly revealed itself from inside the gate. [Oh! It can''t be!] Iron, who had just be Suho''s shadow soldier, suddenly recalled memories from his past life and shouted at Suho. [Greed! The high priest of the Foreign Religious Church is the S-rank viin Hwang Dong-Soo!] "!!!" At those words, Suho and Beru''s expressions hardened. Why did Hwang Dong-Soo appear here all of a sudden? And as the high priest of the Itarim no less! If the power of the Star Pieces were added to him, who was originally an S-rank awakened, it was clear that the power would be truly enormous. Clomp... clomp... [Kuahahaha!] Together with the statue of God, Hwang Dong-Soo finally appeared at the gate. However. "Eh?!" He didn''t walk out on his own. He was being dragged out by a white-haired grandfather. ¡ª--------------------- 1: Technically speaking, summoning them does not consume mana, just regenerating them, in case anyone gets confused. Chapter 191 - 191

Chapter 191:

[...Huh?] For the first time, the face of the god who had been wearing a wicked smile, shifted. Hwang Dong-Soo: He was a high priest brainwashed by the Foreign Religion and a human with S-rank power. Contaminating the souls of those with S-rank powers was a very tricky and difficult task. To do so, they would first slowly build up friendships which he would not be wary of. Afterwards, when no suspicion stood between them, they entrusted him with the distribution of Stardust nes and Star Pieces, gradually bing stained with the Itarim''s divinity. After such a long time and effort, he was finally able to seed in making him the high priest. High Priest Hwang Dong-Soo, who possesses S-rank power, was born from such hard work. ...But why? Why did the high priest who he had worked so hard to makee out dragged out like that! [How?!] FWOOM! The statue of the Itarim stood up from his chair in a fury iparable to the one he had when Kim Chul died. However, the answer to the god statue''s question came not from the old man who dragged Hwang Dong-Soo, but from Suho''s mouth. "...Ah, grandpa?" "Hmm?" Sung Il-Hwan, who had been indifferent to Suho''s voice, brightened when he looked at Suho. "No, who is¨C? Why is my grandson here?" * * * Sung Il-Hwan. The father of the Shadow Monarch Sung Jin-Woo, whose reason he recalled the memories of his previous life was because of a ''dream''. - Is that a dream again? At first, the dream was simply dismissed as a scene from a movie. It was just a fragmentary scene, and the content was also just as childish upon seeing himself fighting monsters. Even so, by the time he woke up in bed in the morning and drank his coffee, most of the memories he had seen in that dream had already disappeared. Rubbed out from his mind just as easily as an eraser does. Well, that tends to happen in dreams. However, no matter how much one rubs out the lead with an eraser, if one kept erasing it a lot of times, at least a trace would remain on the paper. -... Is it that dream again? At some point, Sung Il-Hwan began to wake up in the morning and even into the afternoon, with the scenes he saw in his dream unable to disappear from his mind. Either way, he didn''t care. It was just a dream after all. But, there was just one thing that bothered him. -Why is Jin-Woo... In Sung Il-Hwan''s dreams, his son, Sung Jin-Woo, always appeared at the end of that dream. Always looking at him with a resentful gaze. Always those words wereing out of his mouth and towards him. -...I missed you, always. And Sung Il-Hwan touched the face of his son who hade close to him. Tears dripped from his son''s eyes as they wet the back of his hand. Those tears are so warm... Even though I know it''s a dream, why does it hurt so much? Even though this father has done nothing for you, you... -You''ve grown well. At those words, Sung Jin-Woo asked, revealing a terrifyingly heavy anger. -Is it the Rulers? Are they the ones controlling you and throwing you away, father? Rulers. I don''t know who they are, Sung Il-Hwan shook his head. -They simply gave me a chance to choose. I chose to protect you, and that choice was not wrong in the slightest. As he answered, his hand, which had been caressing his son''s face, turned to ash and began to scatter. - I wanted to talk more with you. I wanted to be with my son a little longer. In the end, he made him erase his father twice from his son''s heart. Tears flowed from the eyes of Sung Il-Hwan, who tried to hold it in until the end. - I''m sorry... that I couldn''t be a good father. He ended with that as the rain started falling. Sung Il-Hwan''s body turned to ashes. Even in the midst of flowing ash, Sung Il-Hwan could be seen. The look on his son''s face as he approaches to hug this ugly father''s crumbling body. The fierce anger in those eyes. - AAAAAAAAHH! Then the mana in the air vibrated. The sky, the air, and the ground wept. - Can you hear me, Monarchs! You will definitely pay for what you have done today! The roar of the angry Shadow Monarch shook the heavens and the earth. ''...Shadow Monarch?'' That day Sung Il-Hwan got up from the bed, put his hand on his forehead and sighed. ''Oh, oh my...'' Just like that, Sung Il-Hwan recalled the memories of his previous life that he forcibly erased in order to enjoy a normal life with his son. As always, everything has a meaning. Some time after Sung Il-Hwan recalled his previous life, Sung Jin-Woo went missing. Just likest time when he disappeared to wage a lonely war, but now the cataclysm urred afterwards. -Has the Earth changed back then? Looking at the gate and the dungeon break that started again, Sung Il-Hwan could not hide his bitterness. But unfortunately, there was nothing the old man could do. No, in fact, there are things you can do if you put your mind to it. Because he, who had grown old like this, had the same magical power as before. However, Sung Il-Hwan, who was already an old man, had no intention of making the same choice as before. Because the voice of his son, who always looked at him with resentment in his dreams, was strongly engraved in his head. -Are you going to leave without a word again, Father? ''No way. I can''t make the same mistake.'' Sung Il-Hwan chose. A long time ago, as soon as he awakened his magical power, he became a hunter and jumped into the dungeon without hesitation. For the noble mission to save the world by devoting oneself to the wealth and glory that follows. ''But this time I''m protecting my family.'' In this life, Sung Il-Hwan still stayed by his wife''s side even though he had awakened his magical power. It is the young people''s job to protect the world. Therefore he chose to spend the rest of his life with his beloved wife, growing old in five years. Of course, he used fishing as an excuse from time to time to properly clean the simple dungeons near his house before returning. But one day, what he discovered was a ck market that had popped up near his house. Sung Il-Hwan thought toe out after doing a sneaky investigation with a light heart at first. Unfortunately the moment he set foot in it, that moment he found the statue of the Itarim inside... [Your soul, I must have it.] ''!!!'' A bizarre voice prated Sung Il-Hwan''s mind. * * * SWHOOOM WOOOOSH!! Sung Il-Hwan approached Suho, narrowly avoiding the blue rays emitted from the eyes of the statue of the Itarim. "Grandpa! What are you doing here!" "Oh look who''s talking, I should be saying that to you! What are you doing here?" "Because of you grandpa!" Just then, Suho looked at Sung Il-Hwan up close, his eyes widened. Sung Il-Hwan had numerous Star Pieces all over his body unlike Kim Chul and other foreign believers that only had one stuck to their foreheads. "Grandpa, what the hell is this..." "Ah, this? I was caught by chance, so I almost suffered some modification." "Inventory!" Suho immediately opened his inventory and took out the ''Item: Echo Forest Spring Water''. Then, avoiding the giant feet of the statue of Itarim descending from above to trample them, he passed the potion to Sung Il-Hwan''s mouth. "Eat this first!" Sung Il-Hwan drank the detoxifying potion. However, even in such an urgent situation, it felt quite pleasant to have a conversation with his grandson after a long time. "This doesn''t seem very tasty. Is it really good for you?" ''This isn''t the time to joke!'' Suho hit the zealots attacking from the side, and together with Sung Il-Hwan, escaped from the statue''s attack range. An angry voice erupted from the mouth of the statue towards Sung Il-Hwan. [You worthless mortal! High priest, rise up!] Aaaaaaa! As he said that, blue energy surged from Hwang Dong-Soo''s body on the floor and floated into the air. Hwang Dong-Soo, like Sung Il-Hwan, also had dozens of Star Pieces embedded all over his body. [How on earth did you get away from the power of the Outer God Jewel!] "It was only a trivial matter." Sung Il-Hwanughed at the words of the god. "I guess you guys don''t quite understand what worthless really means." Then he touched the dozens of Star Pieces embedded in his body and said. "You''re going to brainwash me with these insignificant stones?" FWOOM! The statue''s attack shattered the ground he stood on. "Wuaaaaa!" Hwang Dong-Soo, losing his temper, flew in and attacked them. The blue energy he emitted exploded and one side of the chapel copsed. Sung Il-Hwan lightly got out of there and spread his arms. Surprisingly, dozens of Star Pieces embedded in his body wrapped around him, radiating blue energy, a mor simr to that of brass. Fwom! The blue aura turned into a darker shade as Sung Il-Hwan''s hands grabbed the transforming mana around him. He swung it as if he were holding two daggers. Slice slice slice slice! Blue swords hacked through the air and attacked the statue and Hwang Dong-Soo. [How dare you¨C! An unbeliever who has no reverence for God is trying to use divine power!] The statue of the Itarim became even more angry and emitted blue rays from its eyes. At that moment... "Grandfather!" Suho hit the statue''s leg with all his might. Crack! [!!!] The bnce of the divine statue copsed and the direction of the blue ray was twisted in the opposite direction of Sung Il-Hwan, "Oh my, when did my grandson grow up like this?" grinned with an expression of great admiration at seeing his grandson after a long time. "You really are just like your father, no one will be able to deny that after this!" "Grandpa." Suho broke Sung Il-Hwan''s joke and faced him forward with serious eyes. "Could you follow my instructions?" At those words, the corner of Sung Il-Hwan''s mouth went up. "Alright." At that moment, Sung Il-Hwan turned his head toward the statue, and his eyes changed as sharply as Suho''s. Suho ran towards the statue with all his might. The blue ray of the god statue barely passed over Suho''s head. "Haaaaaaaa!" Suho raised his fist. But what he attacked was not the statue of God, rather the floor of the chapel where the statue stood. CRACK! [!!!] In an instant, the divine statue''s bnce was shaken. "Now!" As if he had waited for those words, Sung Il-Hwan''s figure appeared in front of the statue. ¨D¨D! A blue light exploded. T-ring! [''Blessing of Itarim: Rules of Cartenon Temple'' are canceled.] Chapter 192 - 192

Chapter 192:

Pwak Pwah Pwah Pwah Pwah-! A blue aura rages. "This power! Give it back!" The Star Piece. Dozens of Outer God Jewels were forcibly imnted in Sung Il-Hwan''s body. From there, the mana of the outer universe stretched out and was condensed into two daggers that exploded in his hands. [How dare¨C!] FWOOOM! A blue ray of light, emanating from the eyes of the enraged god, split the wall in half. [An insignificant mortal!] BAAAM! Qurrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr! The chapel began to copse under the power of the god who was extremely angry. However, the chapel was already meaningless. The ''Debuff: Rules of the Temple of Cartenon'', which had already dominated the chapel, had been broken. Whoop! Finally, the coercive power that was strangling own Suho''s magical power disappeared. "Good." Suho''s eyes shone eerily. That gaze intersected in the air with that of Sung Il-Hwan, who was blocking the statue from above. Sung Il-Hwan was talking to Suho with his eyes. ''Now, let''s see what you got.'' How much he has grown so far! Even though it happened suddenly, Sung Il-Hwan noticed quite a few things as soon as he saw Suho. How could he not? He was Sung Jin-Woo''s father, and Sung Jin-Woo was another father who raised a son he was more proud of than anyone else. He was a warrior that was fighting out there to protect his son in a ce where no one knew about. Therefore... ''I don''t need any exnation.'' It was already clear in Sung Il-Hwan''s eyes. ''Show me your skills.'' Beneath Suho''s feet, the great shadow connected to the deep darkness. ''How deep is your darkness!'' How much the grandson, who he had always thought of as a child, had grown! "Arise!" Suho''s order has been given. Whoaaaagh! [Shadow extraction seeded.] [Shadow extraction seeded.] [Shadow extraction seeded.] At thatpulsory order, new shadow soldiers rose from the corpses of the foreign believers who had melted in the rays of the god. [Shadow Fanatic Lv.1] [Shadow Fanatic Lv.1] [Shadow Fanatic Lv.1] Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa! Kyaaaaaaaa! The foreign believers who came back from the dead were literally demons themselves. From them, fierce hatred for the false god, who used and betrayed their blind faith during their lifetime, erupted. "All troops, charge!" WUAAAAAAA! At themand of Suho, the Shadow Legion roared in unison and stretched out toward the statue of Itarim. [The stats of shadow soldiers fighting in the shadow of the caster increase by 50%.] The monarch''s realm amplified its wrathful power. [Ha ha ha ha! You detestable Outer God! I''ll crush you!] Kim Chul, who was more enthusiastic than anyone else in his lifetime, now took the lead before anyone else and rushed to the statue of Itarim. [You''re back, Iron!] Beru was delighted andmanded the battlefield from above ¨CKim Chul¨C Iron''s head. Quarreung! The giant feet of the statue crushed the shadow soldiers mercilessly. [Harmakan uses ''Skill: Thorn of Pain''.] [Harmakan uses ''Skill: Damage Amplification''.] Pwak Pwak! Suho showed all his strength. [Use ''Skill: Rigid Body Art''.] [''Skill: Giant''s Armor'' is used.] [The spiritual body of ''Pet: Gray'' is strengthened in the body of the priest.] [Use ''Skill: Grasnd Wind''.] [Movement speed temporarily increases by 30%.] [Attack speed temporarily increases by 30%.] Shhhuunk! As Suho grew in size, his silver hair fluttered like a lion''s mane. "He..." Sung Il-Hwan couldn''t help but be a little embarrassed at Suho''s changed appearance. When did my tiny grandson grow up like that... Would you have changed like a fly? [Use ''Skill: Storm sh''.] Qurrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrring! However, as much as its appearance, the storm of des from Suho''s sword attacked the statue with tremendous power. "Ahh!!" "Run away!" When the chapel copsed, the foreign believers scattered in a panic. The demons outside the chapel were also perplexed. It was then. [My servants! Fight!] Hwaaak! Their expressions suddenly changed by the statue''s roar. They had long since lost their original selves due to being contaminated by the divinity of Itarim, and God''smand was absolute to them, the instilled faith remaining. They jumped back into the copsing building with blue ghostly eyes and attacked Suho''s army. However, the hunters who were purely using the ck market without knowing anything were different. "W-what is that?!" "A moving stone statue!" The Hunters suddenly widened their eyes at the appearance of a huge statue of God that appeared outside as the chapel building copsed. Despiteing here to evade taxes, they were still active hunters. Regardless of who started first, they instinctively raised all their magic power and prepared themselves for battle. However... sh! "!!!" The Stardust ne hanging around their necks suddenly reacted to the presence of the statue and emitted blue light. The light was weakpared to the Star Pieces, but it was enough. "Ouch?!" "!!!" "Huh, why is the ne¨C!" Stardust nes around their necks held their bodies in the air like shackles. As if an evil spirit had possessed them. "What, what is this¡ª!" "Kek kek!" The hunters struggled in the air, exuding strange energy, struggling to remove the strangling ne. At the same time BOOM! "!!!" Red filled the scene. From the Hunter''s eyes bloody tears fell as he saw arge hole in the center of his body. Hwang Dong-Soo indifferently pulled out his fist that pierced the insides of the hunter and shook off the blood. Thud. He put his palms together with a reverent expression as he watched the fleetingly dying and crumbling corpse in front of him. "I offer a sacrifice to the Great God." Suaaa At that moment, the magic power remaining in the dead Hunter''s body was scattered like light powder. And that power became a ''sacrificial offering'' that was absorbed into the statue of Itarim. "What the¨C!!" The hunters who witnessed the shocking sight struggled to tear off the ne with all their might. Dduduk! "No.. no no no No No NO¨C!" BOOM! "...I offer you a sacrifice." Another offering was added. Unlike Sung Il-Hwan, Hwang Dong-Soo has already beenpletely contaminated by Itarim''s divinity. He red at the non-believers, Sung Suho and Sung Il-Hwan, who were engaged in a fierce battle with the statue of Itarim with blue ghostly eyes. "Tch, tch. How dare these impious bastards!" He killed all the hunters in front of his eyes with the most frenzied momentum, and jumped into the battlefield to protect the statue. sh! Just like Sung Il-Hwan, blue energy radiated from his body, but suddenly¨C Ching! "I guess I haven''t finished the job yet." Hwang Dong-Soo red at Sung Il-Hwan, a gray-haired old man blocking his way, and gnashed his teeth. "Sung Il-Hwan!" "Don''t interfere with what my grandson is doing, why don''t we, old men, fight instead?" "Don''t be so cocky with me! I was just caught off guard earlier!" "Oh?" At the words of Hwang Dong-Soo who shouted in anger, Sung Il-Hwan smiled faintly. "Do you really think so?" There was no further conversation from that point on because Hwang Dong-Soo started attacking him with all his might. Bang! An S-rank viin who became the high priest of Itarim, and an S-rank hunter who escaped from the false god by his own will. As the powers of the two collided, the outer universe''s magic tore through the air. * * * [Little Lord! Every time people die, the power of the statue keeps getting stronger!] As Beru said, the statue of Itarim was absorbing the power of foreign believers and hunters wearing Stardust nes when they died. Even the scratches that had been cracked by the attack of the shadow army were recovering in an instant. ''This will never end!'' Suho was calmly examining the situation even while dealing with Itarim''s personal statue. One thing was certain. That this gigantic new statue fighting now is not the real Itarim. ''Because there''s no way my father would have allowed an Itarim toe to Earth.'' So, in the end, this guy is just a moving stone statue with some of the Itarim''s power. ''At most, it''s just an alter ego like Arsha. And the fuel that moves the clone body is that blue magic power!'' Stand up! Suho maximized his senses. Then, in his field of vision, the magic of the dead flowed into the statue of Itarim from all directions. And at the end of all that flow¨C "Found it!" Suho, who was attacking the idol, suddenly turned and soared upward. Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! [!!!] Suho, who ran vertically after stepping on the statue''s huge body, was aiming for the statue''s neck! There was arge ne carved there, which seemed to be just an ordinary decoration, but the energy of the dead was gathering right there. Geeeeing-! The agitated statue shouted at Hwang Dong-Soo, emitting blue rays to block Suho. [High priest! Stop him!] However, Hwang Dong-Soo was not in a situation where he could obey that solemn order. sh! Bang! Bang! Sung Il-Hwan pressed down Hwang Dong-Soo with his brutal force. "Keuk-!" Eventually, blood fell from Hwang Dong-Soo''s mouth. He really hated to admit it, but now it was purely factual. Sung Il-Hwan. This gray-haired old man, who was to be the second High Priest after himself, ''He is strong!'' Overwhelming too! ''Why the hell is that when you are just the same as I am?! '' Despite being pushed helplessly by Sung Il-Hwan''s power, Hwang Dong-Soo gritted his teeth in resentment. What the hell is the difference between him and the old man? "Both of us are S-rank, and the number of Outer God Jewels embedded in our bodies is the same! So why is there such a difference!?" "You''re asking the obvious." Sung Il-Hwan responded calmly as he pushed Hwang Dong-Soo, whose mood was worsening. "It''s the difference between the bowls." "What is that...Are you talking nonsense!?" To Hwang Dong-Soo, who does not remember his previous life, these words can only be dismissed as nonsense. However, from Sung Il-Hwan''s point of view, there was no other answer as simple as this. Hwang Dong-Soo, was once an S-rank hunter only to then be the noble souls who fought to protect the world as a soldier for his son Sung Jin-woo. However, the mission in his past life given to Sung Il-Hwan was different. The moment Sung Il-Hwan''s fist was raised, the magical power of the outer universe was wrapped around it. Hwang Dong-Soo''s eyes widened as if tearing at that formidable power. sh! Primordial light. ''Fragments of Luminescence'' that are now called ''Rulers''. At one time, they entrusted their powers to Sung Il-Hwan to stop the Shadow Monarch from descending. As time passed, circumstances changed, and new instructions were issued. [Protect the Shadow Monarch.] He was the Greatest Fragment of Brilliant Light, strongest among all Rulers and at the same time, the darkest King among Monarchs. It was absolutely impossible at the level of ''national level hunters to achieve such a goal. In order to stop him and protect him... "How much power do you think it would have taken?" "!!!" With those words, Sung Il-Hwan''s fist mmed into Hwang Dong-Soo. Yes. Sung Il-Hwan. With only one thought to protect his son, he fought a lonely fight, toiling himself until his body was crumbling. He was the most brilliant Hunter of all. The soul vessel of Sung Il-Hwan, who survived that noble and terrible end. "And yet I''m still weakpared to before." Outer cosmic magic? Outer God Jewel? Even with just this little effort, his bowl wasn''t even half full! "!!!" "Die ande back." That was thest memory Hwang Dong-Soo remembered. Chapter 193 - 193

Chapter 193:

''Where am I... what is...'' A deep abyss. The spirit of Hwang Dong-Soo, who was falling endlessly toward the sea after death, caught a glimpse of antern. ''Who am I...'' How unfortunate. In front of his eyes, the panorama of his life flowed rapidly. Now that he took a better look at it, he had not lived such a great life. I was born into a family that was a little less fortunate than others, then abandoned by my only older brother for being ipetent. By sheer luck, I became an S-rank viin, but soon after I was getting chased by that damned Choi Jong-In and Woo Jin-Chul! Then I met ''those guys''. ''The Foreign Religion''. At first, I thought it was just a multi-levelpany in the form of amon cult. However, as it turned out, the business they were doing was more diverse than I thought, and the scale was quiterge. Above all, if it was for their own purposes, they had the terribleness of not caring about the damage of others at all. But this also gave me more confidence to work with them. It was much easier to deal with people who didn''t hide their desires than people who hid their true intentions and pretended to be hypocritical. In addition, Hwang Dong-Soo, who was avoiding the Association, was in need of various information. In that aspect, the Foreign Religion Church was worth befriending because its intelligence was quite usable. ordingly, Hwang Dong-Soo willingly joined hands with the Foreign Religion. Hwang Dong-Soo lended them their power, and they give Hwang Dong-Soo information. An equal trade rtionship where you give each other what you give and receive what you receive. Yeah, that''s how it started. ''Ah, then I came all the way to Yangpyeong...'' From Hwang Dong-Soo''s point of view, this request wasn''t particrly difficult. To attack the field dungeon that urred in Yangpyeong without anyone knowing. To be precise, it was a very simple request to wipe out all the monsters there and help the Foreign Protestant Church open the ck market in front of them. However, ''...They tricked me!'' Grrr! Hwang Dong-Soo''s spirit gritted his teeth fiercely. It was only after he died that he came to his senses. He remembered what the Foreign Religion had done to him. A field type dungeon in Yangpyeong. From the beginning, there was a suspicious shamanic formation around it. At the time, he thought it was a characteristic of the dungeon, but in fact, the spell was a trap prepared for Hwang Dong-Soo by the Foreign Religion Church. And from the moment Hwang Dong-Soo set foot there, he was in a beautiful state of being under a spell. Like a mantis caught in a spider''s web. Whenever he was praying fervently in the chapel, somewhere in that great world, the Itarim, a foreign being, would always give him a great revtion. [Spread the Stardust far and wide.] [Then a huge door will open in thisnd.] [Open the door and the Itarim wille.] [Itarim wille...] Ah, the Itarim! ''...I can''t believe I was tricked with that bullshit!'' Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa! Hwang Dong-Soo''s soul could not hide his resentment. Far below, he could see the afterlife sea opening its mouth at him. I didn''t want to go there. Why? Are you angry about being yed by the Foreign Religion? You want to get revenge on them? No. A more fundamental reason, he had realized that he had an extremely important mission. Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa! Hwang Dong-Soo''s soul opened its mouth and roared. He struggled with his arms and struggled to get out of the terrible sea that was engulfing him. And he eagerly stretched out his hand toward that high ce, that distant sky from which he had fallen. ''I can''t die like this!'' ''I wille back!'' ''I am...!'' ''I am!'' At the end of Hwang Dong-Soo''s desperate gaze, in the distant sky, an extremely fierce battle was taking ce even at this moment. sh! Break! Rrrrrumble! Statue of the Itarim. A huge stone statue made by Foreign Religions in the shape of the Itarim! Alongside it, there was a tiny human being fighting a battle against that huge monster! ''!!!'' Hwang Dong-Soo looked at his face. He saw those eyes. He witnessed the darkness unfolding in the hunter''s hands. Then, instinctively, he realized an important truth, who that young man is. The one whose darkness resembles ''Him'', a great being unlike the Itarim! Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa! [Please save me! My dying soul!] ''Greed'' roared. At that moment, ''Suho'', who was fighting with Itarim''s statue, turned his head to see him. His eyes found the soul of Hwang Dong-Soo, who was slowly burying and disappearing into the sea after death. He found his desperate hand. Suho reached out and grabbed him without hesitation. "Arise," !!! "Greed." T-ring! [Shadow extraction seeded.] [Kuaaaaaa!] Greed took his hand and raised himself from the sea of death. Then, with the momentum of an active volcano, he jumped straight up and punched the face of the goddamn god Itarim in front of him. Crack¨CBAM! Half of the statue''s face exploded and was smashed. [Ahh! How dare you betray me!] Along with a tremendous killing blow, the giant hand of the god statue flew and crushed Greed''s body. Bang! However, [You dare!] Greed, which blocked the giant palm of the statue of God with force, slowly emerged from underneath it. [Greed Lv.1] General rank! [Are you trying to trick me, who was once in the Shadow Army?] [Kieek! You''re back, Greed!] [Greed!] Beru and Iron cheered as they weed Greed''s return. Greed recognized them too and his eyes lit up. However, it was not a situation to share the joy of a leisurely reunion. [Everyone--] Like Iron, Greed, who returned as a shadow soldier after a long time, instinctively knew Suho''s identity. And the role he will y as the strongest soldier here. [Help the young lord! I will take the vanguard!] Fwom! At that moment, all the shadow soldiers rushed towards Itarim''s statue along the Greed. And all of those attacks were unleashed on the ne of the statue that Suho was attacking. Bam Bam Bam Bam Pwaoh! Stone Pieces bounced in all directions, and eventually the statue''s ne was cracked. However, Greed, who was the high priest of the Itarim, knew that the statue''s real weakness was hidden inside the ne. Shugak-! The nucleus of the statue revealed outside was cut out. T-ring! [You have eliminated the statue of the Foreign Religious Church.] [Your level has risen!] [Your level has risen!] [Your level has risen!] [Your level has risen!] Crrraaakkk! Before Suho, who had achieved a tremendous level-up, could be happy, the huge new statue began to copse on the spot. And the aftermath was directed to the people who remained nearby. "Ahh!" The surviving foreign cultists, demons, and ordinary hunters scattered in confusion as stone fragments rained down on their heads. "Protect Grandpa!" It was Greed who jumped out faster than anyone else at Suho''s cry. [Sung Il-Hwan! I''m here to save you!] "...Hah look at your sudden change of attitude." Sung Il-Hwan, who was sitting on the floor exhausted after pouring all his energy into it, burst outughing. Then he was meekly grabbed by Greed''s arm and got out of there. [Gwa! Sir are you okay?] "Ah you already know such an answer." Blood flowed from Sung Il-Hwan''s mouth as he smiled and replied. Seeing that, Greed hurriedly brought Sung Il-Hwan in front of Suho. [Little Lord! Come on, the potion!] "!!!" Suho was surprised to see Sung Il-Hwan''s condition and took out a healing potion and fed it to him. However, even after receiving and drinking the potion, Sung Il-Hwan''splexion did not improve at all. It was natural. Even though the idol was destroyed, dozens of Star Pieces were still imnted all over his body. [Kieheek! Sung Il-Hwan!] "Grandpa! Here drink another bottle! this one too, and this one..." Suho and Beru hurriedly took out all the mana potions and detox potions and poured them into his mouth. However, Sung Il-Hwan was just proud of his grandson who was so concerned about him. "Haha. There''s no need to fuss. This old man is not dead yet, so stop it." Sung Il-Hwan stretched out with an open mind. However, an ominous blue aura was still leaking from every corner of his body. "Greed." Suho red at Greed, who was the high priest of Itarim, and asked. "Tell me everything you know. What''s my grandfather''s condition?" Greed had dozens of Star Pieces on his body, just like Sung Il-Hwan, so he must have known something. In addition, since all the memories of the previous life were returned, Greed knew the most among them. [Now Sung Il-Hwan''s condition is...] Greed opened his mouth with a calm expression and looked at the Star Pieces embedded in Sung Il-Hwan''s body. Shit shit shit. His body was finely cracked around the Star Pieces embedded in his body. [A Star Piece is an item that causes a rift in the dimension to bring in the magic of the outer universe. In other words, it is simr to a micro-gate.] "A gate?" At those words, Suho raised his eyes. "Hehehe." It was Sung Il-Hwan, whose lips were twitching with a shy expression at Suho''s words. Over the past few years, he had a bad rtionship with Suho, but that was entirely the result of the information each knew. From Sung Il-Hwan''s point of view, he obviously knew that Sung Jin-Woo was a Shadow Monarch, so even if he suddenly disappeared, he didn''t have to worry too much. From the standpoint of Suho, the son of Sung Jin-Woo, who wouldn''t think their grandfather would be so uncaring upon reacting calmly to their son''s disappearance? However, seeing that Beru was next to him, it seemed that those misunderstandings had been resolved without reconciliation. Now, seeing his grandson restlessly looking after himself after a long time, the feeling of being tickled somewhere was not too bad. "Hmm. Don''t worry too much. I know my body well." Sung Il-Hwan suppressed the corners of his mouth as much as possible and patted Suho''s back with a solemn expression. Then he turned his eyes and looked at the gate he came out of. "Suho, let''s go inside for now." "To the dungeon?" "Yes." Only then did Suho''s eyes turn to the gate Sung Il-Hwan was pointing at. Chapter 194 - 194

Chapter 194:

He pointed to the gate where Sung Il-Hwan came out. The appearance of that gate was quite different from the ones Suho had seen so far. Common gates are basically round in shape. Of course, although the size may vary slightly or the shape may be distorted, it is basically in the form of a ''hole'' in the air. On the other hand, the gate through which Sung Il-Hwan escaped is a ''crack'' itself. It was as if the walls of the dimension had been randomly torn to shreds and were shaking unsteadily. ''It looks the same as the sky I saw in the cier Dungeon.'' The sky of the cier Dungeon was torn apart with countless rifts intertwined. Although the scale is very small, Suho thought it was simr to the scenery there. "Know in advance. Beyond this is not an ordinary dungeon." Sung Il-Hwan muttered with a serious expression as he and Suho walked in front of the gate. At those words, Greed, the former high priest of the Itarim, and Iron, the general priest, followed suit and began to add information they knew one by one. [Small Lord, here in Yangpyeong, several field dungeons have been intentionally neglected.] [Those field-type dungeons gradually expanded their territory and soon merged into one.] [This will further distort the rift, further tearing the dimensional wall. Just like this.] A phenomenon called ''Unification of Cracks'' or ''eleration of ''Cracks''. However, there was no need to use such difficult expressions, and Beru, who was the tutor of young Suho, exined it very easily. [This is a simple principle. If one gate is called a ''dot'', then when two gates are connected to each other, it bes a ''line''. And if 3 or more gates are connected together...] Crack! cr-crakle! [It bes a ''node'' like this.] Beru muttered as he red at the gate that hade right in front of him with narrow eyes. [And when a spoonful of Itarim''s tricks are added to this, it seems that the gate to the ''void'' is artificially created.] "The void?" [Yes. The dimensional gap.] A ''dungeon'' refers to a world in another dimension far from Earth. ''Gate'' means the passage that connects the two dimensions. And ''Void'' is literally the gap that exists between those dimensions. [Nothing exists, and yet it is an empty space where anything can exist.] It meant that the ce where Sung Jin-Woo had wandered aimlessly in search of the Monarchs with the shadow army existed beyond this gate. [So, the Foreign Religion Church also called this phenomenon ''Void'' as the name suggests.] [The ultimate goal of the Foreign Protestant Church is to spread this ''Void Gate'' all over the earth, ultimately creating a superrge rift that connects directly to the outer universe where they are located.] After turning former High Priests and Priests into soldiers, insider information wasing out easily. [The reason why the foreign believers built the chapel here in the first ce is also because they have to create a statue of a god near this void gate in order to connect the ritual of the Itarim...] "Now, wait a minute." Esil, who was listening to their conversation, suddenly grabbed Sung Il-Hwan''s hem from behind with a serious expression. "Then doesn''t that mean that the Itarim might be there once you go inside? How can you go in there without any preparation then?" At Esil''s concern, Sung Il-Hwan smiled warmly and patted Esil''s head. "That is not an issue. I already went in once." [It is impossible to reach outer space with only three or four dungeonsbined.] [If so, we would have already been invaded by Itarim.] "COUGH¨C." Suddenly, Sung Il-Hwan started coughing up blood again, and after hearing all the exnations, Suho finally realized what was going on in Sung Il-Hwan''s body. If one Star Piece is a ''dot'', two are ''lines''. And more than three... It can''t be, a ''void'' was urring in the body of Sung Il-Hwan, who had dozens of Star Pieces embedded in one body. "...A void is about to ur in your body, grandpa." "Haha. Yes, it''s easy to understand. I''m kind of like a walking gate right now. If I continue like this, my body will eventually be torn apart and create a dimensional rift." "...Let''s go in." Suho stepped into the gate with a firm look on his face. Right now it''s just a temporary measure, but it''s one thing he can do right away. If you don''t want the dimensional rift to ur in your body, then you just have to go directly into the dimensional rift. Shuwaaaak And so they passed through the ominous zing gate, into the void. Soon, a bizarrely distorted world unfolded before them. A wide open horizon was visible in the distance, and and full of jumbled and chaotic shimmer appeared up front. This ce was the gap of the dimension, the void. "Beru." [Yes.] Suho saw this bizarre world and called Beru. "Is this the ce where my father has been wandering for decades?" [That''s right. In order to find the dimension of monarchs, like the Tombs of the Light Dragons... he had to wander around aimlessly and find his way.] At Suho''s grumbling words, Beru nodded heavily as he recalled that time. [Looking back, the journey was indeed long and arduous. One day, the lord expressed it as such, saying that it feels like he was floating on an endless desert.] "A desert..." Suho couldn''t say anything at the sound of those words. Sung Il-Hwan also bit his lip at those words and muttered. "Yes, this is where Jin-Woo..." Sung Jin-Woo, this empty world where his one and only son wandered for decades with the mission to protect the world. He couldn''t express the feelings in his heart as a father who came to look at this ce a long time ago. However, regardless of their feelings, it was fortunate that from the moment they entered this ce, the ominous cracks in Sung Il-Hwan''s bodypletely stabilized. Greed, who was in exactly the same situation as him, exined with great relief. [For this reason, it is safe for the High Priests of the Foreign Religious Church to stay within this area as much as possible. It''s okay to go out for a short time, but after using the power of the Star Pieces excessively like before, if you don''t hurry up ande inside, your body could be shattered.] At those words, Suho looked at Sung Il-Hwan''splexion again. "Grandpa, are you all right now?" "Yes. Much better." Sung Il-Hwan, who seemed like he was about to copse at any moment, was feeling better than before, almost as if he hadn''t been ill in the first ce. The effect of drinking the potion was finally revealed as well. [However, if this happens, Mr Sung Il-Hwan will likely have to continue to be confined here.] Beru looked at Sung Il-Hwan and shed tears with a very sad expression. Suho looked back at the Greed and Iron and asked. "Is there any way to rip the Star Piece out of his body?" [It is already a risk to get one out. And the high priest ss is full of Star Pieces...] "Then... Can''t he just stay in my shadow?" [The Shadow Dungeon is still a dungeon. It is much better for him to be safe in the void...] "Hm..." No matter how much he thought about it, when the conclusion was the same, Suho''s expression became serious. In order to evoke the gloomy atmosphere, Sung Il-Hwan smiled and patted Suho on the back. "Haha. don''t take it too seriously Jin-Woo has been wandering here for decades. You can think of it as a small traveling trip for a while. Your grandma would likely be worried but as long as I don''t use magic, I can go out for a while, and that''s no problem. Oh, right, I have to go and visit her right now." "Ah, that''s right, Grandma." Only then was Suho reminded of his grandmother and aunt, who were still waiting anxiously at the association. * * * "Honey!" "Dad!" When Suho and Sung Il-Hwan returned to the Yangpyeong branch, many people were waiting for them there. First, Suho''s grandmother and aunt were hugged by Sung Il-Hwan crying. Suho turned his gaze and looked at the association hunters who were almost ready for war behind them. "Hunter Sung Suho, wee." Team leader Han Jae-Hyeok had gathered all the power of the association that could be summoned immediately to hit the ck market. He approached Suho with a joyous spirit. "We have already interrogated the Yangpyeong branch manager and figured out the whole situation. Would you like to go with me?" "You are always one stepte." "I''m d¨C wait what?" "It is over." "Wha- what do you mean?" "I killed the ones you were going to kill, and captured the rest." "... " Suho was a bit embarrassed by team leader Han Jae-Hyeok''s confused expression. On the way back, Suho killed all the demons in the ck market and earned experience points. And the hunters who used the ck market were arrested by the Association hunters. Team leader Han Jae-Hyeok said that since they were caught on charges of tax evasion rather than being viins, they would face huge fines. And the disposal of the most important thing in this case remained. "The Association has decided to confiscate all Stardust nes sold on the market. The same goes for the Star Pieces in the ck market." "Then how will they be disposed of? The fault for this incident must be on the Association''s side as well." "First of all, the president of the association is still in North Korea, so the specific n..." "As the president of the association..." Chills. Team leader Han Jae-Hyeok, who was talking with Suho for a moment, suddenly got goosebumps. "Tell me... How far can I trust the Association?" "...!" When he met Suho''s ck eyes staring at him, he felt as if he was falling into a distant darkness. But was it because of the mood? The thick and heavy air suddenly became lighter with a hook, and Suho smiled at team leader Han Jae-Hyeok and said. "How about we do this instead." "...Yes?" "Anyways, because of this incident, the Association has lost my trust, and since I solved the ck market problem, I will keep all the Star Pieces. Even the Stardust nes I retrieved." "No wait, that''s a bit..." "By the way, this is not a proposal." "..." There was nothing more that team leader Han Jae-Hyeok could say at the aura felt from Suho. * * * In this way, Suho was handed all the Star Pieces and Stardust nes spread across the country. "So what are you going to use this for?" Upon Beru''s question, Suho immediately opened the shop window. "I will sell everything for gold of course." [Kieek! Such a brilliant idea!] Beru was greatly impressed by Suho''s wisdom. However, this was not the end of Suho''s n. Ching. Ching. Since the amount of Star Pieces and Stardust nes were considerable, the shop''s gold, which had been on the bottom for a while, piled up quickly. And Suho used this gold to buy a bunch of potions. Just mana potions. [Kieek? Isn''t that a healing potion?] When Suho, who knew he would find a way to improve Sung Il-Hwan''s condition right away, suddenly bought a mana potion, Beru put on a puzzled expression. "Potions aren''t enough." In the process of killing demons in the ck market, Suho had already tested to see if there was a safe way to tear off a Star Piece from their forehead. The results were all failures. They all died with broken heads. In other words, Sung Il-Hwan could not be saved with just a potion. "Instead I need to make a divine water of life." [!!!] Beru''s eyes widened at Suho''s words. Suho recalled the ingredients of the divine water of life. Spring water in the Echo Forest. Fragments of the World Tree. Purified Demon King''s blood. Suho had asked dead Monarchs about the fragments of the World Tree before, and the answer that came back was the same. [The King of Beasts, the Beast Monarch shrugs.] [The Queen of Insects, the Monarch of gue, tilts her head with a pensive expression.] [The King of Snowfolk, the Frost Monarch, says that if there is one that knows the location of the World Tree, there is probably only one.] That one is... The King of demonic specters, the Monarch of Transfiguration. Only Yogmund, the Monarch of the fantasy world who had the ability to cross all dimensions by opening the gates at will, would know its location. He couldn''t think of a way to ask the Monarch who had already died. Suddenly a thought ran through Suho''s head. The final battle. The strongest monarch, The Dragon Emperor, whom the Shadow Monarch Sung Jin-Woo fought until the very end. What was the reason that the dragon was able to fight Sung Jin-Woo until thest moment in the first ce? Wasn''t it because the Transfiguration Monarch cooperated with him and opened countless gates for the Dragon Emperor''s army? Therefore, "If it''s the Dragon Emperor, he might know something." Chin. [You have entered The Shadow Dungeon.] Suho picked up the ''Kamish Egg'' that was kept in the corner of the pyramid. Next to it, he piled up a huge amount of mana potions, put one of them in his mouth and muttered with a meaningful expression. "This bastard, I will hatch it today." Shuwaaaa-! In this way, a great amount of magical power began to be injected into Kamish''s egg, endlessly. Chapter 195 - 195

Chapter 195:

...Ominous, something''s ominous. Arsha, the queen bee, was watching from a distance what Suho was doing, looking very nervous. Fwooosh! The endless aura of magic from Suho caused the pyramid of Ammut to vibrate with great ominousness. Meanwhile, Ammut, the owner of this ce, was watching all these phenomena with interest. [Is it really possible for dragon eggs to hatch with such a trick?] In theory, it wasn''t wrong. However, it was unclear whether a normal Dragon n could be born in this way. Right now, that egg is too small for a normal egg. Originally, that egg would have been steadily showered by its parent dragon for many years, and the egg should have been 10 timesrger than it is now. However, his parents, Kamish, died beforehand, leaving him premature. Although it could also be because Suho, who wasn''t even a dragon, was giving him a mana shower and he didn''t think about increasing the size of the egg itself at all. [...Perhaps, at best, they will be born premature, or they may be born dead.] At Arsha''s words, Beru, who had been chewing on a pile of mana stones that he had smuggled out of the ck market,ughed loudly. [You should know that the Dragon n isparable to the noble blood of our Young Liege! Instead of the magic power of the in significant Dragon Tribe, the Little Lord Himself is feeding it with his magic power, and you should know that it is rather glorious!] [... I''ll just shut up.] Ammut left Beru behind and approached Suho for a daily quest. [Now, hatching eggs is important, but start with today''s training and then move on.] "Oh, it''s time already." Suho jumps up without saying a word. But he still had Kamish''s egg in his hand. At that, Ammut burst outughing. [Are you going to keep holding it during training?] "Absolutely. My grandfather''s health depends on it, and I don''t want to waste my time." While answering, Suho was still breathing magic into Kamish''s egg. At that eager look, Ammut''s smile rose to the point where the corners of his mouth tore up. "So you are going to do push ups with one arm up!" "It''s not much." Suho was bandaged all over his body like a mummy. At this, Ammut chuckled, looking even more satisfied. [Let''s start from scratch today!] Too-doo-crack! Before he could finish his words, Suho''s arm began to do push-ups, and there was an exciting, bone-breaking sound. However, Suho only frowned slightly, and continued to do push-ups with one arm. And with his other hand, he continued to infuse magic into Kamish''s eggs. [...Everybody''s crazy.] Arsha, who watched the terrible priestly rtionship from a distance, looked fed up. Shwaaaaa In the meantime, Kamish''s eggs were awaiting the time of hatching little by little, with an ominous aura. * ** And so a day passed, two days passed, and then the third day. Contrary to Suho''s rant that he would finish it in one day, Kamish''s eggs still showed no signs of hatching. In the first ce, it was impossible for the dragons toplete in one day what they had to do for so many years. However, Suho was also desperate about Sung-Il-hwan''s well-being, and he had already been wrestling with Kamish''s egg for three days without sleep. "Our Suho is suffering so much because of this foolish grandfather." Worried about Suho, he visited the shadow dungeon for a while, and Sung Il-Hwan muttered with a bitter expression. But even in the meantime, there were signs of a crack in his body. He had to return quickly to the void before it became dangerous... Cr¨CCrack crack! It was then. "Huh?" "Oh." [Kiek?] "Quack?" In an instant, everyone''s eyes widened. Atst, the Kamish''s eggs were beginning to hatch! [The Beast Monarch, King of Beasts, lifts up his ears.] [The Queen of Insects, gue Monarch, folds her arms and watches.] [The King of Snowfolk, Frost Monarch...] Even for the deceased monarchs, the hatching of Kamish''s eggs was of primary concern. After all, isn''t it logical to think that the dragon would be the descendant of the Dragon King and Destruction Monarch, Antares? At this moment a sessor is born who will inherit the power of one of the most powerful monarchs in the world with the exception of the Shadow Monarch. [ You almost got it there Young Liege! You just need to push harder!] With Beru''s support, Suho put another bottle of mana potion in his mouth and poured out his magic power with all his might, until finally¨C Crack! Breaking open the egg, a small lizard poked its face out of it. "Oh, It hatched!" [Kieeeeek! It really hatched!] [Hwaa, to think that...] Everyone shouted Hurray! at the same time, while Arsha was the only one who closed her eyes and sighed. ''... He actually hatched the egg.'' Finally... That dangerous race was born on this earth. And indeed, the look in Arsha''s eyes was truly terrifying. Short ck horns sticking out of the head. An elongated body and tail that looks like a lizard. Attached to its side are short limbs, stubby ck ws, and small wings. It was only small in size, but it was a hatchling cub of the dragon n. For some reason, after he had broken out of the egg he stared into the void. ''Can you see?'' Suho was worried about the look. After all, he wasn''t born normally, so he couldn''t help but be worried. But those worries were over-founded. Boom! Suddenly, he came to his senses, stared straight ahead, his eyes wide open. Then his eyes met Suho''s, who was holding him with both hands. Blink blink. The dragon blinked his round eyes, smiled broadly at Suho, and opened his mouth. "... Beep!" T-ring! [''Pets: Red Dragon Lv.1''] "Oh!" It''s been a long time since the pet system kicked in! And a name tag sprung up above the baby dragon''s head. [?? Lv.1] Red Dragon "Oh, you just became a pet, right? Is it because you were born from the magic I fed you?" Suho muttered, looking at the system message in front of him. In retrospect, it was simr to Gray''s tame. T-ring! [You can give your pet a name.] [Please choose a name for your pet.] ''A name.'' Suho, who had been pondering the name for a while, suddenly heard a growl next to him. "Grrrr." Was there an instinctive sense ofpetition between them? Suddenly, the first pet, Gray, began barking viciously, ring at the dragon cub from the side. "Woof! Woof!!" The way he wrinkled his nose and bared his teeth fiercely was incredibly rude. [The Beast Monarch, King of Beasts, nods in satisfaction at the valiant appearance of his heir.] Such proudness onlysted for a moment. Tilt. "Beep?" At the sudden noise, the baby dragon''s head turned to the side and looked at Gray. "...." All of a sudden, Gray closed his mouth with a stolid face and lowered his gaze as if he hadn''t said anything in the first ce. "Beep?" "...." The dragon cub tilted his head in wonder, but Gray still kept his head down and didn''t look up. The baby dragon turned its head to look at Suho again, and Gray''s expression instantly turned into a vicious expression as he began to growl at the baby dragon. "Grrrr!" "Beep?" "...." Of course, when the dragon looked at him again, Gray quickly calmed down again, closed his mouth, and rolled his eyes. A surprising shift in posture. He didn''t even forget to hide his tail under his hips. At its appearance, there was a mixture of emotions among the dead monarchs. [The Beast Monarch, groans.] [The King of Snowfolk , the Frost Monarch,ughs.] [The Queen of Insects, the gue Monarch,ughs and squirms.] Suho felt sorry for Gray, but he also couldn''t hold back hisughter either. "I guess he''s higher in rank than Gray." [It''s natural, no matter how abnormally born you are, no matter how small your size is, the dragon n is the dragon n¨C Waah?!] Shhh- Suddenly something as fast as a whip flew out of Arsha''s body, which was answering Suho''s words, and snatched her away in an instant. [Sa, please save me, Suho¨C!] The culprit is none other than the dragon cub. Arsha''s desperate screams faded from the mouth of the baby dragon as it munched on its cheeks. Gulp. It was indeed an ident that happened in an instant. But before Suho could worry, Arsha appeared from behind again, looking intact. [Phew. Don''t worry, luckily I was in a separate body¨C Crap!] Swoop! [...!] And once again, it was a baby dragon that snatched Arsha with its long tongue, had devoured her. "Beep!" Then, at the look on his face that looked so bright and wide towards Suho, Suho couldn''t help butugh. Once again there was a split of emotions between the dead monarchs. [The Queen of Insects, the gue Monarch, drops her head with her face covered.] [The King of Snowfolk, the Frost Monarch,ughs.] "Oh my gosh, he is not just some kind of frog. He''s a real apex predator." Seeing that, Suho smiled and decided on the guy''s name. "Then should his name be Frog or¨C" "No, wait. Um, Suho?" Sung Il-Hwan, who held Suho''s shoulder with his chin, said with a serious face. "We are in a position where we have to ask the Dragon Emperor for a favor now, so why don''t you choose the name of his sessor a little more carefully?" "Oh, I''m sure you''re right. Then...." Sung Il-Hwan breathed a sigh of relief. After all, his life depends on it. As he pondered the name again, Suho remembered a character name from a game he had yed before. It just so happened that the character was also a spirit lord who dealt with fire, so it seemed appropriate to name the red dragon with it. "... Ragnaros. No, maybe ''Ragnar'' for short." T-ring! Once they had chosen a name, a new name came to the head of the baby dragon that was sitting quietly in Suho''s hands, rolling its eyeballs as Arsha waited for her to approach again. [Ragnar Lv.1] Red Dragon "Yes. That''s much better than a frog." Only then did Sung Il-Hwan nod in relief when suddenly¨C FWOOM! "!!!!" The moment Ragnar got a name. Suddenly, dark red mes began to burn all over Ragnar''s body from Suho''s hands. "Beep!" The moment when Ragnar let out a long cry for Suho¨C T-ring! [Passive skill ''(Unknown)'' is triggered.] Suddenly, he felt the sensation of time stopping as joy appeared in Suho''s eyes. The n had worked! Suho was so d he was able to meet the dead Monarch right away! But something was odd. sh! ''AHH! Suddenly, a terrible scream burst from Suho''s mouth. This time, for some reason, something was very different from the case of other monarchs. Whoops! "AAA AAA HOT! HOT!" It''s so hot! Suho felt like he was being swallowed by boiling oil! A tremendous burning pain had rushed down his throat and started burning the veins of his body! Eventually, Suho''s shadow bubbled up, turning into pitch ck salt and burning him whole. In the midst of that terrible suffering, Suho''s consciousness was gradually sucked into the darkness and... Guuuooo The end of the deep, deep abyss. In an empty ck and white world that has swallowed up even light. Suho finally faced it. A man perched on top of the head of a giant dragon. ''That''s...!'' The Emperor. Antares, King of Dragons, The Destruction Monarch. He scanned Suho''s whole body with a look of utter arrogance before speaking, [You.] At the familiar aura he felt from Suho, The Emperor suddenly smiled brightly, showing his teeth with a vicious expression on his face. [... Son of Death!] FWAAA! At that moment, a flesh hotter and more vicious than the boilingva engulfed Suho. Chapter 196 - 196

Chapter 196:

A suffocating heat rushed in. A warning from the senses that far transcended human limits came crashing down. T-ring! T-ring! T-ring! [The King of Dragons, the Destruction Monarch, is watching you.] [The King of Dragons, the Destruction Monarch, is hostile towards you.] [The King of Dragons, the Destruction Monarch, is...] [Potions and shops cannot be used at the current location, and your condition does not recover even if the level increases.] A crisis hase to Suho, to the point where you can even feel the urgency from the system messages thate to mind one after another. ''I didn''t think it was going to be easy...'' Suho bit his teeth hard and red at the gigantic burning mountain that filled his field of vision. If the boilingva had life force and took the form of a dragon, would it look like this? That gigantic light dragon that was constantly burning was the main body of Antares, the Dragon Emperor. [You certainly have no fear. To think the flesh and blood of the one who dared to scorn me appeared in front of me on its own feet.] Even though he only uttered it in a low tone, a tremendous pressure seemed to press down on Suho''s whole body. Antares. His father''s true nemesis, who once waged a vicious war against the Shadow Legion for the longest time among all Monarchs. Indeed, he possessed overwhelming powerpared to the monarchs that Suho had experienced so far. [The King of Dragons, the Destruction Monarch uses ''Skill: Breath of Destruction''.] RRROOOAAARRR!!! A waterfall of red mes poured down on Suho like a whip. ''Ruler''s Authority!'' Suho flew up at full speed and dodged the attack. A me that erases everything. An eerie, pure white light barely passed the top of Suho''s head. Shushak! At the same time, two swords appeared in both hands of Suho, the horn of Volcan. [Use ''Skill: Storm sh''.] Slice! Slice! sh! Slice! A fierce storm of des raged and attacked the body of the dragon, which breathed destructive breath. ROOARR!! [It''s no use! Are you foolish enough to think the sword made of the devil''s horn would fit into this Dragon Emperor''s body!] The Emperorughed at Suho to the fullest, opened his huge mouth and roared at Suho. Kyaaaaaaaaaa! [The King of Dragons, the Destruction Monarch, uses ''Skill: Dragon Fear''.] RRRRUUUMBLEE!! The earth howled and the sky shook. No, it was Suho himself who was truly trembling. T-ring! [''Debuff: Fear'' is activated.] [All stats are reduced by 50% for 1 minute.] ''Ahk!'' How overwhelming. There was no other word to express it other than this. Suho witnessed his hands shaking while holding Volcan''s horns. It was a different level of intimidationpared to fighting against the Queen of Insects, the gue Monarch, Queresha. But ''So what?'' So what do you mean? The opponent is the loser who kneeled before his father. Wouldn''t it be dishonoring to his father''s name to back down in fear of such a guy? ''Hold it.'' Suho tightened his trembling chin, forced himself to show his teeth, and smiled. Then, barely defying the power of the Dragon Fear, he opened his mouth. ''Now...Are you all watching?'' There were beings who answered him. [The King of Beasts, the Beast Monarch, is watching you.] [The Queen of Insects, the gue Monarch, is watching you.] [The King of Snowfolk, the Frost Monarch is watching you.] The gazes of the other monarchs who bestowed blessings on Suho poured on him. [Hoo?] Suho wasn''t the only one who felt that gaze. The dragon raised its eyes as if he had found something interesting. Woooosh! Suddenly, silver powder scattered around Suho, and the illusions of the dead monarchs appeared. Receiving their gaze, the Dragon Emperor grinned and asked. [What did you do? That you managed to attract other monarchs to your side.] ''I am... I am their priest.'' Under the protection of the dead monarchs, Suho answered. [Priest?] ''Yes. And you''ll need one as well so that your heir can inherit your power anyway, right?'' [...The heir who will inherit my power?] At that, the dragonughed. [Couldn''t it be that you''re talking about making the fool you hatched my sessor?] ''Fool?'' Something is strange. The Dragon Emperor sincerelyughed at Suho''s proposal. [It''s quite a feat to hatch a Kamish''s egg with the magical power of a mere human.] But so what? [Do you really think that a bug that has been turned into someone''s pet deserves to inherit the power of ''Dragon Emperor''?] He could no longer hold back his anger towards Suho. And at the same time, he felt immense shame at the weakness of the young dragon, who had been reduced to a mere human pet as soon as he was born. GRRRR! The prideful and arrogant Dragon Emperor turned into a huge me andunched itself at Suho. RWAAAAAAAAAAARRR!! [Child of shadows, you shall burn and suffer here forever!] ROOOARR!!! At that moment, the whole world turned into boilingva and swallowed Suho. This is the realm of Antares. If he wanted to, he could have covered the entire space with fire. And Suho had no way to avoid the mes. ''AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!'' All I can do is writhe and scream in a terrible burning pain. In order to save him, other monarchs hurriedly bestowed blessings. [The spiritual body of ''Pet: Gray'' is strengthened in the body of the priest.] Woosh! Suho''s hair turned silver and a divine wind enveloped him. [Use ''Skill: Cold Blizzard''.] The Frost Monarch raised a blizzard against the mes of Antares. [The Queen of Insects, the gue Monarch, uses ''Debuff: Paralysis Poison'' to alleviate your pain.] Queresha also tried to protect Suho in her own way. In any case, since Suho was their priest, they had to somehow prevent him from being burned to death by Antares. And yet... [Cease! You shameless bastards!] Fire! At the roar of Antares, all those protections burned to the point of futility and disappeared. Antares'' anger was directed not only to Suho, but also to other monarchs by his side. [To think that the one who should have reigned over beings like him chose to submit. All of you no longer have the right to inherit the title of monarch!] FWOOSH! His mes deflected the winds of the grasnds and melted even the frigid blizzards. The illusions of the monarchs who helped protect them also scattered and disappeared like a haze. ''Keugh!-'' With all help gone, Suho literally fell into the middle of the hellfire pouring out from Antares with his bare body. Iron Body? The toughness skill, which only increases physical defense, was of no use in this situation. His HP level crashed towards the floor without a break. Even the use of potions was banned, so it was a hopeless situation altogether. However... ...Glub glub. For some time, no screams came out of Suho''s mouth, which was buried in the hellfire. [...Ha?] At that moment, a different color appeared in Antares'' eyes. Tap, tap. One step after another. Suho was slowly approaching Antares, walking on top of that inferno. Of course the pain was still there. His whole body was so hot that he felt like his heart would stop at any moment, nevertheless. ''...This is nothing.'' Change of n. Suho gritted his teeth with an expression of utmost stubbornness and raised his fist, forcibly holding back the screams that were about to burst out. ''I will kill you before I die.'' [Ha?] The moment when Antares let out augh at such a nonsensical statement. [''Skill: Giant''s Armor'' is used.] [''Skill: Rigid body'' is used.] Bulk! Suho, who raised the ck energy with full power, gradually grew in size and¨C Bang-! Suho''s fist exploded. Antares'' huge body staggered. [?!] For the first time, a look of bewilderment passed in Antares'' eyes. The second that came after, Antaresughed, in a truly refreshing way. [ha ha ha... Hahahahahahaha!] He, who was riding on a huge berserker in human form, put his hand on his forehead and burst into madness for a long time. As if there was mana in his voice, Suho''s heart thumped along with the sound ofughter. Silence. The moment hisughter stopped. Antares looked down at Suho with an arrogant smile on his vertically slit pupils. [How amusing.] Indeed, he said with an expression as if he had found an interesting toy after a long time. [Let''s entertain ourselves then, shall we?] RWA! The huge berserk dragon''s mouth opened to chew and swallow the toy. BITE! Suho was devoured in one bite. ''Keuk-'' Suho managed to support himself with his arms and legs spread out in the huge mouth. And finally, he seeded in breaking his fangs with force. Crack! [Ah! How dare this insect-!] ''Insect?'' Suho seemed to like the tone of those words, and said with a smirk. ''If I''m an insect then why don''t I give you a dose of my poison?'' m! He mmed down the Dragon Emperor''s fangs, which he had mercilessly broken. Then, the countless deadly poisons contained in that attack exploded all at once. [Use ''Debuff: Paralysis Poison''.] [Use ''Debuff: Kasaka''s Poison''.] ... [Oh you dare-!] Venom. Suho hit the roof of his mouth several times with the most ferocious expression on his face. Bang! Crack! Bang bang bang! [The King of Dragons, the Destruction Monarch uses ''Skill: Breath of Destruction''.] ...ROAR! A fierce me boiled in Antares'' throat. It was not enough to burn Suho''s poison energy, but it was just right to burn Suho''s body burnt ck. Even so¨C ''I''m not dead yet.'' Crack! [?!] Even in that excruciating pain, Suho managed to break one more of his fangs. And, using the fangs as a weapon, rather than avoiding the breath of destruction, he chose to plunge it into its throat. Kwak! Then, in between, his fangs stabbed mercilessly, and the breath of destruction that flowed through his throat exploded in the middle. Kwaaang-! [Aaaaaaaagh!] Antares struggled, shaking his head mercilessly from side to side. The impact of the breath of destruction exploding inside his body was more tremendous than he could have imagined. But Suho didn''t stop there, he raised his fist and struck down the stuck fangs like nails. Bang bang bang- tear! He pierced a hole in the giant light dragon''s neck, opened the hole with both hands, and forcibly tore it apart. Fwoosh! Antares'' throat split as if it had been cut by a sword, and dragon blood gushed out like a fountain. [AAAHH!] The sound of Antares'' screams resonating throughout the sky was exhrating. But Suho knew that he couldn''t defeat Antares with just this amount of attack. Suho was also at his limit now. His HP was also showing the bottom, and he was losing his mind as if he would faint at any moment. In a desperate moment ''!!!'' Suddenly, Suho had an idea. ''Dragon! How about I make another suggestion.'' [Aaaaaaaagh!] ''I won''t be your priest anymore.'' Whether Antares listened or not, Suho said what he had to say. ''I will be your sessor.'' [...what?] Antares, struggling with anger and anguish, doubted his ears. ''Because Ragnar is my pet, he is not qualified for the title. But what about me?'' If the meaning of ''Dragon Emperor'' is the King of dragons. ''I''m also the owner of a dragon.'' [!!!] The power of this insanely powerful Monarch, when Suho experienced it at first hand, how could he not be covetous? ''I will be the Monarch of Destruction.'' Chapter 197 - 197

Chapter 197:

[...] Antares was silent for a moment after hearing what Suho shouted. [...Ha.] Until augh finally escaped his mouth. [Hehehe... Hahahahaha!] His maddeningughter shook the heavens. [Did you say you would be the Monarch of Destruction now? How dare a mere human, who is not even a dragon themselves!?] FWOOM!! Antares. He was a Monarch of destruction in the true sense of the word, who enjoyed bloody battles and feltplete bliss only on the battlefield. He thought he would never be able to fight again because he was trapped in a distant death, so he tried to enjoy the fight a little more after a long time. Right now, all excitement has gone cold because of the arrogant words spoken by the insignificant worm. [Perish, child of shadow.] ¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D! In a second, doom descended. Kwah Kwah Kwah Kwah Kwah! ''Keuk!'' Bubblingva. The huge dragon that was bleeding from Suho''s attack turned into bubblingva and swallowed Suho. As if all the battles up until now had been a joke. The unbearable murderous intent wanted to obliterate Suho. But then¨C -Alright, Suho. From somewhere far away, a voice came like a light breeze. - I know what you mean. ?! Despite being extremely calm, it was a low voice that made anyone cry the moment they heard it. [This, this?!] At that voice, Antares was more taken aback than Suho. sh! A light appeared. ''Ah...'' At the same time, the fire that burned Suho''s entire body faded in an instant. Every me in sight began to perish. Afterwards what filled the ce was the pitch-ck darkness itself. [...Ha ha ha ha ha! I see! So it was like that as well!] Antares, noticing something in the sudden unexpected situation,ughed madly. It was augh that was somewhat relieved, weing, and at the same time filled with extreme rage. Shuaaaa Where all the heat had once been, darkness fell upon it. Suho stood on his own two feet in the pitch ck darkness. And Antares, who had transformed into a human form,nded in front of him. [Yes, I thought it was strange from the beginning.] His arrogant gaze calmly scanned Suho''s figure. A pitiful face was burned pitch-ck by the breath of destruction. It''s obvious that Suho''s physical condition had already been as good as that of a corpse for a long time. The fact that he can stand on two legs like this is a miracle itself. Nevertheless... Suho''s eyes, which received Antares''s gaze directly, were still burning like an unquenchable me. But at this moment Antares was seeing somethingpletely different through Suho''s childish eyes. Yes. Those eyes. The existence of a familiar shadow hung over those eyes was simr to ''him''. Tsk. [Of course, no matter the state of my spirit, there is no way this youngster''s power could reach me.] Antares clicked his tongue andshed out at ''him''. [So don''t hide, show yourself!] sh! ''!!!'' Before he finished, Suho opened his eyes wide as he suddenly saw the inventory window open by itself. An item that had been quietly stored inside suddenly glowed and protruded out. Ding! [Item: Javier''s Soul Stone] Difficulty to obtain: ?? Type: Jewelry A jewel made bypressing demonic spirits. Javier''s Soulstone. An unidentified item left by Javier in Haeundae, Busan. And this thing... -It''s a safety measure just in case, so put it in your inventory. ... It was something left for Suho before Sung Jin-Woo''s illusion disappeared. "Safety measure?" -Yes. Seeing how you fight... There is something I''m concerned about. T-ring! [''Item: Javier''s Soul Stone'' is activated.] Shing! ''Ah!'' Suho saw it. A shaman''s circle of demons extending from Javier''s soul stone in all directions. The ck energy radiating out through the shaman circle, united as one. *Summon.* ''He'' reappeared in front of Suho. ''!!!!'' The moment I saw that firm and solid back. Suho''s eyes couldn''t help but widen. ''Dad?!'' -This is quite troublesome. But it held up just fine. Sung Jin-Woo turned his head slightly and looked back at Suho. What he saw, with a faint smile on his lips, was Suho''s stamina bar. [HP: 1/67,340] only 1. For a long time, Suho''s stamina didn''t drop further than 1 as he was holding on steadfastly. It was thanks to the incantation that Sung Jin-Woo had carved into Javier''s soul stone. Sung Jin-Woo, who appeared here, was only an illusion in his memory, not his real body, so it was impossible to exert any real influence in reality. But in a ce like this, it was different. -It was worthwhile to squeeze out the souls of the Demon Tribe as much as possible. Sung Jin-Woo''s wee allowed thest remnants of himself to permeate Javier''s soul stone, which had been scattered in Busan. Sung Jin-Woo, who looked at Suho''splexion, returned to the front again. The moment he met Antares'' gaze in front of him, his eyes shed terrifyingly. -Yeah, if you''re the guy I know, I''d think it would be something like this. [Long time no see. How have you been?] Antares even recalled a calm smile on his lips and talked to Sung Jin-Woo. However, there was more vicious energy than ever in those eyes than he had ever seen. With the momentum to run towards Sung Jin-Woo right away. Sung Jin-Woo knew Antares'' personality better than anyone else. So he had no choice but to worry about his son, Suho, who was out there iming to be the priest of dead monarchs. Unbeknownst to the others, Antares was a fierce brawler who spoke only through violence. All he cares about is fighting and fighting and annihting his enemies. True to his name, the Monarch of Destruction, he was a being who pursued true destruction. [Your son is terrible. I''ve been dealing with him for a while. Did peaceful times weaken the Shadow Monarch''s blood?] - But he still gave you a hard time, right? [Your sorcery must have had an effect. Did you learn the witchcraft of the Demonic Tribe? Since when did a man whose name is the Shadow Monarch start to perform tricks like this?] -Ah, originally, educating children is always a series of learning. Sung Jin-Woo shrugged and spread his hands. -Thank you anyway. Thanks to you, I had a pretty good oue. [What?] A new shaman formation spread over the palm of his hand. Woosh. Shoom shoom shoom! The shaman circle went round and round, until a system message arrived in front of Suho. T-ring! [''Title: One who overcame adversity'' has been acquired.] ''This is...'' [Title: One who overcame adversity] A title given to those who sessfully ovee adversity. Ability increases in proportion to lost HP. (1% stat per 1% missing health) A buff that raises your stats by a percentage whenever your HP is reduced. This was a title Sung Jin-Woo earned a long time ago while clearing a job change quest. But Suho was different. It was an achievement that could never be achieved in the system for Suho, who could not receive the job change quest no matter how much he leveled up. However, if this condition was achieved, it was not very difficult to manipte the system and have it hand it over directly from Sung Jin-Woo. Whoop! The moment the title effect was applied, Suho''s body, which was in a dying state, suddenly overflowed with power. [And what do you propose we do now?] Antares frowned at the sudden appearance of Sung Jin-Woo. In his mind, he wanted to fight him at once since he hadn''t seen him in a while, but that was impossible. Sung Jin-Woo''s current condition was just an illusion. It was also an illusion surrounded by the witchcraft of the demons who deal with the soul of the Monarch, so there was no way a proper battle was possible. Especially in this world of death, his existence was no different from a foul. ''Father...'' At that time, Suho, who finally came back to his senses with strength, blinked at his father. Sung Jin-Woo reached out and tousled his son''s hair, answering Antares'' question. - Well, how about normal career counseling? The face of Sung Jin-Woo, showed nothing but pride and joy towards him. -My son has finally decided on his own career path, so, shouldn''t I help him a little as a father? As if baptizing, Sung Jin-Woo spread his magic while cing his hand on Suho''s head. and asked -Suho, isn''t that right? The purpose of the level-up system from the beginning was to grow the human body and make it into a vessel for the monarch. In my case, it was the ''Shadow Monarch'', but it is also possible to rece the title with that of another Monarch. However... ''...'' Suho knew what his father was going to say. - The process will never be easy. Even today, if I hadn''t been here, I wouldn''t have been able to guarantee your oue. Are you sure about this then? Are you really prepared to be the Destruction Monarch? ''Yes. I''m prepared.'' Seeing his father''s concern for him, Suho swallowed his dry saliva and nodded resolutely. ''And in order to ask the location of the World Tree, I had to meet the Dragon Emperor anyways.'' -The World Tree? Are you trying to create the Holy Water of Life? Why is it that all of a sudden Sung Jin-Woo was able to infer many things just by hearing the word World Tree? However, Suho''s reply made even Sung Jin-Woo, who had assumed the number of all cases, be at a loss. ''Grandpa is in danger.'' -!!! Sung Jin-Woo''s expression hardened after hearing the circumstances from Suho. He also made a determined expression and manipted the shaman formation that was engraved on Suho''s head. -Hmm. I get it. then... I''d love to help you do this and the former quest but¡ª [Hold on for a moment you¡ª] -No, not now, this is more important. [...] Antares, who had been listening to the conversation between father and son from behind, frowned at the strange situation. [Can''t you use a doctor for that?] - Antares. Sung Jin-Woo, whopleted the shaman formation, said: -I also know that my son''s vessel is far from sufficient to inherit your power. Not even dragon''s power in the first ce. So let me make a suggestion. [A proposal?] -Yes. You are so bored here after dying, don''t you miss the times when you reeked chaos everywhere in the living realm? [...What are you suggesting?] At Sung Jin-Woo''s words, Antares'' brow furrowed. However, Sung Jin-Woo knew Antares'' personality better than anyone else. The true embodiment of destruction. He was a fierce fighting maniac who felt the joy of life only in bloody battles. He could be sure that he would not reject his offer. Grin. Sung Jin-Woo reached out to the Dragon Emperor and made an offer he could not refuse. -Ragnar. I will give you the body of Suho''s dragon subordinate. [!!!] -Come back to life, Antares. At that moment, a contract has been signed. T-ring! [The job change quest has arrived.] Chapter 198 - 198

Chapter 198:

Whoosh! "It''s Suho!" [Kieeeeek! Little Lord!] Time that had stood still moved again. In an instant, Suho''s eyes bounced back to reality as he saw people running towards him, worrying about him. Grandpa and Beru were the first. Beyond that, Ammut, even the others, were looking at him with a bewieldered expression. They had to be. Suddenly, a shimmering fire rose from Suho''s whole body. As it turned out, it wasn''t just a vision in the eyes of Suho, but rather an actual fire caused by Antares. Fwuaa! "AGHH!" Suho copsed on the spot with tremendous pain. The mes that covered his body soon turned into smoke and cooled down, but Suho''s HP was still on the verge of dying. However this was reality, and there was a way to solve it. "ept Status Recovery!" With a sh! Suho''s moribund condition was quickly restored, as if he had leveled up. "Suho! Are you okay?!" "Hah.... Yes, I''m fine." Suho stood up and swept down his chest as he was supported back up by Sung-Il-Hwan. ''It''s good I didn''t spend my daily quest rewards.'' Dodged a bullet with that. The reward was still there, thanks to the recent resolution of the aftereffects of steel exercise with bandages and potions. "You overdid it, didn''t you?" "No, I didn''t. For a moment... I did get to meet the Destruction Monarch." [Kieeek?! You actually met the Dragon Emperor?! Potions! We need more potions!] "No, I''m okay now." Beru freaked out, twirling around the body of Suho to see how he was doing. On the other hand, as soon as Arsha heard the word dragon, she immediately fled. Ammut stared at Suho''s figure with intrigue. How pitiful. Even though his health had been restored, the clothes he was wearing had been burned into rags by the mes of the dragon. Ammut bared his teeth and chuckled. [If you hade face to face with the dead Dragon Emperor, it would be a stroke of luck that you came back alive and safe like this. So, did he tell you where you can find the World Tree?] "Yes, about the World Tree..." Suho smiled wryly as he remembered what his father had said. -Suho, I can tell you the location of the World Tree. But it won''t be easy. It wasn''t just Antares who wandered through the dimensional cracks during the war, but so did Sung Jin-Woo. Unfortunately, even if he knew the location of the World Tree, he couldn''t teach Suho the shortcut. - Standing in front of the World Tree at your current level will only make it dangerous for you. So for now, start with your strength. In the past, Sung Jin-Woo had obtained the "Fragment of the World Tree" as a trophy for hunting Volkan in the Demon Castle. But that was entirely the result of the system''s arrangements, something that Suho doesn''t have right now. In the end, Suho had to find the real World Tree -not a fragment of the World Tree- on his own. -The rest of Antares will tell you from the sidelines. With that, Sung Jin-Woo touched the system and created a new quest for protection. Suho raised his eyes and stared at the quest window in front of him. [The previous quest has arrived.] [Would you like to ept the previous quest?] (Y/N) Gulp. Suho''s throat rang out. Yes or No kept flickering in front of him. His heart was pounding. How could it not? The former quest that he couldn''t even expect in his life has finally appeared. The process was also the result of his own search and victory. ''ept.'' T-ring! [You''ve epted the previous quest.] At the same time that he decided to ept the quest, the quest window opened up in his sight. [Ex-Quest: The Draconic Trials-1] [Antares, the King of Dragons, the Destruction Monarch,ughs at your weakness. If your weak body were to ept the power of the Dragon Emperor now, you would burn into a handful of ashes. Satisfy the minimum qualifications to be the sessor of the Destruction Monarch.] [- Objective: To reach the required level of 99.] ''Level 99.'' Suho seemed to know how this standard was set. From the ''dream'' that he had when he was an adolescent. At that time, he had been fighting endlessly with his father''s Shadow Legion, including Beru, to level up. ''When I think about it now, everyone was examining me as I fought.'' But at the time, he didn''t even realize what they had seen in him, since the road was so rough and bloody. Mountains over mountains. He made a range of carcasses from so many giants and dragons, while following a long path through the open field until the highest level was reached. [Level: 99] That was the end of it. After that, no matter how many battles he went through and how much he became more adept at wielding his powers, he could never move on to the next level. As if the level 100 level does not exist. So at the time, he simply thought that level 99 was the end. But what if that''s not...'' Suho realized. ''...my limit.'' Haha. Suho bared his teeth andughed, feeling a simmering sense of triumph. ''Okay, let''s start here, right?'' Suddenly: "Beep?" At this moment, the little lizard, which was still sitting calmly in the guardian''s hand, made a sound. Ragnar. A baby dragon that had just been born from an egg was staring at Suho, his round eyes squinting with a dumbfounded expression. "...Let''s ask the Dragon Emperor about the rest." "Beep?" Suho clutched Ragnar''s small body and made eye contact. The contract that went back and forth between Sung Jin-Woo and Antares. It was a condition that was put forward in ce of making Suho the sessor of the Dragon Emperor, but it was also a necessary step towards it. In order for there to be an heir to the power, of course a "priest" is also needed to carry out the procedure. Therefore, if Suho is the sessor of the Dragon Emperor, then Ragnar is the priest. "Open your eyes, Antares." "Beep?" Before the words of Suho fell, a great spirit began to dwelt in Ragnar''s small body. Whaaaaaaaa! [The spirit body of Antares is being incorporated into the body of the Priest.] In a moment, Ragnar''s eyes deepened as he rolled his eyeballs with a dumbfounded expression. His gaze stared nkly into the air, and the dragon muttered. "...What a strange ceiling." When he opened his eyes, an unfamiliar ce appeared before him . Badum. Badum. Badum. Badum. The sound of a heart beating wildly deep inside a small body. His noble blood flowed without hesitation through each vein and vessel around him at the same rhythm. And... Ah***-phew.*** The first breath. His chest swelled and the fresh air he inhaled seeped into his lungs. All of this was evidence. ''Ah. Finally,'' he understood. He was convinced. Antares was truly alive again. "Uh-huh... Hahaha!" Antares burst into a mad with pure joy. "Haha! I''m back! This Emperor has ovee even death and returned from the sea after death! MUAHAHAHA!" !!! Everyone in the shadow dungeon shuddered at the aura of the dragon in that wildughter. "Ah! This power it can''t be¨C" Sung Il-Hwan was prepared to instinctively draw the power of the cracks even if he put himself at a risk. [Dra- Dragon Emperor?!] Even Ammut was nervous, and he managed to control gravity to the highest degree. Kugugugoogoo! [Kieeeeeeeeeeek!] Beru, who had fought countless wars with the Denizens of Chaos led by the Dragons long ago, reacted more fiercely than anyone else. [Let go of your hand young liege! I will protect you!] Antares was overjoyed with their response. "Hah! Yes, cower in terror and reverence!" Whoever you might be. The ''first monarch'' and the ''strongest monarch'' born out of the darkness. He is the king who reigns over all the dragons, and is a symbol of terror and destruction. Everyone who knew him called him "Dragon Emperor" with the utmost fear and respect. "The burden is the solvent antares." !!! At the deration that flowed from the mouth of Antares, everyone except Suho prepared for a showdown. There''s only one reason why they couldn''t release their power towards him. Because he was now in the hands of Suho. But not for long. Antares escaped from Suho''s hands and jumped down. Then, slowly, he raised himself, overcame death, and took his first great step as a monarch who returned from the sea after death. Hoh! "Uh-huh. It truly is a body worthy of being called Kamish''s hatchling." Antares couldn''t hide his satisfaction as he fidgeted his short legs. Born as a dragon for the 2nd time. If it weren''t for a great being like himself, what kind of dragon in the world could walk so skillfully as soon as it was born from an egg? In fact, the principle is simple. Spread your little wings wide to get a sense of bnce. Support the body with the tail so that it does not fall backwards. Pat-pat. Of course, he still didn''t have enough muscle strength so his legs were shaking incessantly just by standing on his own two feet. "It''s as simple as using mana." Antares skillfully drew magic from Ragnar''s heart, and again vigorously. Fwuaaa! "Hahahaha! Have you seen it! What a joy! I''m going to live a second life in this newborn hatchling''s body!" Antares shuddered with tremendous anticipation. In his previous life, he had already reached a supreme level that no one dared to climb. Its power was so extreme that it was no longer possible to grow. But with all that experience and talent, he was given the opportunity to grow up again from the time he was a baby hatchling! It''s his second dragon life! But then, reality struck. "MUAHAHAHA!-- Beep?" Antares'' eyes, which had been smiling as he radiated a murderous momentum everywhere, suddenly became dumbfounded. T-ring! [Ragnar''s magic power has been depleted.] [The spirit body of Antares inside the Priest''s is being removed.] "Beep? Bleep?" Ragnar tilted his head, looking as if he didn''t know anything. Suddenly, he realized that so many people were surrounding him, spewing tremendous ammounts of mana. He shook again, crying like a newborn baby. "B-BWUAAAAAAAAA!" "...." [...] Everyone was silent. It seems as though something amazing just happened in a sh. Without saying a word, Suho picked up the weeping Ragnar again and patted him on the back. Well, he felt like he had to soothe the crying child for now. There, there... "Piyoo." Only then does Ragnar feel relieved and close his eyes to fall back asleep. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief at that uselessly cute appearance. Meanwhile, from a distant world, Suho could hear someone''s annoyance directed at him. [The King of Dragons, the Destruction Monarch, is furious that this is a fraud.] [The King of Dragons, the Destruction Monarch, is thinking about how to increase Ragnar''s mana.] [The King of Dragons, the Destruction Monarch, wants to advice you about Ragnar''s parenting methods....] Chapter 199 - 199

Chapter 199:

Around the same time Suho hatched Ragnar and was struggling against the Dragon Emperor, American society was facing a great shock. -Thomas Andre murdered Christopher Reed?! -Oh my God! - The curiosity of people who have been wondering who is stronger out of the two has finally been resolved! -But it shouldn''t have been like this! For some reason, two S-rank hunters representing the United States fought for their lives, and as a result, the consequences were not only just a matter of murder. The death of an S-rank Hunter was truly an astronomical loss for the United States. However, the bigger problem was that the person whomitted this shocking crime was also an S-rank himself. -Hold all the me on Thomas Andre and put him to death! - Hey, buddy. We''ve already lost one S-rank Hunter, and you''re asking to kill another? Are you thinking of ruining America? -You don''t really think that such a thing is possible, do you? -Thomas Andre is quietly under arrest for now, but if he suddenly has a change of heart, at least half the American poption will die. - But since Thomas admitted his crimes, hasn''t he been arrested by the Federal Bureau? -Arrest? You don''t seriously consider that an arrest, do you? Didn''t you see the picture of the Goliath stopping at a burger joint on the way to his arrest?! The disposition of Thomas Andre was hotly debated among Americans. But there was one fact they all acknowledged. No matter how much Thomas Andre was charged for murder, it was a fact that the United States would never be safe economically and physically if he was touched. Furthermore, there was also something that Americans were most curious about. -So, where is the Federal Bureau confining Thomas Andre? - It''s in ''Area-51'' right? - Yeah, Area-51, that''s the only ce he has to be in, no? Area 51. A first-ss military base managed by the US Department of Defense located in the desert of Nevada, USA. Originally, this ce was built as a thoroughly secret base for the development and testing of new weapons. In the meantime, the US government has consistently refused to answer questions about this ce, but eventually acknowledged the reality of this area with the release of 355 pages of ssified documents from the CIA. However, the reason why this secret base was particrly interesting to people was because of the lush rumors about this area. Inside, aliens are secretly imprisoned and living organisms are being experimented on! Area 51 was full of all sorts of ugly and mysterious rumors, such as recovering the remains of a UFO and conducting joint research with aliens. And in fact, with the opening of the Hunter era, Area 51 was also an area that was incorporated under the Federal Bureau and used in many ways. So, people guessed that the only ce where Thomas Andre could be amodated in, was Area 51. However, logic and truth are very different. "One more drink." "Yes Mr. Thomas, how much ice would you like in your drink?" nk**.** The bartender, who was setting arge ice cube in a clear wine ss, nced at Thomas Andre. "Hey, Adam! Would you like a drink too?" "Thank you, but I''ll have to reject it, I''m still in my working hours." Adam White, the director of the Federal Bureau of Hunters¨C who had just entered the mansion¨C smiled bitterly at Thomas Andre, who was drunk and waving at him. Yes, this extravagant mansion was a ''prison'' specially prepared for Thomas Andre by the Federal Bureau. It''s a prison, so to speak, but it''s actually more like a resort. Thomas Andre, who was caught as a criminal, was also enjoying a leisurely vacation at the swimming pool, wearing a colorful floral short-sleeved tee and shorts, not a prison uniform at all. Thomas Andre, clearly aware of Adam White''s position, asked him with a single smile. "So, how is my trial going? Will I get the death penalty?" "Stop joking around and let''s talk about work." Adam White sighed and ordered the apanying secretaries toy out the research materials in front of him. Seeing the amount of data, Thomas Andre raised one eye and his eyes lit up. "Hoo? Were there too many?" "Yes. It was as you said." The previous day, the director of the Federal Bureau, Adam White, heard the real reason Thomas Andre killed Christopher Reed, and immediatelyunched an investigation onto the Foreign Religion. Although the public opinion was leaning toward Thomas Andre¨C who was usually known for his filthy personality¨C to have killed Christopher Reed in a fit of anger, Adam White was quite relieved to learn that the truth was different. "...It turns out that far more Foreign believers are active all over the United States than I thought." Foreign Religion. An unknown pseudo-religion of unknown origin. "Surprisingly, when I investigated, their goals and actions were quite moderatepared to other pseudo-religions. At best, they would propagate or sell Stardust." "I guessed the same. After all, the goal must have been to stay quietly hidden. So, did you recover the Stardust and Star Pieces?" "Yes. All visible kin have been retrieved. There was no justification for arresting them, so the solution was to buy them all with money. Surveince was attached separately." "Haha, man you really are good at your job!" "..." Thomas Andre raised his wine ss in the air, as if toasting, and drank it down. Seeing this, Adam White''s subordinates couldn''t help but cry. It was incredibly unpleasant to see Adam White, the director of the Federal Bureau of Hunters, being treated as if he were a mere subordinate. But so what if you are offended? Thomas Andre, That man had the qualifications and strength to do so. Even Adam White himself seemed to have no feelings for this disrespectful attitude towards him. Rather, at the point when he learned that there was an unidentified group working secretly in the United States, Thomas'' help was more desperate than ever for the peace of the United States. "Back then... You told me the magic restraints doesn''t work on you anymore." "Ah, that''s right." At Adam White''s words, Thomas Andre shrugged his shoulders carefreely. Right nowThomas Andre''s both wrists and ankles were filled with magic restraints used to arrest the viins. Those handcuffs were developed by the Korean Hunter Association, and we''re a great invention widely used around the world. However, during the arrest process, Thomas Andre obediently put on that restraint, and despite this, his magic was still flowing through his body. "Didn''t I tell you? I can absorb the mana of outer space. And this magic restraint tool doesn''t work on outer space mana. Simrly, it won''t work for Stardust boosters or Foreign believers." "...And you said the one that shared all this information with you was the Korean Hunter Sung Suho?" "Hehe, yup. He has a very promising future ahead." "If someone sees your expression now, they will think he is your secret love child." "Oh, it''s simr. He is the son of my old best friend." Adam White shook his head at the sight of Thomas Andre smiling proudly at the memory of Sung Suho. He was just frustrated. It was the first time he felt so helpless after bing the director of the Federal Bureau of Hunters that protects the United States. "I am very sorry to say this, but I feel quite nerved. What the hell is going on on Earth right now?" "A space war, duh." "Ha..." Adam White, who could neither believe nor disbelieve that absurd statement, simply raised his forehead and sighed. Even after saying that, he felt even more sickened when he saw the carefree look of Thomas, who was drinking to his heart''s content. "By the way, did you seek cooperation from the Korean Association?" "Yes. I heard that the current president of the association is in North Korea, so I sent someone there." "Good. It must be the president of the association. Our Suho told us to never trust other guys." ...He is going to talk about Sung Suho again. "Oh, and do you have any high-level Essence Stones left in the Federal Bureau''s warehouse? It would be nice if you could send all of them to our Suho. He says they need a lot of Essence Stones these days." "...They are expensive." "If this is about money, I have plenty." "The auction price¨C Nevermind, I will see to it." "Ohe on. Look at it this way, this is all for the earth. If the earth perishes, do you think our America will be alright? Oh and, if you don''t have a few high-grade ones, feel free to collect intermediate Essence Stones instead." "..." At this point, aren''t you just being a thug? First, it was a hamburger, but once they started listening to it, the staff of the FEderal Bureau couldn''t hide their dejection at the sight of the super criminal who kept robbing them of their resources. And the more shameless that human being came out, the more curious everyone became. Just who the hell is the Korean hunter ''Sung Suho'' whom the world''s Thomas Andre so tantly cherishes? ''I guess I''ll have to meet him in person. In any case, if Thomas Andre is being tricked by him, then this will cause a huge problem.'' It was Adam White, who was determined to schedule a visit to Korea sooner orter. "Ah! And about our Suho..." "..." Please, shut up. * * * Meanwhile, Sung Il-Hwan, who had been missing all this timem finally returned home safely. Park Kyung-Hye and Sung Jin-Ah, who were worried about him, barely regained their stability. Of course, that didn''t solve all the problems. It remained unchanged that their precious family members, Sung Jin-Woo and Cha Hae-In, were still missing, and this incident forced them to worry even more than before. However, the solution to this was very simple. Without hesitation, Suho used the key to the Shadow Dungeon on them. "Ah!!" "This memory?!--" Park Kyung-Hye and Sung Jin-Ah, whose memories of their previous lives suddenly returned, were temporarily in great shock, but soon began to ept the whole truth. Suho honestly told them all about the whereabouts of Sung Jin-Woo and Cha Hae-In. Of course, that didn''t mean all the worries were resolved, but at least it made it so that he didn''t have to worry about keeping things vague as he had done up until now. [My young liege, is it really okay to do this?] Beru watched Suho''s behavior from the sidelines and showed a little concern. [If you indiscriminately return people''s memories like this, the world could be confused.] Of course, when Sung Jin-Woo handed over the key to the Shadow Dungeon to Suho, he did not give specific instructions on how to use it. At least, he gave advice that it would be good to bring back Yoo Jin-Ho''s memories, which can provide the most practical help to Suho, but the rest was entirely up to Suho''s choice. Even so, if everyone''s memories were returned indiscriminately, there would be those who would use those memories to do bad things, and worse, be tempted by the Itarim. However, Suho boldly dismissed Beru''s concerns. "So what if it''s reckless?" [Kiek?] "I can''t keep letting my family grieve for my father who they don''t know whenever he is still alive or dead. Besides..." Suho looked at Beru with serious eyes. Those two irises were burning hotter than ever. "...In the first ce, I don''t like the fact that the world has forgotten all about my father. If I can, I want to make everyone in the world remember my father again, but I''m holding back." [...] Beru, feeling Suho''s sincerity, had no choice but to keep his mouth shut. As he said, the people of this world havepletely forgotten that Sung Jin-Woo saved the earth a long time ago. Although not everyone can appreciate his noble sacrifice, it is Suho''s wish that someone could at least remember. While saying this, Suho thought about the fight he had with the Dragon Emperor a few moments ago. ''Ever since I was little, I''ve always been curious. How did the burn marks on my father''s handse about?'' The breath of destruction exhaled by the Dragon Emperor. It was Suho who vaguely realized the greatness of his father, who fought and won a war alone against that terribly dangerous being. "So I..." Suho decided. "I will continue to make as many people as possible remember my father when the opportunity arises." He realized. "No matter how much I think about it, that seems like the only ''gift'' I can prepare before going to see my father." [...] Beru cried. Yes. Gift. That day, when Suho met the apostle of Itarim for the first time, he had promised to himself since then, on what to do for his father. Hot tears were flowing from Beru''s eyes, he who had walked the road with Sung Jin-Woo for a long time, without any hesitation. Chapter 200 - 200

Chapter 200:

On the edge of the vast universe. Fwoooo... Against the enemies that melted the dimensional walls and poured out endlessly, fierce battles were taking ce all over the universe. But in the middle of that battlefield. Smirk. "...I didn''t expect for my son to be the heir of the Dragon Emperor." Said the man with a ck aura draped in the form of a veil. The Shadow Monarch, Sung Jin-Woo, was staring in the direction of the Earth and smiling. Really, raising children seems to be a series of things that you can''t anticipate at all. Who would have dared to imagine? The day wille when the son of the Shadow Monarch deres himself to be the heir of the Monarch of Destruction. This was certainly a future that none of the great beings here had ever contemted. As such, Suho''s decision this time was a risky adventure with many variables, and an uncertain future... But... [Can we be sure to leave it as it is?] [The Destruction Monarch has never been reliable.] [It is also ominous to be reawakening monarchs who were born out of primordial darkness in the first ce.] [In the worst case scenario, you are nurturing your own internal enemies during the war.] Sung Jin-Woo just shrugged his shoulders as he watched the Rulers each of them express their concern to him. "Well, guess what? It''s a decision he made on his own, and as a father, I can''t help but support him." However, Sung Jin-Woo had decided to put all those worries behind him and respect his son''s decision. "Of course, there''s still an element of anxiety, but that''s the first time I''ve had one as a father in a long time." Plus, if you think about it, it wasn''t a bad choice. "...No, it might be rather good if it goes well." To a certain extent, the Rulers agreed with Sung Jin-Woo''s idea. [He''s right.] [The more someone inherits the power of the dead monarchs, the greater our power will be.] [Even though monarchs are born out of primordial darkness, they are still on the same side when ites to dealing with enemies in outer space.] [Of course, the fundamental nature of wanting destruction won''t change much, but if your son can control that instinct...] "That''s it for small talk." A towering presence appeared. "It''sing again." In an instant, Sung Jin-Woo''s eyes burned coldly when he found the crack that had opened again in front of him. [Gather all the lines!] [A new gate has spawned!] [Scramble the whole army!] With a FLASH! At themand of the Rulers, the soldiers of heaven flew up in unison. Splendid wings spread. The power of brilliance and the aura of the outer beings shed with each other. And in the center of it, Sung Jin-Woo bared his teeth fiercely, unleashing the monarch''s realm. "Arise, everyone." WUAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!! [This time, our troops will be in the vanguard!] [No! Legion Commander Igris! Follow Me!] At the Monarch''smand, the Shadow Soldiers, who were healing from their wounds in a sh of ck steam, rushed into battle. [Come to us as much as you like!] [The Monarch''s protection is with us!] As long as they were protected by the shadows, they were an immortal army that would never die, even if they were hurt. RWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!! In the vastness of space, above the deep and wide shadow of the Monarch, the army of immortality roared like thunder. In the midst of the war, Sung Jin-Woo turned his gaze back and muttered to his son, who was struggling alone in the beyond. ''Suho. My son.'' I respect your choice. Since you have chosen to be the sessor of the Dragon Emperor yourself... ''Be strong.'' You have to be strong. ''The Draconic Trials'' It wasn''t just a quest. Coincidentally, it served as a mutual agreement that was only possible because the desires of Antares and the goals of Suho were looking in the same direction. At the same time, it was a risky deal that could quickly throw the bnce out at any moment when there was a conflict of interest. ''So, Suho. If you do not ovee the Draconic Trials, the Dragon will eventually try to eat you.'' Sung Jin-Woo gritted his teeth and blessed Suho''s future with concern. ''Be strong, Suho.'' Be strong, and eat the Dragon instead. In order to survive you must not be the prey. ''For you are a Hunter.'' * * * [Use Skill: ''Monarch''s Domain''.] Rwaaaaaaa! Above the realm of the Monarch unfolded by Suho, the Shadow Soldiers roared in unison and sprang forward. "Ahhhh!!" "Ack! Ghuk!" As they passed, only the blood and screams of the magic beasts overflowed. [You have leveled up!] [You have leveled up!] Suho was hell-bent on entering the dungeons and leveling up as much as possible these days. Finishing the first trial, reaching level 99, was an easy but difficult goal. As the levels increased, the proportional amount of experience required increased, and it was natural for the speed to slow down. In the end, this meant that in order to level up faster, one would have to search for much more dangerous and powerful beasts. But that was easier said than done. "Do-Gyun hyung, where is the next dungeon?" "Yes boss! These are all for today. I''ll make a reservation for the next dungeon as soon as possible." At some point, it became natural for Lim Do-Gyun to refer to Suho as his boss, regardless of his age. He had to, Lim Do-Gyun was the only "normal human" who watched Suho attack the dungeon with tremendous speed and momentum from beginning to end. A homage beyond wonder! Suho''s Shadow Soldiers were not only quick to hunt, but also quick to mine and dismantle the carcasses of demons. Sometimes, the shadow of the magic beast that Suho had just killed would raise itself, and he would even dismantle his own body and offer it to Suho. It was a relief that the sight of the magic beast itself was horrible. Had they been human the scene would have been grotesque, horrifying even. And for Lim Do-Gyun, who was seeing it all firsthand, he could no longer regard Suho as just a close brother as before. So, what is the true nature of his feelings for Suho? Fear? Oh no. ''Content.'' Lim Do-Gyun thought sincerely. ''This is my job for life!'' The work is easy, and his life is not in danger. Even the sry is amazing! For an E-rank hunter like Lim Do-Gyun, the Woojin Guild was such a stable job that he wanted to bury his bones here for the rest of his life. As long as the boss Suho is there! "Boss! I''ve got a dungeon reservation! It''s a dungeon that the Hyunmoo Guild has failed to attack twice, so it can be a little dangerous, but¨C" "It''s good. Let''s go right away." The more dangerous the dungeon is, the better! With his eyes shining, he stepped forward, followed by Lim Do-Gyun vigorously, but then¨C Pause. "...Huh?" "Ahk?!" When Suho stopped abruptly in front of him, Lim Do-Gyun, who had mmed into his hard back, grabbed his nose and stared at him. "Boss, what''s going on all of a sudden?" "..." Suho suddenly stood there silently, with a troubled expression on his face. After staring into the air for a moment, Suho opened his mouth. "...Do-Gyun hyung, let''s cancel that dungeon just now." "Oh? Yes, I see. But why...?" "I have to go for a while." Swish. Before those words were finished, Suho''s new form disappeared from the spot. "...Huh?" Lim Do-Gyun looked around with a puzzled expression, but he couldn''t find Suho''s figure anywhere. "Boss, while you leave to do that... Can I leave early?" * * * Ryo Singh. He flew to India at the behest of Suho and headed straight to the Asura Guild without rest. "I need to see the Guildmaster right away! I''ve won a lot of business!" Siddharth Bachchan. The purpose for which Ryo Singh wanted to meet Siddharth Bachchan, the Guildmaster of the Asura Guild and the most famous S-rank hunter in India, was none other than the business proposed by Suho. Spring Water of the Echo Forest. Trading rights for the hottest item in the hunter industry these days, the Scavengers'' Guild''s Purifying Potion! The future ahead of Ryo Singh, who had won the enormous deal himself, was indeed solid. ''This time I''ll definitely get a promotion! If the Guildmaster offers me the highest ransom as an A-list hunter, I will ept it unconditionally!'' Ryo Singh mmed the door of the guild office with such an overwhelmed heart. "...Huh?" When all the sudden, an eerie atmosphere arrived. He couldn''t help but instinctively stop at the sight of the guild with a somewhat unpleasant air around. ''What is going on?'' At first, he tried to me it on his mood. After a long absence, he had returned to his home country and visited the guild, so it was natural for one to feel unfamiliar. In addition, the guild employees who can be seen here and there are also working in the office as usual. ''Still, what the hell is this feeling? It''s as if something has changed.'' As Ryo Singh walked towards the Guildmaster''s office, he couldn''t shake his reluctance as he looked at people''s faces. Just then did he discover something strange. ''They''re unreadable.'' No matter how much they were overwhelmed by work, there wasn''t a single emotion shown on the employees'' faces. ''And no one weed me first.'' No matter how many times he traveled outside, there were quite a few employees who knew his face well. One of them recognized him and greeted him, but no one approached to talk to him. "...This is Ryo Singh. I''m here to see the Guildmaster." "Oh, yes." When he approached someone, they responded with no expression. All of them reacted as if their souls had slipped out of their minds somewhere. "I contacted the Guildmaster''s office before I came here, but he didn''t answer the phone because he was busy. Is he not in the guild right now?" "No." "So, where is he? Perhaps in a dungeon?" "Yes." "...Is that the end of the exnation?" "Yes." "...?" At the disapproving response that kepting back, Ryo Singh tilted his head in wonder. Why were all of their reactions like this? Has there been anything bad in the guildtely? Ryo Singh eventually had no choice but to go to the front of the Guildmaster''s office and walk back in vain. Suddenly, he found something odd. ''What are those nes?'' It was nothing special, but now that he began to notice it, he saw that all the members of the guild were wearing the same ne, studded withrge blue gems, and worn around the necks of both men and women. "Hey, um, what''s that ne?" "Oh! This ne?" "This ne?" ''Huh?'' Ryo Singh grabbed one of them and asked him about the ne, only for everyone around him to suddenly turn their heads and look at Ryo Singh at the same time. All with a broad smile on their face. "This ne is a recently made employee ID that shows that you belong to the Asura Guild." "Can I get you one?" "No, I''ll give it to you!" "No, I''ll¨C" "Uh--?" Rio Singh was suddenly handed over a ne here and there, and just as quickly they began to put the ne around his neck. The moment he had it on, "Rio Singh, the Guildmaster is calling for you." "All of a sudden? But isn''t he in a dungeon?" "Yes, you have to enter the dungeon to meet the Guildmaster." "Ah, well, I see. I just happened to bring a gift for the Guildmaster." Rio Singh nodded, fiddling with the Purifying Potion he had been gifted by Suho. It was said to be a business sample, and Siddharth Bachchan was told that he should try it himself. "But what kind of dungeon is it? Is it so dangerous that even the Guildmaster has to step up and take care of it?" To Ryo Singh''s question, the staff member went back to being expressionless and answered. "Yes, the Guildmaster is attacking the dungeons of the Were-dragon tribe these days." "Were-dragon?" ---------------- Chapter 201 - 201

Chapter 201:

Were-dragons(1). It is a race that collectively refers to monsters that have the characteristics of a dragon [ýˆ] and a human [ÈË] mixed together, and there were quite a variety of entities, from dragon-type monsters to reptile-type monsters. But among them, there was a magic beast that came to Ryo Singh''s mind first. ''Naga'' In India, there are many myths with various animal motifs, but one can''t leave out the snake monster ''Naga'' as a myth that reminds one of a ''dragon''. "Could it be that Naga have appeared?" "I haven''t checked the site myself, so I can''t say for sure, but ording to reports, it looks like Nagas." Flip. In response to Ryo Singh''s question, the employee handed over the relevant materials in a businesslike manner. "This¨C It really is a Naga!" Ryo Singh, who was handed over the materials, grew agitated. A silhouette of a monster resembling a reptile emerging from the water. The silhouette of the beast in the photo in the data was very simr to the Naga that Ryo Singh knew. ''Besides, the location...'' After confirming the location of the area where the were-dragons appeared, Ryo Singh sighed in pity. "How can this happen! Loktak Lake and other ces have all turned into field dungeons!" He couldn''t believe it. While he was on a business trip to another country, he never thought that such arge-scale disaster would happen in India. Loktak Lake is argeke located in the Indian state of Manipur, and is one of thergest freshwaterkes in Southeast Asia. Around theke, all thend in the area had been turned into a Field Dungeon. Ryo Singh asked the employee with a cool look. "How many Dungeon Breaks have exploded around here?" "A total of five ces exploded at the same time. One of them was attacked by the Guildmaster himself, so now there are four left." "AH! This was not the time for me to go out so carefree! I should have stayed by the Guildmaster and assisted him somehow!" Ryo Singh was heartbroken. Even though this happened to their country, he didn''t know anything! "This is not the time to sulk! I have to go help the Guildmaster right now! Secretary, please assemble all remaining troops in the guild under me!" "This is a situation where all elite hunters have already been put into the field." "The situation is so serious, it must be! Then I''ll go find it myself, so please let me know the exact location of the Guildmaster!" That''s how Ryo Singh went out of the guild with great enthusiasm. Although, no matter how strong he was as an A-rank hunter, it was reckless to enter Loktak Lake alone. Strangely so, none of the staff at the Asura Guild showed any signs of stopping Ryo Singh''s actions. Rather, they looked just the same as before. Possessed. Meanwhile the nes hanging around their necks were emitting a calm and subdued blue light. The same light that emitted from the ne on Ryo Singh''s neck as he headed to Loktak Lake. * * * A whileter. Creak! ''This is it!'' Ryo Singh arrived in front of Loktak''s Field Dungeon with a confident appearance. Even though he came here alone, he didn''t feel afraid at all. So what if he was alone? Once he goes inside the guild members will wee him. Also he didn''te here empty-handed, rather he bought some gifts for his hunter colleagues who might be struggling in this new gate. ''Just you wait for me! I''m loaded with a lot of imported Korean hunter equipment!'' The back of therge truck he had driven all the way to was loaded with expensive items made by skilled artisans in Korea. Originally, his n was to show these precious items to the Guildmaster one by one, and to be generous with his contributions. But wouldn''t it be much more dramatic to show up with these in such an emergency moment? ''Promotion! This is bound to give me an instant promotion!'' Ryo Singh''s heart was filled with excitement as he thought of his colleagues who would already raise their arms and cheer when they saw this amazing equipment. "Okay then let''s go!" "Ryo Singh, is it really okay for the two of us to go in? The ce seems..." Jackson, the truck driver, looked at Ryo Singh with a terrified expression. Before, he was a C rank hunter with stealth skills, and was a former subordinate of Ryo Singh. Although he was fired from the Asura Guildst year due to hisck of ability, he was a person with excellent driving skills in such rough terrain. Of course, even if a C-rank hunter had good driving skills, there was nothing to use, but it was suitable for the role of evacuating goods to a dangerous Field Dungeons like today. "Ryo Singh, even if I were to get caught up in danger, I have a stealth skill, so I might be able to escape somehow, but you only have attack skills..." "Ugh! Who cares about it! Jackson, I will take full responsibility for your safety, so just focus on driving!" "...Namaste." Jackson, the truck driver who was well aware of Ryo Singh''s fighting prowess, closed his eyes. And when he opened his eyes again, they began to burn with a sense of mission to save his formerrades. Jackson grabbed the steering wheel and gritted his teeth. "Alright then, here goes nothing." Vroom!! In this way, a cargo truck loaded with Korean-made equipment boldly entered Loktak''s Field Dungeon, and immediately, reptilian monsters from all sides blocked their path. Rwaaar! Shing! Shing! "It''s a Lizardman!" "Jackson! Don''t stop! Trust me and just keep running straight!" Ryo Singh climbed right onto the truck, braced himself on his legs and held twin swords in each hand. Heughed ferociously as he red at the Lizardmen who were attacking with vicious momentum. "They may be dragons but they are still just lizardmen!" At this urgent moment, a face suddenly appeared in Ryo Sing''s mind. ''Myrade, Sung Suho.'' During all this time, he has gone through many adventures following Sung Suho. The Egyptian Pyramids. Irnd''s cier Dungeon. Besides that, none of the incidents with him were as dangerous. He was the hunter who survived with Sung Suho through so many adversities and returned to his home country like this! "Who else but me! Ryo Singh!" Slice! Slice! Slice! Slice! sh! Ryo Singh''s twin swords struck splendidly as they shed all over the ce. The was dense and merciless as the Lizardmen screamed while being chopped. "Try as much as you want I can go all day!" Ryo Singh, who was protecting the truck and ying the beasts by running back and forth, started to think about how he was resembling Suho more and more. No, they definitely look alike now! ''No matter what anyone says, I''m Sung Suho''s irreceablerade!'' Shiinggggg!! Jackson''s truck drove over a puddle of blood created by Ryo Singh. "Ryo Singh! I see ake in front of me! From now onwards, this is the real deal!" Jackson shouted as he stepped on the elerator hard. "Alright! Pass through here and you will find the fortress of the Asura Guild!" Ryo Singh responded, his body covered from head to toe in blood, but none of it his. Jackson showed his teeth andughed at Ryo Singh''s cool eyes, visible through the Lizardman''s blood dripping from his forehead. ''Haha! Is this really the Ryo Singh I knew from before?'' A rank hunter Ryo Singh. He was the elite of the Asura Guild in name and reality. A rookie who was recognized as the most elite hunter. However, he had one fatal w as a hunter, and it was that he used his head too much rather than using his body. All his interests are only promotions! He had only a terrible desire for honor and wanting to receive admiration and attention from others. ''Has that man been able to do things like these all along?'' Jackson, who only knew about Ryo Singh''s past, felt his heart grow hot at the battle in front of him, and with all his heart, he wanted to help him fulfill his purpose. He sucked on the cigarette he was holding in his mouth and grinned. Then, holding onto the steering wheel with both hands, he eximed enthusiastically toward Ryo Singh, who was fighting a bloody battle outside. "Alright, then Ryo Singh! I trust you! I''m going to rush to thekeside from now on! So guard my way!" "Ah, stop!" "!!!" Suddenly, Jackson''s pupils dted, feeling as if time was passing slowly. In those eyes, from a distance, he could see the expression on the face of Ryo Singh, who hurriedly ran toward him with a puzzled look on his face. Shiingg!!! At the same time, the sound of watering from the side. Jackson''s head instinctively turned to the side. Before he could even turn his headpletely, he saw the shape of a huge monster that had suddenly risen from within Loktak Lake. ''--What the?!'' Thud! The truck Jackson was in was thrown over the side. "No!" Kudangtangtangtang! Ryo Singh threw himself at Jackson''s truck, which rolled on the ground and crumpled in an instant. With the superhuman strength of an A rank hunter, he managed to stop the truck from moving however he couldn''t check Jackson''s condition. Aaaaaa! "!!!" A huge shadow of the ''Naga'' emerged from theke and cast over Ryo Singh. Kwaaang! A gigantic reptilian hand mmed down on Ryo Singh''s head. Ryo Singh''s pupils dted at the sight, and the calctor ran in his head for an instant. ''I''m not a tanker.'' The difference between the dealer and the tank is significant. As a dealer, he had the strength to stop a truck, but he didn''t have the stamina or skills to deal with the attack of such a gigantic monster. That means soon. ''It''s more efficient to counterattack after dodging!'' That would have been the perfect strategy for a dealer to give up defense and use dual swords. But if so, ''If I avoid it, Jackson will die!'' Ryo Singh fixed his stance with a determined look and crossed his twin swords. And recalling the image of Sung Suho in his memory- "Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!" Crack!! "!?!" However, the Naga''s defense was stronger than expected. The de of the sword that touched the Naga''s hand broke away helplessly. Despair came to Ryo Singh''s eyes as he witnessed the scene. ''Oh, no...'' The reason for that despair was not because his own life was precious. No matter how much the dealer was, there was no way that he, an A-rank hunter, would lose his life with one hit. However, what is certain is that Jackson, who is riding in the truck, will surely die from that attack. Jackson, who he had forced to set foot on this rough terrain! ''NO-!'' Woosh! In that desperate situation, the shadow assassin Kira, who had been quietly holding his breath at Ryo Singh''s feet, moved under the master''s orders. T-ring! [Use ''Skill: Shadow Exchange''.] Swoop! "Ah!!" Ryo Singh''s bulging eyes looked ahead. The firm back of the man who suddenly blocked him. The figure of ''him'' who easily blocked Naga''s powerful attack with one hand. "...I found a good one." A faint smile appeared on his lips. As if his pride had been hurt by that appearance, the Naga snarled ferociously and pressed down the hand he had struck with even greater force. But for some reason, the Naga''s hand didn''t move. Suho just turned his head and said to Ryo Singh. "Rest here for a while, I''ll take care of the rest." Then, Suho looked forward again, and his eyes suddenly changed like a hunter who found his prey. "Wake up." Wah! "Greed." !!! At that moment, the S rank Hunter, who returned as a shadow soldier, stood up in front of the huge Naga. -------- 1: The original trantion is ???(ýˆÈË×å) which can also be tranted as Dragonewts or Dragonoids, I used were-dragons instead to keep it more literal to the trantion of half-dragons, half-humanoid magic beasts. Chapter 202 - 202

Chapter 202:

Haeundae, Busan. While fighting Javier, a demon tribe he encountered there, Suho had received a quest from Sung Jin-Woo''s vision. [Urgent quest: Prove your worthiness!] A vision of the Shadow Monarch ''Sung Jin-Woo'' demands proof of his qualifications from his son. Defeat Javier, the Demon Illusionist, and awaken a new Shadow Skill. In the course of this quest, Suho learned the "Monarch''s Dominion", but this was only a self-enlightenment, not a reward from the quest itself. There was a separate Shadow Power that he received afterpleting the quest. That''s this new Shadow Skill. [Skill: Shadow Exchange Lv.1] Shadow Skill. No Mana required. You can swap the position of the specified Shadow Soldier and caster. Once cast, a 3-hour cooldown must pass before it can be used again. The waiting time depends on your skill level. This skill allowed the Shadow Soldier to change their position no matter where they were, and it was almost like teleportation. As soon as Suho saw this skill, he immediately understood what it was. "It''s like a gate." This ability was quite familiar to Suho, who usually used his shadow as a gate to freely enter and exit the underworld of the Shadow Dungeon. After a few exercises, Suho immediately understood the usefulness of this skill, and then sent the shadow soldier Kira to India with Ryo Singh just in case. This is the result. Boom! "Kraaa!!" [Haha! You can hold your ground? That''s impressive!] [High Priest, No, Greed! That''s because we''ve been weakened!] Shadow Soldiers Greed and Ironughed heartily as they shed the unbelievablyrge and hideous giant of the Naga family. Ryo Singh, who was watching the wondrous scene from behind, couldn''t help but drop his jaw. ''Oh my God. Were Suho''s summons always that strong?'' With a human-like upper body and a sea snake monster on the lower body, "Naga" was a quasi-boss-level monster that only appeared asionally in advanced dungeons. The size and strength of each individual varied greatly, but the steel-like scales that covered their entire body were so protective that they could be used as materials for various materials such as armor and shields. "And yet they shatter like it''s nothing..." [Uh-huh!] [Hahahaha!] "Krarak-! Kyaa!!" Bang! Boom! Bang! The Shadow Soldiers'' relentless onught had crumpled and torn the Naga''s scales, tough and hard, like a sheet of paper. "That''s at least as good as an A rank, maybe even an S rank Hunter. These monstrous monsters were destroyed by a single Hunter." Ryo Singh couldn''t believe his eyes. He couldn''t believe it even when he saw it himself, so he wondered if anyone would believe him if he told it. Still, ''They are dangerous either way! ording to the information, I was sure they were Nagas...!'' Ryo Singh, like an elite, had learned as much information as he could about the Naga beforeing here. A high-level demon beast that is skilled in both outgoingbat and magic, making even seasoned hunters struggle. Even high-level demonstrators always rode in groups, so the difficulty of attacking them was quite high. And this information was very rare due to the appearance of the Naga so it was not yet widely disseminated to the public. Ryo Singh shouted urgently. "Suho! Be careful! I''ve heard that the Naga swarm in groups of at least 30 of them¨C" But before he could say that, all the Naga hiding in theke came out all at once. Then he ran over the side of Greed and Iron, who were dealing with one of them. Swaaaaa! Too bad for them, because they weren''t outnumbered either. Smirk. "Do you guys want to enjoy a feast?" Suho opened his mouth with a meaningful smile. "Arise." !!! At that moment, the Shadow Soldiers rose from the shadow of the guardian in unison. It was a sight to behold as they fought against dozens of Naga. And Ryo Singh finally realized it. ''Oh my God. It wasn''t just a new powerful summon.'' The identity of the suspicion that had lingered in the back of his head the entire time he had been following Suho. ''....He is a hunter who can grow!'' A hunter''s power does not change. That was basicmon sense. Hunters can refine their skills and be more proficient in fighting demons through training and runestones, but the Hunter''s fundamental power, which is determined at the same time as awakening, will never change. However, he didn''t know that there was a Hunter who ignored suchmon sense and was growing day by day. And to think it was right in front of him the whole time! ''Such a stupid thing!! Why am I only now aware of this?'' Ryo Singhmented his narrow-sightedness. Even though summoners vary depending on the number of summons, he was finally convinced that hisrade-in-arms, who had passed through life and death with him many times, has special abilities! Then it dawned on him. "...Oh right! Jackson! Jackson!" This was not the time to think. Ryo Singh btedly came to his senses and rescued Jackson from the unconscious inside the overturned truck. The state of the truck was so badly wrecked that the driver was killed instantly, but Jackson, a ss C Hunter, was fortunately unscathed. [Hmm. Don''t worry, he''s not dead.] Before he knew it, Beru had approached Jackson, checked on him, and flew straight to Suho. Then, Suho, who was in charge of the battle, came up to Jackson in an instant and poured a potion into his mouth. "...Cough!" Ryo Singh breathed a sigh of relief as Jackson''s bleeding forehead wound gradually healed. It was at this moment that he realized that he was responsible for dragging his old subordinate, Jackson, into his pursuit of a promotion. At the same time, he was horrified to realize once again how special a hunter Suho was. He just couldn''t believe that thetter could summon S rank summons like that and at the same time have the ability to be a healer. Is this the level of a special path that Suho can walk on? "Suho! I have a favor to ask of you!" Ryo Singh helped Jackson to his senses as he urgently called for Suho. He already had an unrepayable debt from being saved, but he had no choice except to ask for help. "All the power of our Asura Guild is here right now! But it''s so strange that the Naga are still haunting the field from the very beginning!" He was right. This is the beginning of the Field Dungeon. The Asura Guild that came in to attack this field had no choice but to pass by this ce. So how likely is it that such arge horde of magic beasts could have gone unnoticed? "I don''t think they would have let them go unpurposed, and I''m sure something big happened that we didn''t know about..." "Perhaps they''ve been let free." "Huh?" The answer did note from the mouth of the guardian. ''Doh, lizards?'' Ryo Singh was taken aback. Before he knew it, a small flying lizard perched on Suho''s shoulder was looking around with a stern look in his eyes. "Hmm. I thought there would be remnants of the Naga family that were still alive. After all, the only ones who survive the war are the cowards." As soon as the cub dragon Ragnar regains its mana, Antares quickly regains his body. His gaze scanned the Nagas, and then he opened his eyes at the familiar energy vibrating on the shore of theke. "Well this is certainly peculiar. Somewhere in here, I can feel the energy of the Draconic people." "Dragons?" "Yes. The Draconic people, like the Naga family, were one of the many tribes that served our people. Every single one of them was wiped out by your father." "And implemented into the shadow army." "Yes. However, I don''t know why this ce smells like dragon people. I wonder if there are survivors like them." Just then, the battle was over. Bam! Thud! "Huh, already?!" Ryo Singh was horrified by the sight of so many Nagas copsing. Suho nodded with a satisfied smile as he looked at Greed and Iron among the Shadow Corps that had cleared out the Naga. "Well, dead or not, a career job is a career job." Greed and Iron, who once served in the Shadow Monarch Sung Jin-Woo''s legion, were now new soldiers who had just joined Suho''s army. However they were also experienced recruits who had a knack for wanting tomand the Shadow Soldiers under them. If you think about it, it was to be expected. In his previous life, Greed was an S rank hunter who belonged to the strongest guild representing the United States, Scavenger. Iron is also a promising ace of the White Tiger Guild, who was one of the best guilds in Korea in his previous life, and A rank hunter Kim Chul. They were not only strong in their bodies, but they were also corpsmander-level soldiers who were adept atmanding soldiers. [Lord Suho, I have returned from a sessful hunt ording to my orders!] Greed and Iron hunted down the Naga and then sent the other soldiers to drag the massive corpses in front of Suho, even though Suho had not given them any orders. [Young lord, why don''t you take these Nagas as Shadow Soldiers?] [They may be stupid, but they are quite useful animals for livestock.] They had been Sung Jin-Woo''s soldiers for a long time, and they knew a lot like Beru. Antares looked at Naga''s corpse and said with a bite in his mouth. "Child of Shadows. You know what? Originally, Nagas were cowards who hid in the deep water because they didn''t want to fall prey to our Berserk Dragons." "Prey?" "Yes. They have a lot of flesh and are therefore the perfect prey." Gulp. Antares, who had been swallowing his tongue as he exined the Naga, proimed proudly. "I, Antares, Dragon Emperor and Monarch of Destruction, dere that I shall eat them all! In order to increase the magic of this despicable Ragnar a little!" "Oh, okay." Suho readily agreed. Anyway, once he extracted them as a shadow soldier, he didn''t care about the corpse of the demon beast. Of course, if you put it on the market, you can sell it at a high price, but it was much more profitable for Suho to have more magic power than money. [This is a target that can be extracted.] [This is a target that can be extracted.] .... "Arise." At the guardian''smand, the shadows of the giant Naga swirled in unison, and they stood. "Huh?!" "W-whathe!" The sight of wonder caused Ryo Singh and Jackson to copse their legs and fall to their ground. The great magic beasts that had been thought to be dead had risen from the dead! They were a little smaller than before, but the sight of ck steam burning all over their bodies was haunting. Ignoring their surprise, however, Suho chose the strongest of them and saved him as his shadow soldier. [Please give a name to the soldier.] As usual, he was prompted to name the soldier. "Well, how about¨C . No, let''s say Gordon." [Do you want to save ''Gordon''?] "Yes." Suho gave him the name ''Gordon'' without thinking about it. This added a powerful giant demon beast to the Guardian Shadow Legion. But Suho''s bigger concern was something else. It''s a former quest. While hunting this Naga swarm, he reached a whopping level of 4, and as a result... [Level: 87] Suho nced at the status window and smiled faintly as he stared ahead. "...This was a much better ce than I thought, wasn''t it?" Antares advised him with a stern look. "Either waym you must be wary of the dragons that¨C Beep?" Ragnar was back. [The King of Dragons, Monarch of Destruction, is upset and clutches his face.] [The King of Dragons, Monarch of Destruction, nags to feed Ragnar those Nagas...] Chapter 203 - 203

Chapter 203:

After the battle, Suho traveled with Ryo Singh as he sent Gordon to pick up Jackson''s truck that had been ruined in a horrific manner. The ''stupid but usable livestock,'' ¨Cor so Greed called him¨C Gordon followed Suho, carrying a truck full of Korean-made weapons and moving his lower body in the shape of a sea serpent. Other Nagas continued to haunt their path, but they were no match for the Shadow Naga, as well as the daily mercenaries that had just swooped in. As he continued to travel through Loktak Field, Suho was given an exnation of this ce by Ryo Singh. "...What?" Suho''s expression hardened. He blindly used the shadow exchange skill to cross over to India, but when he finished listening to the exnation, he realized that the situation in this country was much more serious than he thought. In short, the root of the problem was due to the geopolitical nature of Manipur where the Loktak field originated. The state of Manipur is located in the northeastern part of India. Thend was located halfway between the borders of Myanmar, Bandesh, China, and many other countries. Because of this geopolitical nature, there have been many serious conflicts in thisnd throughout history. The reasons for the conflict varied from political, religious, to tribal civil wars. "...But the problem now is that there are a lot of dungeon breaks happening around this ce at the same time, so the Field Dungeon has be too wide." "Could it be that the scope of the field has crossed the border?" "That''s right. I can''t believe you understood this right away! Well you are Suho after all." "It''s a simr situation in Korea. North Korea is always a problem for our country." Despite Ryo Singh''s admiring reaction, Suho only had a bitter expression on his face. If left unattended, the Field Dungeon has the characteristic of gradually spreading the Blue Mist and expanding the area. Of course, most of the time, if you manage it well, it won''t spread beyond a certain range, but when multiple dungeons are stacked in one area like this, it''s apletely different story. North Korea is a representative ce of this. North Korea was and that had been turned into a giant monster field at the same time as the cataclysm. If left unchecked, the field will grow exponentially, eventually crossing the border of China, which is directly above it. North Korea''s henchmen will invade China. If that happens, the situation will inevitably turn into a political issue with China. "That''s right. After all, if our country fails to get rid of the magic beast in time and causes damage to the neighboring country, the problem will be far more serious. Compensation for damages is there, but the bigger problem is ...." "If a foreign Hunter Guild crosses the border to capture them, there''s nothing they can do to stop them." "Exactly." "There may be a war." At Suho''s words, Ryo Singh and Jackson nodded with serious expressions. A hunters'' guild, with its many awakened members, was no different from an army. On the contrary, in terms ofbat power, they were far more powerful and dangerous than soldiers. ''...It''s already a war in itself. As soon as you break into the National Assembly and make a mess of it, the country is effectively conquered.'' In order to prevent such a situation, Woo Jin-Chul, the president of the association, was making all-out efforts to purify North Korea even at this moment. "Wait." At that moment, Suho, who was having a conversation with Ryo Singh, suddenly thought of the biggest problem at hand and looked around. Loktak Lake is a famous tourist attraction in India. The scenery here was really beautiful. However, considering the identity of the ''Blue Mist'' that naturally blends into this beautifulndscape, he couldn''t help but get goosebumps. If the Blue Mist was inhaled by ordinary people who were not awakened, their entire bodies would burn and they would turn into Mist Burns and go berserk. "Ryo, how many people live in this ce?" "Three million." "Oh no." Suho''s expression became even more serious at the answer that immediately popped out. "Could it be that all those three million people have awakened, and that all of them have turned into Mist Burns?" "They haven''t. In fact, that was the first thing I was worried about, but luckily that didn''t seem to be the case." In response, Ryo Singh picked up the ''Badge of the Asura Guild'' he wore around his neck and showed it to Suho. "It''s a Stardust Ne, isn''t it?" Suho''s eyes widened. No, the piece was muchrger than the Stardust Ne, and a little smaller than the Star Piece embedded in Greed and Sung Il-Hwan''s body. If I had to name it, it would be a star-carved ne. Suho immediately snatched Ryo Singh''s Stardust Ne and asked. "Where did you get this?" "It''s an employee ID that proves that you belong to our Asura Guild. I started using it recently, but when I looked it up, I found out that there is a reason why this ne came to symbolize our guild. Look at this." Snap. Ryo Singh pulled out a new ne from his bosom and showed it to Suho. This time, the small size of the jewel was simr to the "Stardust Ne" that was distributed in Korea. "The name of this ne is ''Stardust''. It''s something that our guild is distributing to Indians for free." "A Stardust Ne? Why?" "If a member of the public owns this ne, it will not turn into a Mist Burn when they inhale the Blue Mist." "!!!" * * * The Asura Guild was one of the most famous guilds in India, and it was alwaysmitted to the protection of its citizens. Its leader, Siddharth Bachchan, was also an S rank hunter who had such a positive influence among the Indians. The ''Stardust Ne'' was the same thing that Siddharth Bachchan was said to have developed for themon people of India. When a dungeon break went off in an area, not everyone could leave thend so suddenly. The poormon people, in particr, had nowhere to go, having lived there for a long time. But that didn''t stop the problems. If you stay in thend of the Blue Mist for too long, you will eventually be a Mist Burn and burn to death. Just then, Stardust started to be developed at that time. "...Real people live here." A whileter, the Suho and their group found small viges scattered throughout Loktak Field. As Ryo Singh said, he saw a lot of ordinary people still living there. His face was stunned as he saw all of them wearing Stardust Nes. [My lord, it seems that the influence of the Foreign Religion in this country is much faster] [By the looks of it, the Foreign Religion might be India''s state religion.] Greed and Iron, former high priests and priest of the Foreign Religion, showed their small faces on either side of Suho and added: [If you wear a Stardust Ne for a long time, you will instinctively develop a devotion to the Itarim.] [Of course, it is not a faith in the true religious sense, but more of a phenomenon in which the mind is contaminated by the power of a higher being.] [The capabilities of the Indian priests are quite admiravle! To be able to distribute it like this to the whole nation unlike the Korean priests.] "How is this admirable? Both of you, thrown your heads to the ground." [Yes.] [Ah but I didn''t say anything¨C Yes lord.] At Suho''s words, Greed and Iron fell to the ground front-faced. What was curious was that the vigers didn''t react to the sight of these Shadow Soldiers. It''s normal to react with surprise or a whisper here and there, but it was quite bizarre to see everyone doing their job with no expression. Even though there had been an invasion of the vige at some point, and the corpses of the dead were strewn everywhere, no one cared about it. "Suho, all the people in our office looked like that. Could this be a side effect of all the Stardust that was put in the open?" "I think so." When Ryo Singh heard about the Stardust Ne incident in Korea, he had a bad look on his face. It was horrifying to think that this could spread to the whole of India. Looking around the vige, Suho decided to find the one who caused this incident without hesitation. "Ryo, let''s start by finding where your Guildmaster, Siddharth Bachchan, is. If he is an Apostle of the Itarim, then feeding him the Spring Water of the Echo Forest might make things easier than you think." "Okay. But how will you find him? No one in the guild office was able to track his exact whereabouts." "Hmm, then I''ll have to ask for an expert." Without hesitation, Suho turned his head and called the experts. "Greed. Iron." [Yep!] [Did you call!] "Can you find the location of the Void Gate?" Greed and Iron scrambled to exin. [Oh Lord Suho is quite wise in his judgment.] [The Temple of the Foreign Religion is bound to be built near the gap between the dimensions, so...] "Get to the point." [Void gates are caused by fields from normal gates stacking on top of each other.] [Draw a circle around the gates, and somewhere at the intersection there will be a void gate.] "Can you find it?" Suho''s question made Greed and Iron smile confidently and their eyes shed. [Leave it to me!] [If we disperse with the soldiers, we''ll be able to find them in no time.] ? [Master! Give me a chance!] ? [Huh?] The corners of Greed''s mouth twitched at the sight of the shadow spear knight''s desire to win when he suddenly appeared. "It doesn''t matter, so let''s go." Woosh! At themand of the guardian, the Shadow Soldiers scattered as if they werepeting. The only soldier left by Suho''s side was Gordon, the shadow who followed him with a truck. "Okay, so we''re going to go to the next town on our own¨C" Bang! "!!!" "!!!" Suho and Ryo Singh''s expressions changed suddenly as their eyes turned in the same direction. Boom! It''s a battle! A series of violent explosions erupted in the direction where Greed had gone, shaking the ground as if it had been an earthquake. Considering that this was a field full of magic beasts, it was quite possible, but the energy he felt was too unusual to dismiss it as such. Beru twitched his antennae as he gauged the energy of the enemy Greed was facing. [It must be at least S rank!] "Beep?" If even Ragnar reacted, then it was obvious. "Were-dragons!" Bang! Immediately, Suho kicked the ground and sprang forward. ''If it''s S rank, could it be Siddharth Bachchan? But then why would he be with the were-dragons?'' As he ran, Suho''s mind shed through the number of cases. However, when we arrived at the scene of the battle, he found that the situation was a little different from what we had expected. sh!! Boom! By the time Suho arrived, there had already been a sh of forces that had turned the entire earth upside down. At the same time, there were screams from all sides. At the center of that immense sh of forces was Greed, who was battling a man. ''A Three-way battle?'' Pow Pow!! Pow Pow Pow!! What was most surprising was the identity of the opponent who faced the power of the former S rank viin Greed head-on and never backed down. No, it was better to say that it was overwhelming Greed. "...Interesting." He was an old man with white hair and an enormous energy radiating from his entire body. There was a sinister smile on his lips as he shed with Greed. It''s as if he''s having a lot of fun with this battle. But thenguage that came out of his mouth was not Indian. "I can''t believe a magic beast can have this much power." Chinese. Apart from thenguage, he was apletely different person from Siddhart Bachchan, who had also been a National Level Hunter in his previous life. Remembering his face in a long memory, Beru shouted his name. [Liu Zhigang!] Liu Zhigang from China. A man who had once been hailed as the greatest power of mankind alongside Thomas Andre. Chapter 204 - 204

Chapter 204:

I''ve devoted my whole life to martial arts.(1)'' Liu Zhigang. China''s proud Six-Star Hunter. (1.5) ''I''ve never learned to back down.'' China doesn''t follow the standard hunter rating, instead, it uses its own rating system. The more stars a hunter has, the better they are, and the Five-Star hunters were the highest of their rank. That applied to everyone else except for one person. Liu Zhigang was the only one ssified as an out-of-ss hunter and was called a Six-Star hunter instead. As such, the treatment was also on a different level from the Five-Stars. However, no one could argue with his exceptional power that he more than deserved it, for he was the true savior of the People''s Republic of China. He who reliably defended China in the midst of the chaotic upheaval. ''...This time as well, I will not back down.'' Unknowst, Liu Zhigang was hiding a secret that not a single person in China¨Cwho boasted a poption of more than 1 billion¨C knew ever since the Cataclysm started. ''Do you think I, Liu Zhigang, will ever be swayed by your power?!'' (2) He had been battling the Itarim''s Divinity (3) alone for more than two years in order to not be possessed. * * * After awakening as a Hunter, it didn''t take long for Liu Zhigang to realize that the power he was given was different from others. Awakening, a mysterious power that suddenly arose within the body. He''s heard from other Hunters that awakening their magic gives them a tremendous sense of uplift. But for Liu Zhigang it was different. ''...This isn''t enough.'' The moment the magic came, the sensation he felt was surprisingly empty. When people are so hungry, they end up not even feeling hungry. But when someone suddenly puts a piece of bread in his mouth, his hungry stomach begins to realize the terrible hunger that he had forgotten. ''I want power, more power! Give it to me!'' And the intense hunger that Liu Zhigang felt, It would be exactly the same hunger that Thomas Andre, a National-Level hunter had felt in his previous life. Unfortunately, Liu Zhigang was a little less fortunate than Thomas Andre. Sensing his intense hunger for power, someone hade to him to fill the void of his heart, as if they had been waiting for such a chance all along. [Do you crave for more power?] ''!!!'' [I''ll give it to you, far more than what you crave.] Liu Zhigang couldn''t help but be stunned. A mysterious voice whispered in his ear like a devil, as though he knew exactly what was going on. ''Who are you?'' [The name is not important, what is, is that your vessel is big enough to ept me.] ''!!!'' Whoa! The voice didn''t ask Liu Zhigang for permission at first as he, all the sudden, felt a new power from outer space begging to flow into Liu Zhigang''s empty vessel. At the same time, the hunger in his heart began to be satisfied, as if he had never been empty in the first ce. But nothing in lifees for free. [You must obey me.] ''!!!'' Just like that, Liu Zhigang was awakened and reborn as an Apostle of the Itarim. ''...Don''t be ridiculous!'' But there was something that even Itarim''s Divinity hadn''t predicted. Liu Zhigang was a warrior who had walked the path of "martial arts" all his life. It was different from Thomas Andre, who had lived his whole life as a bastard by means of violence, and he had devoted his whole life to the Tao by cing the Tao at the center of his heart. ''I don''t believe in God! My mind is all mine!'' [!!!] Liu Zhigang, who had been embracing the power of his entire body, gritted his teeth and managed to endure the forced submission. But the Itarim''s Divinity was not something a mere human could handle. [Worship.] [Praise.] [Prove your faith...] ''Shut up! Shut up! No matter who you are! I am¡ª I!'' Liu Zhigang instinctively resisted the desire to prostrate himself before the great power and worship it, gritting his teeth. A headache that makes you feel like your head is going to break. A stream of blood dripped down the corner of his clenched mouth. But at the same time, the emotions that surged up on Liu Zhigang''s face were none other than "humiliation" and "self-righteousness." Boom! ''...I am Liu Zhigang!'' [....] As a result, Liu Zhigang was not contaminated by Itarim''s Divinity after all. No, it was still being polluted by the moment, but Liu Zhigang managed to resist the power. With the two long swords he had trained all his life, he entered the dungeon and began to kill the magic beasts at will. In this way, he unleashed the power of the Itarim to take over his body relentlessly. *''Taeguk''*(4) ''I shall graft one twig in another!'' (5) ''And ovee the strong!(6)'' It was good to call it anything. As a way to keep his sanity, Liu Zhigang found the answer in the martial arts he had practiced all his life. Of course, one can''te to the union in which actions and beliefs align perfectly, but Liu Zhigang desperately tried to seed in it. WAAAHH! As he walked, countless beasts bled to death. Liu Zhigang reversed the direction of the Itarim power flowing into him, constantly erupting out of his body. A Guild? The forces that respect and follow you? He didn''t have the energy to care about that. It''s been like that for two years. During that time, Liu Zhigang wandered restlessly across China like a madman, unleashing the power of Itarim against the magic beasts. Instead of epting the overwhelming Divinity within, he bounced it out. Even in his sleep, he couldn''t let his guard down. In his dreams, he had to fight with his inner demons, who was looking for the moment to reveal his ws. A thorough lonely and arduous road. In the process, he gained the sincere respect and support of a billion Chinese people and the ostentatious prestige of a Six-Star hunter, but it wasn''t a good thing for him. He had only one interest. ''To not be devoured by these inner demons, who want to control my mind!'' That''s how Liu Zhigang slowly became a monster who would run around aimlessly looking to kill magic beasts. In particr, rather than going to a dungeon where many interests were intertwined, a dangerously neglected Field Dungeon was the perfect battlefield for him to run rampant to his heart''s content. Even if it exists in another country beyond its borders. ''Siddharth Bachchan hase to personally deal with this matter and yet he has still failed to seal the gate?'' Liu Zhigang willingly crossed the border where even India''s S-rank Hunters have entered the ''Loktak Field''. - Liu Zhigang has invaded the Indian border! -Wait what! Why?! Naturally, the aftermath was by no means small. The Chinese government, which was well aware of his wanderlust, had done everything it could to prevent this from happening. Before his hunts were over, they would always give him another hunting spot in the next vicinity immediately, while they took care of everything else. After all, there were countless hunting grounds in the vast Chinese maind, and plenty of Field Dungeons where Liu Zhigang could fight frantically until all his magic was exhausted. But this time, they couldn''t stop him. - Liu Zhigang has finally crossed the border! - Why didn''t you stop him?! - You know what it means for a Six-Star hunter in China to cross the border! - It turns into a diplomatic issue! Chinese public opinion was seething. Many people had seen him crossing the border without permission, and the fact quickly reached the ears of the Indian government. This time, public opinion in India was also ignited. - China''s strongest hunter invaded India?! - Is China really going to war with India? - There must be a Chinese conspiracy aimed at this from the beginning! -What does it mean that there is a field with Siddharth Bachchan at the end of Liu Zhigang''s path? Could it be that Liu Zhigang is tired of ughtering magic beasts and is aiming for Siddharth Bachchan next!?! -If China doesn''t want war, then Liu Zhigang, who invaded India, should right now¡ª! In fact, this was a situation that no one wanted. Of course, in the Intemunity, there were some thoughtless people who were talking nonsense about taking over India on this asion, but they were in the minority. Especially for the Chinese government, which tried to stop his progress at all costs on the border, it was almost frustrating. Liu Zhigang, the stubborn old man who had walked the path of martial arts all his life, was not a man who could be persuaded at all. In the end, they had no choice but to post Liu Zhigang''s remarks on the Inte, which were recorded by the staff guarding the border. - Are your heads just worn for ornaments? Would you like me to take them off? Chills. At Liu Zhigang''s words, the Chinese hunters who were trying to stop him from crossing the border hid their necks with thoughtful faces. The Loktak field, which Siddharth Bachchan is also struggling with, is getting bigger and bigger. And right above that is China. Apart from that, Liu Zhigang had his own cause. Before crossing the border, he fixed his sharp gaze on the camera and raised his voice. - Tell the people clearly! I, Liu Zhigang, am not confident that I can prevent the ident that Siddharth Bachchan failed to prevent, so I will go to help him from now on. If you''re not happy about that, then go take it upon yourself to catch it. That was an obvious excuse. He just wanted to get into the field where Siddharth Bachchan was struggling and run wild to his heart''s content. ''...This is my limit.'' After more than two years of holding on, he was growing weary of it. He had to find stronger magic beasts as soon as possible, and unleash all his evil power to control his heart at all times. ''Or eventually, I''ll be eaten.'' In the end, Liu Zhigang had run into him. Someone who would be worth putting all his energy into. A sinister evil spirit with mysterious steam zing all over his body. "Uh-huh! I can''t believe there was such a strong magic beast around here! I''m d I came here!" . Greed. [My lord!] Greed, who had been engaged in a fight with him, shouted at thete arrival of Suho. And at that moment, Liu Zhigang and Suho''s eyes, which were far away from each other, met in the air. Liu Zhigang red at Suho and snarled fiercely. "What do you have to do with this evil spirit?" "..." He is in trouble. Suho''s expression hardened at the sound of his murderous voice. It''s Chinese. -------------------- 1: ''??? ?(Îä)? ????.'' To make it more literal, he means he has studied the way of the de but the ?(Îä) or MU can also apply to all kinds of martial arts. 1.5: Yes, six, he doesnt have the seven stars unlike his past life. 2: In the original trnation it is ''? ???? ? ?? ??(ÐÄħ) ???? ???? ? ???-!'' (Do you think I will be eaten by my inner thoughts!) ??(ÐÄħ) or Simma is a literary term thates from Wuxia or Eastern Martial Arts novels and it signifies a demon that resides deep within the mind, usually appearing tp tempt people so the don''t obtain enlightentment. It''s the inherent evil of human beings in other words. In the other passages I use the term inner demons instead when the word is brought up again. 3: ???? ???. the Divinity (Deity ? status?) or rather influence of Itarim that enables them to fully posses a human being, in this case it brainwashes them toplete obidience. 4: Taeguk ??(Ì«˜O) is a Korean term meaning "supreme ultimate", although it can also be tranted as "great prity / duality". The term and its overall concept is rted to the Chinese Taiji/Tai-chi. 5: ''????(ÒÆ»¨½Óľ)'' To graft (figuratively) one twig on another: Often used metaphorically to denote the transfer of a certain technology, idea, or concept from one field to another. In this case Zhigang is grafting all of his martial art''s techings in order to fully repel the Itarim. In the same way one uses meditation outside of buddhism. 6: ''????(ÈáÄÜÖÆ„‚) The idiom of this interpretation is that the strong can subdue the strong, so I changed it to something that fits more of whats it''s trying to convey instead of its literal sense. Chapter 205 - 205

Chapter 205:

Suho was also familiar with Liu Zhigang. ''China''s one and only Six-Star hunter. In his previous life, he was a Seven-Star.'' What a coincidence. In his search for Siddharth Bachchan, he unexpectedly ran into another National Level Hunter. It even seemed that the Apostle of Itarim was already in his body. Suho nodded upon seeing the blue mana that was constantly leaking out of Liu Zhigang''s entire body. "After all, it was correct to assume that Itarim would have approached all of the National Level Hunters." He was surprised to encounter Liu Zhigang in an unexpected ce, but it was a good thing that he was able to speed things up. [Young Lord, hurry up and give Liu Zhigang the Spring Water of the Echo Forest!] Suho immediately grabbed a Purifying Potion from his inventory. But it didn''t look like it would be easy. Is it possible to break through the incessant barrage of attacks from all sides, and put a Purifying Potion in his mouth? It seemed that it would be difficult to spray it on his body like it did with Thomas Andre. After all, the best way to do this is through conversation, but the problem is thenguage barrier. For Suho who didn''t speak Chinese at all, it was impossible for him tomunicate with Liu Zhigang in the first ce. None of the Shadow Soldiers could speak Chinese either. "Then the only wayI can do this is..." [Don''t worry, I''ll quickly catch any Chinese who are passing by and eat their brains¨C] "Nope, stop." Suho hastily caught Beru, who was about to leave in search of any chinese. Fortunately, It was quicker to find an Indian who was fluent in Chinese than it was to find (and eat) a Chinese person in India. Since, isn''t there someone who can do just that? "Suho! I''m here! AH! Liu¨C Liu Zhigang?! "Why is China''s Liu Zhigang here!!" Ryo Singh and Jackson, who had been chasing Suho with Gordon out of the shadows a step toote, saw Liu Zhigang and their eyes immediately widened. Suho shouted at Ryo Singh. "Ryo Singh! Can you trante Chinese?" "Of course! I''m the elite of the Asura Guild! I speak 10nguages!" [Kieek? Was it so? Oh I get it now! Once I eat his brain then everything will¡ªKiek!?!.] Press. Suho''s foot lightly stepped on Beru who was trying to reach out to Ryo Singh. As he stopped Beru, he shouted back "Ryo Singh! From now on, trante what I say to Liu Zhigang!" "Got it!" Ryo Singh nodded confidently and shouted at Liu Zhigang, who was fighting Greed. "Liu Zhigang! We are not your enemies!!!" Bang! Unfortunately, the current situation was too violent to be resolved through dialogue. Boom! Liu Zhigang''s sword qi brushed shallowly against Greed''s body, cutting through the forest behind him. [Huh?!] Suddenly, Liu Zhigang swerved and leapt towards Suho while Greed gnashed his teeth and chased after him. "How dare you overtake me and aim for our Young Lord!" And then¨C Paaat! [!!!] At that moment, Liu Zhigang suddenly flipped in the air and tried to find a loophole against Greed again. Boom! Greed gnashed his teeth as he managed to parry his attacks. Their eyes lit up, and powerful energy shed with each other. Smirk. Liu Zhigang red at Greed, a faint smile formed on his lips. "I confirmed it now, you''re all acting in one group." Liu Zhigang''s battle was informal. The penance of the past two years has made him so. The boundary between reality and imagination had be blurred allowing for endless freedom of bloodthirst to roam. That was the path of swordsmanship that Liu Zhigang reached in this life: ''Berserker'' ''ughterer'' ''Sword Demon'' It was the reason why the man who was once a National Level Hunter was given such vicious nicknames. [Is this really the Liu Zhigang of this life!?] There was a deep smile on Greed''s lips. Greed clearly remembered Liu Zhigang''s name in his previous life. Although it was a pity that the power of the National Level Hunter was gone, Greed himself was considerably weaker than when he was Sung Jin-Woo''s soldier. [Then I''ll take this seriously, with all my heart!] Boom! In an instant, the beautiful scenery was destroyed, and the aftermath of a natural disaster spread all around. "Oh my God. What the hell is this..." "Is this Liu Zhigang''s power..." In the face of such devastation, Ryo Singh and Jackson could not keep their mouths shut. And at the same time, there was one question that came to mind: the presence of Greed, who was fighting against Liu Zhigang, was not being pushed back at all. ''No way, It''s getting close to Liu Zhigang''s power?'' ''It''s not like Hunter Sung Suho is fighting directly, so how can a single summon have that much power!'' Notably, Ryo Singh, who was familiar with the number of summons that Suho usually wields, was shocked. Right now they''re all scattered under themand of Suho, but what if all those soldiers gathered here? ''Does Liu Zhigang even stand a chance?'' Ryo Singh dared not to imagine. But now he had no time to sit back and watch the fight. If he got caught up in the aftermath, his life would be in danger. "Jackson! Let''s get back for now! This is not a safe ce for us to talk!" Ryo Singh and Jackson gave up interpreting and fell back in a hurry. But they weren''t the only ones caught up in the aftermath of the battle. "Kieek!" "Hissss!" The dragonfolk who had encountered Liu Zhigang one step ahead of Greed, and were fighting against him, were also thrown away from the fight. Looking at the dragonfolk, Suho narrowed his eyes as he looked at the names above their heads. [Variant No. 8] [Variant No. 8] ''Variant No. 8?'' Suho left Liu Zhigang to Greed for a moment, paying attention to the appearance of the dragonfolk he had never seen before. Half-man, half-dragon. It was a half-hearted race that was closer to the human side than the Lizardmen. Aside from their appearance, however, blue mana was emanating from the ''Star Piece'' nted throughout their bodies. Just like the Foreign followers in the ck market! "Could it be that they transnted Star Pieces into magic beasts?" Ever since he came to this country, he has seen all kinds of strange things. The unawakened citizens who wear Stardust Nes and live in Field Dungeons are also in a mysterious sight, and now even the magic beasts are moving around with imnted Star Pieces. "Antares! Do you know anything about those variants?" "Beep?.... Hmm." Suho''s question suddenly made Ragnar''s gaze turn solemn. There was a disapproving look on his cute face. "It bears a great shame on the dragonfolk for such half-pennies to be born." "Half pennies?" The emotion that rose in Antares'' eyes as he looked at the dragons, or rather, the mutants, was one of unmistakable displeasure, contempt. "They''re not dragons born in a normal way. Someone must have found a hiddenir of undeveloped dragon eggs." "Underdeveloped eggs..." [Young Lord, You don''t think that...] Suddenly, Suho and Beru looked at each other, and the same thought popped into their minds. "Could they have been the ones my mother found?" [It''s likely they were the eggs of the dragon race, who were left without a single substance.] Arge number of dragon-type eggs that Cha Hae-In and Sirka found in the Tombs of Dragons. Except for the small egg from which Ragnar was born, all the others banished as soon as they were touched. "...They were born there?" "Rather than being born, someone must have extracted the dragon energy from the egg and infused it into other races. It''s called ''forced evolution.''" Antares looked very ufortable. No matter how much he cared about anything other than destruction and ruin, it was a matter of pride for dragons like him to be treated as test subjects by someone. "How dare they." Antares'' gaze turned to the mutants, his eyes were brutal. Suho nodded at the sight and looked forward, his eyes shing as he looked around at the area that was being destroyed by a natural disaster. "Alright. Let''s find out what''s going on in this country once we''ve sorted out this mess. Harmakan." [Yes my lord?] It was Harmakan, the shadow who rose from the floor at the call of Suho. "Capture all the mutants. And tell me in what kind of state they are..." [To study them thoroughly.] Shwaaa! Harmakan immediately sped toward the mutants. At the same time, Suho eximed. "Sid!" [The King Snowfolk, the Frost Monarch keeps an eye on you.] Suho felt the gaze of the presence and spoke proudly. "Trigger Frigid Blizzard." FWOOSH! At that moment, a real natural disaster had appeared in thisnd. [Use ''Skill: Frigid Blizzard''.] [Mana Required: 100 per second.] The freezing blizzard that had turned Irnd into an ice city had swept over India. Kwoooooooooo "Kieek!" Suddenly, the frantic mutations began to freeze. Even Liu Zhigang was not immune from the powerful blizzard that covered the entire area. [''Debuff: Frost Curse'' is applied.] [¨C30% Attack Speed.] [¨C30% movement speed.] "....He is much more vicious than I thought. Whether his men get caught up or not, he''s using an AoE(1) skill like this." Liu Zhigang''s brow furrowed, mistaking Greed and the mutants for being in the same band as Suho. But the decision was quick. "Hit the bottom line of all this!" His new form shot straight through the blizzard and toward the Suho. BOOM! Before he knew it, the two horns of Volkan in Suho''s hands collided with Liu Zhigang''s sword qi. [Young Lord!] "Stay!" (2) Suho discouraged Greed froming to his aid. His gaze deepened as he made eye contact with Liu Zhigang. "The Apostle of Itarim..." Is it because of the blizzard? Right now, the scene of ''that time'' was unfolding in Suho''s mind. The moment when his mother, Cha Hae-in, shed the Apostle of Itarim with a single sword. That beautiful and wondrous power. ''What would it be like now?'' Exciting. He wondered. Now that the level is higher than it was back then. He wondered if he could reach his mother with his power now. Therefore, ''I''ll use all my power!!'' ¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D! Finally, the power of Suho collided with that of Liu Zhigang. With its immense power, a frigid blizzard roared relentlessly, shaking the whole world. And behind him... "..." Antares the dragon stared at Suho in silence with a cold stare. From start to finish. Without taking his eyes off it even once....Smirk. A faint smile appeared on his lips. "For a novice, you are not so bad." The wind stopped. ¡ª----------- 1:Area of Effect 2: Literal trantion is just "???!" which is Greed''s name, but i thought it would be confusing since usually you call on someone''s name for help, in english at least. Chapter 206 - 206

Chapter 206:

And melted by the blizzard. "..." In the center of the massive crater, Liu Zhigang sat helplessly, his limbs drooping. His body waspletely exhausted, but the faint smile at the corners of his mouth made him look so rxed. ''How refreshing.'' Finally, his inner demons were gone. This was the result of draining the ominous mana that had been tormenting him endlessly for the past two years. Of course, the relief was temporary, but the pain seemed to have finally been washed away from the terrible headache he had endured. "Yes, I had to fight an S-rank from the beginning." Due to various political reasons, Liu Zhigang never had the chance to go all out against any S-rank hunters. If two S-ranks from the same country fought for their lives, it would be a national loss, and if you fought against another country''s S-rank, it would be a war in itself. But today he was really lucky. "I never thought I''d run into an S-rank viin in a ce like this." ''...And loose.'' Cough. Suddenly, blood spewed out of Liu Zhigang''s mouth. Of course, he''d be lying if he said he didn''t have any regrets. There were too many of them. ''If I knew it would be like this, I would have saved my energy a bit.'' ''If I had fought again when I was in the best of shapes, the oue might have been a little different...'' ''But, if I had won, I wouldn''t have been able to shake off all of my inner demons as I did now...'' A lot of thoughts flowed like a beacon of realization in just one breath. But one thing was certain. He could afford to indulge in these extravagant feelings, and his life was still hanging around his throat. "...To have mercy on the tip of your sword." Suddenly, Liu Zhigang''s tired eyes red into the eyes of Suho, who was looking down at him. "Why don''t you kill me? Aren''t you a viin?" Suho took full advantage of his straight gaze and turned to Ryo Singh, who was approaching from behind. "Ryo Singh, trante." "Yes. Thank you for saving me." "...?" So short? For a moment, Suho looked suspiciously at Ryo Singh''s interpreting skills. But even with that gaze, Ryo Singh just nodded confidently. "Hmm, Suho really is amazing. I can''t believe you were strong enough to beat Liu Zhigang by yourself." "...He was tired from the start which is why I won so easily." "Too much humility bes deception. When you return to Korea this time, you must be re-evaluated. If they were to hear that the man who defeated Liu Zhigang is only a C rank, it would be a great disgrace to Liu Zhigang." Even as he spoke, Ryo Singh had a somewhat regretful expression. It was only today that he was convinced that Suho was a hunter who can constantly grow. ''If the world finds out about this, they will be shocked. Hmm. Should I take this opportunity to change guilds? Of course, Suho won''t mind an elite like me, and if I join now, at least I can be vice guild master in no time...'' Leaving Ryo Singh to reconsider his thoughts. Suho grabbed the Spring Water from the Echo Forest and approached Liu Zhigang. "What''s this¨C Gulp, gulp." Liu Zhigang, who waspletely exhausted, had no choice but to obediently ept the mysterious potion and drink it. The effect was immediate. Aa! "...?!" Liu Zhigang couldn''t help but be taken aback when he suddenly saw a pair of blue wings spread out on both sides of his back. The true nature of his inner demons, who had been tormenting him for so long, was finally revealed. [Aaaahh!!] Presently an ashen angel with outstretched blue wings fell from his back, screaming in agony. But the energy he felt from it was quite different from that of Thomas Andre. Like Liu Zhigang, the ashen angel, exhausted from all strength, pped his wings desperately to escape from this ce. [Don''t let it fly away, young lord!] Boom! Before Beru could finish speaking, the hand of Suho snapped at its neck, as if it had been waiting for this moment. Ring! [You have killed the Apostle of Itarim.] [Level Up!] [Level Up!] [Level Up!] "Oh great!" With a series of messages, Suho, who had been quite exhausted, returned to his perfect condition. However, the situation was the same for Liu Zhigang. The dust of light from the shattering of the ashen angel''s body seeped back into Liu Zhigang''s body. Suddenly, his eyes filled with astonishment. ''...What are these memories?'' The remnants of the Apostle of Itarim, which had melted into Liu Zhigang''s body for the past two years¨C who had rejected Itarim''s power¨C revived the memories of his past life that he had forgotten until now. ¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D! Two lifetimes. Two memories. The shock of them colliding with each other in Liu Zhigang''s mind was indescribable. But. ''...So that''s how it is.'' He quickly epted it. The shock was great, but the relief that followed was greater. Presently a cheerful smile escaped his lips. "Yes. I was stronger than I am now. It wasn''t just vain ambition that I was chasing." China''s one and only 7-star hunter. A state-powered hunter who tore off the limbs of a giant demon beast that crossed the sea to China. ''...That was me, Liu Zhigang.'' Liu Zhigang muttered in vain. "I can see why the inner demons came and went..." Now that he had figured out the cause, he was relieved. And he knew what he had to do. "All that''s left is hard work." Of course he knows. Training doesn''t increase your strength as a Hunter. However, when he felt the "remnants of the Apostle" that had just permeated his body, he had a vague feeling that perhaps he could reach a level simr to that time. "Can I get a hand?" Liu Zhigang reached for Suho. He didn''t know thenguage, but Suho understood what he was trying to say, and obediently grabbed his hand, lifting him to his feet. "Interpreter, will you trante my words for this young man?" At Liu Zhigang''s request, Ryo Singh nodded with a determined look. As a key member of the Asura Guild, he didn''t feel hurt by being treated as an interpreter. On the contrary, he wondered if there could ever be another honor as important as this one! ''This is the first conversation between China''s Liu Zhigang and the man who single-handedly defeated him. This historic moment is being achieved entirely through my intercession!'' From now on, the conversation between the two of them could be written in history books. Ryo Singh swallowed dryly, straining his eyes and ears as if he didn''t want to miss a single word. Meanwhile, Liu Zhigang stared intently at Suho''s face, and then smiled. ''...How could this young man be so strong?'' Now that he sees it, isn''t this boy quite simr to someone he knows? Liu Zhigang suddenly remembered his past life, and he had a lot of questions to ask, but he decided to ask the most curious and important one first. "I''ll ask. Where is your father and what is he doing?" "Ryo Singh, interpret." "... Suho, don''t get me wrong, listen." "What?" Gulp. Ryo Singh interpreted Liu Zhigang''s words with a face that was more serious and desperate than ever. "Liu Zhigang is suddenly asking how your father is, which is grammatically a very severe insult in Korea, but in China, it is possible that it is a genuine expression of greetings..." "..." Lately, Ryo Singh has been improving his Koreannguage. As expected, it was the ability of the Asura Guild''s core talent. * * * "...Indeed. I get it." Liu Zhigang had a long conversation with Suho as he nodded seriously. There was a minor(?) ident in the middle where the interpreter was surprised to hear that time had been turned back, but it was also not iprehensible if it were considered as a special ''skill''. More important was the current situation. "In any case, there is a high probability that Siddharth Bachchan fell into his inner demons like me." To be precise, it was different from his own possession, but the reason was the same. What mattered was that Siddharth Bachchan didn''t seem to have struggled to shake off the inner demons like he did. "Back then, our National Level hunters wererades who fought together against a formidable foe called Kamish. There are some guys who didn''t get along with each other until the end simply due to their personalities, but I still know what kind of person they are." Liu Zhigang smiled bitterly and continued. "Me and Thomas Andre, in particr, were fighting chickens that the whole world recognized. Well, that''s when we were both in our prime at least. I can''t say it''s the same now." Liu Zhigang and Thomas Andre were once praised as the strongest forces of mankind, and their personalities were also very aggressive. "But Siddharth Bachchan... He is good, unlike us." "Good?" Liu Zhigang nodded at Suho''s rebuttal. "Yes. Hypocrisy is good." "Hypocrisy?" "Hypocrisy indeed!" "Our Guildmaster isn''t like that... Um, is that right?" Ryo Singh, who was interpreting, momentarily bristled one moment and then deted the next. Suddenly, he remembered the smiling face of the man who had demoted his capable and loyal subordinate. "Well, actually, most humans are simr more often than not. When they acquire too much wealth and fame, they get drunk and lose themselves. And that''s true for military power." Liu Zhigang smiled bitterly and thought of the hunters he had seen countless times in his past and present lives. "And Siddharth Bachchan among them... How can I put this? He was kind of stricken with a ''Savior Complex.''" "Savior Complex?" "Yes. They say that with great poweres great responsibility, and so they want to help people as much as possible. They say it''s a force for good, but sometimes it''s just a desire for honor." Ryo Singh''s expression became a littleplicated by the scathing assessment that followed. The head of the Asura Guild and one of India''s leading figures, Siddharth Bachchan. In fact, he was known as a good man who worked harder than anyone else to save themon people, but Ryo Singh, who had been by his side for a while... He was also someone who knew a little more about him than others. "...He is driven by his desire to elevate himself, and just wants to intervene in other people''s lives as he pleases. He doesn''t care about the wishes of the parties involved." And before the words ended. [Master, after studying the mutants...] Harmakan came to his side, pointed to the mutants he had captured, and reported what he had discovered. [By all appearances, it looks like these guys were all human.] "What?" At that, Suho''s eyes widened as he stared at the mutants. "They''re human? Are you sure?" [Yes, I''m sure, it''s a hybrid created by injecting hemolytic blood into living humans using Star Pieces as a medium.] "...!" Suho realized what the hypocrite Siddharth Batchan is doing on earth right now. [Apparently he is trying to force awakening the humans who have not awakened.] Quieeeeee!!! Mutants, humans whose reason had copsed and had been reduced to a single magical beast, were screaming desperately. ....I beg you to kill me. Chapter 207 - 207

Chapter 207:

Suho''s expression hardened. Right now, the state of Manipur has a poption of 3 million. At first, he was worried that all of them would turn into Mist Burns and die, but it turned out that the problem was even more serious. ''In a worst-case scenario, all three million could turn into mutants.'' Either way, the loss of 3 million people is the same. However, the problem was that, unlike Mist Burns, which dissipates over time, mutants had the potential to leave this dungeon and expand their damage. Also, even if it was only half-hearted experiments, the danger of the dragons was nothingpared to that of a Mist Burn. If all of this was really Siddhart Bachchan''s n, it was horrible. It had to be stopped. "Harmakhan, how do you turn them back into people?" [Unfortunately, this is not possible.] "Antares, what about you?" At Suho''s question, Antares shook his head firmly. "It''s impossible. In the first ce, they infused dragon blood into the bodies of other races that were not dragons, it is a wonder that their bodies have not yet been destroyed." [That''s right, it seems that the Star Pieces imnted in their bodies are forcibly blocking the fatal side effects, and their intellect has copsed due to the immense pain of the process, even at this moment.] "..." Kieeee!! Kyaaaa!! As he listened to their exnations, his gaze shifted silently to the mutants who were screaming under Harmakan''s spells. [My lord, there is no other way for them than to kill them as soon as possible, death is their only salvation.] At Beru''s words, Suho nodded silently. At that moment, Harmakhan''s spell destroyed the Star Pieces embedded in the mutants'' bodies. Boom! Zeng! Zeng! The moment when the blue gems are shattered and scattered everywhere, the mutants copsed on the spot of their demise. [Defeated Mutant No. 8.] [Defeated Mutant No. 8.] [Defeated Mutant No. 8.] [Defeated Mutant No. 8.] .... There were no additional level-ups. But Suho looked down at the mutants'' fragmented corpses with a more frightened expression than ever. [Targets that can be cast with shadow extraction.] [Targets that can be cast with shadow extraction.] He''s d he could. Their lives have been tainted by intellect, but their souls have not been tainted. After a moment of contemtion, Suho reached for their shadows. "I''ll give you a chance. If you want to take revenge on yourself with your own hands... Arise." Awaken! At that one word, the wailing of the poor souls who had been reduced to mutants began to echo in the air. Aahh!! "!!!" Liu Zhigang''s eyes widened at this. If it had been before the memories of his previous life returned, he would have mistaken it for the power of an ominous demon again. But now it was different. ''Did you inherit your father''s skills?'' Sung Jin-Woo''s skills, which he had always been eyeing in his previous life, were unfolding right in front of him! Shwaaaa!!! Soon, in front of Liu Zhigang, arge number of Shadow Soldiers stood up. [Shadow Infantry Lv.1] [Shadow Infantry Lv.1] [Shadow Infantry Lv.1] .... The souls of those who had shed the name of mutants through death knelt solemnly before Suho and bowed their heads. "Guide me." In their ears came the chilling voice of Suho. "To the bastards that made you like this." The shadow infantrymen, trembling at his gruesome rage, reared their heads again and scrambled to their feet. From their raised heads, hot tears were streaming down their eyes, endlessly. * * * Imphal. The capital andrgest city of Manipur, was a mixture of traditional Indian buildings and modern residential facilities. With beautiful natural scenery overlooking the shores of Loktak Lake in the distance, the city is aplex mix of extremely modern multi-storey apartments andmercial buildings. Even though it was now part of Loktak Field, there were still a lot of people living there in the same way as before. "Master, are you going to just stand by and watch?" "Why? what''s wrong with you now?" "The Asura Guild. Even in such a situation, this city is still under the jurisdiction of our Imphal Guild." "...And what do you n to do about it?" Ali Hassan, the Guildmaster of the Imphal Guild, muttered to himself as he chewed on the cigarette in his mouth at the words of the Vice-guildmaster. "You know this already. If it weren''t for Stardust, this city would have copsed soon." "Would it have though? Either way, if it wasn''t for Stardust, we''d all move to another city a long time ago." "That''s exactly what I mean." "It''s practically like it has copsed either way..." "Oh just shut up." Ali Hassan, who had dismissed the Vice-guildmaster''s words, had a crumpled expression. At present, the Imphal Guild had lost its entire territory to arge guild called the Asura Guild. It was definitely a bad situation, but he had to admit it. Stardust distributed by the Asura Guild. The mysterious ne was a great thing that kept civilians from turning into Mist Burns when they inhaled the Blue Mist. It was an undeniable truth that thanks to Stardust, Imphal people were still able to live their daily lives in the city. ...But. "Still, there''s something wrong here." "Ah, so does the Guildmaster agree with me?" "..." Ali Hassan stared out the window in silence. The city is uglier than it used to be. A faint Blue Mist spreads over it. Outside the Imphal Guild''s building, the atmosphere was clearly different from what it had been. It''s clear that Stardust has allowed people to live their daily lives as before, but why is this city getting quieter every day? It''s like a ghost town in a third-rate horror movie. And one more thing. "Why... have the Asura bastards still not been able to conquer this dungeon?" "That''s exactly what I mean! They managed to capture the first one, but after that, it feels like They''re just dragging their feet." Siddharth Bachchan, the master of the Asura Guild, was a recognizable powerhouse in India. In spite of his own initiative, the Loktak Fields, including Imphal, were still shrouded in Blue Mist. "If they were going to drag it out like this, at least they could have let us attack from the beginning!" "I do as well, so shut up. You have a problem in only choosing the words that suit you." "Ugh. I''m sorry, but in the first ce, this is our jurisdiction, and it''s so frustrating to just look around with a gate in front of you and being incapable of doing something." "..." Ali Hassan wordlessly spat his cigarette on the floor and smashed it with his foot. ''...I''m not so easily fooled, you know.'' If this is also some kind of tyranny in part of thergepany, then keep iting. In the name of the safety of the citizens, the Asura Guild proudly took away all the offensive rights from the Imphal Guild. The Imphal Guild could not make any protest against him. All three million citizens whose lives were saved by Stardust weed the Asura Guild''s intervention with open arms. As a result, the Imphal Guild has be such a p in the face. Of course, that didn''t mean there wasn''t a lot of work to be done. In any case, the whole area had been turned into a den of demons, and it was the duty of the Imphal Guild to stand guard from time to time to prevent the beasts from approaching the people. But how long will thisst? Eventually, unless someone stepped inside the gate and tackled the dungeon, the city of Imphal would never be able to escape from the Field Dungeon. Yes, so to speak....''It means that from now on, this city must live under the care of the Asura Guild forever. If it''s not even a city-state, what''s this supposed to be?'' It was then. "Master!" Suddenly, there was a smallmotion outside the building, and an employee hurriedly opened the door to the boss''s office. "It''s a big deal! I think you''ll have toe out!" "Why? Did any magic beasts show up again?" As he spoke, Ali Hassan tilted his head. If a pack of magic beasts had appeared, their characteristic mana would have been felt long ago. However, there was no such sign, and the expression on the face of the employee who came to visit him was different altogether. "What the hell is going on...." Bang! Suddenly, the door mmed into the employee''s office, and someone stepped into the boss''s office. "Who are you?!" "You bastard!" Startled, Ali Hassan and the Vice-guildmaster were instantly ready for battle, ring at the uninvited guest who had burst in unannounced. ''Is he a viin? Or from a gang?'' Whatever it was, it was ridiculous. No matter how much the Imphal Guild''s reputation has declined, what kind of madman thought it was good to have invaded his Guild? "Hmm." "...?" Something was wrong. An uninvited visitor to the Imphal Guild checked the identity of the people in the boss''s office and tilted his head. "Are you sure this is the right ce? I don''t think they''re from a Foreign Religion." "What did he say? Which country does hee from?" As unfamiliar words spilled out of the uninvited guest''s mouth, Ali Hassan nced back at the Vice-guildmaster while being wary of him. "It''s anguage I don''t know." The Vice-guildmaster shook his head hastily. Well, if you sow the wind, you will reap the whirlwind.(1) The Vice-guildmaster jumped out at the uninvited guest with a grim expression. "I''ll call an interpreter once I''ve subdued him! Who the hell are you, and how dare you break into our guild!¡ª" "No, wait...!" Ali Hassan hurriedly reached out to dissuade him, but it was toote. Bang! "Cough!--" Ali Hassan sighed as he watched the Vice-guildmaster bounce off the wall helplessly. "...You have to seize up your opponent and then attack him." Who is to me? It was the Vice-guildmaster''s fault for hisck of ability to read his opponent''s senses. Gulp. Ali Hassan swallowed hard and calmly pulled up the magic power in his body. But ignorance is brave, and you see as much as you know. He didn''t have the courage to rush forward like his unsightly stunnedrade. ''...Strong. I can''t fathom just how strong he is. Could he possibly be S-rank?'' Ali Hassan was the master of a guild, and he had met S-rank hunters a few times in his life. But he was sure that none of the S-rank Hunters he knew were anything like this. ''Who the hell is this?'' And then, unexpectedly. "What? They''re not even wearing nes, are they? Are you sure it''s them?" Suddenly, another uninvited guest stepped into the president''s office with an expression on his face. "!!!" A white-haired old man who speaks Chinese. The moment he saw his face, Ali Hassan''s eyes widened as if they were about to pop out. "Liu¨C Liu Zhigang?!" There is no hunter in the world who doesn''t know Liu Zhigang''s face. China''s one and only 6-star Hunter. Even though he has such overwhelming power, he is always wandering aimlessly, looking for a battle. Why did the great Liu Zhigang suddenly appear in this city? There was something that confused Ali Hassan even more. "Hmm. So what are you going to do now?" "!?!" Even the Chinese government did not dare to stand in his way, and yet the terrifying Sword Demon Liu Zhigang was like a gentlemb, politely addressing the young man who came in first! Ali Hassan was stunned by the sight. "What the hell is going on...?" 1: The real idiom here is ??? ??? ?? ???? ?? ? and it''s literal trantion is "If one''s mind is bad, then one must suffer physically" which is often used to refer that if someonecks intelligence or makes poor decisions, they will inevitably face the consequences or hardships physically. I changed it to another idiom which is moremonly used in english instead. Chapter 208 - 208

Chapter 208:

Ali Hassan, 30 years old. He was originally from a beggar in the back alleys of Imphal. But lifees in many wonders Inshah! (1) He was a beggar, but at the same time as the cataclysm, he suddenly awakened as a B-rank hunter, and his life changed 180 degrees. He was now Ali Hassan, the master of the Imphal Guild, representing the Imphal where he had been born and raised. Of course, even now, he sometimes has nightmares about his days as a beggar, but when he opens his eyes, he is happy to return to a reality that has be as happy as a lie. So why? Even throughout all those horrible years as a beggar, he had a premonition that this was going to be the longest day of his life. "Ryo Singh, please interpret." "Oh, Namaste. Thank you for your hard work, please don''t panic, this is just how we do things around here." "..." Ryo Singh sticks his face out from behind, as if waiting for Suho''s call. Like a skilled salesman, he approached Ali Hassan and held out his business card. Hassan''s eyes widened as he looked at his business card. "Asura Guild?! Are you from the Asura Guild?" In the middle of the business card, the name "Asura Guild" that took over Imphal was inscribed proudly. This business card is the honor of the family that has firmly supported Ryo Singh over the years... Rip. "Haha. I don''t care about that anymore, just remember my name." "!?!" Ryo Singhmitted the barbaric act of coolly tearing up his business card, which he usually offered, into tiny pieces. The reason, of course, was that he had seeded in changing jobs. Ryo Singh, who managed to get permission from Suho on the way here, greeted them with his hands sped together like a majestic but humble celebrity. "Let me greet you again. My name is Ryo Singh, a former A-rank hunter of the Asura Guild and now an interpreter, plus a new employee of the current Woojin Guild. I''m going to be a vice president soon." "...The Woojin Guild?" "Was there such a guild?" The hunters of the Imphal Guild whispered to one another. At least in India, it was a name none had ever heard of. Ryo Singh naturally borated. "s, of course you don''t know. Our Woojin Guild is from Korea." "Korea?" "Yes, as you can see, it''s the strongest guild in Korea." ''Korea''s Strongest?!'' With thest exnation, Ryo Singh''s gaze briefly stared at Liu Zhigang, who was behind him with his arms folded, which was quite a deliberate gesture. And the intention was very sessful. ''Wait, no way...?'' As soon as Ali Hassan''s gaze turned to Liu Zhigang, who had been confused for a long time, there was a powerful rm in his mind. "So then, that crazy old man¨C No, I mean, Liu Zhigang is also a member of the Woojin Guild..." "Hush. I don''t think that''s something I dare to mention because it''s a secret. Do you understand what I mean? Hahaha." "Uh-huh?!" Ryo Singh''s suspicious squinting of one eye said a lot. Ali Hassan, who had guessed what the secret was, covered his mouth with both hands and shuddered. ''Wait, really? Liu Zhigang joined the guild? Is that also in a guild in another country?'' Good lord. He felt like he had discovered a huge secret. Who is that mad old man! Sword Demon Liu Zhigang! He was the pride and pride of China, and the only Six-Star hunter who enjoyed the utmost favoritism of the Chinese government. That Liu Zhigang suddenly joined a certain guild? Is that also in a guild in another country? Does the Chinese government know this? No, it can''t be. There is no way China can stand idly by and watch the situation where its representative hunters are stolen from other countries. ''No, wait! That''s not what matters right now!'' Suddenly, Ali Hassan realized something even more shocking, and his gaze hurriedly turned to Su Ho instead of Liu Zhigang. "So this young guy has Liu Zhigang as his subordinate, right?! Who the hell is this hunter?'' "...?" Ali Hassan''s ghostly reaction only bewildered Suho. However, Liu Zhigang, who could only speak simple Arabic, looked at Ryo Singh disapprovingly from behind. "Hey, when did I say I''d join the Woojin Guild?" "Oh, senior! Ha ha ha! When do you say I said that? But if you''ll excuse me, wouldn''t it be easier to work like this?" Liu Singh''s willingness to openly use his name value made Liu Zhigang click his tongue. "What a snake. You''d be better suited to be a politician than a hunter." "Haha. Thanks for thepliment. That just means I''m doing a good job." "No, quite the opposite. If you''re going to use my name in vain, then you are not doing it to the full extent." "Huh?" Liu Zhigang, who had been quietly observing the situation, suddenly folded his arms and stepped forward. Then his momentum began to grow. Gooooooo!!! "!!!" "!?!" All the hunters in the Imphal Guild, including Hassan, looked up at Liu Zhigang, shivering, as if they were in front of a giant. Liu Zhigang, ustomed to this kind of treatment, ordered them with a very arrogant smile on his lips. "I, Liu Zhigang, will ask. Those who don''t want to answer shoulde forward now. See if they truly dare to go against me." !!! The moment they heard those words, they felt a chill in his throat. Ryo Singh had forgotten it. The true meaning of the name Liu Zhigang. He''s... Not only his fighting ability, but also his unique personality is at the level of Thomas Andre. So far, no one, including the Chinese government, has dared to stop what he has set his mind to. And from his mouth fell a solemn order, almost a death sentence. "From now on, tell me all that you have done on earth. And if you so much as utter a single lie.." But Liu Zhigang wasn''t the only one here. Suddenly, Liu Zhigang paused and nced at Suho''s face next to him. Then he turned his head again, looked ahead, and smiled meaningfully. "... No, it doesn''t matter if there is a lie. After all, even after you''re dead, you''ll eventually tell the truth." Chills! Liu Zhigang''s ''sincere'' words made the hunters'' spines wet with cold sweat. They saw it, too. Liu Zhigang stared at him briefly. A long ck shadow stretched beneath his feet. Ahhhh! Beyond them, in the depths of the abyss, the ominous ck demons were watching them, tears of sorrow. * * * After interrogating Ali Hassan, Suho was able to uncover a lot of information about the Asura Guild. "...I thought Siddharth Bachchan would be here, but they aren''t even affiliated with the foreign believers." [It seems that they are all ignorant errand boys.] The Shadow Infantrymen that Suho reaped were the victims of the experiments conducted here with Mutant 8. So, when he was guided by them, he found that the Imphal Guild was just an ordinary ce. "The Asura Guild has been treating all the small guilds in Imphal like this." "It''s a subcontractor, but really it''s just an unpaid errand boy." "They have a noble cause for the city, and we have no choice but to do what they tell us to do." One of the mostmon things the Imphal Guild did at the behest of the Asura Guild was to distribute Stardust, or Stardust Nes, to the citizens of the city. The reason for this is, of course, that the number of citizens is sorge, and the expensive Asura Guild members can''t make a margin to move directly, so they treat all the hunters in the area like pawns. But one thing. There was something strange. "By the way." Among the members of the Imphal Guild, who were scrambling to answer all of Suho''s questions, Ali Hassan spoke cautiously. "I don''t think Stardust is 100 percent effective." "What do you mean?" "Ie from the back alleys, and the slums tend to be a bit scruffy. But somehow, a lot of the beggars who got Stardust didn''t show up one day." Suho''s eyes lit up coldly at that. "... People are missing?" "Yes, of course, if you don''t see the beggars, you would usually report it to the city hall, but I was a little nervous. Are there any side effects to Stardust?" Ali Hassan, who was answering without hesitation, suddenly felt a strange gaze. For some reason, the dark demons have been staring at them from the shadows of Suho all along... It was strangely familiar. ''Maybe I''m just thinking too much?'' But Suho had a different idea. The Shadow Soldiers are of low rank and cannot speak, but he knows what their gaze means. "Did they secretly kidnap the poor and experiment on them? So the reason why you led me here..." [I think it''s because he''s from the same slums, so he''s the only one they can trust.] "Does that mean that you can''t trust the other guilds that have been subcontracted by the Asura Guild?" After thinking about this, Suho nodded and immediately stood up. "Alright then. Let''s start here." He turned to Liu Zhigang and Ryo Singh, who were just waiting for their decision. "Before I meet Siddharth Batchan, I need to find out exactly what the Asura Guild''s ns are." "What do you mean?" "From now on, I''m going to hit all the Hunter Guilds in Imphal." Hehe. At that, Liu Zhigang clenched his fists and smiled fiercely. "Well, that''s enough for us to split up and move around. Can I kill them if they resist?" "I''ll leave it up to you to judge. Just leave the corpses behind if you do." "Yes." Ryo Singh swallowed silently as the two men exchanged nces between his interpreters. Today. Two nightmares havee to the city of Imphal. * * * Ahhhh! ''...It''s raining.'' From shady alleyways. A small boy stepped into the humid air behind the buildings of Imphal, looking up at the sky and breathing heavily. His clothes were drenched from the damp rain, but he had no intention of escaping and no energy to do so. No, that''s rather good. There was nothing like this in the position of being hunted. ''...The rain will wash away the smell of my blood.'' He''d med God all his life, but at least for this moment, he''d never felt so grateful. The boy forced himself to his feet. The pain from the wound was enough to bring tears to his eyes, but he gritted my teeth and held back the tears. ''God... Please...'' The boy swallowed his tears and prayed more desperately than ever. ''Please help me...No, it''s okay even if it''s someone other than God, just please.... Save me.'' The boy limped on one leg and slowly disappeared into a dark alleyway. Ssh! Hideous reptilian paws stepped into the alleyway, stepping through puddles of rainwater. They sniffed, looked around, and muttered softly. "There''s no trace here." "They are lucky. The smell of blood was clouded by the rain." (2) Gurrrrrrr! Then there was a sh of thunder, and their hooded faces were pressed deep into the air, revealing for a glimpse. Lizardmen. No, rather, it''s a hybrid that looks like a human. The corners of their mouths clenched long, and their hideous tongues flickered as they closed their mouths. "I don''t think it''s gone too far yet, anyway. Find him." [I found them.] "You found them¡ª What?" Their heads turned back involuntarily, following the sudden sound of voice. From there ... A sinister ck shadow loomed over the walls of the dark alleyway, smiling at them. "!?!" ¡ª--------- 1: As Ah wills it. A phrasemonly used in Im. 2: In case people are wondering. While rain may have some ability to diminish or mask odors, it may notpletely eliminate the smell of blood, especially in situations where the blood is prominent. Chapter 209 - 209

Chapter 209:

Someone said something along the lines of: ''The greatest luxury is giving!'' In that sense, Ali Hassan was one of the most extravagant people. Ali Hassan, who grew up in the slums, used to visit the slums whenever he had time after his awakening. ''Wahaha! I''m here again! You bastards!'' He didn''t go empty-handed though. Every time he went, he brought a truckload full of bread. He squirmed at the beggars who looked up to him, sprinkling bread all over the ce on the top of the truck. ''Hey, do you see! That''s how rich I am! Eat this, you bastards! Uh-huh!'' Good deeds? For noblesse oblige? He''s never learned such difficult words. He just wanted to brag. Yes, that''s why he started doing it. Even if he flexed a few trucks, it didn''tpare to the amount of money the hunter was making in the dungeon. But no matter how much he boasted, there was one thing Ali Hassan would never do. Give them food, but not money. ''If we do that, they''ll just fight each other. Rumors wille and other local thugs will flock here.'' So he gave just enough to keep a stomach from being hungry in the nick of time. Just so that tomorrow''s hunger will not be as scary as this evening. Ali Hassan, who knew the psychology of the slums better than anyone, knew the line of deprivation very well. So why? One day, the number of people in the slums began to dwindle. There was more and more bread left each day. By the time Ali Hassan found out, many of the beggars were already missing. "...I didn''t know if they had really gone missing, or if it was just a bunch of unlucky beasts roaming the backstreets." "But I think I''ve found out why." Slice! "Kagh!" Ali Hassan, who was exining through Ryo Singh''s interpretation, swallowed hard and looked forward. In front of him, a group of strapped dragonfolky face down in the mud. They were found by Beru in the back alleys of the slums. Suho spoke, stomping on their skulls with his foot, looking down at them with a cold gaze. "I''ll ask. Who are you?" "Grrrrrrr." Reptile-like eyes gazed at Suho with a smug expression. It looks like a mixture of a lizard and a human. Large Star Pieces were imnted in their bodies. He didn''t have to bother to answer them, but his name was already in his sight. [Variant No. 13] [Variant No. 13] "Since you are 13, you can talk. And it also means the experiment became an ongoing project." "Tsk." Antares, who was riding on his shoulders at Suho''s words, clicked his tongue in disapproval. Seeing them made it even clearer. [The Beast Monarch, the King of Beasts, frowns as he recalls the humans who became werewolves who fed upon Grey''s blood.] "Yes. It''s a simr situation to back then." Grip. Suho tightened his grip on the mutants'' heads, and questioned them. "Ryo Singh, trante. Are you with the Foreign Religion?" "Gurrrrr I don''t know!" "Where have you been arresting people?" "I don''t know! We don''t know anything!" They snarled with venomous expressions, and blue blood flowed from their eyes. Iron, a former priest of the Foreign Religion, and Greed, a former high priest, recognized it and advised Suho. [They are already firmly possessed by the Star Piece.] [If their mind is contaminated to this extent, there is no choice but to kill them.] Suho nodded and interrupted the useless conversation. "Got it. Then I''ll directly ask your soul." Slice! Without hesitation, Suho smashed their skulls and immediately extracted their shadows and turned them into soldiers. "Guide me to your home base." * * * The dragonfolk, who had be Shadow Soldiers, obediently led Suho to their hideout. "Kubera Guild?" Ali Hassan, who was following Suho behind, had opened his eyes wide upon recognizing the ce. "Do you know this ce?" "I just know the name. It''s a small guild of about 10 people." ording to Ali Hassan''s exnation, there are a total of 17 guilds operating in Imphal. With the exception of the Imphal Guild, the only medium-sized guild among them, the rest of the guilds were all small guilds with only about 10 members. Of course, it was not possible to gauge the strength of a guild simply by the number of guild members. Like the Woojin Guild led by Suho, the Guildmaster has overwhelming skills that no one else can match. There were also a handful of elite guilds where individual guild members were as good as a single party. But even with all the incidents, there was no chance that Suho would be overwhelmed. Bang! Without even bothering to open the door, he smashed the wall and went inside. "Who''s there!" "...." While the mutants inside were startled and ready for battle, Suho''s eyes went elsewhere. "...Oh my God." Ali Hassan slumped to the ground, his legs giving out. A prison¨C No, a chicken coop. Along the cramped prisons, barred with flimsy iron bars, squalid beggars crouched alongside each other. And in their bodies were Star Pieces that seem to have been forcibly imnted on... Kieeee! The moment he witnessed them being trapped in aboratory and their skin mutating like reptiles. Thump. One emotion vanished from within Suho. "Harmakan." [Yes, my lord.] "Kill." Wowahh! [Harmakan has activated ''Instant Dungeon''.] Harmakan immediately exterminated the hunters of the Kubera Guild and turned them into experience for Suho. He looked at Suho, checked on the condition of the detainees, and reported back to his lord. [Fortunately, the majority of them haven''t had the Star Pieces transnted properly as of yet, there might be a possibility for me to recover them.] "That''s good." But Suho''s stern expression showed no signs of fading. Ali Hassan said that the number of people held here was too smallpared to those who disappeared from the ghetto. "I''m sure the same will be true for other small guilds! Our Imphal Guild is a medium-sized guild, but the rest of the smaller guilds have long since fallen under the umbre of the Asura Guild." "We don''t have much time." Liu Zhigang''s eyes, which had been silently watching all this devastation, were quietly glowing. Perhaps the reason why the current situation is so unpleasant is because it reminds him of his past life. At least there was some romanticism back then whenpetition between guilds was fierce, but the premise was that all of humanity would work together to fight against the magic beasts. But now... "It''s disgusting. Humans experimenting on their kind and turning them into magic beasts. It would be unthinkable in the past." Liu Zhigang drew his sword. * * * BANG! "Who are you?" "Liu¨C Liu Zhigang?!" The hunters of Imphal''s other small guild, the Lama Guild, were shocked to see the face of the rogue who suddenly burst into the office. "I''ll ask. Are you with the Foreign Religion?" "...What''s that?" "You''rete in answering. Would the loss of one of your arms speed up your answer?" Rumble. "!!!" "AH, it''s really Liu Zhigang!" Seeing Liu Zhigang draw two des, the hunters of the Lama Guild involuntarily looked into each other''s eyes, and then began to flee in several directions at the same time. Behind them, however, was a long tail that resembled a lizard. Seeing this, Liu Zhigang nodded. "A leg is better than an arm." sh! Slice! Ahh!! "My, my legs...!" Without hesitation, the sword shed both legs of the fleeing hunters. Blood gushed out. Blue blood. These ones were no longer human. Liu Zhigang left the screaming people on the floor, and ran after the hunters who had fled in the opposite direction. * * * Unlike Liu Zhigang, who showed his ruthless hand, Esil was rtively gentlemanly. Knock knock. "Excuse me. Is this the Chandra Guild?" The demons were a race that could understand andmunicate with them, and it was no different in India. Of course, simply being able to speak thenguage did not guarantee a smooth conversation. The door opened, and a hunter appeared, scanning Esil from top and bottom with a wary look. "Yes, that''s right. What have youe for?" "Are you aware of the kidnappings of beggars around here?" "...Why are you suddenly being so disrespectful?" (1) "That ne." Gooooooo! As everyone now knows, the main ingredient in Stardust is demonic blood. Seeing the Stardust ne around the hunters'' necks, Esil''s whole body exuded the majesty of a demon noble. "Take off the ne for yourself. If you don''t, I''ll judge you as part of the Foreign Religion." "...Foreign Religion?" "Or would you like to be called an Itarim''s bastard?" Smirk. The moment the word ''Foreign Religion'' jumped out of Esil, the hunters'' eyes were already tainted with a fierce aura. Their reptilian pupils appeared. "Who the hell are you!?!" Esil nodded seeing that the rest of the hunters rushed at her, so she revealed her bloodlust as well. "I guess I can kill you all then." Slice! sh! Slice! If Liu Zhigang was a ruthless swordmaster, then Esil was a demon, and not just any demon, but a demon of the purest lineage. "AHHK¨C" "SA¨C SAVE ME¡ª!" sh! sh! Slice! Stab! Esil slew all those who resisted, and handed over their bodies to the Shadow Soldiers who followed her. "Send them to Suho." She turned her head and sighed softly, looking at the secret space hidden in the corner of their hideout. "...And tell Harmakan that there are people who have been experimented on here, as well. ASAP." * * * Swift and fast. How long did it take for Suho to rob all the small guilds operating in Imphal and wipe out all the hunters who had be part of the Foreign Religion? Half a day was enough. In the process, he ruthlessly killed those who resisted, and after that, he turned them into Shadow Soldiers and found hidden hideouts one after another. He seeded in rescuing all the people who were trapped there and being experimented on. Harmakhan''s role here was crucial. Fortunately, most of the people who were still being tested were able to remove the Star Pieces from their bodies without difficulty. Harmakan exined why it was possible. [In the first ce, I assume the experiment itself is a process of adapting one''s body to the hemolysis and Star Pieces, and once the adaptation isplete, the results wille whether it seeds or fails.] And once the results were in, there was no need to lock them up any longer. [If you fail, you''ll be a demon without any reason, just like Mutant No. 8 when you first discovered them, and you''ll be abandoned outside the city.] "And if you seed, will you be like these guys here?" !!! Was it because they made too much noise while trying to rescue people? Before they knew it, Suho found himself surrounded by countless members of the Dragonfolk. "Where are all these guys hiding?" Liu Zhigang and Esil muttered as they drew their weapons, and Suho red forward, his eyes shing. Isn''t it obvious? A ce where those who have sessfully been imnted a Star Piece feel the mostfortable. "In the Void." Apparently there is a Void Gate somewhere in this city. -------------------- 1: Esil dropped her formal speech tone (???, jondaemal) to an informal one (??, banmal) As for some extra info: the Kubera name refers to Kubera the god of wealth, and the god-king of the semi-divine yashkas in Hinduism. The Lama name likely refers to the Di Lama title from tibetan buddhism. And Chandra is the name of the Moon god in hindu. Chapter 210 - 210 Chapter 210: In the back streets of Imphal. If you walk through the shadowy back alleys, disregarding the splendor of the downtown area, you will find a rundown vige of old boards that wouldn''t seem out of ce, no matter how long you linger beyond them. A few years ago, businessmen came to this ce, and a new sign was put up. [nned Redevelopment Site] Now this shabby back alley has be and of gold, just like the gorgeous front streets. However, if the redevelopment proceeds, the poor people living here will lose their homes and will have no choice but to end up on the streets. Naturally, those people protested, so the government and businessmen evicted them, either by persuading them or threatening them. That was just three years ago. Now all it took was to redevelop the city, but even the best businessmen could not have predicted the global natural disaster called "The Cataclysm." The city of Imphal was turned into a field dungeon overnight. In the end, the investors'' grandiose ns werepletely dyed. Of course, the businessmen had no intention of sitting idly by. Time was money for businessmen so they couldn''t out their trust on the hunters of Imphal to make a strategy on how to deal with the gate. In the end, the businessmen decided to take some losses in unison. They entrusted amission to the Asura Guild, India''s strongest force, and decided that it would be cheaper to attack the dungeon as soon as possible rather than wait for the Imphal guilds to take care of it. Siddharth Bachchan dly epted their invitation. On the surface, he was directly trying to save the poor citizens, but behind the scenes, the logic of capital was being applied thoroughly. And as the input wasrge, the output was also very satisfying. As soon as Siddharth Bachchan was brought into the attack, one of the many gates at Loktak Field was quickly captured. ''....So far, so good.'' Manu Kijal, the governor of Manipur, who had negotiated between the businessmen and Siddharth Bachchan, was now biting his lips with an anxious expression. Snap. Until now, he used to feel peace when he touched the Stardust ne around his neck like this, but today it felt different. ''How the hell did this happen?'' Siddharth Bachchan had been stalling for a long time without attacking the rest of the dungeons at all. Of course, he would still lead his guild members in and out of the gates, but he already knew that the purpose was not to attack. ''I don''t know what the purpose of such an experiment is¡­'' While Manu Kijal didn''t know the specific reason, he did know that Siddharth Bachchan was conducting some kind of biological experiment on Imphal. And that the subjects of the biological experiments are the poor of Imphal. As the governor who had to continue the redevelopment with the businessmen, this seemed like a fine solution to deal with the poor in advance, so Manu Kijal was aware of the fact but tolerated it until now. And yet something held him back. ''These days, you''ve been giving me little orders here and there. As if you were the governor.'' The strategy was dyed, and the resentment of the businessmen was piling up, but it was somehow tolerable. Rather, what he was dissatisfied with was the way Siddharth Bachchan treated him. However, from the moment he turned a blind eye to Siddharth Bachchan''s actions, he was also an aplice. Now he could only wait for Siddharth Bachchan to get what he wanted, and to solve the field dungeon as promised. Woosh. Suddenly, a soft glow came from the ne he was fiddling with. Then, like a lie, the discontent softened little by little. ''...Well, after all, what Siddharth Bachchan is doing isn''t particrly bad for me.'' Good, this is good. The thought crept in naturally, and he finally nodded. ''Could it possibly be that the reason for the secret army through biological experiments is to make Manipur independent from India? Starting with Loktak Field. Imphal is going to be the capital of that independent state. And will that mean for me?'' It was obvious. ''King.'' Suddenly, Manu Kijal''s heart began to swell. Siddharth Bachchan possessed unrivaled force, but he was never a statesman. You need a politician to run the country. ''In the end, I''ll be in charge of politics, and he''ll take care of national defense...'' In other words, if Siddharth Bachchan''s goal seeds, he will be the head of an independent state, not just a governor! Although thend they ruled was the same, the meaning of a governor and a king of a country werepletely different. As he finished thinking about this, the corners of Manu Kijal''s mouth crept up. He looked up proudly and looked forward again, and a blue essence flowed from his eyes. ''I get it now.'' In the distance of his vision, in front of him, there were foreign enemies in Imphal who had suddenly invaded and were ughtering the hunters. "Kill the invaders." For our grand goals! Smirk. Manu Kijal, who continued his delusions as if he had lost his intellect, finally came to a decision that could not be understood withmon sense. "Ha, China''s Liu Zhigang crossed the border and invaded Imphal? Kill him and his men with all your might!" Even if Liu Zhigang is a Six-Star hunter, he is also a human being with blood flowing after all. Keep pushing until you''re exhausted, and you''ll die one day! "On the contrary, if it bes known to the whole world that we killed Liu Zhigang with our own hands, from that moment on, we will be recognized as an independent country that no one can ignore!" Manu Kijal eventually dered an all-out war against the Liu Zhigang gang that was ravaging Imphal''s guilds. The hunters they hunted were unfinished test subjects. Luckily, their egos didn''t copse, but they were half-mutants who only absorbed a few drops of hemolysis! But even the Liu Zhigang would never be able to defeat theplete Dragonfolk Army! "Kill them!" RAAAAHH!! * * * Suho healed a beggar kid they had picked up in the back alleys, that was found by Beru and learned about the events that were happening in the city. "So you don''t know where Siddharth Bachchan is?" "...No, I''ve been locked up in a cage all this time. All I know is that is that it''s somewhere in the dungeons." As he answered the question, the boy was miraculously recovering from the healing potion. Born in the slums, this was seen as a divine blessing for him. [Master, the Star Piece has been removed.] Harmakhan''s treatment had beenpleted, and the boy was able to return to his pre-experimental self. However, Harmakan himself healed the boy and found out why the hunters were after this little boy so much. [This young human''s constitution seems to be better suited to hemolysis than any test subjects we have found so far.] "So you mean it was their favorite test subject." [Yes, if he had stayed locked up, he would have sessfully been turned as one of them.] "..." With that, Suho turned his gaze and looked at the mutants that had suddenly swarmed towards them. Each one exudes at least the power of a C-rank, B-rank, or even more. That number is in the hundreds now. Even at this moment, considering the endless swarming, it seemed that there were more than a few thousand. But the real frightening thing about them wasn''t their numbers, but their intelligence, like the ice elves, unlike the beasts who were driven by instinct. "That''s enough to overthrow a country. Siddhart, what the hell is this guy doing..." Liu Zhigang clicked his tongue. At this point, isn''t it safe to assume that the Asura Guild was arge guildposed entirely of viins? And the fact that these new dragon folks had lost their humanity made them even more terrifying and destructive as a group. However, to someone else, this situation was an extremely satisfying sight. [The King of Dragons, the Destruction Monarch, is hungry.] [The King of Dragons, the Destruction Monarch, ims that absorbing dragon blood from their bodies will increase the amount of Ragnar''s magic.] And will also help in leveling up. Suho''s eyes shed as he nodded at Antares'' words. The job change quest to be the Destruction Monarch. Reaching level 100, which is the primary goal, may be possible by the end. Suho looked at the dragons as they attacked, and summoned all the soldiers, who had scattered and sought the Void Gate, into his shadow. "Arise." Shwaaaaaa!!! At that moment, the Shadow Soldiers who rose from the shadow of Suho unleashed their momentum and overwhelmed the battlefield. Seeing the enormity, Liu Zhigang was shocked, even though he was on the same side. ''Holy fuck! So these weren''t all the summons I''ve seen so far!'' Not to mention Greed, who he had met his own sword, and the momentum exuded by the other soldiers was unusual. Gulp. Liu Zhigang''s throat grubbled and swallowed his dry saliva. More than anything else, he already knew. The true horror of Suho''s summons. They were an immortal legion that could regenerate infinitely, no matter how much they were hurt. "What a frightening power." Liu Zhigang had met Sung Jin-Woo in his previous life, but he had never truly witnessed his true face. That''s why he was instinctively following Sung Jin-Woo''s figure behind Suho''s back. But one thing was for sure. "Compared to Sung Jin-Woo, you''re still not strong enough." They were even vastly outnumbered by the onught of enemies. Currently, there are only 50 of Suho''s troops. It was thergestbined force of all the saved soldiers and the instant mercenaries he had recruited to get here. It even included ordinary shadow infantrymen who had be soldiers themselves for revenge. On the other hand, the number of enemies that increase every moment is 20 or 30 times or more. With no idea how much Siddharth Bachchan, who must be lurking behind this, might have be stronger through the divinity of the outer universe, it was hard to guess the odds. At least from Liu Zhigang''s point of view. But. Smirk. "We just need to make up for theck of power." [ Number of extractable shadows : 50/100 ] [ Number of Saveable Shadows: 8/10 ] "I''ve invested a bit in my intelligence." And one more thing. Weak soldiers can be strengthened! "Harmakan! Strengthen the shadow infantrymen!" [Yes! I''ll activate the Death Knight''s armor!] The Death Armor, which Harmakan had developed in the past for the demonic specters, was summoned. The shadow infantrymen wore it willingly. RAAAAAHRRR!!! The original souls who had been reborn as shadows were still shedding tears in their armor. But all that grunge was directed at the dragonfolk who had experimented on them. At that moment. The shadow of Suho darkened all around. [Use ''Skill: Monarch''s Domain''.] Wooosh! [Shadow Soldiers who fight on the caster''s shadow have their stats increased by 50%.] RUAAAARRRRR!!! In his shadow, all the soldiers began to roar, swaying in a seething shiver. A full-scale war began. [Harmakan uses ''Skill: Amplify Damage''.] [Harmakan uses ''Skill: Thorns of Pain''.] [Increases the damage to those who receive the curse.] [Normal attacks will also inflict fatal wounds.] [Mirrors all pain and damage taken by Shadow Soldiers to the target they attack.] The results were devastating. [The King of Dragons, the Monarch of Destruction, bursts into a madness.] [The King of Dragons, the Monarch of Destruction, hastens Ragnar.] [The King of Snowfolk, the Frost Monarch, inflicts a blizzard of the bitter cold...] "...Is this really Sung Jin-Woo''s son?" Liu Zhigang couldn''t keep his mouth shut. And neither could Governor Manu Kijal, who was watching the devastation from the top of a tall building in the distance, unable toe to his senses. "Wha¨C what is that?!" This was happening in his own city... It was being devoured by evil spirits! Without hesitation, he turned around and began to run away. Chapter 211 - 211 Chapter 211: [Variant No. 17] [Variant No. 26] [Variant No. 31] .... The Asura Guild has been experimenting with a lot of things. There were many failures, but there were also some sesses. The result of those were the enhanced humans, the Dragon Army. "AKH!" Manu Kijal couldn''t hide his confusion as he scrambled to escape. ''Nonsense! How could this happen!'' The Dragon Legion, which the Asura Guild had painstakingly developed, was gradually copsing. No, the war would still prevail, that''s for sure. But why? ''Why the hell are things going awry either way!'' AAAAHHHHH!! [Hahahahahaha!] ''WHY WON''T YOU DIE?!'' What kind of monsters are those? Even if they were torn limb from limb. Even if half of the body is torn off. Even if their whole throat is crushed! There were only a few dozen of them on the other side, but they were not dying at all! ''Nonsense! An army of immortality! Where did theye from?!?!'' And that wasn''t the only problem. -Arise! WAAAAAAHHHHHHHH! ''You damn necromancer! You''ve got all these deceptive skills!'' He really couldn''t imagine it. At first, he thought Liu Zhigang was the problem, but as it turns out, the young guy was the biggest one here! Arise! KIIIAAAAAAA!!!! At the necromancer''smand, the sight of souls formed from ck steam leaping out of the corpses of the dragons was nothing short of terrifying. "WA! What is that-!" If this were a dream, there would be no nightmare that couldpare it. The other side is immortal, while his own is resuscitated at themand of the enemy. They are taking away his soldiers! How could such a petty and one-sided battle exist? ''Not good! If it''s like this, they are bound to win!" In the end, there is only one way. Manu Kijal was a capable man by nature, and he desperately thought of a way to solve this impasse. ''I must turn the tables! The principle of mana immutability! There could be no real Legion of the Undead in this world! It was clear that if the young necromancer was destroyed by a single blow- without having a chance to defend himself- with overwhelming power, he and his shadows would no longer be able to resurrect. "Siddharth has to take matters into his own hands! But that''s exactly what they want now!'' Manu Kijal saw their schemes at a nce with brilliant intellect. ''That annoying necromancer is trying to disturb the situation and summon Siddhart. Liu Zhigang must be the countermeasure!'' Apart from that. Perhaps this could be the beginning of China''s n to invade India. ''Liu Zhigang of China and Siddharth Bachchan of India. There''s always been a question of who is stronger between the two.'' Of course, in the Hunter Rankings made by the U.S. Hunter Bureau, Siddharth Bachchan was ranked one step below Liu Zhigang. But Manu Kijal, who knew the hidden truth of Siddharth Bachchan, knew how meaningless the Hunter Rankings were. "Hah, China''s Liu Zhigang is stronger? The people of the world are utterly deceived! Siddharth has already transcended the walls that humans cannot reach!'' Manu Kijal''s eyes werepletely dyed blue as he was desperately trying to run away. Whether it was due to the invasion of foreign enemies or other influences, the situation about Siddharth Bachchan, which he had been concerned about until recently, had melted away. Instead, the new emotion that has taken its ce is blind loyalty. ''Siddharth... He is the Apostle of a great God!'' Loom. Before he knew it, Manu Kijal''s pace had stopped in front of an ominous crack. He yelled at the dragons who stood guard in front of him. "Hurry up and bring Siddharth! China has invaded!" "The Master is busy. Didn''t he tell you to settle the trivial matters on your own?" Overwhelmed by the keen gleam of the dragons'' eyes, Manu Kijal flinched. But he reminded himself of the seriousness of the situation and shouted again. "Fools! Liu Zhigang has appeared! If Siddharth doesn''t step up, Imphal will be taken away from him!" "...Liu Zhigang?" The dragons, who still had memories of being human, hardened their expressions when they heard the name. "Then wait here. I''ll report it to the Master." "No, I don''t have time for that right now! I''ll meet him in person and exin it to him!" "Hah, you?" The dragons smiled wryly at Manu Kijal as he tried to force himself to step on the gate. "Careful there. If you dare to enter here now, we won''t even be able to find your bones. The Master is very hungry right now you see." Chills. Realizing that this was not just a threat, Manu Kizal flinched. "Hungry? What kind of nonsense is that? Isn''t there enough provisions?" "Provisions? Hahaha." "Is that some sort of sacrifice?" Hearing the guardian''s sneer, Manu Kizal looked nervously and wavering across the gates. "What the hell are you doing in there..." Boom! Before he could finish speaking, the dragon''s massive sword mmed into his feet. "Refrain from such sphemous words! This is a great sanctuary!" "Ehk!" "Anyways, wait patiently. My minions have already gone to wake up the Master." Manu Kizal looked at the cracked ground and slumped in front of it, his legs giving out. At the same time, he couldn''t help but feel a sense of dread as he thought about what he had just heard. ''...Wake him up?'' Maybe it''s because of his mood, but somehow he didn''t feel like that meant just waking up from sleep. * * * Siddharth Bachchan opened his eyes. "...Liu Zhigang?" "Yes." "..." At the dragonfolk''s report, Siddharth Bachchan''s eyes squinted and smiled. When he heard that the strongest force in the human race had invaded with his subordinates, he showed no signs of panicking or haste. Rather, it was a reaction of nonchnce. "It''s a nostalgic name." Hearing the name Liu Zhigang for the first in a long time, his dark eyes fell silent. He recalled his name, reflecting on the memories of his past, now lost. 7-Star Hunter Liu Zhigang. A man who was once a colleague. "Hmph. Liu Zhigang was indeed a strong man. Without him, no one would have survived Kamish. But now, Liu Zhigang... He''s not the same person he used to be." Apart from that, today, Siddharth Bachchan had already received the power of the outer universe and all the memories of his previous life had returned. The shock of the day those two memories collided in his head still lingered. The battle against Kamish was truly devastating. The great title National Level was obtained after that. But ten yearster(1), an overwhelming apocalypse struck the earth again... It had given him a real sense of dread. ''...And what happened afterwards?'' The world hade to an end. Although, he doesn''t remember exactly where it ended. Communications equipment had broken down, and news from the world had been cut off. He had heard that a hunter named Sung Jin-Woo of Korea had been quite active, but he was also just a human being, so he would have died in the end. Still, if he had to think back to hisst moments, Siddharth Bachchan was in the midst of a frantic battle with the light dragons that had burst through the sky. At some point, his memory was lost, and when he came back to his senses, the whole world was at peace. -Oh my. The moment he remembered the incredible memories of his past life, he was horrified to see the truth. All of that horrible history has be a thing of the past. Time has gone back. And then decades passed. It was horrifying to know that the gates had been opened on Earth once again, and that it had been invaded by demons just as it had been then. At that moment. He realized. ''Oh, so this is what it is.'' In the midst of this chaotic repetition of history, Siddharth Bachchan was once again awakened as an S-rank hunter and was convinced of his fate. With all the memories of his past life, he is the only hunter who has to live a new history. ''I am the only one who can save this.'' He was chosen as the savior of this world. Woosh! He grinned wryly, clutching the power of outer space in his hands. Byparison, there wasn''t much change between the previous life and the present one. At that time, they were empowered by the Apostles of God, who were called Rulers, and waged war against the Monarchs. Now, he was strengthened by an apostle who worshiped the gods of outer universes. Although the source of its power has changed slightly, it has finally be a National Level Hunter''s once again. This is fate. No, it was more like the faith being bestowed upon him. ''Nothing has changed. I''m still fighting.'' So who is the fight for? Of course, it was a fight to protect the weak humans living in this world. Siddharth Bachchan could boast of how much he had tried to protect them in his previous life. ''But I failed. In spite of our efforts, many people died.'' Siddharth Bachchan looked bitter and med himself for the past. Ironically, however, his eyes were filled with a blue essence, a maddening look. ''So I won''t fail this time. That''s why I''ve been given a second chance.'' Siddharth Bachchan was chosen. In order not to repeat the mistake. To n for a better future. ''I must strengthen Mankind!'' This was the beginning of a project to strengthen the whole of humanity. ''No matter how hard we try, the weak will eventually die in vain.'' ''In order to save the poor humans who have not awakened even a handful of magical powers, they themselves must be stronger in the end!'' Coincidentally, Siddharth Bachchan already knew how to do it. In the same way the power of the ruler was forcibly infused into his body, ''You can also force power into the human body!'' Of course, it will overload them to some extent. Their bodies could not hold up and copse. After receiving the power of the ruler for the first time, did he not suffer from adjustment for a while? Even so, humans are animals of adaptation. Little by little, he was sure that he would seed one day. There may be small sacrifices in the process of the experiment, but historically, the sacrifice of the people for the greater sake is unavoidable. Under his meticulous nning, numerous experiments were carried out. Unexpected luck was on his side. Well, in retrospect, it was not luck, but the teachings of the great god Itarim. ''s! There was a path to the Tomb of the Dragons in a ce like this!'' Following Itarim''s lead, he wandered through the dimensional rift, and one day a new dimension appeared in front of him. The moment he discovered the eggs of the light dragons that had been left in hiding. Siddharth Bachchan offered a heartfelt worship to the great god Itarim. He was the first to inject the hemolytic blood from the eggs into his body. Just enough for your body to hold on. No, he needed more! Much more! ''To save the world! I have to be much stronger than I was in my previous life!'' [Variant No. 1] Siddharth Bachchan, the man who was willing to give up being human. SHUWAAAAA! Eventually, Siddharth Bachchan stepped out of the gate and a pair of blue draconic wings spread out behind him. In front of him, arge number of dragons took up a posture of submission. The corners of Siddhart''s mouth twitched at the satisfaction. "Charge." RWWWAAAAAAARRR!!! ...A past life that ended in failure. The most frightening beings he had ever encountered in those painful memories. Siddharth Bachchan''s dragon army, which was modeled after the legion of The Dragon Antares, flew up in unison. 1: It''s probably a slight mistake made by the author, it should be 8 years after Kamish that the fight against the Destruction Monarch takes ce. Chapter 212 - 212 Chapter 212 - 212 Gooh- The earth shakes as if there has been an earthquake. His skin burned from the ominous magic that filled the city. Kyaoo0000000 Gurrrrr- The cries of beasts echo throughout the city. An overwhelming wave of monsters that looked like a dungeon break was engulfing the city. Chop chuh! In the midst of this, Liu Xing, who was running precariously with his twin swords, managed to decapitate another dragon tribe. Puh Blue blood gushes out like a fountain. With the final horse, he could see the dragon people copsing behind him. Liao Xing wiped the blood and cold sweat from his face with the back o {T3 hand and let out a heavy breath. ''How much do we have left?'' T The sky looks yellow from umted fatigue. Liu Singh, who had been out of habit to estimate the number of his enemies, soo n gave up counting. The path he passed was littered with the corpses of many dragons he had killed s o far. But tens or hundreds of timesrger armies were stilling, covering all the fiel d of vision, anding at them endlessly. Even if they were high-level hunters who could overwhelm the demon beasts with their own bodies, the dragons here were no ordinary demon beasts. These are all once human, enhanced humans mutated by dragonblood. Each of them had the strength of a B-ss demon beast, and they still had intellig ence that allowed them to engage in strategic battles. That is, tankers and dealers. It is a ''legion'' capable of a cooperative attack with a good mix of attack and defe nse. It''s a good thing they don''t have a healer over there, but with this amount of wat er, it doesn''t matter if they have a healer or not. "Guild Leader! What the hell are you doing here!'' Liao Xing squeezed his eyes shut as he remembered the guild leader Siddharth Ba chchan, whom he had always admired. Who would have dared to imagine? I never thought that the Indian hero Siddharth Bachchan would have done such a horrible thing without anyone knowing! "Transforming the same humans into demon beasts!" It was an act that could not be forgivable for any reason. Chop chuh! Liu Xing''s sword sliced through another, hiding behind it, narrowly dodging the o nught of three dragons. And counterattack. Evasion. Counterattack. Evasion. a Attack, Attack.... My breath catches up to my chin. ''Can I Survive?'' I was momentarily terrified. Hunters are human after all. It''s only natural that when you''re injured, you bleed, and when you''re tired, your movements slow down. As an A-ss Hunter, he might be able tost a little longer than others, but even that would inevitably reach its limit at some point. And it''s the same with China''s great six-star hunters Liu Zhikang and Suho.... ''Isn''t it?'' Suddenly, Liu Xing''s eyes widened as he turned his gaze to the other colleagues. Amazingly, they didn''t look tired at all. "Haha! Now that you''re out of Simma, you can''t be so carefree!" With a sh! In an instant, Liu Zhikang''s sword qi cut a group of dragons in half at once. Then, at the same time, a feast of blue blood exploded like firecrackers. Beneath it, a line was drawn on the corner of the mouth of the white-haired old man who performed a gorgeous yet restrained sword dance. "Good. I love it." Today, he was approaching the battle with a refreshed heart. Stamina depleted? For me, this was the norm. In the past, in order not to be encroached upon by the godhead of Itarim, I lived by constantly radiating the foreign energy out of my body. He had always walked the path of Sura in a state of exhaustion. ''Haha. But what''s that?'' On the contrary, from Liu Zhikang''s point of view, Su Ho was even more mysterio us. Unlike himself, whose breathing began to falter little by little, Suho wasn''t even b reaking a sweat. {3 ''That''s amazing. I can''t exin that I''m just in good shape.'' ''On the contrary, the movement is faster than it was at first! It''s like the more you Liu Zhikang''s keen eyes saw through Su Hu''s condition exactly. fight, the stronger you .... It wasn''t just a matter of mood. Liu Zhikang''s path was not clumsy enough to not be able to gauge the opponen t''s ability. He was sure that the guard was getting stronger. "Are you saying that you are still gaining enlightenment in this short period of tim e? Is that really possible! Liu Zhikang was looking at the image of a man he had seen a long time ago in th e form of Su Ho now. Sung Jin Woo! "After all, it''s his son. Haha." Now is an era that has been forgotten and vanished. In the past, Liu Zhikang had confronted Suho''s father, Sung Jinwu. It was only for a short time, but there were times when they hadpeted in spa rring. But that''s not all. Liu Zhikang had never seen Sheng Jinwu go all out. After all, even if he had actually seen Sung Jin Woo fight in the first ce, would he have dared to gauge his true nature on his own level? The scene I saw when I went to help stop the super-sized gate that appeared in t he sky above Seoul was still fresh in my mind. The awe-inspiring sight of hundreds of thousands of demons kneeling down to Su ng Jinwoo! Sung Jin Woo didn''t dare to be evaluated. But now, we can get a glimpse of his power. It was through the image of his Son! Ring! [Level up.] Shoowaa [Level up.] Leveling up again and again! Simultaneous state recovery! Kuwaaa! Enemies are caught in the storm of Guardian des and sliced through without hesitation. Apart from. On the contrary, the more enemies he had, the more experience he gained, the more he could fight endlessly. In the eyes of Liu Xing and Liu Zhikang, who didn''t know anything about the syst em, it was just a wonder. ''Oh my God. Is it that the guardian''s stamina is infinite?'' "You don''t even get tired of fighting like this!" Why did South Korea give such a ridiculous powerhouse a grade of C-grade? And. "Wake up!" [Shadow extraction sessful. ] [Shadow extraction sessful.] Aa As the Intelligence stat increased with the level of the Guardian, the number of Shadow Soldiers was steadily increasing. Of course, there are still 120 of us. But that number was growing in real time. Of course, it was a far crypared to the number of the enemy. But instead, as long as you keep drinking mana potions, you''ll never die! As long as he didn''t frighten himself and back down, he could continue this ridic ulous battle. "My lord, don''t let your guard down! An unusual presence in the distance is gettin g closer and closer!" In the midst of all this, Ver was the only one who was worried about Suho. "It''s important to grow up, but the most important thing is your safety! If you feel any danger, you should go back to Korea immediately!" It just so happened that such arge-scale battle was taking ce, but Suho did n''t just grow things blindly. The cooldown of the "Shadow Exchange'' skill had returned, and it was possible to swap locations with the Shadow Assassin Kira and move to Korea as he had done w hen he came here. I was ready to run away if I had to, so I was able to level up with peace of mind. Besides, I didn''t want to deal with these mobs forever. "It''s nice if the boss mobes to me on my feet!" The Sense of Guardian stat had been warning me for a while now. The enormous presence of Siddharth Batchan is getting closer and closer! ''Soon! That was then. A huge shadow cast in the sky. "Hey!" Esil pulled a spear from the dragon''s heart, raising her head and staring at the sky. Seeing the same ce, Liu Xing''splexion turned white and he let out a scream. "Oh my God! What the hell ... that!" There, huge dragons, mutated into hideous shapes, spread their wings and covered the sky. At this, Ragnar, or rather, Antares the Dragon, frowned. (73 "Cheeky... How dare you use dagonblood to imitate a human being." I don''t know what kind of experiments they had been doing so far, but the apperrance of the giant dragons was ugly and crude, as if they had been made of rags. But in the eyes of the great King of the Dragons, the Lord of Doom, he is not satisfied. Thebined power of human vitality, the disproportionate magic power of the foreign gods, and the power of the powerful dragon n was not negligible. Creepy! At that moment, Liu Zhikang instinctively felt a bad premonition and shouted at everyone. "Something''sing! Raise the magic power of your whole body and get ready!" Immediately after that. Their mouths dropped open in the sky, roaring at the Guardians. A terrible life has descended upon thisnd. Aa Kyaa [Dragon Fear activates.] Dragon Fear! The worst skill of a dragon type that doesn''t distinguish between Pia! The movements of those on the ground stiffened at the cry of the soul, which plunged all around them into despair. It''s ecstatic. Siddharth Bachchan felt that perhaps he had lived all this day to see this _ ^ne. The many efforts he has made to recreate the horrors of the dragons in. "~ aemo ries. ¡ª Countless failures and sesses. T The result of their noble sacrifice was the miracle of this moment. Aa Dragon Fear! The mighty roar of the dragon army merged, and thend was filled with a power ful shockwave of fear that no one in the world had ever experienced before. Constant vibrations shake the atmosphere. Like a natural disaster, an earthquake of magical power made all the weak creatu res feel extreme fear, pain, and confusion. As a result. "Ugh." The corners of Siddhart Batchan''s mouth twitched, and an unbearable smile leak ed out. Look at that! With this overwhelming power, even China''s six-star hunter Liu Zhikang was crus hed and stiffened by the weight of his life! In front of this great power, the bodies of the ck summons that had been maki ng noise in the city suddenly copsed! And I am the one who reigns supreme with absolute power and authority over all of this! It is Siddharth Batchan! "Uh-huh. Hahahaha!" Siddharth Bachchan spread his wings in the sky and burst into a wildugh. How could I be so lucky! Liu Zhikang! If you capture that immobilized Liu Zhikang and convert him into a dragon tribe, what a powerful soldier he can create! It was already mouthwatering. He pointed to Liu Zhikang''s party crushed by the Dragon Peer andmanded h is soldiers. "Arrest them all! If you have your life, you can cut off your limbs!" T Aaaaa At hismand, the Yongin legion roared and pped its wings. T He stretched out his rake to snatch them up like a peregrine falcon hunting its pr ey, crushed by life. By the way. "This is pretty good." There was one being that waspletely unaffected by Dragon Fear: Antares the Dragon. "I don''t think I''m going to gather these hybrids and imitate Dragon Fear." The dragon dragon cub Ragnar was smiling, the corners of his mouth raised. But the burning emotion in his eyes as he stared at the sky was the most tant d ispleasure. He knew who that ragged grub was imitating now. "How dare you... Are you imitating me?" He was the son of the Shadow Lord, and the name Yongje was not so insignificant that even a lowly one would take his ce. Boom! Sensitive to the wrath of the Dragon Antares, a hot me simmered from Ragna r''s small body. The energy pierced the silence that seemed to freeze even time, reaching Siddhar th Bachchan with pinpoint uracy. Whoops! Feeling strange for a moment, Siddharth Batchan''s gaze noticed the presence of Ragnar, a small dot in the distance, and turned his head in search of that direction. And I couldn''t help but widen my eyes. "Uh, how... In the middle of the city, where everyone must be stopped by Dragon Pier. In the middle of the battlefield was a man who was still busy moving. He was the one who had been hit by an AoE stun and had been taking t {3 port unity to stiffen everyone and continue to kill the immobilized enemies. T Ring! Ring! [Level up.] [Level up.] pee As a result. [Reached Level 99.] At that moment. [Completed the requirements for ''Career Advancement: Trial of the Dragon Emperor-1''] Earth and sky. For a moment, Suho''s eyes and Siddharthur''s eyes met each other. Chapter 213 - 213 Indian hero Siddharth Bachchan. When he finally appeared, a brilliant blue star was studded in the center of his forehea d. Once a state-powertul hunter, he became the high priest of the Foreign Religion in th e service of Itarim. But that wasn''t all. Unlike his co-priestess, Siddharth Bachchan, he was now Variant No. 1, perfectly adap ted to Dragonblood. On his back was a pair of wings that resembled a dragon. On his head sprouted the horns of a great dragon that looked like a crown. And the dragon scales that cover the whole body like armor. Its just a concession. His perfect form,pletely different from the other variants, which were somewhat | mpertect, was only possible because the Apostle of Itarim in his body had forced all the | mbnce and chaos into him. "My lord, the Apostle of Itarim!" Out of the shadow of the guardian, Berga showed his face, recognizing the energy of t he foreign god hidden in Siddharth Bachchan''s body, and shouted: On the other hand, Siddharth Batchan''s eyes, which were looking down on the guardian from on high, were trembling with bewilderment. | couldn''t have imagined it. | never thought there would be a human who could withstand the might of Dragonn Fear! "That''s ridiculous, there''s a stronger human being than Liu Zhikang?" Even Liu Zhikang of the world had been devoured by fear and his body had stiffened At that moment. Suddenly, the image of a man popped into Siddharthur Batchans mind. It existed in a vanished time that no one remembers now.... In retrospect, there was one Hunter who was as strong, if not better, than Liu Zhikang back then. Siddharth Batchans eyes filled with dismay as he remembered the mans name. SS Could it be Sung Jin Woo?!" Do you know! Not! No way! Suddenly the thought came to him, and Siddharth Bachchan strongly denied reality. Its been decades! Even Sung Jin-woo, the strongest hunter on earth, who was rumored to be much stronger than all the National powered hunters in the world at the time, is still a human! He, too, should have been as old as he was by now. But look at that young hunter! He looks like he''s a simr nationality to Sung Jin Woo, but he''s only in his twenties! Moreover, right after Siddharth Bachchan regained his old memories, the first thing he did as to find Sung Jin-woo who was living in Korea! The purpose, of course, is to find and kidnap Sung Jin-woo, who has lost his memory, and transform him into his own Yongin soldier! But in the end, the n was doomed to failure. ''He was nowhere to be found! Disappearance. Surprisingly, Sung Jin Woo had disappeared from this world at the same time as the cataclysm. Without leaving any trace. ''Thats why it''s definitely not Sung Jin Woo!" No, even if its Sung Jin-woo. I''m going to be a lot stronger now! In this world where Sung Jin Woo had disappeared, only he could be the savior of humanity. | I Am God''s Only Chosen Savior! With a sh! Siddharth Batchan''s eyes erupted with blue ears. "That''s rather good! A test subject stronger than Liu Zhikang would be wee! He eximed, stretching out his dragon-scaled hand toward Suho. "Catch him at once and make him a colonel before me, my soldiers! |, Siddharth Batch an''s Dragon Army, scramble!" Aaa At hismand, the dragons who filled the sky roared in unison and spread their wing Then a ferocious whirlwind of deadly storms ripped the air wildly, and a multitude of attacks swirled toward the Guardian. "Sue, Guardian...!¡ã The howling wind blew through Esils desperate cry. But Ethil was also shaken by the dragon Fear, unable to move, and there was nothing he could do but squeeze his voice at the distant guardian with a worried expression. Liao Xing and Liu Zhikang feel the same way. They dont know how Suho was able to survive this horrible life, but they could only unite and pray that Suho would escape the devastating attacks. ee l''Il make a gap!" Liu Zhikang shouted, barely squeezing his voice. He could not have allowed such a promising young man to lose his life in such a vain manner. If Suho is truly a Hunter who keeps growing, he will be even stronger in the future el And one day, he will grow up to be the only guardian of the peace of mankind! Hammer... Just like Sung Jin Woo! m "Aaa That''s why we must save him! T [I''m already old. In the end, the future of humanity must blossom in the hands of young people with such potential. Liu Zhikangs eyes lit up with determination. Cold sweat dripped down his body. He gritted his teeth and a fishy blood burst out of the corners of his mouth. He managed to hold off the fear that weighed heavily on his entire body, gripping the handle of his sword tightly. "Holy Guardian!" Liu Zhikang gathered all that power into one point. His forearm swelled as if it were about to burst. "eee Get out of here!" He swung his sword. To the heights, Siddharth Batchan! With a sh! Liu Zhikangs sword qi flew in a semicircle, piercing the stormy atmosphere. "Kyaa In front of his sword qi, the dragons that rushed to the ground had their wings torn off, and their bodies were split in half. Blue blood rains down from the sky. However, Liu Zhikangs sword qi, which showed its formidable power, did not reach Siddharth Bachchan in the end. "You''re pretty, Liu Zhikang. Siddharth Bachchan pped his wings lightly with an arrogant look. A wall of blue aurors appeared, flicking his weakened sword qi away. "How dare you resist me with your old and exhausted body, when all your strength is not enough? Submit to Me obediently and be a soldier. And.... With a sh. 3 At the same moment, the starkes on his forehead glowed, and his eyes T 4 with madness. ''| will give you the honor to be a great apostle of Itarim like | am." Boom! "Whoa?!" The blue energy exploded, and Liu Zhikang''s body bounced backwards. At the same time, a dragon tribe flew out of the air and wed at his body mercilessly. Tu Bang! Liu Zhikang ms vertically into the ground. Blood spewed out of his mouth. But he wasnt alone either. Kyaa The dragon tribe that had attacked Liu Zhikang suddenly screamed and fell. Before he knew it, Liu Zhikangs sword was stuck near the heart of the dragon n. "That''s great. But... That''s it." Siddharth Bachchan had long since lost interest in Liu Zhikang. His eyes were still on Suho. Aaa Just in time, a frantic attack from the dragons rained down on Suho. However, Suho did not back down in the face of such great tear, but rather smiled. Now that he had reached level 99, the dragons in front of him were no concern for him or [Tsk.] Yongze Antares looked disapproving, but he couldnt break his promise to Sung Jinwo. [You''ve qualified. | Strapping. [Rewards forpleting previous quests have arrived. | [Would you like to check your rewards ?] (Y/N) "Reward epted!" As soon as the system window popped up, Suho epted the reward that Antares handed over. Then. Ring! [Obtained the title "Qualification of the Dragon Emperor. | Boom! Suhos eyes widened. Suddenly, a hot fire simmers deep in Suhos chest! The immense energy swirled through Suho''s body like a snake, turning into a ck and red me that began to rage. "Ugh!" Through the sight of the Guardian, who gritted his teeth in great pain, he saw Ragnar, or rather, the dragon Antares, smiling. [Bear with me, for my trials have only just begun. | The minimum qualifications for the Trial of the Solvent have been met. ¡ª [Title: Qualification of the Solvent Emperor] Antares, the King of the Dragons and the Lord of Destruction, has acknowledged ue yers qualifications. - Effect Solvent Heart : +100,000 Mana Exciting! Heart of Solvent! In an instant, a massive agglomeration of magical power was imprinted inside Suhoss right chest. Exciting! Exciting! "Ugh! Ugh!" A furious stream of mana radiated from the dragon emperors heart swept through Suhos body, pounding it relentlessly. As a result, the HP that had just leveled up and was full began to drop in real-time. But even in the midst of all the pain, Suho gritted his teeth and held back the screams that leaked out of his mouth. It was a battle of egos. He had dered to his father that he would continue the power of a monarch who had already been defeated and died, but he could not bear to show weakness in front of him. But the more he did so, the more painful it became. While Suho staggered so hard to keep his wits about him. Kyaaa Just in time, the dragon n that had escaped Liu Zhikang''s sword qi and arrived in front of Su Hu opened his huge maw to bite Su Hu. Then you can see the vicious fangs Inside. "Oh no!" "Above, ... danger!" 3 Desperate screams burst out from the lips of everyone who witnessed the desperate situation. But that was then. ''Thats enough. Chuck. Suho, who had been writhing in the hot mes, slowly reached out to the dragon peop le who were suddenly in front of him. Then, to his surprise, the dragons movement to bite him at any moment stopped in front of him. Seeing this strange appearance, Liu Zhikang and hispanions widened their eyes. | wonder why. Suddenly, the wind stopped. The dragons who were about to attack Suho stopped moving in front of him. The Yongins themselves had eyes on them as if they couldn''t understand why they were doing this. ''Well, what, this is." Siddharth Bachchan,manding the legion from on high, also looked confused. "What are you doing?" His hollow cry echoed over the heavy silence where the wind had stopped. Whoops. Suho was still engulfed in mes. The pain was still there. It was an intense heat that threatened to melt my whole body at any moment. But even more SO.... There was a realization deep in his bones. Heart of the Dragon A huge ability to increase mana by a whopping 100,000! ¡ª With this immense amount of magic, he would be able to summon the Shadowy Soldiers without a grudge from now on. But that wasn''t the point now. More importantly, he acknowledged himself. He had proven himself worthy of inheriting the power of the Dragon Emperor. Suho understood. Even in the midst of this terrible pain, he instinctively gave orders. To all the dragons in front of him. "Everybody stop." | justmanded. "Dragons." "Bow before me." That one word was enough. At that moment, the dragon blood flowing through the bodies of all the dragons responded to the guardian''s voice. Aa Against their will, they stopped pping their wings and began to fall from the air in unison! [Exactly. | The corners of Antares mouth twitched as if he was quite satisfied. The real trial of the dragon emperor has not even begun yet. Suho was only now at the starting line. But thats enough against these sloppy bastards born from a few drops of dragon blood [The King of All Dragons, that is the authority of the Dragon Emperor.] T Kugugugugung! The ground shakes as if it were an earthquake caused by the dragons falling like a meteor shower. "Well, what the hell! What the hell!" At the horrifying sight, Siddharth Batchan screamed in the sky. It was ominous! It was so ominous! This was especially true because he had the most dragon blood flowing through his body. But he persevered. With the power of the Itarim within him. Seeing such a precarious appearance, Suho raised his head again, looked at Siddharth Bachchan, and said, ''Now... Youre the only one left." Engulfed in ck and red mes. [Status Window] Name : Seongsuho Level: 99 upation: None Titles: Qualification of the Dragon Emperor, Wolf yer, Natural Enemy of the Worms, Demon yer HP : 52,641/96,140 MP : 113,699/113,699 [Stats] Strength: 204Strength: 108 Dexterity : 108Int : 117 (+10) Sensation: 108(+5) (Distributable stat points: 0) [Skills] Passive Skills: Sword Lv.7, Dual Swordsmanship Lv.3, Martial Arts Lv.1, (Unknown) Lv. max Active Skills: Dominators Word Lv.1, Shadow Extraction Lv.2, Shadow Storage Lv.1, L ords Realm Lv.1, Storm sh Lv.3, Giant''s Armor Lv.1, Rigid Technique Lv.4, Living Lv. 1, Wind of the Steppe Lv.1 (Spirituality Only), Elven''s Footsteps Lv.1. Chapter 214 - 214 Aaaa High up in the sky, Siddharth Bachchan was seen bewildered. "Oh, this can''t be done! This is ridiculous!" I''ve never been so embarrassed in my life. All the soldiers of the Yongin Legion that they had worked so hard to create, all the soldiers folded their wings and bowed t heir heads before the young Hunter. The great warriors, who have far exceeded the limits of the human species, are trembling like frightened mice before mere humans! "Gurrrrr The humiliated expressions on their faces did not subdue their minds. Their intellect still wanted to tear the guardian''s body to shreds, as Siddharth Bachchan had ordered. It''s not difficult. Their prey was within reach. But their instincts are. Hemolysis in the heart. Their will was being forcibly suppressed. Submit to the authority of the dragon emperor! Boom! But it wasn''t all good. The excruciating heat that seemed to melt even the soul made me feel a terrible pain that seemed to make me lose my min d at any moment. Looking at the HP that was falling all the way in real time, Suho finally realized. are I can see why it''s level 99.'' Why did the minimum qualification given by the dragon emperor have to be level 99? "If I had a low total of HP, I would have burned to death before I could use my power properly." The ck me, which originated from the Heart of the Dragon Emperor, was about to devour Suho''s body, with the threa t of burning and destroying everything in the world. Gulp. Suho pulled out a healing potion and drank it, but it was only enough to slow his health loss slightly. As long as he couldn''t suppress the zing ck mes, it was only a matter of time before he was swallowed up by them. [Do you understand now?] Antares the dragon emperor smiled meaningfully at the sight of such a guardian. [I have clearly warned: how foolish and foolhardy it would be for a mere human who is not even a dragon to im to be ad ragon.] But he wanted to. He was willing to risk his life to ept the ordeal. [Previous Quest: Trial of the Dragon Emperor-2] (73 The powerful mes of the Heart of the Solvent are burning your frail body. If you don''t level up before your HP reaches 0, you''ll end up in a handful of ashes and perish. (Remaining HP : 49,891/96,140) = The reward for taking on the ordeal was several times the amount of mana before, but the risks involved were. _:atal. But Suho felt like his mind had cleared up. Potions only buy time, but if you level up, all status ailments will be cured in an instant. lt was nice to have such a simple solution and the rity of wnat needed to be done. "If you want to live, level up." As always. Guardian''s eyes sh in the mes. As the level increases, the amount of experience required to level up increases exponentially. In the end, it means that you have to hunt down opponents that are that strong. For example, me... Someone like Siddharth Bachchan. "Onya. I''m willing to prove it." Even in pain, Suho grits his teeth and forcibly raises the corners of his mouth. He threw away the empty potion bottle he was holding in his hand and gripped Volkan''s horn tightly in each hand. Then, engulfed in ck mes, he mmed hard into the ground. To Siddharth Bachchan. "T don''t know if I deserve the Heart of the Dragon!" Kuwang! The recoil dented and shattered the ground where he stood. The karma of hell that sprang up after it swirled like the tail of an ascending dragon. On the other side, Siddharth Bachchan bared his teeth with an even more ferocious expression. Kyaaa His arms swung like pitchforks, wrapped in dragon scales. Following him, the Cyperan Auror sprawled out, slicing through the air and wing at the Guardian. Moment. Tu Quaang- The sky split in two. Those who sold their souls to the foreign gods in order to be dragons themselves, and those who risked their lives to a The sh of two seemingly simr butpletely opposite forces sent a tremendous shock wave sweeping across the sky a nd the earth, sending out in all directions. "Kyaaa "Sa, Save ...!" Swept away by the shockwave, Suho''srades screamed and fluttered in the wind. Even the dragons who were forced to lie on the ground couldn''t bear the aftermath and bounced in all directions. The effects of Dragon Fear had long since faded, but the situation had be even more chaotic. Tukwa Kwok Boom! The sky was torn apart by the incessant sh between the guardian and Siddharth Bachchan. Suho used his skill "Ruler''s Power" to stomp through the air, shing Siddharth Bachchan with countless straight swords lik e a thunderstorm. The winged Siddharth Bachchan wed and crushed the guardian''s body in countless curves. Coincidentally, neither of them had any intention of defending against each other''s attacks. Believing in their own solid defenses, they can only attack and attack! If you want to avoid an attack, you have only one purpose. It was to squeeze through the loopholes when the opponent was attacking and inflict a fatal blow. "Oh my God! The Guardian is stronger!" Liao Singh, caught in the whirlpool of the storm, marveled at the absurd sight. He knew that Suho was a growing Hunter, but now he had far transcended the realm of the Iprehensible. As proof of that, look! Isn''t that Liu Zhikang confused when he sees Su Hou! "After all, Suho ... amazing!" "Stupid! It''s not that simple!" Liu Zhikang made a fuss about Liu Xing''s fuss. (T} You see as much as you know. Liu Zhikang, who had been walking the path of martial arts for many years before he awakened as a Hunter, was able to se e exactly what the state of the guardian was, which was exuding such immense power. = "Holy Guardian, that''s it now! He''s taking up his life!" oh "Yes? Sue, longevity?" Liu Zhikang gnashed his teeth with a very angry expression. "Yes! They re burning their own life force to draw their strength! To protect us!" At that, Liu Xing''s eyes widened in amazement as he looked at the guardian. Liu Zhikang''s thoughts were a little misunderstood, but they weren''t far wrong. And it was Siddharth Batchan who noticed it. "Haha! A bastard like a harpoon! You''re fighting for my life!" Siddharth Bachchan sneered at the guardian who stood up to him, engulfed in ck mes. I was taken aback by the sudden appearance of someone stronger than I had imagined, but it turned out to be a Berserker who was fighting with his own life force! He was a creature that would self-destruct in time. "You don''t even know the subject, and you covet too much power!" Siddharth Bachchan instinctively sensed the strength emanating from the guardian. However, his reaction waspletely different from that of the other Yongin soldiers who sumbed to its power. Obsessive, relentless greed radiated from him. "That power is too much for you! I''m going to kill you and I''m going to take you!" He was confident. Many of his Yongin legions were still alive and well in this area. Although they were temporarily confused by the authority of the dragon emperor, the power imnted in their bodies was not the only dragon blood. A source of power that carries more weight than just a few drops of hemolysis. It''s just a piece of star. It was the power of the foreign press. "God! Answer my prayer!" He parried the Guardian''s blow and cried out to the sky. At that moment, a shard of star embedded in his forehead emitted a blue glow. Paa "May your loyal priest be your strength, noble and beautiful!" His powerful prayers shed the countless shards of stars embedded in his body, each exuding blue energy. Countless beams of light branched out like firecrackers in all directions. Aa The beams of light forced the Yongin soldiers to their feet, trembling under the authority of the dragon emperor. Like a pu ppet hanging by a thread. Then they, too, began to soar into the sky, spreading their wings and spreading their wings in unison from the star fragmen ts on their bodies. "Lord Lesser, be careful! Suddenly, Verga felt something wrong and showed his face beyond the shadow of the guardian. But Ver wasn''t just warning of the dangers of the vast Dragon Army. Ver ''s narrowed eyes turned to Siddharth Bachchan. [The Apostle of the Foreign Press has revealed its existence in earnest!] With a sh! As he spoke, he saw all the blue beams of light in all directionsing together in Siddhat Batchan''s hand. "Foreign Press! Give me strength! More! More! More! More!" The power was beingpressed andpressed again and again by the continued fervent prayer. And finally. He gripped tightly at this powerful power handed over by a great god who existed far beyond the outer universe. "Astra." Paaaa The name soon became a substance, manifesting itself as a powerful weapon in his hands. (73 [Lord So! Be careful! Is that real... The power of the foreign press ising!] Noticing the familiar power, Verga stepped out of the shadows of the guardian. [Apparently this Apostle is more prepared than the others I''ve met ... before!] Before Ver could finish speaking, the great Axe of the Outer God, Astra, mmed into the crown of the Gua 4 hi a huge semicircle. Kuwaaa The air was torn vertically. Its power tore the ground beneath it in half. A truly natural disaster. Roads and buildings copsed under the force, and the bodies of the nearby Yongin soldiers were shattered. "Oh my God." Fortunately, Liu Xing, who was far away, was so stunned by the power that it was so far beyondmon sense that he mutt ered with a hollow expression. "Astra.... A legendary weapon summoned by the power of the gods." Astra. In Indian mythology, which means "weapon'' in ancient Sanskrit, a weapon or spell summoned by the power of the gods wa s called "astra." And now, the power that Siddharth Bachchan disyed was worthy of being called the power of the gods. "Uh-huh. You''ve managed to avoid it." Siddharth Bhatchan smiled wry when he spotted the guardian standing in front of him, still intact. It didn''t matter if he was fine. On the contrary, it was exhrating to know that the one who had been so cocky and had been fighting all the attacks with his body was frightened and dodged for the first time. He bared his teeth as he held up the Astra that God had ced in his hand once more. "me again. Like a frightened rat." Aaaa Combined with the sight of arge number of Yongin soldiers flying behind him, it was a terrifying sight. But. He had no idea. What a grave mistake he had made in that attack a moment ago. "Gray." Rerrrr Gray, the canine wolf who hade close to the call of Guardian, burst into tears. The corners of Suho''s mouth went up. "Come in." [In the priest''s body, the spirit body of "Pet: Gray" is embodied.] Whoaaaa Suddenly, Suho''s hair bleached white, mingling with the mes of the solvent. [The Fang Lord, the King of Beasts, bares his teeth with a ferocious expression. ] "There''s a lot of mana, and we''re going to go all-out from now on." Suho''s gaze drifted to the ground. BRACHY2cx To the corpses of the dragons who were torn to shreds by Astra. "Arise, all of you." Aa Legion in Legion. The cries of countless shadows, whose bodies had been modified and their souls mocked by the power of the foreign gods, shook the heavens and the earth. Chapter 215 - 215 [Shadow extraction sessful. | [Shadow extraction sessful. | [Shadow extraction sessful. | Ahhh In the remains of the dragon soldiers who were swept away by the might of Astra, the axe of the foreign gods, dark shadows wag t heir hands to the sky in evil. The hands hit the floor and began to lift their souls out of the sea of afterlife. The numbers were so numerous that from a distance, it was eerie to see a multi-legged centipede crawling up from hell. "Huh?!" Liu Xing''splexion turned white at the sight of hell. But instead, Liu Zhikang''s eyes lit up. Suho''s appearance reminded him of "that day'' long ago. Sung Jin-woo leading arge army of thousands. "Don''t be afraid. It''s on our side." The dark shadows of death made the viewer feel terrified. To my surprise, the dark shadows all had tears in their eyes. Poor souls who were forcibly brought in and suffered from repeated experiments, and in the end, they did not even die as human b eIngs. No one could have guessed their miserable and miserable feelings. You know.... ''lll give you a chance.'' A chance to take revenge on Siddharth Bachchan on his own. "Whole army!" Awkward! At themand of the guardian, they raised their heads and spread their wings in unison. He red at Siddharth Bachchan with eyes zing with rage. "Scramble!" At themand of the guardian, the shadow soldiers who returned from the dead spread their wings in a salvo. Aaa On the other side, the Yongin Army, still under themand of Siddharth Bachchan, who had been theirrades until a moment ago, flew in and began an all-out war with the Legion of Guardian. Tukwa Kwa Kwa Kw From bottom to top, top to bottom. At the forefront of that intense battle, Suho and Siddharth Bachchan also shed once again. "We don''t need those minions anymore! I''ve alreadypleted Astra!" Siddharth Bachchan swung his axe Astra once more. {Tr} Kuwaang| | This time, instead of the ground, the air was cut, and a dimensional rift opened through the crack. The blue mist drifted through the gap, instilling in the axe of Astra that Siddharth Bachchan held. [Kieek?1] Seeing tne pnenomenon, bers eyes widened. Now | saw that Siddharth Batchan''s n had a much bigger purpose than the imitation of the Dragon Emperor''s legion. That''s the nesting of the Rift! Just as the Void Gate opens when three normal gates are stacked, each soldier who seeded in imnting a starshard gathered together and punched countless tiny holes here. The energy of outer space flowed through the cracks of the many cracks, and the axe was the result of the unity of its power! Berga eximed, pointing to Astra. If you leave that axe alone, this area will turn into a world of ice elves!" The ne was torn apart like the frigidnds where the Chahae people and the ice elves lived. "Then we must stop it, not dodge it." Suhos eyes shed and he pulled up his strength. [Use the skill "Giant''s Armor."] Shoowaa When Suho used the giant''s armor, something unusual happened. The ck me that burned to devour Suho began to mix with the energy of the shadows and affect his skills. As a result. Ring! [Skill! Giant''s Armor has been leveled up.] Shoowaa The armor wrapped around the guardian''s body became more solid. ncing down at the ck-med armor, the guardian rushed at Siddharth Bachchan with great speed. And before he knew it, he swung the horn of Vulcan in his hand. [Use ''Skill: Storm sh''.] It was the same this time. The fierce wind whipped from the Guardian Sword, and the dragon mes clung to it. Kuwaaa A storm of ck me rages. At that moment, Suho felt as if the pain of the fire that had been tormenting him had disappeared for a moment. The mes of the dragon that had been burning him had reached Siddharth Bachchan. "Yes. That''s it!" Hearing Liu Zhikang''s shout in the distance, Su Ho nodded with a faint smile. Macht lt was something like this." The way Liu Zhikang had been relentlessly exerting all his strength out of his body over the past years in order not to be devoured b y ltarim. | tried to mimic it at the same time as using a skill, and it worked. That realization soon led to the evolution of the skill. ("Skill Storm sh Lv.4" will evolve into "Skill: ck me Storm Lv.1."] Kuwaaaaa Siddharth Bachchan wielded his Astra and tore apart the storm of ck mes. Then, to my surprise, the air split in half and the storm was cut away. But he couldn''tpletely stop it. 3 Boom! The mes of the solvent relentlessly clung to the de of Astra''s axe, and soon spread to Siddharth Batchan''s bor aN ere burns. "Aaa "It''s a lot of harshness. I''ve had a quick tasting." The screams that burst out of his mouth were so exhrating that Suho chuckled. ting sev Ine oriet respite was like noney, OUT SUNO was Once again engulfed in mes bursting trom tne dragon s neart. But | got the hang of it. "Quay!" Suho immediately harnessed the power of the ruler to step through the air, leaping higher than Siddharth Bachchan. Then, a well-timed shadowncer appeared behind Suho, grabbing his body and spurring his wings to p his wings. Charm Juice- Quay swerved and added eleration to the Suho''s vertical fall. Boom! [Ugh!] The fire of protection reached Quay, beginning to warm his shadow. But Quay gnashed his teeth at the fact that Suho was alone in suffering this much pain rather than his own. However, Suho didn''t care as if he didn''t feel pain, but instead focused it on a single point. By using the "Power of the Ruler''. "Assemble.: Boom! The ck mes that were burning him began to be concentrated on his right arm by the power of the ruler. "More! More! More! More!" "How dare you imitate me!" Siddharth Bachchan gnashed his teeth as he swung his Astra at the guardian rushing vertically from the sky. In the meantime, all the ck mes in Suho''s body were gathered together to the point that Suho''s right arm burned ck. The horrible pain made Suho feel like he was about to faint, swinging his sword with his body that evaporated the cold sweat from his body. "You can take it too." Twisting the corners of his mouth forcibly. [Use ''Skill: ck me Storm''.] The power of the skill is mixed with the highlypressed ck salt. The moment when his sword and the foreign god''s giant axe Astra collide with each other. Whoops- For a moment, Siddharth Bachchan couldn''t believe his eyes. ''Astraga...!/ The axe de of Astra from the great gods! As soon as it touched the ck Salt of the Guardian, it began to boil and melt! "Oh my gosh!'' Siddharth Bachchan hurriedly pulled Astra back. Then, as if it had melted, Astra''s axe des began to gather together with the blue energy and restore the de again. The material, of course, is the mana of outer space that flowed from the dimensional rift, the blue mist. But that wasn''t a reassuring moment. In that moment, the guardian emerged from the raging storm of ck me and arrived right at Siddharth Bachchan''s doorstep. Chin. "Gotcha." His strong grip gripped Siddharth Batchan''s horn tightly. Then, through him, the mes of the dragon sacrifice spread to Siddharth Batchan''s whole body. (T} Boom! | "Aaa "Bear with me. This is the power of the solvent you wanted." Facing him writhing in pain, Suho grinned, clenched his fists, and mmed them vertically. He ms his fist into the head, and each time he hears a series of roars that sound like a gas station exploding. In the end, Suho and Siddharth Batchan, who were fighting in the sky, plummeted to the ground with that momentum. "Whoops!" The impact behind his back made Siddharthart Batchan''s eyes widen to the point of bulging, and he vomited blood from his mouth. But even in that moment, he had no intention of admitting defeat. Even in the dizzying moment, he stared wide-eyed at Astra, who had fallen from his grasp and was floating in the sky. "Astra! Kill him!" Sweetheart! Astra dlyplied with the order. The massive axe de fell vertically against the guardian''s back. [Stop!] [Defend your lord] Countless Shadow Dragons resolutely flew in between them to protect the guard. At the very head of it all, Greed and Iron stood in the way with huge shields. Astra rips through the air like an inescapable judge of death. But even as the massive axe de tore apart their bodies, the shadow soldiers did not retreat. Grid and Iron, whose bodies were first shattered, received the immense magic that flowed like a tidal wave from Suho, and quickly recovered their bodies, and then stood up to protect Suho. Then something amazing happened. Boom! The dark bodies of the shadow soldiers, regenerated by the magic that began in the heart of the dragon emperor, were also filled with mes that were as hot as a haze. The energy of the dragon that boiled up within their bodies was a double-edged sword that even Su Ho couldn''t control. The magic that flowed from the heart of the dragon emperor was regenerating the shadow soldiers, melting and destroying their b odies at the same time. It''s as if the power of the Shadow Lord and the power of the Lord of Doom are in a tug-of-war. At that moment. Greed and Iron looked at each other as if they had promised, their eyes lit up. Instinctively, they knew what they had to do. [Listen Alll!] [Power! Breakthrough!] They threw away their shields and, along with the Shadow Soldiers, burning in the mes of the Dragon Emperor,unched a hand -to-hand charge toward Astra. Boom! Boom! Then the de of Astra''s axe began to boil at the mes, opening holesrge and small. Astra, which had been mming down with the wrath of the gods, lost momentum in the air and began to dissipate. "Aaa Seeing the absurdity, Siddharth Batchan shoved his ws, mutated like a rake, into Suhoss side. Whoops! {73 Defenders defenses were pierced, and blood erupted. But this pain was nothing to him anymore. == The blood burst from his side, evaporated in an instant by the mes of the dragon that still consumed his body, ar 4 i e didn''t know the pain, his hands still gripped Siddharth Batchan''s horn and wouldn''t let go. "Aa Let go! Let go!" Siddharth Bachchan writhed desperately in the mes of the dragon and mercilessly attacked the guardian''s body with both hands. But Instead OT TIgNtINg Dack, SuNo just Neild on to nim In silence. That was enough. Shortly thereafter, Siddhart Batchan''s attacks began to slow down noticeably. And in the end.... [Hmm. so far.] Antares, the dragon who had been watching from afar, muttered softly. [A low-grade vessel will eventually break. ] Siddharth Batchan''s hand fell helplessly to the floor. Charred. Strapping. [Level up.] [Reached Level 100.] [Completed the requirements for "Career Advancement: Trial of the Dragon Emperor-2''.] A mysterious wind swirled through Suho''s body, and the mes of the dragon were extinguished like a lie. Chapter 216 - 216 Passyek The tattered Astra, with its many holes in it, turns into ashes and scatters across the sky, where the heat of battle has cooled. The scenery was like watching a gray snowstorm falling from the tomb of the dragons. "¡­ ¡­ ." The Yongje''s eyes, silently looking at the scenery, were fluttering withplex feelings. It reminded me of the war with the Shadow Army that was lost a long time ago. Antares, the king of wild dragons and the lord of destruction. The me that spewed out from the ''Heart of the Dragon Emperor'' that he gave to Su-ho this time was truly the power of destruction itself. The power was so powerful and destructive that it caused permanent burns to even the great Shadow Lord Seong Jin-woo. Even though Seong Jin-Woo has now gone far beyond human physical limitations and has be a being who can change his age and even his body shape at will, he still has an indelible scar from the burn on his left hand from when he was attacked by the Dragon Emperor. Since it was such a powerful force of destruction, it was only natural that Astra, the ax created by condensing the mana of the Outer Gods, would lose control and burn up. Damn it! Damn it! Pussy Soon, something strange happened in Siddharth Bachchan''spletely charred body. The star fragments embedded in various parts of his body all cracked and shattered. The star fragments in the bodies of the dragon soldiers who followed him all broke and shattered, and the mana of the outer universe that had been condensed within them began to leak out of their bodies like blue vapor. Seeing such phenomena urring simultaneously here and there, the Dragon Lord Antaresughed as if he knew this would happen. [The delicately maintained bnce has been broken. After all, the only vessel that can withstand dragon blood is the dragon race.] Any strong power requires a vessel suitable for it. The dragon blood, which had been forcibly suppressed with the mana of the Outer God, ran wild in the vessel and burned them. Passsss They screamed silently and were reduced to ashes and scattered. But ironically, the expressions of utmost relief appeared on their dying faces. Just like the dragon people who previously became Guardian''s shadow soldiers, they too can now finally find rest. Their minds and bodies were possessed by the power of external forces, but their souls continued to suffer. [That''s good. If you give their dragon blood as food to Ragna, his mana amount will increase at least a little.] Dragon Emperor Antares muttered this, spread his short arms wide, and took a deep breath. Grumble! Shwaaaaagh The red mana that emanated from the corpses of the dying dragon race burned brightly and was absorbed into Ragna''s small body. "bloodstone?" Esil saw the scene from afar and tilted his head. The dragon emperor, who noticed Esil''s gaze, clicked his tongue as if he was disapproving. [Do notpare it to the bloodstone of demonic nobles. Dragon blood is superior to the blood of any other race. The quantity and quality of mana are also much more powerful and noble.] "But all the dragons are dead now, right?" [¡­] ¡­ .] Antares silently red at Esil, who was acting arrogantly while talking back. But what if it''s true? Just as there was only one demon noble left, the reality was that there was only one dragon left. However, Antares'' angry gaze was so cruel that Esil lowered his eyes and quickly ran away to Suho. "Suho! Are you okay?" "¡­ ¡­ are you okay." "Is this really okay?" Contrary to Esil''s concerns, Suho was truly fine. As soon as I leveled up, I was freed from all status abnormalities, and the Dragon Emperor''s heart was no longer emitting heat. There was a minor problem in that all the clothes I was wearing were burned, but even that was solved by buying suitable clothes from a store window. fluttering. As Suho put on his clothes, the shadow energy that had been swirling around his body until now, properly covering important parts, coalesced into one and turned into Ver. Ber shed tears and massaged Suho''s shoulders. [Keeeeek! You are truly magnificent, Little Lord! Please forgive this ugly servant who had no choice but to watch, even though he clearly knew the pain of the Solord!] "What''s new? "What can I do if it''s because of experience points?" [That is, of course, correct. How dare I hinder the growth of the Solord?] "¡­ ¡­ ." I really can''t even speak. It was Suho, who was staring at Ber. But it wasn''t wrong. Ber is a shadow soldier who belongs to Seong Jin-woo, not Su-ho. If Ver participated in the battle, the experience gained by Suho was naturally bound to decrease. In the first ce, it was unclear how helpful Ver would be if he were to join the battle. ''Even though I''ve been feeding him magic gemstones for a long time, he still looks smaller.'' Of course, this did not mean that Ber had not recovered his mana at all until now. I knew why Ver still maintained the appearance of Mini Ver even though he had recovered some mana. This means that even a handful of the magic power that normally leaks out will be saved even a little more. So Suho couldn''t help but be even more curious. ''How strong was Ber?'' I thought I was pretty strong now, but I couldn''t even guess the power of Ver, who hadn''t fully recovered his mana yet. That ultimately means that Ver is either excellent at hiding his power, or that Suho''s sense stats are still far below Ver''s power... ¡­ . [Kiek? Why do you look at me like that?] "¡­ ¡­ ." There''s still a long way to go. Suho shook his head and turned his gaze to Esil. "Have you looked for any traces of demons?" "huh. As you said, it seems certain that there is a factory somewhere around here." Apart from therge-scale battle that had taken ce so far, Esil had been paying close attention to the energy of the demons. "I knew it." As expected, it was strange that there were no demons in a town with this many star fragments. One of the main ingredients for the star fragments embedded in the bodies of the dragon people was devil''s blood, and the beings who could make it were also devils. And Esil, the only demon noble in existence, had a mission to unite all demons and rebuild the demon world. If they are already firmly in the grip of foreign media, it is of course their duty to personally punish them. ''I''m still too weak. If I want to be of any help to Suho, I have to at least recover my original strength. And then¡­ ¡­ .'' gulp. Esil swallows dry saliva. Through the battle of Guardians just now, Esil came to a clear realization. The fact is that the speed at which Su-ho grows is overwhelmingly faster than the speed at which he, who was S-rank by human standards, recovers his original strength. Even Seong Jin-woo''s son, Su-ho, is like this, and even at this very moment, he is waging an all-out war with Italim in outer space. It was even scary to imagine how great his power would be. Moreover, what about the beings called Italim, who are engaged in such a tense power struggle that Seong Jin-woo cannot even return to Earth? While watching Siddharth Bachchan''s ''Astra'', Esil trembled at the feeling of getting a glimpse of the power of beings called Italim. And I resolve again to force myself to shake off the fear. ''In order to ease the burden on Seong Jin-woo, I must recover my strength as quickly as possible and proudly inherit the power of the monarch.'' Baran, the king of demons and the lord of white mes. In order to inherit his power, it was urgent to first gather the demons scattered across the gaps in the dimension into one ce. Esil pointed somewhere with his finger to Suho, following the traces of the demons he had found. "I was confused because so many troops were gathered in one ce, but I think it was in that direction. "Seeing as the demons'' energy was cut off from the middle, it is highly likely that the factory was hidden in the dungeon." "Then there is a high probability that that dungeon is a piece of the demon world." "that''s right." Suho nodded and turned in the direction pointed by Esil. Seeing that, Esil panicked and asked. "Are you really nning to go right away?" "It''s easy." "I don''t know what''s beyond the gate, but without any preparation¡­ ¡­ ." "We will start preparing now." With the answer, Suho''s gaze turned to the side. Siddharth Bachchan''s body, which had turned into a pile of pitch-ck ashes,y there. [This is a target for which shadow extraction is possible.] Sigh. A line was drawn around Suho''s mouth. "thank god. "I was worried that the soul might be contaminated and could not be extracted." Siddharth Bachchan. When he bes a shadow soldier, he will be a little weaker than when he was alive, but I was already looking forward to how useful a guy this size would be if he became a shadow soldier. Aaaaaaa Before Suho''s eyes, Siddharth Bachchan''s shadow was shaking like boilingva and screaming like a yaksha from hell. I didn''t know what that scream meant. I wonder if the end of that overwhelming anger is resentment toward Su-ho, who killed him. Or maybe it''s resentment toward Lee Tarim who yed with his soul. But at least one thing was certain. "Do you want to live again?" WowAt Su-ho''s question, the dead man''s screams became more intense. Suho raised the corners of his mouth and willingly extended his hand toward his shadow. "I have a lot to ask you. "Get up." [Attempt to extract shadows.] [Attempting extraction¡­ ¡­ .] Ting! [Shadow extraction failed.] "Hey¡­ ¡­ ." For a moment, Suho''s solemn expression changed. I really never thought I would fail. It felt good. The dragon emperor Antares, who saw the scene from the side, couldn''t help but chuckle. "What a remarkable guy. "Still, he is a guy who drank a lot of dragon''s blood just to seed me, so it would be disrespectful for him to jump over to be a shadow army." [There are two more chances left.] Suho opened his mouth again, listening to Yongje''s words. "Arise." Ting! [Shadow extraction failed.] [There is one more chance left.] "¡­ ¡­ ." Suho''s eyes gazed intently at Siddharth Bachchan''s shadow, which was constantly flickering. Seeing Guardian failing again, Dragon Emperor Antares raised his eyebrows again. "With this, I know one thing for sure. "You were just born as the son of the Shadow Lord, and you are far inferior to the Shadow Lord." [Keeeeek! Who dares to judge whom? Solord, please don''t be deceived by such an obvious provocation! How dare you mock someone with such an obvious statement that it is not worth worrying about! If the gap in ability level with the original extraction target is toorge, extraction may fail.] "¡­ ¡­ ." Why? Ver, who is stopping him from the side, looks more disgusting than Yongje, who is making fun of him in front of him. ''It''s a gap in ability... ¡­ .'' Suho himself knew very well what those words meant. I had no intention of making a fuss. ''The reason I was able to kill this guy was entirely thanks to the heart that the Dragon Emperor gave me.'' In a way, it would be natural for Siddharth Bachchan, who was reduced to a ck charcoal by the Dragon Emperor''s heart, to not want to acknowledge Suho. but. What can I do if I don''t admit it? There is only one truth. ''I have earned the qualifications of a dragon emperor.'' It is a reward earned after oveing the trials of the Dragon Emperor fairly. therefore. Exciting! Exciting! Suho''s hand was ced on his chest. Feeling the strong beating of the ''Heart of the Dragon Emperor'' conveyed within him, Suho gave a finalmand to Siddharth Bachchan. Extremely proud and arrogant. "Arise." Grumble! At that moment, Siddharth Bachchan''s soul cried out along with the warm energy rising from the dragon emperor''s heart. Kaaaaaa-! I, son of the great Shadow Lord and worthy of the Dragon Lord,mand. Get up and bow down. A half-dragon who wanted to be a dragon himself. "Your name will be ''Sita'' from now on." Ting! [Shadow extraction was sessful.] Shwaaaaaaaaaaaa! A pitch-ck shadow sweeps fiercely over the charred ashes. The shadows tangled together, and a pair of ck wings resembling a dragon race spread out wide. Wyverns and Nagas, a giant shadow dragon race with ck vapor wafting from their whole bodies, half mixed with real dragons and humans. The energy emanating from his entire body had a power that was on a different level from that of any other shadow dragon race so far. [Sita Lv.1] general rank [I answer the call. Noble one.] Sita bows in front of Suho with the utmost dignity, with her magnificent wings hanging down on the floor. Hot mes were burning along his entire body Chapter 217 Chapter 217 ¡°¡­ Guild leader, we¡¯re not dreaming right now, are we?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t ask me. I feel like I¡¯m going to pass out right now.¡± Imphal guild leader Ali Hassan and his subordinates, who had been watching all the battles so far from afar, lookedpletely dumbfounded. Until now, they had been far away from the scene of the battle, rescuing the kidnapped poor as instructed by Suho and Liu Zhigang. However, because the scale of the battle was sorge, it was not difficult to witness a series of scenes from afar. ¡®If this really is a dream, I feel like I had the worst nightmare of my life all at once today. ¡® gulp. It was Ali Hassan, muttering while swallowing dry saliva. If this was a real dream, there wouldn¡¯t be any nightmares like this. Suddenly, an army of winged dragons appears and covers the entire sky. Also, didn¡¯t Siddharth Bachchan, once an Indian hero, suddenly appear as a monster? The huge ax he swung split the city in two. But. The most surprising thing about all of this is¡­ Sung Suho okay. It was that man who said he was from Korea. ¡®What on earth is that guy? ¡® ¡®This is the first time that there is a hunter like that in Korea. ¡® ¡®Indeed¡­ ¡­ Even China¡¯s 6-star hunter Liu Zhigang calls himself his subordinate. ¡® ¡®Where on earth did such a monstere out? ¡® But what really shocked them was what happened next. Wow- On Siddharth Bachchan¡¯s corpse, his shadow proudly returns from the dead and rises! ¡°Huh!¡± ¡°Three, oh my¡­!¡± Dump. Their legs eventually gave out and they copsed on the spot. Having followed Suho until now, he was well aware that he used necromancer skills. Because he saw countless shadow soldiers following him. However, the sight of Siddharth Bachchan, India¡¯s hero who had just shown his overwhelming power, being brought back to life as a soldier of death was even more shocking and terrifying. ¡°Hey, guild leader!¡± ¡°How are things going now?¡± ¡°What happens to us now?¡± ¡°Could it be that I saw something I shouldn¡¯t have?¡± The earnest and confused gaze of the Imphal guild members, each with their own distraught feelings, all focused on Ali Hassan. However, in this critical moment, Ali Hassan¡¯s leadership shined. Born in a slum and surviving until now, his survival instinct enabled him to make decisions right away. ¡°What should I do? Of course!¡± ¡°No, these guys! Why am I the guild leader?¡± ¡°Yes, yes?¡± ¡°What are you saying all of a sudden¡­¡± ¡°Are you out of your mind? Our guild leader is proudly standing over there, so why am I the guild leader?¡± ¡­ ¡­ ? ! A shocking deration suddenly burst out of his mouth! The guild members¡¯ eyes widened. Ali Hassan¡¯s fingertip was pointing at hunter Sung Suho. He confidently dered, ming the ignorance of his embarrassed subordinates. ¡°We will be the Woojin guild from now on. Anyway, that¡¯s it!¡± ¡­ ¡­ ! It wasn¡¯t a joke. Ali Hassan was sincere. ¡®Imphal was ruined anyway. It is only a matter of time before this incident bes known around the world. ¡®Who will people me then? ¡® The Ashura guild where the guild leader also died? That¡¯s natural. But what is the use of cursing when the person involved is already dead? In fact, the Asura Guild has been destroyed as of today. But things in this world are not easy. ¡®when an incident like this happens, someone has to take responsibility. ¡® Ali Hassan closed his eyes tightly, feeling dizzy. The biggest problem here was the fact that their guild¡¯s name was ¡®Imphal Guild¡¯. ¡®depending on what we do here, we could be criticized or even turn our lives around. ¡® Ali Hassan exercised his extreme survival instinct, realized his situation, and found out for himself what he had to do. The Imphal guild no longer exists. We were guild leaders Sung Suho¡¯s subordinates from the beginning. So from now on we¡­ His eyes shed and he gave orders to his subordinates. ¡°We are tracking down Governor Manu Kijal, who has been in cahoots with Siddharth Bachchan and instigated everything so far! We have to resolve these troublesome issues on our own and somehow help the guild leader Sung Suho! Do you understand?¡± ¡°Yes, yep!¡± ¡°If you understand, everyone disperse!¡± At Ali Hassan¡¯s fierce shout, the Imphal guild members dispersed to look for Manu Kijal. *** And after some time. ¡°I have found Manu Kijal!¡± Ali Hassan¡¯s men sessfully tracked down Governor Manu Kijal. As soon as Manu Kijal sensed something strange, he secretly left the city and was crossing the Chinese border when he was caught by the Imphal guild¡¯s tracking team and dragged away. Manu Kijal, who was caught by the hunters, made an excuse with a thoughtful expression. ¡°I, too, am a victim! I didn¡¯t want to die, so I just did what I was told¡­!¡± ¡°Is that why the governor abandoned hisnd and ran away?¡± ¡°Who said I ran away?! I just¡­ ¡­ I was just trying to ask for outside help!¡± ¡°Aha? So did you cross the Chinese border? Do you ask other countries for help with your country¡¯s affairs? You weren¡¯t trying to go into exile because you were afraid that our country¡¯s government would hold you ountable?¡± ¡°Please, please save me! I feel so wronged!¡± Manu Kijal was unable to protest properly and was crying and clenching his hands. Ali Hassan grabbed his cor and rolled his eyes. ¡°pasha. Keep this in mind. There¡¯s only one reason we¡¯re still keeping you alive. To inform the outside world of everything you have done with the Asura Guild on this earth.¡± ¡°oh, no! Just that, please! If that were the case, I¡­ ¡­ ! Yeah, right! How about it be like this instead? From now on, I will take responsibility and push your guild to be the representative guild of Imphal!¡± Manu Kijal desperately begins to persuade Ali Hassan. He knew very well that Ali Hassan was from a slum. If you give money and honor to someone who is of the lowest status than anyone else, it is possible to appease them¡­! But it failed mercilessly. Ali Hassan showed his teeth in a meaningful way. ¡°It¡¯s alreadyte. We are not the Imphal guild. We became part of Sung Suho¡¯s Woojin guild. Of course not yet. Who is Sung Suho? He is the strongest hunter in Korea who killed Siddharth Bachchan. However, if they could somehow help Sung Suho by using this guy, it was clear that he would view them favorably. Even in the Woojin guild, there is already a Chinese Liu Zhigang and an Indian Rio Singh. At this point, the Woojin Guild was not a Korean guild, but a world union guild. ¡°So, governor. There is so much for you to do from now on. If you don¡¯t want to, I¡¯ll go into the dungeon right now and kill you.¡± ¡°Hehe¡­¡± Manu Kijal eventually bowed his head in response to the cruelty emanating from the guild leader of the small guild he had ignored. In any case, from the moment Manu Kijal crossed the Chinese border, it was only a matter of time before this incident spread through China and around the world. And just because Liu Zhigang was in this country, china was already paying attention to Imphal. In the first ce, the city was split into two right in front of the border and the dragon people were swarming around, and it was on such a scale that China could not have noticed it even when it was clearly visible right in front of it. Like it or not, this information is spreading around the world at a fairly rapid rate at this very moment. ¡°In that case, starting now was important. Manu Kijal, as the governor of Imphal, you must inform our government of all these facts.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°The fact that Korea¡¯s Woojin guild saved our country and India. From now on, India¡¯s hero will not be Siddharth Bachchan, but Sung Suho.¡± There was no knowing what was going on behind the scenes, and Suho was concentrating on the most important thing. Blocking the void dungeons and dimensional gaps that have arisen in thisnd. To do so, we had to conquer all nearby dungeons monopolized by the Asura guild. Only then could star-piece nes be recovered from the necks of citizens living in thisnd and the phenomenon of being possessed by Outer Religions could be prevented. ¡®We should hurry. ¡® In a ce like this, it wouldn¡¯t be strange if an apostle of Italim would pop out again at any time. Fortunately, however, Siddharth Bachchan, who was the culprit of all of this was turned into a shadow soldier, and the difficult task went smoothly. Sita led me to the ce where the star sculpture was made. [I ept orders. ] wow! At Suho¡¯smand, Sita spread his wings without saying a word and bowed her head in front of him. As if it were natural, Suho grabs Sita¡¯s horns and climbs on his head. This kind of behavior would have been extremely humiliating had Siddharth Bachchan been alive. But for Sita now, it was an even greater honor. ¡°Give me a ride too!¡± [¡­ ] ¡­ Crunch. ] Of course, everyone else was an exception. Sita couldn¡¯tin and just gritted his teeth at Esil¡¯s cocky behavior of quickly following Suho and jumping on her back. Next, Liu Zhigang and Rio Singh got on board. I will go with you too. ¡°Suho! Me too! ¡± [crrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr ¡­ . ] Sigh! ¡°Why are you making that face?¡± [sorry. ] When Suho¡¯s foot pressed down on his head, Sita¡¯s expression became polite again. No matter how much he was fascinated by foreign media, he was well aware of the sins he hadmitted during his lifetime. The countless dragon people gathered in this area and the countless lives that died without even being able to be dragon people. That terrible punishment was a debt that Sita would have to pay for eternity. As expected, the devil¡¯s star fragment factory was hidden in the dungeon. The moment you step into the dungeon. Esil revealed her presence without hesitation. ¡°Kneel, Demons.¡± The low-level demons who were working for Siddharth Bachchan in the dungeon opened their eyes wide. Suddenly, a demon noble appeared in front of them. ¡°I am Esil, the eldest daughter of the Radiru family. I am Esil Radirur, the only demon noble in existence!¡± ¡°Oooh¡­ ¡­!¡± The demons cried out loud at the majesty of Esil and swore to obey without a word. There were no big guys who objected to those words. The situation was different from the time we discovered the demon world in Korea. Unlike then, the current Esil has significantly recovered her original power and is at a level that low-leveled demons would not even think to rebel. Moreover, Esil was now riding on the back of Siddharth Bachchan, who had forced them to do forcedbor. It reminded her of the appearance of Baran, the great king of demons, who flew long ago on the Drake kaisel. Suho, can you put these demons into your shadow world? ¡°Are we going to take them all to the demon world in Korea?¡± ¡°Huh. To prepare for the war against Itarim, we must gather the scattered demons into one ce. Looking at the situation, I don¡¯t think they canst much longer here.¡± Esil looked bitterly at the sky of the demon world, where the cracks had be too severe. Like the demon world in Korea, this ce was one of the fragments of the demon world that had been torn into several pieces and wandered through the gaps in the dimension. However, it seems that the influence of the apostle of Itarim was too strong, and the sky here was split even more severely than the sanctuary of the white ghosts. Suho nodded. ¡°Okay. Anyway, in order to destroy this dungeon, we have to destroy all the demonic beasts within it.¡± Suho immediately took out the key to the shadow dungeon and let the demons into his shadow one by one. In the process, they did not forget to retrieve all the star pieces they made and the magic stones that were stored as materials for them. ¡°Oh my god. There are so many magic stones¡­! Rio Singh¡¯s eyes widened at the enormous amount. ¡°Guild leader Sung Suho! It seems that most of the magic stones stored in the Asura guild are here!¡± He was confident once again. ¡®As expected, I did well! ¡® After all, life is inshah! The pleasure starts from the tips of the feet and surges up the spine to the top of the head! Rio Singh once again realized how smart his decision to join the Woojin guild was. ¡®who would have thought that I, who had been trying to get promoted in the Asura guild, would end up bing an executive of the guild that swallowed up all of its assets! ¡® In the dungeon, even if youmit murder, no one can hold you ountable. Moreover, it was nothing to sneak a peek at the goods stored in the dungeon. Because it¡¯s just ordinary loot! Wow, how much will it cost to sell all of this¡­ Even Rio Singh¡¯s brilliant calctor broke down today. As of today, the Woojin guild led by Suho now owns the wealth umted behind the scenes by the Asura guild, the strongest guild in India! Chapter 218 Chapter 218 -Royalty Hell, India¡¯s Loktak Field! While Suho was organizing the demon world, untimely and provocative news hit the world. The news started in China and traveled around the world to Korea. No phrase was not provocative. -The ugly truth about India¡¯srge guild, Asura! -A world where humans experiment on fellow humans! -Poor people who were forcibly transformed into demonic beasts! All kinds of provocative headlines were stered all over the world as if they werepeting with each other. In cases like this, usually, only the headlines are provocative, and when you look into the actual content, there is surprisingly a lot of news that is nothing special, but this time was aplete exception. The moment you click, you will be shocked! It was difficult to express all the terrible things the Asura Guild had done in India with just a one-line headline. People¡¯s reactions were also fierce. -Oh, my God! They kidnapped poor people and performed biological experiments on them. -A cruel and inhumane incident that could only have happened during World War II is happening in modern times! -It was like there was a war back then! This time, they even targeted their own citizens! -Oh my god, this is happening! At this point, aren¡¯t humans more cruel than demonic beasts? People all over the world were paying attention to the events that urred in India. ¡°Stop the information somehow! If this continues, our country¡¯s image will fall intoplete decline!¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s not easy!¡± The Indian government made every effort to restore its image. But it was impossible. As the source said, it started with the Chinese government, which was engaged in a close war over the border, so all attempts to restore its image were like adding more firewood to the fire. -The Indian government¡¯s relief policy has put the toes on fire! -But they are all already dead. -Do you fix the barn after losing the cow? -All the cattle were lost. No, they lost their humanity. -Even family members who would have cried for the lives sacrificed were sacrificed. -Even at this moment. Yes. The biggest problem was that even at this moment, Loktak Field was still an unexplored and dangerousnd. In the end, the Indian government desperately recruited hunters from all over the country. To attack the Loktak Field, which had been left to the Asura Guild and neglected. But that wasn¡¯t easy at all. It was fundamentally impossible under internationalw for any government to force its own hunters to enter a dangerous dungeon. ¡°Loktak Field? I¡¯m going crazy. ¡°Why are we going into that dangerous ce?¡± ¡°I¡¯m busy conquering nearby dungeons, so there¡¯s no need to risk my life. Do you think Loktakman is the problem? ¡°The dungeons we are currently conquering are all for their own citizens!¡± Naturally, most hunter guilds tly rejected the government¡¯s request. ¡°Actually, isn¡¯t there a hunter association for times like this?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. ¡°I guess they¡¯ve already left?¡± The spark eventually passed to the hunters of the Indian Association, and they closed their eyes tightly as they looked at the order from the government. ¡°under. Do you know that hunters belonging to the association have three or four lives? ¡°We also have one life!¡± ¡°Do you know how many troops it would take to go around and clear out that vastnd infested with Nagas one by one? ¡°Our troops alone are not enough!¡± ¡°President of the Association! Could you please request more external support? Even foreign mercenaries!¡± What kind of ce is Loktak Field in the first ce? It was an extremelyrge field created around Loktak Lake, argeke located in Manipur, India, and was an unprecedentedly dangerous area with dungeon breaks urring simultaneously in as many as five locations. So, I was very happy when the Asura Guild came forward to solve the problem of Loktak Field, but it turned out that it was to carry out a cruel act in a ce where others could not see. Of course, the Asura Guild was destroyed and the karma was paid in death¡­ ¡­. But that was the biggest problem. No matter how outrageous the Asura Guild was, they didn¡¯t just sit there and y around. They sprinkled star fragment nes to prevent citizens from turning into mistburns and tried to prevent the demonic beasts from approaching the city center at least. Of course, he didn¡¯t do those things himself, but he did it by coordinating the Imphal guilds in the area, he was taking the minimum steps. But suddenly, the Asura Guild was destroyed, and unexpected problems were popping up everywhere. Wow! Kyaaaaa-! The demonic beasts wandering around Loktak Field began to run amok with a much more frightening force than usual. ¡°¡­ ¡­ ¡°There is no such thing as hell.¡± ¡°Ha, damn it. ¡°If I had known this would happen, I wouldn¡¯t have joined the association.¡± ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have been fooled by the offer to rent basic equipment sets and association items for free. ¡°I should form a small personal attack team.¡± ¡°Come on, stopining¡­ ¡­ . Let¡¯s all meet alive.¡± The hunters of the Indian Association who entered the Loktak Field each raised their weapons with a determined expression. Kyaaaaa-! And even while they were doing this, people around the world were only focusing on the identity of the people who had destroyed the Asura Guild in question, not on their lives. In fact, that was the hottest issue and the fundamental reason why China stepped up in earnest and continued to throw firewood into the fire. -China¡¯s 6-star hunter, Liu Zhigang! -Liu Zhigang, China¡¯s great hunter who destroyed the Asura Guild! -The reason Liu Zhigang crossed the border of India was to save the poor citizens! Under internationalw, the act of a powerful person like Liu Zhigang crossing another country¡¯s border without permission was an international problem bigger than anyone could imagine. However, as was the case in the past when Thomas Andre visited Korea, there was virtually no way to stop them if they decided to move. In the first ce, the difference between a hunter and a viin is just a piece of paper. It was a matter of whether or not they operated within the bounds of thew, and the only way to stop their actions nationally was to appeal to recognition or solve the problem with money. However, this time, the Chinese government learned that Liu Zhigang had suddenly crossed over to India, and from then on, they were restless and earnestly praying that he would not get into an ident in India. But what kind of windfall is this? Thanks to Manu Kijal, the governor of Imphal, who came to China to ask for help, China became aware of the atrocities of the Asura Guild. It was in this situation that they began to hastily y the media, and China¡¯s strategy was working better for the world than expected. -wow. I knew that Liu Zhigang was great, but he was really strong. -Was it enough to destroy the Asura Guild single-handedly? -Siddharth Bachchan was also an S-ss hunter, but is Liu Zhigang much stronger? -You didn¡¯t know? Only China is rated as 1 star or 2 star regardless of the international rating. If you¡¯re an S-ss hunter, you¡¯re a 5-star hunter in China. But Liu Zhigang is the only one with 6 stars! -It¡¯s really awesome. So, is it true that China could have conquered India by force if it wanted to? -Stupid. Then it¡¯s a real war. Would the World Hunter Association just sit there and watch? The Hunter is humanity¡¯s shield, not a tool of war. ¡°It¡¯s a sess!¡± ¡°Everyone is praising our China!¡± ¡°Hahaha! This is right! Long live the People¡¯s Republic of China!¡± The Chinese government was delighted as they watched public opinion around the world revolve around Liu Zhigang. At this point, he started to move even more actively. ¡°Launch all the drone cameras we have! Send them all to India and broadcast Liu Zhigang¡¯s activities in real-time!¡± ¡°Omg. Well, is that still okay? If a drone crosses a border without permission, it vites internationalw¡­ ¡­ .¡± ¡°Foolish! Are you trying tomit the mistake of being bound by such a trivialw in this situation? ¡°By any chance, Mr. Liu Zhikang, what would you do if something happened to the Indians in such a dangerous ce?¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­ !¡± ¡°Mr. Liu Zhigang is having such a hard time in a foreign country. Shouldn¡¯t he be managed closely and provided with proper meals?¡± ¡°All right!¡± Thousands of drone cameras from China flew all at once and crossed the Indian border. This is clearly illegal under internationalw. However, as China thought, India was unable to respond in any way. Anyway, from the moment the drones crossed the border, it was Loktak Field, and it was now literally awless zone. and. -We have started live broadcasting in China! -Wow, isn¡¯t this illegal? -Is that important now? I wanted to see how strong India¡¯s hero Liu Zhigang was, and it turned out great! Public opinion had alreadypletely shifted to China. The Chinese government, which had gained control over the world¡¯s media for a long time, more actively controlled drones to find Liu Zhigang¡¯s location. Viewers from around the world, who were watching the entire process with bated breath, were horrified or eximed in exmation as they saw the scary-looking Nagas seen all over the field. ¡°The viewership ratings are above Olympic level!¡± ¡°Great! It¡¯s time to properly show China¡¯s status! ¡°Have you found Liu Zhigang?¡± ¡°I found the car!¡± And finally¡­ The moment everyone was waiting for has arrived. Thump-! Liu Zikang was fighting beyond the countless screens. Against the wildly rampaging Naga family. ¡°Kyaaaaaak!¡± A gigantic Naga family was seen screaming with his sword energy and copsing helplessly. Grumble. The ground shook. In front of him, Liu Zhigang brushed up his disheveled white hair with one hand and nced disapprovingly at the drone camera visible in the distance. However, as soon as a new demon was discovered in his field of vision, he jumped forward and swung his sword. sh! -Well, it¡¯s cool¡­ -That old man is really¡­ ¡­ That¡¯s awesome. -Do you think I¡¯m stronger than Thomas Andre at that level? -Why is Thomas Andre here? That old man was recently arrested for murder, so he will just rot in prison until he grows old and dies. -But isn¡¯t this India? What on earth are the Indian hunters doing and all they see is Liu Zhigang? The Chinese government, which was aware of the mood of public opinion in real-time, came up with a better n. ¡°Okay! Rather than just showing Liu Zhigang with all these drones, it would be much more effective to show the weak sides of the Indian Association as a contrast!¡± ¡°yes! ¡°We will spread the drones out as widely as possible to film!¡± I don¡¯t know, you have to row when the wateres in. The Chinese government actively controlled drone cameras to show people around the world what was happening at Loktak Field as widely as possible. -Oh, streaming services are hot. -I know this is illegal, but I can¡¯t take my eyes off it. And finally, it appeared. As China expected, thousands of drone cameras began to capture hunters sent by the Indian Association fighting throughout the Loktak Field one by one. The Indian hunters were also quite talented, so they were doing a great job. However, unlike Liu Zhigang, who attacked without hesitation whenever he saw a magical beast, the Indian hunters were fighting in apletely standard manner. Tanks defend from the front. The dealer hides behind him and only focuses on attacking. The sight of them fighting solidly, encouraging each other, unfortunately just looked like cowards in the eyes of viewers who had already watched Liu Zhigang¡¯s battle. -I¡¯m sorry. -It¡¯s their country¡¯s business, but they¡¯re being so passive. -uh? Isn¡¯t that the boss mob over there? It was then. As it happened, a gigantic Naga appeared in front of the Indian hunters, overwhelminglyrger than the other magical beasts. ¡°Holy shit! ¡°It¡¯s a boss mob!¡± I was in big trouble. Although it wasrge in size, it was a man whose strength was felt to be on a different level from that of an ordinary naga. Because of how much blue mist it had swallowed, it was a very heterogeneous entity withpletely different color scales and magical energy emanating from its entire bodypared to other Nagas. ¡°Kaaaaaa!¡± thud! thud! thud! The sight of a monster whose size was far beyondmon sense rushing towards us with incredible force was so intimidating that even the chat window, which was constantly talking, froze. ¡°Everyone spread out¡­ ¡­ !¡± The Indian hunters scattered in desperation. It felt like if I stayed still, I would be trampled t and die. But not everyone could avoid it. Hunters with rtively low physical abilities, such as healers and buffers, were trampled to death. It was then. -It¡¯s Liu Zhigang! Liu Zhigang, who heard themotion and rushed over, fired his sword from afar. ¡°Stop right there!¡± sh- Quang! A sword energy containing an enormous amount of mana flew out, causing an explosion on the creature¡¯s wide back. ¡°Kaaaaaaak!¡± With a scream, a wound opened up on his back and blood poured out. -You did it! -You crazy guy! Can a boss mob die like this? ¡°Kaaaaaa!¡± Unfortunately, Liu Zhigang¡¯s attack seemed to have made the giant Naga even more vicious. The giant naga struck its front paws with the utmost ferocity as if it was taking out its anger on the hunters who had not yet escaped from its sight. ¡°Ugh¡­ ¡­ !¡± A desperate moment when everyone closed their eyes tightly. Huh? The wind blew. ¡°¡­ ¡­ ¡°I almost lost my experience.¡± Suho, who arrived in front of them in the blink of an eye, corrects his posture and clenches his fists. Grumble! Then, with the hot energy flowing back from the heart. His forearms was hot and swollen. ¡°Go with full power.¡± shing eyes confirming the target. and. Wow! ¡­ ¡­ ?! The moment Suho¡¯s fist stretched forward touched the body of the giant Naga. The wind blew again. Following the wind, the thick scales and hard skin permeated with the mana of the outer universe, and all the internal organs within them. All of that¡­ It was swept away and exploded all at once. ¡°Hah.¡± An involuntaryugh escaped Liu Zhigang¡¯s mouth. A huge hole took up more than half of the body of the giant naga that was running with great momentum. A miracle unfolded before the eyes of people all over the world. Chapter 219 Chapter 219 wee. It felt like time had stopped. Patter. Blue blood and pieces of internal organs were pouring down like rain from the sky. The unrealistic scene was being broadcast worldwide in real-time, but it was such a shocking scene that no one dared to speak out first. What was a ¡®giant demon beast¡¯ just moments ago has burst like a balloon due to overwhelming power. -? After a while, the frozen chat window started moving again. -?? -?? -??? From that point on, countless question marks started popping up like crazy in chat windows worldwide. The chat window was filled with only question marks because the sight was so shocking that my mind couldn¡¯t move properly. In the meantime, someone managed to type out the correct sentence. -Who is that guy? The Chinese government, which was in charge of the live broadcast, was also unable to escape the chaos. ¡°Who on earth is that hunter?¡± ¡°Gee, I¡¯m trying to figure it out now!¡± ¡°Of course, it¡¯s our people. I guess so. It will definitely have to happen¡­ ¡­ .¡± The adjutant responded while sweating at the sight of his superior biting his thumbnail and muttering obsessively. ¡°Of course not, right? As for the hair color, if you see him moving around with Liu Zhigang¡­ ¡­ .¡± ¡°But why don¡¯t we know? ¡°If there was a stronger hunter than Liu Zhigang, why didn¡¯t we know about it?¡± ¡°Choi, we¡¯ll find out as soon as possible!¡± The emotions on the faces of the employees as they hurriedly typed on their keyboards and searched for the association¡¯s data were all the same. Nervous. It was ominous. I was really very nervous. ¡®Must be Chinese.¡¯ ¡®Please, you have to be a Chinese hunter.¡¯ The reason they boldly dispatched a drone unit, even viting internationalw, was because they were confident that they would extract more value from this incident. Internationalw? I was able to get over thatter by making a suitable excuse. If it didn¡¯t work out, all they had to do was offer a sincere apology and appropriatepensation to the Indian government through a diplomat. Instead, the political advantage and great glory that the Chinese government will gain from this incident are so enormous that they cannot be expressed in mary terms. None other than Liu Zhigang! It was worth it to let the world know about the great performance of the strongest hunter representing China in saving India! ¡®Everything was calcted in our favor, both politically and in terms of brand value!¡¯ But something big happened. A fatal error urred in that perfect calction. ¡°Wow, we¡¯re in big trouble!¡± Suddenly, one of the employees became thoughtful and screamed. Unfortunately, what he pointed to with his trembling fingertip was not the Chinese Association¡¯s hunter list. Right in the chat window. In the chat window uploaded from all over the world, none other than ¡®Korean¡¯ was being tranted in real-time. -Isn¡¯t that a Korean hunter? -Oh, I see. It¡¯s a face I¡¯ve seen on the news. -what? Korean?? who? -This is you, right? -(Link to rted article attached) -what is this? Immigration risk? ¡°¡­ ¡­ !¡± Someone showed me unnecessary kindness and even posted a rted link. When I clicked on the link, there was a video capture of a ss A viin incident that urred in Korea. Three hunters and a huge beehive. The video capture showed three hunters soaring up with their ck wings spread toward a huge beehive that had formed at the top of a high-rise building. Two of them were Lim Tae-gyu and Baek Mi-ho, whose faces were quite well known, and the other one was¡­ ¡­ Anyone could see that it was the same person as the man who is currently in India. ¡°Holy shit!¡± Quang! The violent punch shattered the desk, but no one here was surprised by the extent of it. Because I was already shocked enough. ruined. Just one sentence that prates their heads. ¡®I can¡¯t believe he wasn¡¯t Chinese¡­ ¡­ .¡¯ Are you saying that they will give you a dog for making porridge like this? They tried to promote China¡¯s powerfulbat power to the world, even by breaking internationalw, but ended up only promoting a Korean hunter who showed more outstanding performance than Liu Zhigang. He even made Liu Zhigang stand out as a bridesmaid to make him stand out even more. ¡®¡­ ¡­ ¡®I¡¯m screwed.¡¯ It¡¯s dizzying. In the future, it seemed like they would have to handle a lot of work both internationally and domestically. ¡®The quickest solution might be to pack your bags and flee abroad right now.¡¯ The perfect option came to someone¡¯s mind, but they didn¡¯t dare to put it into practice. * * * ¡°Tsk. ¡°You are doing something useless.¡± It was Liu Zhigang, clicking his tongue with a disapproving expression as he looked at the drones flying overhead. Looking at the direction the drones flew, it seemed like they were sent from China. bang! He lightly swung his sword as if catching a fly, smashing the drone that bothered him the most, then approached Suho and said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry about this. ¡°For no reason, your face is being sold because of me.¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s okay.¡± Suho lightly shook off the blood from the demon beast on his fist and shrugged his shoulders as if nothing had happened. ¡°I recently received permission from my father.¡± ¡°Then that¡¯s a relief.¡± Strictly speaking, it wasn¡¯t my father, it was my father¡¯s fantasy that allowed it, but it wasn¡¯t a big mistake. Moreover, now that he has surpassed level 100 and has be strong enough to deal with Italim¡¯s apostles on his own, from now on, it is advantageous in many ways to actively search for the remnants of Italim rather than hiding his identity. ¡°Are you better than that?¡± Suho turned his head back and checked the well-being of the hunters he rescued. Hunters from the Indian Association bowed their heads to Suho and expressed their gratitude in English. ¡°Okay, thank you.¡± ¡°Thank you for saving me.¡± While saying hello, the Indian hunters were a little worried about the expressions on their faces. I¡¯m sure they¡¯re grateful for saving them, but¡­ ¡®Honestly, it¡¯s scary.¡¯ ¡®Can we see this person as someone like us?¡¯ Know. This was a very disrespectful feeling to the person who saved my life. In fact, no matter what the grade, fellow hunters knew each other¡¯s difficulties without even saying it. This is the ¡®gaze¡¯ you receive from everyone around you the moment you awaken your magic power. The general public does not view hunters as the same people. In the media, hunters are always praised as the shield of humanity and all, but in reality, to ordinary humans, hunters are no different from ¡®talking demon beasts¡¯. In fact, it was natural to feel reluctant. Superhumans who can throw cars and knock down buildings whenever they want are living alongside citizens without a care in the world as if they were the same people. It was unfair to the hunters who risked their lives to fight to save humanity. Even though it was unfair, there were quite a few hunters who hunted the demon beasts more diligently intending to make more money. But now Ipletely understand. Just like the general public, who were grateful to the hunters, but also looked at them with fear¡­ Because they were also looking at Suho that way now. ¡®He was at least a ss A demon.¡¯ Even though they tried not to, their eyes kept unconsciously ncing at the remains of the magical beast that Suho had blown up with one blow. ¡®Maybe it was an S-ss demon¡­ ¡­ .¡¯ I couldn¡¯t measure it properly, but considering the momentary feeling of intimidation, there was a possibility that it was an S -ss demon beast. However, there was a superhuman standing in front of them who had blown up that enormous boss mob with a single punch. ¡°if¡­ ¡­ Are you an S-ss hunter?¡± Someone finally mustered up the courage to open their mouth to break the awkwardness, but everyone realized that these were all useless questions. What are you asking for? Everyone knows that Liu Zhigang, seen right across from me, is a 6-star Chinese hunter. But didn¡¯t this man in front of me show a much more powerful performance than Liu Zhigang? In fact, S-ss hunters meant those who exceeded the limits of man-made magic power meters and were judged as unmeasurable¡¯. So, even among the same S-ss hunters, their strength was vastly different. However, they could not be asked to fight among themselves to determine superiority. Then, if anyone died, it was a loss both to the nation and humanity, and it was the epted opinion in the academic world that at least one city could be blown up in the aftermath of the battle. However, when I saw an S-ss hunter popping a boss mob like a balloon with one punch right in front of my eyes, I under stood it right away. ¡®As expected, S-ss hunters are amazing¡­ ¡­ .¡¯ However, when Suho was asked that question, the expression on his face was somewhat awkward. Scratching. Suho shyly scratched his cheek with his finger and opened his mouth. Because my English skills are poor, I can¡¯t exin every detail, just the main point. ¡°I am C-level.¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­ yes?¡± Confusion increased. * * * Suho led all the Indian hunters and brought them to Imphal. And he entrusted them with protecting citizens, not hunting demonic beasts. When Rio Singh, a fellow Indian, took over as interpreter, the conversation became easier. ¡°While our guild leader hunts the demonic beasts, please stop those who enter the city.¡± ¡°We can fight too!¡± ¡°We may not have enough power, but we will help you!¡± The hunters of the Indian Association, who were suddenly treated as weak, felt helpless but did not forget their duty. But Rio Singh was adamant. ¡°Ah, it¡¯s okay. ¡°Our guild leader will take care of it.¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­ ?¡± They just couldn¡¯t understand. You can clearly see the strength of Sung Suho with your own eyes, but this field is toorge and the number of demonic beasts is toorge. ¡°No matter how much China¡¯s Liu Zhigang helps, it will take a lot of manpower to hunt down so many of them one by one!¡± ¡°Liu Zhigang is also resting over there?¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­ yes?¡± Everyone¡¯s eyes turned to the side at Rio Singh¡¯s words. Liu Zhigang, who was receiving attention, was resting. I even received a shoulder massage from Esil. ¡°Hmm. ¡°Well, I heard it¡¯s okay.¡± ¡°It¡¯s because I¡¯m bored too.¡± As a result, everyone who interfered with Suho¡¯s leveling up, including Esil, was excluded. ¡°¡­ ¡­ ¡°What, are you going to solve it on your own?¡± Suho left behind the mesmerized hunters in India and walked alone toward the demonic beasts that were attacking them outside the city. Then I suddenly looked up and nced at the drone cameras flying in the sky. ¡°It¡¯s broadcast all over the world¡­ ¡°It¡¯s a little burdensome.¡± [It is rather good.] Beru¡¯s eyes shed as he put his face next to Suho. The higher the original level, the more experience points are needed to level up. However, Suho¡¯s level had now be so high that he was unable to level up even though he had just killed the boss mob. [Now, if the small lord wants to level up, it seems like it won¡¯t be possible with just a few random mobs. From now on, I think it would be faster to let the stronger onese to us first.] Suho nodded when Beru said that he should use this opportunity to show it to the Italim hiding around the world. ¡°Okay. ¡°Let me show you.¡± That moment. Grumble! The magic power he received from the Dragon Emperor was seething in his body. Whoa! A ck shadow spread out in all directions, centered at the feet, covering the ground. ¡°Everyonee on out.¡± Kaaaaaaaa-! At Suho¡¯smand, thousands of shadow legions rose all at once. Swirling pitch-ck vapor. ¡­ ¡­ And the moment the scene was broadcast around the world. The Chinese server exploded due to an overload of the chat window. Chapter 220 Chapter 220 The whole world was turned upside down. ¡°W-what!¡± ¡°What is this?!¡± ¡°Did the dungeon break go off?!¡± ¡°Really, what is this?¡± People around the world who were watching the live video were shocked to see the final scene frozen. Thousands of legions suddenly emerged from nothing! The overwhelming sense of intimidation given by the shadow soldiers waving ck vapor all over their bodies seemed to be felt beyond the screen. ¡°What, what? ¡°Could this be the mutant that Siddharth Bachchan experimented with on humans?¡± ¡°Is that really it? ¡°Like the dragon people, they also have wings!¡± ¡°Is there even one without wings?¡± ¡°You Chinese bastards! ¡°Keep showing me what it was!¡± Just like that, screenshots of thest moments began to spread around the world. The news also reached the ears of many famous people around the world. * * * Russia. ¡°her? What is this again? China?¡± ¡°They say it happened in the Indian state of Manipur, Mr. Prime Minister.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± Prime Minister Yuri Orlov, Russia¡¯s strongest S-ss hunter, and the country¡¯s de facto leader, stared at the screen shown by his secretary with narrowed eyes. Thousands of ck shadows. Prime Minister Yuri Orlov¡¯s eyes were shining like snakes as he carefully scanned the figures of the demonic beasts, which gave off an unusual atmosphere. A calctor runs in his head. ¡°If it¡¯s Manipur, there is no chance of it crossing over to us.¡± ¡°yes. ¡°It is far away, and China is holding up in the middle, so we believe there is no chance of it reaching our country.¡± ¡°What if this isn¡¯t a dungeon break?¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s¡­ ¡­ .¡± The secretary stuttered, looking a little embarrassed by Yuri Orlov¡¯s sharp criticism. ¡°If these ck guys are not ordinary demons, there is a small chance that they are a hunter¡¯s summoning skill¡­ ¡­ .¡± Even though she was answering with her own mouth, the secretary thought it was nonsense. One hunter canmand this many summons? ¡®No way.¡¯ Summoners were usually mediocre people who could only assist in battle. Even if an Irregr appeared among the summoners, how much magic power would it take to summon that number? In the first ce, could the human body be able to withstand that amount of magical power? But that doesn¡¯t mean there isn¡¯t a solution. ¡®no way.¡¯ In the middle of answering, the secretary remained silent, and only one possibility urred to her mind. Isn¡¯t the man standing right in front of you proof of that? ¡°If this is a true hunter¡¯s skill, it is likely that it used a method of drawing in external magical power.¡± ¡°It¡¯s external magical power¡­ ¡­ . Hehe. ¡°That¡¯s my organ?¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­ .¡± When Yuri Orlov¡¯s eyes turned towards him, the secretary slightly lowered his head. My spine became damp with cold sweat at the sight of his cool eyes. gulp. I might be used to it now, but whenever I was in front of this man, I felt like a frog in front of a snake. Russian Prime Minister Yuri Orlov. This old man, who is now smiling cheerfully at himself, was suddenly inaugurated as Minister of National Defense a year ago. At the time, he had no political experience, but no one considered it a disadvantage. Because he was an S-ss hunter. It is said that a walking strategic weapon, a superman, will take the lead in taking charge of national defense. Who would be opposed to that? In particr, his main skill, ¡®Barrier¡¯, was the most desperately needed ability in Russia, where monster fields frequently ur due to the vastnd area. Even his barrier magic circle was maintained by absorbing the surrounding magic power, and it had the deceptive ability to make the barrier stronger andrger as the surrounding magic power bes stronger. In short, the stronger the opponent, the more his skills are maximized. As soon as he became Minister of National Defense, he drew magic circles around major urban centers in Russia and created wide-area barriers. In the process, arge amount of magic stones collected by other hunters were consumed, but Yuri Orlov, who received all the achievements and glory in one body was nicknamed ¡®Savior¡¯ and received enthusiastic support from the entire nation. But looking back¡­ In the first ce, all problems began when power was ced in the hands of a powerful superhuman called an S-ss hunter. No matter how auxiliary the ss is, the power of an S-ss hunter is beyond imagination. Yuri Orlov, who received the wee and support of the entire nation, achieved the position of ¡®Prime Minister¡¯, the second most powerful person in the country, ¡®on his own¡¯ in less than half a year after bing Minister of Defense. The person who had been prime minister until then was found dead the very next day, but who would daree forward? ¡®Actually, all citizens know who the culprit is, but if they don¡¯t want to die, they have no choice but to keep quiet.¡¯ The prime minister suddenly dies, and Yuri Orlov announces that he will be prime minister as if he had been waiting for it. Even though he shamelessly revealed his ambition, no oneined. It was because of a word he confidently dered along with his intention to be prime minister. -Don¡¯t worry! As long as I¡¯m here, Russia will forever be safe! Yes. There was no choice in the first ce. For the Russians who were already protected and living within the wide-area barrier he created. ¡®No, if this man had tried to be president, I would have protested. ¡®It¡¯s literally a coup.¡¯ Hunter¡¯s military rule was an action that was criticized internationally and socially. If that were the case, the International Hunter Association would probably have intervened and tried to stop his ambition. But strangely enough, Yuri Orlov did not want the presidency. Because what he wanted was the position of prime minister, right below him, there was not much opposition from the people. After all, he was in charge of national defense. But Orlov¡¯s secretary found out some time ago. This is a hidden truth that other countries do not yet know. ¡®¡­ ¡­ This man has already made the president his puppet.¡¯ The president, who was the most powerful person in the country, had a lot to lose, and all of those things were his weaknesses and hostages. Even his own life was in danger like a candle in the wind in front of an S-ss hunter. Orlov, on the other hand, had nothing to lose. He had remained single until this age, and his parents had already died of old age long before the cataclysm. So there was nothing to stop his ambition, neither by force nor by strategy. ¡®Russia already belongs to Yuri Orlov.¡¯ If it¡¯s not revealed anyway, no one will know. Russia had long since be a world where anything was possible through force, and on the surface, the country was maintaining the same peace as before. ¡®If only I kept my mouth shut.¡¯ ¡°So, what you¡¯re saying is that someone with abilities like me has appeared now?¡± Startle. The secretary, who was awakened by Yuri Orlov¡¯s voice, opened his mouth while looking carefully. ¡°¡­ ¡­ ¡°It¡¯s just an assumption.¡± ¡°What are the odds that guy is from Russia?¡± ¡°It is extremely low. It happened in India, to begin with, and there are rumors that it was a Chinese or Korean hunter. ¡°Considering the circumstances, the Korean version is more credible.¡± ¡°It¡¯s Korea¡­ ¡­ Write it. ¡°After all, they are right below our country.¡± Yuri Orlov drank the wine he was holding with a disapproving expression and threw the wine ss on the floor. Clink! The secretary¡¯s shoulders flinched at the sharp noise of the ss shattering. ¡°Go see. ¡°We will continue to report as new information emerges.¡± ¡°Yes, I understand.¡± After the secretary left, Yuri Orlov was left alone and opened a new bottle of wine. Then, after gulping down the entire bottle, I suddenly turned my gaze to look out the window, where I could see a panoramic view of the city. Smirk. The corners of his mouth slowly rose and a wry smile appeared. ¡°¡­ ¡­ Should I kill him?¡± Corps and barrier. The spear and shield had the worstpatibility. It would be great if we could all get on the same side. If that were the case, wouldn¡¯t it be obvious who would be the bridesmaid? ¡°I guess I need to collect more magic stones.¡± Yuri Orlov¡¯s eyes sparkled insidiously. * * * And meanwhile in America. ¡°Haha. Look at this guy. ¡°You did a really good job this time?¡± Thomas Andre, who was watching the news on a tablet, chuckled and spoke to Laura. Sure enough, Laura was shaking her head and sighing. ¡°This is my first time. ¡°There is no man who makes more noise than you, Thomas.¡± ¡°Oh, Laura! Doesn¡¯t that sound a bit sad? ¡°No matter how old I am, I still do it when I can!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t feelpetitive about something like that, please.¡± Enjoying Laura¡¯s disgusted reaction, Thomas Andre turned his gaze back to the tablet and smiled like a boy. ¡°Thanks to China, you had a very grand debut. ¡°I don¡¯t know if this will be poisonous or not, but one thing is certain.¡± The corners of his mouth were smiling, but his fierce eyes were shining like a wild beast. ¡°Starting from this, the bugs hiding in the shadows wille out in earnest.¡± I don¡¯t know if he intended it or not, but in any case, Sung Suho dered an all-out war against the entire world this time. Towards the foreign religion, the apostles of Italim, who have been lurking in secret all over the earth like insects until now. Ttuduk. Ttuduk. Thomas Andre clenched his fists and fiercely exposed his teeth. ¡°OK. ¡°I will ept that match.¡± ¡°So it¡¯s not apetition¡­ ¡­ ha.¡± Bug hunting also began in the United States. * * * And at that time, in North Korea as well. ¡°President of the Association! ¡°I think you should take a look at this!¡± ¡°Is there a problem?¡± Chairman Woo Jin-cheol of the association turned his head at the secretary¡¯s voice. Ku-kwa-kwa-kwang! At that moment, a huge rock golem was copsing behind him with a huge explosion sound. No one was surprised by the sight as if the building was being demolished. Because Choi Jong-in, the strongest hunter in Korea, and no one else, was taking the lead in subduing the demonic beasts. ¡°It seems like something big has happened in India.¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­ hmm?¡± Chairman Woo Jin-cheol took the tablet handed out by his secretary and pushed up the sunsses he was wearing. Then, emotions that were not normally seen appeared in the two sharp eyes resembling birds of prey. Astonishment. ¡°Now, wait! This can¡¯t be¡­ ¡­ !¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­ President of the Association?¡± Everyone around him couldn¡¯t help but be confused by his reaction as he checked the tablet again in great confusion. That¡¯s because no one here has ever seen Chairman Woo Jin-cheol this embarrassed. What was the reason why Woo Jin-cheol, the president of the association, was praised in Korea in the first ce? He was a person who predicted and prepared for all future situations as if he were living his second life. In fact, most of his predictions were urate, and this was enough to make you wonder if he had skills such as prophecy or future vision. Among them, the biggest achievement, no matter what anyone says, was awakening Choi Jong-in, Korea¡¯s strongest hunter who was active there, and immediately attracted him to the association. At the same time as the cataclysm, the Hunter Act was enacted to prevent viins who would run amok withoutw. During that turbulent time, it was Woo Jin-cheol who calmly followed all the procedures and created various bills more calmly than any other politician. However, Woo Jin-Cheol, who is synonymous with calmness, was now looking very embarrassed and shocked and not knowing what to do. ¡°Oh, how did this happen? Could it be that he has returned? No, that¡¯s a bit¡­ ¡­ Now, wait a minute, can¡¯t that be?!¡± Woo Jin-cheol, who had been rambling alone for a while holding a screenshot of the broadcast, finally found it. The face of the hunter who burst the giant demon beast like a balloon with one fist before thousands of shadow soldiers appeared. ¡°¡­ ¡­ Haha.¡± Finally, augh burst out of Woo Jin-cheol¡¯s mouth. It ended up being good. Unfortunately, this man¡¯s face was not the person he had been waiting for. But instead. Who is this man whose face so closely resembles his? What is the identity of the ¡®ant¡¯ right next to this guy that is so small that you have to erge the screen for a while to be able to see it? Woo Jin-cheol was able to notice quite a few things. chuck. Woo Jin-cheol adjusted his sunsses again and calmly opened his mouth. ¡°Secretary Jeong.¡± ¡°Yes, yes.¡± He handed the tablet back to Secretary Jeong, who was very nervous at his unusual appearance, and said, ¡°Could you please find one person from the list of hunters registered with our country¡¯s association? ¡°If there is any information rted to it, I need everything, even the smallest details.¡± ¡°All right. But who¡­ ¡­ .¡± ¡°Sung Suho.¡± An old friend, arade in arms, and the only son of ¡®him¡¯ whom he respected and was anxiously waiting for. At the mention of his name, Woo Jin-cheol had a somewhat empty but at the same time extremely relieved smile on his lips. ¡°I guess we¡¯ve been away from home for too long.¡± It seems like quite a lot has happened in the past few months. Chapter 221 Chapter 221 Everyone was busy. The signal fired by Suho in India caused a huge stir around the world, and many people in each country began to move with their own goals. Of course, the busiest person among them was, by far, Suho. Wow! Wow! Suho led thousands of shadow soldiers and defeated the magical beasts of Loktak Field without hesitation. [Follow me!] wow-! It¡¯s devastating. No matter howrge thend is. As many as five dungeon breaks urred simultaneously in thisnd. No demon beast could survive in front of the immortal army led by Greed, Iron, and Shita. And. ¡°Take it easy.¡± wow-! Demonic beasts with dragon blood trembled instinctively in front of Suho¡¯s authority. Sssssssssssssssssssssssm! The demonic beasts that were not dragons were attacked with ignorance, not knowing how precious their lives were, and were massacred. No matter how you reacted, everyone was equal in the face of death. [Your level has increased.] There is no business due to the quantity. Suho eventually seeded in raising his level with enormous experience points. ¡®The hard work was worth it.¡¯ Slowly, the blue fog covering the Loktak field was noticeably diminishing. As the open gates decreased one by one, the gap in the dimension that had been torn apart due to the ovepping phenomenon of the cracks naturally began to gradually close. The magic power of the outer universe that was constantly flowing through the gap also stopped, as if a faucet had been turned off. ¡°Look at that! ¡°The fog is clearing!¡± ¡°Oh my god.¡± ¡°Is this really happening¡­?¡± The hunters of the Indian association, who watched the whole scene with their eyes wide open in the field, were so shocked that they could not even close their mouths. ¡®I never thought I could clear thisrge field by myself¡­ ! ¡® it¡¯s absurd. It¡¯s unrealistic. They knew well that the power of S-ss hunters was great, but the abilities of Suho that they witnessed werepletely outside the standard. Until now, by their standards, China¡¯s Liu Zhigang was a strong man with particrly highbat power among S-ss hunters. ¡®This is on apletely different scale! ¡® Does the world know? Now that young man. Because of one hunter named Sung Suho from Korea, the standard of strength that the whole world had been thinking of was fundamentally changed! ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Is it okay to use the expression S-ss hunter for that person as well?¡± startle! ¡°¡­!¡± Suddenly, a word slipped out of someone¡¯s mouth without thinking. At that moment, both the person who uttered those words and all the hunters who heard those words simultaneously looked cold and looked at someone. The target is Liu Zhigang! If you heard those words just now, didn¡¯t they sound like a remark that touched the heart of a true S-ss hunter? But it was unexpected. ¡°Heh heh. ¡°Of course it¡¯s nonsense.¡± ¡®uh? ¡® In fact, Liu Zhigang himself showed no signs of his pride being hurt. Liu Zhigang, who was leisurely watching the guardian¡¯s battle with his arms crossed behind him, slowly raised the corners of his mouth and muttered when he heard the Indian hunters¡¯ words. 1 ¡°It would be extremely disrespectful to dare to describe that level of power as something like S-ss.¡± ¡°¡­!¡±¡± The hunters¡¯ eyes widened at his shocking remarks. ¡®S-ss?! ¡® ¡®What did I just hear? ¡® Everyone couldn¡¯t help but be very nervous at the shocking statement, which made people doubt their ears even after hearing it. Who in this world would dare say something like that? In the first ce, the S-ss itself meant ¡®out of standard¡¯. It was a title granted only to strong people with ¡®unmeasurable¡¯ magical powers that could not be urately measured with the magical power meter invented by humans. But ¡®how dare you say something like S-ss¡¯? Such remarks were extremely disrespectful to all S-ss hunters around the world, even if it was Liu Zhigang, a 6-star Chinese hunter. But I don¡¯t care about their reactions. Liu Zhigang opened his mouth with an expression that seemed to be reminiscing about a distant memory. ¡°National Level Hunter.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± Suddenly, a term they had never heard before came out of his mouth. A rating system that was once known to everyone but has now appeared for the first time in the world. A great title that was only given to a few of the world¡¯s strongest people, who could represent a country just by existing and who had tremendous power that could take on a country alone with their individual strength! ¡°Okay. Sung Suho, that guy is already S-rank, above S-rank. He became a National Level Hunter.¡± ¡°¡­ ¡°National Level Hunter?¡± The Indian hunters tilt their heads at unfamiliar expressions. Liu Zhigang just chuckled at their puzzled reactions. There was no need to exin everything. ¡®It will be sooner orter anyway.¡¯ okay. Anyway, as time goes by, everyone will find out. Liu Zhigang recalled. A memory from a long time ago, when he first met Sung Suho¡¯s father. The horrifying shock that people all over the world received when Sung Jinwoo revealed his full power to the world. ¡®¡­ I¡¯m so excited about this for no reason. ¡® Liu Zhigangughed quietly to himself, recalling the strong emotions he had long forgotten. Okay. It was going to be sooner orter anyway. Even if you don¡¯t step forward, the whole world will eventually call for Sung Suho. He is said to be the world¡¯s first National Level Hunter. *** Exactly 3 dayster. The news that Loktak Field had been cleansed reached Korea. [hmm. ] shadow assassin Kira muttered with a smile on her face after seeing the news. 1 [He¡¯ll be back soon.] Kira followed Rio Singh to India and stayed in Korea, with their locations switching when Suho used the shadow exchange¡¯ skill. However, during those few days, Kira did not receive any special orders from Suho. But wouldn¡¯t it be like an ipetent soldier to just stand still until hees back? So he was doing what he did best. What is that? Murder. ¡°keuuk¡­! Somebody, save¡­ . ¡± suddenly. Today again, someone¡¯s head was cut off in a dark back alley. The headless body fell backward in a flurry of fur. The fishy smell of blood and bright red blood flowed down to the floor. [Well, I guess the police will take care of cleaning up the body.] Kira asked, grinning and tilting her head back crookedly. [Are you okay?] ¡°Yes, yes, thank you¡­¡±. [I have no intention of killing you, so when you calm down, report it to the association.] ¡°¡­ ¡°Hyung.¡± The face of the woman, who was sitting and trembling in the corner of the back alley, was white with fear. Kira calmly spoke again to the woman, who was so scared that she couldn¡¯t even breathe. ¡°why¡± [Should I even give you the viin report number?] ¡°Oh, I know¡­ . ¡± [Then that¡¯s it.] Kira indifferently turned his head forward again in response to the woman¡¯s answer. Then, there was a colleague of the man who had just died, desperately crawling on the floor. Can you hold on to that? He¡¯s got quite a long reputation. [Do you have any tank skills?] quality- Bright red blood was trailing behind him as he crawled on the floor to escape from Kira. ¡°Ugh, why¡­¡± The man¡¯s face was covered with tears and snot. A ck demon was following. Following the red path made with someone¡¯s blood. He was terrified and screamed at Kira. ¡°Why on earth are you doing this to us?¡± [Oh, you¡¯re not asking because you honestly don¡¯t know that, right?] In response to Kira¡¯s leisurely question, the man gasped and shouted in anger. ¡°Don¡¯t be pretentious! You, too, are a murderer anyway! Let¡¯s just do it too!¡± I was just nning to take you out for one night.¡± [viin number 521: kidnapping, rape, long-term trading. ] pk. Kira skillfully flipped through the list of viins as she had done in her lifetime,pared the faces on the list with the man in front of her, and nodded. 1 [okay. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve never killed anyone yourself. The men are kidnapped and handed over to organ thieves, and the women are sold to brothels. I¡¯m asking you this sincerely. It¡¯s not going to make more money this way than being a Hunter, so why on earth are you doing this?] ¡°w-what¡­. ¡± In response to Kira¡¯s question, the man desperately shook his head while covering the bleeding wound with his hand. I actually found a glimmer of hope in that devilish guy¡¯s dry tone. There¡¯s no money, so why do it? So you¡¯re saying you¡¯ll join if it makes money? Maybe if I answered correctly, they might send me back alive. ¡°¡­ ¡°because it¡¯s easy this way!¡± [easy? ] ¡°yes, yes! Of course, hunting civilians is easier than risking your life to hunt dangerous demon beasts! Even if it costs less money, this is much.¡± [Because you are weak?] ¡°Yes, yes!¡± That makes sense. [That¡¯s a good answer.] ¡°¡­!¡± When Kira nodded in understanding, the man internally cheered. ¡®I lived, I lived! ¡® [If you are weak, you will die. Yes? ] ¡°yes, yes! If you are weak in today¡¯s world, [okay. If you are weak, your organs will be stolen, and you will be raped. [If you meet someone like me, you could get your head cut off.] ¡°¡­ What?¡± suddenly. In an instant, the man¡¯s head separated from his torso and rolled on the floor. Looking directly into his wide eyes, which showed a puzzled expression even after his death, Kira spoke with a grin. [It¡¯s not unfair, right?] Kira was a viin hunter when he was alive, but he couldn¡¯t get rid of that habit even after he died. In any case, this kind of thing is not against the master¡¯s will, so it can be done as much as he wants. Rather, it was better for him to be a shadow soldier because he was free from thews of humans. Also, what is the most difficult part about hunting down viins? When he caught it, there was a story behind it. It was said that he had been falsely used and that the real culprit was someone else. But now, all he had to do was melt into the shadows, observe the situation, confirm that he was a really bad guy, and kill him. [good. Today is also a rewarding day. Did you report it there?] ¡°Yes, yes.¡± The woman¡¯s expression was still pale as she nodded her head hastily. Either way, Kira kept nagging her. [okay. From now on, be careful on the night roads and only take bright paths. But don¡¯t just be wary of men. You know that this is a world where even the same woman can be a viin at any time if she awakens, right? ] ¡°Yes, okay.¡± [Good. Then go.] ¡°Everything, the legs¡­¡± [Ah, have you lost your strength? Then, take your time and rest. Anyway, I¡¯ll kill all the viins around here, so we¡¯ll be safe tonight.] ¡°Hehe¡­¡±¡± It seemed like Kira was making her even more scared, but he didn¡¯t care and just disappeared into the darkness. Meanwhile. ¡®Shadow exchange¡¯ [Ah? ] Suddenly, Kira twitched his eyes, and Suho appeared in his ce. At that shock. ¡°kyaahhh-! ¡± ¡°¡­ Huh?¡± Suho, who returned to Korea, opened his eyes wide when he saw the woman foaming at the mouth and copsing. 1 The surroundings were a sea of blood. ¡°Kira, you¡­¡± What on earth were you doing? Kira was already teleported to India. Chapter 222 Chapter 222 Korea was suffering from an untimely ¡®serial murder case¡¯. ¡°A report has been received!¡± ¡°also? No, this kid doesn¡¯t even sleep? ¡°You don¡¯t even eat?!¡± 3 Decapitated corpses are found here and there day and night. Report callse to the association from time to time. Because of this, the Hunter Association employees were having a hectic day. ¡°Why on earth are you so eager?¡± It wasn¡¯t really a fuss. A world where serial killers are on the loose day and night,mitting murder as a hobby. But surprisingly, there was no confusion among citizens. Rather, the prevailing reaction was a weing response and an atmosphere of support for the murderer. -Hey! You did something today too! -?? The news iste. You have already jumped 3 times today. 1 -Rted article link) ¡®Vignte Update¡¯ -Hey! You really jumped 3 times! ¨C Busy, busy! modern society! -You work hard. I respect you. It had to be that way. The bodies that were found were all either vicious viins or criminals worth dying for. There were no exceptions. Even if the body was not on the list of viins, when the investigation began, the criminal activities that weremitted behind the scenes would be revealed without a doubt. Day by day, it was being revealed that the criminal activities of unregistered viins who had not registered as hunters were running rampant in the shadows. In a way, it is natural that the poprity of a serial killer who searches for such people one by one mercilessly cut off their heads, and then suddenly disappear, is skyrocketing. People were calling him ¡®Vignte¡¯. 4 There was a series of testimonies from citizens whose lives were saved thanks to Vignte. -Breaking News) ¡°Thank you to the person who saved me.¡± -Interview video) ¡°He is the savior of my life.¡± ¨C Statement of conviction) ¡°I hope you don¡¯t get caught until the end.¡± -News) Vignte! Korea is now a viin-free zone! ¨C Haha, a vignte group that we only see in movies has appeared in our country. -The police and association hunters will be upset, but it¡¯s good because those who don¡¯t deserve to die are dead. 2 -Vignte, I support you. -222 I¡¯m rooting for you. -Please be a righteous murderer today as well. Thanks to this, only the police and the hunter association were frustrated. ¡°You¡¯re really saying crazy things!¡± ¡°If it¡¯s going to be like this, why is there aw?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say anything, don¡¯t say anything.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a crazy world where serial killers are popr.¡± The Republic of Korea was a country strictly ruled byw. This act of ignoring thew and directly punishing criminals was clearly illegal. There are serious crimes, and Vignte was only resolving the punishment through murder. Although the target of the crime is now limited to viins, no one can be sure when a Vignte will suddenly start attacking good citizens. ¡°Well, still¡­ ¡­ . ¡°Like thisment, they are still only killing those who are worth dying for.¡± 1 ¡°You bastard! ¡°Is that whates out of our mouths?¡± ¡°S-sorry.¡± ¡°Use it.¡± These were seniors who got into trouble with new recruits who were crushed after saying the wrong thing and were unable to get their money back. ¡°No, why does no one know what¡¯s wrong with a guy who goes on a rampage like this?¡± ¡°You couldn¡¯t see it because it was dark? Does that make sense? ¡°It¡¯s clear that they are hiding their identity just because they helped them!¡± ¡°First of all, it is clear that he has stealth skills. ¡°It doesn¡¯t make sense that they are going on a rampage to this extent and there is no footage of them being caught on CCTV.¡± Hello. Director Lee Se-hwan, who was leisurely watching the busy-looking employees from behind, leaned against the window with a cup of mixed coffee in his mouth. 2 Then I turned my gaze and looked out the darkened window. ¡°¡­ ¡­ .¡± The world was going crazy, but mixed coffee was still sweet. After a cataclysm urred around the world. Every day was a battlefield for the association¡¯s employees because of the urgent incidents and idents that came flooding in every day. As I ran around so frantically, I got promoted, my sry increased, and I even became head of the division. ¡®I don¡¯t know the history of life.¡¯ Life goes on in such a strange way. It seems like only yesterday that I had to take the police exam, be a new detective, and follow my scary senior around to catch criminals. ¡®¡­ ¡­ ¡®I¡¯ve been thinking about that a lottely.¡¯ Criminals suddenly found dead? I don¡¯t know why they¡¯re making such a fuss because it¡¯s such a strange thing. ¡®It wasmon in my time.¡¯ In the past, many people even came to us and surrendered themselves, crying and begging for them to be arrested. They say that if you don¡¯t embroider, you too will be eaten or something. ¡®¡­ ¡­ Hehehe. ¡®That was a truly romantic era.¡¯ It was Director Lee Se-hwan who was reminiscing about the glory of the past when the arrest rate was ranked first in the country. Hello. Of course, if I say something like this out loud, I¡¯ll be called old-fashioned. Director Lee Se-hwan, who was just sipping coffee and sighing alone, was staring nkly at the ss door entrance, as was his habit. As if waiting for someone. His eyes gradually deepened. This ce, which was once the Central Police Station, was unusually incorporated into the Hunter Association when Woo Jin-cheol became the association president. But only the signboard changed. As he stared nkly at this ce, the interior of which was still the same as before, faded memories that he had forgotten because he was too busye to mind. ¡®¡­ ¡­ Where on earth and what are you doing, brother?¡¯ It¡¯s already been over 5 years. A legend in the violent world who was a heavenly senior and colleague to Director Lee Se-hwan. ¡®Detective Sung Jinwoo¡¯ suddenly disappeared. Looking back, all the moments he spent with him were the brightest and most brilliant moments during my detective career. He missed those days terribly. ¡®I¡¯m sure you¡¯re doing well wherever you are, but could you pleasee back soon?¡¯ Okay. There is nothing to worry about. Because he was always a very curious person. So when he suddenly disappeared, no one was too worried. He firmly believed that he would have gone off to solve a case on his own, as always. He did not doubt that one day, he would suddenly catch criminals like candy with a carefree face. But it¡¯s been like that for over 5 years. He still hadn¡¯te back. Squeak- ¡°¡­ ¡­ uh?¡± For a moment, Director Lee Se-hwan could not believe his eyes. Suddenly the door opened and a familiar face came inside. Grab those guys who look tough at first nce like candy! ¡°Hmmm, brother? no no¡­ ¡­ !¡± Suddenly he came to my senses. Director Lee Se-hwan collected the words he had spoken in an instant, washed his eyes again, and looked at the other person. He¡¯s too young to be Sung Jinwoo¡¯s older brother! 1 But that face¡­ ¡­! They look so much alike that it¡¯s hard to believe they¡¯re not brothers, huh? ¡°Uh? ¡°Uh huh?¡± ¡°Hello. My name is Sung Suho. I have something to report¡­ ¡­ .¡± ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± The association¡¯s employees couldn¡¯t help but be quite taken aback by the sight of Director Lee Se-hwan suddenly running towards Suho in a huff. and. Wow! ¡°Hahaha! ¡°You are Suho!¡± ¡°Huh? yes?¡± This time it was Suho¡¯s turn to be embarrassed. Se-Hwan Lee was a colleague who had worked with Jinwoo Sung for a long time. He knew at least his son¡¯s name. He also saw pictures from when he was young. Of course, it was his first time seeing him grow up like this. As soon as he saw Suho¡¯s face, he couldn¡¯t help but burst into tears. It was because his face ovepped with his father¡¯s. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry. I am in charge. Huh. ¡°You are Sung Jinwoo¡¯s son, right?¡± ¡°Do you know my father?¡± ¡°I know. I was your father¡¯s direct subordinate, you bastard! Hahaha!¡± Director Lee Se-hwan released Suho from his tight embrace and introduced himself with a chuckle. ¡°I see. hello. ¡°My name is Sung Suho.¡± It was Suho who suddenly met his father¡¯s subordinate. But if you think about it, it wasn¡¯t strange. Just two years ago, this was the police station near the house where his father worked for a long time, and among the police officers there at that time, those who had awakened were assigned to the Hunter Association. It was only natural that there were one or two people left who knew his father. It was a bit of an awkward situation, but Suho first handed over the people he had caught to the association employees. ¡°I caught them on the way. ¡°I think he was a viin, but I guess they didn¡¯t kill him because he was amon criminal.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± The association employees tilted their heads at the words, which had a strange meaning. A littleter, he noticed that the faces of the viins who were brought in by Suho were terrified. Afterparing their faces one by one, they were indeed wanted misceneous criminals, just as Suho said. ¡®But why are these guys so scared?¡¯ If you look at the faces of these guys, they don¡¯t look like viins, but rather like victims who barely survived the scene of a brutal murder. ¡°Oh, and if you go to this address, there will be a few corpses. It must have been reported a long time ago, so check it out¡­ ¡­ .¡± ¡°Could it be Vignte?!¡± Suho shook his head with a wry smile as he looked at the burdensome gazes that were focused on him at the same time, almost as if he was convulsing. ¡°I¡¯m not sure about that either.¡± I felt like it would be a hassle, so I drew the line. ¡®Kira, this guy, how much have you messed up in thest few days?¡¯ When he was sent out to hunt viins with Harmakan, the corpses were handled neatly, so it didn¡¯t be this big of an issue. However, when Kira was left alone, he became a very famous person. ¡®We¡¯ll seeter.¡¯ However, it was still ambiguous to criticize the mistake. It seems like he was worried that he would be scoldedter, so he only picked and killed the people he really wanted to kill. These misceneous criminals who remained at the scene are proof of that. ¡®For a moment.¡¯ Suddenly he had an ominous feeling. ¡®Could it be in India?¡¯ Kira is now in India. There, as per your original orders, you will hide in Rio Singh¡¯s shadow and follow him around. Rio Singh decided to remain in India for the time being to sort out the situation. He also sent other shadow soldiers in the shadow of Liu Zhigang, who returned to China with the promise of a better future. In this way, shadow soldiers had to be spread throughout the world whenever the opportunity arose, so that whenever and wherever traces of foreign religion were discovered, they could be immediately dispatched through shadow exchange like this time. However, looking at the situation, it seemed unlikely that Kira would remain calm in India. ¡®Well, I guess I¡¯ll figure it out.¡¯ I had no intention of stopping him as long as he kept the line. It was an established belief in the Hunter industry that for every viin lost, the lives of 100 innocent people could be saved. Of course, this is also something I heard from Kira. ¡°Anyway.¡± Kira took his mind off work, and Suho brought up the real purpose ofing here. It was fortunate that the person who was my father¡¯s subordinate seemed to be a high-ranking person. Suho nced at the name tag hanging around Director Lee Se-hwan¡¯s neck and formally introduced himself. ¡°Director Se-hwan Lee, let me introduce myself again. I am Hunter Sung Suho, the representative of the Woojin Guild. ¡°The reason I came here was because of other business.¡± Stop. ¡°¡­ ¡­ what?¡± Director Lee Se-hwan, who was just happy to see Suho¡¯s face because he looked like his father, his expression hardened the moment he heard Suho¡¯s words. ¡°You are the representative of Woojin¡¯s guild?¡± Ah, this makes a different statement. Director Lee Se-hwan looked at Suho again and Lee Chae appeared in his eyes. I realized it a littlete because I was overjoyed. Come to think of it, this guy¡¯s name is ¡®Sung Suho¡¯. ¡®Anyway, really¡­ ¡­ . ¡®I wonder if it¡¯s someone¡¯s son.¡¯ 1 He burst outughing. Chapter 223 Chapter 223 Central Police Station. This ce, now the headquarters of the Hunter Association, once housed a legendary homicide detective called ¡®Ghost¡¯. 1 The arrest rate is a whopping 200 percent. He was a mythical figure in the violent crime world of the Republic of Korea, who would find and catch not only the cases he was responsible for, but also the criminals of past cases that were left unsolved, all the way to hell, and any violent criminal or gangster would turn into a docile sheep in front of the ¡®ghost¡¯. And when Lee Se-hwan was still young. Back when he was just a rookie detective. Lee Se-hwan, who had applied to join the homicide department in the central region, was doomed to be the direct subordinate of the ¡®ghost detective¡¯ who was the person involved in the rumor. Yes, fate. Se-Hwan Lee was able to confidently say that all the moments he spent with that senior were neither bad luck nor misfortusne, but ¡®fate.¡¯ -Is this guy the new guy? -Yes, that¡¯s right. This is Lee Se-hwan. No matter how much time passes. I will never forget the memory of when I first met him. A breathtaking feeling of intimidation. Lee Se-hwan froze as he looked up at his senior, who was one head taller than him, the average height for a Korean male. -I¡¯m going to teach this guy. ¨C Come back,e back. After a brief greeting was exchanged, Lee Se-hwan was led outside by a senior ghost. -Come on, senior! Hey, where are you going now? In response to the urgent question of Lee Se-hwan, who was hurriedly following behind him, he continued to walk forward and asked a question instead of an answer. -Why did you be a police officer? -ah¡­ ¡­ I am¡­ ¡­ . After hesitating for a moment, Se-hwan Lee remembered a dream he had forgotten while wrestling with drunkards while working as a police officer at the district police station. -I want to catch the bad guys¡­ ¡­ . -okay. Stand tall. Only then did the ghost¡¯s footsteps stop. And as he looked back at Se-hwan Lee, a unique smile appeared on his lips. -I¡¯m going to do that now. 1 A smile that puts your heart at ease just by looking at it. -That¡¯s why I became a police officer. That one word changed Lee Se-hwan¡¯s life forever. -Are you going? -Of course, senior! That¡¯s how Lee Se-hwan became the ghost detective¡¯s official partner. We spent a long time together. Why was Se-hwan Lee able to be the head of the Hunter Association after the cataclysm? Of course, there was a strong rmendation from the association¡¯s president Woo Jin-cheol, a former police chief. There was only one reason why no oneined about that bold personnel decision. It is said that Lee Se-hwan was the long-time partner of ¡®Detective Sung Jinwoo¡¯. A ss A hunter, a former homicide detective who learned how to catch criminals directly from ghosts. That is the current Head of Division Lee Se-hwan. And as time passed¡­ ¡­ . ¡°here.¡± Now, in front of Lee Se-hwan, there was a guy who looked exactly like the ghost senior¡¯s face when he was young. Suho Sung. his son ¡®¡­ ¡­ You look just like your father.¡¯ Director Lee Se-hwan¡¯s could not help but let out augh.1 Yes, this intimidation. That subtle confidence thates out naturally without having to show it outwardly. Even the smile that appeared on Sung Suho¡¯s mouth right now looked exactly like the unique smile his older brother often wore. When he saw that scene in front of him, a suspicion suddenly appeared in Lee Se-hwan¡¯s head. ¡®¡­ ¡­ Could it be that Brother Jinwoo had already awakened earlier than anyone else at that time?¡¯ If so, quite a few questions that were iprehensible until now are exined. That new arrival¡­ ¡­ . ¡®No, no.¡¯ I became a little less confident. ¡®I¡¯ve be an A-level hunter now, but even if I go back, I still don¡¯t have the confidence to do as well as my brother. It would have been better if my brother had been an S-ss hunter¡­ ¡­ .¡¯ 1 Of course, I had to think about this on my own, but there was no way to confirm the truth now that the person involved had disappeared anyway. Director Lee Se-hwan, who was immersed in memories, returned to reality. ¡°¡­ ¡­ Anyway, Suho. No, this is Hunter Sung Suho, the representative of the Woojin Guild. So what is the purpose of your visit to the association?¡± No matter how close my brother¡¯s son was, he joined the association as the guild¡¯s representative, so we decided to show courtesy as well. ¡°No, no. Previously¡­ ¡­ .¡± But before hearing the answer from Suho¡¯s mouth, we had to point out the most important point. ¡°Are you that ¡®Sung Suho¡¯?¡± Lee Se-hwan, who was happy to see a face that resembled his brother, suddenly turned sharp. That¡¯s because so much is attached to the name ¡®Sung Suho¡¯ in Korea these days. International rtions, public opinion, etc. To top it off, an emergency order was sent to the association¡¯s president, Woo Jin-cheol, who was in North Korea. -Emergency Security) Investigate everything about Sung Suho! Thanks to this, the association has been busy investigating Sung Suho these days. There were countless people with the same name as ¡®Sung Suho¡¯ in Korea, and the number of them registered as hunters was greater than you could imagine. However, since the photo showing the face was also revealed, the difficulty level would not have been that difficult. However, the problem is the departure record. Not among the hunters in Korea, but among the Korean hunters who took a ne to India, there was no one named Sung Suho. But this time, there was no entry record again, and since he was suddenly standing here, the association was just confused as to what the situation was. ¡°It was confirmed that Sung Suho was still in India this afternoon? So, if our information is wrong, then he is apletely different person. Then Is have to do the research again from the beginning¡­ ¡­ .¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to do that.¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­ ¡°Do you really mean that?¡± Suho nodded confidently. ¡°Yes. ¡°I just got back.¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­ !¡± In response to that answer, not only Lee Se-hwan but all the association employees nearby looked at Suho with wide eyess. Oh my god! The real thing has appeared! ¡®Sung Suho¡¯, who is making the most noise in the world these days, hase to the association on his own! But who is Director Lee Se-hwan? ¡°Hmm. ¡°Okay then.¡± As the partner of the legendary detective Sung Jinwoo, he did not forget his duty even in these confusing moments. He took out the handcuffs with ghost-like sharp eyes. ¡°Illegal entry into India is a serious crime, so you are being arrested for viting internationalw.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­ its a joke. Anyway, be prepared because you may be asked to pay a hefty fine in Indiater. Of course, looking at publirc opinion now, thepensation may berger. Anyway, if you are really that Sung Suho, the purpose ofing to the association headquarters is¡­ ¡­ Is it because of that too?¡± Suho chuckled. Even without answering, Director Lee Se-hwan was already directing his subordinates to bring something with a nce. It¡¯s a Magic power meter. Suho nodded. ¡°Yes. ¡°I¡¯m here to re-evaluate Magic power.¡± ¡°Okay. It doesn¡¯t make sense for a C-rank hunter to do something like that in the first ce. We had a hard time researching it at first because of that. Have you had a reawakening recently? Ah, sorry. ¡°I spoke informally again.¡± ¡°You can speakfortably.¡± ¡°No. ¡°I can¡¯t do that.¡± Director Lee Se-hwan shook his head with a stern expression and held out a Magic power meter in front of Suho. ¡°I should be polite to someone who might be an S-ss hunter.¡± ¡®You keep speaking informally.¡¯ Suho chuckled and ced his hand on the Magic power meter. Then, a soft light began to flow from the fist-sized ck magic gemstone embedded on top of the magic power meter. Shoooooo- As the light gradually became stronger, the value disyed on the magic power meter began to rise more rapidly. Cold sweat formed on the foreheads of Director Lee Se-hwan and the association staff. But suddenly something strange happened. Damn it! ¡°¡­ ¡­ !¡± Suddenly, a crack appeared in the magic stone, and eventually it broke. 1 ¡°Oh, this can¡¯t be right!¡± ¡°The meter exploded!¡± People couldn¡¯t help but be embarrassed. S-ss hunters are beings with magical power that cannot be measured by man-made machines. However, even for S-ss hunters, it was unheard of for a mana meter to explode like now. Even the magic power meter that had been shattered in Suho¡¯s hand was melting into pieces with unidentifiable heat. As if it had touchedva! ¡°Well, it could be a malfunction. Bring it back with a new one!¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­ yes!¡± Soon, a new magic power meter appeared in front of Suho. Awesome! Without a doubt, it exploded in his hands. And it was melting likeva again. ¡°Suho, how can you have this kind of magic¡­?¡± ¡­ .¡± Se-hwan Lee looked at Suho with a very embarrassed expression. Those eyes contained regretful feelings toward Suho. ¡°Are you holding on with that body? ¡­ .¡± It ismon for hunters to have attributes attached to their mana. Hunters who use fire or water magic. Alternatively, there were hunters who had no attribute or could handle multiple attributes at the same time. But that¡¯s only to a certain extent. I had never heard of mana melting the magic power meter itself. Even impossible to measure! I couldn¡¯t even imagine how a hunter with this amount of heated mana inside his body could survive. ¡°So, does that mean I¡¯m now an S-ss hunter?¡± Even in such a calm manner! As if this strange phenomenon was not surprising, Director Lee Se-hwan closed his eyes tightly when Suho asked him. ¡°Yes, Hunter Sung Suho. From now on, you are a nationally certified S-ss hunter.¡± But at the same time as I say this, I have doubts. How dare a being with this much power¡­ ¡­ Is it okay to put it in the same category as other ¡®ordinary¡¯ S-sses? * * * Although the Vignte incident made a lot of noise, it was actually just a fad pushed by the media. Vignte? Well, he was just a guy who killed hundreds of viins in just a few days. Isn¡¯t that amazing? What is that? Meanwhile, in India, a Korean hunter has conquered an entirerge field. In other words, it was soup. -A Korean hunter saves India! -Kya! Master! Here¡¯s another bowl of soup! -Ah, has the whole world finally found out? This is Korea¡¯s potential. The name Sung Suho was already heating up the Korean media. But there was one strange thing. -No, so who on earth is Sung Suho? Does anyone really know? -Why does no one know a hunter like that? Despite his fame, Sung Suho¡¯s personal information waspletely controlled. There is only one photo floating around. There was only a small photo taken during the Lee Min-seong Viin incident and three letters of the name written in the arsaticle. And suddenly, as if they had promised each other, all media outlets began to focus on the Vignte incident. The effects were quite good because the corpses of the viins who were brutally murdered and the evil deeds theymi tted were so provocative. There was a reason for this. It was because of an emergency order that suddenly came from the president of the association, who was away in North Korea. ¨C Immediately ce all information regarding Sung Suho at level 1 security. In short, it meant controlling information. That wasn¡¯t the end. The president of the association even tightly blocked the mouths ofrge guilds that had worked with Sung Suho at least once. -The timing of when the information is released must be left up to Sung Suho himself. ¡°¡­ ¡­ ¡°Why on earth are you doing this?¡± I really don¡¯t know why. However, the Woo Jin-cheol they knew was a person who never acted without reason. That¡¯s why I¡¯m even more curious. What exactly does the president of the association want? ¡°Are you saying you want to buy as much time as possible? ¡°For what?¡± However, there was something that even Association President Woo Jin-cheol did not expect. Sung Suho, who was in India, returned to Korea in an instant through a shadow exchange. It was Sung Suho who came to the association headquarters on his own initiative. And he confidently revealed his purpose much sooner than the association president expected. ¡°Well, now that you¡¯re an S-ss hunter¡­ ¡­ .¡± Suho, who re-measured his magical power, formally stated his purpose foring. ¡°As an S-ss hunter, I am requesting the right to attack North Korea.¡± ¡­ ¡­ ! Yes. North Korea. Thend has be a huge field, like Loktak Field in India, or even bigger. The starting point of the vast apocalypse that passes through North Korea and extends to China and Russia. ¡°We need government permission.¡± Sung Suho announced his intention to go to North Korea. Chapter 224 Chapter 224 There was only one reason why Sung Suho wanted the right to attack North Korea from the beginning. Level up right away. At this point, North Korea was the hunting ground where one could gain the most experience. It is a field-type dungeon so no guild can monopolize it. In other words, if Suho could get there, he could focus on leveling up and leading the shadow army around without having to worry aboutplicated things. But North Korea is North Korea. ¡®¡­ ¡­ It¡¯s not a ce anyone can go if they want to.¡¯ Even though the world had reached this point, South Korea and North Korea were still in a state of truce, and the war was not over yet. In addition, North Korea was an area that was difficult to ess due to its special circumstances. As for the special situation, it can be said to be the same situation as the Loktak Field that Suho visited this time. Loktak Field is a veryrge monster field that urred when dungeon breaks that urred simultaneously could not be prevented in time. The area gradually expanded and eventually crossed the border of a neighboring country. The problem arises here. Since one monster field was located on the territory of two countries, hunters entering the field often encountered hunters from other countries while hunting demonic beasts. In that case, there is an almost 100% chance that a conflict of interest will lead to an armed conflict. Competition between guilds is fierce even within the same country, but wouldn¡¯t it be worse if the countries were different? But hunters are walking weapons of war. The armed conflict between hunter guilds of different nationalities taking ce along the border was the beginning of war in the true sense of the word. ¡°¡­ ¡­ However, North Korea is in a much moreplicated situation than Loktak Field. ¡°You know, right?¡± ¡°Yes. I know.¡± Suho nodded silently, listening to Director Lee Se-hwan¡¯s detailed exnation. In summary, it is as follows. 1) Immediately after the cataclysm, North Korea became a monster field. 2) The area gradually expanded upwards and downwards over time. 3) The lower part was blocked by South Korean hunters, but the upper part ended up viting China¡¯s border. ¡­ ¡­ Up to this point, the situation was exactly the same as at Loktak Field, but North Korea had one more problem involved. 4) At that point, the monster field that started in China also crossed the border into North Korea. ¡°China has a lot more monster fields than North Korea. The same was true for India because countries withrgend areas are prone to monster fields.¡± If you think about it, not many countries in the world are as safe as Korea. The fact that the country itself is notrge means that when a dungeon break urs, it is easy for hunters to rush in and take care of it in time. However, in a country with argend area, it is not as easy as you think. Therger the poption, therger the number of hunters, but in countries such as China, India, and Russia, the physical distance between gates was very far. Hunters in those countries often missed the dungeon break timing no matter how much they ran around until their feet got sweaty. So in the end, no matter whoes first¡­ 5) The monster field that started in North Korea and the monster field that started in China merged in the middle. ¡°The situation is like this, so China can im that the North Korean territory where their monster fields are connected is theirnd.¡± The North Korean government has disappeared, and North Korea has be an unimednd. It¡¯s literally Muju Gongsan. That is why both China and South Korea can im that it is theirnd as soon as they nt a g the moment they attack the North Korean field. ¡°The moment you enter North Korean territory, you must keep in mind the possibility of conflict with Chinese hunters. No, it must be seen as a conflict because China is intent on swallowing up North Korea¡¯snd somehow. Well, our country is in the same position.¡± Hello. Director Lee Se-hwan took a sip of mixed coffee and continued speaking with a bitter expression. ¡°But the North Korean problem has suddenly be bigger in scale these days.¡± ¡°You mean Russia.¡± ¡°Okay. ¡°I guess you saw some news.¡± Lee Se-hwan said, crumpling the paper cup. North Korea borders not only China but also Russia to the north. Until now, the monster field had not expanded to the Russian side, but recently it even crossed the Russian border. The result is right now. It¡¯s a three-way match. ¡°These days, North Korea, China, and Russia are engaged in a fierce territorial battle over a veryrge monster field that straddles each other¡¯s borders.¡± This was precisely the reason why Woo Jinchul, the president of the association, went to North Korea in the first ce. Compared to China and Russia, North Korea was only a very small piece ofnd, and the real dispute was between China and Russia. However, if South Korea rxed even a little, one of the Chinese or Russian gs would soon be nted in North Korea. ¡°From the beginning, Association President Woo Jinchul¡¯s purpose was to avoid conflict between the two countries and protect only North Korea. But it seems it wasn¡¯t as easy as you thought, and you haven¡¯t been back for several months already.¡± 1 ¡°¡­ ¡­ .¡± Suho seemed to know why Woo Jinchul was having a hard time. ¡®Void Gate.¡¯ A dimensional gap is bound to ur in a veryrge field where multiple dungeons ovep. There was a very high probability that Italim¡¯s apostles were attempting to invade Earth from all over the world through that hole. [Little Monarch, I think you have to go to North Korea, if not just to level up.] Beru, sensing the seriousness of the situation, whispered to Suho. A superrge field that stretches all the way to North Korea, China, and Russia was rare around the world. With that much ovep, it wasn¡¯t strange at all that an apostle of Italim was already wandering around there. After finishing all the exnations, Director Lee Se-hwan asked Suho with a look of sincere concern. ¡°Do you really want to go to North Korea even though you know everything about this situation? ¡°Not only are demonic beas ts a problem, but you¡¯ll also be fighting Chinese and Russian hunters, right?¡± ¡°Yes. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter.¡± Lee Se-hwan asked back with an expression that made him even more unable to understand the answer that came right out of Suho¡¯s mouth. ¡°Why on earth do you want to go? If you were lucky enough to reawaken to S-ss, you would have made money and gained poprity just by quietly working in Korea, right? ¡°There are plenty of dungeons to conquer in Korea anyway.¡± He sincerely wanted to stop Suho from making a decision. There was a big reason why Suho was the son of a senior he respected, but he did not want to send such a talented person to North Korea and get him involved in a dangerous andplicated situation. However, Suho had no intention of reversing his decision. And instead of answering, I stared at his face and asked a question. ¡°Director Lee Se-hwan, you said you used to be my father¡¯s colleague, right?¡± ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°I forgot about it, but suddenly I remembered it. When I was young, I asked my father once. ¡°Why did you be a police officer?¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­ !¡± As soon as he heard those words, Lee Se-hwan¡¯s expression hardened. And reflexively, the conversation he had with Sung Jinwoo came to mind. -Why did you be a police officer? -ah¡­ ¡­ I am¡­ ¡­ . ¡°And do you know what my father responded?¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­ ¡°Because he wants to catch bad guys?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Oh, no? then?¡± ¡°It¡¯s just a hobby.¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­ ?!¡± Suho, not paying attention to Lee Se-hwan¡¯s reaction, who was very embarrassed by those words, smiled and responded. I hadpletely forgotten about it, so why did I remember it now? ¡°My hobby is police.¡± At the time, I didn¡¯t understand my father¡¯s answer at all, which I dismissed as just a joke¡­ ¡­. ¡°His specialty is hunting.¡± It was only after learning what his father¡¯s real job was that Suho realized the true meaning of the answer. Eat. ¡°I¡¯m going for that too.¡± -I¡¯m going to do that now. ¡°¡­ ¡­ !¡± Why? Sung Jinwoo¡¯s answer, which was engraved in Lee Se-hwan¡¯s memory, and the unique smile he wore back then are now visible over Suho¡¯s words and expressions. * * * In order for the government to grant permission to invade North Korea, a total of two steps are required. In the first round, more than five of the S-ss hunters in the country approved. The reason was, of course, a fight for interests between guilds. At the same time, he was afraid that anyone would dare to go to that dangerous ce, so he wanted to prove his qualifications by showing off his power to the S-ss hunters. It was only after it was passed that it became the second round, ¡®public opinion.¡¯ The first round was difficult, and once the first round was passed, the second round was bound to happen somehow. And today. To test Sung Suho, all S-ss hunters in the country began to gather one by one at the Hunter Association after their busy schedules. I am curious about who the new S-ss hunter is, and I want to test whether he is worthy of going to North Korea. Among them was the head of the ck Tortoise Guild, who had a bad rtionship with Suho in many ways. ¡°Are you that Sung Suho?¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­ ?¡± ¡°Nice to meet you. ¡°I am Hyeonmoo Gang, an S-ss hunter.¡± Hyeonmoo Gang arrived at the association before anyone else and shook Suho¡¯s hand. With a meaningful smile. His eyes swept over the figure of Suho, who had caused a huge blow to his guild and various other things. ¡®I was looking forward to it, but unfortunately it ended. If it¡¯s S-ss, things are different. ¡®It¡¯s much more profitable to collect it on our side.¡¯ Hyeonmoo Gang was tapping away at the calctor in his mind, and with an even deeper smile on his face, he forcibly grabbed Suho¡¯s hand and shook it. ¡°Ha ha ha. Well, now that we¡¯re both S-ss hunters, let¡¯s forget about the little things that happened in the meantime. So how much do you want?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Hyeonmoo Gang¡¯s eyes shed with an even more meaningful expression at Suho¡¯s puzzled expression. ¡°I mean, we¡¯ve been doing aggressive salestely. Now that we¡¯re done with bullshit like North Korea, how about joining our guild? Give as much as you want as a down payment. ¡°How about a skill rune that can summon two additional pets?¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°Oh, your expression is frozen. It¡¯s natural. It¡¯s a rune that a summoner would naturally want. Ah, if you became an S-ss hunter this time, wouldn¡¯t you have known these runes existed?¡± Hyeonmoo Gang had juste out of an S-ss dungeon. There is ack of information in many ways. That¡¯s why he was even more confident. ¡®An S-ss summoner wouldn¡¯t dare refuse my offer. These runes are something that cannot be bought with money.¡¯ Hyeonmoo Gang did not doubt that one more S-ss hunter would be added to his guild within today. Chapter 225 Chapter 225 All S-ss hunters in Korea suddenly received a call from the association and each showed a simr reaction. ¡°A new S-ss hunter has appeared? Who is it?¡± Their curiosity was piqued. Since the person¡¯s information is currently confidential, it is said that the exact identity can only be found by going directly to the association. However, the brief exnation that followed was quite eye-catching. ¡°What? ¡°Reawakening?¡± ¡°A C-ss hunter reawakened to an S-ss. Did he at least save the country in his past life?¡± However, what came next was the problem. Right to conquer North Korea. ¡°What? ¡°You asked for the right to attack North Korea?¡± ¡°Tsk tsk. ¡°I guess I heard a false rumor.¡± In front of this content, all of the S-ss hunters could not help but snort or click their tongues. It was certainly surprising that a mid-to-low low-level hunter reawakened to S-level, but it was possible to get there. Although reawakening is notmon, it is a phenomenon that urs asionally. However, dering that you would go to North Korea as soon as you became S-rank was apletely different matter. ¡°Fuha. ¡°There is nothing wrong with it.¡± ¡°Do you think you can do anything?¡± ¡°Anyway, people like this alwayse out among people who win the lottery?¡± ¡°Well, I feel he doesn¡¯t understand. If you rise up in status without any hesitation, you will end up with a heavy burden on your shoulders.¡± ¡°He must have felt like he was some kind of chosen warrior.¡± There is no need to go to S-ss. Regardless of level, all hunters experienced a simr feeling the moment they awakened this ability. That horrifying feeling of exaltation that I felt like I had been chosen by God! The noble sense of duty to protect this world with my own hands was next. ¡°Okay. It¡¯s a good time. ¡°This is all just once.¡± ¡°This is also kind of like a second year of middle school disease.¡± But the reality is not easy. ¡°Sigh. North Korea is a mess. ¡°I¡¯m too busy protecting my country right now.¡± No matter how much you be an S-ss hunter, the only difference is the difficulty of the dungeon you conquer and the amount of money you earn. In arger sense, everything hunters do is the same. Rather, the reality for S-ss hunters was that they had to be busier than middle and lower-ss hunters. Even at this moment, dangerous dungeons were urring here and there, and on the other hand, the number of S-sses was far from sufficient. Even if mining and minor hunting were left to the mid-to-low-level hunters, it was ultimately up to the S-level hunters to deal with the boss mob directly at the end. Otherwise, the lives of innocent guild members will be in danger, and the number of useful guild members will gradually decrease. Without going into the importance of life right now, there was no need to calcte how much damage it would cause to the guild just by thinking about the profits of the hunters. So who is the busiest in the end? Only 9 S-ss hunters are traveling across the country and dying trying to catch magical beasts that middle and lower-level hunters find difficult to deal with. ¡°If he knew how busy we are, he wouldn¡¯t have talked about North Korea.¡± ¡°This is why they are beginners. ¡°Cute, cute.¡± ¡°This is why there is a procedure to get the approval of five S-ss people to attack North Korea. As expected, Association President Woo Jinchul has drafted thew very well.¡± People don¡¯t say Woo Jinchul or Woo Jinchul for nothing. The hunter-rted regtions he created had a good reason without anything to be thrown away and were effectively being used for the stability and peace of the Republic of Korea. ¡°Well then, shall we go see it?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll have to take a look and see who this vain brat is.¡± S-ss hunters put off their busy schedules and began gathering one by one at the association. However, among them, some immediately realized the identity of the new S-ss hunter as soon as they were contacted by the association. Baek Mi-Ho and Lim Tae-gyu. Baek Mi-Ho was not an S-ss hunter, but since she happened to be next to her father, Baek Yoonho, she couldn¡¯t help but widen her eyes after checking the information. ¡°Ah, Dad! ¡°This looks like Hunter Sung Suho?¡± Baek Mi-Ho and Lim Tae-gyu had already recognized Suho immediately in the live video of Loktak Field broadcast from China. It was surprising how Sung Suho, who was in Korea until recently, suddenly went all the way to India and did something like that, but I was inplete shock after witnessing his true power shown in the video. People in the world were surprised to see Suho popping a huge monster-like balloon with one punch, but there was something else that was surprising. 1 Thest scene was truly shocking and scary! Countless shadow demons filled the video, but that wasn¡¯t enough! The public mistakenly thought it was Dungeon Break, but everyone who fought with Suho at least once knew what Suho¡¯s summoned beast looked like. ¡®Oh my god. How did he get tomand so many summons? Since when?¡¯ ¡®Maybe it was possible from the beginning, but he hid it this whole time¡­? No, so why bother?!¡¯ Baek Mi-Ho and Lim Tae-gyu were unable to escape the shock for a while because of Suho. As far as they knew, the number of shadow soldiers that Suho has been able to summon so far is about 10 at most. But suddenly the number increased 100 times. ¡°Yes, yes! ¡°It makes sense if he reawakened!¡± I don¡¯t know when he returned to Korea so quickly and got re-measured, but in any case, the person who came and went was none other than Sung Suho. ¡°Dad! ¡°Can Ie with you?¡± ¡°¡­why?¡± ¡°I want to see with my own eyes whether this person is the real Hunter Sung Suho.¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­ .¡± Baek Yoonho became upset when he saw Baek Mi-Ho rushing after him. ¡°Mi-Ho, I can¡¯t believe it¡­ ¡­ .¡± Vague anxiety as a father with a daughter. At the same time, he realizes that Sung Suho is the only grandchild of Sung Il-hwan, a senior whom he respects. Baek Yoonho suppressed hisplicated feelings and asked Baek Mi-Ho as calmly as possible. ¡°¡­ ¡­ ¡°Do you like younger people?¡± 5 ¡°What do you mean suddenly? Anyway, let¡¯s hurry before it¡¯s toote.¡± ¡°No, wait!¡± Seeing his daughter already leaving for the association in front of him, Baek Yoonho hurriedly followed behind and asked. ¡°Why on earth are you in such a hurry!¡± ¡°Are you asking because you don¡¯t know? The association must have also contacted the ck Tortoise Guild. ¡°Don¡¯t you know how much Guildmaster Hyeonmoo Gang has been gnashing his teeth at Hunter Sung Suho?¡± ¡°¡­!¡± Baek Yoonho¡¯s eyes suddenly became serious at those words. ¡°We should hurry.¡± It was impossible to predict what S-ss hunter Hyeonmoo Gang would do when he met Suho. * * * Looking back, the bad rtionship between the ck Tortoise Guild and Suho is long and deep. At the beginning and end of that bitter affair, there was a man named ¡®Lee Young-ho¡¯ who was dead. ¡®Chief Lee Young-ho of the 2nd Management Department of the ck Tortoise Guild¡¯ He tried to recruit Suho while he was alive but failed. In the process, Suho¡¯s uncle stamped him. That uncle happened to be Yoo Jinho, CEO of Ajin Soft, the best gamingpany in Korea. Because of this, the project of ck Tortoise Guild, which wanted to form a business partnership with Ajin Soft, copsed. As revenge for all that happened, he tried to kill Suho in the dungeon but failed miserably¡­ The culprit behind it all is Manager Lee Young-ho. However, the biggest problem here was that the person in question could not take responsibility and died arbitrarily in the dungeon. In the end, it was the guild leader Hyeonmoo Gang who was responsible for sorting everything outter. ¡®¡­ ¡­ ¡®CEO Yoo Jinho was a truly terrible person.¡¯ Hyunmoo-gang was shaking as he recalled that time. At the time, Suho disappeared from the Pyeongtaek dungeon due to his involvement with Manager Young-ho Lee. CEO Yoo Jinho, who was extremely angry, called the ck Tortoise guild and said, ¡®Change the guild leader!¡¯ The authority of an S-ss hunter? Great force? whatever. That kind of thing wasn¡¯t even on CEO Yoo Jinho¡¯s mind as he had already rolled his eyes. Even though the ck Tortoise Guild is a superhuman with S-ss power, in the end, that power is only necessary when dealing with demonic beasts. The moment he was unleashed against the citizens outside the dungeon, he was a viin. Unless Hyeonmoo Gang himself wanted to be an S-ss viin, Hyeonmoo Gang couldn¡¯t pressure Yoo Jinho by force in Korea, a country with a strict rule ofw. So what is left in the end? It¡¯s money. After all, Yoo Jinho was the CEO of the most famous gamepany in Korea and a leading conglomerate that developed the world¡¯s first virtual reality game. In front of Yoo Jinho, no matter how hard ck Tortoise Guild flew and crawled, it was nothing more than a newpany that had only been established for two years. But what if the strength of the newpany is that the CEO¡¯s sry is extremely high? So isn¡¯t it just arge intervention business? Frompany topany. It was magical and stupid, and outside of the dungeon,rge corporations were just gangsters. -Connect me to the guild leader right away. -Yes, yes? Well, I¡¯ll connect you with the guild leader¡­ Still, he was very fortunate. Just before Yoo Jinho, who was growling fiercely like a wild beast that lost his family, began his sword dance in earnest, news came that Suho had returned safely. After that, everything went smoothly. What Manager Lee Young-ho did was fully revealed. Aspensation, the ck Tortoise Guild had no choice but to hand over 10 dungeons owned by the ck Tortoise Guild to Suho. Although each of these dungeons was not that great, it was a very painful expense for the ck Tortoise Guild. But no one knew at the time. That¡¯s just the tip of the iceberg. ¡®¡­ ¡­ CEO Yoo Jinho has a long tail.¡¯ 1 Tight. Hyeonmoo Gang closed his eyes tightly as he remembered the terrible experience he had with CEO Yoo Jinho. After that, Sung Suho, who was involved, hadpletely forgotten about the ck Tortoise Guild because he was busy dealing with foreign religions, but that was when Yoo Jinho¡¯s revenge really began. ¡®How dare you try to kill Suho?¡¯ Again, Yoo Jinho has a long, long back end. Is the representative an S-ss hunter? Arge guild? ¡®What should I do?¡¯ From Yoo Jinho¡¯s perspective, the ck Tortoise Guild was ultimately nothing more or less than apany whose CEO¡¯s sry was extremely high. For example, based on the standards of Yoo Jinho¡¯s youth, it is only an MCN (Multi Channel Network)pany founded by a veryrge Inte broadcaster with a huge number of subscribers, with only a slightly different job. Of course, about 10 years from now, the prestige of the Hunter Guild will increase significantly, but that time has not yete. On the other hand, Ajin Soft is a leading conglomerate. The difference in terms ofpany size is enormous. There were countless ways for Yoo Jinho to ¡®legally¡¯ pressure the ck Tortoise Guild. As a result¡­ The ck Tortoise Guild was on the verge of copse these days. The entire process and results are extremely just and legal. It¡¯s a hunter, and nopany doesn¡¯t get dusted by dusting it off. ¡°¡­ ¡­ ha ha ha. Well, now that we¡¯re both S-ss hunters, let¡¯s forget about the little things that happened in the meantime. So how much do you want?¡± In that sense, the ck Tortoise Guild was now more desperate than ever. From the moment he arrives at the association to recruit a new S-ss hunter and realizes that his true identity is ¡®Sung Suho¡¯, the origin of all the incidents. ck Tortoise Guild, who had been grinding his teeth against Suho for a while, made up his mind. ¡®okay. It¡¯s a good thing that it¡¯s S-ss. There is only one way for our guild to escape from that terrible person, Yoo Jinho, and revive the knights. Holding Sung Suho in my hand and shaking it!¡¯ He decided to recruit Sung Suho to the ck Tortoise Guild. Woojin guild? Is Ajin Soft holding on behind it? So, if Sung Suho decides to join the ck Tortoise guild on his own, what can even Yoo Jinho of the world do? You have a runestone that allows you to summon as many as two additional creatures! 1 ¡®If you¡¯re an S-ss summoner, you wouldn¡¯t dare refuse my offer. These runes are something that cannot be bought with money.¡¯ It was Hyeonmoo Gang, shaking hands with Suho with a meaningful smile. And then. Other S-ss hunters began to arrive at the association. Lim Tae-gyu of the Reaper Guild. Baek Yoonho of the White Tiger Guild. Eunseok of the Blue Dragon Guild. Ma Dongwook of the Fame. 3 And even Baek Mi-Ho, who followed Baek Yoonho. ¡°Hyeonmoo Gang! ¡°Get away from Hunter Sung Suho right now!¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­ Baek Mi-Ho?¡± Hyeonmoo Gang¡¯s expression suddenly distorted as he saw Baek Mi-Ho blocking Suho¡¯s path with a determined expression. Chapter 226 Chapter 226 The White Tiger Guild and the ck Tortoise Guild are a rivalry that everyone across the country knows. The size of the hunters they have and the brand value are simr. That¡¯s because the namees from the White Tiger and ck Tortoise of the four directions. The two guilds were always lumped together as a set and were on people¡¯s lips. However, this was truly unfair from the ck Tortoise Guild¡¯s perspective. ¡®Our guild was created a year earlier!¡¯ In the first ce, ¡®ck Tortoise¡¯ was not the ck Tortoise of the four directions. ¡®ck Tortoise of the Hyeonmoo Gang! ¡®I just named it after the representative¡¯s name!¡¯ Yes. In fact, it was just a name I came up with intuitively. But one day, a yearter. Suddenly, a man named Baek Yoonho left the Reaper Guild and founded the ¡®White Tiger Guild¡¯ named after himself. From then on, White Tiger Guild and ck Tortoise Guild began toe up as a set in people¡¯s mouths. From there, the ck Tortoise Guild began to have more and more headaches. Friendlypetition? Everything is good. Competition between guilds was okay. The problem was Baek Yoonho. ¡®what? Baek Yoonho, that hypocritical person donated again?!¡¯ It was crazy. On the subject of a new guild that was created a year or soter. Just quietly go hunting and make money. The White Tiger Guild started doing too many good deeds for no reason. Targeting a field that doesn¡¯t make any money. Like saving low-level hunters. Taking care of the welfare of miners. As a result, the White Tiger Guild grew at an rming rate. People began to praise Baek Yoonho in unison. As a result, I suddenly started getting criticized for beingpared to ck Tortoise Guild because their names were simr. In terms of sales alone, the White Tiger Guild could never beat the ck Tortoise Guild. Because I only choose things that don¡¯t make money! 1 On the other hand, the brand value was quickly overtaken. The middle and lower level hunters who had just awakened also revered the White Tiger Guild and were anxious to join it. As a result, the White Tiger Guild was always overflowing with applicants, and the number of hunters applying to the ck Tortoise Guild, which was rtively reviled, gradually decreased. Then, when the White Tiger Guild announced that from now on it would only hire hunters with the skill to be a beast, the number of people applying to the ck Tortoise Guild increased again, but that was also unlucky for Hyeonmoo Gang. At that time, the beast hunters were treated as half-human beasts by the citizens and were objects of fear, so Baek Yoonho, who was in the same position as them, made a bold decision to personally embrace them, which once again won great favor among the people. At that time, it was natural for the Hyunmu Guild to bepared again and be a hot topic among people. ¡­ ¡­ because of this. Strictly speaking, the two guilds were not on bad terms with each other, but the ck Tortoise guild unterally disliked the White Tiger guild. ¡°Baek Mi-ho.¡± red at Baek Mi-ho in front of them with disapproving eyes. ¡°What are we going to do now?¡± ¡°So Hyeonmoo Gang, what are you trying to do to Hunter Seong Su-ho?¡± ¡°I am simply making a recruitment proposal to a new S-ss hunter. ¡°They were also offering very generous contract term s.¡± ¡°Not a ve contract?¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­ Baek Yoonho.¡± At that moment, Hyun Moo-gang¡¯s impression was crumpled once again when he saw Baek Yoonho appear next to Baek M 1 i-ho. 1 ¡°ve contracts, what kind of nonsense is that?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you know better? ¡°There are rumors spreading throughout the industry that the ck Tortoise Guild is forcing hunters to sign ve contracts.¡± ¡°under! Such fake news¡­ ¡­ .¡± ¡°Fake news? 10 year contract. Huge penalty for leaving the guild. ¡°Can you confidently say that it¡¯s really fake news?¡± I flinch. ck Tortoise-gang¡¯s expression momentarily flinched at Baek Mi-ho¡¯s words, but instead he stepped forward with an even mo re shameless look on his face. ¡°There is clearly a confidentiality use in the contract, but it seems there were some people who kept their mouths shut. Yes, there is definitely such a contract. ¡°But what¡¯s so bad about that?¡± ¡°what?¡± ¡°This is a contract that the hunters themselves decided and signed. Penalty for withdrawal? What is that? ¡°Isn¡¯t this a natur al use since we paid arge down payment?¡± ¡°Of course? ¡°It¡¯s only been two years since the cataclysm urred, so what¡¯s tying Hunters up for 10 years but a ve con tract?¡± Suho scratched his cheek while looking at the people fiercely arguing over him. ¡®¡­ ¡­ There is no room to intervene.¡¯ It¡¯s embarrassing. I have no intention of signing a contract with anyone, Hyunmu Guild or anywhere else. 1 Rather, what was more important to Suho was how many S-ss hunters were gathered in the association. ¡®¡­ ¡­ Could it be that there are only five people?¡¯ In order to go to North Korea, the approval votes of five S-ss hunters were required. However, only five people gathered. He turned his head and looked at General Manager Lee Se-hwan, who created this ce. Director Lee Se-hwan, who was busy chatting with his subordinates behind the scenes, caught Su-ho¡¯s gaze and shook his head and said. ¡°okay. I guess this is it. ¡°Other S-ss hunters have been unable to contact me because they are raiding dungeons, or have expressed their intention to decline, saying they are busy.¡± In fact, S-ss hunters rarely gather in one ce except for reasons like today. Because they were so busy, it was difficult to keep their schedules in sync, and the opportunity costs that would be missed in the meantime were enormous. Then, if a dungeon break breaks out in the distance, who will take responsibility for the countless sacrifices made by citizen s? So, even today, there were only five S-ss hunters who ultimately epted the association¡¯s invitation. The remaining people couldn¡¯t be contacted because they were in the middle of raiding the dungeon, or they responded tha t they wouldn¡¯t be able toe. ¡°But consider yourself fortunate that the five of us somehow gathered together. The problem is that everyone here must all ow you to go to North Korea¡­ ¡­ .¡± After hearing Director Lee Se-hwan¡¯s words, Su-ho looked at the five S-ss hunters, excluding Baek Mi-ho, one by one. First, Lim Tae-gyu of the Reaper Guild. He asked, looking at Suho¡¯s side. ¡°Suho. I can¡¯t see Do-gyun, where is he and what is he doing these days? ¡°You couldn¡¯t have taken him all the way to Indi a, right?¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­ ¡°I¡¯ve been running hard on the treadmill at the gym these days.¡± ¡°Oh, really? Good. ¡°Moderate exercise is good for your health.¡± ¡°yes. sure.¡± Although it is not very appropriate, it will definitely be good for your health if your lower body is strong. Thanks to the mummy bandages and healing potion, there is no need to worry about dying. ¡°¡­ ¡­ .¡± Still, without realizing it, Suho was avoiding Lim Tae-gyu¡¯s eyes. Anyway, the other four. Baek Yoonho and Hyun Moo-gang are fighting hard in front. And then the two men and women behind them caught Suho¡¯s eyes. Eunseok of the Blue Dragon Guild. 4 Ma Dong-wook of the Fame Guild. ¡°Don¡¯t you think it will be easier than you think?¡± At that moment, Lim Tae-gyu was next to him and spoke up for Su-ho. ¡°Iknow, right.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know about me and Baek Yoonho, but the other three won¡¯t ept you so readily. ¡°We S-ss hunters arepeting with each other due to conflicts of interest between guilds, and at the same time, we don¡¯t want other S-sses to go to North Korea and die.¡± Lim Tae-gyu continued his exnation, leisurely crossing his arms and leaning his back against the wall. ¡°Regardless of national prestige or security issues, if there is one fewer S-ss member right now, those of us who remain will be busier. It might be easy for you because you have a lot of summons, but we are no joke, we are so busy that we are almost dying. But how did you really end up with so many summoned beasts?¡± ¡°I just happened to see it.¡± ¡°Turning words. I came here because I was curious about that, so if you just answer that question properly this time, I will a llow you to go to North Korea or whatever. ¡°On the condition that I won¡¯t take Do-gyun with me.¡± Lim Tae-gyu was always worried about his son. In fact, at this very moment, the son was suffering to the point of death from Ammut before North Korea, but sometimes ig norance is medicine. 1 ¡°Anyway, in order to gain the consent of all five people gathered here, it is essential to prove one¡¯s own strength. You will h ave to listen to the requirements presented by each person. ¡°It might have been better if there were more people, but since t here were only five people gathered, you are now a strict member.¡± [Solord. You ignore thews of these ugly people. Is there a way for us to just secretly go on our own for the sake of the gre ater good?] At that moment, it was Beru who was next to Suho, sticking his face out and whispering like a devil. Then, on the other side, Quay, a former viin, showed his face and whispered like an angel. [You must not be deceived by such devilish words! The moment you are caught, the Master will be a wanted S-ss viin! In that case, how about killing everyone gathered here and destroying the evidence? Should I secretly sting you with a poison needle?] [King of bugs, Queresha of the gue, his eyes sparkle.] ¡°¡­ ¡­ .¡± It was Suho who silently pushed Beru and Quay into the shadows. Just then, Eunseok and Ma Dong-wook came up to Suho and started talking. ¡°Wow, what were they just doing? You said you were an S-ss summoner. Are those your summons? It looks simr to the ck guys I saw in the Loktak video? no way?¡± Eunseok, the representative of the Blue Dragon Guild, was abat hunter with a specialty in closebat, and a pers on with fighting spirit oozing from his body made of solid muscles. He must have stopped by while raiding the dungeon just a moment ago, and was fully armed with gauntlets and armor stai ned with the blood of a demonic beast. On the other hand, Hunter Ma Dong-wook of the Fame Guild was an old man with a warm-faced appearance who was wearing loose-fitting clothes as if he were out of town, let alone armed. But the problem is its size. ¡°haha. ¡°You are the new S-ss hunter!¡± Ma Dong-wook, an extremelyrge old man whose body was so enormous that it was doubtful whether he was even huma n, came in front of Su-ho with a kind smile. Then, he touched Suho¡¯s shoulders and arms and was amazed. ¡°oh! The body is very solid! What a great physique! Oh my, that was rude. My name is Ma Dong-wook. ¡°He leads a famous guild in Honam.¡± He was groping Suho¡¯s body and btedly shook his hand, and Suho also greeted him and shook his hand. however. ¡°Nice to meet you. My name is Seong Su-ho¡­ ¡­ .¡± Wow. ¡°¡­ ¡­ ?¡± Suddenly, Ma Dong-wook, who was holding Su-ho¡¯s hand, began to feel an enormous grip. When Suho raised his head with a puzzled expression, Ma Dong-wook¡¯s expression looking down at him suddenly had a mi schievous look mixed in. ¡°I was curious. ¡°Did you really burst that huge beast with your fern-like fists?¡± Unlike Eunseok, Ma Dong-wook¡¯s only interest was power. The ck beasts that were widely known to be Dungeon Break were controversial, but the scene where Suho burst a huge beast like a balloon with a single punch was broadcast live around the world. ¡°Let me see how I can hold on to my strength. ¡°That¡¯s the end of my requirements.¡± Coo coo coo coo¡­ ¡­ ! A mountain-like force began to radiate in all directions from the entire body of the superrge S-ss hunter, who was clu tching Suho¡¯s hand. ¡®This power¡­ ¡­ ¡®I¡¯m serious.¡¯ Suho was in a simr situation to when he first met Thomas Andre, so he wasn¡¯t embarrassed anymore. ¡®I haven¡¯t seen one or two grandfathers who like to boast about their strength.¡¯ Suho smiled and asked Ma Dong-wook. ¡°Is that really your only requirement?¡± ¡°Hoo. Can you hold on to this? of course! If I sent a guy who couldn¡¯t even withstand my strength to North Korea, I¡¯d be so worried that I couldn¡¯t sleep¡­ ¡­ Huh?!¡± Moment. Ma Dong-wook¡¯s expression, who had beenughing heartily and tightening his grip even more, crumpled. ¡°Keuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu¡­ ¡­ !¡± Something shocking started to happen. ¡­ ¡­ ?! Baek Yoonho, Baek Mi-ho, and Hyun Moo-gang, who were fighting next to him at that unusual appearance, stopped talking and looked at him with wide eyes. Ma Dong-wook¡¯s face turns bright red and he grits his teeth. He started out as a joke, but now he has started to increase his magical power to withstand the power of Suho. The air around the area spread around Suho and Ma Dong-wook. Suho¡¯s calm voice flowed from the center. ¡°Director Se-hwan Lee.¡± ¡°Uh, huh?!¡± Lee Se-hwan, who had been frozen in embarrassment next to him, came to his senses and hastily responded to Su-ho¡¯s w ords. ¡°Are there any A-level healers in the association right now?¡± ¡°Of course. ¡°Why is that?¡± Again, it is notmon for S-ss hunters to gather like today. And because they always hang out with the weak they are supposed to protect. Things like this always happened at these meetings. Things like organizing ranks or sparring where one exchanges strength in the spirit of pure training. So, this time too, Director Lee Se-hwan had an A-ss healer on standby in case of emergency. For reference, an A-level hunter had the ability to regenerate limbs even if they were cut off. ¡°Then it will be okay.¡± Upon hearing Director Lee Se-hwan¡¯s answer, a smile appeared on Suho¡¯s lips. and. Kwasik! ¡°¡­ ¡­ !¡± A silent scream burst from Ma Dong-wook¡¯s mouth. Chapter 227 Chapter 227 At the same time as awakening this ability, awakened people instinctively realize their own power and can use their power ording to their own color. And in the case of Ma Dong-wook, who has followed a single path as a judo artist his entire life, the color was ¡®power¡¯ itself. Incredible strength. The strongest skill appropriate for him was engraved into his body the moment he awakened to S-ss. ¡®Skill, bing bigger¡¯ Toad! Feeling threatened, Ma Dong-wook¡¯s body instantly swelled. The baggy clothes on his body became tight and soon tore apart. Suho used his deeply ingrained judo skills, which he had practiced thousands and tens of thousands of times over the past 1 decades. Whoa! The sound of strong wind passes by my ears. Ma Dong-wook used his tremendous strength to pull Su-ho¡¯s body. And with that force, he pinned him to the floor. no. I tried to do that. ¡®¡­ ¡­ uh?¡¯ Huh- What happened? In an instant, Ma Dong-wook saw his vision turned upside down. The expressions of astonishment on the faces of people looking at this side passed by quickly. and. For a brief moment, I saw stars. Kuwaan-! ¡°Huh?!¡± Pain followedter along with a shrill scream. Although it was only for a moment, I think I fainted. Ma Dong-wook suddenly came to his senses and finally realized. The fact that the person who was miserably pinned to the ground was not Suho, but himself. ¡°¡­ ¡­ her.¡± Pain was pain, and a hollowugh burst out from my lungs. Superior weight ss and skilled technique. However, Suho had a pure power that overwhelmed everything. Tuk. What followed was the moment when Suho let go of Ma Dong-wook¡¯s hand. His arm was as weak as a corpse. The movement was fluid, like some kind of mollusk. ¡­ ¡­ ! And it really went crazy. I could see the medical staff and A-level healer waiting in the distance rushing towards me in a hurry. Through their words, Ma Dong-wook learned that all the bones in his hands and arms were broken. * * * ¡°Uh-huh! After all, young people can¡¯t handle it!¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­ ¡°Are you okay?¡± ¡°Of course it¡¯s okay! Why are they making such a fuss about a broken bone? I am the most tenacious tanker in our country! ¡°Hehehe!¡± ¡°I¡¯m d you stopped. ha.¡± Director Lee Se-hwan breathed a sigh of relief as he looked at Ma Dong-wook, who was receiving treatment from an A-level healer, smiling brightly and without speed. Then, wiping the cold sweat from his forehead, he slowly turned his head back. There, he could see S-ss hunters with expressions much more serious than his own. I feel sorry for Hunter Ma Dong-wook, but I felt a little refreshed. ¡®I wonder if someone is my brother¡¯s son, really¡­ ¡­ . Thanks to Hunter Ma Dong-wook, I had a proper hazing ceremony.¡¯ No, is it really correct to describe this as hazing? ¡®¡­ ¡­ It¡¯s really crazy.¡¯ ¡®You used your power to crush the world¡¯s Ma Dong-wook?¡¯ Even Lim Tae-gyu and Baek Mi-ho, who were well aware of Su-ho¡¯s power, could not calm their shocked hearts. If the battle had been fought usingbat abilities or skills, no one would have been so surprised. I¡¯m not just saying this, Ma Dong-wook was actually the strongest S-ss tank in Korea. Power is power. If you¡¯re stubborn, you¡¯re stubborn. Ma Dong-wook, a man who looked like a hunky old man from this friendly neighborhood, possessed such strength that he could break the neck of an A-level magician with his bare hands. However, Seong Su-ho defeated Ma Dong-wook through pure powerpetition. ¡®Even though I used the giantization skill, I was helpless.¡¯ ¡®How strong does it have to be to get results like this?¡¯ In my mind, I wonder if the defense of the demon that Suho blew up like a balloon, which I saw in the Indian video, was weaker than it looked? The minds of those who had doubts have now turned white. On the other hand, Ma Dong-wook seemed to quite like Seong Su-ho. ¡°Hehehe! Seong Su-ho, this guy is a real gal! Are you really not nning on joining our guild? No, how about you be the guild leader instead of me? ¡°I don¡¯t want to get into trouble with witches at this age.¡± He joked with Seong Su-ho while fiddling with his hands, which were still numb after receiving treatment. Then, I felt the strange atmosphere surrounding Seong Su-ho and burst intoughter. ¡°haha. ¡°I¡¯m the one who got hurt, but why is the atmosphere like this?¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­ .¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­ .¡± The S-ss hunters, who had witnessed Seong Su-ho¡¯s power thanks to Ma Dong-wook, kept a heavy silence. In particr, there was one person whose face waspletely white. That¡¯s Hyeonmu gang. Just a moment ago, his hand, which had been shaking Suho¡¯s hand, was shaking slightly. He was so pale that he didn¡¯t even notice that his hands were wet with cold sweat. ¡®¡­ ¡­ What kind of crazy writer wrote nonsense about Seong Su-ho being a summoner on his profile?¡¯ It was a mistake to naively believe in the information power of the association in the first ce. what? S-ss summoner? Are they really crazy? Because the reawakened person¡¯s original abilities were insufficient, the possibility that the type of ability changed upon reawakening was overlooked. In the first ce, reawakening itself is a rare case, so it is not strange if any variables ur. ncing. Hyeonmu-gang¡¯s eyes unconsciously turned to Seo Ji-woo of the Blue Dragon Guild next to him. ¡®Seo Ji-woo¡­ ¡­ Now that I think about it, that woman was also a reawakener.¡¯ 8 In Seo Ji-woo¡¯s case, it was a case of reawakening and bing younger. 2 As his physical strength rose to the extreme level of S-ss, an unexpected effect caused him to look younger to the point where he looked like he was in his 20s. But his real age is¡­ ¡­ . 1 ¡®¡­ ¡­ ¡®We asked the association to keep the information confidential so that no one would know.¡¯ As such, the association is generous to S-ss hunters. So, Seong Su-ho, who was originally a summoner and is now an S-ss reawakener, has been reborn as a tank with a power that surpasses that of Ma Dong-wook. And that fact must have been ¡®intentionally¡¯ hidden. Maybe he was aiming for this situation. If you make a strong first impression on other S-ss hunters, it will be easier to persuade them to attack North Korea. ¡®You yed well.¡¯ Hyeonmu-gang¡¯s face became hot from the shame that was slowly rising. What did you say earlier? I can¡¯t believe he triumphantly presented a summoning-rted rune stone to a tanker who used more ignorant power than Ma Dong-wook! ¡®Holy shit!¡¯ But I couldn¡¯t give up like this. In order to escape from the clutches of that cruel and persistent CEO Jin-ho Yoo, you must recruit Seong Su-ho! He shook his head desperately. ¡®Anyway, what Seong Su-ho wants is to attack North Korea. There¡¯s still a chance.¡¯ He had already read that, except for himself, other S-ss hunters were favoring Seong Su-ho. However, even if these four people are in favor of Su-ho going to North Korea, Seong Su-ho will not be able to achieve what he wants if he votes against it anyway. Of course, even if he was against it, Seong Su-ho still had the option of going to other S-ss hunters who did not participate today and begging for them. ¡®But it¡¯s impossible.¡¯ I was confident. Anyway, the S-ss people who weren¡¯t here today are not interested in Seong Su-ho. In fact, I thought that the birth of a new S-ss hunter would reduce the workload, but no one would wee the idea of leaving for North Korea. ¡®So, in the end, myst vote is decisive. Let¡¯s see. If the rune stone doesn¡¯t work, should I ask you to join our guild as my requirement?¡¯ Of course, if you do that, other guys will rebel. Just looking at the current atmosphere, it seems like both parties want Seong Su-ho to join their guild. ¡®But I¡¯m different.¡¯ In the first ce, his goal was not to recruit Seong Su-ho. His only goal is to use Seong Su-ho thoroughly and escape from Yoo Jin-ho¡¯s clutches. ¡®Whether it¡¯s recruiting or anything else, I¡¯ll do anything as long as I can use Seong Su-ho as a means of dealing with CEO Jin-ho Yoo. It would be easier if you were a tank rather than a summoner or something. ¡®You can offer expensive armor.¡¯ Just like Ma Dong-wook, fighting against demonic beasts with your bare body is not something you can do just because you are strong. Rather, the stronger the power, the more problematic it bes. If you swing the sword with that kind of force, the de will quickly chip or breakpletely. The gauntlets that Seo Ji-woo wears on both hands are also consumables. 2 It is natural that the more you fight, the more the durability of the armor and weapons you wear decreases. So what is needed is a sturdy weapon refined from expensive magic stones. ¡®And in our guild, there are a lot of expensive weapons that tankers would be happy to see.¡¯ It was a moment when Hyun Moo-gang¡¯s eyes sparkled with confidence again. ¡°haha. But it¡¯s fascinating.¡± Ma Dong-wook, who had finally recovered from his injury, was amazed as he looked around the association¡¯s gymnasium where they were currently gathered with a new look on his face. ¡°What on earth is this building? Even after all this mess, the floor is still intact. Could it be that the building was built entirely out of magic stones?¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­ ?!¡± ¡°Yes that¡¯s right. ¡°It is a recentlypleted gymnasium for training and other special purposes for the association¡¯s hunters.¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­ !¡± When Director Lee Se-hwan nodded and answered, Hyun Moo-gang¡¯s eyes widened in astonishment. Only then did the other S-ss hunters realize that they had been so focused on Seongsu-ho that they had not been paying attention, and they looked around and opened their mouths. ¡°oh my god. ¡°Is it real?¡± ¡°It must have cost a huge amount of money to build a building of this size with magic stones.¡± ¡°Did the association have that much money?¡± It was ridiculous. Even as arge guild, they could not even think of creating a training center of this size in their guild headquarters. It¡¯s only been two years since the cataclysm urred. No matter howrge the guild was, it did not already have the financial power to invest this much money in the building alone. No, I was making more money than that, but I was busy spending it on making and repairing the weapons of my guild members, which quickly broke after just one walk through the dungeon. Of course, they had built a small, sturdy training center for their guild members in their guild headquarters, but they could not even imagine something of this scale. In order to build a training facility of this size, you have to work hard to save up money for at least 3, or even 5 years¡­ ¡­ . Startle. ¡°for a moment. ¡°Is this really happening again?¡± At that moment, a name suddenly appeared in everyone¡¯s mind. When ites to things that are ahead of the times like this, there are three names that always follow. ¡°What else has President Woo Jin-cheol done?¡± ¡°Have you received any government support?¡± ¡°No, it will take at least a year just to build the building?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no way the country would have allowed this much moneyst year? ¡°There is something called a government budget!¡± Perhaps satisfied with their surprised reactions, Director Lee Se-hwan smiled and answered. ¡°yes. Of course, there was no government support, but there were good investors. ¡°This building was part of a project that the president of the association started even before he left for North Korea.¡± ¡°project?¡± ¡°investor?¡± At those words, everyone, including Baek Yunho, raised their eyebrows. ¡°You¡¯re an investor? Could it be that an association that is supposed to remain neutral has started receiving investment from privatepanies?¡± ¡°If this is the case, how is this association any different from a private guild like ours?¡± ¡°Ah, I think there is a bit of a misunderstanding in that regard.¡± Director Lee Se-hwan was able to fully understand the reactions of the sharpening S-ss hunters. ¡®¡­ ¡­ ¡®I was quite surprised to hear it from the president of the association toote.¡¯ As they im, it was an international rule that a hunter association representing a country should not belong to any organization. Because the Hunter Association holds the abilities and information of all hunters in the country, there is a risk that the information may be used carelessly for someone¡¯s personal gain after receiving investment from an individual or a specific organization. but. ¡°Everyone will know. The fact that our country¡¯s hunter association was the first to be established in the world. ¡°It is an organization that wasunched much earlier than the International Hunter Association.¡± ¡°What is that?¡± ¡°Why does that worde up here?¡± ¡°Hmm. therefore¡­ ¡­ .¡± Director Lee Se-hwan was not at all intimidated in front of the S-ss hunters, and just conveyed the truth he knew with a confident smile on his face. ¡°This means that our country¡¯s hunter association is the only organization in the world that deviates from internationalw.¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­ what?¡± ¡°What is that?¡± The hunters, who sensed something strange in those words, froze. Woo Jin-cheol, president of the association. He was originally a police chief, but at the same time as the cataclysm, he received government permission and founded the Hunter Association. And he was a national hero who worked for the rights of hunters and the stability of citizens more than anyone else. He was like that¡­ ¡­ no way? ¡°In short, the Hunter Association of Korea is nothing more than President Woo Jin-cheol¡¯s national personal guild created with government approval.¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­ !¡± ¡°Of course, as you all know, the president of the association has not used the association to satisfy any self-interest. So I think everyone is mistaken, but the Hunter Association belongs to the president in the first ce. This means that the president of the association can receive investment from anyone he wishes. Of course, there is no problem whether it is international law or domesticw.¡± The S-ss hunters gathered at the association were unable to show any reaction to the somewhat shocking words, with their expressions stiff. It was difficult to interpret exactly what legal force the words they heard had. Does that mean that Chairman Woo Jin-cheol can give orders to all hunter guilds in Korea if he wants to? How can thew be so lenient? No, why on earth did Woo Jin-cheol do such a thing before that? While everyone is confused. Among the people gathered here, there was the only one who was not embarrassed. It¡¯s Seong Su-ho. ¡°so¡­ ¡­ ¡°Who is that investor?¡± Even as he asked, Suho somehow felt like he already knew the answer. And before the answer coulde out of Director Lee Se-hwan¡¯s mouth, the door to the gym opened and a sound came from behind them. Jump up! ¡°Suho! ¡°You, this guy, went to a dangerous ce without even telling me!¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­ Uncle.¡± ¡°Say hello. ¡°This is CEO Yoo Jin-ho, an investor in the Korea Hunter Association.¡± Chapter 228 Chapter 228 Woo Jinchul is revered as a national hero in Korea. The shock that the S-ss hunters received when they learned of the secret that the association president had been hiding was indescribably great. An association that should have taken a middle path was receiving support from privatepanies behind the scenes! However, as soon as Suho opened the door and saw Yoo Jinho appear, he vaguely realized the reason. Woo Jinchul. The president of the association, who was a long-time friend and colleague of his father, Seong Jinwoo, was a person who lived with all the memories of a past era that has now been forgotten. So when another cataclysm urred on Earth in this world, what was the first thought that came to mind? ¡®¡­ ¡­ ¡®Not having a father.¡¯ Yes. The first emotion he felt was an unending anxiety. Seong Jin-oo, who protected the Earth with powerful power and noble sacrifice in the past world, suddenly disappeared in this world. 1 A world without Sung Jinwoo! Could there be a world as unstable and ominous as this? This feeling was a very existential anxiety that only Woo Jinchul, who had personally experienced all the horrors of the past era, could feel. If Sung Jinwoo is not there, who will be able to protect this world in his ce this time? ¡®does not exist.¡¯ Woo Jinchul was able to say for sure. There is no one who can rece Sung Jin-woo. therefore¡­ ¡­ . ¡®Let¡¯s believe.¡¯ You just have to believe. Hunter Sung Jinwoo will definitelye back! ¡®Then let me do what I can for that time.¡¯ So he started doing what he was most confident and familiar with. Just creating an association. But there was a problem here too. ¡®This time, Association President Go Geon-hee is not there.¡¯ 2 Unfortunately, in the past, the president of the Korean Hunter Association, Go Geon-hee, had died from old age. Go Geon-hee, who was the chairman of argepany, generously invested his enormous wealth in the past to create the Korean Hunter Association. Government help? Other investors? You can spend your own money, but is there any need for that? If there are no investors, there is no external pressure. It is possible to remain moderate without the support of a specific political party. And Go Gunhee was someone who could do that from the beginning. The Korean Hunter Association, which was created without anyone¡¯s help, was created solely as an organization for and by President Go Gunhee. However, despite being in such a position, Association President Go Geon-hee did not use all his power to dominate or dominate the hunters. There was no need to do that in the first ce. Self-interest? Desire for fame? In the first ce, such things are only necessary for low-ie people. 1 Go Gunhee was already the head of argepany who had achieved all the wealth and fame on his own when he was young, so he had no desire for anything. There was only one thing he desperately wanted. ¡®To fight together with young people to protect the world.¡¯ The association that existed solely with that upright and noble sense of mission was the association of President Ko Gunhee. ¡®¡­ ¡­ But I am not Chairman Ko Gunhee.¡¯ Woo Jinchul knew his own shorings. He did not have the same capital or power as Chairman Ko Gunhee. Police chief? Police chief? With such mediocre power, they could only be swayed by the government. So he tried desperately to make up for his shorings, and was eventually able to find an alternative solution. The answer was always close by. ¡®Yoo Jinho.¡¯ Yes. Yoo Jinho, Sung Jinwoo¡¯s only colleague and subordinate in the past era. In this era, he married Sung Jinwoo¡¯s younger sister and was tied to them through family ties. And in this world, Woo Jinchul also interacted with Yoo Jinho through Sung Jinwoo and became close friends. Although they weren¡¯t very close, the three of them had a few drinks together with Sung Jinwoo in between them. and. ¡®Ajin Soft CEO Yoo Jinho¡¯ He was the CEO of Ajin Soft, Korea¡¯s most famous gamepany, and the world¡¯s first virtual reality game. Possessing enormous financial power. ¡®okay. Let¡¯s get investment from CEO Yoo Jinho. If this is the method, there will be no problem even if Hunter Seong Jinwoo returns.¡¯ ¡­ ¡­ This was the reason why Woo Jinchul approached CEO Yoo Jinho to personally invest when forming the association. Although Yoo Jinho had no memories of the past era at the time, the ¡®project¡¯ proposed by Woo Jincheol was enough to persuade Yoo Jinho, who transformed into a thorough businessman. No, rather, Yoo Jinho¡¯s eyes shed as if he was very interested in his suggestion. -That¡¯s good. We will invest 10 times the amount of money you want. There is so much money that it will rot anyway. -¡­ ¡­ ? At this point, I was actually curious about Woo Jinchul, who had suggested it first. Yoo Jinho does not know Sung Jinwoo¡¯s true identity and has no memories of past times, so why does he trust Dae-joint so much? -It¡¯s not because I believe it. It¡¯s to protect ourpany. However, the answer that came back from Yoo Jinho waspletely different. ¨C Even at this moment, the power of the hunters is growing more and more. It is said that hunters already rule like kings in some weak countries. In this situation, how long can thew and public power protect us? Yoo Jinho¡¯s voice was heavy. -So, if I had the chance someday, I was nning to gather trustworthy hunters and form a group. But before that, an association that unites all hunters in Korea must be formed. And he smiled meaningfully as he unfolded the ¡®project n¡¯ presented by Woo Jinchul. -In that sense, I think this ¡®Hunters¡¯ Virtual Reality Training Project¡¯ that you proposed will be very beneficial to ourpany. However, let¡¯s increase the scale a little. -¡­ ¡­ ? -I think it would be better to open this game to the general public, not just for hunters. -Are you also talking about non-awakened people? -Yes. I would like to provide ourpany¡¯s users with the experience of bing a hunter in the game and running through dungeons to hunt demonic beasts. We are fundamentally a gamingpany. Woo Jinchul thought for a moment at the unexpected words. -¡­ ¡­ What this means is that all information provided by the association will be disclosed to the general public. However, if this factter bes known to the public, the association may be criticized. -At that time, I will take responsibility and defend you. In the first ce, you make money to spend it on those asions. Including all the risks, it is 10 times the investment amount. -¡­ ¡­ . Woo Jinchul was quite impressed by the meaningful smile of Yoo Jinho, who actually increased the scale of his proposal by more than 10 times. I waspletely mistaken. The man sitting in front of him was no longer the childish boy who followed Sung Jinwoo around. Unlike the past era when he was born as a second-generation chaebol and did not know anything about the world, this era¡¯s Yoo Jinho has grown older and grown into a full-fledged adult, or rather, a giant. And although he didn¡¯t seem to realize it, his adult appearance was like¡­ ¡®The most famous chairman in the business world¡¯ Yes. Without realizing it, Yoo Jinho was following in the footsteps of his father, the famous chairman. Even that ability. A thorough businessman who gave up all authority and favorable conditions as a second-generation chaebol and grew Ajin Soft, which he founded from scratch, into a leading conglomerate. That is the man Yoo Jinho of the present era. And he once again emphasized the first thing Woo Jinchul said to him. -And never forget your initial promise. A promise that from the moment the association is stabilized, we will use all the power of the association to find the whereabouts of my missing brother and his wife. -Of course. That is a higher priority for me than anything else. Suddenly. Woo Jinchul and Yoo Jinho looked at each other as they shook hands firmly, concluding all agreements. In this way, the Hunter Association of the Republic of Korea, with Woo Jinchul as its president, secured enormous financial power, just as it did when Go Gunhee was the president of the association. Afterward, he was able to follow a thorough middle path without being pressured by any external forces. No, it wasn¡¯t actually a middle ground. The association was originally created for Woo Jinchul¡¯s very personal purposes. World peace? Citizen safety? Keeping viins in check? All those little reasons were incidental. From the beginning, Woo Jincheol had only one purpose in creating the association. ¡®For Hunter Sung Jinwoo!¡¯ Yes. From the beginning, the Hunter Association of Korea belonged to Sung Jinwoo, and for that purpose, Woo Jinchul prepared as best as he could. For when Sung Jinwoo, who suddenly disappeared without saying a word,es back to protect the world. To unite Korean hunters, no, people all over the world. ¡®Only then can the people of the world move as one centered around Hunter Sung Jinwoo.¡¯ ¡­ ¡­ That wasn¡¯t the case in the past world. Many countries and hunters did not believe in or acknowledge Sung Jinwoo¡¯s power for their own reasons. At that time, the countries that ignored Sung Jinwoo¡¯s strong warning to flee immediately and snorted werepletely destroyed and obliterated by the Dragon Emperor¡¯s legions. Because Woo Jinchul clearly remembers that tragedy. ¡®This time!¡¯ I will prepare well. In the first ce, I never dared to dream that something like this would be able to add even a little bit of strength to Sung Jinwoo¡¯s battle. Just to make sure they don¡¯t get caught up in Sung Jinwoo¡¯s actions. Shouldn¡¯t we alle together as one, listen well to what is said, and be good at running away? ¡­ ¡­ And so on. Ajin Soft¡¯s enormous investment money flowed into the association. In return, it was created using hunter information provided by the association and detailed mapping data of numerous dungeons¡­ ¡°I¡¯m the only one who levels up.¡± 3 It is a simtion training project for hunters and a virtual reality game that perfectly embodies a real dungeon. ¡°The game is finallyplete.¡± With the gamepleted, Yoo Jinho, who has returned to his memories of the past, no longer needs to hide his rtionship with the association. And there was no longer any need to wait vaguely for Sung Jinwoo to return to Earth. Although he is still not good enough, he has a son who has inherited his strength and is growing steadily. ¡®Okay. We have Suho.¡¯ Therefore, shouldn¡¯t adults be able to sort out the inconvenient things that block Suho¡¯s path? ¡°In that sense, we are recruiting hunters to participate in the closed beta test.¡± Yoo Jinho proudly dered to the S-ss hunters gathered in the gym with an extremely confident smile. ¡°However, only for those who supported Suho¡¯s attack on North Korea.¡± Smirk. As he said those words, Yoo Jinho¡¯s face, which was squinting one eye and winking at Suho, looked very simr to some one else¡¯s. He appears blunt and extremely cold-hearted at work, but in reality, he is a man with tremendous enthusiasm¡­ Like ¡®famous president¡¯. And the impact of what CEO Yoo Jinho said was enormous. ¡°Yoo, CEO Yoo! ¡°Has the Nahon Level game really beenpleted?¡± The S-ss hunters gathered here were all representatives ofrge guilds, and they had already been paying attention to the ¡®Level Up Only¡¯ game that Ajin Ajin Soft had been developing for a long time. Wasn¡¯t the project that the Hyeonmu Guild bothered Suho in the first ce, but then got ruined by Yoo Jinho? But for that very reason, the Hyeonmu Guild did not know more specific information about the Nahon Level game. Suho suddenly remembered something he once heard from Yoo Jinho¡¯s employee. -Yes. If the game does well, the Hunter Guild that helped will benefit greatly from the publicity. This is confidential, so please ask directly when you meet the CEO. Expensive publicity and money. For the Hunter Guild, it increases brand value, and in return, the gamepany gains reality that can bring about thrilling excitement in yers. For that very purpose, Ajin Soft was willing to cooperate even by paying high hunters¡¯ ransom. ¡®¡­ ¡­ At that time, the confidential thing was the hunters¡¯ mock training.¡¯ Suho nodded. At that time, I couldn¡¯t ask for more details about the game because I was trying to bring back Yoo Jinho¡¯s memories. But even if I knew, I probably wouldn¡¯t have paid attention. Because he could gain experience and level up only through directbat. However, unlike Suho, the value of Yoo Jinho¡¯s virtual reality game was inevitably feltpletely differently from the perspective of ordinary hunters who were unable to level up. ¡°Um, is simtion training really possible in virtual reality? ¡°To what extent is the synchronization?¡± ¡°Oh my god. So, is it possible to gain practicalbat experience against magical beasts there without worrying about getting hurt or dying?¡± ¡°If it¡¯s virtual reality, no matter how much you train, your weapon won¡¯t get damaged. It will be possible to train various strategies against the same boss mob!¡± Upon hearing that the game waspleted, the S-ss hunters¡¯ faces were filled with anticipation and excitement. Unlike the Hyeonmu Guild, the guilds that were already in close cooperation with Ajin Soft were well aware of its confidential information. But I never imagined that a project of that scale would already bepleted. CEO Yoo Jinho confidently answered their questions. ¡°Whatever you can imagine, we have prepared more.¡± ¡°Representative, please let us¡­¡± ¡­ .¡± Suddenly, it was Hyun Moo-gang who raised his arms and approved of Suho¡¯s strategy to conquer North Korea. Chapter 229 Chapter 229 In a macro sense, Yoo Jinho¡¯s n was quite simr to Woo Jinchul¡¯s goals. ¡®If Woo Jinchul wants to create an association and unite hunters, I will do so with money.¡¯ A mock training project using virtual reality was something that any hunter would enjoy. This was especially inevitable if he was the head of arge guild with thergest number of hunters. ¡°CEO Yu. ¡°Can our guild also participate in that project?¡± ¡°I want to participate too. If there is a limit to the number of people in the beta test, I want to try it first. ¡°I¡¯ll hand over as much data as I want.¡± 1 Starting with Hyeonmu-gang, other S-ss hunters also showed strong curiosity and interest. In fact, there was no ce for S-ss hunters to train to their heart¡¯s content. The entire area would be devastated if they were training and showed off their strength with all their might. In short, it is a natural disaster-level nuisance. Liu Zhigang, who was wandering around China and spraying sword energy everywhere he wanted, was not listening to the sounds of a crazy old man. The S-ss hunters, who knew that reality better than anyone else, had no choice but to ept the demands put forward by CEO Yoo Jinho willingly. ¡°North Korea? ¡°I will support you as much as I can.¡± ¡°They say it¡¯s okay to go through hardships when you¡¯re young, but what¡¯s the point if an old man stops you? ¡°Have a nice trip.¡± ¡°I agree too. ¡°He¡¯s a newbie who¡¯s stronger than Grandpa Ma Dong-wook, so he¡¯ll take care of it.¡± ¡°No, so when are you going to answer my question? ¡°What happened in India?¡± S-ss hunters actively gathered around Suho, showing their friendliness. ¡°Thank you all.¡± Although Lim Tae-gyu was a little annoying, Suho got the unanimous approval of the five S-ss hunters thanks to Yoo Jinho. However, like Association President Woo Jinchul, Yoo Jinho¡¯s goal inpleting the virtual training program was not because he wanted other hunters to help Sung Jinwoo or Sung Suho¡¯s battles. Quite the opposite. ¡®It is to give a taste of the true horror that humanity will faceter.¡¯ Jinho Yoo had a bitter look in his eyes as he looked at the S-ss hunters who had lost all their memories of the past era. Two years ago, when Woo Jinchul first brought up this n, Yoo Jinho joined hands with Woo Jincheol even though he had no memory of the past era. However, from the moment all his memories came back thanks to Suho, Jinho Yoo elerated the Nahon Rep project with thepany¡¯s efforts. The direction of the n has be much clearer than at first. ¡®It¡¯s true that it¡¯s a drill, but it¡¯s actually closer to an evacuation drill.¡¯ -No matter what you imagine, we have prepared more than that. They could not yet imagine what the true meaning of his words was. So, you can look forward to it. The difficulty level of the game you create must be extremely high. ¡®Because it has implemented an overwhelming level of difficulty that even an S-ss hunter can never handle.¡¯ So, may you despair and be frustrated endlessly in front of him. May they fully realize their helplessness and struggle as best as they can just to survive. In order to issue such a strong warning to all mankind, Yoo Jinho had tantly implemented a survival quest in the game in which yers were busy running away helplessly within the time limit. ¡®¡­ ¡­ This is the best preparation I can do. Brother Jinwoo.¡¯ It was Yoo Jinho who especially missed Sung Jinwoo today. He had a bitter expression on his face, recalling memories from a previous era that not all of those gathered here could remember. Especially when the battle with the Dragon Emperor is just around the corner. This is the interview where Sung Jinwoo gave a strong warning to the world. -Please move as far away from the gate as possible. I hope you run away even a little further away. Run away! That one word that Sung Jinwoo left was enough to move the whole world. At the warning that a number of demonic beasts would pour in that would be difficult for humanity to handle, frightened people tried their best to get away from the gate. The road quickly became clogged with cars, and horns red in every street, hurting the ears. However, the greater the movement, the greater the force opposing the movement. Not everyone trusted Jinwoo¡¯s words. -Tell me not to talk like shit! -Hunter Sung Jinwoo! No matter how much you scare people with bullshit, you won¡¯t be able to hog all the gates. Because I¡¯m not even scared of mosquito nose hairs! ¡®¡­ ¡­ ¡®Ignorance is brave.¡¯ Yes. Humanity was ignorant. People who don¡¯t know much to begin with don¡¯t even know what and how much they don¡¯t know. That¡¯s why they acted recklessly out of ignorance. Numerous hunters and countries ignored Sung Jinwoo¡¯s warning and instead showed their courage by saying that they would fight the Dragon Emperor¡¯s legions directly. Their desperate screams, despair, and futile deaths followed. Jinho Yoo remembered all those despairing scenes clearly. ¡®¡­ ¡­ So this time, I will let you experience it in advance. What true fear is.¡¯ How helpless humanity is against alien invaders. And when the reality of that fear really came upon humanity. ¡®¡­ ¡­ I hope everyone runs away without saying a word this time.¡¯ I absolutely trust the words of Sung Jinwoo and Sung Suho and hope to run away desperately this time. This was the true goal of the ¡®Project: Level Up Alone¡¯ that Woo Jinchul and himself nned. 1 ¡®¡­ ¡­ Of course, the best scenario is that that day neveres. Then this game can remain simply a fun game until the end.¡¯ Yoo Jinho, unaware of his true feelings, smiled brightly at the S-ss hunters who wanted to participate in the closed beta test of the solo-level game. He also gave Hyun Moo-gang, who had an earnest expression on his face, a chance. ¡°CEO Hyun Moo-gang. ¡°If so, would you like to participate in the beta test yourself?¡± ¡°yes? Are you really allowing our guild?¡± Hyeonmu-gang¡¯s expression suddenly brightened. But Yoo Jinho has a long back end. I have no ill feelings towards Hyun Moo-gang personally, but the price for putting Suho in danger due to poor management of his subordinates is by no means cheap. ¡°yes. If you wish, I will give CEO Hyun Moo-gang a chance to experience it first. In any case, data from S-ss hunters is also needed for thepleteness of the game.¡± ¡°thank you! Representative Yu!¡± Again, ignorance is bravery. I can assure you that now Hyeonmu-gang will experience extreme difficulty and taste despair before anyone else. 3 However, in the end, Beru was no better than Yoo Jinho. [Keeeeek! Please don¡¯t think this is the end! Couldn¡¯t I offer up the additional runestone for the summons you mentioned earlier?] ¡°¡­ ¡­ !¡± Hyun Moo-gang was startled and took a step back when he saw a ck shadow suddenly revealing its face in front of him and issuing an angrymand. ¡®Unbelievable?! ¡®I can¡¯t believe you don¡¯t feel any sign of me until I¡¯m right in front of you!¡¯ Despite its ferocious appearance, it was a cute summoned beast, but I couldn¡¯t help but feel goosebumps instinctively. Be that as it may, Beru grabbed Hyeonmu-gang by the cor with an even more menacing expression and threatened him. [There are only two of them, but know how great an honor it is to be able to provide even a little help to our small lord!] ¡°I¡¯ll give it to you¡­ ¡­ No, someone please help me with this summon¡­ ¡­ .¡± Hyeonmu-gang, who was grabbed by the cor by Suho¡¯s small and precious summon, was in a panic, not knowing what to do. Given the current situation, it was very difficult to shake off this small hand. Then a savior appeared. Seo Jiwoo is an S-ss hunter from the Blue Dragon Guild. As soon as the important conversation was over, Seo Jiwoo, who had shown interest in Beru since his first appearance, pointed to Beru and spoke to Suho. ¡°Hunter Sung Suho. I was curious earlier, but you are also a reawakener like me? Is that summoned animal from before reawakening? So now you have reawakened to thebat world? What are the new skills? ¡°What changes have urred?¡± Although she had been holding back from before, Seo Jiwoo had a lot of questions she wanted to ask from the moment she first saw Suho. ¡°Haha. Sorry for my many questions. ¡°Actually, I was so happy when I found out that this new recruit was a reawakener.¡± Suho, who was suddenly bombarded with questions from Seo Jiwoo, answered by gently tearing off Beru, who was threatening Hyun Moo-gang, with one hand. ¡°No. ¡°I was already curious.¡± [Keeeeek¡­ ¡­ !] ¡°I¡¯m d! So, shall we have a conversation with people in the same situation? Actually, it is, right? They say that reawakened people often appear, but in reality, most of the time it is due to an error in the magic power meter. However, this is the first time I have seen a case like you or me where someone suddenly became stronger in S-ss. ¡°If there is this much difference, there is no chance of a measurement error.¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­ .¡± Once Seo Jiwoo got the chance, she spoke non-stop. However, from Suho¡¯s perspective, he was sincere when he said he was curious. ¡®In my case, I made an excuse to say I was a reawakener because of the level-up system, but how did this person actually be a reawakener?¡¯ Seo Jiwoo is even a special case who reawakened and even looked younger. In many ways, Seo Jiwoo was amazing even from Suho¡¯s perspective. As if Seo Jiwoo had sensed Suho¡¯s thoughts, he started by asking the most important and curious questions rather than trivial questions. ¡°Oh, right! So can you answer this first? Do you also have any memories of the moment of reawakening?¡± ¡°A moment of reawakening?¡± ¡°huh. ¡°It¡¯s a really important issue to me.¡± When Suho asked again, Seo Jiwoo¡¯s eyes, which had been talking excitedly, suddenly became serious. And, recalling the moment of reawakening he had experienced, he spoke carefully. ¡°Perhaps you, Sung Suho¡­ ¡­ ¡°Are you someone who woke up from ptosis like me?¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­ ¡°Is it ptosis?¡± 1 ¡°Is it called ptosis?!¡± One word Seo Jiwoo uttered caused a more violent reaction from Yoo Jinho, who was next to him, than from Suho. Yoo Jinho defeated the other S-ss hunters he was dealing with and immediately joined in the conversation between Seo Jiwoo and Suho. ¡°Hunter Seo Jiwoo! Is that true? ¡°You¡¯re the one who woke up from Magic Sleeping Sickness?¡± Looking at Yoo Jinho¡¯s serious expression, Suho thought of a phenomenon called ¡®wing¡¯s sleep syndrome¡¯ that has started to ur all over the world these days. ¡®Magic Sleeping Sickness¡¯ This condition nicknamed the final sleep, was a social phenomenon in which people who could not adapt to the mana mixed in the air as the number of gates opened throughout the Earth increased and suddenly fell asleep, unable to wake up for days or months, forever. It was rtively recently that academia named it ¡®Magic Sleeping Sickness¡¯. Until then, the number of people suffering from Magic Sleeping Sickness was so small that it was difficult to establish statistics on the fact that it was a phenomenon rted to horsepower. 1 But these days, the number has been increasing. The medicalmunity, sensing the seriousness of this, btedly developed a life support device using magic stones and was barely able to keep them alive until they woke up. Suho, who was well aware of that fact, noticed something strange in Seo Jiwoo¡¯s words and asked. ¡°You said you woke up from ptosis and reawakened? As far as I know, somnolence is a phenomenon that only urs in people who are constitutionally mdapted to mana, but Hunter Seo Jiwoo¡­ ¡­ .¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. I had a case of ptosis while I was already active as a hunter. ¡°Looking at your reaction, it seems like Sung Suho is a different case from me.¡± Seo Jiwoo looked a little glum in response to Suho¡¯s reaction. There was a good reason for that. ¡°It¡¯s not just me. Even though all of my colleagues who were ¡®there¡¯ with me that day had mana adaptability, they fell into ptosis. ¡°I¡¯m the only one who woke up.¡± ¡°Where is this ce?¡± ¡°Double dungeon.¡± 1 ¡­ ¡­ ! At Seo Jiwoo¡¯s words, Suho and Yoo Jinho¡¯s expressions suddenly changed. Even Beru, who was sneaking out to threaten Hyeon Moo-gang again, had an expression on his face. At this moment, these three were each thinking of different things. ¡®If it¡¯s a double dungeon, is it really a void gate?¡¯ ¡®There can¡¯t be another legacy of the designer?¡¯ A moment of mixed emotions. Beru could assure you. The double dungeon that Seo Jiwoo entered with his colleagues would not be the double dungeon that Sung Jinwoo entered in the past, the Cartenon Temple. So what on earth happened to the hunters who went inside and got hypersomnia? Jinho Yoo was equally confused. ¡®Just like in the past, the number of people suffering from ptosis is increasing even now. But even then, I think the only people who woke up on their own were Jinwoo¡¯s mother and my father¡­ ¡­ .¡¯ On behalf of Yoo Jinho, who did not know the specific reason, Suho asked Seo Jiwoo an essential question. ¡°How did you wake up from ptosis?¡± ¡°Uhm. I gave the same answer to the medical staff back then, but the truth is, I don¡¯t know. ¡°The only answer was that I woke up by chance.¡± ¡°You have no idea why?¡± ¡°Okay. That¡¯s why I wanted to ask you instead. ¡°I thought that if you went through the same thing as me, you might know how to wake up my still-sleeping colleagues.¡± The higher the expectations, the greater the disappointment. Seeing Seo Jiwoo lowering her head with a bitter expression, Suho thought deeply and asked again. ¡°Then, did you have any dreams while you were sleeping?¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­ dream?¡± ¡°yes. In my case, the trigger for reawakening was a ¡®dream.''¡± Suho answered by condensing his experience into one word. It wasn¡¯t entirely wrong. It was as if I had epted the current level-up system in a dream I had because of my father during my adolescence. ¡°It¡¯s a dream¡­ ¡­ ¡°Yes, I had a dream.¡± Seo Jiwoo¡¯s expression became quite serious at Suho¡¯s question. A distant memory came to mind that I had seen while I was suffering from insomnia and fell into an endless sleep. ¡°¡­ ¡­ ¡°The ck sea.¡± ¡°The sea?¡± ¡°huh. The endless ck sea. There was nond anywhere, and I was floating aimlessly in a huge ocean with only water. All I could do there was float around like a corpse.¡± Seo Jiwoo covered her body with both hands as if even recalling the memory of that moment gave her goosebumps. ¡°Then I managed to grab something and clung on desperately.¡± And as soon as those words are over. [The King of Dragons and the Monarch of Destruction, slowly raised the corners of his mouth.] ¡°At that time, what I was clinging to was a huge¡­ ¡­ ¡°It was a tree.¡± At that moment, Suho realized what Yongje was trying to say. ¡°¡­ ¡­ World Tree.¡± Chapter 230 Chapter 230 [King of Dragons and the Monarch of Destruction, nods.] It was correct. I don¡¯t know how Dragon knew, but the identity of the tree that Seo Jiwoo desperately held onto while struggling in his dre 1 am was none other than the ¡®World Tree.¡¯ At that moment, a realization shed through Suho¡¯s mind. ¡®I understand how you reawakened. It¡¯s the same way as Vulcan.¡¯ Suho recalled the legend about Vulcan that had been told by the demons led by Esil. ¡®Volkan, the Demon of greed¡¯ Demons are broadly ssified into two categories. A demon with intelligence and a demon without intelligence. Demons with intelligence do not regard non-intelligence demons aspatriots, and treat them as insignificant creatures. Among them, Vulcan was clearly thetter. The lowest ss crawled servilely at the very bottom of the demon world and made a living by licking the scraps left behind by other demons. ¡®A worm that wriggles with just instinct¡¯ That was Vulcan¡¯s true identity. But Vulcan was very lucky. Although he was born weak and lowly, he continued to hide to avoid bing prey to the strong. The ¡®end of the world tree¡¯ was discovered quite by ident. and. Wow! Volkan instinctively broke the branches of the world tree in front of him and gorged on the leaves hanging from the branches. Then at that moment. Wow! Ahhh! ¡®¡­ ¡­ ¡®Evolved into a demon noble.¡¯ Suho was sure. Volkan ate the leaves of the World Tree and quickly evolved from the lowest-ss creature to a demon noble. And Hunter Seo Jiwoo of the Blue Dragon Guild, who met the World Tree in a dream and reawakened as an S-ss hunter. A clear simrity exists between these two. world tree. ¡®It¡¯s the same principle. Like Vulcan, Hunter Seo Jiwoo has evolved.¡¯ Suho felt like he had essed the truth about reawakened people who appear with a very rare probability around the world. * * * After a while. Only Seo Jiwoo remained in the association gym, and the other hunters left to attack the dungeon they had scheduled. Seo Jiwoo stayed behind to get some clues about ptosis from a conversation with Suho. Suho summoned the Dragon Emperor. ¡°Ragna.¡± ¡°Beep?¡± At Suho¡¯s call, a small and cute lizard appeared from his shadow. ¡°No, Antares. ¡°I have something to ask.¡± At that moment, Ragna¡¯s eyes, which had a stupid expression on his face, shone solemnly. [The spiritual body of ¡®Antares¡¯ appears in the priest¡¯s body.] Dragon Emperor Antares raised the corners of his mouth arrogantly as if he had been waiting. ¡°Okay. Ask. ¡°Now you have the right to ask.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a qualification¡­ ¡­ Right.¡± Those words reminded Suho of the advice his father¡¯s illusion had given himst time in the world of the Dragon Emperor. -Suho, I can tell you the location of the World Tree. But the road to get there won¡¯t be easy. It was not only Antares who wandered through the gaps in the dimension during the war but Sung Jinwoo was also the same. -But standing in front of the World Tree at your level now will only make it more dangerous. So, start building your strength now. -Antares will tell you the rest. With those words, Sung Jinwoo¡¯s illusion manipted the system to create a job change quest for Suho¡¯s growth and disappeared again. That¡¯s how the Dragon Emperor¡¯s trials began. Suho, who overcame two trials and obtained the ¡®Title: Qualifications of Dragon Emperor¡¯, now finally has the minimum qualifications to ask about the World Tree. ¡°Where is the World Tree?¡± Suho didn¡¯t care if Seo Jiwoo was listening to this conversation right now. In any case, these stories were useless information to those who were not ¡®qualified¡¯, and they were information that only applied to them. No, there was a possibility that I could get some advice if I listened to Seo Jiwoo, who had encountered the World Tree before. However, a strange expression appeared on Seo Jiwoo¡¯s face when she saw Suho picking up Ragna¡¯s body to talk to the dragon emperor. ¡°I heard you were a summoner before reawakening¡­ ¡­ Why are the summoned creatures so cute? ¡­ Hmm.¡± Seo Jiwoo unconsciously tried to extend her hand forward but quickly withdrew her hand. To that extent, all of the summoned animals that Suho has shown so far, including Beru, have grim expressions and are cute in size. It was a perfect situation to misunderstand how low-level a summoner he was before reawakening to thebat ss. ¡®Still, all the summoned beasts are unusual.¡¯ Still, there was definitely something special about Suhopared to ordinary summoners. Although Suho¡¯s summoned beasts appeared weak on the outside, they were all intelligent and capable of human speech. ¡®Summons like this are absolutely rare. Strategically usable enough¡­ ¡­ .¡¯ While receiving Seo Jiwoo¡¯s gaze, Suho continued his conversation with Dragon Emperor Antares. ¡°Where is the World Tree?¡± Antares raised the corners of his mouth and answered Suho¡¯s question. ¡°The World Tree is everywhere and nowhere.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to hear that kind of pun.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not a pun. ¡°Literally.¡± As Suho looked at Antares¡¯ mischievous smile, something suddenly urred to him. ¡°Is it really empty? ¡°Are you talking about a dimensional gap?¡± ¡°Okay. It¡¯s making my head spin quite a bit. What do you think connects the gaps between dimensions that are so far apart in the first ce? ¡°This is exactly what the World Tree does.¡± ¡°Be more precise.¡± Dragon responded to Suho¡¯s sharp words with a meaningful voice. ¡°So, in short, this is it. The World Tree takes root in the sea of the afterlife, and its trunk spreads widely throughout the universe. And what is born from the fruits on those branches are the soldiers of heaven led by rulers.¡± Suho pondered those words. The roots are in the sea of the afterlife. The stem is all over the universe. In the fruit, the soldiers of the rulers. ¡®If the rulers¡¯ soldiers can be born from the fruit of the World Tree, the evolution of Vulcan and the reawakening of Hunter Seo Jiwoo after encountering the World Tree would be quite possible.¡¯ Suho nodded in understanding. However, when imagining the vast scale of the universe, finding the trunk of the World Tree that extends across the entire universe was literally picking stars in the sky. Moreover, there was another problem. ¡°The dimensional gap is highly vtile. ¡°If we go back to the ce where the trunk of the World Tree was previously discovered, the probability of finding the same World Tree there is extremely low.¡± ¡°I guess so. If that were the case, demon nobles like Vulcan would have continued to be born. ¡°Then there is only one way to find it.¡± Suho eventually figured out what Antares was trying to say. ¡°Are you saying we should look for the roots rather than the stems?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. ¡°Rather than a void full of vtility, it is a much more certain and convenient way to find the pir of the World Tree that stands tall above the empty sea of the afterlife.¡± Antares smiled and nodded in satisfaction. At those words, Suho¡¯s eyes suddenly turned to Seo Jiwoo who was next to him and he muttered. ¡°Then, what if I get hypersomnia¡­ ¡­ .¡± ¡°Okay. If you suffer from what you humans call ptosis, your soul will wander the sea of the afterlife forever even if your body does not die. ¡°Just like us.¡± Antares¡¯ expression became a little bitter as he said those words. The expression ¡®we¡¯ he refers to. In other words, the ¡®Sea of Death¡¯ was a world where dead monarchs wandered around in eternal rest. ¡°The sea of death is the abyss itself, where the souls of the entire universe wander into nothingness. It is a spiritual universe that is deeper and darker than the shadow world ruled by the Shadow Lord. With his power, the Shadow Lord can arbitrarily retrieve dead souls from the depths of the sea and turn them into his legions, but there are some targets that his power does not work on.¡± ¡°Souls with polluted mana or the souls of monarchs.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± 1 Suddenly, Suho remembered the world of dead monarchs that he asionally visited using the skill [Unknown]. A world of pure white nkness. Dead Monarchs sitting lonely in the middle of it, waiting for protection. But that world was only a temporary home. Every time Suho left that ce, that pure white world would once again turn into deep darkness from afar. Looking back, the phenomenon was ultimately a phenomenon in which the souls of the monarchs, who had opened their eyes for a moment thanks to the power of guardianship, fell deep into the sea of the afterlife where they originally came from. ¡°In the end, when monarchs die, does it mean that they get sleep apnea?¡± ¡°Same but different. Because we don¡¯t have a body to return to in the first ce. That woman was fortunate enough to meet her world tree rooted somewhere and returned to her own body, but that is impossible for us monarchs as we do not have her body.¡± [Little Monarch. By using the divine water of life, even people suffering from ptosis can be awakened.] Hearing Beru¡¯s advice just in time, Suho realized why the World Tree was among the ingredients for the Divine Tree of Life. In the end, it was said that if only the divine water of life could be created, the increasing number of patients suffering from ptosis worldwide could also be cured. So what is the conclusion? ¡°Okay. I understood that to find the World Tree, I had to go to the Sea of the Afterlife. So how do I get there?¡± ¡°method? That way, when you die, you can go right away. ¡°Are you the son of the Shadow Lord and yet you¡¯re not good at that?¡± Antares chuckled. Suho nodded his head indifferently and tugged on that beautiful hairdo. ¡°You useless evil spirit. ¡°Please give back to poor Ragna and return to the sea of the afterlife.¡± ¡°Now, wait¡­ ¡­ !¡± Then Antares suddenly panicked. Beside him, Beru crossed his hands in the shape of a cross with an expression of utmost reverence and sanctity, his eyes shining. [I will help you too. These days, I learned how to exorcise evil spirits from movies.] ¡°Huh, stop! It was a joke! ¡°That¡¯s what I was just about to say!¡± ¡°Still, I feel a little sorry for Ragnar.¡± [I think so too. Rather, gather the soldiers together and decide by voting. Whether to give Ragnar freedom or not.] ¡°No, please listen! Yeah, yeah! It¡¯s Eternal Slumber! ¡°I know why that woman got Eternal Slumber!¡± ¡°What?!¡± When Antares shouted urgently and pointed to Seo Jiwoo who was next to him, Seo Jiwoo¡¯s eyes, who had been quietly listening to Suho¡¯s conversation from the side until now, widened. ¡°Is that true? ¡°You know why I, or rather we, have ptosis?!¡± ¡°It¡¯s true! ¡°I know for sure!¡± ¡°Give me 3 seconds.¡± At Suho¡¯s one word, Antares cried out desperately. ¡°Bud of nightmares! ¡°I was struck by the power of the weeds that bloomed in the sea of the afterlife!¡± ¡°Nightmare Bud?¡± Chapter 231 Chapter 231 The reactions that ur when humans are excessively exposed to mana are broadly divided into three types. One. Adapt to mana and awaken this ability. Two. Because it is insensitive to mana, nothing happens. Three. Either you can¡¯t adapt to mana or you die. The third thing here was ¡®Eternal Slumber¡¯. A phenomenon that leads to loss of soul and death. If life support devices did not exist, those who could not adapt to mana would have to face death. In short, Eternal Slumber is a kind of out-of-body experience. At the same time, medically speaking, it was simr to brain death, so fortunately, it was possible to dy time so that the body would not die by using a life support device. Of course, the probability of the soul returning to the body in that state was more than 100 times lower than the probability of a brain-dead patienting to his senses. However, Suho knew of another phenomenon that was very simr to Eternal Slumber. It¡¯s Mist Burn. If mana misfits inhale the blue mist flowing from the gate for a long time, their bodies will eventually burn, turning into mist burns and dying painfully. This phenomenon was very simr in principle to Eternal Slumber, but there was a crucial difference. This is the property of mana. What the Foreign religion wanted was an invasion. They may have been nning to burn this dimension to the ground by increasing the Mist Burn from within the Earth, so they sent a terrible poison called the Blue Mist mixed with the mana flowing into the Earth. Therefore, mana misfits who directly inhaled the blue fog suffered from a more serious condition than Eternal Slumber, that is, not only did their souls die, but their bodies also burned. However, even if they were not foreigners, there were actually other people who wanted to forcefully kill humans. 1 ¡°¡­ ¡­ That is the ¡®Bud of Nightmare.''¡± Antares continued his exnation with an expression that made him look like he had aged by several decades due to Suho and Beru¡¯s threats. ¡°In the first ce, it is not only the world tree that takes root and grows in the sea of the afterlife. ¡°All kinds of strange weeds are growing there, nourished by the various souls floating around inside.¡± Suho¡¯s expression hardened at those words. ¡°There are weeds that grow using the soul as nourishment? ¡°Then what happens to that soul?¡± ¡°What happens? I¡¯m already dead anyway, so what more do I have to lose? It will just lose some of the nutrients remaining in its spiritual body and float around again. Of course, there are so many different types of weeds, and for the more greedy, there are even weeds that attach themselves to the soul and be parasites.¡± ¡°A parasite on the soul¡­ ¡­ .¡± Seo Jiwoo¡¯splexion was bing increasingly pale next to Su-ho. This is because the words that came out of Antares¡¯ mouth were stories that could have happened to him. 1 ¡°In particr, Nightmare Bud is a much more proactive one. ¡°They are the ones who go directly to another dimension and directly extract the souls from the bodies of living creatures.¡± ¡°Why, why?¡± Seo Jiwoo was already speaking respectfully to Antares. Antares seemed to be quite satisfied with the sight and responded with a mischievous smile. ¡°After all, it will be much fresher that way than the tattered souls whose nutrients have been sucked here and there by other weeds. ¡°He¡¯s a gourmet when ites to weeds.¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­ !¡± At those words, Seo Jiwoo looked like she had seen a ghost. Suho asked. ¡°So, does that mean that if you get caught by that Nightmare Bud, even if the target is an awakened person, you will get Eternal Slumber?¡± ¡°Okay. Rather, it would be better to be an awakened person. From their perspective, the more nutritious the soul, the better it tastes, and the longer they can suck it.¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­ .¡± At this point, Seo Jiwoo realized how lucky she was. No matter how much I tried to recall the dream I remembered in pieces, there was nothing I had done in that ck sea. He was just struggling with his instincts in a dazed state of consciousness. 1 Then, out of nowhere, I got caught in the root of the world tree and crashed into it. ¡°My, what would have happened by now if I hadn¡¯t met the World Tree back then¡­ ¡­ .¡± Antaresughed and responded to Seo Jiwoo, whose face was now almost like a corpse, muttering something. ¡°Whatever. ¡°It would have been eaten by the world tree instead of weeds.¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­ Yeah?!¡± ¡°What?¡± Even Suho¡¯s eyes widened at the unexpected remark. ¡°Why are you surprised? So, I told you from the beginning. The World Tree is not the only one taking root in the sea of the afterlife. The World Tree is the biggest weed there. That was also nted by the Absolute himself¡­ ¡­ ¡°It¡¯s a weed.¡± Antares gritted his teeth and muttered as if recalling some bad memory. Beru, who realized what that meant, muttered with his eyes shining. [It is a weed nted by the Absolute himself¡­ ¡­ .] ¡°I think the story will be long.¡± From this point on, it was a story that Suho already knew from Beru. But at the same time, it was a story from a slightly different perspective. Because Antares, the king of wild dragons and the lord of destruction, was one of the few beings who knew the beginning of this universe. ¡°In the beginning¡­ ¡­ ¡°There was an ¡®Absolute One¡¯ who created our universe.¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­ .¡± Antares opened his eyes and recalled a very old memory. Even now, the Dragon Emperor still looks like a small and cute Ragna, but his deep eyes show that he has lived for an immeasurable number of years. ¡°When the Absolute created this universe, he nted the World Tree in the sea of the afterlife, and the purpose was to bnce the world.¡± ¡°Bnce of the world?¡± Seo Jiwoo, who had no idea about the inside story, tilted his head. 1 Suho, on the other hand, nodded. He had already heard about the war between rulers and monarchs from Beru, so he realized something. ¡°¡­ ¡­ Did you say that the rulers¡¯ soldiers are born from the fruit of the World Tree?¡± ¡°Okay. ¡°It¡¯s because of those damn fruits!¡± Snapping. Thinking back to that time, Antares gritted his teeth with an angry expression. ¡°It is precisely because of the fruit of the World Tree that our monarchs and rulers will never, ever go to war! It couldn¡¯t end. 1 If our side gains the upper hand even just a little, the World Tree will immediately peel the fruit and increase their troops!¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­ .¡± Seeing the dragon emperor truly angry, Suho recalled the vision Beru had shown him when he first returned from outer space. This is a fierce war that hassted forever since the beginning. ¡°During that war, we went to war with the armies of the rulers countless times, exchanging victories and defeats. In the process, endless sacrifices urred, but the war did not stop no matter how much time passed. No, it was never supposed to end. ¡°In the first ce, the only joy of the Absolute was to watch the purposeless war.¡± ¡­ ¡­ So, if the pendulum tilted even slightly to one side, the Absolute used coercive force to tighten the bnce of the war again. Just using the world tree. ¡°The world tree was overflowing with nutrients. Because the souls who died during the war flowed into the sea of the afterlife and gave strength to the World Tree. And the Absolute had the power to create heavenly soldiers from the fruits of the World Tree.¡± [And now that the Absolute has died, the soldiers of heaven are no longer being born on the World Tree.] Beru interrupted what seemed to be a longer story in the middle, pointing out a very realistic problem. [Little Monarch, even as we are doing this, more and more foreign forces are gathering from various universes. On the other hand, the rulers¡¯ troops are reduced and there is no way to replenish them. This is all because the World Tree no longer bears fruit.] To Beru, the souls of humans wandering the sea after death were good. In any case, it was an extremely natural thing that the world tree nourished souls to grow and bear fruit since the beginning of time. Because that was ultimately the cycle of the universe and the fundamental principle that sustains this world. However, it was a very serious problem that the bnce was broken and we were invaded by outer space. ¡°What about your father¡¯s army?¡± [Of course, the king is holding strong. You are recruiting troops by killing Itarim soldiers and extracting their shadows as soldiers. However, this will only increase the number of miscreants, and it is impossible to extract shadows from the high-ranking Apostles of Itarim.] ¡°There is no shadow to extract like the Monarchs.¡± [Yes. So, it is disadvantageous for us in the long run that the number of soldiers in the sky is decreasing. However, there is no way to make the World Tree bear fruit again. Only the Itarim have that ability, and the main purpose of the Itarim of outer space invading us in the first ce is the World Tree.] ¡°I guess so. ¡°The World Tree, which grew by sucking all the souls of our universe as nutrients, would be the most nutritious food for foreigners.¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­ ?¡± The flow of conversation slowly went beyond the scope of information Seo Jiwoo knew. There are a lot of things I want to ask, but I don¡¯t know where to start. Aplicated expression. However, Suho did not have the heart to answer Seo Jiwoo¡¯s questions one by one. Rather, it is what Seo Jiwoo considers most important. Together with Seo Jiwoo, we focused on waking up Seo Jiwoo¡¯s colleagues who had fallen into sleeplessness. ¡®Anyway, if we create the divine tree of life, everything will be solved. And to find the material, the World Tree, you have to go to the sea of the afterlife.¡¯ 1 Suho asked Antares. ¡°So what you¡¯re saying is that by using that Nightmare Bud, you can go to the sea of the afterlife?¡± ¡°Okay. The Nightmare Bud forces a living being out of the body and drags its soul to the sea of the afterlife. But even if you seed in going to the sea after death, the way back will never be easy. Because as this woman experienced, she will have to wander in the open sea until she finds her world tree. ¡°Maybe forever.¡± ¡°Well, let¡¯s think about it then. Since the situation isplicated, let¡¯s do it one by one in order. ¡°Hunter Seo Jiwoo?¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­ Ah oh?¡± ¡°Do you still have that double dungeon where you and your colleagues suffered from Eternal Slumber before?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s long gone now.¡± ¡°Did you attack it?¡± ¡°No. After conquering that dungeon in the first ce, I identally discovered a double dungeon inside. ¡°Andter, other people found us inside and fell asleep and rescued us.¡± ¡°The gate closed after that.¡± ¡°Huh? The dungeon has already been conquered, so the gate is closed. ¡°Irrespective of the double dungeon.¡± ¡°Hmm, I see.¡± After gathering his thoughts for a moment, Suho looked at Seo Jiwoo again and asked. ¡°Then can you just tell me where the gate was opened? ¡°I¡¯ll have to go see it myself.¡± ¡°You want to go see it yourself? ¡°The gate is already closed?¡± ¡°Yes. Even if the gate is closed, traces of the double dungeon may still remain. And if I¡¯m right, maybe¡­ ¡­ .¡± [You are considering the possibility that the double dungeon is a Void Gate.] ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Suho nodded with confidence at Beru¡¯s words. ¡°Let¡¯s stop by for a moment before public opinion gives you permission to attack North Korea.¡± Chapter 232 Chapter 232 Before leading Suho to where the double dungeon was, Seo Ji-woo first briefly returned to his guild. 6 The reason was to instruct the public rtions department staff to do preliminary work to help Suho travel to North Korea. Meanwhile, Suho began to take care of the things that needed to be done one by one. First things first. ¡°From now on, I need to actively use the Shadow Exchange skill.¡± [You thought well.] Thanks to this Indian incident, the effectiveness of the shadow exchange skill was properly proven. ¡°Also, since you never know when and where traces of foreign religions will be discovered, I think it would be convenient to spread out the shadow soldiers as much as possible.¡± [You are truly brilliant! Anyway, there are enough shadow soldiers now, so it will be easier to move around if you spread the m here and there. Of course, it was possible for the king to spread the monarchy¡¯s territory widely throughout the Earth, so there was no need to do so, but the minor monarch had no choice but to do whatever he needed to do.] ¡°¡­ ¡­ .¡± Beru sincerely cheered for Suho by alternately praising and whipping him, but the whip hurt a bit. Anyway, while Suho was talking, he took advantage of the gathering of S-ss hunters in the association and seeded in naturally creating shadow soldiers in their shadows. ¡®That¡¯s fascinating. Even S-ss hunters don¡¯t notice the presence of soldiers in the shadows at all.¡¯ Of course, you would notice them right away if they came out, but if they were just quietly following you around in the shadows, it would be difficult to notice them unless you had very good senses. But Suho had no intention of being satisfied here. ¡°Let¡¯s send it to other countries in advance.¡± [Hoo. What do you mean?] ¡°You just have to send them under the shadow of the flight attendants.¡± [Keeeeek! You are truly brilliant! Footwork¡­ ¡­ !] ¡°Be honest. ¡°Are you just kidding me?¡± Ber had already disappeared into the shadows. * * * In this way, Suho sent numerous shadow soldiers on a radio tour to countries around the world. And when the nended in that country, the soldiers naturally followed the passengers¡¯ shadows out of the ne and began wandering aimlessly around the country. They did not send one person at a time, but several people were sent together, causing them to disperse even within the country. ¡®There are a lot of soldiers anyway, so let¡¯s spread out as widely as possible and look for traces of them.¡¯ However, I had no intention of just letting them run around and y. ¡®Um. Travel mainly to ces that are dangerous or where viins are likely to be present. Then, if you find viins trying to harm people, you can deal with them.¡¯ And Su-ho didn¡¯t care that the soldiers¡¯ appearances were revealed to people in the process. Anyway, because of the live broadcast in China, the apostles of Italim who know the shadow power would have already figured out that the subject of that power is Korean. In this situation, it would have been better for the soldiers to be revealed from all over the world, making it difficult to pinpoint their exact location. ¡°And assuming that it is discovered that the main base is Korea, let¡¯s spread it even further in Korea. ¡°I have to protect my family too.¡± [You really want to be a full-fledged vignte. It reminds me of the old days. Hehehehe. You grew up really well.] Beru was moved and cried. Even though no one taught him, Sung Soo-ho seemed extremely proud to see him copying exactly what Sung Jin-woo had been doing. * * * The next ce Suho headed to was Pyeongtaek Dungeon. [Pyeongtaek 3rd Dungeon] ¡ù Entry other than Woojin¡¯s guild is prohibited. This dungeon was the ce where there was friction with the Hyeonmu Guildst time, and it was a ce where there was an open gate leading to the demon world that serves Esil. The demons living there were all subordinate demons that followed Esil, so instead of attacking this area, the guardian purchased the entirend in this area and managed it. ¡°Everyonee on out.¡± As soon as Suho entered the demon world, he quickly took out the demons he had brought from India in his shadow. ¡°Thank you so much, Suho.¡± Esil was deeply moved and expressed his sincere gratitude. 1 This meant more than just an increase in subordinates. As the number of demons that follow a demon noble increases, their power bes stronger. Hueup- Countless bloodstones flew toward Esil from the demons. When Esil, who had inhaled the air of the demon world with him, opened his eyes again. 1 Gooooo- Before I knew it, the energy flowing from Esil¡¯s whole body had changed significantly. Esil smiled brightly at Suho. ¡°Can you feel it? I have now regained all my original strength. ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to Suho.¡± ¡°hmm. ¡°By human standards, it¡¯s about S-level.¡± ¡°No, in times like this, can¡¯t I be a little impressed¡­?¡± ¡­ .¡± Esil became sullen at Suho¡¯s nd response. However, from Suho¡¯s perspective, he couldn¡¯t help but feel a little disappointed. Of course, it was nice to see Esil¡¯s confident appearance, which had changed 180 degreespared to when I first met him, when he looked skinny and almost dead. 2 However, based on previous experience, the reality was that ¡®ordinary S-ss¡¯ power was not a great addition to the fighting power when dealing with Italim¡¯s apostles. ¡°Is it possible for me to be stronger than this?¡± 1 ¡°¡­ ¡­ ¡°Not everyone gets stronger the more they fight like you do.¡± ¡°They say demons are a race that grows stronger by eating each other.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true, but there are definitely inherent limitations. To ovee that limit, I have to catch and eat a demon much stronger than me, and at the moment, there is no demon stronger than me in this universe.¡± ¡°In the end, like Volkan, you have to eat the world tree to be stronger.¡± ¡°In the first ce, cases like Volkan are special. Instead, there is a much more convenient and orthodox method. ¡°To be the king of demons.¡± Suho showed interest in Esil¡¯s confident words. In any case, in order to create the Divine Beast of Life, the ¡®purified blood of the Demon King¡¯ was needed. 1 And that was an ingredient that could only be obtained if Eshil became the king of demons. ¡°When can you be king?¡± ¡°Well. He¡¯s a king¡­ ¡­ .¡± In response to Suho¡¯s question, Esil narrowed his eyes and gazed beyond the sky of the demon world. The sky of the devil world is cracked and torn apart by a dimensional gap. Beyond that, an ominous energy was surging, as if foreign enemies would flow in at any time. ¡°A king rules and protects. That¡¯s why we demon nobles have lived by growing and protecting their fiefdoms for a long time. ¡°For us, that was growth and survival.¡± 1 Suho tilted his head. ¡°Protect it? ¡°Who do you mean you survive by protecting yourself from others?¡± ¡°This whole world.¡± ¡°What?¡± When Suho asked, Esil looked back at the demon world surrounding him with slightly bitter eyes and said, ¡°The Dragon Emperor said this time that something called ¡®Nightmare Bud¡¯ is dragging human souls to the sea of the afterlife, right? But as you know, the souls of demons do not go to the sea after death even when they die. ¡°Perhaps Nightmare Bud has no interest in us demons?¡± ¡°Okay. ¡°It is said that when demons die, their souls wander around the demon world and are reborn as new demons somewhere.¡± ¡°Okay. What does that mean? The demon world is both a home and a prison for us demons. No matter how hard we try to escape, we will eventually be dragged back to the demon world by force.¡± Suho¡¯s eyes widened at the unexpected words. ¡°The devil world is a prison?¡± 1 ¡°Okay. Is it for no reason that the ce where demons live is called hell? The demon world is kind of a giant fishbowl. Lock our souls in this fishbowl and make us fight endlessly. Just like the Absolute of old times. So, since I have gathered this much power, sooner orter¡­ ¡­ A crisis wille. Prove that we are worthy of survival on our own.¡± Grumble! At that moment, an ominous thunderstorm struck the sky. ¡°If I protect this territory at that moment, I will be qualified. Qualified to be king.¡± * * * Meanwhile, at that time. S-ss hunters were joining forces for protection. No, to be precise, he was being squeezed by Yoo Jin-ho. ¡°Now that we have received the approval of five S-ss hunters, which is the first step in targeting North Korea, all that remains is public opinion.¡± There was a briefing by Director Lee Se-hwan. ¡®referendum¡¯ This was a special procedure created by Woo Jin-cheol, the president of the association, and had several features that were significantly different from other general voting. one. Any citizen of the Republic of Korea is given the right to vote, regardless of age or gender. two. You can only vote ¡®against¡¯, not ¡®for¡¯ or ¡®against¡¯. three. If more than half of the poption of South Korea opposes, one cannot go to North Korea. (Invalid votes or abandoned votes are considered as affirmative votes) The most unusual thing here is probably the first use. ¡®Regardless of age and gender¡¯ In other words, this meant that even newborn babies born today had the right to vote, and the voting rights of minors naturally meant that their legal guardians or guardians could vote on their behalf. The reason for this provision was, of course, because they were responsible for the safety of their children as guardians. In the end, what he meant was that even if public opinion felt even the slightest bit uneasy, many parents could double or triple their children¡¯s share of opposing Suho¡¯s trip to North Korea. This is why public opinion was so important. ¡°¡­ ¡­ So, in the first ce, this referendum was a procedure created for opposition. ¡°This is a use that contains the president¡¯s firm will not to go to North Korea under any circumstances.¡± After finishing his exnation, Director Lee Se-hwan took a deep breath and nced at all the attention focused on him. CEO Eugene Cheol. 1 And S-ss hunters. Celebrities representing the Republic of Korea are gathered in one ce like this for just one person, Seong Su-ho. gulp. Director Lee Se-hwan swallowed his saliva for no reason and continued speaking. ¡°Actually, in most cases, it is normal to be against it.¡± And Inte opinions were disyed on the screen. ¡°This is the other side. In fact, it is an obvious statement, but at the same time, it is a reasonable position.¡± [Reason for opposition] -If the number of S-ss hunters decreases, there are concerns about the safety of the country¡¯s citizens. -I am concerned that strong hunters will be taken away from other countries. -In the first ce, what good would it be to unify with North Korea in these times? -Rather, it only expands thend that needs to be protected and does not help Korea in any way. ¡­ ¡­ . ¡°And I am on the pro side.¡± He brought up another screen. [Reason for Agree] -Don¡¯t you all remember the time of Corona? -The cataclysm urred suddenly, and who can guarantee when this situation will suddenly end? -The Korean Penins must be annexed before that timees. -If there are any survivors still alive in North Korea, they must be rescued as soon as possible. ¡­ ¡­ . ¡°Even if we skip the other political reasons, thest reason is something we are worried about.¡± Ma Dong-wook stroked his beard and clicked his tongue. Next to him, Baek Yunho also nodded with a serious expression. ¡°If there are survivors there, we must rescue them before it is toote.¡± ¡°However, it would be more efficient to attack the dungeons that have appeared in South Korea during such times. When it¡¯s time to mess around with North Korea, taking care of the South Korean people in front of uses first. Hmm. That doesn¡¯t mean I will oppose it.¡± Hyun Moo-gang habitually refuted Baek Yun-ho¡¯s words, but suddenly noticed CEO Yoo Jinho¡¯s thoughts and quietly changed his stance. Since he had already decided to agree with Suho¡¯s move to North Korea, his personal opinion was probably good. ¡°Hmm. Anyway, if we get the support of ourrge guilds, public opinion will easily sway us. In the end, if we just calm public opinion¡¯s anxiety, they won¡¯t actively oppose it.¡± ¡°you¡¯re right. Just trust us.¡± ¡°The moment voting begins, I will take responsibility and control public opinion.¡± As virtual reality training was at stake, the S-ss hunters were more actively appealing their position to CEO Jin-ho Yoo than ever before. However, in the midst of all the attention, CEO Yoo Jin-ho, who acted as Suho¡¯s representative, still maintained a nk expression. ¡°So.¡± He flinched. Everyone was nervous at his cold words. ¡°Are you saying that you will participate in ourpany¡¯s beta testing just for that? ¡°With bare mouth?¡± ¡°Hehehe!¡± The S-ss hunters who hit the nail on the head blushed and responded to Yoo Jinho¡¯s words. ¡°No, not bare mouth¡­ ¡­ !¡± ¡°How much support does our guild have¡­ ¡­ !¡± ¡°Ah, let¡¯s stop talking annoyingly between busy people. In the end, doesn¡¯t that mean you just want to keep your mouth shut and y for free? ¡°Your guild¡¯s promotion, brand value, and training derived from it will be passed on to you.¡± Yoo Jinho¡¯s words eventually led to a sighing out of the mouths of the S-ss hunters. ¡°¡­ ¡­ ¡°Then what do you want from us?¡± ¡°As you know, our Hyeonmu Guild is in a bad situation these days and is short on funds. ¡°I was recently hit with a tax bomb.¡± ¡°Our Reaper Guild has already failed.¡± ¡°I guess we can finally have a conversation.¡± When they finally dered surrender, only then did one corner of Yu Jin-ho¡¯s mouth turn up in a pout. ¡°I don¡¯t need money. There¡¯s only one thing I¡¯m worried about. It¡¯s all about Suho¡¯s safety. So what can you give to protect it?¡± ¡°Are you saying you want hunter gear, not money?¡± ¡°What kind of weapon do you need? From what I saw earlier, Hunter Seong Su-ho seems to be a tank, but maybe he has armor¡­ ¡­ .¡± ¡°Do you also ept magic stones or magic stones?¡± 1 ¡°There are skill rune stones in the warehouse¡­ ¡­ .¡± As their words continued, the satisfied smile on Yoo Jinho¡¯s face grew bigger and bigger. ¡°Good. Let¡¯s take it all out first. ¡°I guess I can let Suho choose.¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­ .¡± Seeing that, only the same thought came to mind in the minds of Korea¡¯s guardian S-ss hunters. ¡®¡­ ¡­ ¡®Daylight robbery.¡¯ There was no such thing as a gangster. I can¡¯t believe it¡¯s this hard to y a game. All I could do was sigh. Chapter 233 Chapter 233 From one day. ¡®Vigntes¡¯ began their activities simultaneously all over the world. -Aaaah! -W-There¡¯s a body here¡­ ¡­ ! Bodies began to be discovered one by one in the corners of the alley. The identity of the corpses was revealed to the world by the police and the Hunter Association who responded to reports from citizens and that they were all wanted viins. As it turned out, the bodies were, beyond dispute, only vicious felons. Among them, there were some minor criminals and ordinary hunters, but when investigatedter, it was often revealed that no one was secretlymitting vicious crimes behind the scenes. There was one peculiar thing about this process. Vignte always had a habit of putting a note on the corpse of a viin after killing them. The note briefly described the viin¡¯s name and crime details, which made it easier for the police officers who had to dispose of the body. It was clear what this note meant. -Vignte is helping the police do their job! The criminals who killed the viins seemed to say that about their position. And simr reports from citizens continued to appear here and there. -Vignte! Activities begin in Brazil too! -Vignte! Finally in Canada! -Death Note Killer! Arrived in the Philippines too! 5 ¡­ ¡­ . This craze spread like a firestorm and hit the whole world at a rapid pace. Reporters were busy publishing dozens of articles every day. There were two reasons why people around the world lumped together the events that urred in countries that were physically distant from each other under the name ¡®Vignte¡¯. One, as I mentioned earlier, was that each corpse had a note attached to it, aka a ¡®Death Note¡¯. 3 Another reason is that the eyewitness ounts of Vignte among the survivors who managed to escape from the viins thanks to Vignte were consistent. -I saw a ck shadow. This one word was the end. They say they didn¡¯t get the impression right, but due to the interviews repeating the same words, people had no choice but to draw one conclusion. -It is assumed that Vignte is not a movement of one individual, but arge group! This was no longer an individual¡¯s deviation or revenge against viins. This meant that Vignte was an organization that moved collectively with the same purpose and justice. -What is the true purpose of the national vignte group, Vignte? -Vignte who cleans up viins around the world! -Discussion) Ask about the qualifications of a Vignte, who ignores thew andmits serial murders with his own definition! -What is justice? Do viins really have human rights? ¨C Ask the opposite! Vignte only punishes awakened criminals! The job of the police is still the same, and Vignte is a police force solely for the awakened! ¨C Urgent News) The viin crime rate is decreasing rapidly around the world! -What is the citizens¡¯ position? ¡°Hehe. ¡°The world is noisy.¡± It was a truly ironic world. The International Hunter Association was debating every day on the topic of whether Vignte should be considered a viin or whether he should be qualified as a viin hunter. But it was a waste of time. This was because there was no difference in arguing with them in a situation where they did not know who their identities were in the first ce. On the surface, of course. There were people here who knew the mastermind behind all these incidents. ¡°Adam, have you seen this? ¡°Is our Suho reallying out in earnest?¡± Thomas Andre was lying leisurely on the sofa and chuckling as he watched the Vignte articles that came up every day. It was as if he was delighted with his grandchild¡¯s entertainment feast, and Adam White, director of the U.S. Hunter Burea u, sighed with a very perplexed expression. 1 ¡°Forcing yourself to pretend not to know has its limits. ¡°Some people are already saying that Vignte¡¯s facial expressions a ppear to be the ck shadows that appeared in Chinese videos.¡± ¡°Ooh, Adam! Don¡¯t try too hard and just let it go! ¡°Anyway, it¡¯s only a matter of time before it¡¯s revealed that Vignte is r ted to Seongsuho.¡± 1 ¡°ha¡­ ¡­ .¡± Adam White couldn¡¯t help but sigh again at those irresponsible words. If it weren¡¯t for Thomas Andre in the first ce, the U.S. Hunter Management Bureau would have already gone to Suho. 1 However, as long as Thomas Andre defended himself like that, the United States could never go against his words. Why? ¡®Thomas Andr¨¦¡­ ¡­ It¡¯s getting stronger.¡¯ Kuuk. Adam White clenched his sweaty fists and looked at Thomas Andre¡¯s leisurely figure, lying down and drinking tomato juice. It was currently known to the public that Thomas Andre had been captured by the U.S. Hunter Bureau for the murder of Chr istopher. And on the surface, he was engaged in a legal battle with the Hunter Administration with numerouswyers. 1st trial, 2nd trial¡­ ¡­ . However, it was all nned out and was nothing more than a show. Meanwhile, Thomas Andre was secretly tracking the foreign religion with the Hunter Management Bureau. Operation name: Police Dark Hunter (FDH). For a name that was roughly chosen, the results were quite good. They had already found several bases of foreign religions hiding in the United States, and had even personally captured and killed their priests. But something strange happened. Every time Thomas Andrew kills a priest¡­ ¡­ His power was getting stronger. After realizing that fact, Adam White was honestly very scared. ¡®I can¡¯t believe it even when I see it. A hunter who grows the more he fights¡­ ¡­ . No, it¡¯s a little different from that feeling.¡¯ Adam White, who had seen him up close so far, corrected his thoughts that had just urred to him. ¡®Recovery rather than growth. It seems as if Thomas Andre is regaining his original strength the more he fights against forei gn religions. There was a basis for this thought. As can be seen from the many awakened people, ordinary people feel a sense of tion when their power suddenly b es stronger. One bes intoxicated by that power. But Thomas Andre¡¯s reaction was a little different. ¡®This man is happy as his power bes stronger. ¡®With an expression that makes you feel like you¡¯re home.¡¯ That scene waspletely iprehensible to Adam White¡¯smon sense. And areas of iprehensibility tend to give rise to fear and fear. At the same time, it was extremely reassuring to know that this man was still on America¡¯s side. ¡®One thing is clear.¡¯ As director of the Hunter Administration, which protects the United States, Adam Smith was clearly aware of one fact. 2 ¡®This man already has a level of power that surpasses that of an ordinary S-ss hunter.¡¯ The moment Thomas Andre turns into an enemy of the United States, the United States will have to fight a war on the level of nuclear war. ¡°¡­ ¡­ So how long are we going to have to suppress information?¡± Thomas grinned and responded to Adam White¡¯s question, shaking off various distracting thoughts. ¡°That is, of course, until Suho gives the signal.¡± ¡°So when is that¡­ ¡­ .¡± ¡°I guess it will be soon.¡± The answer came from the calm voice of his secretary, Laura. Laura was holding a tablet next to Thomas, looking at Korean news. It was truly amazing. In fact, just a few days ago, Korea was the country with the most noise over the Vignte issue. But trends move really fast. ¡°Korean public opinion is no longer interested in Vignte. ¡°Everyone is only talking about North Korea.¡± ¡°North Korea?¡± ¡°This also seems to be an issue regarding Hunter Seong Su-ho.¡± Adam White also nodded, showing interest in Korean news. ¡°hmm. Korea¡¯s major guilds are all supporting Hunter Seong Su-ho. ¡°The argument is that if you have this level of ability, it would be better to send it to North Korea to help the president of the association.¡± ¡°Some im thatrge guilds are colluding to push hunters who are likely to bepetitors to North Korea.¡± ¡°Hehe. Because it¡¯s North Korea¡­ ¡­ . ¡°It looks like Suho wants to run wild.¡± Thomas Andre smiled meaningfully, saying he understood Suho¡¯s feelings. It seemed as if his hands were itching to run wild, so Adam White felt very anxious and spoke hurriedly. ¡°It¡¯s going to be easier said than done. ¡°If you only care about your own country¡¯s safety, the stronger the hunter, the great er the loss if you send him to North Korea.¡± ¡°yes. For these reasons, public opinion is currently divided between pros and cons and shows no signs of leaning towards o ne side. ¡°I don¡¯t think we will be able to get approval for going to North Korea without some decisive opportunity.¡± ¡°It¡¯s an opportunity¡­ ¡­ .¡± Thomas¡¯ eyes turned mischievous as he listened to Laura¡¯s urate analysis of the situation. ¡°I think I know what that is.¡± It was just then. Thomas Andre¡¯s cell phone rang. ¡°I received a call from Hunter Seong Su-ho.¡± With Laura¡¯s words, Thomas jumped up from his seat. And as soon as he received Suho¡¯s call, he showed his teeth and smiled. ¡°Adam, now is the time.¡± Thomas raised the corner of his mouth and said while making eye contact with Adam White. ¡°Tie Vignte and Seongsuho together.¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­ ¡°I see.¡± There was no need to say anything. Because Adam White, who was so old-fashioned as he was in politics, immediately realized what he had to do. Adam nodded and immediately summoned the management staff. And after some time. Foreign media began to cover the connection between Vignte and the Korean hero who saved India. At the same time, information about Seong Su-ho began to be released one by one in Korea. Suddenly, public opinion in Korea began to change rapidly. -Video) Live at Loktak Field filmed by China The invisible hand influenced the algorithm. The entire nation of Korea was able to see Suho standing side by side with thousands of ck shadows in the video. -What! That ck shadow! -Aren¡¯t they all Vigntes?! ¡­ ¡­ ! People who had witnessed the Vigntes all over the world began to recognize them simultaneously. -Then who is the hunter with those Vigntes?! -What is your rtionship with Vignte? -That man is a Korean hunter? -Isn¡¯t it dangerous to leave that man alone in Korea? ¡°As expected, it¡¯s Adam. ¡°This should be enough.¡± Thomas Andre, reading the rapidly changing atmosphere, smiled with satisfaction. ¡°An opportunity to kick Suho out to North Korea.¡± 1 * * * One day, all public opinion in Korea began to focus on ¡®Seong Su-ho¡¯. -Indian hero Seong Su-ho! who is he? ¨C Seong Su-ho of Woojin Guild! Why has his information been hidden from the Association until now?! Papa papapang! And at this moment. Reporters swarmed in front of Suho like a swarm, shing dazzling shots. Behind him, Yoo Jin-ho was asking Su-ho with an expression as if he were looking at a child thrown into a stream. ¡°¡­ ¡­ Are you really okay with this?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Seong Su-ho suddenly receives tremendous public attention and pressure. Now he was standing at the official press conference hosted by the association. Beep- After a while, the reporters¡¯ noisy voices suddenly stopped with a sharp resonance. Cold silence. In the midst of all this, Seong Su-ho held the microphone with a resolute appearance to answer the questions of numerous reporters. What they were curious about was Suho¡¯s identity. Before Suho answered, he thought about the tasks facing him one by one for a moment. These are quests created by oneself, not by the system. 1. Protect Eshil¡¯s territory from the demon world. -Reward: When Esil bes the Demon King, you can obtain ¡®Purified Blood of the Demon King¡¯. 2. Investigate the Nightmare Bud with Hunter Seo Ji-woo. -Reward: You can go to the afterlife sea where the ¡®World Tree¡¯ is located. 3. Go to North Korea. -Reward: Fast level up The first two were quests to obtain materials to create the Divine Beast of Life, tasks that must bepleted in order to save Su-ho¡¯s grandfather, Seong Il-hwan. 2 Currently, Seong Il-hwan¡¯s body was in an unstable state, so it would not be strange if a dimensional crack suddenly urred in his body and tore it apart due to the numerous foreign stones embedded in his body. In order to restore that condition, the Divine Beast of Life had to be created as quickly as possible. 2 However, in order to solve the first two quests, it was more advantageous for Suho to be stronger than he is now. In order to do that, it is also important to go to North Korea and work hard to raise your level. ¡®Yes, in order to save grandfather¡­ ¡­ This is the fastest way.¡¯ 1 Suho pledged to do so and raised the corners of his mouth as he leisurely nced at the numerous reporters who had gathered to see him. ¡°Hunter Seong Su-ho! We want answers!¡± At that time, a reporter who had been silent courageously asked a question. Then, simultaneously, questions started popping up again here and there. ¡°What is your rtionship with Vignte!¡± ¡°Are you the leader of Vignte, as rumored?¡± ¡°What is your true identity?¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­ .¡± At that time, an item from his inventory suddenly appeared in Suho¡¯s hand. Yes, this is the most reliable way. The embarrassment will be temporary, but the effect will be certain. Suho put ¡®Item: Crow Mask¡¯ on his face, closed his eyes tightly and opened his mouth. ¡°I am¡­ ¡­ ¡°This is Crow, the Beast King.¡± ¡­ ¡­ ! Papa pap papang! At that moment, the camera shes exploded at Suho again like crazy. It was finally the moment when the identity of the Beast King Crow, known as an unidentified viin or hero, was revealed to the world. -Breaking News) What is the real reason whyrge guilds wanted to send Hunter Sung Suho to Association President Woo Jin-cheol? Chapter 234 Chapter 234 It would be hard to enumerate the achievements of Association President Woo Jinchul over the past two years. And as many aplishments as there were, there were numerous nicknames and epithets attached to his name, one of which was ¡®viin identifier.¡¯ -It¡¯s really amazing. -How on earth is Woo Jinchul so good at catching viins? Do you have any theories? -Rumor has it that he can predict which people with criminal records will awaken. -Hey, does that make sense? -That makes sense. Is Woo Jinchul called ¡®viin identifier¡¯ for no reason? -Everyone knows how Jisan Prison was created, right? Jisan Prison is a specialized viin detention center established by the Hunter Association two years ago and was established under the strong viin countermeasures of Woo Jinchul, the president of the association. But in fact, even in the early days of the cataclysm, the ce was not like that. It was a prison where even ordinary criminals with long sentences could go, even if they were not viins. But before they knew it, something really strange started happening inside. One by one, ordinary criminals who were directly arrested by the association¡¯s president, Woo Jinchul, began to awaken inside Jisan Prison. Everyone dismissed it as a coincidence at first, butter when most of the prisoners eventually awakened, people could not help but be shocked again. -Maybe Association President Woo Jinchul has the skill to find out in advance who will awaken and when. -That¡¯s a bit rude. If that were possible, the Hunter Association would have gone to each person in advance and had them register. -Still, it seems certain that we can at least find out who will be the viin. It¡¯s a fact that the viins were captured. -Isn¡¯t it because he became an awakened person after working as a police officer for a long time that he developed such a keen perception? Although there were so many opinions, no one in the Republic of Korea doubted the fact that Woo Jinchul was good at recognizing would-be viins. So it was natural for something like this toe out. -Then what about Hunter Sung Suho? The Hunter Association announced that Sung Suho is an S-ss hunter. Sung Suho himself publicly dered that he was the Beast King Crow, who had been active while wearing a mask. People who found out about this were busy talking about Sung Suho whenever they got together. -Will Woo Jinchul immediately know whether Sung Suho is a viin or not when he sees him? -No, why is Sung Suho a viin? The hero of Loktak Field who saved India is Sung Suho! He¡¯s a national hero! -That makes it even more suspicious. -I know. In the first ce, why would anyone go all the way to India without anyone knowing and wander around in a foreign country¡¯s fields? -If you think about it, isn¡¯t he actually a criminal? -Haha, it¡¯s a fact that he¡¯s already a criminal. In the first ce, the fact that an S-ss hunter crossed the border without permission is a vition of internationalw. -In the end, it was a happy ending, but from India¡¯s perspective, it was no different from a deration of war. -He even confessed this time that you are the Beast King Crow. 1 -Isn¡¯t there a reason why someone as high as an S-ss hunter should have kept his identity hidden in the first ce? Isn¡¯t it because something is bothering him? -Wow, then is he really a viin?? [The era of great chaos has now arrived.] Beru, who was watching the public opinion, chuckled. As Beru said, a lot of information about Sung Suho, which has hit Korea is throwing the world into chaos. Lim Dogyun, who was looking at the tablet with Beru next to him, looked at Suho with a very frightened expression. ¡°Suho, no, Guildmaster, is this really okay? The atmosphere right now is so¡­ Public opinion is increasinglybeling the Guildmaster as a suspicious person.¡± Lim Dogyun felt like the vice president of an insolventpany on the verge of bankruptcy. It¡¯s unfair. ¡°No! People are really angry! We just hid our identity, and our Guildmaster hasn¡¯t done anything wrong so far, so why do we have to listen to them say he¡¯s a viin?¡± Suhoughed and shrugged his shoulders at Lim Dogyun¡¯s fuss. ¡°Why is my brother feeling so unfair? Did I do something wrong?.¡± ¡°It is a truly serious crime for an S-ss hunter to go to India without permission.¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s because Thomas Andre also came to our countryst time!¡± ¡°No one could say anything back then!¡± ¡°Later, I heard that Thomas paid a huge amount ofpensation to our country aspensation.¡± ¡°Money is everything!¡± ¡°Anything can be done with enough money.¡± Thest words were spoken by Yoo Jinho, who just happened to open the door. ¡°Suho.¡± Yoo Jinho said with a grin towards Suho. ¡°Do you think this will be enough?¡± Suho alsoughed. ¡°Yes. It¡¯s just right.¡± ¡°If it¡¯s this ufortable, I don¡¯t think anyone will object to me going to North Korea.¡± ¡°Okay. rather, there is now a feeling among the other S-ss hunters that someone should take responsibility and bring him to the association president Woo Jinchul for verification.¡± ¡°The president of the association said that if he personally took you around and you did some good work in North Korea, he would be able to rest assured that you are not a viin¡­¡± ¡°I was just saying.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Startle During the conversation between the two, Lim Dogyun suddenly realized the whole truth and his eyes widened. ¡°Now, wait a minute. What you are saying right now is that this public opinion atmosphere is all intentional¡­?¡± At his words, Yoo Jinho stretched his neck from side to side and looked at Lim Dogyun and shrugged his eyebrows. ¡°Well, we used our employees to do a littlementing.¡± ¡°¡­?!¡± Dogyun Lim looked as if he had just found out that Santa us was actually his father. 3 I realized just how enormous the ¡®smallness¡¯ that the CEO of Ajin Soft was talking about was. [Voting has begun!] At Beru¡¯s words, everyone¡¯s eyes turned to the voting screen at the same time. ¡°The opposing votes¡­¡± ¡°Hardly any.¡± ¡°We will have to wait until this evening to see the results of the vote to be sure, but¡­¡± ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°I think it was a sess.¡± Sigh. A meaningful smile appeared on the lips of Suho and Yoo Jinho at the same time. The number of negative votes was rising in real time, but the speed was insufficient. They used various methods to sway public opinion just in case, but the fact that it was so effective meant that the public was anxious about Sung Suho. ¡°Well, it¡¯s natural.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think you will, but just in case, don¡¯t get hurt for no reason.¡± Yoo Jinho continued speaking in a rtively light tone, patting Suho on the shoulder. ¡°It¡¯s only been two years since the cataclysm urred. No matter how much hunters fight for humanity, it is still ufortable for ordinary people to be around hunters who suddenly turn into superhumans. For people to adapt, at least¡­¡± ¡°It will take more than five years.¡± Since these were spoken by Yoo Jinho, who had memories of the past, the period of at least 5 years was probably certain. ¡°Good. Then, we can just wait until the evening for the vote to end. Shall we go and take care of other things in the meantime?¡± [I will follow!] When Suho stretched and looked at Beru, Beru quickly jumped up onto his shoulder. Just then, Hunter Seo Jiwoo received a call. 1 ¡°Hunter Sung Suho, I have arrived. Where are you now?¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯m almost there too.¡± Even though they hadn¡¯t even left yet, Suho answered quickly. A double dungeon with ptosis. I had made an appointment in advance to meet with Hunter Seo Jiwoo, who was to tell me the exact location of that ce. It was going to be quick anyway. ¡°Dogyun brother, uncle. I¡¯m going to go somewhere. Please text meter when the voting resultse out.¡± ¡°Uh, huh?¡± ¡°Okay,e back soon.¡± Lim Dogyun is embarrassed and Yoo Jinho smiles and waves leisurely. [Use ¡®Skill: Shadow Exchange¡¯] At that moment, the positions of Suho¡¯s body and the shadow soldier in Seo Jiwoo¡¯s shadow were exchanged. * * * ¡°Hello.¡± ¡°¡­?!¡± Seo Jiwoo, who was holding her cell phone, was startled when Suho suddenly approached her, and had no choice but to take a step back. ¡°Huh, how?!¡± It was natural for Seo Jiwoo to be surprised. ¡®What? I didn¡¯t even feel a presence approaching? Could it be that he wasn¡¯t a tank, but an assassin?¡¯ No way? Even when he sparred with Ma Dongwook, Suho was an absolute tank. It is abative world that emphasizes strength and tenacity. On the other hand, Seo Jiwoo, unlike Ma Dongwook, was an agile hunter who fought using agile movements and powerful skills. She was also S-ss. ¡®If he is strong enough to deceive my senses and approach me¡­?¡¯ She was confused. From the first time she saw him at the association, she knew he had extraordinary abilities, but Suho was like an onion no matter how much she peeled it, there was always more. However, as if Seo Jiwoo¡¯s shocked heart did not concern him at all, Suho looked around with calm eyes and opened his mouth. ¡°Hapjeong Station. You¡¯re telling me that you contracted ptosis somewhere around here.¡± 1 ¡°Huh.¡± ¡°We have asked the association to temporarily close this passage to citizens.¡± A sign saying ¡®under construction¡¯ was currently hanging around Hapjeong Station. Citizens had to cross the street and use a different ticket gate, but no oneined too much. Since it was work done by the association, I was more anxious to quickly evacuate in case a gate appeared. Thanks to this, on the quiet road, Seo Jiwoo traced old memories and guided Suho. ¡°Back then, there was an open gate along these stairs, but now it¡¯s just an ordinary subway station entrance.¡± ¡°Can we find some clues?¡± ¡°We have to look for them now.¡± As he answered, Suho¡¯s eyes suddenly looked down at his own shadow. ¡°Harmacan,e out and see.¡± [Yes, master.] ¡°Kwaaaah?!¡± At that moment, a huge shadow soldier, Harmacan, suddenly rose above Suho¡¯s shadow. Seo Jiwoo couldn¡¯t hold back this time and ended up screaming. [Hmm] When Harmacan, who greeted Suho, quickly lowered his gaze and made eye contact with Seo Jiwoo, Seo Jiwoo couldn¡¯t help but feel nervous and scared. ¡°Hunter Sung¡­?¡± She spoke as calmly as possible, but her voice couldn¡¯t help but tremble. ¡°What! What on earth is this summon? At least A grade, no S grade? This is my first time seeing a summon that gives me such an uneasy feeling. Didn¡¯t Hunter Sung reawaken as a tank?¡± It was confusing. For Seo Jiwoo, who had only seen Suho¡¯s adorable summons, the energy radiating from the new summon that appeared before her eyes was quite terrifying. [Harmacan Lv.5] Elite Knight Grade As Suho¡¯s level increased, the level of the summons that fought with him also increased. Harmacan, who was the great chief of the demon race, couldn¡¯t help but feel ufortable about beings that have life. Once again, thousands of shadow soldiers standing by Suho¡¯s side in Loktak, India appeared in Seo Jiwoo¡¯s mind. ¡®Could it be that it wasn¡¯t really a dungeon break? I think the association should have gone through a more thorough verification process.¡¯ It was a huge error in judgment to assume that he would naturally be a tank after his struggle with Ma Dongwook. ¡°Hunter Sung Suho¡­ What are you¡­ What is that?¡± ¡°I am Crow, the Beast King.¡± Suho responded as if it were a joke, but Seo Jiwoo didn¡¯t even hear it as a joke anymore. ¡°Beast King¡­¡± Okay. That was it! A disaster that urred at Magog Field a while ago. An unidentified hunter who overcame all the trials there and gained the power of the beast king. The fact that that person was Sung Suho exined everything. ¡°Okay. Hunter Sung, you gained the power of a king in Magog and reawakened¡­¡± It¡¯s creepy. Now it feels like the whole puzzle ising together. ¡®It¡¯s not like I was lucky enough to escape from ptosis, but in apletely different way, he also overcame a tremendous ordeal and reawakened.¡¯ Seo Jiwoo¡¯s eyes trembled slightly as she looked at Suho. Anyway, Suho nced at Hapjeong Station and ordered Harmacan. ¡°Harmacan, I was told that there was a double dungeon here. With your abilities, you can confirm it, right?¡± [I will do my best.] Whoa! At that moment, a magic circle began to manifest centered around Harmacan. This spell is a legacy of Kandiaru that he discovered by chance in the world of illusions a long time ago, and since he began to study this ability in earnest, Harmacan has been able to be incredibly strong. It was thanks to this ability that he was able to rise from an ordinary chief to the level of a war chief. [Instance dungeon has been created.] Instance Dungeon. A wide-ranging magic circle that twists existing dimensions to create a ¡®pocket dimension¡¯. This was the ability to twist the gap between dimensions and create a world beyond it. Tring! [Item: Dungeon Key] Difficulty of acquisition: Level E Type: Key -This is the key to go to the instance dungeon. You can use it at Exit 3 of Hapjeong Subway Station. Harmacan politely presented the key he had created through magic to Suho. Chapter 235 Chapter 235 [Even after a wound heals, a scar remains. The space where the dimensional wall once cracked can be reopened by following its trace.] Until now, the instance dungeons created by Harmakan didn¡¯t require keys, but this time was an exception. While previous instance dungeons unfolded as hidden spaces centered around Harmakan, this time it was a spell that reopened a scar left on the dimensional wall. Snap! Suho held the golden key handed to him by Harmakan towards Exit 3 of Hapjeong Station. Whoosh! In that moment, the air rippled around the key, and mana surged, forcefully splitting the dimensional wall. ¡°A¡­ a gate?!¡± Seo Jiwoo¡¯s eyes widened in shock at that sight. ¡°Oh my God! It¡¯s a real gate!¡± ¡®What? Is it really?! Is this even possible?¡¯ She was already stunned several times today to the point that her heart hurt. A gate had suddenly appeared in a previously empty space! Witnessing an unbelievable sight right before her eyes, Seo Jiwoo alternated her gaze between Suho and Harmakan, mouth agape. ¡°Hunter Seong Suho¡­ you are really¡­¡± ¡°Well, shall we go in?¡± Seeing Suho looking at her with a nonchnt face after doing something so outrageous, Seo Jiwoo decided to give up on thinking. Suho stepped towards the gate, and as his figure half-disappeared in the air, Seo Jiwoo finally came to her senses and urgently shouted. ¡°W-wait! I didn¡¯t bring any weapons because I didn¡¯t know this would happen¡­!¡± [Just go in. I don¡¯t need your consent anyway.] Push. ¡°¡­!¡± At that moment, Harmakan pushed Seo Jiwoo¡¯s back, and she ended up stepping into the gate following Suho in confusion. Whoosh! ¡°¡­!¡± With just one step, another world unfolded before Seo Jiwoo¡¯s eyes. [You have entered the instance dungeon.] A message popped up in front of Suho, but Seo Jiwoo couldn¡¯t see it. Instead, her vision was filled with the eeriendscape of Hapjeong Station, transformed into a jungle. 1 Whoooo- ¡°¡­¡± Vines were sprawling over the walls, and the stench of decaying corpses was overpowering. A chilling wind, like the wails of ghosts, blew from afar. Seo Jiwoo looked back instinctively. Thud, thud! ¡°A wall¡­ has appeared?¡± She knocked on the invisible wall. It was creepy that beyond the wall, the peaceful outside world, still basked in warm sunlight, was spread out. It seemed that this ce and the outside world were different spaces. She tried to force her way out but it was impossible. Harmakan, looking at Seo Jiwoo, spoke in a dry, mechanical tone. [Give up. To leave this dungeon, you must either defeat the boss mob or use a hearthstone.] He pointed his thumb at himself and grinned meaningfully. [For the record, the boss mob is me.] ¡°¡­¡± Amid all the confusion, at least one thing seemed clear. Not only did this summoned beast look sinister, but it also seemed to have a nasty personality. No, correction. [Kiieeek! You sluggish human! Do you intend to make the little lord wait?!] ¡°¡­¡± This ant summon, though cute in appearance, had an extremely bad personality as well. [Kiieeek! Can¡¯t you move faster?!] ¡°Alright, alright.¡± Eventually, unable to withstand Beru¡¯s beseeching, Seo Jiwoo carefully followed Suho, who was already descending the stairs ahead. But no matter how powerful a hunter is, One always fears the unknown. Gulp. As they descended the stairs, the eeriendscape of the Hapjeong Station dungeon began in earnest, which made Seo Jiwoo swallow dryly. Passing through the restroom, they entered the underground shopping center. The stores were old, broken, and reminiscent of ruins. Under the dim fluorescent light, the ruined shops and deserted passageway gave off a gloomy feeling. Flicker, flicker. Several fluorescent lights were flickering, nearing the end of their lifespan. Stepping on the weeds growing abundantly over the broken tiles, Seo Jiwoo followed Suho, ncing around with an uneasy expression. ¡®¡­This is my first time in a dungeon like this.¡¯ It seemed that unlike typical dungeons leading to another dimension, the entire Hapjeong Station had be a dungeon. ¡®I can¡¯t believe something like this is possible¡­¡¯ Seo Jiwoo had met many high-ranked hunters before, but Seong Suho was the first of his kind. The more she learned about him¡­ the more iprehensible his abilities seemed. Sticking close to Suho, Seo Jiwoo asked with a worried expression. ¡°Hunter Seong Suho, what are we going to do here?¡± Regardless of age difference, formal speech started toe out naturally. Suho answered while calmly scanning the surroundings. ¡°We created the dungeon, so now we¡¯re going to find a double dungeon inside it. Since you said you didn¡¯t conquer the double dungeon previously, there might still be traces of it left somewhere around here .¡± ¡°¡­I see.¡± Easier said than done. To find a double dungeon, they first created a dungeon. However, that logic was hard to follow with Seo Jiwoo¡¯smon sense. ¡°But this ce ispletely different from the dungeon my team and I conquered back then. Do you think the double dungeon I found at that time still exists here?¡± ¡°That¡¯s what we¡¯re about to find out.¡± Harmakan answered confidently. [There¡¯s a good chance. Though this ce was created differently, it follows the scar on the dimension, so if there are traces of the dimensional gap here, that¡¯s where the double dungeon will be.] And there was one more reason why Harmakan was so confident. There was an unfamiliar presence in this dungeon which he created himself. Shiver! ¡°¡­!¡± In the silence, suddenly, there came a feeling of being watched from somewhere. Crash! At that moment, Seo Jiwoo¡¯s face, expressing frustration and bewilderment until now, was reced by the sharp gaze of an S-rank hunter. ¡°There!¡± As soon as she caught the presence. With an afterimage, that made her body look stretched like taffy, Seo Jiwoo shot forward. Boom! Even without a weapon, an S-rank hunter¡¯s body is already a war machine in itself. Boom! Seo Jiwoo¡¯s fist smashed through a wall, grabbing the ¡®thing¡¯ hiding behind it by the neck rather than killing it. The thing struggled to escape Seo Jiwoo¡¯s grip, but it was futile against her strength. ¡°Keek, keek¡­!¡± ¡°What the¡­ what is this?¡± Its appearance was strange. Seo Jiwoo¡¯s eyes widened as she saw the monster¡¯s form. Just then. Crash! The shop window behind Suho shattered, and other creatures emerged. ¡°Keek, keek, keek!¡± Hiss! Sharp thorns gleaming with blue poison attacked Suho¡¯s back at tremendous speed. [The Queen of Insects, the gue Monarch, licks her lips.] Querehsha awakened. But only reacting to the poison, the creature that lunged wasn¡¯t actually a bug. ¡°What are these things?¡± Instead of confronting the attack, Suho casually raised his hand and grasped the air. ¡®Ruler¡¯s Authority¡¯ Freeze! ¡°Keerk?!¡± The unidentified monsters that were attacking Suho struggled in the air as if caught in a snare. Suho, seeing the creatures caught by his invisible hand, called Harmakan with an intrigued expression. ¡°Harmakan, what are these?¡± [Interesting. They¡¯re not my creations.] Harmakan replied with a gleam in his eye. Beru even tried biting them but spat out in disgust. [They taste awful. They don¡¯t seem to be proper demonic beasts either.] ¡°Looks demonic though.¡± ¡°Keek, keek!¡± The monsters that suddenly appeared looked bizarre. Suho frowned. ¡°What should we call these?¡± ¡°nts?¡± Purple vines entangled like tentacles into a doll. No, a half-finished doll, perhaps? Some had octopus-like legs, while others had tentacle-like roots spreading out. In short, a mess. At least onemon feature was that they had human-like skulls atop their heads, resembling helmets. [??] Even the system that usually identified the monsters couldn¡¯t recognize them, disying question marks above their heads. ¡°nts mimicking skeletons? Or sprouts growing from skulls?¡± What should he call these? This was a job for the Dragon Monarch. [The spirit of ¡®Antares¡¯ descends into the priest¡¯s body.] Ragnar appeared with arms crossed over Suho¡¯s shadow. ¡°Ask anything.¡± ¡°Antares, are these creatures perhaps the Nightmare Buds?¡± ¡°No, these are just nameless weeds. Not every weed has a name.¡± ¡°So, are they from the Sea of the Afterlife?¡± ¡°Probably. These half-formed creatures are not among the residents of the Chaos World.¡± ¡®Residents of the Chaos World¡¯ This term referred to ordinary monsters that had appeared on Earth so far, residents of another dimension ruled by the Monarchs. But even the Dragon Monarch, who ruled the Chaos World for a long time, had never seen monsters like these. ¡°These creatures have no special names and look half-finished. We call them ¡®Residents of the Rift¡¯ as a whole.¡± ¡°Residents of the Rift?¡± Suho tilted his head at the unfamiliar term. Antares shrugged and exined. ¡°Actually, calling them residents is apliment. They¡¯re just dimensional trash drifting through the Rift.¡± ¡°Dimensional trash?¡± ¡°No, residue is a more urate term. Literally, they are remnants, not the creation of an absolute being but leftovers abandoned by the creator.¡± Keek! Keek, keek, keek! Did they understand Antares¡¯s words? The weeds held by Suho trembled and screamed. ¡°They seem angry at your words.¡± ¡°Angry? That¡¯s amusing. These things can¡¯t feel emotions.¡± Antares snorted at Suho¡¯s words. He looked at the trembling weeds with utter disdain. ¡°These things have no intellect, no soul. Being unfinished creations, they drift through the rift driven only by the instinct to devour life.¡± Keek! Keek, keek! The hollow cries of soulless weeds echoed throughout the dungeon created by Harmakan. Antares looked around with a smirk. ¡°Anyway, there must be a hole somewhere in this dungeon where these weeds came through, what humans call a double dungeon.¡± But finding that ce didn¡¯t seem easy. If these weeds had souls, he could make them shadow soldiers to guide him, but extracting shadows from soulless leftovers was impossible. However, there was always a way. ¡°¡­Why are you all looking at me like that?¡± Seo Jiwoo suddenly felt a chill. Everyone¡¯s gaze was tantly fixed on her. Not only Suho, the Dragon Monarch, Harmakan, and Beru but even the captured weeds. The skull-like heads on the weeds turned towards Seo Jiwoo, staring at her with hollow eye sockets. Seo Jiwoo instinctively realized what role she was going to y . ¡°Am I the bait?¡± Nod. The Dragon Monarch Antares, who made eye contact with Seo Jiwoo, nodded solemnly. ¡°The Nightmare Buds are the greediest of weeds. Any prey they missed would be a mouth-watering bait for the Residents of the gap.¡± Harmakan, standing behind the Dragon Monarch, also sneered at Seo Jiwoo. [That¡¯s why I said from the start. You won¡¯t need to step in willingly.] ¡°You, damn¡­!¡± Just then. Keek, keek, keek! The dungeon of Hapjeong Station started to fill with countless weeds targeting Seo Jiwoo. Simultaneously, Suho¡¯s fists were enveloped in scorching mes. Fwoosh! Boom! ck mes from the heart of the Dragon Monarchshed out like a whip, incinerating the weeds in an instant. In the ze, Suho¡¯s eyes shone intensely. ¡°Protect Hunter Seo Jiwoo! Beru, let¡¯s track where these things areing from!¡± [At yourmand! Kiieeek-!] Beru, grinning widely, leaped after Suho, who was charging ahead. And then, suddenly. ¡°Keek?!¡± Harmakan lifted Seo Jiwoo over his shoulder, saying. [Don¡¯t worry. I will protect you until the end.] ¡°You¡­ I told you I wanted to bring my weapon¡­!¡± [Ha, no need to bother.] Harmakan, the war chief of the demon race and master of the instance dungeon, spoke decisively. [Variables are uneptable. Just think of it as a kidnapping.] ¡°¡­!¡± He was a perfectionist. Chapter 236 Chapter 236 kekekeke Unidentified weeds covered the walls and ceiling of the ruined Hapjeong Station like vines. It looked like a scene from an unpleasant nightmare. Seo Jiwoo gritted her teeth. ¡®As expected, I should have taken my gauntlets out of the car!¡¯ Even though she was an S-ss hunter in name, she was humiliated to be protected like this. ¡°Why on earth are you protecting me like this?¡± [You¡¯re noisy] However, Harmakan never allowed Seo Jiwoo to fight. This was not simply for protection. [It is helpful to my master if you remain quiet.] ¡°What help? Does Hunter Sung Suho have another purpose for being here?¡± [Hehe. A purpose.] Instead of responding to Seo Jiwoo¡¯s frustrated reaction, Harmakan justughed. What is the purpose? ¡®Of course it¡¯s to level up, isn¡¯t it?¡¯ Harmakan chuckled. Originally, the soulless remnants of that dimension would not have given Suho any meaningful experience. But it was different here. What is an instance dungeon in the first ce? Isn¡¯t it the magic circle developed by Kandiaru, the Great Shaman of the Phantom World, to help yers level up? So, no matter what their original identity was, at this point, they were all just monsters that existed to give experience to Suho. ¡®So, my role is topletely exclude any elements that could steal even a little bit of my master¡¯s experience from this battlefield.¡¯ Under that sense of duty, Harmakan carefully managed Seo Jiwoo to prevent her from acting carelessly. Seo Jiwoo was a little moved by that sincerity. ¡°This is the first time since I reawakened that someone has protected me like this¡­¡± For some reason, it reminded her of her deceased grandfather¡¯s arms. But that emotion was short-lived. My grandfather, or rather Harmakan, was a fundamentally evil demonic spirit. [OK. If you really want to fight, I¡¯ll give you a chance.] ¡°¡­!¡± sh! Suddenly, an evil spell spread out from Harmakan¡¯s withered fingertips. And inside, an ominous-looking full-body armor appeared. [It is the armor of an evil spirit. If you want to fight wearing this, I¡¯ll let you go.] ¡°It looks very ufortable, doesn¡¯t it? It¡¯s not cursed armor, right?¡± When Seo Jiwoo looked at him with eyes full of extreme distrust, Harmakan grinned and created two more evil magic circles in the air. [Don¡¯t worry. It was originally armor for evil spirits, but it was modified so that humans could also wear it.] ¡°Oh, evil spirit?¡± Harmakan gentlyforted Seo Jiwoo, who became even more upset after hearing those words. [Hehe. You¡¯re scared. For an ordinary person, there will be some side effects, but for a person like you who is an S-ss hunter, there will be no problems.] Harmakan swallowed hard and grinned as he said, ¡°Maybe.¡± ¡°Ha. okay. I can¡¯t let Hunter Sung Suho, who came at my request, suffer alone.¡± Seo Jiwoo ended up nodding her head, feeling like she was making a contract with the devil. The devil grinned at that. [This might be a good idea. I¡¯ve really wanted to try it on a human, and it might turn out really well.] ¡°What?! Wait for a moment-!¡± Crunch! It¡¯s already toote. Seo Jiwoo¡¯s eyes widened in confusion at Harmakan¡¯sst murmur, and the evil spirit¡¯s armor swallowed her up. Harmakan added a few spells to it as if he had been waiting. [Seo Jiwoo wears ¡®Item: Evil Spirit¡¯s Armor¡¯.] ¡°Hmm?¡± Suho, who was fighting in front, looked back with a puzzled expression at the system message that suddenly appeared in front of him. [Harmakan uses ¡®Skill: Thorn of Pain¡¯ on Seo Jiwoo.] [All pain and damage Seo Jiwoo receives is shared with the target of the attack.] [Harmakan uses ¡®Skill: Exploitation¡¯ on Seo Jiwoo.] [Seo Jiwoo recovers stamina equal to 2% of the damage inflicted on the opponent.] Then, Seo Jiwoo, armed like a Death Knight, was staggering around with a pale face. She felt like throwing up. ¡°Wow. I think I¡¯ll get motion sick, from this.¡± [Hoo. Is that all it is? If you were a weak human, you would probably have died or fainted.] ¡°You fraudster¡­!¡± Seo Jiwoo clenched her fists as she saw Harmakan nodding in satisfaction next to her. [Now, go out and fight. This armor is an artifact that reflects damage and restores stamina as the enemy is attacked.] ¡°What?¡± Seo Jiwoo¡¯s eyes widen at those words and she looks down at the evil spirit armor she is wearing. [Let¡¯s experience the effect for ourselves.] When Harmakan pushed Seo Jiwoo¡¯s back forward, Seo Jiwoo jumped forward as if possessed and attacked the enemies. Thump-! Seo Jiwoo¡¯s fist shot out like a cannon and directly hit a weed¡¯s purple vined skull. [?? has been defeated.] [¡®Seo Ji-woo¡¯ offers 100% of her experience as a sacrifice.] At that moment, messages appeared in front of Suho. The experience Seo Jiwoo gained was transferred to Suho through a medium called ¡®Evil Spirit¡¯s Armor¡¯. Seo Jiwoo still looked sick, but Harmakan¡¯s experiment was sessful. [For my master¡¯s glory.] Suho burst outughing as he saw Harmakan bowing his head solemnly towards Suho from afar. ¡®Ha, those demons.¡¯ It was Suho who originally instructed Harmakan to modify the evil spirit¡¯s armor. The evil spirit¡¯s armor was originally a cursed armor that strengthened its power by squeezing evil spirits. It was only recently that Harmakan was asked to design something that could be worn by other species and not only evil spirits. But Suho never thought that Harmakan would put it on Seo Jiwoo. But Seo Jiwoo was Seo Jiwoo afterall. ¡°This armor¡­ It¡¯s huge!¡± Seo Jiwoo¡¯s performance, who suddenly became a Death Knight, was beyond imagination. Boom! Ku-kwa-kwang-kwang! Seo Jiwoo was spewing out so much strength that she was surprised. In fact, Seo Jiwoo originally had a hard time adjusting to her sudden change of power after she reawakened. Unlike, Ma Dong-wook, an S-ss tanker famous for his strength and tenacity, Seo Jiwoo was different. Seo Ji-woo is a damage dealer. Her strength became incredibly strong, but her defense could not keep up with her monstrous power. What that means is that when Seo Jiwoo threw a punch, not only did the other person get hurt, but Seo Jiwoo also got hurt as well. In short, as Seo Ji-woo fought, the durability of the gauntlets and armor she was wearing was inevitably reduced. This means that all the money they made was used to repair equipment or buy new weapons. However, the evil spirit¡¯s armor was stronger than any armor Seo Jiwoo had ever worn. In addition, Harmakan¡¯s buff restores stamina as additional damage is inflicted. ¡°I feel like I¡¯m going to throw up, but I can¡¯t stop.¡± Seo Jiwoo was fighting with all her might for the first time since her reawakening. ¡°I guess I need to work hard on this too.¡± When Suho saw that, a strong desire to win appeared in his eyes. [Use skill ¡®Giant¡¯s Armor¡¯.] Shwaaagh! The ck me burning from the Dragon Emperor¡¯s heart mixed with the energy of the shadow and enveloped his entire body. krekeke Full body armor covered in ck me. Due to the intense heat, the purple vines that attacked Suho were startled and retreated. But it was already toote. Hissss! The Dragon Emperor¡¯s mes persistently spread through the vines, burning their entire bodies. [?? has been defeated.] [?? has been defeated.] ¡­ ¡­ . Seo Jiwoo was impressed by that appearance. ¡®He was a tanker after all!!! And a fire attribute tank, the strongest attribute!¡¯ Suho, who was surrounded by them, suddenly turned into a living disaster. Beru was also delighted at his majesty¡¯s overwhelming power and pped. [Keeeeek! I am so proud of you! Suho, you have now be a living meat shield!] 2 ¡°That¡¯s apliment, right?¡± [Of course it¡¯s apliment! But don¡¯t forget your purpose!] ¡°Know.¡± Their goal now is not to annihte them, but to find the hole through which they escaped. ¡°Make a path.¡± Two of Vulcan¡¯s horns were held in both of Suho¡¯s hands, whose eyes were shining. [Use ¡®Skill: Storm of ck me¡¯.] Obtaining the Heart of the Dragon Emperor created a new skill that evolved from Storm sh. Wow! A storm of ck mes swept through the two swords. [?? has been defeated.] [?? has been defeated.] [?? has been defeated.] ¡­ ¡­ . [Your level has increased.] And the road was cleared. ¡°¡­oh my god.¡± Seo Jiwoo¡¯s mouth opened wide. Along the path of fire that Suho spewed out in a straight line, numerous vines were reduced to ashes and scattered. At the end of the open road, she saw vines slowly reappearing. ¡°Is it over there?¡± Suho ran straight ahead. Seo Jiwoo ran after him. Tookwakwang! Using both fists, she used her two fists to bounce off random mobs attacking from the left and right. And finally. ¡°¡­found it.¡± ¡°The double dungeon.¡± Finally, an ominous dimensional crack appeared in front of Suho and Seo Jiwoo. ¡°This is where they were crawling out of.¡± Antares clicked his tongue as he looked at the purple vines crawling out through the dimensional crack. ¡°It¡¯s always like that with the residents of the gap.¡± ¡°They are like weeds that usually hide as if they are dead, but whenever they get a chance, they spread their roots and sprout. ¡± ¡°Perhaps this hole was dug by the nightmare bud.¡± ¡°Since then, other weeds have beening in through this hole.¡± While listening to Antares¡¯ exnation, Suho red through the crack with burning eyes. ¡°What is the probability that this leads to the sea of the afterlife?¡± [Extremely low. But at least it will be a shortcut.] [Suho. Are you nning to go in right now?] ¡°That¡¯s right. My grandfather¡¯s life is at stake.¡± Suho looked at Seo Jiwoo next to him and politely asked. ¡°Hunter Seo Jiwoo. It might be a little dangerous, but could youe in with me?¡± ¡°Of course. I never dreamed it would be like this, but I also want to save my colleagues from their sleeplessness.¡± Seo Jiwoo looked into Suho¡¯s eyes with a determined expression and nodded. ¡°Then let¡¯s go in.¡± They stepped into the dimensional rift without hesitation. krekeek pow! Even then, burning the residents of the gap who were crawling out of the gap. * * * Meanwhile, at the same time. Grumble! The sky of the demon world was shaking ominously. ¡°Has the timee?¡± Esil, the owner of this territory and the only demon noble was looking up at the sky from a high hill, her eyes shining brightly. In reality ¡­ ¡­ Esil didn¡¯t know much about ¡®how to be the demon king.¡¯ All she knew was from her father when she was young. Esil¡¯s father probably didn¡¯t know anything specific at the time. ¡®When my father was born, the King of Demons was Baran.¡¯ Baran, the King of Demons and the Monarch of White mes. He was the ruler of the demon world, where demons lived for a very long time. But is there anything eternal in this universe? Even the Absolute One who created this universe was killed by his own creations. A long time ago. Before ¡®Baran¡¯ became king, another demon ruled the demon world. When the king died and disappeared in the war between the rulers, Baran, who was a demon nobleman at the time, proudly proved his qualifications as king and seeded to the throne. That method was the ¡®trial¡¯ that Esil knew. Kurung! Qarring! But it didn¡¯t matter if she didn¡¯t know the details. As a demon noble, her instincts were whispering the most important thing to her. ¡°Demons! Listen!¡± Esil stood up indignantly and raised her voice. ¡°Esil Radiru, the only demon noble and master of thisnd,mands you!¡± At the sound of Esil¡¯s loud voice, all the demons in the demon world raised their heads toward the sky. Then, all that was visible above the sky was ¡®white mes¡¯. Pure white mes came down, tearing up the sky of the demon world. Like a ¡®weed¡¯ that takes root in a drynd without an owner. Esil grabbed her spear, pointed it in front of her, and shouted. ¡°Rise and fight! ¡°The time of trial hase!¡± krekeke ¡­ ¡­ ! At that moment. Purple roots began to creep through the cracks in the demon world. An obsessive glow burst from the eyes of the skeletons on their heads. Even the demons who were ignorant of the king¡¯s qualifications instinctively realized the bloody force. ¡°The trial has begun!¡± ¡°It¡¯s the trial!¡± ¡°The demon world is being polluted!¡± If they don¡¯t survive this moment, they will eventually get eaten by them. No, the entire demon world will be eaten. In order for that not to happen, in the end¡­! ¡°We need a king.¡± Someone muttered. A world without a king is dangerous. Weeds always grow in unimednd. The moment the demons saw the weeds, they instinctively knew what they were. ¡°It¡¯s a resident of the gap.¡± ¡°The residents of the gap are targeting us!¡± And the turmoil gradually spread, leading to panic and fear. In the end, everyone¡¯s eyes were focused on the right person to lead them, a pure-blooded demon. The pure-blooded demon willingly epted their wish. ¡°I am Esil, the eldest daughter of the Radiru family.¡± Esil confidently said her name in front of the purple wave that invaded the demon world. But at the same time, she couldn¡¯t help but feel a bit of regret rising in her mind. ¡®By any chance, if Suho is away¡­¡¯ But it¡¯s okay. This is something I shouldn¡¯t ask for help in the first ce. If you can¡¯t ovee the ordeal on your own, will you ever be qualified to be king? That is why Esil suppressed her fears and dered confidently. ¡°I will be your king.¡± Sigh! And Esil¡¯s voice was overflowing with confidence as she raised her spear high and shouted. ¡°Wake up! Death Knights!¡± Ooooh! At thatmand, numerous demon knights wearing ¡®Item: Armor of Evil Spirits¡¯ stood up behind Esil. To be honest, Esil believed that she should receive some help. Chapter 237 Chapter 237 Have you ever thought that nts are disgusting? Flowers. Leaves. Stems. Fruits. Just imagine the fresh and beautiful nts. The beauty of mother nature, full of vitality. Such an expression waspletely unrted to the residents of the gap who invaded the demon world. Kkieeee-! The weeds are also nts. The sight of weeds straining to imitate humans by twisting and twiddling their vines was clearly disgusting. Kekekekekeekkeekkeekkeekkeekkeekkeekkeekkeekkeekkeek! Their structure resembled a kind of flower pot. If the skull gourd on their heads was an upside-down flower pot, countless purple stems of nts sticking out from underneath were crawling on the floor like octopuses. However, when the battle began in earnest, the stems intertwined and twisted, and began to walk, clumsily imitating their arms and legs. Seeing that, the demons felt a bit uneasy and attacked them. ¡°The residents of the gap are imitating us!¡± ¡°Stop them! Don¡¯t let theme!¡± Why? From the moment the trial began, the demons were helpless from the instinctive difort they felt. This disgusting feeling was felt equally by both intelligent and non-intelligent demons. Isn¡¯t this strange in the first ce? The demons lived without even knowing about the residents of the gap.¡¯ But the moment they saw them, the demons instinctively recognized their names. As if they knew it from the beginning. ¡®There¡¯s something strange about these guys.¡¯ Esil found this fact more ominous than anyone else and felt rmed. For demons, the sense of ¡®instinct¡¯ was directly rted to survival and was a sense that should never be ignored. In particr, the fact that information that was not originally in their memory suddenly came to their mind, means it¡¯s information engraved in the demon¡¯s blood or soul. ¡°Aaaah!¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­ !¡± ¡°Everyone be careful! If you touch these guys, your mana will be sucked out!¡± But there was no time to think for long. At that moment, the demons who had been at the forefront of the battle against the residents of the gap were seen retreating in confusion. The purple vines that wrapped around their bodies sucked their mana out. ¡°Get out of the way!¡± Tsk Tsk! At that moment, demon knights, armed with their demonic armor, leap forward with great force and tore apart the vines wrapped around the demons without hesitation. But the vines were persistent. Sigh! The torn-off vines twisted like snakes in the air and wrapped around the bodies of the demon knights. ¡°Aha!¡± Thank goodness. The evil spirit armor they wore prevented mana from being sucked out even if they touched the residents of the gap. At Suho¡¯smand, Harmakan had specifically modified the armor for the demons and it served its purpose perfectly. But the weeds moved even more persistently, they found a narrow gap in the evil spirit¡¯s armor, and swat! Jabbed using sharp thorny tentacles. ¡°Hey, guys!¡± The demon knight felt dizzy and quickly ripped them off, then looked back at Esil and shouted. ¡°Esil! Be careful!¡± ¡°These guys don¡¯t just suck out mana, they inject strange poison with their spiny tentacles!¡± They were truly like mosquitoes. No, they were abination of the unpleasant aspects of mosquitoes and leeches. Even if you touch or brush against a vine, your blood will be sucked out. If you get pricked by a thorn, an unknown poison prates you. ¡°Damn them. I¡¯m going in too!¡± Crunch! At that moment, Esil also jumped forward wearing the evil spirit armor. ¡°Die!¡± Wedge ¨C Kwasik! Esil fired her spear, used it to pierce the weed¡¯s skulls, and shattered them. Then, the vines that had been growing around the skeleton like flower pots lost their strength and fell down. Esil, who confirmed that, gave a loud order. ¡°Their heads are their weak point! Aim for their heads!¡± At Esil¡¯s words, the demons spread the message to their fellow countrymen who were scattered and fighting. ¡°Everyone aim for the head!¡± ¡°Their skulls are their weak point!¡± Following thatmand, the demons rushed in to crush the weed¡¯s heads. ¡°If you wear armor, your mana won¡¯t go away even if it touches your body! Death Knights take the lead, just watch out for the thorns!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what kind of poison it is! Don¡¯t get pricked by the thorns!¡± Kwasik! Flutter! Damn it! Skeleton-like skulls are helplessly broken by the demons¡¯ attacks. A full-scale battle began. However, even if the weed¡¯s weakness was discovered, the battle did not go so easily. Ever since the start, there has been an overwhelming difference in quantity. The number of weeds was far greater than the demons under Esil¡¯smand. Esil gritted her teeth. ¡®I should have gathered more demons!¡¯ She felt resentful. If this was the demon world of the past, there would never have been a shortage of supplies like now. But what could she do? Currently, the demon world was torn apart and wandering through the gaps in the dimension. But if all the demons scattered across the fragmented pieces of the demon world were gathered together, then they had a chance. ¡®Each one of these guys is weak. But there are too many. Where have they been hiding for so long and then suddenly show up?¡¯ ¡°Ugh!¡± In the midst of the fierce fighting, the first casualty was eventually reported. ¡°Grrrrrr.¡± The demon, who had been wrapped in vines and had all his mana sucked out, foamed at the mouth and lost focus in his eyes. At that moment. Tsk, tsk, tsk! Suddenly,ughter broke out. A clear sound ofughter came from a skeleton that had seeded in catching and eating a demon, in other words, a weed. ¡°¡­!¡± At that moment, Esil finally witnessed it. The identity of the uneasiness she had been feeling from the moment she encountered the residents of the gap, those unidentified beings. Wow- Suddenly, vine nts wrap around the skull. Their shape began to create a ¡®proper body¡¯ in the shape of muscle, like real muscle fibers attached to a skeleton. ¡°¡­oh my god.¡± At that amazing sight, sighs flowed from the mouths of all the demons, including Esil. Okay. Something was strange from the start. These creepy guys created limbs by weaving vines as if imitating demons. The moment they sucked in a whole demon. ¡°Hehe! Kihihi!¡± The nameless weed finally became a ¡®demon¡¯. * * * ¡°¡­ Is this the demon world?¡± Suho, who entered the double dungeon through a crack, opened his mouth in despair as he saw the demonic beasts swarming in front of him. Then Antares shook his head. ¡°No, it¡¯s just a dimensional gap.¡± ¡°So who are these demons?¡± ¡°Well. They are the residents of the gap who prey upon demons and prove themselves worthy of bing demons.¡± ¡°¡­ !¡± Just as the Dragon Emperor said, purple demons were now swarming in front of them. [Demon of the gap] [Demon of the gap] [Demon of the gap] Above their heads was a name tag clearly written as a demon, but the seeds were still weeds made of vines. However, the ones that were like octopuses living in skulls were now creating their own muscles by weaving vines together and turned into human models that you could see in a scienceb. No, in terms of size and shape, it was closer to the shape of a demon than a human. Because one even had horns. The problem was that this was not simply an imitation of a demon¡¯s shape. [¡®Title: Demon yer¡¯ buff takes effect.] [All stats increase by 40% when dealing with demon-type monsters.] ¡°He¡¯s a real demon.¡± Suho¡¯s eyes sparkled. The fact that the title effect, which only applies when dealing with demons, was automatically activated was proof that these weeds were real demons. ¡°They ate a demon and became a demon themselves?¡± ¡°Yes. It looks like the fragments of the demon world scattered across the dimensional rift have been invaded by these guys. In short, they¡¯ve been ¡®contaminated.''¡± Antares¡¯ gaze at the demons in the gap was clearly unpleasant. ¡°As I said, the residents of the gap are leftovers created by the Absolute. So these weeds always yearn to be something. Among them, the most formidable are the demon¡¯s soul.¡± Suho seemed to somehow know what he was going to say next. ¡°Is it because the demon¡¯s souls cannot go to the sea after death even when they die?¡± ¡°No, the order is a little different. When a living being dies, its souls wander around the sea of the afterlife and are used as food for the world tree. That¡¯s natural.¡± Kihihi! Grumble! The conversation stopped and a battle suddenly began. [Demons of the gap] surrounded them and began attacking them from all directions. ¡°I¡¯ll take care of this!¡± Because the area was wide open, Seo Jiwoo took charge of Suho¡¯s rearguard. Suho swung Vulcan¡¯s horn at the demons of the gap rushing in from the front. Grumble! Kuwaan-! However, the reaction was quite different from the weeds they had fought earlier. The weeds named [??] that they fought earlier were helplessly burned by Suho¡¯s mes, but the [Demons of the Gap] dodged and fought back. ¡°The way they react is the same as a real demon.¡± It was interesting, but that was it. [Use ¡®Skill: Storm of ck me¡¯.] Wow! [The demon of the gap has been defeated.] [The demon of the gap has been defeated.] [The demon of the gap has been defeated.] ¡­ ¡­ . As the battle became more intense, the Dragon Lord Antares spread his short wings and floated,nding on Suho¡¯s head. He continued his exnation with a solemn expression. ¡°I think I should tell you about the World Tree first. The World Tree uses dead souls as nourishment to grow itself and bear fruit. And from that fruit, a new soul is born. The ruler¡¯s soldiers were born from the most beautiful and pure of the fruits, and the souls of countless races you are familiar with are born from the other fruits.¡± ¡°Like a rebirth?¡± ¡°Well any expression can be used, but no one knows what functions take ce within the world tree. Since a dead soul is once nourished and then reborn, no one can be sure if it is the same soul.¡± Antares continued speaking while looking at the demons in the gap. ¡°As I said, among the souls that fall into the sea after death, there are quite a few souls that are caught and eaten by weeds before being eaten by the World Tree. We express this as ¡®contaminated mana.''¡± Suho¡¯s eyes widened at the familiar expression. ¡°¡­ contaminated mana?¡± ¡°Okay. Among the roles of the World Tree is the purification of dead souls. However, if you get caught by a weed without going through the World Tree, your soul will be polluted. Then the soul can never return to the sea after death.¡± Kihihi! Kkekekekeke! ¡°¡­ ¡­ And then you be a demon just like these guys. It is the moment when the weeds that were nothing finally gain an identity.¡± Before he could finish his words, something happened toe into Suho¡¯s field of vision. [Mana is contaminated and cannot be extracted.] [Mana is contaminated and cannot be extracted.] Suho realized the truth as he looked at the messages floating above the corpses of the demons he had just killed. ¡®Okay. I was always curious.¡¯ Every time he fought demons. He saw a message that their souls could not be extracted. Suho was really curious about that. Why on earth doesn¡¯t it work? Why can¡¯t the souls of demons be extracted? The more I thought about it, the more I couldn¡¯t understand it. What is the difference between the souls of beast-type monsters, insect-type beasts, and countless other races, and the souls of demons? Well, what a difference there is. The Shadow Lord¡¯s power to control even death does not work. -Mana is contaminated? What on earth is it contaminated with? If the meaning of pollution is ¡®poison¡¯, then the problem is to detoxify it. If the meaning of pollution is ¡®dirty,¡¯ then how dirty is it? If Harmakan¡¯s viins¡¯ souls, were evil in the first ce, wouldn¡¯t it make sense for it to be possible to extract them as shadow soldiers? But why are demons the only ones that cannot be extracted? But only today did he realize. Now he knew the reason. What on earth are the souls of demons contaminated with? ¡°Weeds are persistent. Once they set their sights on prey, they never give up.¡± While listening to the Dragon Emperor Antares¡¯ words, Suho remembered. ¡°Demon¡¯s souls cannot go to the sea of the afterlife. They are already food for weeds, not food for the world tree.¡± Demon world. From the beginning until now, demons have lived in a rtionship of eating and being eaten by each other. ¡°Demons were originally residents of the gap.¡± The identity of the trial Esil was waiting for. It seemed like proof of who was worthy of bing a real demon. But then. A single line from the system arrived in front of Suho. [A quest has arrived.] Chapter 238 Chapter 238 Quiet nothingness. Endless horizon. At the edge of a pure white world where even the flow of time has frozen. [¡­ ¡­ .] The ¡®devil¡¯ finally opened his eyes. [¡­] The devil frowned. Where is this ce? Who am I? How long have I been asleep? Everything was hazy. [I am¡­] Soon, his consciousness, which had been locked away, began to slowly rise to the surface. Memories of the past began to return and came together piece by piece. In the end, he finally seeded in remembering himself. Yeah, I remember. I am¡­ ¡­ . [¡­ ¡­I wish.] Yes. His name is Baran. He was the pinnacle of all demons and the great king of demons who ruled the demon realm, Baran. However¡­ Where are we? How did the once great me end up like this? [¡­] At that moment, another thing popped into his mind while he was locked in aa. It was¡­ ¡­ hisst memory, the conversation he had with ¡®him¡¯. -Why did you betray me? A cold voice. I felt an instinctive fear at his words scolding me, but even at the moment of his death, the devil still bared his teeth. -What a¡­ shame. I could have done away with you. -I asked why. Tsk tsk. Why? Are you really asking because you don¡¯t know that? To his question, the devil simplyughed. Tsk tsk tsk tsk. The devil, who had been hanging his head like that for a while, shaking his shoulders and giggling like a madman, raised his head again. At the same time, hisughter stopped. The strong hatred that had been suppressed burst out from his wide-open eyes. [The King of Demons, the Lord of the White me, opens his eyes.] Phew! Phew! A cruel and intense killing engulfed the pure white world. But that¡¯s it. In this empty world, there was no one to receive his wrath. Even the small creatures that usually tremble and crawl on the floor when they receive his deadly attack. And the armies of rulers he hates. Even¡­ that damn thing that killed me. Wow! Realizing that vain fact, the devil raised his head and roared towards the sky. Countless blue sparks shed from inside his wide-open mouth. Kwajijijijijijik! An eerie sh of blue light enveloped the pure white world. White mes falling from the empty sky. Heavenly punishment falling from the sky. In the midst of it all, the king of the demons howled in rage. [Where are you! Shadow Lord! Greatest Fragment of Brilliant Light-!] Towards the damn being who made me like this. [Come out! It is I! The demon king Baran who betrayed you is here!] But this is a world of nothingness. No matter how much he shouted, his voice became a hollow echo, floating in the pure white sky. But Baran did not give up. After all, the devil is persistent. The identity of the demon king Baran is the person who stands at the top of the demon world, where fighting for survival is a daily routine. I don¡¯t know how I opened my eyes again, but since I woke up, I was just faithful to my instincts as a devil. [If you won¡¯te out, I¡¯ll go find you myself! It doesn¡¯t matter where you are! I¡¯m Baran, the king of demons! Wherever I am, the demon realm is right here!] Baran raised one hand to the sky. [All demons! Gather before me! Your king is imprisoned here!] In his hands, a unique power inherited only from the king of demons was revealed. [Demon King Baran uses ¡®Skill: Army of Hell¡¯.] The forces of hell. This is the power to rally troops to where the Demon King is, regardless of where the demons that serve him are. Pababababat! Dozens of magic circles were created above his head. The magic circle began to forcibly twist the dimensional rift to summon the demons. But it was impossible. [Now! Everyone muste out!] None of the dozens of gates created in this way were able to summon demons. Because this was a world of nothingness. But among the words he shouted out, there was only one thing that came true. Ring! [¡®Devil¡¯s Sanctuary¡¯ activates.] Baran failed to gather the demons, but Baran¡¯s power seeded in concentrating the demons who had lost their king and were wandering through the gaps in the dimension in one ce. The moment Suho encountered the ¡®devils in the gap¡¯. * * * Ring! Ring! Ring! At that time, Suho¡¯s eyes were shining as he saw the system messages that suddenly appeared in front of him. [Quest has arrived.] [The King of Demons, the Lord of the White me, opens his eyes.] [Demon King Baran uses ¡®Skill: Army of Hell¡¯.] [¡®Devil¡¯s Sanctuary¡¯ activates.] ¡°The Demon King has awakened.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°The devils¡¯ sanctuary has just been activated.¡± When Suho¡¯s expression suddenly hardened next to him, Antares couldn¡¯t help but be embarrassed. ¡°Are you saying that Baran has woken up? I don¡¯t feel any energy.¡± This was surprising and strange. In a situation like this, there was no way Suho would suddenly lie, but the problem was that the Dragon Emperor himself didn¡¯t sense any signs. This was quite a blow to my pride. ¡®Is this how I was awakened? Am I the son of the Shadow Lord after all?¡¯ It¡¯s truly unique. When they encountered the demons in the gap, the king of the demons suddenly woke up from the dead. Can this really be called a coincidence? No way. This image appeared in Antares¡¯ eyes as he gazed at Suho. ¡®As expected, he is a strange guy. The ability to revive dead monarchs who have returned to the sky¡­¡¯ Regardless of how this was possible, I felt satisfied that I had made the right choice to make this guy my sessor. To receive his great power into one¡¯s body, even a mediocre talent would be reduced to a handful of ashes. Tsk tsk tsk tsk tsk! ¡°Now that I think about it, this ce is particrly¡­ The cracks are severe.¡± Antares quickly looked around and realized why this ce was overrun with demons. Cracks that seemed to have been created by someone were gathering the residents of the gap here. It wasn¡¯t a proper gate, but if you look at the results, it¡¯s almost like using the ¡®Hell¡¯s Army¡¯, which was the power of the Demon King Baran. ¡°Hehehe. This is the demons¡¯ sanctuary. This is a great opportunity for the residents of the gap. Perhaps one of them will be the sessor to the Demon King.¡± The qualification to be a demon king was not an opportunity given only to demon nobles born as purebloods. If you think about it, even the dregs of the ¡®not-yet-born¡¯ demons had a chance. Depending on how many demon souls these disgusting creatures suck, it will be determined how high of a demon they will be born as. And as far as the Dragon King knew, there were two ces in the universe with thergest concentration of demons, other than this ce. One is the territory ruled by the demon noble Esil Radir. ¡®And the other one¡­¡¯ ¡­ .¡¯ Suddenly, the Dragon Emperor¡¯s gaze nced around. Kkihihi! To you! From one end to the other. The inhabitants of the endless gaps, countless in number, covered the crackednd without a single space to set foot. A dry wilderness without a single drop of water. A heterogeneousndscape with long, thin rocks of strange shapes sticking out toward the sky. The appearances of the inhabitants of the gaps that covered it to the point of being disgusting were all different. Just as the shapes and sizes of the demons that have been caught and eaten are all different. But regardless of the number and type of demons they had caught and consumed, their interest was focused on only one thing from the beginning. At the end of that gaze was none other than the swords held in Suho¡¯s two hands. [Item: Vulcan¡¯s Horn] Difficulty to acquire: ?? Type: Sword Attack power +40 A sword made from the horn of the greedy demon Vulcan. Empowered by Vulcan, it deals more damage. -Effect ¡®Destroyer¡¯: Increases physical damage by [300%]. -Effect ¡®Demon Predator¡¯: The more demon souls you devour, the stronger Vulcan¡¯s power bes. [Predatory Demon Soul: Saturation] ¡°Why? Do you want this?¡± Suho, who noticed their greed, lifted Vulcan¡¯s horn slightly. Immediately a violent reaction came back. Kkekeke! Hee hee hee! Although they are wary of Suho¡¯s power, they cannot ovee their instincts and attack ravenously. In the face of that rough and barbaric greed, Suho could not help but chuckle. ¡°Yeah, I guess so. I must have fed a lot of demon souls to this greedy guy over the years.¡± 1 [Predatory Demon Soul: Saturation] Yes. Vulcan¡¯s horn, which contains a high concentration of countless demon souls. What would happen if this item fell into the hands of the residents of the gap? How strong a devil can he be? ¡®At least a demon noble of Vulcan level. Or higher.¡¯ Maybe you can even aim for the king. Because the only demon noble currently alive is Esil. This is truly a life-changing opportunity. ¡°I tried to find the World Tree first, but I ended up getting the Demon King¡¯s blood first.¡± Suho snickered and checked the quest window. [Quest: Trial of the Demon King] The denizens of the rift, who wish to be demons, have invaded the domain of the sole demon noble, Esil Radir. Sacrifice as many of the crevice¡¯s inhabitants as possible to help Esil Radir be the demon king¡¯s legitimate sessor. pensation : ?? ¡°The ordeal has already begun. If this happens, I won¡¯t have to control my strength.¡± The corners of Suho¡¯s mouth turned up. His gaze looked down at his feet. The purpose has changed. If the goal so far was to find the World Tree, from now on it will be a one-sided hunt. [Use ¡®Skill: Monarch¡¯s Domain¡¯.] No, it was a time of ughter. Phew! Suho¡¯s shadow spreads out in all directions, centered at the bottom of his feet. With the momentum to fill the gap between dimensions. ¡°Arise.¡± ¡­ ¡­ ! That moment. At themand of the Guardian, thousands of shadow legions rose up simultaneously. 1 ¡°Sweep them all away. Don¡¯t leave a single one behind.¡± Yes, the more offerings, the better. Chapter 239 Chapter 239 Survival is ultimately a struggle. To not die. A struggle to survive. Kkkkkk! That was life. It was a hellscape where the demons lived. Kihihi! But even that hell was a luxury for some. For the residents of the gap who hadn¡¯t been born yet, it was a struggle, an opportunity, and a blessing to be born. Kikiki! Keke! Therefore, they were just demons struggling to be born. To do that, they ate everything they could get their hands on, whether it be a living soul or a dead soul. A weed that somehow spreads its roots and thrives no matter what as long as there is a hill to climb. ¡°With the king of demons gone, the weeds have multiplied so much.¡± The Dragon Lord Antares clicked his tongue. Has there ever been such a proliferation of weeds in the sea of the afterlife since the beginning of time? The number of residents in the gap seemed extremely rming. Moreover, although they were just weeds, there were many powerful giants among them that grew like huge old trees due to the amount of nutrients they had absorbed. ¡°Even if they are just weeds, with this many of them, the next king could be decided among them.¡± As the Dragon King spoke at that moment. The demon world ruled by Esil was under a massive invasion. Kwaaaaah! ¡°Don¡¯t give up! Fight for our survival!¡± Kyaaaaa! Under Esil¡¯s orders, all demons were working together to stop the invasion from the residents of the gap. Those who struggle to survive and those who struggle to be born. The war between these two forces was truly fierce and a total mess. ¡°but¡­¡± Antares, couldn¡¯t help but snicker as he thought of Esil, who seemed too weak and clumsy to be a king. ¡°You¡¯ve been lucky in many ways. When you¡¯re weak, it¡¯s a good idea to cling to the strong early on.¡± Yes. Thinking back, Esil was lucky in many ways. Because the residents of the gap that had to invade the demon realm were being annihted from behind like this. [Keeeeeeeeek-! Fight! Suho¡¯s glorious army!] ¡°¡­¡± Antares stared silently at the tremendous spectacle unfolding before him. Kaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah! Even if you ignore Beru, who was cheering enthusiastically from the front, Suho¡¯s shadow legions were truly invincible. There was no one to block their path. [A Demon of the Gap has been defeated.] [A Demon of the Gap has been defeated.] [A Demon of the Gap has been defeated.] [A Demon of the Gap has been defeated.] ¡­ ¡­ . [Keeeeek! okay! Keep pushing! To all the foolish people who stand in our way! Bring great destruction!] Crap. Oh, wait. It¡¯s not quite the great destruction. ¡°That¡¯s what I said when I was fighting against your father¡­ Phew.¡± Antares¡¯ forehead wrinkled as he felt a little embarrassed. However, he soon rxed his expression and just softly sighed. Okay. He knew well that in war there were no permanent enemies or permanent allies. But there was no way. How did he, the King of the Dragons and the Lord of Destruction who fought against the Shadow Army until the very end, end up on the Shadow Lord¡¯s side? Even the fact that he voluntarily chose the Shadow Lord¡¯s son as his sessor was a future that he had never imagined. However, because he was the King of Dragons, he couldn¡¯t help but sincerely sympathize with the residents of the gap who had to fight against these guys. ¡®They¡¯re really terrible people.¡¯ The Dragon Emperor himself knew better than anyone else how frustrating it was to deal with an immortal army that never dies. Kkekekeke! Kkeeeeeeek! Quantity? At a nce, the number of residents gathered here was more than 10 times greater than Subo¡¯s shadows. The devil-like horror in which they waged war was even more intense. But these guys were really unlucky. It¡¯s a pity. ¡°Why did I have to meet Suho?¡± The Shadow Legion, or rather the Shadow Power, was a power more specialized for war than any other power. The more you die on one side, the fewer troops there are, but the more you die, the more troops on the other side increases! It was a very reassuring force for those on the same side, but for the other side, there was no other ability that was so obnoxious. But, excluding the monarchs themselves, there was one race that was immune to the deadly and annoying shadow power. The ¡®demon tribe.¡¯ ¡°Originally, the Demon Race was the only opponent to the Shadow Legion. They were the only race that could not be taken away by the Shadow Lord even if they died.¡± Antares looked at the corpses swept away by Suho¡¯s Legion, recalling the countless strategies he had used using demons a long time ago. Look at it now. [Extraction is impossible because there is no soul.] [Extraction is impossible because there is no soul.] You can see it when the solvent is dissolved. The numerous system messages that are currently being shown to Suho¡¯s eyes. As the messages floating above demons of the gaps¡¯ corpses said, they had no souls in the first ce, so no matter how many times they were killed, it was impossible to extract them. Even at the moment of their death, the demon souls that had been devoured by the weeds were leaking out of their bodies, but it was impossible to turn them into soldiers. [Mana is contaminated and cannot be extracted.] [Mana is contaminated and cannot be extracted.] What does this ultimately mean? The residents of the gap or the demons, who were the reserve demon tribe, were a race that could easilypete with the Shadow Legion if they had arge number of them. Of course, they had already been defeated and subdued by the true Shadow Lord long ago, butpared to his father, Suho here was nothing more than a half-baked figure. 1 ¡°¡­ Yes. This amount of soldiers would¡¯ve been enough to make a dent. Until a few days ago.¡± But it¡¯s different now. Grumble! ¡°Because Suho has my heart.¡± 2 Wow. Aren¡¯t they really unlucky people? Thump! Thump! Hurrruk! Even at this moment, the Dragon Emperor¡¯s heart is boiling likeva in Suho¡¯s chest. The mana of destruction that spread out from within was flowing into all of Suho¡¯s shadow soldiers. The results were horrific. Kkaaaaaaah! ¡°Do weeds have the talent to withstand the mes of my destruction?¡± It was literally ck me! Suho¡¯s shadow soldiers, who had always been covered in ck shadows, were now covered in hot mes all over their bodies. Due to the Shadow Army¡¯s enormous offensive capabilities, which included catastrophic fire damage, the residents of the gap were unable to move even with an overwhelming quantitative advantage, were reduced to ashes, and forced to scatter. [Hahaha! Burn! You cursed race!] In particr, among them, Kira, who had a sense of being a chosen person in his life, remained that way even after bing a shadow soldier. Especially now that he has been granted the right to kill, he was running wild like a fish in water, unleashing his overwhelming power on only the biggest monsters among the residents of the gap. Oh my gosh-! Krrrr! A giant monster, as strong as a giant tree, copsed with a desperate scream. The war was fiercer than ever, and the Shadow Legion was clearly at a numerical disadvantage. At this point, it was confusing to tell who the bad guy was. Given the situation, the person trembling with fear the most here was none other than Seo Jiwoo, an ordinary S-ss hunter. ¡°Oh, oh my god.¡± Seo Jiwoo¡¯splexion was shaking with an expression as if she was going to faint at any moment. She couldn¡¯t have imagined it until this morning. She never thought she would witness such an absurd situation right before my eyes. ¡°Something like this¡­ an S-ss hunter?¡± Thanks to this, there was a faint voice echoing in Seo Jiwoo¡¯s mind, which had bepletely empty. That was the greeting she gave to Suho when she first saw him. -Wow, what were they just doing? You said you were an S-ss summoner. Are those your summons? ¡®Aaaah!¡¯ Seo Jiwoo ended up holding her face. ¡®Why did I say something like that!¡¯ ¡®Why on earth did you say that!¡¯ Tears filled her eyes due to the extreme shame she felt. If she could, she wanted to go back in time and tear out her own eyes and snout, while she looked at those cute summons. But the good news was that there was no one here paying attention to Seo Jiwoo¡¯s feelings. No, there was someone. Harmakan. [Are you crying now?] ¡®Please pretend not to know¡­ please!¡¯ Seo Jiwoo felt a chill from Harmakan, who spoke to him in a seemingly indifferent and grandfatherly manner. 1 In any case, the Shadow Demon Harmakan can glimpse the emotions of the soul. [Your soul is noisy. Could it be that you have developed some kind of inferiorityplex after seeing my master¡¯s abilities?] That doesn¡¯t mean Harmakan¡¯s affectionate, he¡¯s just saying what he saw. Harmakan whispered secretly in Seo Jiwoo¡¯s ear. [Did you think you can ovee your inferiorityplex by bing a viin? The armor has goodpatibility with ckened souls.] ¡°¡­¡± He¡¯s the devil and all, but he¡¯s the worst. [Hmm. The master¡¯s hunting is slowlying to an end.] Harmakan rubbed his chin and looked around at his surroundings, which had be noticeably quieter. Corpses covered the battlefield filled with intense heat. Spicy smoke rose thickly above it. [Did you know? This smoke is not ordinary smoke, but the souls of the demons they have consumed.] At Harmakan¡¯s exnation, Seo Jiwoo held her breath and covered her mouth and nose with both hands. [Tsk. Surprise! Don¡¯t worry, you won¡¯t turn into a demon if you inhale this smoke. What¡¯s more important is where this smoke wants to go.] ¡°Harmakan! Beru!¡± Suho, who wasmanding the battlefield at that moment, also realized this, turned around, and shouted. ¡°Trace where these demon souls are going!¡± [Understood!] Beru¡¯s eyes sharply shed and his spirit expanded. Harmakan also spread his hands and created a magic circle as if he would not be defeated. Then, in the middle of this void, which was intricately intertwined with numerous cracks, the demon¡¯s dead souls were captured floating in the air and flowing somewhere. [Master. It¡¯s over there.] [No, my lord! This way!] ¡°Two ces?¡± Harmakan and Beru pointed in opposite directions at the same time. Antares said while looking at him. ¡°Both are probably correct. After all, there is only one ce for the demon¡¯s souls to return to.¡± The Demon realm. These souls would instinctively return to the demon realm. ¡°But today, these souls have one more option.¡± Antares looked at Suho with a smile on his lips. ¡°The power of destruction that I have given you is a powerful power that canpletely destroy even the soul. And extremely powerful destruction is not much different from ¡®purification¡¯.¡± ¡°purification?¡± It was an amazing statement. Antares¡¯ smile grew deeper as he seemed to like Suho¡¯s reaction. ¡°Yes. That means that the demons¡¯ souls that have been purified by burning in my mana can return to the sea of the afterlife.¡± ¡°¡­ !¡± The moment he heard those words, Suho¡¯s gaze quickly scanned his surroundings. And he was able to pick out the ones that stood out among the thousands of system messages that filled his field of vision. [Mana is contaminated and cannot be extracted.] [Target can be extracted.] [Mana is contaminated and cannot be extracted.] [Target can be extracted.] ¡°There it is! A demonic soul that can be extracted!¡± The demon¡¯s purified souls were wandering around in the air, confused, gathering in a heap and rushing somewhere. Even at this moment, the shadow soldiers were thoroughly trampling and burning the demons of the gap, and the smoke flowing out from them further joined the group. That was the direction Beru was pointing at. [Kihehe! I got it right!] Beru was very proud and raised his antennae. Harmakan, recognizing defeat, lowered his eyes sullenly. But not all souls were purified by the power of destruction. It was not the demons that fought Suho¡¯s shadows, but rather the souls of the real demons that had been eaten, they were flowing in Harmakan¡¯s direction. It was an attempt to return to the Demon Realm. As a result. Tiring! [You havepleted ¡®Quest: Trial of the Demon King¡¯.] ¡°Ah.¡± Suho saw the questpletion message and learned that Esil¡¯s ordeal was over. As the remaining weeds that continued to invade Esil¡¯s territory were eliminated, she seeded in withstanding the invasion. ¡°Anyways, I¡¯m lucky in many ways.¡± Antaresughed. In that terrible war, the entire universe bestowed blessings on the cowardly demon noble Esil Radiru, the only demon who crawled under Sung Jinwoo. [Questpletion reward has arrived.] [Do you want to check your reward?] (Y/N) ¡°Confirm reward.¡± Suho immediately confirmed the reward. [You have acquired the ¡®Item: Baran¡¯s Horn¡¯.] ¡°Baran¡¯s Horn?¡± A long devil¡¯s horn appeared in Suho¡¯s hand. The moment he held that horn in his hand. ¡°!¡± Suho suddenly felt a chill. A feeling as if someone was looking at you. This feeling was familiar. [Baran, the king of demons and the Lord of White mes is watching you.] That was when. ¡°Be careful of Baran-¡± At that moment, the dragon Antares was saying something to Suho. Tiring! [Passive skill ¡®(Unknown)¡¯ is activated.] Shwaaaaaaaaaaa! Suho¡¯s shadow colored the entire world, and time stopped. Chapter 240 Chapter 240 A world of pure white. He just blinked once, and Suho¡¯s body was already standing here. Now, Suho was also familiar with this situation. The moment when ¡®Baran¡¯s Horn¡¯ appeared as a quest reward. The moment he held that horn in his hand. He expected this to happen, of course. ¡®Priest for Dead Monarchs¡¯ Although there are exceptions, most of the dead monarchs Suho has encountered so far have bestowed upon him the title of priest. There was only one thing they wanted from Suho. Ancestral rites. Passing on their power to a suitable sessor. Suho was chosen to host that important event. But why is that? Why is he a guardian? Why on earth could they have been forced to entrust that important priestly role to the son of the Shadow Monarch who had killed them? -Well, I have no choice. Recently, the dragon Antares provided an answer to this guardian¡¯s question. 1 Since Antares was always by Suho¡¯s side, unlike other monarchs, he had many opportunities to chat about various things. -Now there¡¯s no one but you. I don¡¯t know how it came to this. The Dragon Emperor told Suho the story of the monarchs with a bitter expression. -Originally, when a monarch dies, the next monarch¡¯s session ceremony is held under the supervision of the priest of that race. However, sometimes, power is inherited on its own without the priest. That¡¯s the ¡®natural order¡¯. Who decided that ¡®natural order¡¯? It was, of course, the ¡®Absolute Being¡¯ who is now dead. In the beginning¡­ ¡­ the Absolute Being divided the great power of darkness and created eight kings, and those were the monarchs called the ¡®Primeval Darkness¡¯. -So when we die, the ¡®primordial darkness¡¯ we were carrying will naturally pass on to the next sessor. But now, in this universe, that absolute being was dead. That¡¯s why thews he created also seemed to be severely broken. -¡­It¡¯s so broken that someone like you, a nobody, can reawaken our souls that have returned to nothing. [Keeeeeek! How dare you say something so outrageous!] Although Beru was furious at the dragon¡¯s words, the dragon did not intend to disparage Suho. Rather, I was curious as to how Suho came to have this ability. 5 He epted Beru¡¯s anger and continued to exin. ¨C Of course, your father is one of the eight primordial lights created by the Absolute Being, one of the eight fragments of brilliance, and the ninth monarch. A shadow that contains both light and darkness in one body. That is your father. However, even such a shadow monarch could not do as he pleased with the spirits of the monarchs of the same rank. If that were possible, monarchs would have been reduced to shadow soldiers long ago. Knowing this fact, the Dragon Emperor was extremely wary of the identity of the power that Suho possessed. -You¡¯d better be careful about that ¡®Unknown¡¯ skill. No matter how I look at it, it doesn¡¯t seem like that power was passed down to you by your father. The dragon repeatedly warned that it was even more dangerous because it was a passive skill that activated automatically. Suho also listened to his advice, but no matter how much he prepared, it was useless. It was a skill whose name I didn¡¯t even know in the first ce. Knowing that fact as well, the Dragon Emperor made Suho keep onest thing in mind. -Just keep one thing in mind. Not all Monarchs will be kind to you. Just like I was. Especially the Demon King Baran. [The King of Demons, the Monarch of the White me, is watching you.] ¡®¡­That¡¯s what you wanted.¡¯ Suho raised his eyes and looked at the edge of the pure whitend. There stood a demon wearing luxurious armor that only royalty would wear. A demon with a blue glow. There was a tant glint of hatred in his ring eyes. In fact, Suho was also familiar with this situation. Looking back, it was the same when I met not only the dragon but also the king of bugs, Queresha. It wasn¡¯t that I couldn¡¯t understand it. ¡®Revenge towards my father.¡¯ Isn¡¯t that a natural thing? As long as he doesn¡¯t have the desire to pass power on to his sessor like he did in the time of the Dragon Emperor, he can freely express his desire for revenge on the son of the person who killed him. But Suho already knew the story about Baran from Antares. Strictly speaking, Baran was not killed by his father, Sung Jin-woo. The being who killed him was none other than the previous Shadow Monarch Ashborn. To begin with, the ¡®Baran¡¯ that Sung Jin-woo killed in the Demon Castle when he was young was not the real one, but a clone, and the real Demon King Baran was a monarch who betrayed Ashborn a long time ago and was executed by him. What that means is that, in the end, Baran here has never even met ¡®Sung Jin-woo¡¯ in the first ce. ¡®And yet, to show this much hatred is ultimately¡­¡¯ Suho gritted his teeth. Krrrr! Krrrr! Lightning strikes the dry sky. This is Baran¡¯s anger and an expression of hatred. Kkwarrung! Kkwarrung! Boom bang! The thunderbolts that fell from the sky were rapidly expanding their area centered around Baran. With the momentum to fill this pure white world. Suho had seen this sight only once. None other than his own mother, Cha Hae-in. When Cha Hae-in killed the apostle of Itarim with the ¡®Demon King¡¯s Sword¡¯. But then, a much more terrifying thunderp energy was emanating from Baran¡¯s body. And in the midst of that catastrophe¡­ Baran was ring at Suho with bloodshot eyes. Especially¡­ Suho¡¯s chest area. To gauge the true nature of the power hidden within it. [The King of Demons, the Monarch of the White me, discovers the ¡®Heart of the Dragon Emperor¡¯ in you.] ¡®shit.¡¯ Is this how it ends up? Suho sighed softly and cursed Antares inwardly. [Inferior human, I have one question for you.] Finally, Baran opened his mouth. But this wasn¡¯t a question that was asked with the intention of getting an answer in the first ce. [Are you a descendant of Ashborn, or a descendant of Antares?] Because he was already sure. [Why do I feel those two energies inside you at the same time?] ¡®Didn¡¯t you say you would only ask one question? And if you look closely, you will feel the protection of other monarchs.¡¯ [That¡¯s a long story.] ¡®¡­ ¡­ .¡¯ In fact, Suho knew too. In the first ce, conversation in this spiritual world is a waste of time. [The King of Demons, the Monarch of the White me, has noticed that you are the sessor to Dragon Emperor Antares.] [The King of Demons, the Monarch of the White me, recalls the atrocities of Antares.] Because, very kindly, the system message was telling Suho everything about Baran¡¯s true feelings. [I remember that the one who incited the Demon King, the Monarch of White me, to betray Ashborn was none other than the King of the Crazed Dragons, the Monarch of Destruction, Antares.] For Demon King Baran, there are two targets of revenge. It was the Shadow Monarch Asborn and the Dragon Monarch Antares, and the one who inherited their powers was none other than Suho. So instead of answering, Suho raised his magical power to its maximum. Since he couldn¡¯t summon shadow soldiers in this world, he had to fight Baran alone. Hurrruk! The dragon¡¯s heart boils. Suho¡¯s entire body is wrapped in ck mes that resemble a dragon. That appearance was the perfect answer to Baran. Baran¡¯s eyes widened. [As expected! Fwooom!] That moment. ¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D! ¡®¡­?!¡¯ He turned into a bolt of lightning and shot out at Suho. [The King of Demons, the Monarch of the White me, uses ¡®Skill: White me.¡¯] ¡®What the?!¡¯ There was no time to panic. Boom-! A speed that was so fast that I couldn¡¯t even react, even though I had prepared in advance. Suho¡¯s body was thrown in the opposite direction by a single beam of light extending in a straight line. This was just the beginning. [Kuaa-!] Baran¡¯s mouth opened wide as he rushed towards Suho, and inside, vicious shark-like teeth chewed and swallowed Suho¡¯s head whole. Crunch! Suho barely managed to turn his head to avoid the attack, but was forced to give in with his shoulder. A moment that barelysted a second. In that short time, Suho was hit by him and had his shoulder bitten. Kwajijijijijik-! ¡®Kkeuggeuggeuk¡­ ¡­!¡¯ A field of vision that blinks countless times. A massive thunderp passed through Suho¡¯s body through his shoulder. I literally felt like I was going to lose my mind from the pain of being struck by lightning. [Die! Die! Die! Die!] Crunch! Crunch! Crunch! Baran was like a devil, biting Suho without mercy. As if he were going to chew and devour his flesh and bones. ¡®Kkaaaak¡­ ¡­!¡¯ Suho gritted his teeth and endured all the pain, attempting to counterattack. [Use ¡®Skill: Rigid Body Technique¡¯.] [Use ¡®Skill: Giant¡¯s Armor¡¯.] [Use ¡®Skill: Storm of ck me¡¯] Kuwaaaaang! I used all my skills to fight against Baran. But Baran took all the attacks with his body without even thinking about avoiding them. And yet he chuckled. [Kuhhhhh! Good, good! Your taste is delicious!] ¡®¡­ ¡­ !¡¯ Suho¡¯s eyes widened at the sight of that maddening sight. It¡¯s not that it doesn¡¯t hurt! It is only by feeling pain that he can find pleasure. [The devil¡¯s life is a struggle!] Yes. He wished. One who has reached the pinnacle of demons. If the devil is a race that discovers the value of life only in the midst of a brutal struggle where blood and flesh are shed, then among them, Baran was a true predator who ate more demons than anyone else. 1 Kkwarreung! Boom boom! The fierce sh between Suho and Baran turned the pure white world into madness. Gaaaaaaaaaaah! The white me shing from Baran¡¯s mouth became even more intense. Suho also expanded his stamina to the maximum andunched a fierce attack. ¡®Uneasy.¡¯ During the battle with the dragon, I realized how much my father¡¯s illusions helped me. I knew from the start that it would be a tough fight, but the reality was even worse. After countless attempts, Baran chewed and swallowed Suho¡¯s flesh. And then he looked at Suho with a big smile on his face, realizing something. [Hahaha! Now I understand! How did such a lowly human be so strong!] He finally realized the source of the power engraved on Suho¡¯s body. [This is the taste of the magic used by the Demon Tribe! Did the Demon Tribe¡¯s magician imitate our Demon Tribe¡¯s growth method in a human body? I have a feeling that someone has ripped off my spirit body!] [The King of Demons, the Monarch of the White me, realizes the principles of creating a level-up system.] ¡®what?¡¯ This time, even Suho couldn¡¯t help but be surprised. For some reason, today the system message seemed unusually detailed and in-depth. Could the material of that system be¡­ ¡­? [Kuhaha. There is only one person in the chaos world who studies such sorcery. The great sorcerer Candiaru! He was always anxious to surpass Yogumunt and be the ruler of the chaos world!] Through his battle with Suho, Baran couldn¡¯t help but notice more information than he had expected. Somehow, from the moment he opened his eyes in the world of nothingness, there was an unidentified wound on his spirit body. As if someone had forcibly ripped his spirit body away from him. But only after he tasted Suho¡¯s flesh and blood, did he be convinced. The only one who would want to study the spirit of a dead monarch while doing such a thing was Candiaru, the eternal second-inmand of the chaos world. [Yes, that damn sorcery could easily do it! But how much more greedy could that bastard be, who at best would have ripped off my spirit body and made a clone of me? Applying the entire growth method of the demon race to a lowly human?] When Baran realized the hidden truth, he was truly dumbfounded. Yogumunt, the king of demonic spectres and Monarch of the Transfiguration. Just below him is the great sorcerer Candiaru, who has always been eyeing Yogumunt¡¯s ce. Even at the moment when the oue of the war was at stake, he made every effort to raise his own status. [The result is you?] Baran looked at Suho again with a new look. More precisely, the ¡®level-up system¡¯, the method of growth for demons engraved within the guardian. No. This is born of the growth system of the ¡®residents of the gap¡¯ who kill living things, suck their soul nutrients, and grow infinitely. Hehe. Upon realizing that fact, Baran looked at Suho and smacked his lips viciously. [I wonder. What would happen if I ate all the nutrients you¡¯ve consumed so far?] Dismissed! An electric current ran through his teeth where saliva had collected. Chapter 241 Chapter 241 Was it because he chewed on Suho¡¯s flesh and blood? Baran was recalling a very old memory that was buried deep within him and had been forgotten. [Did you know that?] That memory was a long time ago, before he became the king of demons, before he was even a demon. [I too was once a resident of the gap.] There was a time when he too was one of the dregs discarded by the Absolute. [As all demons were.] As he murmured those words, Baran¡¯s gaze suddenly lifted up and reached the vast sky. Kkwarreung! Kkwargwangkwakwang-! A blue storm rages across the pure white sky. In the middle of it all, Baran continued to talk as if he didn¡¯t care whether Suho was listening or not. Recalling memories of ¡®that time¡¯. [Did you know? The residents of the gap have no soul. Therefore, they cannot be killed. They were never born in the first ce. So they are not even allowed to die. Therefore, if you want to kill us, just tear us apart, burn us, and destroy us.] That was all there was to it. A dreg of the universe, not permitted to live or die. That was soon the resident of the gap. It was his true self before he became a devil. That is why Baran realized his situation anew. [So, what I¡¯m saying is, maybe the current me has gone back to that time?] The spirit of a monarch who died and returned to nothingness. The spirit of a corrupted demon king that even the World Tree does not ept. How is this any different from when I was a resident of the gap? [So what I¡¯m saying is¡­] Once again, Baran lowered his head and looked at Suho. Crackle! Crackle! The blue sparks in his eyes shoot out fiercely. ¡®Deadly hungry¡¯ 1 That intense and pure desire captured Suho¡¯s appearance at a nce. [Perhaps now, if even I just suck up enough nutrients, I could once again be reborn as a devil of the gap?] gulp. Ahh, I can¡¯t hold back my drooling. tant gluttony. Baran¡¯s smile as he looked at Suho became even more ecstatic. His mind had alreadypletely returned to the time when he was a resident of the gap long ago. Baran dered. [So, from now on, you are my nourishment. I will chew and swallow you myself, and only then will I be ¡®you.¡¯] gulp. That moment. The flesh and blood of Suho that Baran had swallowed was finally digested inside him. Then something strange happened. T-ring! [The King of Demons, the Lord of the White me, uses ¡®Skill: Doppelganger¡¯.] ¡®This is crazy.¡¯ At that sight, Suho couldn¡¯t help but let out a groan. Knock knock. Knock knock. Baran¡¯s smile, which had been smiling at Suho, gradually became distorted into something bizarre, and his appearance began to change little by little. But that appearance¡­ It was bing more and more like Suho¡¯s face! Kkwarreung! At that moment, a thunderbolt struck from behind Baran. Baran, standing in front of him in his magnificent full-body armor, was still smiling brightly at Suho. It looks like half of the face has changed into ¡®Suho¡¯s¡¯ face. [I hope and wish¡­] [Yes, I will be ¡®you¡¯.] I got goosebumps. Before long, Baran¡¯s voice had also changed to sound like Suho¡¯s. Kkwang! ¡®¡­ ¡­ !¡¯ Baran¡¯s new form once again rushed towards Suho like a bolt of lightning. Quazajak-! His shark-like teeth mercilessly attacked Suho. Like a predator hunting its prey. No, as if they were going to eat the prey they had already captured. Just open your mouth wide and chew and rip. Crunch! Crunch! But Suho¡¯s response was clearly different from before. Unlike the first time, Suho was able to see Baran¡¯s attack with his own eyes and avoid it by a hair¡¯s breadth. Gaaaaaaaah- A roar came from the gaping mouth of the creature, and blue shes of light poured down like a rain from around it. sh- sh- sh- Baran flinched at Suho¡¯s reaction speed, which waspletely unwavering even in the face of concentrated attacks. I could feel the bastard¡¯s agitation. ¡®Why? Are you surprised?¡¯ Suho killed it. ¡°Do you think I¡¯ve been getting beaten up for nothing until now?¡± Clearly, the damage taken so far is significant. However, Suho did not just ovee the Dragon Emperor¡¯s trials and obtain the Dragon Emperor¡¯s heart. The moment when he first encountered the dragon emperor and barely managed to withstand his overwhelming power. ¡®I have apliment, no, a title, from my father!¡¯ [Title: The One Who Overcame Adversity] A title given to those who have sessfully ovee adversity. Abilities increase in proportion to the amount of stamina lost. (1% stat per 1% health lost) A buff that increases your abilities by a percentage every time your stamina decreases! That buff, which even intes all stats, improves all of Suho¡¯s abilities! Beru always said. They say that the more you suffer, the more you grow. ¡®I¡¯m confident in my ability to handle tough situations.¡¯ So if you want to eat me, feel free toe at me. ¡®Whoever bes the prey, from now on I will fight with all my might.¡¯ Boom! Boom! Boom! Kkwarreung-! A huge storm swept through Suho and Baran. [It¡¯s no use struggling!] As the prey struggled, Baran raised his hand with an even more impatient expression. [You are already in my territory!] Kwarreung-! Yes. This is Baran¡¯s realm. If he wanted to, he could cover this entire space with his energy. As all other monarchs did. sh! As his hand gesture pointed at Suho, dozens of lightning bolts struck Suho¡¯s body at the same time. Kwajijijijijik! [Got you!] Baran had a look of joy on his face. It was a terrifying thunder and lightning with terrible killing power and a stun effect. But. ¡®Is this all?¡¯ Suho was fine. [Resists abnormal status with the effect of ¡®Buff: Immunity¡¯.] [Resists abnormal status with the effect of ¡®Buff: Immunity¡¯.] [Resists abnormal status with the effect of ¡®Buff: Immunity¡¯.] Baran¡¯s expression suddenly crumpled. [You bastard Candiaru! You even came up with such nonsense!] [Blessing: Blessing of the Great Shaman Candiaru] -Persistent effect ¡®Illness Free Longevity¡¯: Bes immune to all diseases, toxins, and abnormal effects, and regenerative abilities increase explosively while sleeping. The lightning stun effect ispletely blocked by the status immunity buff. But Baran was well aware of Candiaru¡¯s tricks. [But that doesn¡¯t mean it will block the pain!] 1 The damage was definitely done. Although he boasted of having tremendous stamina, if he kept pushing himself, he would eventually show his strength. The fact that a resident of the gap became the Demon King meant that Baran was a very persistent and greedy being. There was no giving up for him. [I¡¯ll sink my teeth in and suck your blood just like before!] Kkwarreung! This time, all the lightning struck Baran¡¯s body instead of Suho¡¯s. With all that brain power, Baran¡¯s attacks pursued Suho at an even faster pace. At that moment, Suho saw the pure desire deeply engraved in Baran¡¯s eyes. ¡®Okay, let¡¯s admit it.¡¯ And I reflected sincerely. ¡®I realized that I had been underestimating the monarch because I had leveled up a bit recently.¡¯ Suho has earned the qualifications of a dragon king and has also single-handedly defeated the apostle of Itarim. There was a well-founded confidence in that. But that alone is not enough. It means fighting the monarch. Looking back, the only monarch that Suho fought properly and won against was Queresha. For the Dragon Emperor he was helped by his father¡¯s illusion, so wasn¡¯t it just a stroke of luck? And the rest of the monarchs were all on speaking terms due to their own circumstances. ¡®Perhaps Queresha was the weakest of the monarchs. After all, she was a colony of insects.¡¯ [The King of Bugs, the Lord of gues, groans and clenches her fist.] Suho admitted his arrogance. ¡®It¡¯s still a long way to go. I thought I¡¯d be able to fight back at my current level.¡¯ Suho, who saw Baran¡¯s eyes, realized that it was impolite to rely only on his level and rush in. ¡®I¡¯m sorry. I was rude. From now on, I won¡¯t be picky about the means or methods.¡¯ The moment Suho¡¯s gaze changed. [The King of Beasts, the Fang Lord, watches Baran.] [The King of Bugs, the Lord of gues, watches over Baran.] [The King of the Snowmen, the Lord of the Cold, watches over Baran.] [The King of the Mad Dragons, the Lord of Destruction, watches over Baran.] 1 [Ha! You managed to trick the other monarchs! What difference does that make! This is my territory anyway! Even if other dead guyse forward¡­!] Before he could finish his sentence. Tiring! [The spirit of ¡®Pet: Gray¡¯ is possessed by the priest¡¯s body.] A divine wind blew from somewhere and swirled around Suho¡¯s entire body. Swaaaaaaah! Suho¡¯s hair turns white and flutters in the strong wind. [Use ¡®Skill: Wind of the Grasnd¡¯.] [Movement speed temporarily increases by 30%.] [Temporarily increases attack speed by 30%.] Patchit! Suho finally caught up with Baran¡¯s speed. But Baran stillughed at him. [The protection of the Fang Lord? Even if it gets this fast, it won¡¯t make a difference!] ¡®Yes.¡¯ [Use ¡®Skill: Blizzard of Cold¡¯.] Phew! Phew! [¡­ ¡­ ?!] A sudden cold wave blew in and concentrated on Baran¡¯s body. [The King of the Snowmen, the Lord of the Cold, raises the corners of his mouth.] [Sid Inoom-!] Baran exploded with anger on the frozen snowfield. Damn it! By the time Baran broke the ice and escaped, Suho¡¯s de had already reached his sight. ¡®Got you, you punk.¡¯ Choke choke choke choke choke choke! [¡­ ¡­ !] Two swords cut into Baran¡¯s stomach as he urgently raised his arms to guard. But that wasn¡¯t all. Baran realized that every attack directed at him wasced with lethal poison. [This, this ability¡­ ¡­ Queresha?!] [Use ¡®Debuff: Paralyzing Poison¡¯.] [Use ¡®Debuff: Kasaka¡¯s Poison¡¯.] [The King of Bugs, the Lord of gues, smirks haughtily at Baran.] Suho killed it. ¡®That¡¯s why I said it from the beginning. I¡¯m a bit of a mixed bag bag. So what if I¡¯m a coward? I¡¯m just as desperate as you.¡¯ 1 Just as Baran desperately wanted to live, Suho also had a goal he absolutely could not give up on. ¡®If I want to save my grandfather and help my father, I can¡¯t be defeated by someone like you.¡¯ But that was also Baran¡¯s wish. The desire to live. Because that primal instinct was the driving force that made him, a resident of the gap, rise up. [Kuaaaah!] In the midst of pain and screams, Baran opened his mouth wide with eyes filled with venom. Kwajangchang! ¡®¡­ ¡­ !¡¯ Suho¡¯s eyes widened. Baran¡¯s teeth bit down on Suho¡¯s de . The ¡®Horn of Vulcan¡¯ that had been torturing him was shattered into pieces! Then at that moment. Baran realized something surprising. [These are the devil¡¯s horns!] And, unfortunately, inside Volkan¡¯s horn were the souls of a great many demons. And Baran was still the king of all those demons. [Sealed souls! Gather before me!] [Demon King Baran uses ¡®Skill: Hell¡¯s Army¡¯.] ¡­ ! The forces of hell. This was the power to gather the demon legions to where the Demon King was. What the heck! Swaaaaaaah! At that moment, countless demon souls began to fly out in all directions from Vulcan¡¯s horn des. These were already dead souls, but this world was also a realm for the dead. [Hahahahaha!] [The demon soul is summoned.] [The demon soul is summoned.] [The demon soul is summoned.] [The demon soul is summoned.] Countless demon souls gathered before Baran. All in their original state. [Kuhahaha. Thank you. The real war starts now.] Baranughed. ¡®this.¡¯ Suho¡¯s eyes deepened at that sight. A situation where he suddenly lost his weapon and even gave his troops to Baran. But it was at this moment that I realized something. ¡®I get it now.¡¯ Instead, Suho raised the corners of his mouth as he looked at Baran¡¯s legion. ¡®Baran, you said you betrayed Shadow Lord Ashborn before? Even if the Dragon Emperor incited you, I now understand why you betrayed him right away.¡¯ Looking back, it didn¡¯t make sense. Even though the soul-tainted demons were the only counter to the Shadow Legion, the difference in their abilities would have been obvious. Yet Baran willingly betrayed Ashborn. ¡®Was it an inferiorityplex?¡¯ [¡­what?] At those words, Baran¡¯s eyebrows twitched. ¡®Now that I look at it, the power of the Demon King is clearly a subordinate power of the Shadow Lord. A degraded version of the Shadow Legion.¡¯ [Shut your mouth!] At Suho¡¯s cold words, Baran shouted and attacked Suho with his demon army. But Suho wasn¡¯t afraid. ¡®Thank goodness. Then I really have no reason to lose.¡¯ Suho revealed his power. [Use ¡®Skill: Monarch¡¯s Realm¡¯.] Phew! The shadow of the guardian expands its territory. 1 Of course, it is impossible to summon shadow soldiers in this realm. But it is possible. Because he was¡­ ¡­the sessor to the Lord of Destruction. ¡®Rise, my infernos.¡¯ Whoosh whoosh! Thend of pure white. The mes of the fire dragon soared above Suho¡¯s shadow. That fire led to the destruction of the souls of all the demons who rushed to kill Suho. Chapter 242 Chapter 242 Quaoooooo! Under the dark shadow of Suho, the pure whitend began to boil likeva. Kyaaaaah! The sight of the demons writhing in pain in that crimson fire, melting like wax¡­ 3 It was truly hell. Kkwarreung! Kkwarkwang! Above their heads, the blue storm their king had created still thundered and lightning down. Even their king, Baran, could not help them. [What is this¡­] Baran was also shocked by the sudden situation that unfolded before his eyes. [This doesn¡¯t make sense¡­] Baran¡¯s eyes shake without mercy. It was truly absurd. A crimsonnd that has turned intova. A blue storm-swept sky. Baran couldn¡¯t help but be astonished as he saw the souls of the demons dying helplessly in the meantime. [How can a human being handle this level of destructive power?!] He could sense the energying from Suho. The fact that Suho may be a descendant of Antares. Even if he was a descendant of the monarch¡¯s power, it didn¡¯t matter to Baran. No, on the contrary, it was good news. Because this weakened supreme soul walked in on its own. But¡­ something iprehensible happened. [Just a descendant of a monarch¡­ ¡­!] It is nonsense to think that you can fight on equal terms with the real monarch! [What¡¯s more, this world is only for me!] The anger he spewed out echoed from the ends of hell. [The King of the Mad Dragons, the Monarch of Destruction, grins with a wicked look in his eyes.] All of these things were so satisfying that the dragon emperor could not hold back hisughter. Even if they were defeated in war and died, there was a clear hierarchy among the dead monarchs. And aside from the Irregr Shadow Monarch, he himself, the Monarch of Destruction, is the pinnacle of all monarchs. He was the head of the monarchs. But wouldn¡¯t it be necessary for his sessor, who received his heart, to be active to this extent in order to save face as the monarch of destruction? Kyaaaaah! Meanwhile, countless demon souls were screaming and melting away. The mana of destruction pouring out from the ¡®Heart of the Dragon Emperor¡¯! [Ugh!] Baran suddenly came to his senses and shouted at the soldiers again. [What are you doing! Hold on tight! You are already dead souls! What are you afraid of that makes you stop advancing?] ¡­ ¡­ ! That statement was actually true. The demons, whose bodies were melting in the fires of hell, barely came to their senses. The pain was still excruciating, and their whole bodies were burning, but they could not disobey the king¡¯smand. [Kill that bastard!] Kyaaaaaaaah! The spirits of the demons, engulfed in mes and looking even more horrifying, lunged at Suho, screaming. Like a horde of zombies. But even in the midst of that madness, Suho was still carrying a backpack on his back and smiling leisurely. The oue has already been decided. Suho looked straight at Baran across from the demons and said. ¡®Yeah, that¡¯s right. How can you kill a dead soul again? But you know what?¡¯ For a moment, Baran felt ominous. Suho¡¯s eyes were shining intensely. ¡®Before I was a descendant of the Dragon Emperor, I was my father¡¯s son.¡¯ At that moment, Suho¡¯s gaze fell on the souls of the demons that had arrived right in front of him. [Mana is contaminated and cannot be extracted.] [Mana is contaminated and cannot be extracted.] ¡­ ¡­ . [This is a possible extractable target.] [This is a possible extractable target.] [This is a possible extractable target.] ¡­ ¡­ . The souls of the demons engulfed in mes were being ¡®purified¡¯ one by one at a rapid pace by the power of destruction. Suho, who had been observing the scene, slowly stretched out his hand that was carrying the luggage behind his back. and. ¡®Listen carefully. My name is Sung Suho. I am the son of Sung Jinwoo, the king who rules over death and the shadow monarch.¡¯ so¡­. ¡®Arise.¡¯ It¡¯s just an order. In the name of my father. Then, a miracle happened. Swaaaaaaah! [Shadow extraction seeded.] [Shadow extraction seeded.] [Shadow extraction seeded.] [Shadow extraction seeded.] ¡­ ¡­ . The ck shadow of the guardian swallowed the souls of the demons engulfed in the fire of destruction. 1 Then, in that ce, they began to be reborn. [Shadow Demon Soldier Lv.1] [Shadow Demon Knight Lv.1] [Shadow Demon General Lv.1] ¡­ ¡­ . Choo choo choo choo choo choo! The demons billowing ck vapor stopped attacking Suho and instead knelt before his feet. Like knights serving a new Monarch. [Ah, no¡­! How could this happen?!] There was nothing the Demon King Baran could do in front of him. Just despair andin. Even more so, this did not happen during wars between rulers and monarchs. The Demon Race was the only superior race that was not taken over by the Shadow Monarch. But when a being with both the power of destruction and the power of shadow appeared in one body, such an absurd result urred! [No! This, this can¡¯t be happening!] ¡®Why do you exist?¡¯ Suho twitched his finger at the shadow demons who were waiting for hismand. ¡®All forces, charge.¡¯ Heebundeok! The shadow demons all turned their heads at once, following Suho¡¯s fingertips and ring at Baran. And then he opened his mouth wide and lunged at Baran as if he was going to devour him like a devil. Kwaaaaah! [Kuaaak-!] At that sight, Baran waspletely taken aback. [Who dares to rebel against the king!] Finally, Baran, whose fever reached its peak, reached out and grabbed the demon that had attacked him first. Kkwaduk! Baran¡¯s teeth chewed up the demon¡¯s soul whole. And then he swallowed it and spread out his hands to find the demons that had not yet been purified. [Come to me all! Be one with me!] [Demon King Baran uses ¡®Skill: Blood Essence¡¯.] Shwaaaaak- Blood. A higher level ability than the Bloodstone, which is the unique ability of the Demon Noble. That power sucked in the souls of demons that had not yet been purified by the power of destruction, and took possession of Baran¡¯s body. Then, Baran¡¯s body began to grow bigger and bigger, and Baran¡¯s erged fist came down on Suho¡¯s head. Kuwaang! but. ¡®Why? Is this a power struggle now?¡¯ [¡­ ¡­ !] Suho didn¡¯t avoid it. If it¡¯s a power struggle, I¡¯d rather have hope. ¡®Are you okay?¡¯ Suho¡¯s eyes sparkled as he easily withstood Baran¡¯s huge fist with just his brute strength. [Kkaaaah! How dare you, human!] Kookwabangbangbangbangbang! The erged Baran went berserk and began tounch a fierce attack. [Demon King Baran uses ¡®Skill: Blood Essence¡¯.] [Demon King Baran uses ¡®Skill: Blood Essence¡¯.] Meanwhile, Baran continued to absorb the souls of demons and grewrger. But Suho did not back down even a single step and fought him head on. Of course, not alone. Kyaaaaah! [These bug-like things!] Shadow demons attacked from all directions toward the erged Baran. A bloody battle in which neither side gives an inch. The one who was most delighted at seeing this sight was none other than Dragon Emperor Antares. [The King of the Mad Dragons, the Monarch of Destruction, watches the fierce battle with his blood boiling.] [The King of the Mad Dragons, the Monarch of Destruction, is shaking his hands.] Right now at this moment. The Dragon Emperor was remembering again. When he first met Suho, he had returned to nothing after dying. I¡¯m talking about the conversation I had with the wee of ¡®Sung Jinwoo¡¯ who had blocked my path. -Antares. Sung Jinwoo made a suggestion to himself. -I also know that my son¡¯s vessel is not enough to inherit your power. He is not even a dragon to begin with. So, I have a suggestion. -A suggestion? At that moment, Antares immediately frowned. But when he thought back¡­ Sung Jinwoo was the one who knew his own personality better than anyone else in this universe. Who are you? He is the king of the great dragons, the Monarch of destruction, and a fierce fighting maniac who finds joy in life only in bloody battles. Antares is the true embodiment of destruction, a distinct identity that he himself has defined. That¡¯s why Sung Jinwoo could be sure¡­ -You¡¯re probably bored after you died anyway, so don¡¯t you want to go out and have some fun? ¡­that he would never refuse this attractive offer. T-ring! [¡®Pet: Ragnar¡¯ is summoned.] [The spirit of ¡®Antares¡¯ is infused into the priest¡¯s body.] Finally, the Dragon Emperor descended. In the world of Demon King Baran. [Kuhahahahahaha! This is fun! Sung Jinwoo! It was good that I epted your offer!] True destruction has arrived in thisnd that has been transformed into hell due to the battle between Suho and Baran. As a descendant of the Fang Monarch, Gray could only do this if Suho allowed him to be a spirit, butparing Gray¡¯s level with that of the Dragon Emperor was extremely rude to the Dragon Emperor in the first ce. Moreover, wasn¡¯t Antares the only one among the dead monarchs to gain a new body and be resurrected from the dead with dignity? Of course, in this world, he was struggling with ack of mana, but this was not the case here. The guardian¡¯s mana was soon the dragon¡¯s mana. 1 [Sung Suho, my sessor.] How satisfied was the dragon with this world full of destruction that he spoke to Suho, who was fighting fiercely with Baran, with the corners of his mouth hanging up to his ears. [I will show you firsthand how I use this power of destruction.] T-ring! ¡®uh?¡¯ At that moment, a quest window appeared before Suho¡¯s eyes. [Previous Quest: Dragon Emperor¡¯s Trial 3] The Dragon Emperor Antares wants to teach you how to wield the power of destruction. If you seed in destroying the soul of Demon King Baran with the power of destruction, you will be rewarded with great rewards. However, if you fail, the ¡®Heart of the Dragon¡¯ will burn your body again. Suho had a puzzled expression. I thought the trials were over after reaching level 100, but suddenly the third trial began. ¡®What? There was another ordeal?¡¯ [Isn¡¯t that obvious!] ¡®Well, if the previous job quest is finished, my job won¡¯t be empty yet.¡¯ 1 Suho quickly understood and shouted at Antares. ¡®Okay! What should I do?¡¯ [Watch over there. This is how I use my power.] The Dragon Emperor¡¯s eyes lit up. Hurrruk! At that moment, Ragnar¡¯s small body that he was in slowly rose into the air, and dark red mes began to swirl around him. Oh my gosh- There Ragnar¡¯s small mouth opened. [The King of the Mad Dragons, the Monarch of Destruction uses ¡®Skill: Breath of Destruction¡¯.] Kwaaaaaaaah-! ¡­ ¡­ ! At that moment, Suho confirmed that all of his mana was drained away. At the same time, a breath of destruction shot out in a straight line from the mouth of the disaster and passed through a huge hole in Baran¡¯s side. [Kwaaak!] Baran, half of his body burned ck, stepped back in shock. And then, a little toote, he realized that the small dragon seen in the distance was the dragon Monarch Antares, whom he hated so much, and his eyes and ears popped out. [Dragon Emperor, you dare-!] Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Baran abandoned Suho and ran at incredible speed to attack the dragon. Even looking at that intimidating sight, Antares simply raised the corners of his mouth in admiration. [You dodged it well. It was aimed for the heart.] As expected, it was impossible for Ragnar¡¯s body to disy the same strength as in his old days. But isn¡¯t it actually better in terms of education? [Okay, let¡¯s try to avoid it again this time.] [The King of the Mad Dragons, the Monarch of Destruction uses ¡®Skill: Breath of Destruction¡¯.] Kwaaaaaaa- The breath of destruction once again stretched out in a straight line from Ragnar¡¯s small mouth. But this time, Baran had no intention of just giving in. Baran¡¯s fist, which barely avoided the dragon¡¯s attack, crushed Ragnar¡¯s tiny body. bang-! The ground was split and shattered by the tremendous attack. But the Dragon Emperor was safe. Suho quickly ordered the shadow demons to evacuate Ragnar, who had no defensepared to his attack power. Despite being on the verge of death, Antares continued to giggle as if he was just having fun while being held in the shadow demon¡¯s arms. Then he turned his eyes and looked at Suho and asked. [Okay, I¡¯ve already shown you this twice. You can do it, right?] Although he spoke lightly, Suho knew that the meaning behind his words was by no means light. -However, if you fail, the ¡®Heart of the Dragon¡¯ will burn your body again. I know firsthand how painful the aftermath of failing a quest can be. [Why? You can¡¯t? Then I think it¡¯ll be a little disappointing.] ¡®No, that¡¯s enough.¡¯ Suho was already moving. [Don¡¯t disturb me!] Dudadadadada-! Baran swung his arms at Suho, who was blocking his way to the dragon. Suho jumped high and ran over the massive forearm, concentrating his strength on one hand. ¡®I have a rough idea of the trick.¡¯ [Huh?] Just like when he defeated Siddharth Bachchan at Loktak Field. Instead, he concentrated the power of destruction into one point with much more precision and perfection than before. He spread his hands towards Baran¡¯s face, which was ring at him. [Learned Skill: Breath of Destruction.] That moment. Baran¡¯s eyes widened rapidly as he witnessed the powerful force of destruction flying straight towards him. [Use ¡®Skill: Breath of Destruction¡¯.] Kwaaaa ¡­ ¡­ ¡­ ! [The soul of Baran, the King of Demons and Monarch of the White me, has been defeated.] 2 [Calcting experience points.] [It may take some time as arge amount of experience points are required.] ¡®huh?¡¯ Suho¡¯s eyes widened. T-ring! T-ring! T-ring! T-ring! The mechanical sound continued endlessly. Suho could see a feast of system messages filling his eyes. Chapter 243 Chapter 243 Kuung-! In the middle of the pure whitend, the headless body of Baran copsed. Hurrruk! The soul of the Demon King, whose head had been blown away by the Breath of Destruction, was enveloped in crimson hell fire and began to boil. Shwaaaaak From there, the steam and the Demon King¡¯s energy rose into the air drop by drop and were sucked into Suho¡¯s body. The results were astonishing. [Level up!] [Level up!] [Level up!] ¡­ ¡­ . [Level up!] [Level up!] [Level up!] ¡­ ¡­ . ¡°What, what is this?¡± Suho couldn¡¯t help but be flustered. A feast of incredible experience that he had never felt before! I could feel my strength growing stronger in real time with my whole body. It wasn¡¯t even just leveling up. T-ring! T-ring! T-ring! T-ring! [¡®Skill: Storm of ck me¡¯ level has increased.] [The level of ¡®Skill: Giant¡¯s Armor¡¯ has increased.] [The level of ¡®Skill: Martial Arts¡¯ has increased.] [The level of ¡®Skill: Tenacity¡¯ has increased.] [The level of ¡®Skill: Dual Swordsmanship¡¯ has increased.] 2 ¡­ ¡­ . It was really a hit. The Dragon Emperor responded with the corners of his lips raised at Suho¡¯s admiring look. [What the heck? You are receiving the opposite of what Baran intended to do to you.] Baran tried to eat Suho and suck out all the good nutrients dissolved in his soul. But in the end, it was Baran himself who ended up getting eaten. [Baran is a soul that started out as a resident of the gap and became the Demon King. All the nutrients that were contained within that soul are now being absorbed into you.] Originally, it would have been impossible for a mere human to absorb the power of a monarch created from the darkness of the beginning. However, the level-up system that Candiaru created was designed to allow weak humans to ept the ¡®power of death¡¯. There was no reason why a level-up system that could even handle the power of the Shadow Monarch could not handle the power of the Monarch of the White me. [Tsk. Damn, a memory just came back to me.] If the level-up system had not existed, the second Shadow Monarch, Sung Jin-woo, would not have been born, and he would not have suffered such a humiliating defeat. Antares, whose memories of that day when he lost to Sung Jin-woo came back to him, gritted his teeth as he looked at Suho¡¯s face, which looked a lot like that damn Sung Jin-woo. Yeah, it was fucking awesome. 1 Because all the monarchs are dead, and all wars end with the victory of the Shadow Monarch. But Sigh. [Well, I guess it¡¯s okay now.] Antares soon burst intoughter. okay. Of course, what did he think? Since when did he care about other monarchs? He is Antares. He was the ¡®first monarch¡¯ and ¡®strongest monarch¡¯ born from the darkness of the beginning. That meant that he had suffered countless victories and defeats in a war with the rulers that had never ended since the beginning of time. Death? Defeat? What does that matter? ¡®The war will never end anyway.¡¯ Antares was the first monarch, and so he fought longer and more fiercely than anyone else in the midst of that brutal and endless battle. That¡¯s why what was most important to him wasn¡¯t winning or losing the war. Death was not even something to be feared. There¡¯s only one thing he¡¯s afraid of. ¡®That I can¡¯t fight again¡¯ Hurrah! In the cackling eyes of Antares, the fire of hell burns. [I would be happy if I could fight again.] Yes. He is the king who reigns over all dragons, and is the symbol of fear and destruction. It is just a shame that he will never be able to go out and fight in the battlefield filled with blood and screams again because he has died. But not anymore. [I have been resurrected like this, so I can fight again.] Hehe. The corners of the dragon¡¯s mouth grew longer and he looked at Suho. [Yeah. Is that damn leveling all done?] ¡°huh.¡± Antares also saw Suho¡¯s status window, which was nodding. [Level: 122] [Tsk.] Antares clicked his tongue with a displeased expression. [You¡¯ve gotten quite strong, but you¡¯re still weak. You¡¯re so insignificantpared to your father.] It¡¯s really trivial. Even though it is a soul of death, and even though it absorbed the entire soul of the Demon King, it only grew to this extent. [I guess it¡¯s because Candiaru tore off Baran¡¯s spirit body and made a clone to raise your father. Of course, if that wasn¡¯t the case, Baran wouldn¡¯t have been defeated so easily.] But this was only from the perspective of the Dragon Monarch. The Dragon Monarch Antares had been Sung Jin-woo¡¯s rival for decades, so he knew Sung Jin-woo¡¯s power better than anyone else. So, no matter how strong Suho became, it was only natural that he would not be able to satisfy Antares. Since Suho was well aware of that fact, he could sense that there was a considerable amount of praise mixed in with Antares¡¯ harsh criticism of him. Suho asked him with a smirk. ¡°But the ordeal is a passing one, right?¡± [¡­ ¡­ Well, a promise is a promise.] Antares waved his hand as if he was displeased. T-ring! [Completion conditions for ¡®Job Quest: Dragon Emperor¡¯s Trial 3¡¯ have been met.] A questpletion window appeared before Suho¡¯s eyes. [Questpletion reward has arrived.] [Would you like to check the reward?] (Y/N) ¡°Reward confirmed! epted!¡± Suho snatches the reward as if he had been waiting for it. Then something strange happened. T-ring! ¡°¡­ ¡­ ?!¡± Suddenly, Suho¡¯s inventory opened up on its own before his eyes, and the ¡®Item: Xavier¡¯s Soulstone¡¯ that had been quietly sitting inside jumped out. [Item: Xavier¡¯s Soulstone] Difficulty to acquire: ?? Type: Gem It is a jewel made bypressing the spirit of a demon. ¡°Oh, Father?¡± Suho¡¯s eyes widened. But contrary to expectations, the same thing didn¡¯t happenst time. -Keep it in your inventory as insurance just in case. Sung Jin-woo¡¯s wee was to ce several magical devices on the spirit of the illusionist named Xavier in preparation for when Suho mets the Dragon Emperor. And this time, unlike the battle with the dragon, he spat out somethingpletely different, not an illusion of Sung Jin-woo. Phaaaat! The enormous energy that poured out from within the soul stone began to swirl and be highlypressed. What appeared were two swords. ¡°This¡­?¡± Suho grabbed the weapon with both hands as if possessed. Even without that, his main weapon, ¡®Item: Vulcan¡¯s Horn¡¯, was destroyed by Baran. However, the fact that a new weapon appeared at just the right time made it seem like Sung Jin-woo¡¯s illusion had been prepared for this very moment. However. Bam! [¡­ ¡­ This guy is really crazy!] The moment he confirmed the identity of the sword that appeared in front of Suho, Antares¡¯ eyes could not help but explode with extreme annoyance. [Item: Kamish¡¯s Wrath (Damaged)] 1 Difficulty to acquire: ?? Type: Dagger Attack Power +1,500 (-1,000) This is the best dagger, hand-forged from the sharpest fang of a dragon¡¯s teeth. Its sharpness is unparalleled, and its sensitivity to mana is also very high, making it an even more powerful weapon depending on the user¡¯s skill. However, the de has be very dull due to numerous battles. A long drawn out exnation. The identity of that weapon was none other than the Fang of Kamish, which Sung Jin-woo used as his main weapon during his long battle with Dragon Emperor Antares¡­ ¡­ . Antares felt as if he was seeing an illusion of Sung Jin-woo waving at him from far away in space. ¡°If it¡¯s Kamish, then surely it¡¯s Ragna¡¯s¡­ ¡­?¡± Kkwaduk! Suddenly, Antares couldn¡¯t help but grit his teeth even more as he looked back at Suho. [How far will this son of a bitch go to mock me!] But regardless, Suho couldn¡¯t help but be astonished at the attack power of the item in his hand. ¡®Does this make sense?¡¯ This is crazy. ¡®1,500? Just attack power?¡¯ A bare attack power of 1,500 without any options! But unfortunately, its attack power was reduced to ¡®+500¡¯ because the de was significantly dulled. But where is this? Suho checked the information on the ¡®Item: Vulcan¡¯s Horn¡¯ he had been carrying around. Although the de waspletely shattered by Baran, leaving only the handle, it was still possible to confirm. [Item: Volcan¡¯s Horn (Damaged)] Difficulty to acquire: ?? Type: Sword Attack Power +40 (-40) A sword made from the horn of the greedy demon Vulcan. Empowered by Vulcan, dealing more damage. However, it ispletely destroyed and cannot be used as a weapon. -Effect ¡®Destroyer¡¯: Increases physical damage by [300%]. -Effect ¡®Demon Predator¡¯: The more demon souls you devour, the stronger Vulcan¡¯s power bes. Gulp. ¡®¡­ ¡­ It¡¯s embarrassing to evenpare.¡¯ Attack power 40. Even though it had an option that tripled the attack power, it was only 120. 1 Even that effect only increases physical damage. However, Kamish¡¯s rage, which had be dull, was only 500 in pure attack power, so it was pitiful topare them. Moreover, it wasn¡¯t just the attack power that was outstanding. ¡®You have excellent mana sensitivity?¡¯ Mana is magic power. To find out what it meant to have high magical sensitivity, Suho immediately channeled his magical power into the dagger. OK. Woof, woof The dagger ¡®Kamishi¡¯s Wrath¡¯ quivered as if greeting its new owner. At the same time, a crimson aura began to burn brightly from the entire dagger, riding on Suho¡¯s hand. Hurrruk! ¡®They say it¡¯s Kamish¡¯s fang¡­ but it¡¯s reacting to the Dragon Emperor¡¯s heart.¡¯ It wasn¡¯t just the auraing off it. The weight of the dagger that had been weighing heavily on my hand just a moment ago disappeared in an instant. As if it were a lie. The dagger became lighter than a feather. ¡°Hey¡­ ¡­ .¡± A weapon whose weight can be freely adjusted ording to the user¡¯s will. Suho¡¯s heart started beating faster and faster as he grabbed the handle. Boom boom boom. I feel like fighting with this dagger. I felt like swinging a dagger. I don¡¯t know if this is the dagger¡¯s will or my own. ording to that will, the system responded. Ring! Ring! [¡®Skill: Dual Swordsmanship¡¯ is upgraded to ¡®Skill: Advanced Daggersmanship¡¯.] [Learned ¡®Skill: Stab Vital Point Lv.1¡¯.] 1 ¡°hmm?¡± Suho couldn¡¯t help but look puzzled. Suddenly, the skill changed at will. As if to suggest that from now on, we should use daggers. Suho couldn¡¯t help but chuckle as he felt like he could hear his father¡¯s voice from somewhere. ¡°Daggers aren¡¯t really my style¡­ ¡­ But a dagger like this¡­ ¡­ .¡± Antares gritted his teeth at the sight. [These damn seeds¡­] Chapter 244 Chapter 244 Phew! Frozen time flows again. Suho¡¯s spirit returned to reality. In the middle of a dimensional rift where shadow soldiers are currently wiping out demons in the rift. To Seo Jiwoo, who is struggling with Harmakan. That moment. Fit! Sung Suho¡¯s eyes shed, and then he disappeared from that spot. The ce where he reappeared was in the middle of the remaining gap demons. Hurrah! At that moment, ¡®Kamish¡¯s Wrath¡¯ emitted a crimson aura from Suho¡¯s crossed hands. ¡®Advanced Dagger Technique¡¯ Chomp chomp chomp chomp chomp chomp chomp chomp chomp! 1 A crimson aura fills the entire field of vision. The newly acquired skill expertly tore through the air. ¡­ ¡­ Crackle! And then, when Suho¡¯s feet, which were nowhere to be seen, slid to a stop far in front of me. [The Demon of the Gap has been defeated.] [The Demon of the Gap has been defeated.] [The Demon of the Gap has been defeated.] [The Demon of the Gap has been defeated.] ¡­ ¡­ . All the demons that he had passed by were torn to pieces on the spot without even being able to scream. The one whose eyes widened at that sight was none other than Beru. [Keeeeeek?! Th-That can¡¯t be?!] ¡°¡­ ¡­ Sung Suho Hunter?!¡± Seo Jiwoo, who was behind, also looked at the daggers in Su-ho¡¯s hand with a shocked expression, a step behind. ¡°Where did that weapon suddenlye from¡­ ¡­?¡± From Seo Jiwoo¡¯s perspective, there was no real magic. In her eyes, it seemed as if devil horns suddenly appeared in Suho¡¯s hand, and in an instant, they seemed to transform into two daggers. Even at first nce, she could feel the powerful magic power of these daggers. [Your Majesty! Where did you get this precious item?!] Suho smiled and answered the question that Beru asked while flying in quickly. ¡°My father gave it to me.¡± [¡­ ¡­ !] ¡°¡­father?¡± Seo Jiwoo tilted his head. 1 On the other hand, Beru¡¯s eyes sparkled with a deeply moved expression. There was no way Beru would not recognize Kamish¡¯s wrath, which was once Sung Jin-woo¡¯s main weapon. [My lord! Do you know what Kamish¡¯s Wrath is? Let me tell you about these daggers. They are the weapons he used to defeat other Monarchs.] With a deep expression, Beru began to talk earnestly about the memories he had with Sung Jin-woo. Kamish is a dragon of the highest rank among the demons excluding the monarchs. ¡®Kamish¡¯s Wrath¡¯, made from the sharpest fangs of the mad dragon, can even cut through the flesh of monarchs. Except for one person. [But even Kamish¡¯s anger, which had cut off the heads of other monarchs, was useless against the Dragon Emperor.] It was difficult to even break through the hard scales, and even if one managed to do so, it only left a small wound on the skin. Kamish¡¯s Wrath was not enough to strike a fatal blow at the dragon. There was even a situation where one of the swords broke during a fight with the dragon. However, when Sung Jin-woo used the Cup of Reincarnation to turn back time, he found that there was no weapon he could use normally, so he sought out Kamish and created Kamish¡¯s wrath once again. ¡°Oh, as expected from an exnation bug.¡± 1 [Ahem. Sorry. I¡¯m a bug that¡¯s good at exining things.] As Suho gave a thumbs up, Beru shrugged his shoulders and continued his exnation with confidence. [However, in the decades of war that followed, the de was damaged like this. Especially when fighting the Dragon Emperor, it was inevitable¡­ ¡­ .] ¡°Ahem. That¡¯s only natural.¡± Nod nod. At Beru¡¯s words, a small lizard was nodding its head with its arms crossed next to Suho. Antares¡¯s lips showed a very satisfied expression. He clearly remembers the moment when Sung Jin-woo dared to attack him without knowing the situation and the de broke. ¡°In the first ce, it is impossible for a dagger made from a dragon¡¯s tooth to pierce the body of this dragon emperor. I am Antares, the strongest dragon¡­ ¡­ .¡± [So these days, the king is wearing a dagger made from the ¡®Fang of Antares.¡¯] 3 ¡°What, what?!¡± Wow! Antares¡¯s eyes grew wide as if they were going to pop out, his mouth wide open at Beru¡¯s words. The sharp, pointed canines visible through the gaping mouth felt somehow painful. Of course, it¡¯s probably because of my mood. But the clueless Beru raised his thumb towards the dragon and praised him. [I¡¯ve made weapons from many dragon teeth, but the dragon emperor¡¯s teeth were by far the best.] ¡°¡­ ¡­ .¡± Is this apliment or an insult? Antares gritted his teeth with veryplicated emotions and growled lowly at Suho. ¡°¡­ ¡­ Enough with the small talk, let¡¯s resolve the reason we came here.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± At those words, Suho turned his head. ¡®The Sea of Death¡¯ Wasn¡¯t the original purpose of Seo Jiwoo and the gap in this dimension to find a way to the sea of the afterlife? [I will guide you!] Beru first guided Suho in the direction where the ¡®purified demon souls¡¯ he had found were heading. * * * The dimensional gap itself is full of cracks. The ce where these cracks change in real time, appearing and disappearing at any given time was an unknown dimension called the Dimensional Gap. In short, it was by no means easy to find the hole that led straight to the afterlife sea even if you figured out the direction. So what you need is bait. It was the role of Seo Jiwoo suggested by the Dragon Emperor. ¡°Keugh¡­ ¡­ !¡± While moving along the flow of purified demons¡¯ souls, Seo Jiwoo suddenly became lost in thought and sat down on the spot. Suho looked back at Seo Jiwoo in confusion. ¡°Hunter Seo Jiwoo? Why are you doing that?¡± ¡°Ugh, ugh¡­ ¡­ . I, I can¡¯t breathe properly¡­ ¡­ .¡± Something is strange. Extreme fear. Seo Jiwoo was ovee with fear that she would die if she went any further, to the point where she couldn¡¯t even breathe properly. ¡°Harmakan! Find the cause!¡± Suho immediately looked back at Harmakan and gave an order. The fact that an S-ss hunter like Seo Jiwoo had suffered such mental damage meant that there might be some kind ofsorcerer from the underworld hiding there. But even after hearing Suho¡¯s order, Harmakan had a troubled expression. [Master, this doesn¡¯t seem to be someone else¡¯s doing. I think this is¡­ . . ] At those words, Beru spoke while quickly scanning his surroundings with narrowed eyes. [Your Majesty, I think we havee to the right ce.] For a long time, they had been surrounded by countless cracks, like shattered ss windows. [Among these cracks, clearly¡­ ¡­ .] ¡°There must be an afterlife sea.¡± Antares nced at Seo Jiwoo, who was suffering from hyperventtion, as he listened to Beru¡¯s words. ¡°The fear that this human is feeling right now is an instinctive rejection that all living beings feel. In other words, it is a survival instinct. No matter how powerful a human¡¯s magical power is, it is all fair when faced with death.¡± 1 ¡°What? Than I¡­?¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­ you are not fair.¡± 1 Antares ground his teeth with a rotten expression in response to Suho. Perhaps the first time since the beginning of time. It was Antares, the king of the mad dragons, who began to discuss the unfairness of bloodlines. Unlike Seo Jiwoo, who looked like she might faint at any moment, Su-ho lookedpletely unfazed. ¡°Anyway, it looks like you came to the right ce.¡± Suho, who had grasped the situation, immediately tried to make Seo Jiwoo step back. But at that time. Jeez-! ¡°¡­ ¡­ !¡± Suddenly above Seo Jiwoo¡¯s head! A crack appeared in the empty space, and a giant flower bud popped out. [Nightmare Bud] Whaaaaaah- A hideous flower bud suddenly popped out, splitting into four parts and opening its crocodile-like mouth wide towards Seo Jiwoo, who was sitting right below it. ¡°¡­ ¡­ !¡± Seo Jiwoo, who was already struggling to breathe, couldn¡¯t even scream at the sight, and her face turned red with fear. ¡®It¡¯s this guy.¡¯ She realized it instinctively. That this strange nt was the one that had eaten her soul and dragged it into the sea of the afterlife. And that it still can¡¯t let go of its foolish attachment to her and is drooling. ¡®I¡¯m going to catch and eat again¡­ ¡® Kyaaaaow-! The despair that befell Seo Jiwoo did not be reality. ¡°Where!¡± Chomp chomp- In that moment, Suho jumped up and cut off the stem of the thing that was trying to swallow Seo Jiwoo in one bite in midair. ¡°Kiaaaaak-!¡± A grotesque, eardrum-splitting scream burst from the mouth of the thing rolling on the floor. But as the dragon had said, the weeds that grew in the afterlife sea were persistent. These guys in particr, the buds of nightmares, were so persistent that it was disgusting. Thump, thump, thump! ng- Even at the moment when the neck was cut off and only the head was lying on the floor, new stems, or rather, disgusting roots, grew rapidly from the severed stems of the nightmare flower bud. Pavabavabat- And using those roots, it quickly crawled across the ground like a bug with many legs and rushed towards Seo Jiwoo. ¡®Ruler¡¯s Authority!¡¯ Wedge- At that moment, Kamish¡¯s Wrath flew straight from Suho¡¯s hand. Chomp chomp chomp! And this time, instead of the stem, he mercilessly chopped off the bastard¡¯s flower buds. Hurrruk! ¡°Kkiaaaa¡­ ¡­ .¡± In the end, the petals of the flower, torn to shreds and tattered, burned as they were. [The nightmare bud has been defeated.] ¡°Haaah¡­ ¡­ .¡± Seeing the bastard disintegrating into ashes before her eyes, Seo Jiwoo finally felt like she was finally able to let out her pent-up breath. When she finally saw that the unknown entity that had been watching him from somewhere had disappeared, he felt an instinctive sense of relief. 1 Seo Jiwoo sat down in that spot, looked back at Su-ho, and asked with a weak smile. ¡°Did I do a good job of being the bait?¡± ¡°Thank you for your hard work.¡± Suho bowed politely and thanked Seo Jiwoo. Seo Jiwoo shook her head. ¡°No. I was the one who asked you to do it first.¡± Seo Jiwoo still felt indebted to her colleagues who were sleeping. Even at this moment, herrades were slowly dying, and she was the only one who had woken up and was living as an S-ss hunter. It was more pitiful and painful than she could have imagined. But Seo Jiwoo¡¯s role ended here. ¡°Harmakan.¡± Suho raised his head, red at the dimensional hole from which the nightmare bud had emerged, and gave orders to Harmakan. ¡°Fix the coordinates.¡± [Yes, master.] sh- At those words, Harmakan immediately created a magic circle from both of his hands. Again, the dimensional gap is highly vtile. Even if you find a passage to the afterlife sea, this is the dimensional gap where no one knows when the coordinates will suddenly be distorted and the connection will be cut off. But even in this vtile ce, there was a being that could create passages that connected dimensions¡­ ¡­ . It was none other than Yogumunt, the king of the demonic spectres and the Monarch of the underworld. But the ability to connect passages was by no means an ability granted only to Yogumunt, even though the level of difference was the only one. For example, the great sorcerer Candiaru, who was the second-inmand of the underworld. [Harmakan activates an instance dungeon.] The instance dungeon that was Candiaru¡¯s legacy was arge-scale sorcery that distorted the existing dimension to createa ¡®second world¡¯. This ability was the ability to twist dimensional rifts to create worlds beyond, but with just a little application, it could also beused to create simple ¡®doors¡¯ rather than other worlds. ng! As Harmakan stretched out both his hands, the chains he had woven with magic stretched out before him. The chains forcibly tied together the irregrly broken cracks, widening the hole and fixing the coordinates. As a result. Paaaaat- ¡°¡­oh my god.¡± Seo Jiwoo¡¯s eyes fill with astonishment. In front of them, a huge gate was created that gave off an ominous aura that made it feel suffocating just to look at. T-ring! [¡®Gate: Sea of the Afterlife¡¯ has been created.] Chapter 245 Chapter 245 Suho decided to first start with Seo Jiwoo ¡°Hunter Seo Jiwoo, thank you for your hard work. We will stay here and go to the sea of the afterlife so please go back outside and rest.¡± Thankfully, Seo Jiwoo¡¯s role was over. She was in a state where she couldn¡¯t even breathe properly so the most urgent task was to get her out of the dungeon as quickly as possible. ¡°Harmakan, Will you show her the way out?.¡± When Suho looked at Harmakan, he was using magic rather than sending Seo Jiwoo out directly. sh- A magic circle created from Harmakan¡¯s hand waspressed to the size of a fist. [Master, there is a simpler way.] Suho epted the item that Harmakan had given him. Tiring. [You have acquired the ¡®Item: Instant Teleportation Stone¡¯.] ¡°Instant Teleportation Stone?¡± An information window appeared in front of Suho. [Item: Instant Teleportation Stone] Type: Consumables This item is made using Harmakan¡¯s magic. Breaking the return stone will allow you to move outside the dungeon. ¡°Oh, you can make something like this too?¡± [This is something I learned while researching Kandiaru¡¯s legacy.] Harmakan was humble and talked as if it were nothing, but the corners of his mouth and shoulders were already twitching at Suho¡¯s surprised reaction. ¡°Can someone other than me use this item?¡± [Originally it was impossible, but this item has been modified so that anyone can use it, especially if they are near the Master¡¯s Shadow Soldiers.] ¡°Near the Shadow Soldiers? Did you use the Shadow Exchange skill?¡± [As expected, you are sharp. Now that I am your subordinate, I realized that most of Kandiaru¡¯s legacy was originally intended to utilize shadow powers.] ¡°Right.¡± Suho nods. The more Suho got to know them, the more it seemed like the Demonic n was a race with many useful aspects. Suho said as he immediately ced the return stone in Seo Jiwoo¡¯s hand. ¡°Then, please go back carefully.¡± ¡°This¡­¡± Seo Jiwoo, looked as if she was no longer surprised. After all, since Suho had created the dungeon, she didn¡¯t have the mental strength left to be surprised if an easy way out had suddenly appeared. Damn. Seo Jiwoo followed Suho¡¯s exnation and destroyed the stone with her hand, then took the portal connected to Hapjeong Station and left the dimensional rift. [Master, you don¡¯t need to use the stone; you can just use the shadow exchange skill.] ¡°Yeah. Now that we¡¯re on the subject, I should ce some soldiers around here in advance. They cane back here whenever they want.¡± It¡¯s good that things like this are possible now that there are more shadow soldiers. If you spread them out here and there, you can move to anywhere whenever the cooldown ends. Suho picked out a few of the Shadow Demons and Shadow Dragons that had been extracted today and ordered them to continue guarding the gate. [The Shadow Demon¡¯s title is changed to ¡®Shadow Gatekeeper¡¯.] [The title of the Shadow Dragon Tribe will be changed to ¡®Shadow Gatekeeper¡¯.] ¡°Okay, then let¡¯s go in.¡± Suho led the rest of the troops and stepped into the gate. [Enter the ¡®Gate: Sea of the Afterlife¡¯.] Paaaaat- At that moment. ¡°¡­ ¡­ !¡± A dark and sticky sky spread out in Suho¡¯s sight. The vast ocean, where the sky was rippling and melting, stretched out endlessly across the entire world. Tiring! Tiring! Tiring! Tiring! Suddenly, warning messages began to appear one after another before Suho¡¯s eyes. [yer came into contact with the energy of the ¡®Sea of the Afterlife¡¯ while in a living body.] [¡®Debuff: Death¡¯ is activated.] [HP decreases in real time.] [HP -100] [HP -100] [HP -100] ¡­ ¡­ . ¡°Wow.¡± It¡¯s crazy. The moment when the reality of death became apparent. Suho¡¯s HP was dropping by a whopping 100 points every second. ¡°If I stay here any longer, I will eventually die. Even Kandiaru¡¯s blessings are useless in the face of death.¡± ¡°Of course. Even the absolute could not escape death, so the blessings created by mere creatures are useless here.¡± Antares, who had already climbed onto Suho¡¯s shoulder, was looking around with sharp eyes. it¡¯s¡­ wide. No matter where they looked, they couldn¡¯t see anything like the World Tree. All they saw was sticky darkness. [My lord, be careful. Just because you don¡¯t see something doesn¡¯t mean it doesn¡¯t exist.] Beru¡¯s eyes were more tense than ever. [The moment you fall into the sea, your health will decrease at an elerated rate.] Fortunately, Suho did not fall into the sea. Because Suho had a skill he learned from the Ice Elf Sirka, the sessor to the Monarch of Frost. Splish ssh. [Use ¡®Skill: Elf¡¯s Step¡¯.] Suho¡¯s carefully stretched out his feet and seeded in walking on the ck sea. [Ohhh!] [The Master walked on the sea!] [Keeeek! As expected, you are a little monarch!] Shadow soldiers raise their hands and cheer at the sight. Suho was also relieved. ¡°Thank goodness. If this skill didn¡¯t work, I was going to use the ruler¡¯s power.¡± The ruler¡¯s power is closer to the concept of floating in the air rather than walking. That¡¯s why the elf¡¯s footsteps were less burdensome in many ways. Anyway, Suho, who had resolved the movement restrictions, looked back at the soldiers including Beru. ¡°Are you guys okay?¡± [We are already dead souls, so it¡¯s okay.] ¡°That¡¯s fortunate.¡± Shadow Soldiers had no concept of HP, so they had no way to lose health. ¡°Then what about Antares?¡± ¡°Beep?¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­ You¡¯re already out. You little punk.¡± [The King of Dragons, the Monarch of Destruction, urges Ragnar to flee to the Shadow World.] Ragnar, whose spirit had been released, was withering away on Suho¡¯s shoulder with a dazed expression. ¡°Okay, you go in.¡± Suho sent Ragnar back into the shadows. And while doing this, he watched his HP drop in real-time and bought a bunch of healing potions from the shop window. [¡®Item: Intermediate Healing Potion¡¯ has been purchased.] [¡®Item: Intermediate Healing Potion¡¯ has been purchased.] [¡®Item: Intermediate Healing Potion¡¯ has been purchased.] ¡­ ¡­ . ¡°This potion probably costs quite a lot.¡± Suho wondered if there were any ces like this. A ce where you absolutely must drink potions regrly. Even if you drink several bottles of potions at the same time, the potions don¡¯t restore HP any faster. In the end, the potions are limited to barely maintaining your current health. ¡°If a battle breaks out in this state, it¡¯s impossible to recover with just potions.¡± [Your Majesty, why don¡¯t you leave the reconnaissance of this ce to your soldiers and stay outside safely?] It was Beru¡¯s advice. ¡°Now that we¡¯re here, let¡¯s look around as much as possible.¡± Suho had the shadow dragons capable of flight spread out in all directions to scout out the surrounding area. And he too walked across the sea of the afterlife with the footsteps of an elf. [If you feel it is dangerous, you should always exchange shadows with the soldiers outside the gate.] Harmakan also did not spare advice to Suho from the side. [No, it would be better to just exchange them with the soldiers left on Earth. Considering the cooldown of the Shadow Exchange skill, that would be more efficient.] That was when. Chills. ¡°Come.¡± At that moment, Suho¡¯s eyes sharply shed. Choaaaak! In the pitch-ck, sticky ck sea, giant tentacles burst out from all directions, targeting Suho. [Nightmare Bud] [Nightmare Bud] [Nightmare Bud] ¡°I guess this is a flower field.¡± Suho swung his sword as if he had been waiting. Choke choke choke choke choke choke! ¡°Kkieeee!¡± Suddenly the battle started. Starting with the nightmare flower buds, nameless weeds appeared and attacked Suho. Now that a human with their luscious vitality have entered the sea of the afterlife, their goal was clear. Kyaoop! Kyaoop! Kyaawoop! A multitude of nts opened their mouths wide to catch Suho and devour him. There were even some that suddenly popped out from under Suho¡¯s feet. [Protect the Little Monarch!] [Protect the Master!] In reality, none of these guys were a problem. What can a weed do against the mighty Shadow Soldiers? But Suho¡¯s real problem was in apletely different area. ¡°These weeds¡­ it seems like they don¡¯t give any experience points?¡± [Master, the Sea of the Afterlife is not a ce for leveling up. It is an area that cannot be replicated even in Kandiaru¡¯s instance dungeons.] Suho¡¯s expression became serious. ¡°I didn¡¯t know leveling up was impossible.¡± This was a very, very serious problem. Suho looked around again. Again, the sea of the afterlife is vast. It¡¯s literally a vast ocean. Suho mobilized all of his troops and searched the ce diligently, but there was not even a single trace of the World Tree. With such a wasteful method, he was about to squander the money on potions. ¡°Hmm. Is this the ce for this? Let¡¯s change the method.¡± Suho suddenly lowered his gaze to his feet. ¡°Everyone, follow me.¡± [Oh, my lord?!] Beru was astonished. with a plop-! Suho, who was safely walking on the surface of the water, suddenly jumped into the sea of the afterlife. [Everyone follow the little monarch!] In response to Beru¡¯s urgency, the soldiers dived into the sea to follow Suho. They got rid of the weeds growing underneath as soon as they saw them. Still, Suho was still in trouble. Tiring! [HP decreases in real time.] [The deeper your sleep, the stronger the effect of ¡®Debuff: Death¡¯ bes.] [HP -100] [HP -109] [HP -123] [HP -149] [HP -162] ¡­ ¡­ . This is death. As the sleep deepened, Suho¡¯s HP decreased by more and more. This was clearly an act of hastening death. ¡®Somehow my father told me to level up first in order to find the World Tree.¡¯ Fortunately, he had leveled up a lot as his father had told him, so he still had some time to spare. Moreover, there was no problem breathing in this strange ck seawater. It was thanks to Esil that he learned the technique of putting a protective shield on his face using magic while he was wandering in the desert in the past. So, leaving the mobs to the soldiers, he swam deeper and deeper into the afterlife sea. ¡®Found them.¡¯ Suho¡¯s eyes sparkled. ¡®Yes. They say the sea of the afterlife is where the dead wander.¡¯ But then he wondered why he couldn¡¯t see anything, and it turned out that everyone was gathered down here. Yes. Deep in the ocean after death. It was literally ¡®hell¡¯. A terrible lot of souls. Countless inhabitants of the world, including humans,y silently frozen like cold corpses. But no matter what their outward appearances were, their eyes were empty as they were already dead. Even the souls that had already been drained of their nutrients by the weeds were unable to feel any pain and were simply one with the ck water. [Your Majesty¡­] Beru, who had been sticking close to Suho to protect him, looked at him with anxious eyes. Only after jumping in like this, Suho finally witnessed the terrifying reality of the sea of the afterlife¡­ ¡°There¡¯s so many¡± He wasughing. Brighter than ever. ¡°Arise.¡± 1 ¡­ ¡­ ! [Shadow extraction seeded.] [Shadow extraction seeded.] [Shadow extraction seeded.] [Shadow extraction seeded.] ¡­ ¡­ . [The King of Dragons, the Monarch of Destruction grumbles that he is still being treated unfairly.] Chapter 246 Chapter 246 What is Shadow Power? It was the ability to retrieve the dead souls floating in the sea after death from the bottom of the sea. Although the ¡®corpse of the shadow¡¯ that the souls used in their lifetime was necessary as a medium, since they had jumped directly into the sea of the afterlife as they were now, that intermediate step could have been omitted. Just grab the ghosts by the cor and drag them up like this! ¡°Arise!¡± The sea after death was turbulent beneath the shadow power that Suho emitted. ¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D! Ripples, big and small, began to form on the ck water surface that was flowing stickily like a single organic substance. The cause is the countless ghosts that were lying there, like corpses, in the deep abyss below. ¡­ ¡­ sh! Light returned to their unfocused eyes. At the same time, their consciousness, which had been submerged, came back to life. Their distant memories returned to them. And finally. Ghhhhhhhh-! Wow wow wow- They rose up in indignation. Choaaaak- But the sea of the afterlife had no intention of letting them go. ck, sticky seawater, like mucus, clung tenaciously to the bodies of the ghosts. The will to drag the dead souls down again. This force is right here. Because it was gravity and naturalw that ruled the ¡®Sea of the Afterlife¡¯. But the power of shadows inevitably went against that natural order. Choaaaaaaah- The ripples that started on the calmly flowing water soon became waves. It rose up and became a tidal wave. The ck sea swirled. Kuwaaaaa- And above that. Eventually, the ghosts who seeded in raising their bodies appeared proudly before Suho. Even at this very moment, they are still covered in seawater that is pulling them towards death. Gooooooo. The pitch-ck, sticky sea water after death was rippling like pitch-ck vapor due to the fighting spirit they radiated from their entire bodies. [Shadow extraction seeded.] [Shadow extraction seeded.] [Shadow extraction seeded.] ¡­ ¡­ . With countless system messages. Suho saw new soldiers made up of numerous races. The inhabitants of the underworld who live in various dimensions. On Earth, they were called demons or monsters, but their true nature was the souls of warriors who had died namelessly in wars and throughout history over countless years. [Keeeeeek-! You¡¯re amazing! You¡¯re really amazing!] Beru screamed in excitement. [These are the souls that were not yet incorporated into the Shadow Legion! How could they have been extracted as soldiers when we had never even encountered them in the first ce!] Yes. From the previous Shadow monarch Asborn to the current monarch Sung Jin-woo. Even for them, it was impossible to turn all the souls that had died in every dimension across the universe into a shadow army. The souls of those who died without any connection to the war or encounter with the Shadow monarch are gathered here, in the Sea of the Afterlife. The corners of Suho¡¯s lips curved in satisfaction as he checked each of them. There were races he was familiar with because he had encountered them before in the dungeons, and there were races he was seeing for the first time. Although there were races that were too weak to fight at the forefront of war, there were also those that showed signs of talent unrted tobat. In the meantime. ¡°¡­hmm?¡± Suho frowned with a displeased expression. Looking back, it turns out that not all souls were sessfully extracted. [Attempting to extract shadows.] [Attempting to extract¡­ ¡­ .] [Shadow extraction failed.] [Attempting to extract¡­ ¡­ .] [Shadow extraction failed.] [Shadow extraction failed.] ¡­ ¡­ . ¡°this.¡± Suho tried to extract the ghosts he couldn¡¯t extract several times. But it was a huge failure. [Shadow extraction failed.] There were two reasons. [The probability of extraction failure increases in proportion to the target¡¯s ability and the time psed since the target¡¯s death.] First, the time of death. The ghosts that came to the sea of the afterlife a long time ago have been left tattered, their nutrients sucked out by the weeds. Even if it weren¡¯t for the weeds, they would have melted into the sea of the afterlife to the point where they couldn¡¯t rise again even with the power of shadows. Even if they were forcibly extracted, they would not be able to function properly as soldiers. However, the reason Suho¡¯s expression was frowning was not because of those guys. ¡°The target¡¯s abilities¡­ ¡­ do you mean you don¡¯t recognize me as your master?¡± ¡­ ¡­ . There were ghosts who remained silent in response to Suho¡¯s words. Each and every one of these shadows looked extraordinary. At that moment, Beru noticed the reason and patted Suho on the shoulder. Smiling warmly with an expression like looking at a growing child. [What can you do? It¡¯s because the Little monarch is not a true Shadow monarch. Of course, they would have jumped up at the slightest wave of the King¡¯s hand, but it seems that the Little monarch¡¯s shadow power is not enough to persuade them.] Pat pat. [You should think positively. Isn¡¯t that more motivating? Look at those insolent phantoms! Next time, just level up ande back, and those insolent punks will all be waving their hands and weing you to join your army.] ¡­ ¡­ I wonder if this is cheering or teasing. Even Suho, who would normally have gotten angry at Beru¡¯s words, red at them with serious eyes today. Okay. The sea of the afterlife is wide and deep. Among the countless souls sleeping here, there are many great ones that cannot yet be subdued by one¡¯s own strength. If you are not yet qualified to be their master, then all you have to do is be qualified ande. ¡°Okay. Let¡¯s wait and see.¡± It was a promise to do so. And I vowed once again to myself that I would level up as quickly as possible and extract those arrogant guys before these precious souls were meaninglessly eaten by the weeds here. The problem was that, in the meantime, Suho¡¯s stamina was depleting at an increasingly rapid rate. [HP -514] [HP -763] [HP -989] [HP -1,314] ¡­ ¡­ . [Your Majesty, it is dangerous.] ¡°¡­ ¡­ Okay. Let¡¯s go up.¡± Puhwaak- As I surfaced again, my HP, which had been rapidly dropping, began to slow down again. But when I actually went outside, I saw that the speed did not drop to -100 all at once. [HP -931] [HP -819] ¡­ ¡­ . [HP -434] ¡­ ¡­ . [HP -100] [HP -100] ¡­ ¡­ . Only after the ck water that had been sticking to Suho¡¯s body hadpletely drained did his HP start decreasing at the normal rate of 100 per second. Suho took out a potion and put it in his mouth. ¡°If I hadn¡¯te out just in time, it could have been a disaster.¡± [Your Majesty, for now, please go outside for a while and thene back after recovering. Even if you find the World Tree in this state, it could be dangerous.] ¡°Okay, let¡¯s do that. But before that.¡± Suho looked back at the newly recruited soldiers and asked. ¡°Do any of you know the location of the World Tree?¡± [¡­ ¡­ ] Of course, there was no answer. They must have been unconscious from the moment they arrived here. Suho regretfully sorted out the winged soldiers and gave orders. ¡°I¡¯ll be out for a bit, so you winged ones stay here and look for the World Tree. And when you see any weeds¡­ ¡­ .¡± [I willpletely destroy them.] At the center of the shadow dragon tribe, Sita¡¯s eyes shed. [We can¡¯t let these precious souls be sucked up by the weeds.] ¡°Okay. If you understand, then disperse.¡± As soon as Suho finished speaking, the winged soldiers immediately spread their wings and soared. Suho looked up at the sight for a moment. [Use ¡®Skill: Shadow Exchange¡¯.] Fit! Disappeared from that spot. * * * That moment. Euaaa ¡­ A tremendous cheer was erupting from Esil¡¯s territory. ¡°It¡¯s finished!¡± ¡°I survived the ordeal!¡± ¡°We finally overcame the ordeal!¡± The sight of the demons barely holding off the invasion of the residents of the gap was truly miserable. Some had lost limbs, while others were on the verge of death with ck blood flowing all over their bodies. It was literally a total mess. But still, at this moment, I think it would be okay to be purely happy. You have proven yourself worthy of being a demon. ¡°You demons!¡± ¡­ ¡­ ! All the demons¡¯ heads turned towards the suddenly loud voice. Esil, the eldest daughter of the Radir family. no. Our king, Esil Radir! Esil stood firm, her body seemingly ready to copse at any moment, while receiving the hot gaze of the demons all at once. And she faced the gazes of all the demons who looked up to her. She chuckled, raising the corners of her mouth, revealing her sharp fangs. ¡°¡­Yeah. We won.¡± Euaaa ¡­ The demons shouted in unison as if the demon world would explode at those words. The moment the invasion began. The moment they witnessed the inhabitants of the gap suddenly invading the demon realm. The demons who had been living without knowing anything instinctively realized it. If they fail to ovee this ordeal, their situation and that of the residents of that gap will change. The absolute fear that you will never be able to exist as a demon again. But now I can say it confidently. ¡°We are the real demons.¡± The demons were once again excited by Esil¡¯s promation. I havee to truly acknowledge it. The fact that the pure-blooded demon noble ¡®Esil Radir¡¯ was their king.¡¯ But then it happened. Tsk tsk tsk-! The sky was falling down. ¡°¡­ ¡­ ?!¡± Woorung- Kwakwakwang! Thunder and lightning. Suddenly, the terror of the White me descended from the calm sky of the Demon World. ¡°What, what is it!¡± ¡°Could this be a second offensive!¡± ¡°I can¡¯t stand it anymore¡­ ¡­ .¡± The demons despaired. And instinctively they turned their pleading gaze towards their king, Esil Radir. Esil looked up at the sky with a stiff expression. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. The ordeal is over.¡± ¡­ ¡­ ! The demons were greatly relieved by those words. But despite that, Esil¡¯s stern expression as she looked out over the dark sky still did not soften. The demons trembled in fear at the sight and murmured. ¡°If the mes weren¡¯t for the trials¡­¡± ¡°What the hell is going on up there?¡± But after a while. Esil¡¯s eyes, which had been staring at the sky in silence for a long time, suddenly widened. ¡°Come!¡± Kkwarreung! That moment. ck lightning bolts struck the ground in a line from the sky. All the demons were shocked at the truly terrifying sight, but only Esil showed an extremely happy expression and ran forward, kicking the ground. ¡°Sung Suho!¡± It wasn¡¯t a ck bolt! ck shadows that transcend dimensions, centered around Suho! Sung Suho returned to the demon world using the shadow soldiers he left behind in the demon world! ¡°Esil.¡± Suho discovered Esil in the center of the shadow soldiers who were rippling with ck energy. Then he open his inventory, took out a bottle of potion with one hand and put it in his mouth. With his other hand, he took out another item he had acquired this time. [Item: Baran¡¯s Horn] After defeating Baran¡¯s soul, this is the only item left. But Suho knew how to use this. Suho said as he handed Baran¡¯s horn to Esil. ¡°From now on, you are the Demon King.¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­ !¡± Esil¡¯s body, which had epted the horn, was enveloped in ck energy. Chapter 247 Chapter 247 It was truly a magnificent sight. Kkwarreung! Underneath the thunder and lightning that poured down from the sky. The sight of Sung Suho appearing with numerous ck legions and handing over the horn of the previous Demon King to Esil Radir¡­ It was like a solemn and magnificent painting, reminiscent of a knight¡¯s inauguration ceremony. And the moment Esil received the ¡®Horn of Baran¡¯ with both hands. An old demon muttered as if possessed, suddenly seeing the figure enveloped in a ck aura. ¡°A new king has been born in thisnd that has lost its master.¡± With those words, without anyone saying anything, all the demons fell to their knees and began to worship. ¡°A new king has been born!¡± ¡°King of demons!¡± ¡°Esil Radir!¡± Euaaaaaaaaaah! Towards the new king, Esil Radir. In that way, everyone became one in heart and mind and shouted Esil¡¯s name in an explosive manner. but. ¡°¡­ ¡­ Ugh.¡± What the demons saw and what was real werepletely different. ¡®I, who am so picky, am being eaten instead¡­ ¡­!¡¯ The person involved, Esil Radir, was in a state of despair. Kuoooooooo¡­ ¡­ ! From the moment she unexpectedly epted the horn of Baran that Suho had handed her, Esil¡¯s expression became stiff. Baran¡¯s horn suddenly started sucking her in with incredible power! Like the residents of the gap. With the intention of sucking out all the nutrients contained within Esil. ¡®This is the session¡­ ¡­!¡¯ Esil realized instinctively. At this very moment, Baran¡¯s horn was asking itself. Are you really qualified to be king? If you are not fit to be a king. ¡®On the contrary, are you nning to eat me and take my soul?!¡¯ ¡°I see.¡± This is the Demon King¡¯s session ceremony. It was Baran¡¯sst struggle, as even his spirit body was destroyed and scattered into the dregs of the gap. And then. -You¡¯re weak. ¡­ ¡­ ?! A voice filled withughter whispered softly to Esil. At that moment, Esil also realized her fate. -You are not qualified. In the end, Esil¡¯s mind, which had been gritting its teeth and resisting the suction, was helplessly sucked into the abyss. Shwaaaaaaaah! ¡®Eww¡­!¡¯ * * * How much time has passed? ¡®Euaaaaaaah!¡¯ A bottomless pit. In an abyss so vast that even the passage of time was imperceptible, Esil was falling endlessly. After falling like that for a long time. At the edge of her vision, where she had previously been unable to see anything, something began to appear. At first it looked like a whitish pir. After a long time, Esil finally fell to a ce where she could clearly see what it really was. and. ¡®Oh my god.¡¯ All I could do in front of it was stand in awe. ¡®No way this is¡­¡¯ Esil was face to face with it. In the deepest and widest darkness. A giant tree that grew and took root at the edge of the afterlife sea. ¡®The World Tree?¡¯ I could tell without anyone telling me. My instincts as a demon, or rather my memories of being a resident of the gap before that, were whispering the truth. That is the world tree. That giant tree that shines on its own even in this abyss is the World Tree! ¡®But why?¡¯ Esil was puzzled. How did her soul, which failed in session and was eventually eaten by Baran¡¯s horn, end up in front of the World Tree? No, I can¡¯t even call it an arrival. Because even now, he was still falling. 1 Because the size of the World Tree was so vast, it was difficult to perceive the fact. But I guess that was good anyway. The moment she saw the World Tree, only one thought came to Esil¡¯s mind. ¡®Suho!¡¯ She had to tell Suho this. ¡®Suho! Over here! The World Tree you were looking for is right here!¡¯ But no matter how much she shouted, Esil¡¯s voice did note out of her mouth. Even if she had made a sound, there was no way his words would have reached Suho in this vast abyss. So she decided to change her method. ¡®Since it¡¯se to this, I¡¯ll take it myself!¡¯ Esil thought. In the first ce, what Suho wanted was not the location of the World Tree, but the branches of the World Tree. ¡®So I can break off a branch of the World Tree and take it myself!¡¯ As that thought urred to her, the thought that suddenly came to Esil¡¯s mind was none other than ¡®Vulcan¡¯. What was the reason that Vulcan, who was originally just a small creature, was able to evolve into a demon noble? It¡¯s the world tree! Wasn¡¯t it because you broke off the branches of the World Tree and ate its leaves? If that¡¯s the principle, then what? ¡®If I grab a branch of the World Tree, won¡¯t I be able to seize a new opportunity? Like Vulcan?¡¯ It was the moment when the survival instinct, the most primal instinct that sustains the demon race, stirred within Esil. Choaack! Esil, who had been falling endlessly, desperately reached out her hand. Towards the world tree. ¡®Just a little bit! Just a little bit more!¡¯ If you wish and want, you will move. Esil¡¯s soul, which stretched out its hand anxiously, as if it could touch it, but couldn¡¯t, began to move towards the World Tree little by little. And finally. Bam. The moment Esil¡¯s fingertips touched the branches of the World Tree. ¡®Got it¡­ ¡­!¡¯ Kyaaaa ¡­ ¡­ ¡­ ?! Suddenly, with a roar that shook the heavens and earth, a giant snake appeared, wrapped around the World Tree, and blocked Esil¡¯s path. Esil hurriedly withdrew her outstretched hand as if it had been burned. And when she saw the monster that appeared before her eyes, she was so shocked that her soul trembled. ¡®Oh my god. What is this?¡¯ Kyaaaaaaaah! An absurdlyrge snake¡­ ¡­was coiled around the World Tree! And that snake has seven heads! ¡®Could it be that he is guarding the World Tree?¡¯ Or is it just living here? A snake living in the afterlife sea? I have many questions. But now Esil had no time to resolve that question. One of the heads of that giant snake spotted Esil and suddenly turned its head towards her. and. Kyaaaaaaaah! It opened its mouth to catch and eat Esil. ¡®Oh, no!¡¯ The gaping mouth of a snake like a crocodile covered Esil¡¯s entire field of vision. Esil¡¯s soul, still falling, was unable to escape and was destined to be eaten into its maw. That was when. Tiring! [Passive skill ¡®(Unknown)¡¯ is activated.] ¡®¡­ ¡­ !¡¯ Esil¡¯s eyes widened. Suddenly she saw a broad back blocking his way. He muttered, his sharp jawline briefly visible above. ¡®Hmm. This is a first for me.¡¯ ¡®Su- Suho?!¡¯ Suddenly, Suho appeared in front of her! Esil was so surprised and touched that her mouth widened. ¡®You came all the way here to save me?¡¯ ¡®No, I was caught too.¡¯ ¡®What?!¡¯ ¡®First of all, I am a priest.¡¯ It was Suho who responded with a sly smile. At the very moment that Esil fell into the abyss, Suho¡¯s time had almost immediately stopped. The only difference was that Suho was not directly defeated like Esil, but was summoned directly in front of Esil. ¡®Seriously, what kind of skill is this?¡¯ Suho looked ahead with an embarrassed expression. And they looked at a giant snake approaching them with its mouth wide open to eat them. Kyaaaaaaaaaaah-! [Nidhogg] 1 A name tag is visible above the snake¡¯s head. ¡®A snake living in the World Tree¡­ ¡­ I think I¡¯ve seen a simr myth somewhere.¡¯ A snake with seven heads. [The King of the Mad Dragons, the Monarch of Destruction raises the corners of his mouth, saying that this is the true session ceremony.] It was Antares who immediately responded to Suho¡¯s words. But Antares was not the only monarch who spoke out. [The King of Beasts, the Fang Monarch, says that this snake holds the ¡®primordial darkness¡¯ that has lost its master.] [The King of Bugs, the Monarch of gues¡­] In short, it¡¯s like this. ¡®This thing ate all the primordial darkness that the monarchs spat out as they died?¡¯ No, the expression ¡°eaten it all up¡± is incorrect. This was the primordial darkness that had been split into eight parts and then merged back into one. Aren¡¯t the seven heads on this snake called ¡®Nidhogg¡¯ the proof? For each head, one primordial darkness. ¡®But why are there seven? Where did one go?¡¯ [The King of the Snowmen, the Monarch of the Cold, urges that now is not the time!] right. The first priority is to survive here. But it was already toote. There was no ce to escape to begin with. Kyaaaa ¡­ Eventually, Nidhogg¡¯s maw swallowed Suho and Esil in one gulp. But at that moment. ¡­ ¡­ Craw?! The tightly shut mouth of the snake bulged. ¡®oh my god.¡¯ In it, Esil witnessed. Suho¡­ ¡­ stands in front of her with both arms raised, supporting the roof of the snake¡¯s mouth! Krrrrrr! Nidhogg¡¯s howl, trying to crush Suho with force, blew through his throat like the wind. But Suho instead curled the corners of his mouth. ¡®I said I¡¯m confident when ites to a fight for power.¡¯ That was a good thing. It¡¯s a good thing that only my mind was sucked into this ce, but if my body was also dragged here, wouldn¡¯t my HP have dropped in real time due to the ¡®Debuff: Death¡¯? But nothing would be resolved by just holding on like this. ¡®Esil!¡¯ ¡®Oh, yeah!¡¯ Suho shouted at Esil while supporting the roof of his mouth. Esil was frozen in fear behind him, unable to move. This wasn¡¯t just about being scared, it was the manifestation of the ¡®Debuff: Fear¡¯ effect. But it depends on how you use it, right? ¡®Esil! I can¡¯t summon shadow soldiers here! The two of us have to catch this guy!¡¯ ¡®So, you¡¯re going to catch him? This guy?¡¯ ¡®of course.¡¯ Hehe. Before we knew it, Suho had developed a strange habit. The worse the situation, the more the corners of your mouth go up. Because I learned it through experience. The greater the risk you face, the greater the reward you will receive. Therefore. ¡®At least cut off one head so you can be king, right?¡¯ Suho decided to face the ordeal with a smile. ¡®It¡¯s going to be a little¡­ hot.¡¯ [Use ¡®Skill: Monarch¡¯s Realm¡¯.] Whoaaaaah- ck shadows spread out in all directions, centered around Suho. Hurrruk! A dark red me began to glow above the shadows that filled Nidhogg¡¯s mouth. Krrrrrrrr-! Even in the midst of all this, Nidhogg¡¯s determination to chew and swallow this somehow was admirable. Maybe this level of pain isn¡¯t enough to cause much damage. Because the opponent was a guy who held seven primordial darknesses. But what if this happens? [Use ¡®Debuff: Bloodthirsty Poison¡¯.] A faint venomous smell flowed out from Suho. [The King of Bugs, the Monarch of gues opens his eyes.] [The King of Bugs, the Monarch of gues, exins that the poison is useless against Nidhogg.] ¡®I know. Who would use this for him?¡¯ At Quresha¡¯s words, Suho snickered and muttered. [Poison: Bloodthirsty Toxin] A poison that causes the blood to boil when consumed, temporarily increasing strength. However, there is a fatal side effect where using magic power causes extreme pain and drains blood, gradually reducing one¡¯s lifespan. ¡®This poison¡­ was originally made for demons.¡¯ As soon as he finished speaking. Behind Suho¡¯s back. ¡®Keuuuuuuu¡­ ¡­!¡¯ Esil was struggling to get up. [Buff: Bloodthirsty Poison is activated on Esil Radir.] ¡­ ¡­ ! [The King of Bugs, the Monarch of gues opens his mouth in surprise.] Amplification of power with pain! Since the Demon Race was a race ustomed to spiritualization, even in spiritualization, the effects of the blood poison were fully applied. No, rather, in a world like this, there are things that are more possible. Esil¡¯s spirit body. The nutrients that created the being called Esil. As her ¡®blood¡¯ boiled, her power as a demon noble was temporarily strengthened. [Esil Radir¡¯s ¡®Skill: Bloodstone¡¯ evolves into ¡®Skill: Blood Crystal¡¯.] ¡®This, this power¡­¡¯ Esil herself looked embarrassed. But Suho just smiled and muttered contentedly. ¡®Have you finally woken up?¡¯ Blood. The power used by the soul of the Demon King Baran. Esil, who had awakened to that power on his own, had finally acquired the qualification to be king. 1 ¡®Oh, it¡¯s because it¡¯s a drug, so it¡¯s not by itself.¡¯ Well, anyway. ¡®Esil.¡¯ Suho shouted towards Esil, whose soul itself was tightlypressed and refined. ¡®From now on, you take charge.¡¯ ¡®¡­ ¡­ !¡¯ Kwajik! At Suho¡¯s words, Esil immediately raised both arms and received the roof of the snake¡¯s mouth that Suho was holding. At that moment, she couldn¡¯t help but feel her eyes widen at the overwhelming pressure. All this time, Suho has been enduring this absurd power! ¡®I can¡¯t hold out for much longer!¡¯ ¡®That¡¯ll do.¡¯ It¡¯ll only take a little while. Thanks to that, Suho¡¯s hands were finally free. ng! In those two hands, two swords of Kamish¡¯s Fury appeared. ¡®I¡¯ll do the cutting.¡¯ Suho¡¯s eyes sparkled. [Use ¡®Skill: Breath of Destruction¡¯.] Hurrah! That moment. The snake that wrapped around the world tree. One of Nidhogg¡¯s seven heads was pierced by the doom ray. Chapter 248 Chapter 248 Jiiiiiing- Breath of destruction. The hellish mes boiling from the dragon¡¯s heart flowed straight through Kamish¡¯s Wrath. Wow! The overwhelming heat surging out took Esil¡¯s breath away. If Kamish¡¯s Wrath had been a sword made of ordinary materials, it would not have been able to withstand this firepower, and even the handle would have melted. However, the dagger made from dragon¡¯s teeth, Kamish¡¯s Wrath, had a great synergy with the Breath of Destruction. If a dragon¡¯s teeth couldn¡¯t withstand the breath of destruction, their teeth wouldn¡¯t have remained intact every time they breathed. Maybe the same goes for Nidhogg. But while Nidhogg¡¯s bones and teeth might have withstood the breath of destruction, his fragile pte was not immune. Kookwakwakwakwakwakwakwa! The breath of destruction melted the roof of Nidhogg¡¯s mouth, swallowing up Suho and Esil, and tearing a hole straight through his skull. Krrrrrrrr! But maybe it¡¯s because he has seven heads. Nidhogg did not die just because a small hole was pierced through his skull. Rather, he put more strength into his jaw to chew on Suho and Eshil. Kkwaduk! ¡®Ugh!¡¯ As a result, Esil¡¯s leg, which was supporting the pte without Suho, could not bear the weight and eventually broke. But Esil didn¡¯t even scream. Rather, the moment her leg broke, she gritted her teeth, bent her remaining leg that wasn¡¯t broken, and supported the roof of Nidhogg¡¯s mouth with her back. ¡®It¡¯s still¡­ okay, so keep going!¡¯ Esil used both her arms and back to support the roof of Nidhogg¡¯s mouth and shouted at Suho. Kookwakwakwakwakwakwa! At the sound of Esil¡¯s scream from behind, veins stood out on the back of Suho¡¯s hand, which held Kamish¡¯s Wrath. ¡®Just a little bit! Just a little bit more!¡¯ Sweat ran down Suho¡¯s forehead as he continued to emit rays of destruction and cut off the snake¡¯s head little by little. This uncontroble, enormously powerful beam of destruction consumed a tremendous amount of mana just to maintain. The power was great but the recoil was also great. Even turning sideways was not an easy task. but. It was rewarding. As the Suho¡¯s beam of destruction moved sideways, the hole in Nidhogg¡¯s head also grew wider. ¡®Just like this, cut it off!¡¯ Kiyaaaaaaa! ¡®Ah!¡¯ Done! Eventually, Nidhogg, who had half of his neck cut off, opened his mouth wide and screamed in pain. At the same time, Esil was also freed from the head¡¯s incredible pressure. Only then was she able to raise her head and look ahead. ¡­ ¡­ ! It¡¯s broken! Beyond the abyss melted by the mes of hell, there was arge hole! It was so big that you could see the World Tree! But beyond that hole came a bigger crisis. Kwoahhh! Kyaaaaaaaah! Nidhogg¡¯s other six heads, feeling the pain, began to show interest in the fight one by one! At that moment, an enormous amount of murderous intent was focused on Suho and Esil. And through the hole sted by the breath of destruction, the eyes of the beasts and the guardian met in the air. [The serpent that gnaws at the World Tree, Nidhogg, watches you.] Creepy. As six pairs of eyes turned towards him at the same time, Suho felt his body stiffen for a moment. Even though Suho only made eye contact, he felt an enormous amount of pressure and his whole body was tingling. [¡®Effect: Fear¡¯ is activated.] [All yer abilities are reduced by 50% for 1 minute.] ¡®Ha¡­¡¯ Suho, who met those gazes right in front of his eyes, burst outughing out of embarrassment. The Breath of Destruction was cut off due to the ¡®fear¡¯ effect. Suho¡¯s mana supply was already cut in half, and now it wad cut in half again. 2 Even if he used the Breath of Destruction again, he wouldn¡¯t have enough magic power to deal with all six remaining heads. [Potions and shops cannot be used in the current location, and status will not be restored even if the yer¡¯s level increases.] Even the use of potions was restricted because he was dragged in with the ¡®Unknown¡¯ skill. Kwoahhhhh! Nidhogg¡¯s six heads roared at Suho in unison. At that moment, those who were worried about Suho the most appeared. The dead monarchs. Whioooo! [King of the Snow Folk, the Monarch of Frost, causes a blizzard to obscure Nidhogg¡¯s vision.] Tsk! A bitterly cold blizzard swept in, and one of Nidhogg¡¯s mouth, which had been melting from the intense heat, was now frozen by the cold. [Queen of Insects, the Monarch of gues, attempts to poison Nidhogg but fails.] [Queen of Insects, the Monarch of gues, attempts to poison Nidhogg but fails.] [King of Beasts, the Monarch of Fangs, urges you to run away quickly!] But at that time. ¡®Suho¡­¡¯ Esil spoke to him with difficulty. Even with one of her limbs broken, she crawled on the ground with great difficulty. ¡®Run away¡­¡¯ You have to get out of here right now. She wanted to say that, but her teeth were chattering so much that she couldn¡¯t even finish her words. Even Suho was like this, but the fear Esil was feeling was indescribable. Esil¡¯s survival instincts were making the most rational, yet most inefficient choice at this moment. ¡®This, this¡­¡¯ Esil¡¯s trembling hand held something out towards Suho. Rustle. ¡®¡­What is this?¡¯ Suho opened his eyes wide after confirming the item¡¯s identity. ¡®The leaves of the world tree¡¯ World Tree Esil just barely managed to grab a small leaf from a branch of the World Tree and put it in Suho¡¯s palm Tiring. [You have acquired ¡®Item: World Tree Leaf¡¯.] Esil, with trembling hands, held the leaf tightly in Suho¡¯s hand. Esil¡¯s two eyes, trembling with fear, looked straight into Suho¡¯s eyes and opened her mouth. ¡®Hey, eat this.¡¯ ¡®¡­ !¡¯ Even at that very moment. Esil¡¯s instinct was not to protect, but to eat this leaf. It was tempting to say that if you ate this leaf, you could evolve into a stronger demon like Vulcan. But. Esil knew herself well. ¡®I am weak.¡¯ Just this one leaf. How much stronger could she be by just eating this one thing? It¡¯s not like Vulcan ate all the leaves hanging from the branches. No, would it even be possible to escape from here in the first ce? but. It would be different if Suho ate it. ¡®Suho, eat it.¡¯ Esil had no doubts. It would be different if Suho ate it instead of herself. ¡®Run away.¡¯ I don¡¯t know how much this will help, but I hope it will at least help Suho escape from here on his own. With that in mind, Esil ced a small leaf from the World Tree into Suho¡¯s hand. Ok. T-ring! A miracle happened. The moment he touched the leaf of the World Tree, an information window appeared before Suho¡¯s eyes. [Item: World Tree Leaf] Difficulty to acquire: ?? Type: Material A leaf plucked from a branch of the World Tree. The leaves of the World Tree have strong vitality and are used as ingredients for magic potions of the highest quality. It is the main ingredient of potions. ¡®Potion ingredients?!¡¯ Suho¡¯s eyes widened. Is it a coincidence that he found the ingredients used to make potions in the ce where neither the shop window nor the potions can be used? No. Looking at Esil¡¯s current appearance, no one would dare say that he was lucky. Crunch! Suho put a leaf of the World Tree into his mouth without hesitation and chewed it. Then something amazing happened. Whioooooo- A blue energy enveloped Suho¡¯s entire body. The sensation of fresh air entering and leaving the lungs. It was a familiar feeling for Suho, something he experienced every day. T-ring! [All status abnormalities are recovered.] Ah, the ingredients for a potion. Beyond the fact that his depleted stamina and mana werepletely refilled, Suho began to think that perhaps the rewards for the daily quests were made with the leaves of the world tree. This is the proof. [The effect of ¡®Kandiaru¡¯s Blessing: Longevity¡¯ is temporarily strengthened.] [Resists ¡®Debuff: Fear¡¯.] Nidhogg¡¯s body, heavy with murderous intent, became lighter. At that moment, Suho realized what he had to do. ¡®The power of the ruler!¡¯ Pot! Pot! Pot! Pot! Pot! Suho boldly stepped into the air and flew up. Kwaaaaah! Then, Nidhogg¡¯s six heads opened their mouths towards Suho, emitting a more ferocious murderous aura than ever before. It was at that moment when Nidhogg¡¯s heads became Suho¡¯s enemies. [Nidhogg, the serpent that gnaws at the World Tree, is wary of the ruler¡¯s power.] [Nidhogg, the serpent that devours the World Tree, is your enemy.] Crunch! Crunch! Kwaaah! Suho turned around in the air, narrowly avoiding Nidhogg¡¯s heads¡¯ bites. In the aftermath, the branches of the World Tree that Nidhogg was hanging on to broke off and fell, unable to withstand the battle. That¡¯s exactly what Suho wanted. ¡®Come!¡¯ Suho sted Kamish¡¯s wrath at the World Tree¡¯s branches that were falling with a thud. Wheeeeeeeeeek- It was expressed as a ¡®branch¡¯, but it is only from the perspective of the world tree. To Suho, every one of them was huge. So, what Suho was aiming for wasn¡¯t the branches. But the numerous ¡®leaves¡¯ sprouting on the branches. Chomp chomp chomp chomp chomp! Kamish¡¯s Wrath tore through the air. Then, all the leaves cut off from the World Tree flew towards Suho. Because of the ruler¡¯s power. Crunch! Suho quickly chewed on another leaf. [All status abnormalities are recovered.] This time too, the same thing. Suho¡¯s stamina and mana were recharged, almost as if he had leveled up. However, there was a major problem. [The King of Dragons, and Monarch of Destruction, urges Suho to look at Nidhogg¡¯s wounds.] As Antares said, eating the leaves of the World Tree was not only a benefit to Suho. Wagjak! Whack! Whack! Before he knew it, one of Nidhogg¡¯s heads had chewed and swallowed a nearby World Tree branch whole. Then, on the other side, the wound on the head where Suho had cut off half of the neck earlier, began to heal quickly. ¡®They say it¡¯s a snake that eats the world tree, is that what they mean?¡¯ Before the wound couldpletely heal, Suho shouted at Esil. ¡®Esil! Open your mouth!¡¯ ¡­ ?! Shararararak- Then, like a spring breeze, the leaves of the World Tree swept towards Esil. Esil, who was prepared to die, opened her mouth in surprise at the sight of countless leaves flying towards her. Suho chuckled at that stupid expression and said. ¡®I paid off my debt.¡¯ The kindness you receive will be repaid a thousandfold. Before Nidhogg¡¯s wounds could fully heal, all the leaves managed to reach Esil. Shwaak- The wound healed perfectly, and Esil disappeared from sight. But Suho wasn¡¯t worried. ¡®Come back stronger, Esil.¡¯ A bulge! It didn¡¯t take long. Suddenly, Nidhogg¡¯s head, which was holding Esil in its mouth, swelled. Damn it! The thing just exploded with a huge noise. But there was no blood or flesh in that explosion. It was just¡­ dark. [The ¡®Darkness of the Beginning¡¯ is inherited by a new monarch.] 3 Whioooooooo- Darkness was creeping in. Beyond the darkness, Esil¡¯s two eyes were briefly visible, shining brightly. [Nidhogg, the serpent that devours the World Tree, retreats.] Nidhogg¡¯s six heads hurriedly retreated. Like a lizard cutting off its tail and running away, without hesitation, it gave up one of its heads to return to the darkness. The darkness originally came from Baran, the king of demons and the Monarch of the White me, but now a new master had appeared. Swish! The center of swirling darkness. Esil Radir, who had absorbed the darkness of the beginning, was floating in the air with her head fluttering. She was Looking at Suho with more mature and serious eyes than usual. However, the new master¡¯s name that the darkness of the beginning recognized was a little different from that of the Demon King Baran. [The King of Demons, the Monarch of Gluttony, is born.] ¡®The Monarch of Gluttony?¡¯ I guess it means to eat roughly. Before he could even finish that thought, Suho and Esil¡¯s spirits were thrown out of the sea of the afterlife. Shwaak- ¡­ Waaaaaah! Suddenly the sound of demons¡¯ shouts were heard. Before they knew it, Suho and Esil had returned to reality. This is simr to the scene where Esil received the ¡®Item: Baran¡¯s Horn¡¯ from Suho with both hands. But Esil was not flustered and just knelt down on one knee. ¡°Thank you, my Lord.¡± Esil humbled herself and bowed her head in the most profound manner to the priest who had made him king. 1 [The King of Demons, the Monarch of Gluttony, swears allegiance to you.] [The King of Demons, the Monarch of Gluttony, bestows upon you the ¡®Protection of Gluttony.¡¯] [Protection: Protection of Gluttony] The protection of the King of Demons, the Monarch of Gluttony. Esil Radir, the Monarch of Gluttony, swears allegiance to you. You will be able to absorb and digest the nutrients of the world more efficiently in the future. -Effect ¡®Gluttony¡¯: Experience gained in the future increases by 300%. Chapter 249 Chapter 249 Suho was touched. ¡°Crazy.¡± Experience points tripled? The rewards were beyond imagination and dizzying. ¡°Esil.¡± Suho put his hand on Esil¡¯s shoulder and looked into Esil¡¯s eyes. ¡°I really, really congratte you on bing king. We will be together for life.¡± ¡°My lord¡­ ¡­ !¡± Sincerity gets through. Esil was deeply moved by Suho¡¯s words and shed tears with an embarrassed expression. Isn¡¯t that so? She herself was a failure who had already failed once in the session ceremony due tock of qualifications. She was a sinner who dared to im to be king without being qualified to do so. As punishment for her sins, she was destined to be sucked into the primordial darkness and devoured by Nidhogg, rather than bing a king. But the one who suddenly appeared and turned all that fate upside down was none other than Suho. It was the guardian who forcibly grabbed her soul, which was a failure and a sinner, by the scruff of the neck and dragged it up and made it a king! Bam! Esil stood up, clenching her fists and shedding hot tears. ¡°Master! I will do my best from now on!¡± [Keeeeeek-! How rude of you! To say such an obvious thing now! How bad have you been up until now!] The most senior Beru, who suddenly appeared from the side, vomited out his gship. But Esil was already a rookie with a lot of military discipline. ¡°No! I will do better!¡± [Your voice is small!] ¡°More, more, more! I will do better!¡± [Lack!] It was Beru and Esil who were passionately singing their hearts out to each other. Esil evolved into the Demon King, bing much more splendid and majestic than usual. But her attitude was more humble and sincere than ever. Because the guardian in front of her was the savior of her soul and the master she had to serve for the rest of her life! 1 [Louder!] ¡°I will serve you with all my heart! If it is your will, my lord, I will give you my body, my mind, and even my soul! I will give you everything I have¡­ ¡­!¡± ¡°Okay, then let¡¯s draw blood.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Blood.¡± Suho, who dly epted Esil¡¯s feelings, was smiling brightly. ¡°Please donate blood.¡± I was waiting for this very moment. ¡®Purified Demon King¡¯s Blood¡¯ One of the three ingredients of the divine water of life. Now that Esil has finally be the Demon King, she can draw the Demon King¡¯s blood indefinitely. Of course, Suho also knew well how important ¡®blood¡¯ was to the demon tribe. But if Esil has a conscience, it¡¯s time to pay for the meal. Actually, I didn¡¯t say anything in detail until now, but a lot of the money that Suho earned as a hunter went to Esil¡¯s food, or rather, meat. Perhaps that is why Esil was given the nickname ¡®Monarch of Gluttony¡¯. How many leaves of the World Tree have Esil eaten? Or is it that they eat a lot of meat like crazy in an attempt to somehow recover their lost strength? Thetter is clearly andslide victory. It must have been so bad that the owner of the butcher shop in Suho¡¯s neighborhood became the building owner. That boss made as much money as a hunter while sitting there, without even awakening as a hunter. Even though he was a regr and sold it to Suho at a wholesale price, it was still like that, so that says it all. ¡®In fact, she may not be gluttonous, but rather the Monarch of gluttony.¡¯ Suho truly thought so. But anyway, if the result is good, isn¡¯t it all good? It was all an investment for this moment. The price of that meat? It was iparable to the divine water of life. ¡°I will give it to you! If you want my blood!¡± Esil responded with a determined look to the first order given by Suho. ¡°Purify it and give it to me.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Shwaaaaak-! [The King of Demons, the Monarch of Gluttony uses ¡®Skill: Blood Essence¡¯.] Fortunately, there was no need to go through the hassle of drawing blood one by one with a syringe. Swish! A fist-sized drop of blood rose onto Esil¡¯s palm. The blood of demons is originally ck. However, the blood Esil had refined to such a high degree that the blood Esil had created was glowing red. Even the smell was more fragrant than pungent. Ooooooooo! All the demons trembled in awe at the wondrous sight. ¡°It¡¯s blood essence!¡± ¡°Blood essence!¡± ¡°As expected, you are the Demon King!¡± ¡°Your Majesty-!¡± If ¡®bloodstone¡¯ is the exclusive property of the nobles, ¡®blood essence¡¯ is its superior version. It was the Demon King¡¯s unique power to highly refine the demon¡¯s blood. There are many uses for bloodletting, but for now, it is focused purely on extracting blood. As if he had been waiting for it, Suho bought a clear ss bottle from a store window and pulled out the cork. Esil¡¯s blood immediately flew into the air and was sucked into the bottle. T-ring. [¡®Item: Purified Blood of the Demon King¡¯ has been acquired.] [Material Item: Purified Demon King¡¯s Blood] Difficulty to acquire: ?? Type: Material This liquid is made by refining the blood of the Demon Monarch, ¡®Esil Radir¡¯. It has strong magical powers, but its toxicity remains even after refining, so to use it as a medicine, you need a ¡®Fragment of the World Tree¡¯ and ¡®Spring Water from the Echo Forest¡¯ to neutralize its toxicity. ¡°This is the Demon King¡¯s blood¡­¡± Suho raised the corners of his mouth in satisfaction. The red liquid in the clear ss bottle sloshes at different angles. At first nce, it looks like a fancy perfume bottle, but its value is iparably enormous. [The Divine Being of Life] 2 -ingredients Purified Demon King¡¯s Blood (1/1) Fragment of the World Tree (0/1) Spring of Echo Forest (1/1) [Keeeek! Now there is only one ingredient left! If you just have the ¡®World Tree Fragment¡¯, you can create the Divine Water of Life!] ¡°Oh. What a shame. I should have brought those branches back somehow.¡± [Keeek?] Beru tilted his head. In a situation where he should be happy, Suho suddenly frowns and smacks his lips. Thinking back to the World Tree branches that had fallen down with a crash as Nidhogg struggled earlier, it was such a pity to think about it again. But at that time, I simply couldn¡¯t afford to do that. Nidhogg¡¯s six huge heads were gaping here and there, trying to devour Suho, and just dodging their bites and gathering leaves was a huge challenge. But I needed to think positively and reconsider. In reality, even if you somehow managed to get your hands on those branches, it might have been impossible to actually bring them into reality. Because in the first ce, only my mind had gone to the sea of the afterlife due to the ¡®Unknown¡¯ skill. Even when I think back to when I returned from fighting Quresha, not a single piece of the wings of the venomous insects that were fluttering around came stuck to Suho¡¯s clothes. The best thing Suho could do was to im a mental victory. But it was still too early to give up. ¡°Master! Is there anything else you would like me to do?¡± [What a great attitude!] Finally, Beru gave a passing grade. Even after handing over the blood to Suho, Esil¡¯s eyes were burning with a sense of mission. When he saw those eyes, Suho had a good idea. ¡°Esil.¡± Suho¡¯s eyes sparkled. ¡°Could you pleasee back to that ce again?¡± ¡°The World Tree? Are you talking about that?¡± Esil frowned at those words and tried to recall her memories. A tree that glows on its own in the darkness. The impact of the World Tree was so strong that I couldn¡¯t remember exactly what the surroundings were like. but. ¡°Maybe it might be possible.¡± ¡°Oh! really?¡± This was the majesty of the gluttonous monarch who had devoured an enormous amount of the leaves of the World Tree. ¡°Ugh,¡± said Esil, as she confidently pointed to her heart with her thumb. ¡°That fragrance flows through my blood.¡± ¡°Somehow the smell of blood is so fragrant. Then what if you let other demons smell your blood too?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Shh. Before he could finish speaking, Suho and Esil looked at each other and smiled meaningfully. They noticed each other¡¯s thoughts. ¡°All the demons under mymand will be able to wander the sea of the afterlife and track the scent of the World Tree.¡± Demons are sensitive to the smell of blood. Moreover, a demon who does not remember even after smelling the blood of the Demon King deserves to die. If the scent of the World Tree is mixed with the scent of Esil¡¯s blood, the demons will be able to search for the World Tree much more effectively than the shadow soldiers who are still wandering aimlessly through the sea of the afterlife. ¡°Demons wandering the sea of the afterlife¡­ There really is no hell like this.¡± It was a strangely well-matchedbination. ¡°But is that really okay? If you go to the afterlife sea, the weeds will be after you.¡± In fact, the demons gathered here had just been invaded by the residents of the gap. But, for the residents of the gap, jumping directly into the sea of the afterlife teeming with weeds meant going to find a ce to die on one¡¯s own feet. but. ¡°The demons who have ovee trials are strong.¡± ¡°Yes. Because the scent of the World Tree still fills my body.¡± Even if the eyes don¡¯t remember, the body remembers. All the demons gathered here were warriors who had ovee trials and survived. On their behalf, Esil dismissed Suho¡¯s worries with a confident expression. ¡°The reason I am strong is because through trials I havee to realize how weak and pathetic I am.¡± Gooooooo- At Esil¡¯s words, the spirit of the surviving demons was quietly burning like mes. ¡°That¡¯s why we, being weak, desire to be stronger. If there is a way to be stronger than we are now, we will do so without regard to the means and methods, because that is the basis for ruling the demon world.¡± But now Esil has found out. ¡®The leaves of the world tree¡¯ ¡°I have personally confirmed that the legend of the ¡®Demon of Greed Vulcan¡¯ evolving by eating the leaves of the World Tree is true, so we demons will definitely find that ce, wherever it is.¡± To be stronger! That purpose alone would be sufficient. For demons, strength meant survival. Moreover, weren¡¯t most of the demons led by Esil lower-level demons? ¡°For the survival of the demon n, not just me, but all demons must be stronger than they are now.¡± ¡°Then we need to divide up the roles.¡± Since he couldn¡¯t sacrifice the innocent demons to the weeds, Suho devised a strategy. ¡°Demons track your scent, and shadow soldiers escort you.¡± ¡°No. We will fight ourselves. We cannot leave our survival to others.¡± ¡°I told you, there¡¯s the sea. Do you have wings?¡± ¡°¡­ah.¡± It was Esil who forgot the important part. Looking back, there weren¡¯t many winged demons. As Suho had said, even at this moment, all the shadow soldiers drifting across the sea of the afterlife were winged creatures. ¡°Then let¡¯s fight even if we have to swim¡­ ¡­ .¡± ¡°No. There¡¯s a better way.¡± From the perspective of someone who has already been to the sea of the afterlife twice, Suho brought out an idea he had been thinking about. ¡°Build a boat.¡± ¡­ ! Esil¡¯s eyes widened at the unexpected words. Chapter 250 Chapter 250 ¡°Is that possible? Building a ship that floats on the afterlife sea?¡± Esil, who had just recently been to the Sea of the Afterlife, could not understand Suho¡¯s words at all. The afterlife sea is a spiritual universe where dead souls float. Although it was a sea in name only, it was apletely different concept from the ordinary sea, a heterogeneous dimension. Suho¡¯s n to build a boat and travel around in such a ce was an idea that was far from Esil¡¯smon sense. ¡°Will a ship survive in such a ce? No matter how strong the materials used to make a ship are, it will rot away in an instant the moment it touches the air there.¡± But Suho immediately shattered Esil¡¯s concerns. ¡°If it¡¯s ingredients, they¡¯re all over here, right?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± At Suho¡¯s words, Esil¡¯s head turned to the side, following Suho¡¯s gaze. Then there was¡­ ¡°Ah!¡± At that moment, an exmation burst out of Esil¡¯s mouth. This is now the Demon Realm, where the trials have just ended. Because of this, the corpses of ¡®residents of the gap¡¯ killed directly by demons were scattered all over the area. Actually, the expression ¡°Killed¡± is incorrect. The residents of the gap were all thoroughly destroyed and returned to their original form, a ¡®pile of weeds¡¯. Suho shrugged. ¡°I fought them myself. When I looked, I saw that they were all floating around on the sea of the afterlife. What do you think? Isn¡¯t that enough material?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Esil was so moved that she couldn¡¯t even respond. Of course it was enough! These weeds were, as the expression goes, ¡®wood¡¯ that sprouted and grew on their own in the afterlife sea! [Kieeeeek! As expected, our Young Monarch is very clever! Of course it is possible!] Beru appeared with great pop. Suho was so special and admirable that the corners of his mouth reached to his ears and he clung to Suho¡¯s head. It had been a really long time since he had been this proud, since the first time this newborn son called Beru, ¡°Gyami.¡± 2 And that must have been it. It was then that Beru began to teach Suho Korean more actively. It¡¯s still like that now. Phishing! Beru¡¯s narrowed eyes sparkled like those of an intelligent and cool-headed daily lecturer. A bug appeared that exined it. [In fact, if you think about it, there is no race more suited to travel the seas of the afterlife than demons.] ¡®Debuff: Death¡¯ This death curse, which was activated when entering the sea of the afterlife, was the worst debuff that ate away at lifespan in real time. Even if you just breathe still, your HP will drop by a whopping 100 per second, and no matter how many potions Suho drank, he could only barely slow down the rate. Even if you fall into the sea, the amount and speed of HP loss increases dramatically in proportion to the depth of the water. But this story only applies to Suho, who is a living human. At that time, ¡®Debuff: Death¡¯ had no effect on the shadow soldiers guarding Suho. The reason is simple. This is because shadow soldiers have no HP to lose in the first ce. Shadow soldiers, who are already dead souls, maintain their existence not through HP but through MP, or the magical power of protection. That¡¯s why they¡¯re immortal. As long as the magic of Suho remains, the Shadow Legion will forever be an immortal legion that will not be consumed by the sea of the afterlife. [However, although the principle is different, demons are also a species that is not consumed by the sea of the afterlife!] It¡¯s not possible to apply every situation to the game system, but if we really have to be specific, the demon tribe was a race that lived on MP rather than HP. To put it simply, the demon race is basically ustomed to incarnation. Even the origins of the demon race were as the residents of the gap, the souls that were tainted by the ¡®weeds¡¯ that grew in the afterlife sea. [If you go back, it is said that the sea after death is like the home of the soul for the demon race.] Harmakan also quietly joined in and joined the exnation. The original Demonic n was a sinister tribe that enjoyed experimenting with souls. As Harmakan nced at the demons gathered here, his mouth watering, countless evil thoughts already forming in his head. This is something like ¡®the demon armor¡¯. [Hehe. My hands are itching. If you leave this to me, I will make the ¡®Ship of Demons¡¯ that you desire. However, it seems like it will take some time to make a ship that can bear all the demons here.] Harmakan was confident that there was nothing he could not make if he had enough time and materials. Then Beau pushed Harmakan¡¯s face aside and added: [My lord, the Demonic n is good, but there is another race that is better to use in times like this. This time¡­] ¡°I saw it too.¡± Hehe. At those words, Suho and Beru looked at each other and smiled. Suho already knew which race Beru was trying to target. People usually don¡¯t remember everything they saw as infants. But among them, there are fragments of memories thate to mind very asionally. Among the souls of the world that Suho rescued from the sea of the afterlife this time, there were truly diverse races included. But not all of those spirits were of a strong and great race. Rather, the truly strong ones sank to a much deeper level and repelled the shadow powers because Suho¡¯s level was insufficient. However, among those who were sessfully extracted, there were quite a few species that Suho had seen in his father¡¯sshadow world when he was young. For example. ¡°The bearded dwarf.¡± Swish. At those words, shadowy new recruits appeared at Suho¡¯s feet. At that sight, Beru¡¯s smiling eyes narrowed even further. [You guessed it right. The bearded dwarf race is a cksmith race with exceptional talent in crafting, even though their fighting prowess is poor.] A bushy beard with a jet-ck aura. cksmiths with short stature but thick and stocky build. [Shadow Dwarf Lv.1] General grade 5 [Shadow Dwarf Lv.3] General grade [Shadow Dwarf Lv.1] General Grade ¡­ ¡­ . By the way, levels didn¡¯t matter to these guys. Because I¡¯m not going to make you fight. * * * Bearded dwarf race. The shadow dwarves were more temperamental than I thought. Those with lower ranks couldn¡¯t speak, but those who could speak vied with each other to express their opinions. [Uh-huh! You¡¯re building a ship to find the World Tree?] [Ugh! I can¡¯t believe I got to do such fun things after I¡¯m dead!] As soon as they heard the purpose of Suho, all of them had bushy beards sticking out in all directions due to their burning enthusiasm and fighting spirit. Their eyes shone like stars. [If you are pressed for time, is it really necessary to make everything here?] [That¡¯s right. Since we have enough materials, how about making a bunch of rafts and setting off right away?] [We can ride on the raft one by one and gradually expand it in the afterlife sea.] [That¡¯s right! If the material is a weed that grows in the afterlife sea anyway, you can just procure the material there and grow it.] [Okay! Let¡¯s make it right now!] The moment they really start rolling up their sleeves. Tick tock tock! In the meantime, Suho¡¯s n began to take shape before their eyes through their mouths and hands. [Hey, you demons over there!] [Stop just staring nkly and give me this!] ¡­ ¡­ ? [Oh my! What are you doing? You¡¯re not going to work?] In a fit of panic, the demons became their assistants and served them faithfully. ¡°¡­but, I am the king.¡± Esil became a little gloomy. When she came to her senses, she realized that all the demons who hade to serve her as king had be servants of the dwarves. But apart from that, the Shadow Dwarves¡¯ production speed was beyond imagination and was truly astonishing. Crunch crunch crunch! [Ahhhh! A raft or something like that will be done in no time!] [Just tie the logs together in a row and you¡¯re done!] [Master! It¡¯s done!] In the blink of an eye, numerous rafts werepleted in front of Suho. Tiring! [¡®Item: Raft of the Afterlife¡¯ has been created.] [You have acquired the skill to craft ¡®Item: Raft of the Afterlife¡¯.] Finally, a line was added to the [Production Skill] box at the very end of Suho¡¯s skill window. [Production Skill] ¨C Holy Water of Life 1 ¨C Raft of the Afterlife As Suho¡¯s gaze fell on the ¡®Raft of the Afterlife¡¯, an exnation for it came to mind. [Item: Raft of the Afterlife] Difficulty to Acquire: E Type: Vehicle It¡¯s a crude raft made from weeds that grew in the afterlife sea. It is a ship that can move on the sea after death, but its weak defense is a disadvantage. ¡°This is really happening¡­¡± Looking at thest line, it seemed like the n was a sess. [At this point, we should be able to burn the demons and set off right away!] [Go and see if it really works!] A very excited look with a beard sticking out. The Shadow Dwarves were anxious to see if the ship they had created would actually float in the afterlife sea. Meanwhile, one of the bearded dwarves behind him showed a little more enthusiasm than the others. [Oh my, what should I do with this? I worked too hard on it because I had time left?] Tiring. [¡®Item: Ferry of the Afterlife¡¯ has been created.] [The crafting skill for ¡®Item: Raft of the Afterlife¡¯ is upgraded to ¡®Item: Ferry of the Afterlife¡¯.] [Heh heh heh! What, this is nothing special! I made this to show you how I n to gradually expand these rafts in this wayter.] ¡­ ¡­ ! The other shadow dwarves red at him as he stroked his beard and flirted with the guardian. 1 The excuse sounds usible, but it¡¯s obvious to anyone that he¡¯s just making it up to look good in front of Suho! Who couldn¡¯t make a boat so they built a flimsy raft? Wasn¡¯t it just to make one more raft? The shadow dwarves continued to exin to Suho, gnashing their teeth at the tterer. [Anyway, we will continue to build bigger and stronger ships on the afterlife sea.] [Initially, the number of people to be loaded onto the raft is 1 person of our race and 10 demons to be used as workers.] [And until our ship has its own attack and defense capabilities, you can just put soldiers on board to fight.] [Once the ship ispleted, you won¡¯t even need that. Oh, and if it¡¯s a ship, should I make cannons too?] The moment when someone suddenly mentions the word ¡®cannon¡¯. As if he had been waiting, Harmakan appeared. [If it¡¯s a cannon that the demons will use, this Harmakan has already taken care of it.] Phew-! Harmakan spread out both palms and unleashed an evil spell. [Hell Iron. A hard metal soaked in magic that onlyes from the demon realm.] While the shadow dwarves were building the raft, Harmakan wasn¡¯t just sitting around idle. In order to look good in front of Suho, he was plotting something behind my back. [You can use this hellfire to create a cannon that fires the demonic energy, my lord.] sh! [Harmakan created ¡®Item: Demon Cannon¡¯.] [Well, it¡¯s just a minor talent. Hehe.] An invisible battle of wits unfolded between Harmakan and the shadow dwarves. Suho, who was watching the scene, suddenly had a good idea. ¡°Oh, wait. If that¡¯s the case¡­¡± Suho took out ¡®Kamish¡¯s Wrath¡¯ and showed it to the shadow dwarves and asked. ¡°Can you guys fix this dagger too?¡± ¡­ ¡­ ! That moment. All the shadow dwarves¡¯ beards stood out when they saw Kamish¡¯s wrath. [A sword made from a dragon¡¯s teeth?!] Chapter 251 Chapter 251 [Item: Kamish¡¯s Wrath (Damage)] Difficulty to acquire: ?? Type: Dagger Attack Power +1,500 (-1,000) [This, this is such a precious treasure¡­ ¡­!] [It¡¯s damaged!] The shadow dwarves who received ¡®Kamish¡¯s Wrath¡¯ trembled in shock and fear. It was a once-in-a-lifetime moment of excitement and a once-in-a-lifetime moment of regret. [I never thought I would see a weapon made from dragon teeth in my lifetime!] [I finally got to see this beautiful treasure after I died! It was a good thing I died! It¡¯s an honor for my family!] [But how many fierce battles must you have fought to make the de so dull!] The beards of the shadow dwarves stand on end as they chatter on without anyone saying anything. It was truly creepy. After all, for ordinary dwarves who weren¡¯t even part of the Shadow Legion, creating something using dragon teeth as material would have been something only possible in fantasy. First of all, where and how can one obtain dragon teeth? Suddenly, a dragon passing by pulls out its fangs as if it were doing a good deed, and it doesn¡¯t even have to be. Perhaps the only time in their lives a dwarf can see a dragon¡¯s teeth is right before they are eaten by the dragon. However. That ominous thing actually appeared before their eyes. Even transformed into a well-made dagger. [Khuh huh! That¡¯s great! That¡¯s great!] [Even though the de is this dull, the cutting power is this great! This is the dragon¡¯s tooth¡­ ¡­ !] Kiek! [The introduction is long!] When Beru, unable to stand watching, shouted, the shadow dwarves finally came to their senses. ¡°So, can you fix it?¡± When Suho asked again, they vied with each other to give their opinions. [Of course!] [If the de bes dull, just sharpen it again!] [However, a dragon¡¯s teeth can never be sharpened with an ordinary whetstone.] [You need a solid whetstone!] [Even if it¡¯s not a whetstone, if you can bring me a material that¡¯s harder than a dragon¡¯s tooth, I¡¯ll do my best to repair it!] Suho¡¯s expression became strange at their words. ¡°A whetstone harder than this? If there was something like that, wouldn¡¯t it be okay to just fight with it?¡± [Haha, that¡¯s something I don¡¯t know.] [Just because something is hard doesn¡¯t mean it can be made into a weapon.] [Rather, the harder it is, the more likely it is to break. However, this dragon¡¯s teeth are hard yet unbreakable, and are also made of a material with good mana sensitivity!] At some point, the bearded dwarves began to noisily praise the dragon¡¯s teeth again. Beru clicked his tongue and advised. [They are originally like this. They are always noisy, but they are a race of excellent cksmiths who can make anything if given the time and materials. And if there is a material stronger than a dragon¡¯s tooth, I know of one.] Beru had been following Sung Jin-woo around for a long time, and had seen countless instances of the legion¡¯s cksmiths repairing Sung Jin-woo¡¯s weapons and creating stronger ones. ¡°There is a material harder than a dragon¡¯s teeth?¡± [Yes, there are several, but the easiest to obtain right now is probably using dragon bones.] ¡°ah.¡± If you think about it, it was a very simple principle. Dragon teeth and bones are basically the same material. If you use stronger bones depending on the area, it would be possible to resharpen the dulled de of ¡®Kamish¡¯s Wrath¡¯. The shadow dwarves were delighted at those words. [Oh! Master, you have dragon bones too?!] [Wow, as expected! Our master is an amazing person!] ¡°No, not me, my mom has it.¡± Suho, the unfilial son, suddenly became curious about his mother¡¯s well-being after a long time. 1 * * * A whileter. Paaaaat- [The King of Demons, the Lord of Gluttony, enters the ¡®Gate: Sea of the Afterlife¡¯.] Dark and sticky sky. A vast ocean where darkness melts away. With a ssh. A small raft was floated on top of it. [Row!] The shadow dwarf¡¯s shout fell behind Esil¡¯s back. Then, the ten demons who were on the raft split into two groups and began to row vigorously. Choaaaak- As the raft began to move forward, cutting through the sticky ck waters, the shadow dwarves cheered. [Jooasser-! Sess!] The raft he built himself sessfully set sail across the sea of the afterlife! [King of Demons! You made a good decision in choosing the raft I built over that wretched boat.] The shadow dwarf approached the captain of the ship, Esil, who was silently staring ahead, and began to tter him. 1 I am more than happy that Esil chose her raft over the upgraded version, the ¡®Ferry of the Afterlife¡¯. The shadow dwarf ground his teeth as he remembered his abominable kin who had built the boat solely to impress his master. [In the short term, a rowboat may seem much more sturdy, but in the long term, it¡¯s better to start with a raft. You¡¯ll want to start with a wide bottom, so you can build a muchrger shipter.] ¡°¡­ ¡­ .¡± [You are a quiet person, aren¡¯t you?] The shadow dwarf became embarrassed when he didn¡¯t hear any response from Esil. ¡°¡­ ¡­ .¡± After entering the sea of the afterlife, Esil remained silent and just stared ahead. and. Phew- ha. Take a deep breath and drink quietly. ¡®Debuff: Death¡¯ As expected. The spirit of death flowing through the afterlife sea did not harm the demons at all, as Beru had said. ¡®Really, I feel like I¡¯vee home.¡¯ This sticky, ominous air was not ¡®death¡¯ to the demons. Rather, it gave me a cozy feeling, as if I had returned to before I was born. Not only Esil, but the ten demons who followed Esil also felt the same way. But there is a fine line between ¡®coziness¡¯ and ¡®distantness.¡¯ Choaaaak- This is the abyss. Above the ck waters where the raft passed, unidentifiable waves were appearing here and there. The demons had already noticed that they had arrived here. ¡°Good.¡± Only then did Esil smile. The smile of the one who became the Demon King shone white in the abyss. That moment. Chomp chomp! [They¡¯re weeds!] Along with the Shadow Dwarf¡¯s gship, numerous weeds rose from the sea, centered around the raft. And then hideous tentacles shot out from all sides, grabbing the raft to snatch the demons away. [These guys are trying to destroy the ship! Stop them!] The shadow dwarves were furious, but the demons were in no hurry. These are all survivors who survived the ordeal. And Esil was their king. ¡°I confirmed that the ship is floating. So¡­¡± Chook. Esil raised one hand to the sky from the raft. And hemanded. ¡°All demons, gather before me.¡± The king of demons is here, and where the king is, there is the demon realm. ¡°The forces of hell.¡± Pavabavabavabat-! Hundreds of magic circles were created simultaneously around Esil¡¯s raft, which had been attacked by weeds. The magic circles forcibly twisted the dimensional rift and summoned all the demons who had sworn loyalty to the king into the sea of the afterlife. sh! Through those gates, countless rafts appeared all at once. Kigegegege-! Rafts of the afterlife, each carrying ten demons. The weeds, witnessing the amazing sight, cheered and shook their tentacles. A deep, overwhelming hunger. Weeds that cannot control their greed and extend their tentacles without hesitation. It was natural. No matter how many demons there are, are they more than the weeds here? Besides, none of the demons looked that strong. but. It wasn¡¯t just demons on the rafts. One by one, the shadow dwarves that Suho sent along. And also guards to protect them until the raft grows bigger. Chwaaaak-! The ck shadows that had been crouching on the raft grew longer in all directions, and numerous, creaky legs rose from the ground. A body as big as a house. Dozens of eyes. Ugly mouth. A pair of huge pincers. Its identity is none other than the boss mob that Suho had previously defeated and extracted from the Fang Lord¡¯s Sanctuary. ¡®Arachne the Grave Spider¡¯ However, among the ones that Suho had rescued from the sea of the afterlife, there were many spirits of demons who were of the same species as that guy. Even those that are much stronger than Arachne. [Shadow Spider Lv.1] Elite grade [Shadow Spider Lv.1] Elite grade [Shadow Spider Lv.1] Elite grade ¡­ ¡­ . [Kurwaaaaak-!] Choaaaak- Choaaaak Choaaaak! ck spider webs spread out in all directions on the raft. Like a. [Jooasser-! Gather all the materials! It¡¯s self-sufficient!] [The corner of the raft has been ripped off! Wrap the boat with spider webs!] [As expected, it¡¯s perfect as an adhesive!] Thanks to that, only the shadow dwarves were happy. The raft of demons that appeared on the vast ocean began to growrger andrger. * * * The Tomb of the Mad Dragons. In the middle of this dimensional gap, where gray ash was flying, the ribs of dragons who died during the war were buried on a relic scale. ¡°Chacha.¡± Cha Hae-in, who had been sitting nkly on the huge keel, suddenly turned his head at the sound of Sirka¡¯s voice calling him. 2 ¡°I got a call from Suho.¡± ¡°From my son?¡± Sarak. A strange look appeared in Cha Hae-in¡¯s eyes as he answered while sweeping back her messy hair. 1 [The King of the Snowmen, the Lord of the Cold, uses ¡®Skill: Echo¡¯.] Sirka, a descendant of Sd, was able tomunicate with dead monarchs through ¡®prayer¡¯. But it was just a prayer, and its actual use was as a telephone that had a direct line to Suho. [The King of the Snowmen, the Lord of the Cold, grumbles about theck of courtesy towards his ancestors.] 1 ¡°So anyway, Suho needs the keel here?¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± Cha Hae-in and Sirka, who had received the full situation of Suho through Sd, looked around with slightly awkward expressions. ¡°Is this possible?¡± ¡°I know.¡± The dragon bones, which had been left abandoned in this destend for a long time, had been greatly eroded by the aftermath of war and the ravages of time. Perhaps even more so than the ¡®Wrath of Kamish¡¯ that Suho uses as a weapon. If the goal was to sharpen the de, it seemed that the bones on this side would be ground down first. ¡°Just in case, let¡¯s try to find some bones that are as good as possible.¡± ¡°Okay. That¡¯s good since I don¡¯t have anything to do.¡± The only reason Cha Hae-in and Sirka still remain in the Tomb of the Crazed Dragons is because of the recovery of the Shadow Dragon Kaisel. 1 Thanks to this, they were able to procure the necessary supplies outside the gate and enjoy some leisurely camping in them middle of this deste dimension. But camping is only possible if the view is good, in reality it was just sleeping outside. Kkuuuuung- At the sight of them suddenly getting up with enthusiasm, Kaisel, who had been curled up and sleeping next to them, also stretched out for the first time in a long while and spread his ck wings wide. But how big is it¡­ ¡°uh?¡± ¡°oh.¡± At that moment, Cha Hae-in and Sirka¡¯s eyes sparkled. Kaisel had grown enormously! A curve was drawn at the corner of Cha Hae-in¡¯s mouth. ¡°Then I guess I can carry it myself.¡± It was decided that the gift to give to my son whom I am seeing for the first time in a long time would be a dragon that can fly. Chapter 252 Chapter 252 ¡°Whoaaaaah! What, what is all this?!¡± Im Do-gyun couldn¡¯t help but be astonished. Woo- In front of my eyes, numerous porters were entering the Woojin Guild office carrying enormous gifts. In front of the gifts that were piled up one by one, CEO Yoo Jin-ho wiped his nose and boasted. ¡°Hehehe. I tried my best.¡± It¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve felt this way. Today, Yoo Jin-ho put aside his usual image as a cool and intellectual CEO and enjoyed reminiscing about his younger days. Isn¡¯t that so? As he watched Sung Suho and Im Do-gyun forming a guild in the office he had prepared for them, he couldn¡¯t help but think of his own youth when he spent time with Sung Jin-woo and Ahjin in the guild. So, while Sung Suho went out to take care of important business, Im Do-Gyun, who was left alone in the office to look aft er him, seemed like no other person. ¡°In that sense, Vice President Im Do-gyun?¡± ¡°Yes, yep!¡± ¡°Keep your mouth shut, open your ears and listen. I¡¯ll give you a brief overview of the current situation.¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­ ! Im Do-gyun, who was taking a very serious stance at Yoo Jin-ho¡¯s words, quickly zipped up his mouth. A briefing delivered directly by a great person like CEO Yoo Jin-ho, without going through other people¡¯s mouths! This was never meant to be simple. ¡®Embargo!¡¯ It meant that it was a secret and important matter that Yoo Jin-ho had to speak about himself. ¡°Let¡¯s start with what you already know. The referendum was finalized as expected.¡± As expected, there was no change. Suho¡¯s trip to North Korea was finally decided. The ripple effect was enormous. All media outlets in Korea, including politics and economics, were abuzz. -Breaking News) Hunter Sung Suho decides to go to North Korea! -News) S-ss hunters dere full cooperation! -Urgent) Initiate political cooperation with the International Hunter Association! -Politics) President, please take this opportunity to express your position on providing supplies to Association Chairman Woo Jin-chul! While Suho searches for the sea of the afterlife with Seo Jiwoo, he sends the demons on a raft to find the World Tree. There was a lot going on outside the gates too. And Yoo Jin-ho was moving to help Suho. He helped solve all theplex political and economic issues that were intertwined with Suho¡¯s trip to North Korea. With all your might. Regardless of the means and methods. ¡°Keep this in mind.¡± As he finished his exnation, CEO Yoo Jin-ho¡¯s sharp gaze pierced Im Do-gyun¡¯s eyes. ¡°If Suho can take out countless demons with his sword, people like us have to wag our tongues and take out all the remaining coborators. Speed is everything here.¡± Yoo Jin-ho knew it very well. ¡°Oops, I¡¯ll fall behind.¡± In order to keep up with the pace at which people like Sung Jin-woo and Sung Suho are getting stronger, I also have to support them at an incredible speed. ¡°If we fall behind even for a moment, useless chores will pile up like malignant inventory, and eventually hold Suho back. If Suho¡¯s growth rate is slowed down by annoying things like internationalw and public opinion, it will be a global loss and lead to a crisis for the.¡± 2 ¡°¡­ ¡­ !¡± Im Do-gyun realized what Yoo Jin-ho, the most senior member of the support team, was saying. True supportes from the front, not from behind! 1 It¡¯s not just about falling behind, it¡¯s about clearing a smooth path for Suho to take! That is the true role of the Vice President, the pir that supports the Guild of Suho. ¡°In that sense, these are gifts that I personally took from S-ss hunters. The news is making a fuss about their full cooperation, but in reality, I took full advantage of them.¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­ !¡± Oops, embargo! 1 Im Do-gyun eventually discovered a tremendous truth that the people did not know. ¡®This is the tyranny of big business! Righteous thugs¡­ ¡­!¡¯ Okay. ¡°I¡¯m going to start unboxing now.¡± A pair of luxurious white gloves were ced on both of Yoo Jin-ho¡¯s hands. And with the delicate movements of a tech YouTuber, he began to open each and every gift the porters had left behind. Then, Im Do-gyun felt as if he was going to be blinded by the dazzling lighting out of it. ¡°crazy.¡± At first nce, you can tell that these are expensive pieces of equipment. Im Do-gyun¡¯s mouth fell open. ¡°Hey, isn¡¯t this the new longsword ¡®Calion¡¯ released by Mayasa? Is this the Royal Series shield made by the craftsman Gredos?!¡± S hh. A satisfied smile appeared on Yoo Jin-ho¡¯s lips. ¡°Yes. You know a thing or two about weapons. All masterpieces transcend time and history.¡± The memories are hazy. A time that no one remembers now. Even in forgotten history, there were luxury brands recognized by all hunters. And there were genius craftsmen who made them by hand. Decadester, the world has returned to a ce where people fight against demons with primitive weapons like swords and shields, but something has clearly changed since then. The scientific power of mankind. ¡®Even though the master craftsmen have aged, their skills have advanced several times since then. This means that they can now make much more delicate and durable weapons using the same materials.¡¯ Yoo Jin-ho smiled with satisfaction, saying that it was rewarding to squeeze the big guilds to the max. ¡°Hey, how much is all this?¡± ¡°If we add it up roughly, it would be around 10 billion.¡± ¡°Ugh.¡± ¡°What, are you really that surprised? There are things that haven¡¯t arrived yet.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± Im Do-gyun was terrified. Expensive weapons made using magic stones and expensive materials that easily exceed hundreds of millions. These were treasures of such enormous value that if a C-ss hunter held them, they would be turned into B-ss or higher, and if a B-ss hunter held them, they would be turned into A-ss. ¡°But will Suho take all of these to North Korea and use them?¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing wrong with having a lot of weapons. Even if Suho doesn¡¯t use them himself, just giving them to his soldiers will be a great help.¡± ¡°Ah, as expected!¡± I guess it¡¯s because he¡¯s the head of apany. CEO Yoo Jin-ho¡¯s thoughts were different from the start in terms of scale. I wondered why there were so many weapons, but it turned out that Yoo Jin-ho was nning to go beyond Suho and arm the entire legion led by Suho! ¡°Besides, no matter how expensive the item is, if it can save Suho¡¯s one and only life, it doesn¡¯t matter if it¡¯s used as a disposable item and then thrown away. Once you cross over to North Korea, no supplies will be provided. You have to prepare thoroughly before you leave.¡± [Keeeek! That¡¯s a really good mindset!] At that moment, Beru appeared and smiled wickedly, revealing his teeth. As expected, he takes care of everything without being asked! It was worth it to bring back Yoo Jin-ho¡¯s memories. Yoo Jin-ho suddenly appeared and handed Beru the smallest box among the many gifts he had received and said. ¡°Especially this one. It was something I had a really hard time finding.¡± [Keeek?] Beru¡¯s eyes narrowed in satisfaction as he recognized the object. As expected¡­ ¡­ Wasn¡¯t it worth it to regain my memories? ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª The front line. ¡®Demilitarized Zone (DMZ)¡¯ This ce once served as the border between South and North Korea. It was an area known as ¡®thest paradise for wild animals on the Korean Penins¡¯ because it had beenpletely untouched by human hands for over 100 years. That¡¯s why it got the nickname ¡®primitive forest¡¯. Or ¡®natural forest¡¯. ¡°Originally, there were numerousndmines buried here.¡± The ones who greeted Suho as he arrived at the front line were soldiers. ¡°The DMZ was a ce surrounded by numerousndmines and barbed wire, where civilians were strictly prohibited from entering. But now it has be prohibited in apletely different sense.¡± Kyaaaaaa-! Wow! Wow! In short, the area beyond the barbed wire fence was a wastnd. ¡°That day, all the mines here exploded simultaneously here and there.¡± Captain Kim, who has been serving on the front lines for five years, swallowed dry saliva as he recalled the horrific tragedy of ¡®that day.¡¯ ¡°To get to the point, the mines did not kill the monsters, but rather drove them wild. As a result the sky was torn apart, and the earth split open.¡± This was by no means an exaggeration. Suho looked beyond the barbed wire fence while listening to Captain Kim¡¯s exnation. ¡°If we were to categorize the types of monsters, they were ¡®spirits.''¡± Government ordinance. These are beings that I had seen once in the Sanctuary of Sd. Although only ice spirits lived there, the types of spirits that ran wild beyond the iron fence were diverse. ¡°The rampaging spirits caused earthquakes and boiling rivers to overflow. Some areas were frozen solid, while elsewhere the earth cracked open and trees sprouted, forming rainforests.¡± ¡°The terrain itself has changed.¡± ¡°Yes. Beyond this barbed wire fence¡­ ¡­ it¡¯s hell. To the point where it¡¯s fortunate that unification didn¡¯t happen before.¡± Captain Kim sighed softly. As he exined, in front of the barbed wire fence heading towards North Korea, there was a wide river flowing like an ocean. I¡¯ve been serving here for several years, but it¡¯s still a new sight to see every time. Outside the barbed wire fence, everything is so ordinary, but just a few steps away, a river bubbling with fierce heat likeva flows. Even at this very moment, there was still a normal sea flowing east to west across the Korean Penins. But in this area, the river water was bubbling, covered in a unique blue fog. ¡®It¡¯s much more horrible than I thought.¡¯ Suho had seen this bizarre phenomenon several times before. ¡®vacuity¡¯ 2 A dimensional gap created by numerous dungeons ovepping and ovepping each other. This ce was too dangerous to be described as a simple field dungeon, it was more like a double dungeon of enormous scale. ¡°It is truly a miracle that our people can still live in peace in this area on the Korean Penins, even though there were no casualties because it was originally an uninhabited area.¡± And in fact, that miracle was created through the efforts of one human being. That¡¯s Woo Jin-chul. ¡°If Chairman Woo Jin-chl hadn¡¯t sent arge number of hunters with protective shield skills at the right time, our country would have ended up like North Korea long ago. At least up to the Han River.¡± After finishing his exnation, Captain Kim suddenly read the atmosphere surrounding Suho. At some point, the attention of the soldiers guarding the barbed wire fence was all focused on one guard. ¡®I told you to be polite. These guys are really¡­¡¯ The emotions mixed in the gazes of the soldiers who have been guarding this ce for two years were truly diverse, but they could be summarized in one line. ¡®So what can you do?¡¯ From the soldiers¡¯ perspective, they knew the reality of this ce better than anyone else. In the face of this catastrophe, there was nothing a mere human could do. Looking back, it was the same when the great Chairman Woo Jin-chul and Hunter Choi Jong-in came to visit. The only achievement they made was to reduce the number of monstersing down from the south. Of course, that alone was a great achievement. As a result, isn¡¯t South Korea safe? But that was it. They seeded in reducing the number of monsters, but ultimately failed to return the demilitarized zone, which had been transformed into a demonic realm, to its original state. It was natural. Because this ce has already been ¡®eroded¡¯. ¡°This ce has already be thend of spirits. I don¡¯t know if you¡¯ve ever fought spirits, but spirits not only cause changes in the weather¡­¡± Woorung- Kwakwakwang! Just then, lightning struck the boiling river. The ever-changing weather conditions. and¡­. Kyaaaaaaaaaa-! ¡°The spirits themselves inhabit wild nts and animals, creating deformed beasts. Tree-shaped beasts,rge beasts, and even insects too small to be seen with the naked eye have all been transformed into beasts. In short, this is and where Mother Nature itself has been turned into a beast.¡± Captain Kim wanted to give a strong warning to Suho, who hade to see him saying he would go to North Korea. To be honest, I wanted to tear him apart. I couldn¡¯t understand why a young man with such a bright future would volunteer to go to such a dangerous ce. ¡®If I were lucky enough to awaken as an S-ss hunter, I would just quietly guard the south and make some money.¡¯ ¡®It¡¯s all-consuming.¡¯ ¡®Guest house.¡¯ The soldiers could not understand why Suho hade to this dangerous ce on his own two feet. But they will never know. Captain Kim¡¯s exnation, which was meant to caution Suho, ended up motivating him instead. ¡°That¡¯s a good thing.¡± [The King of Beasts, the Fang Lord, salivates upon hearing that there are many wild beasts.] [The King of Bugs, the Lord of gues, is delighted by the abundance of bugs.] Along with the fierce reactions of the monarchs, Suho also smiled in satisfaction. Nidhogg, the serpent that devours the World Tree. In order to face that powerful being again, I first needed to reduce the number of heads from the six remaining ones. The way to do that is to formally pass on the primordial darkness to other sessors, just like Esil did this time. ¡®I should use this opportunity to help Arsha and Gray grow up a bit.¡¯ Wow! But is it because of my mood? It¡¯s been raining lightning hard since a while ago. And it felt like a cool breeze wasing down on top of the hot heat I felt from the river. ¡°Eww!¡± ¡°Emergency! Emergency!¡± Suddenly, the soldiers guarding the outpost began screaming and expressing their urgency here and there. Whyeeeeeeeeee-! The emergency bell is ringing. ¡°Sky!¡± ¡°Look at the sky!¡± The soldiers¡¯ astonished gazes were pointed upward. Kwarrung! Kwargwang! With thunder and lightning, a monster with huge wings spread out was descending from the sky. ¡°A giant monster has appeared!¡± ¡°Gather all hunters!¡± Captain Kim, who was with Suho, was also flustered by the sudden turn of events and picked up the radio. But Suho, who was nkly staring up at the sky next to him. ¡°Calm down. It¡¯s okay.¡± He spoke quietly, turning off his radio. With a slightly embarrassed expression. ¡°She¡¯s just my mother.¡± Chapter 253 Chapter 253 Wheeing-! Whaat!??? Vibrations erupted simultaneously throughout Korea. ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡®Emergency disaster text messages¡¯ came pouring into people¡¯s cellphones. Shwaaaaak- A ck shadow appeared over the heads of the people walking along the street. Without saying a word, the pedestrians raised their heads and looked at the sky, astonished. ¡°That¡¯s crazy.¡± ¡°What is that?!¡± Wheaaa ¡­ Is it an airne? A jet? No. Kiaaaaaaah-! ¡°A- a dragon?!¡± ¡°It¡¯s a flying dragon!¡± Aaaah! People¡¯s eyes widened. People¡¯s screams could be heard everywhere. A giant monster withrge wings! It was flying over the city at an incredible speed, creating a ck trail in its path! -Breaking News) A dragon appears in the skies above Seoul? -Urgent) Where is the dragon¡¯s destination? -Important) The Hunter Association failed to respond. What about the safety of the citizens? In no time, pictures of the ck dragon were stered all over the inte. The dragon was so famous that someone was always following it¡¯s trajectory, constantly taking pictures. And fortunately, there were no casualties. The dragon just passed over people¡¯s heads. But it couldn¡¯t be overlooked. * * * Even before the dragon arrived on the Korean penins, emergency orders were being given to all the Hunter Guilds and Hunter Associations in Korea. ¡°It¡¯s a dragon attack!¡± ¡°It¡¯s a dragon! It¡¯s believed to be a dragon specialized in flight!¡± ¡°They are heading straight for the Korean Penins!¡± It¡¯s like looking at the weather forecast on the eve of a typhoon. However, typhoon was moving fast, too fast. ¡°Find a way to stop it before it gets here!¡± ¡°It¡¯s too high!¡± ¡°It¡¯s too risky to let hunters fight on the sea!¡± ¡°What if we shoot it down with a surface-to-air missile!¡± ¡°Even if you hit a missile without magic power, it won¡¯t damage it!¡± ¡°Who cares?! Slow it down!¡± ¡°At this rate, it will reach the Korean Penins before the government even gives their approval!¡± There was absolutely no way. If South Korea were to explode missiles over city centers in the hopes of shooting the dragon down, it would clearly put the citizens at risk. ¡°For now, it seems like we¡¯ll have to get him down to the ground first then deal with him!¡± ¡°There¡¯s no chance of it just passing by, right?¡± ¡°Its already arrived!¡± ¡°What the hell! Chase it now!¡± The moment the ck dragon struck the Korean Penins. All the hunters and associations in the area rushed out with their weapons in hand, without anyone saying anything. ¡°What direction?!¡± ¡°To the North!¡± ¡°Follow me!¡± Follow the ck trail, towards the North! It wasn¡¯t a problem normal hunters could fix. ¡°Only A Rank or higher follow me!¡± ¡°I want healers from only B rank and above!¡± The opponent was a dragon. Because it was a dragon, hunters prepared ordingly. ¡°At least A-ss! At this ridiculous speed, it¡¯s possible that it¡¯s an S-ss dragon!¡± ¡°If it is a dragon that specializes in flying, there is a chance that itsbat power is A-ss!¡± It was a moment when the South Koreans hunters had to join forces unconditionally, regardless of if they were in different guilds. ¡°Contact the Association! Tell all nearby Hunters to be on high alert! It¡¯s a Dragon Raid!¡± Dragon Raid! The weight of that name was truly terrifying. All people could hope for was that the raid would end safely, and there would be no casualties. ¡°I will go myself!¡± The fastest responder was, of course, the White Tiger Guild, which prioritized the citizen¡¯s safety first. Baek Yoon-ho gritted his teeth and released magical power across his entire body. ¡®Transformation¡¯ Phew! Baek Yoon-ho¡¯s whole body covered up in white fur. A pure white trail followed him as he ran down the road with all his might. If Baek Yoon-ho was noticed, there might be news that a white beast appeared in the middle of the city. But he didn¡¯t care about that. Wheaaa ¡­ He gritted his teeth. The reason he was in a hurry was not only for the safety of the citizens, but also for another reason. ¡®Miho went that way!¡¯ The direction where the ck trail went, coincidentally, was the ce Baek Miho had gone to in the morning for an important schedule. Sung Suho¡¯s trip to North Korea! The person who was in charge of transporting the Association¡¯s supply trucks was none other than Baek Miho, who was close to the association. Because there was arge amount of supplies and valuable equipment, the association provided further support in preparation for any unforeseen circumstances. But why is an unidentified dragon flying towards them? ¡®Could this be a coincidence? It can¡¯t be!¡¯ Baek Yoon-ho trusted his intuition. When he was a firefighter. How many did he save using this one keen sense? ¡®Miho! Please be safe! Your dad will be there soon!¡¯ Crrrrrrr! Baek Yoon-ho¡¯s speed was dazzling. People, roads, cars, buildings, rivers, trees, mountains, mountains, and mountains. The scenery passing by him changed continuously and in an instant. That is an S-ss hunter¡¯s full speed. Kuwang-! Finally, he arrived. Before anyone else. ¡®Demilitarized Zone¡¯ Boom! Boom! Boom! A bubbling river. Thunder and lightning came crashing down from above. ¡°Miho!¡± Baek Yoon-ho roared in front of him. At the same time, a sharp light shed in his eyes as he quickly scanned his surroundings. He tried to look for his daughter. ¡®Found it!¡¯ It¡¯s the ck dragon! At that moment, a vicious beast with white cold air and lightning descended in front of the iron fence. To help one guy, the unawakened soldiers risked their lives and surrounded him and stood there helplessly. ¡®Huh?¡¯ Kiaaam-! Startle! Suddenly, the ck dragon opened its mouth wide and yawned. Baek Yoon-ho instinctively jumped to the side, fearing that fire might burst out from its mouth. Then he found Baek Miho, who was standing in front of a nearby truck, and blocked her path. ¡°Miho! Daddy¡¯s here!¡± At that moment, other hunters who arrived a stepter than Baek Yun-ho also gathered. ¡°It¡¯s here!¡± ¡°We found the dragon!¡± Proud hunters who protect Korea. Even though they usually fight among themselves out ofpetitiveness, when the safety of citizens is at stake, they all unite as one. ¡°Everyone, prepare for battle!¡± ¡°Hunter Baek Yoon-ho is here too!¡± ¡°It¡¯s Hunter Baek!¡± Without even a moment to catch their breath, everyone naturally formed a formation centered around the S-ss hunter. The hunters who witnessed the true nature of the ck dragon all surrounded it with determined expressions. However¡­ Kkiuung¡­ Something was strange. Even though it was surrounded by hunters and soldiers in an instant, the ck dragon was at peace. The creature stretched out its huge wings as if stretching, then folded them back gently and crouched down. Then, it politely brought its two hideous front paws forward andy t on the ground. ¡®What the heck¡­¡¯ Gulp. Everyone was swallowing dry saliva. Then at that moment, two people appeared, gentlynding on the ground from the dragon¡¯s back. Everyone¡¯s eyes filled with astonishment and a puzzled expression. Those two people were¡­ Cha Hae-in and Sirka, whose appearances were not properly captured on camera because the dragon was so fast. ¡°Uh¡­ I guess I should have told you to fly a little higher.¡± Sirka muttered awkwardly and examined Cha Hae-in¡¯s expression. Then, Cha Hae-in looked at the people surrounding them and made a very apologetic expression. Bow! ¡°Sorry, sorry! I thought no one would be able to see us if we were that high!¡± Cha Hae-in, with her ears reddened, hurridly bowed to everyone and apologized. But no matter what she said, the hunters gathered there couldn¡¯t hear anything. ¡°My goodness.¡± A shield that was in someone¡¯s hand fell to the floor with a thud. ¡°The dragon¡­¡± ¡°The dragon¡­¡± ¡°Did it bring someone with it?¡± Woof! Kwakwakwang! Everyone was frozen by the shocking sight that defiedmon sense. But at that time. Baek Yoon-ho, the only S-ss hunter there and the oldest¡­ Startle. ¡°Now, wait a minute. You couldn¡¯t possibly be¡­¡± While everyone was panicking, he was the only one who recognized ¡®Cha Hae-in¡¯s¡¯ face. There¡¯s no way he wouldn¡¯t know. Thest time he saw Cha Hae-in was about 20 years ago. When he went to the wedding of the son of his respected senior, Sung Il-Hwan. It was the ¡®bride¡¯ who was the main character that day. But that wasn¡¯t the problem. Even before going to the wedding, Baek Yoon-ho knew Cha Hae-in¡¯s face very well. No, the whole nation knew. Because she was a person that every Korean could not help but know. ¡°Cha Hae-in?!¡± The name eventually came out of Baek Yoon-ho¡¯s mouth. Idol of the track and field world. Olympic gold medalist. As an Asian, she officially set a world record by running in the 9-second range. A global sports star born in Korea. ¡®Cha Hae-in¡¯ ¡°What?! That Cha Hae-in?¡± Click. While everyone was shocked. The cameras shuttered amd the reporters who had gathered to cover Sung Suho¡¯s trip to North Korea went off towards Cha Hae-in, who appeared like aet riding a ck dragon. * * * The sudden attack by a dragon across the Korean Penins ended as a short incident. But there was an even more shocking incident that flooded the inte that got people¡¯s dopamine pumping. -Breaking News) The shocking identity of the Awakened One who appeared riding a dragon! -Urgent) Cha Hae-in! What is her rank? Thements section was also in chaos. -So who the hell is Cha Hae-in?? -Tsk tsk, kids these days. -Time flies. -How could you not know Cha Hae-in? -Well, they are teenagers, they probably weren¡¯t even born yet. I can really feel the generation gap. -Is there nothing we can do? It¡¯s already been 20 years since Cha Hae-in retired. -Wow, but even though she¡¯s 20 years older, she¡¯s still as beautiful as ever. -If you run fast, you won¡¯t age? -She¡¯s actually be more elegant. -Ah! So who is Cha Hae-in? -If you ask who she is, she is simply light. In terms of her career, she has achieved everything she could as a track and field athlete. Information about Cha Hae-in soon began to fill the news column. ¨C Information) Former national team member Cha Hae-in¡¯s award record ¨C Information) Gold medalist Cha Hae-in¡¯s athletic career ¨C Information) After Cha Hae-in¡¯s retirement ¨C Information) National prestige promotion, living myth, Light Hae-in Rted search terms) #Cha Hae-in, #Light Hae-in, #Olympics, #100m running, #athlete #gold medalist, #world record Even though it¡¯s been 20 years, ¡®Cha Hae-in¡¯ is still a true sports star from Korea. But as time passed, there was only one reason why she was forgotten by the people. After retirement, Cha Hae-in chose to live an ordinary life rather than being a celebrity or entertainer. Her daily life thereafter was keptpletely confidential. Many paparazzi have tried to cover Cha Hae-in¡¯s life after retirement, but none were sessful. It was obvious she had a great body guard, even the pictures people took were all covered in ck shadows and not a single one came out well. Moreover, Cha Hae-in doesn¡¯t even use themon SNS, and the sense of mystery was further heightened. When people think of Cha Hae-in¡¯sst moments, there is only one. Thest interview from the day she announced her retirement. ¡°As a senior who is retiring, can you leave behind some special training methods of your own for your juniors? ¡°Hmm. Well, I don¡¯t think my method will work for everyone. I just¡­ ran hard to try to beat my boyfriend at least once, and before I knew it, I was breaking a world record.¡± ¡°Oh, you said your boyfriend was an ordinary civil servant, right? I¡¯ve heard many interviews where you said he was always there to motivate you.¡± ¡°Haha¡­¡± The announcer smiled and continued talking, finding it cute that Cha Hae-in was still awkward around the camera even though she had be so famous. ¡°Now that you¡¯ve set a world record, I guess you¡¯ve won.¡± ¡°Yes, I won. Just once. It was a stroke of luck.¡± 1 ¡°You are so humble.¡± Even while looking at the camera, Cha Hae-in¡¯s cute and proud smile makes the announcer¡¯s smile be even warmer. It is precisely this simple aspect that made Cha Hae-in so charming. A living legend who achieved great things and never lost her original intention and remained humble. ¡°Anyway, it¡¯s such a shame that you¡¯re retiring already. But since you¡¯ve even set a world record¡­ What are your ns after retirement?¡± ¡°I should get married. Because I won.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± A shocking interview where she announced her retirement and sudden marriage. At that moment, men across the country lit up their eyes, determined to find out who that man was. 1 However, the identity of this ordinary civil servant man was kept secret until the end. ording to a source close to the couple, the couple was solely focused on raising their children. All they wanted was for their child to live a simple life. * * * ¡°This river water looks hot and dangerous. I will give you a ride.¡± ¡°Oh, thank you, Mother.¡± Kiaaaaaaah-! ¡­ ¡­ It¡¯s really not ordinary at all. Chapter 254 Chapter 254 ¡®What?!¡¯ Even though they were hearing a normal mother-son conversation, the hunters present still felt surprised. ¡°Hey, did you just call Cha Hae-in your ¡®mother¡¯?¡± ¡°Hunter Sung Suho¡­ is Cha Hae-in¡¯s son?!¡± A series of shocks. Everyone¡¯s head felt like they were being torn apart by the flood of information It was a huge incident in itself that Cha Hae-in was riding a ck dragon across Korea. Then, it was even revealed that she was Suho¡¯s mother, who was the hottest topic of interest in Korea until this morning. ¡®This is a scoop!¡¯ ¡®This kind of scoop is a firste, first-served fight!¡¯ Papapapapang! The reporters started clicking their camera shutters like crazy, keeping an eye on each other. To spread the image of Sung Suho and Cha Hae-in facing each other with a giant crouching ck dragon in the background faster than anyone else. Tadadadadak! At the same time, their fingers were spreading this tremendous news to the public at a speed that was invisible to the eye. (Shocking two-shot) Hunter Sung Suho, the secret of his birth is revealed! -Exclusive) Cha Hae-in¡¯s son, Sung Suho! The Inte is faster than light. The public¡¯s reaction, which was already focused on the ck Dragon, also exploded in real-time. -What?? -Sung Suho is Cha Hae-in¡¯s son?! -That¡¯s crazy. That¡¯s really crazy! -Image) Sung Suho + Cha Hae-in two-shot,parison image -Wow. They really look alike. -When you look at them side by side like this, he looks so much like his mom! -Cha Hae-in¡¯s facial features ovep with Sung Suho¡¯s! -No, really?? Why didn¡¯t I notice this until now? -Wait, Cha Hae-in was active 20 years ago? -No, wait. Then how old is Cha Hae-in now? -Is that really what a mother¡¯s face would look like with a son in his 20s? -Did she age? People who saw the photo were shocked. Cha Hae-in, who appeared after 20 years, looked so good that you would think she was in her 30s. It was even more amazing when people saw it with her son, Sung Suho, who was in his early 20s and standing with her. -But no matter how you look at it, they do look simr. -Right, Sung Suho, except for his sharp jawline and eyes, looks exactly like his mother, right? -Does his eyes resemble his dad¡¯s? At this point, I¡¯m inquisitive about his dad¡¯s face. -Looking at Sung Suho¡¯s eyes, I think his father is really handsome. -Well, there¡¯s no way Cha Haiin would have married an ordinary man. Was it just his face? -Yeah! Something felt strange when you suddenly said you were marrying an ordinary civil servant! The reaction was hot. No matter how much the river beyond the barbed wire was bubbling likeva, the public¡¯s interest in the news far surpassed that excitement. Perhaps a few days in a journalist¡¯s life were as rewarding as today. Because the scoop wasn¡¯t over yet. ¡°Mrs. Cha Hae-in. I¡¯m sorry to interrupt you.¡± At that moment, a man suddenly intervened between Sung Suho and Cha Hae-in. ¡°My name is Jaehyuk Han, the leader of the Hunter Association staff tasked with your supplies.¡± At that time, association staff members were there to transport supplies to then be supplied to Association Chairman Woo Jinchul. Team leader Han Jae-hyeok borrowed a magic power meter that was being stored at the military base and politely handed it over to Cha Hae-in. ¡°I checked the records and it appears that you haven¡¯t registered as a hunter yet. If you have awakened, may I request a magic power measurement?¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± At that moment, everyone¡¯s ears perked up. Team Leader Han Jae-hyeok spoke again cautiously as the eyes of numerous reporters gleamed. ¡°Of course, if this ce is too burdensome for you, you can choose another day. If you want it to be private, I can do it for you. However, it is difficult to allow you to take Hunter Sung Suho to North Korea on this ck Dragon.¡± Team leader Han Jae-hyeok had to carefully choose his words while speaking. In fact, it was quite rude for reporters to publicly ask for Hunter¡¯s personal information in such a crowded ce. This was especially true because he was talking to Cha Hae-in, who has the favor and support of the entire nation. But from the association¡¯s standpoint, it was something that couldn¡¯t be helped. ¡°If you want to go to North Korea, you must go through a national referendum like your son, Hunter Sung Suho. It would be a vition of internationalw for you, Cha Hae-in, who is not even registered as a hunter, to cross this barbed wire. And on top of that, it is already¡­¡± While talking, Team Leader Han Jae-hyeok nced at the ¡®ck Dragon¡¯ yawning behind Cha Hae-in and closed his mouth. The people¡¯s right to know is the journalists¡¯ job. The management of the Awakened is the association¡¯s role. Even though the sudden dragon raid ended as a short incident, nothing changed. From the association¡¯s perspective, Cha Hae-in was still a suspicious person who arrived on the Korean Penins across the sea riding a mysterious ck dragon. ¡®There is no record of departure. We don¡¯t know when Cha Hae-in left Korea, and we don¡¯t know where she has been and what she has been doing¡­¡¯ All of these things are subject to investigation from the association¡¯s standpoint. But at the same time, because he was talking to none other than Cha Hae-in, Team Leader Han Jae-hyeok was extremely cautious with his words. Even though 20 years have passed since his retirement, many citizens who remember Cha Hae-in from back then still have an extreme fondness for her. The so-called ¡®bag rights¡¯ Especially now, in front of so many reporters, if he dares to be even a little rude to Cha Hae-in, he could be criticized by the entire nation. If he had used the word ¡®viin¡¯, he was afraid to imagine what kind of attacks he would suffer from. But fortunately, Cha Hae-in fully understood both her position and Team Leader Han Jae-hyeok¡¯s position and nodded obediently. ¡°Yes, I understand. I will take the magic power test right away. I don¡¯t mind if the results are made public.¡± It¡¯s been a long time since she had this kind of interest. Given Cha Hae-in¡¯s personality, these concerns were burdensome no matter how old she got. But a burden is a burden, and it was true that it felt familiar. From her teens to her twenties, Cha Hae-in lived a life that received a lot of public attention throughout her career as a track and field athlete. Fortunately, after retirement, she was able to return to her normal daily life as suited to her personality, but the process was by no means easy. ¡®His help was great.¡¯ Thanks to her husband¡¯s shadow soldiers who kept the paparazzi¡¯s attentionpletely blocked, she was able to live a truly peaceful life. ¡®No. Actually, it wasn¡¯t that quiet. Raising children was so hard.¡¯ A smile appeared on Cha Hae-in¡¯s lips as she looked back on the past days. It was hard, but when it all passes, isn¡¯t that also a memory? But now Suho has grown up well and is doing well. Now that the Earth has returned to this dangerous world. It is not possible to stick to mediocrity forever, just as one would want. ¡®Yeah. I¡¯ve enjoyed it enough for about 20 years.¡¯ It¡¯s ordinary. ¡®Now it¡¯s time to use your power to protect the ordinariness of others. Like before.¡¯ In that moment, Cha Hae-in¡¯s calm gaze changed. And without hesitation, she ced her hand on the magic meter. sh-! A dazzling light radiated from the magic meter in all directions. And¡­ ¡°S-ss¡­¡± There was no twist. Team Leader Han Jae-hyeok swallowed dry saliva and announced the measurement results in front of everyone. ¡°Congrattions on your awakening as an S-ss Hunter, Hunter Cha Hae-in.¡± Papapapapapapang! As soon as he finished speaking, the reporters started shing their cameras at Cha Hae-in as if they were possessed. Just like when Cha Hae-in became a gold medalist 20 years ago. (Scoop) A new S-ss awakened in Korea. (Urgent) Former national team member Cha Hae-in, confirmed as S-ss. Cha Hae-in did not stop there. She ran hard to beat her boyfriend once and ended up setting a new world record. It was embarrassing, and it made her even more humble. But that¡¯s that. And then Cha Hae-in returned not as a gold medalist, but as a S-Rank hunter. She knew what she had to do well. So, Cha Hae-in said to all the reporters. Looking straight into their cameras with confidence. Although it was a little awkward, she continued speaking shamelessly. ¡°Oh, by the way.¡± ¡°I know it¡¯s against internationalw, but I¡¯ll just take my son to North Korea for a little while.¡± ? At that moment, all the hunters and reporters, including Team Leader Han Jae-hyeok, did not understand what they had just heard. ¡°Kaisel. Let¡¯s go.¡± [Kiaaaaaaaah!] And they watched nkly as a giant ck dragon spread its wings in front of them, and Cha Hae-in, ustomed to climbing onto its back, reached her hand out towards Suho. Then suddenly! ¡°Okay, just a moment!¡± ¡°Cha Hae-in! No, Hunter Cha Hae-in!¡± ¡°This is a vition of internationalw!¡± ¡°We need to hold a referendum!¡± Once realizing the situation, people ran to stop Cha Hae-in who had already boarded Kaisel. But Cha Hae-in smiled brightly at them and responded. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll just drop my son off ande back right. After that, I¡¯ll pay whatever punishment or fine you have. I¡¯ll take my son¡¯s ce and protect the country.¡± ¡°No, wait! Wait a minute!¡± ¡°You shouldn¡¯t act so recklessly!¡± ¡°Suho? Why aren¡¯t you riding?¡± Despite Cha Hae-in¡¯s call, Suho did not climb onto Kaisel and remained on the ground. People were greatly relieved by thatmon-sense appearance. ¡®Oh, yeah! That¡¯s right!¡¯ It was not that Suho did not want to get on. She was amazed at how her son at grown. ¡°Oh, ,other. Just a moment.¡± Suho was running in the exact opposite direction, not towards his mother. Towards Baek Miho. ¡°Huh? Huh?¡± Baek Yoon-ho, who had been guarding Baek Miho since earlier, hesitated without realizing it when Suho approached him. ¡°What, what is it? Why are youing here all of a sudden?¡± ¡°Suho?¡± Baek Miho was very flustered at the sight of Suho approaching her and didn¡¯t know what to do. ¡°Oh my, is that Yunho¡¯s daughter?¡± Cha Hae-in¡¯s eyes sparkled as she saw Baek Miho But Suho¡¯s had no business with neither Baek Miho or Baek Yoonho. Suho had business with the supplies that Baek Miho had brought early in the morning. The cargo truck that the South Korean government gave to Hunter¡¯s Association The original n was to load the entire truck onto a military helicopter and fly it across the boiling river. And then the n was for Suho to drive the truck himself and go to where Chairman Woo Jinchul was¡­ That was the ne ¡°Beru.¡± [Yes, Your Majesty.] Suho¡¯s n was a little different. Suho¡¯s shadow, which had taken out the key to the Shadow Dungeon, had already covered the entire cargo truck. ¡°Put everything in the shadows.¡± Swaaaaaaah! At that moment, Suho¡¯s shadow swallowed the entire cargo truck. Suho turned around without hesitation and climbed onto Kaisel¡¯s back. ¡°Let¡¯s go, Mother.¡± It was at that moment when one more scoop was added. Chapter 255 Chapter 255 Wheaaa ¡­ A ck shadow cuts through the wind. Three figures were riding on top of the shadow dragon Kaisel, wh ich flew like a ray of light through the smoky vapor. 2 Seong Su-ho, Cha Hae-in, and Sirka. A boiling river of heat passed by beneath them. But before the heat could even reach them, the river had already moved far behind. ¡®Thanks to my mother, I was able to cross overfortably. Rath er than the weakling Yongin tribe, I should at least take in at least o ne dragon as a soldier. Or I should somehow raise Ragna well¡­ ¡­ .¡¯ [The King of the Mad Dragons, the Lord of Destruction, listens int ently.] The dragon emperor¡¯s ears perked up at Suho¡¯s pledge. ¡°Suho.¡± Cha Hae-in looked back at Su-ho and asked. ¡°Since we¡¯ve alreadye this far, should I just take you all the way to where Woo Jin-cheol is?¡± A chuckle escaped Suho¡¯s lips at his mother¡¯s casual speech. Judging by the way he speaks, doesn¡¯t it sound like he¡¯s going to 1 drop it off in front of the academy on his way to the market? 1 But my mother¡¯s car(?) was so great that itpletely ruined my daily life. Just by appearing, he is able to capture the attention of the entire 1 nation. Suddenly, Su-ho remembered the reporters¡¯ reactions of shock w hen they saw Cha Hae-in earlier, and he began to think again about his mother¡¯s time as a Liz. ¡®I knew my mother was a national representative in the past, but she was much more famous than I thought.¡¯ Of course, I had heard several times throughout my life that my mother had been very sessful in her younger years. But how much of that would make sense to the son? And that was before he was even born. From Suho¡¯s perspective, twenty years ago was as old as the tim e when his parents met and dated before getting married. ¡°By the way, where is Woo Jin-cheol?¡± ¡°I already gave you the coordinates that were most recently share d by the association.¡± While Su-ho was answering Cha Hae-in¡¯s words. ¡°¡­ ¡­ little by little.¡± Sirka, who had been silent sinceing to North Korea, suddenly called Cha Hae-in. Cha Hae-in looked back at Sirka. ¡°what¡¯s the matter?¡± ¡°It¡¯s weird here.¡± Sirka was sweeping her arms down her body with a creepy expre ssion, looking down at the ground. ¡°The spirits living here all seem to be out of their minds.¡± ¡°Could it be the spirits of this ce too?¡± Cha Hae-in¡¯s expression hardened at Sirka¡¯s words. If you¡¯re talking about a runaway spirit, haven¡¯t you experienced it before? ¡®Facade Ind¡¯ The ¡®Ice Spirits of the Echo Forest¡¯ who lived in the Ice Elves¡¯ san ctuary. What was the fundamental cause of the ice spirits that were origi nally supposed to be docile in the sanctuary suddenly going crazy a nd running wild? [Your Majesty.] At that moment, Berdo looked ahead with narrowed eyes and gro 1 und his teeth. [The energy of Itarim is widely spread throughout thisnd.] As Ber had said, after passing through the river of passion, a blue 1 fog from outer space had gathered all over this vastnd of North K orea. The fog was thicker and more concentrated than anywhere I had ever seen before. In some ways, even more so than the Rocktac Field. 1 ¡®At least India has a healthy government, but North Korea doesn¡¯t 6 even have that.¡¯ [If we leave this ce as it is, in the worst case scenario, a huge void gate could open up across this entirend. Maybe¡­ ¡­ it may h ave already started.] Suho felt the seriousness of the situation. ¡°Mother, I think we need to put out the urgent fire first.¡± ¡°Okay. Before going to Mr. Woo Jin-cheol, let¡¯s first take care of the visible fields.¡± Cha Hae-in also nodded with a serious expression. Since we had the coordinates anyway, it was quick to find Chairm an Woo Jin-cheol. The problem is more the area of concentrated blue fog that forms a hazy mass right before your eyes. Since Woo Jin-cheol came to North Korea to correct this phenom enon anyway, the order was not important. ¡°Kaiser, let¡¯s go down.¡± 1 But Kaisel only lowered its altitude slightly. Kaaaak-! Caw! Caw caw! The spirits floating in the air came straight to attack us. [me Bird of Prey ck Eagle] [me Bird of Prey ck Eagle] ¡­ ¡­ . [de Wind Crow] ¡­ ¡­ . ¡°They are wild beasts eaten by spirits!¡± Sirka shouted urgently. ¡°It¡¯s simr to when the Ice Golem appeared in our sanctuary! Of course, this ce¡­ ¡­!¡± Before he could finish his words, the entire field of vision was ins tantly covered with countless birds. Wedge-! Whoosh! Whoosh! As Sirka said, countless eagles that had been eaten by the rampa ging fire spirits charged forward recklessly, engulfed in hot mes. The zing wings pping made me feel like I was seeing a phoe nix. In the case of the crow that was eaten by the wind spirit, every ti me it pped its wings, a sharp de of wind like a sword would te ar through the air. But so what? [I guess you¡¯re really crazy. Where are you going without fear?] Verga openlyughed at them. 1 This is why runaways are a problem. A mere bird would attack a dragon? There was no need to use mana on these guys. [Kiaaaaaaaah!] Kaisel opened his mouth wide and roared at them. Pupupupu¡­ ¡­ ! A straight line of air cannons shot out from Kaisel¡¯s mouth and sw ept past them. Following the path of the wind, their bodies burst like balloons wi thout warning. But Cha Hae-in scolded Kaisel instead. ¡°Kaiser, then you can¡¯t use it. If you catch it, Suho won¡¯t get any experience points.¡± [Kiruruk¡­ ¡­ .] Kaisel, who had been opening his mouth fiercely again, quickly be came sullen and the corners of his mouth drooped. However, Cha Hae-in was a firm mother who was serious about raising her children. ¡°Then, Suho?¡± ¡°Oh, Mother?¡± At his mother¡¯s soft voice, Suho¡¯s eyes instinctively fluttered. Oh, I know what this is. I think it was like this one night before an exam¡­ ¡­ . ¡°Work hard ande back.¡± Bam. ¡­ ¡­ ?! Cha Hae-in¡¯s hand pushed Su-ho¡¯s back without hesitation. High above the sky. Into the midst of the many spirit birds still remaining. ¡°No, um¡­ ¡­ !¡± How could my mom-! 1 Beyond Soo-ho¡¯s sight as he fell so helplessly, the mother¡¯s gentl e smile as she gently waved her hand at her son gradually faded aw 4 ay. Suddenly, a story shed through my mind about lions throwing t heir cubs off cliffs to make them stronger. ¡®But it¡¯s too high here-!¡¯ Even lions would probably shake their heads if they saw this sigh t! But now, we need to move rather thanin to survive. ¡®The power of the ruler!¡¯ Bang! Bang! Although he was momentarily surprised, Suho skillfully stepped o n the air to slow his fall. At the same time, ¡®Kamishi¡¯s Wrath¡¯ is held in both hands. [Use ¡®Skill: Storm of ck me¡¯.] Hwaruk! Kwaaaaang! Kkaaaak¡­ ¡­ ! Kekeke! [The me Vulture ck Eagle has been defeated.] [The me Vulture ck Eagle has been defeated.] ¡­ ¡­ . [The de Wind Raven has been defeated.] [The de Wind Raven has been defeated.] ¡­ ¡­ . The forms of the spirit birds that are dying helplessly in the ck me¡¯s ck energy scatter like ash in the air. Especially among them, those like the Firebird, even though they share the same fire attribute, cannot bepared to the mes of Destruction. ¡®Honestly, they¡¯re not the type of guys that would give you a lot o f experience, but I like the number of them.¡¯ At a nce, there are at least several thousand of them. It¡¯s hard to even count. When a bird(?) they had never seen before suddenly invaded thei r territory, it seemed like all the guys in the area gathered around. Swaaaah! [I am a little monarch!] At that moment, Berga, who had flown quickly to Suho¡¯s side as 1 he was falling, ryed Cha Hae-in¡¯s words. [Catch them all before they hit the floor!] ¡°¡­ ¡­ .¡± [If you seed, I¡¯ll give you a keel instead of pocket money!] ¡°what the.¡± Suho ended up bursting intoughter. ¡°That¡¯s what you came here to give me from the beginning!¡± And then the look in his eyes changed. Chomp chomp! His sword cuts through the body of the firebird that fearlessly lun ges at him from the side. and. ¡°Get up!¡± 5 [Shadow extraction seeded.] [Shadow Raptor Lv.1] Article rating Snap! Suho¡¯s hand grabbed the shadow bird¡¯s leg. Then the shadowy bird of prey spread its wings wide and glided d own, its ck, steamy wings billowing. Suho, who was gliding towards a ce where there were many s pirit-filled birds that filled the sky, shouted loudly. ¡°All winged ones,e out!¡± Phew! Shadow soldiers jump out as if they had been waiting for that mo ment! [As expected, the loyal subject you can rely on at important mom ents is me.] Among them, Lee Min-seong, or rather, the shadow knight Qua y, smiled with a proud look in his eyes. And he raised his spear proudly. [Everyone, follow me!] Wedge! Led by Quay, countless shadow knights shot out like arrows towa rds the spirit-infused birds. At the same time, the shadow dragon tribe led by Sita also appea red and began to ughter the spirits without hesitation. In the midst of the battle, Suho leisurely glided and gave orders t o the Shadow Raptor. ¡°Guide your spirits to the gate they came from immediately!¡± Kaaaak! Then, the shadow bird of prey immediately understood Suho¡¯s co mmand and turned somewhere. ¡°oh.¡± A strange sight appeared in Cha Hae-in¡¯s eyes as he watched the 1 scene from above. ¡°You¡¯ve be quite adept atbat, haven¡¯t you?¡± ¡°That¡¯s pretty good. It seems like it¡¯s gotten a lot stronger since t hest time I saw it.¡± Sirka looked at Cha Hae-in with a bewildered expression. However, in the forgotten time period, Cha Hae-in was the stron gest S-ss hunter in Korea, second only to Sung Jin-woo. 4 Just considering his career as a hunter at that time, it was a who pping 10 years. In terms ofbat experience alone, he is far superior to Suho, who has only been awakened for a year. Moreover, having seen the battles of Sung Jin-woo, the true Sha dow Lord, up close several times, it was inevitable that his eyes wo 1 uld be sharp. ¡°Kaiser, let us follow you.¡± At Cha Hae-in¡¯s words, Kaisel followed Su-ho. Then, Sirka¡¯s expression gradually hardened. ¡°The spirits¡¯ energy is growing stronger.¡± ¡°Yeah. It looks like you¡¯vee to the right ce.¡± Swaaaaaaah! Cutting through the fluttering blue fog, something absurd awaite d at the end of the path the shadowy bird had taken to bring the gu 1 ardian. ¡°¡­ ¡­ What is that?¡± It¡¯s a city. There existed a huge city surrounded by blue fog. The problem, however, was that its appearance and atmosphere were not North Korean at all. ¡°Is this North Korea?¡± Kkaaaak! Suho, gliding with the shadow bird of prey, saw the city from the closest distance and his eyes sparkled sharply. ¡®Barrier?¡¯ A hemispherical transparent barrier surrounded the city. Chapter 256 Chapter 256 It was truly a strange thing. Is this really North Korea? No, but was it Earth before that? To everyone¡¯s surprise, the sight of the city revealed as the blue fog cleared was absurd. The ¡®green¡¯ city, covered with a dome-shaped transparent barrier, was truly beautiful, but at the same time, heterogeneous. A sense of disconnect from reality. The first thing you see is a huge, tall tree towering over the center of the city. Of course, it wasn¡¯t as big as the World Tree, but it was huge enough to bring the World Tree to mind. The branches and green leaves that stretched out in all directions from the old tree covered the city like a roof. And beneath it, countless beautiful trees, shaped like ¡®buildings¡¯, created the appearance of a vast city. Looking at the windows pierced through the wooden pirs, it seemed like it wasn¡¯t just a building with a simple appearance. ¡°Surely not that¡­ ¡­ .¡± Sirka blinked and muttered as she held onto the hem of Cha Hae-in¡¯s clothes. Cha Hae-in looked back at Sirka. ¡°Why? Do you know anything?¡± ¡°If I remember correctly, that¡¯s ¡®Elvenwood.''¡± ¡°Elvenwood?¡± Cha Hae-in tilted his head. Sirka muttered with an expression of disbelief as she looked at the city. ¡°I heard from the vige elders when I was young. Elvenwood, somewhere in the world, there is a vige where ¡®high elves¡¯live.¡± ¡°High elf?¡± Shwaaaaak- Even as the conversation continued, the Kaisel carrying them had already reached the front of the city. And as Suho, who had been gliding in front of him, turned around and came back this way, Kaisel also slowed down and waited for Suho in the air. ¡°Elvenwood? That¡¯s the city where the high elves live?¡± ¡°You have good ears too.¡± Suho arrived in front of Sirka without realizing it. Even at this very moment, battles between shadow soldiers and spirit-possessed birds were still taking ce all around, but Suho was able to overhear their conversation. ¡°What is a high elf?¡± ¡°High elves are a tribe higher than our ice elves. If I am the guardian of my tribe, I have heard that all of the high elves¡¯ tribe members are guardians.¡± ¡°What? They¡¯re all Guardian-level?¡± A strange sight appeared in Suho¡¯s eyes. But Sirka looked a little unsure. ¡°Yeah. But I¡¯m not sure since this is just a story I heard from adults. High elves are a tribe that is only mentioned as a legend among us elves.¡± ¡°Srd, what do you know?¡± Suho summoned the lord himself and asked him, who must have known more than Sirka, and even more than the ice elves who had told Sirka about the high elves. [The King of the Snowmen, the Lord of the Cold, rubs his chin and grimaces.] [The King of the Yetis, the Lord of the Cold, says that the High Elves are a gathering ce for losers who failed to be kings.] ¡°Losers who failed to be monarchs?¡± Suho tilted his head at the strange expression. ¡°That makes me think that a high elf is just below a monarch. Were you a high elf yourself, Shd?¡± [The King of the Snowmen, the Lord of the Cold, nods.] [The King of the Yetis, the Lord of the Cold, says that he is the only one among the Ice Elves who has ascended to the rank of High Elf, and that he rules and governs over all Ice Spirits.] ¡°¡­ ¡­ !¡± Sirka was greatly shocked by Sd¡¯s words. ¡°Then what about me? What happens to me?¡± [Nagari-kun.] 2 ¡°¡­ ¡­ ?!¡± Suddenly. Sirka¡¯s expression froze like a stone at Ber¡¯s words that suddenly popped out from the side. 1 Sirka had always thought that she was the only descendant of the monarch. But if the high elves, known only in legends, were actually present in that city, what would be of his situation? [But, Your Majesty, something is strange.] Berga added one more word. 1 [In the old days, during the wars of the rulers and lords, I never once met the high elves.] ¡°¡­ ¡­ Hmm. That¡¯s definitely strange. Wasn¡¯t that war something that all races risked their lives for?¡± It was definitely something strange. Ber, who loved fighting, was a vanguard who took off his shoes and went to every battlefield. 1 A species that Berga has never encountered before? 1 [The King of the Snowmen, the Lord of the Cold, smiles bitterly, saying that it would be quite fitting for them to be that guy.] [The King of the Yetis, the Lord of the Cold, says that the High Elves are cowards who want to be monarchs and wish for their monarchs to die more than anyone else.] ¡°Oh, so they hid in the back and did not participate in the war because they thought they could be the next monarch only if the monarch died? Even until the end of their race?¡± Hearing it this way, I couldn¡¯t help but feel a strange sensation, even though I understood something. Suho thought for a moment and then decided. ¡°¡­ ¡­ Let¡¯s go into the city first. I¡¯ll have to meet them in person to find out what kind of guys they are.¡± The city was just around the corner. It seemed as though the battle of the skies could be left to the soldiers alone. ¡°Mother, let¡¯s go down together.¡± ¡°Okay. Kaisel, will you let us down and rest in my shadow for a while?¡± Cha Hae-in nodded and affectionately patted the back of Sirka, who was in shock next to him. ¡°It¡¯s okay. No matter what anyone says, you are the descendant of a monarch chosen directly by Shd.¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­ .¡± Cha Hae-in felt bad because it didn¡¯t seem to be of muchfort. Cha Hae-in was the one who had been watching Sirka closely while living with the ice elves for the past few years. That¡¯s why he knew better than anyone how much effort Sirka had put into protecting her tribe with her small and fragile body. therefore¡­. ¡°It¡¯ll be okay, Sirka.¡± Pat pat. Today, my heart ached because I saw Sirka¡¯s delicate back, her small back covered with lush silver hair, like a cowering hamster in fear. * * * As they entered the green city, presumably called ¡®Elvenwood¡¯, Suho actually had a real n. ¡®That¡¯s great. This is a chance to grow Sirka.¡¯ From the beginning, it didn¡¯t matter to Suho what kind of people the high elves were. ¡®If they are the enemy, just kill them and that¡¯s it.¡¯ It¡¯s all experience anyway. That was the biggest reason I came to North Korea in the first ce. ¡®After killing them and turning them into soldiers, it would be perfect if we entrusted them to educate Sirka to be a high elf.¡¯ [The King of the Snowmen, the Lord of the Cold,ughs wickedly, saying that it is a very wise n.] ¡®¡­ ¡­ Don¡¯tugh like that. It makes me feel like a viin for no reason.¡¯ [The King of the Snowmen, the Lord of the Cold, tilts his head.] But I really didn¡¯t feel any mercy towards the high elves. No matter how much they wanted to be the next monarch, they were cowards who hid behind the scenes until the moment their entire race was destroyed. Berdow ground his teeth. [It is only right that those with power should carry out their responsibilities with dignity. And if they had been defeated with dignity and joined the Shadow Legion, how much help would it have been to the lord in the current war with Itarim¡­ ¡­ .] That was when. ¡°Wee to Elvenwood, Son of Shadow.¡± ¡­huh? The moment the Guardians entered the Green City. Tall elves, over two meters tall, were waiting for them with warm smiles. Leaving Sirka aside, who was intimidated by the sight, Suho and Cha Haein red at them with wary eyes. ¡°Son of Shadow?¡± ¡°You know my identity?¡± The old elf standing among the elves in the guardian¡¯s residence pointed outside the city with a troubled expression. ¡°I don¡¯t know. If you were nning to hide your identity, why didn¡¯t you start with those soldiers?¡± ¡°ah.¡± Suho felt a little embarrassed. Still outside the city, the shadow soldiers of the Guardians were busy hunting birds. [Level up.] Because there were so many of them, they were fighting so hard that they reached the level at the right time. The elves who came out to greet Suho looked tired at the sight. But he didn¡¯t look scared. ¡®You don¡¯t look like you have any intention of fighting?¡¯ [Your Majesty, from the moment you enter this city, you can sense the energy of Itarim.] [It seems to be the effect of the barrier covering this city. Let¡¯s analyze what kind of barrier it is.] Harmakan also appeared in a small form and whispered in Suho¡¯s ear. As he said, this huge dome-shaped barrier was blocking the thick blue fog outside the city from entering. ¡°What is this barrier?¡± ¡°Heh heh. You look very curious. I¡¯ll tell you everything, so won¡¯t you just let go of this killing spirit a little? I can bear it somehow, but the young guys seem a little burdensome.¡± At those words, Suho obediently gave up his life. 2 Anyway, the old elf who had stepped forward was still maintaining a kind smile even though he was receiving the full force of the guardian¡¯s life force. It was hard to tell whether hisck of fear or cowering meant he was confident in the fight, or if he had no will to fight at all. Suho nced up and checked the name tags floating above their heads. [??] ¡®Unable to verify? Are you saying that it is a species that the system cannot interpret? Or¡­ ¡­ .¡¯ Suho looked at them with a suspicious gaze. Like the ice elves, the elves here were basically beautiful in appearance. Handsome men and beautiful women, even the old people, had handsome and beautiful appearances. But if there was one difference that stood out, it was the pair of ¡®horns¡¯ that sprouted from their heads. At first nce, it looked like a deer¡¯s horn, but the material was unusual. ¡°It looks strange. Are those things growing out of its head horns or tree branches?¡± ¡°It¡¯s meaningless to distinguish them. Even if they are the same elf, their appearance will change depending on where they live. It¡¯smon sense to us, but a tribe that lives in the same ce their whole lives might not know.¡± The old elf¡¯s gaze swept over Sirka as he answered with a hollowugh. ¡°¡­ ¡­ By the way, it¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve seen the Shd n. I don¡¯t know if you know, but we high elves are nomads who wander through the goodnds. That¡¯s why we don¡¯t go to cold regions very often.¡± Cha Hae-in asked, hiding the cowering Sirka behind his back. ¡°Are you high elves?¡± ¡°You guessed right. My name is ¡®Fores¡¯. Normally, there is no chief among us high elves, but I am the eldest and lead everyone.¡± ¡°But you guys¡­ ¡­what happened to your eyes?¡± As for the horns, there was something I was most curious about from the beginning. Here, in Elvenwood, every single high elf was wearing a green eye patch covering both eyes. ¡°Eyes¡­ ¡­ .¡± At Cha Hae-in¡¯s question, the old elf Fores¡¯s mouth drooped for the first time. He answered calmly. ¡°What good is having eyes for? Even after seeing the destruction of the race, I just watched and plucked out all the eyes that were there.¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­ !¡± ¡°Anyway, wee. I¡¯ll show you around our vige.¡± Chapter 257 Chapter 257 ¡°How is it?¡± Suddenly, Fores looked back at the Guardians and asked for their impressions. ¡°¡­ ¡­ .¡± No one answered those words. Fores wasn¡¯t really curious about the answer either. I knew it even without you opening your mouth to answer. ¡°Isn¡¯t it truly beautiful?¡± The Guardians¡¯ party was touring Elvenwood under the guidance of high elves. That sentiment flowed out of Suho¡¯s mouth. ¡°Honestly¡­ ¡­ it¡¯s more than that.¡± ¡°Haha. Those are kind words.¡± A smile appeared on Fores¡¯ lips at Suho¡¯s honest answer. A proud smile appeared on the faces of the other high elves walking with him. Elvenwood. This green city where high elves live is a ce that cannot be described simply as beautiful. How can the inside and outside be so different, with a huge transparent barrier between them? Outside the barrier, a fierce battle was still taking ce, but inside, a world that seemed like it could only exist in a fairy tale unfolded. Fluffy. A fresh, greenwn that softly supports their feet with every step. Beautiful trees growing neatly on both sides of the road. ¡°These trees are the house we live in.¡± As the saying goes, each tree hadrge doors and windows through which high elves came and went. Suho asked. ¡°Did you build these buildings yourself? With magic?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not something grand like magic. It¡¯s just ¡®consideration.''¡± ¡°consideration?¡± When Suho tilted his head at the strange answer, Fores spread out both hands with a knowing smile. Then something strange happened. Swish. Following Forest¡¯s touch, colorful flowers began to bloom and burst out onto the greenwn. Even though there was not a single breath of wind, the flower buds swayed from side to side as if waving to him. A pleased smile appeared on Fores¡¯ lips as he received that greeting. It was as if I could actually see the figure even though I had no eyes. ¡°Have you seen? Everything in our vige was created by the consideration of the spirits. As I said, we are nomads who wander without a fixed ce. However, wherever we settle down, the spirits step forward and prepare a ce for us to stay. It is literally consideration.¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­ Spiritism?¡± Towering. Fores¡¯s words paused for a moment at the one word that suddenly came out of Sirka¡¯s mouth, who had been speaking less since a while ago. Fores looked back at Sirka and smiled kindly. ¡°Heh heh. Spiritualism¡­ ¡­ I also went through such a cumbersome process before bing a high elf. Now, it seems so long ago that it feels new to me.¡± Sirka¡¯s eyes became slightly tearful at the way he spoke to her, as if he was talking to a newborn baby. But the timing wasn¡¯t good to discuss it. Just then, a small stream appeared in front of them, and Fores stepped into the stream without hesitation. Swish. Then, under his feet, tree trunks sprouted by themselves and became entangled with each other. In an instant, a rainbow-shaped bridge appeared across the stream. Fores naturally stepped on the bridge and crossed the stream. Sirka¡¯s eyes widened at that sight. It wasn¡¯t something like spirit magic! During the process of creating the bridge, no flow of mana was felt at all. Fores continued speaking as if he were a grandfather telling a story to his granddaughter. ¡°Have you seen it? Young elf who follows Shd. To your tribe, who have lived in the snowfields all their lives, the spirits m ust have been a ¡®bitter cold¡¯ that they had to fight and endure with their lives. However, that is far from the truth.¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­ .¡± ¡°Since ancient times, we elves have not been a race that fought against nature, but a race that lived in harmony with nature. And the countless spirits born from Mother Nature were our friends andpatriots.¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­ .¡± Sirka couldn¡¯t say anything in response. In Fores¡¯ words, I could feel the passage of time and its weight. So Sirka eventually nodded and politely asked him for advice. ¡°How can I be a high elf?¡± ¡°Uh-huh.¡± Instead of answering, Fores burst intoughter. At the same time, the other high elves nearby also burst intoughter. ¡°How dare you ask such a question.¡± ¡°Are you trying to run before you can even walk?¡± ¡°Haha. They say that not just anyone can be a high elf if they want to.¡± ¡°There is no special method or trick.¡± As Sirka, who had suddenly be the butt of ridicule, made a pouty expression, a delicious fruit suddenly sprouted from the tip of a branch next to Sirka. Fores picked the fruit and handed it to Sirka. ¡°Here, eat. This child also thinks you are cute and wants to give you a present.¡± Sirka took the fruit with both hands in a panic. The high elves surrounding Sirka began to share theirpliments one by one. ¡°This is exactly it.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not something that can be achieved through hard work.¡± ¡°You must be chosen by the spirit.¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­ Choice?¡± Fores nodded in response to Sirka¡¯s question. ¡°Yes. It¡¯s not something that can be achieved through effort. For an ordinary elf to be a high elf is a gift from the spirits. Here, try it. The gifts from the spirits are sweeter than any fruit.¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­ .¡± At those words, just as Sirka was about to put the fruit in her mouth. ¡°Don¡¯t eat it.¡± suddenly. Suddenly, Cha Hae-in¡¯s hand appeared and snatched the fruit from Sirka¡¯s hand. ¡°¡­ ¡­Uh, why?¡± Sirka, who was embarrassed at having her fruit stolen, looked up at Cha Hae-in. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t eat food given to you by someone you don¡¯t know.¡± For some reason, Cha Hae-in was looking at Forest with a slightly angry look in his eyes. Fores, who could sense the presence even though he couldn¡¯t see it, made an embarrassed expression. ¡°Haha. The fruits given by the spirits pose no danger to the elves at all. Rather, they are a tonic that makes them even healt hier and more beautiful.¡± ¡°I appreciate your consideration, but it¡¯s up to the parents to decide what to feed their children.¡± ¡°A guardian?¡± At those words, Fores looked as if he had heard something very strange. ¡°You are not human. Why would a human im to be the protector of elves?¡± 1 ¡°What does race matter? Sirka is like a daughter to me.¡± 1 ¡°That¡¯s ridiculous. Even if that child isn¡¯t a high elf, he shouldn¡¯t be able to receive protection from a human.¡± Beyond the green blindfold, Fores¡¯ gaze pierced through Cha Hae-in. And then he nced at Sirka again and tilted his head to the side. ¡°Come to think of it, I didn¡¯t ask that. Who are you?¡± Fores was now finally curious about Cha Hae-in¡¯s true identity. The Child of Shadow, Seongsuho, already knew that he was the blood rtive of the Shadow Lord. He also knew that Sirka was a blood rtive of the Lord of the Cold. However, Cha Hae-in, who was stuck between the two, was just an ordinary person, so no one paid much attention to him. 1 But how dare a mere humanmit such an atrocity as stealing the spirits¡¯ gifts from the bloodline of the Lord of the Cold? I also couldn¡¯t understand how Sirka could take it for granted even after something like that happened. ¡°I am¡­.¡± Just as Cha Hae-in was about to answer. ¡°Don¡¯t answer.¡± Chuck, this time Soo-ho¡¯s hand blocked Cha Hae-in¡¯s path. ¡°I don¡¯t give out my personal information to just anyone. Especially not to suspicious people like this.¡± Suho, who had been leisurely looking around Elvenwood as if he were a tourist, suddenly began to show hostility in his eyes. ¡°¡­ ¡­ Suho?¡± Cha Hae-in¡¯s gazended on the back of Su-ho¡¯s head. [Well done. If it is revealed that Cha Hae-in is the master¡¯s lover, it will only be dangerous. Of course, it will be revealed eventually, but there is no need for us to say it first.] Suddenly, Ber¡¯s small face appeared and whispered in a voice that the men could not hear. Then, he red at Fores and the high elves with narrowed eyes and climbed onto Suho¡¯s shoulder. Weaeng- Then, this time, a fly flew in from somewhere andnded on Suho¡¯s opposite shoulder. A bee with yellow and ck stripes. ¡°¡­hmm?¡± But when Fores discovered the bee, his expression suddenly hardened. It was natural for there to be a shadow soldier next to the shadow child, but that fly was not a shadow soldier. ¡°Why are you reacting like that? Like you¡¯re seeing a bug for the first time?¡± Suho red at Fores and grumbled. Contrary to his tone of voice, Soo-ho¡¯s whole body was filled with fighting spirit. At that sight, the expressions of the high elves, including Fores, hardened even more. 1 ¡°Hey, wait a minute. You¡­ ¡­ .¡± ¡°Ah, yes. It may be the first time you¡¯ve seen it. Up until now, I haven¡¯t seen a single bug in Elvenwood. It¡¯s really strange. Not a single bug living in a ce full of flowers and trees like this.¡± Why, why, why- Even as he spoke, countless bees began to gather on Suho¡¯s shoulder. The bees that had gathered together like that began to gradually transform into the shape of a beautiful woman. ¡­ ¡­ ! ¡°Hey, you¡¯re the Lord of gues?!¡± ¡°How is the king of bugs here!¡± [Ah, that¡¯s a good point. It¡¯s destined to happen sooner orter.] At their tantly bewildered reaction, ¡®Queen Bee Arsha¡¯ responded with an ecstatic smile. Then he looked back at Suho and pointed to the beautiful maple trees surrounding him. Those numerous wooden buildings that are said to be the homes of high elves. [As expected, there were humans trapped in the basement of those buildings.] Towering. As soon as he finished speaking, the expressions on the faces of the high elves, who had been smiling kindly from the begi nning, disappeared without a trace. Like a soulless puppet. ¡°Ah, this is it. So this is what it ends up being.¡± Among them, Fores muttered in an embarrassed voice. Wheeing- Cool silence. The warm and cozy wind that had been blowing through Elvenwood had suddenly stopped. The green leaves quickly dried up and became deste. It only took a moment for what had been a paradise on earth to turn into a barren wilderness. ¡°¡­ ¡­ If we had just quietly passed by, it would have been better for both of us.¡± ¡°Really? I had a feeling it would be like this.¡± Chomp chomp chomp! Kamish¡¯s wrath appeared in Suho¡¯s hands. Two daggers cut through a wooden building, creating ck trails. Damn it! Then the appearance revealed within it was¡­ ¡­ . ¡°S, save me¡­ ¡­ .¡± ¡°Ugh¡­ ¡­ .¡± The ce was filled with the cries of people dying, wrapped around tree roots. ¡°Three, my goodness.¡± Sirka¡¯s eyes widened at the shocking sight. On the other hand, Cha Hae-in, who had not let his guard down for even a moment since he entered this ce, was now holding Baran¡¯s longsword in his hand. Suho, who had already sent Arsha to scout the surrounding area, was already in a battle stance. ¡°They say that high elves are a gathering of losers who failed to be rulers. What on earth are they doing all these gatherings here?¡± ¡°Failure? That¡¯s an interesting expression, Shadow Child.¡± ¡°A failure? How dare you say such a thing to us?¡± ¡°A failure? You are the one who will never be able to be a monarch unless your father dies?¡± 2 ¡°What? Why are you all so angry all of a sudden? Did you get scratched?¡± Swaaaah! A murderous aura burst out from the bodies of the high elves whose expressions had suddenly disappeared, filling Elvenwood. As if to counter him, the shadow that spread out from under Suho¡¯s feet also filled the ground of Elvenwood. [Use ¡®Skill: Monarch¡¯s Realm¡¯.] In a situation that could explode at any moment. ¡°¡­ah.¡± Finally, Sirka realized. What Sd said beforeing here. What it means to fail to be a monarch. Somehow, from the beginning, I felt intimidated as soon as I saw the high elves. ¡°You guys have already been eaten. By the spirits.¡± The moment I heard those words. For the first time, the true expressions on the faces of the high elves were revealed. ¡°You got eaten?¡± ¡°I ate it.¡± See youter- A cruel smile that seems to whet your appetite. Their faces at that moment. Crackle! Crackle! The bodies of the once slender and beautiful high elves began to be covered with dry tree bark. ¡°Us, you.¡± Thud. The blindfolds that had been wrapped around their faces were ripped off, revealing their eyes that had been hidden behind them. There is a star fragment ced there instead of a useless eyeball. Two highly refined stones were stuck in. ¡°Even if he is the blood of the Shadow Lord, he is still a mere human.¡± ¡°Not the Shadow Lord himself.¡± ¡°I regreting to Elvenwood on my own two feet.¡± Shwaak-! At that moment, all the flowers and trees of Elvenwood, which was a paradise on earth, attacked the guardian party from all sides. ¡°Your father, even the Shadow Lord, will never know what happened in here.¡± Chapter 258 Chapter 258 The change happened suddenly. Gooooo! [This, this¡­ ¡­ !] The shadow soldiers hunting the spirit birds outside were greatly surprised to see the giant dome-shaped barrier covering Elvenwood suddenly turn ashen. [It seems like something happened to the Master!] [Everyone, return to the master!] Phew! At Sita and Quay¡¯s shouts, all soldiers immediately stopped fighting and turned around. And then I realized something shocking. Swoosh! [¡­ ¡­ !] Suddenly, the transparent barrier entering the city created waves and bounced them away. Clearly, the barrier that had just let the Guardians pass through had changed in an instant! 1 The shadow soldiers¡¯ expressions became urgent. [Oh no! The barrier!] [This barrier refuses our entry!] [Break it with force!] [The master inside is in danger!] Kwakwakwakwang! The shadow soldiers tried with all their might to destroy the barrier. But it wasn¡¯t easy. ripple- [T-T! The attack isn¡¯t working!] This huge barrier surrounding the green city seemed to separate the entire city from the Earth. The inside and outside of the city, which are clearly visible before our eyes, are divided intopletely different dimensions by a thin film. [Don¡¯t stop attacking!] [We have to break through somehow!] Kookwakwang! Kwawang! [Harmakan!] [Where is Harmakan!] Someone found Harmakan. Yes, this is exactly when the Shadow Demons shoulde forward. But Quay answered the cries of the soldiers who were urgently looking for Harmakan. [Harmakan is not here! He went inside with his master!] [What?! So we just have to wait outside for the door to open!] The soldiers continued to attack the barrier, even though they were furious. I couldn¡¯t just sit back and give up like this. The significance of the Shadow Legion¡¯s existence. Because their top priority was Seongsuho¡¯s safety. Behind their backs. Wedge- There was an attack by spirit birds flying in at a rapid pace, taking advantage of the soldiers¡¯ openings. Cackle! Cackle! Quay gritted his teeth. [¡­ ¡­ Could this have been a strategy all along? To separate us from the Master from the beginning?] [If that¡¯s the case, then you¡¯ve really yed around. I never thought this barrier was meant for that purpose!] Sita also exploded with anger. But if you think about it logically, something seems strange. [But that¡¯s strange. Did they know we¡¯de here and set a trap in advance? What on earth were they doing with it?] I didn¡¯t understand. It was entirely by ident that they, or rather Seongsuho, discovered this ce. But how could they have anticipated their arrival and set a trap in advance? [¡­ ¡­ There must be another purpose. The people living in this city must have created this barrier for a purpose other than ours.] Chomp chomp chomp! Sita¡¯s body soared high into the sky as she tore apart a flock of fearless spirit birds with one hand. And from the highest point, he crossed his arms and took in the entire scenery surrounding the huge barrier that spread out below at a nce. Sita¡¯s eyes narrowed. [There is something after all.] [What are you talking about?] Quay pped his wings and flew towards Sita. Then, following his gaze, he looked down and his eyes sparkled. After climbing this high, the true scenery that had been hidden by the dense tropical rainforest finally came into view. [Ah, I see. So this entire area is a city.] I wasn¡¯t talking about a green city. Even outside this huge barrier, traces of arge city were visible along this area. [Let¡¯s see¡­ ¡­ .] Lee Min-seong, who had lived as a Korean before bing a soldier, pictured a map of the Korean Penins in his head. And I was able to roughly estimate what area this area was. Quay¡¯s eyes sparkled. [Yes, Gaeseong! That¡¯s where therge-scale industrialplex was.] North Korea. And where everything is destroyed and deste due to numerous dungeon breaks. This rainforest was the result of the deaths of countless people who died with it. But there was one strange thing. [There are no bodies of people anywhere to be seen.] [Yeah. I find that strange too.] Sita was Siddharth Bachchan, who had been active mainly inrge-scale field dungeons in India during his lifetime. So there was somemon sense that was obvious. [The corpses scattered around in field dungeons are usually eaten by demons. However, they don¡¯t eat every single bone fragment like this. The demons aren¡¯t that meticulous to begin with.] [But it¡¯s not like it would havepletely rotted away in just two years.] It is estimated that the number of North Koreans who died because they were unable to escape the cataclysm would have exceeded ten million. But it was extremely unnatural that so many corpses had disappeared without leaving a single bone in just two years. [Did they all escape without dying?] [There must be survivors who have awakened. However, it ismon sense that traces of the dead are scattered here and there. Even if it is mist-burned, at least a pile of ashes will remain.] [So that¡¯s what it means in the end.] [Someone must have taken the bodies away. Maybe even the ones that weren¡¯t ¡®yet¡¯ dead.] [¡­ ¡­ I have something to do for the Master.] At that moment, Sita and Quay looked at each other and their eyes sparkled. [We, the Yong-in tribe, will continue to knock on the barrier.] [Then we¡¯ll take charge of searching the ruined industrialplexes. If we search through them, we¡¯ll probably find something that will be of help to you, Master.] [Can I trust you and leave it to you?] [Of course. Even so, back in my day, I was a person who went around looking fornd to try and make some stardust.] [If that¡¯s the case, then I am the one¡­ ] [Are you bragging? Then change it.] [¡­ ¡­ Let¡¯s just shut up and get started.] The two former viins looked at each other with unpleasant eyes, then simultaneously scattered in opposite directions. It was so-called co-ethnic hatred. * * * At that moment, the entire world inside the barrier had instantly turned into a path of thorns. Swish! Swish! Sharp tree thorns protruded through the parched grass and attacked the Guardians. ¡°Go ahead and wriggle around like a bug!¡± Chuchuchuchuchuak! Thick, sharp tree roots rapidly grew and branched out, crawling along the ground like willful snakes and springing up like springs. ¡°There¡¯s nowhere to run to anyway!¡± At the same time, the high elves alsounched attacks simultaneously. Their white, smooth arms grew long like tree trunks and whipped the air like whips. Their beautiful and graceful fingers had be sharp and pointed like dry tree branches, and they scratched the ground. WHHHHHH ¨C BAM! Bam! Bam! A series of bizarre attacks from all directions urred simultaneously in less than a second. At the center of the attack, the group of guardians, who had been reduced to fish caught in a tight in an instant, responded without a word. ¡°Suho.¡± Patchit! A blue light shed in Cha Hae-in¡¯s eyes as he raised the Demon King¡¯s longsword. ¡°Avoid it as you please.¡± Kkwarreung! The storm of white mes. The thorns that filled my vision were intercepted by the thunder and lightning that struck down one after another in the clear sky. ¡­ ¡­ ?! At that moment, the expressions on the high elves¡¯ faces as they charged forward fiercely became unsettled. ¡°What is this energy?!¡± ¡°White me?!¡± Even without eyes, or rather because of them, there were things I could see well. The high elves, who had gouged out their own eyes and ced a stone in their ce, noticed at a nce the identity of the sword in Cha Hae-in¡¯s hand. [Item: Demon King¡¯s Sword] Difficulty of acquisition: S Type: Sword Attack Power +350 2 This is a longsword imbued with the power of the Demon King, Baran. Every time you swing the sword, the ¡®Storm of White me¡¯ effect is activated. Effect ¡®Storm of White me¡¯: Creates a storm with lightning striking continuously within a certain area. It was truly astonishing. ¡°how?!¡± ¡°Baran must have died a long time ago?!¡± ¡°Why are the relics of a monarch in the hands of men?¡± Although Baran was dead, the ¡®Storm of White me¡¯, which was Baran¡¯s symbol, was still in Cha Hae-in¡¯s hands. and. The moment when Cha Hae-in starts moving as if she is dancing in earnest. Skill, ¡®Sword Dance¡¯ -Storm of White me Hwaaaaaaaah- A sh of light split into hundreds of branches and covered the entire area. ¡°The magic power has been adjusted.¡± At the same time, Cha Hae-in¡¯s voice reached Su-ho. ¡°I¡¯ve been learning some tricks for using a sword.¡± Cha Hae-in had many nicknames, but among them, there was one that was particrly famous. ¡®Training addiction¡¯ Cha Hae-in, once a world-ss athlete, and at another time a representative S-ss hunter of Korea. While Cha Hae-in was just wasting time at the Tomb of the Dragons, he had alreadypleted extensive training on how to use the ¡®Demon King¡¯s Sword¡¯. ¡°The attack was spread shallow and wide. Since it inflicted a range-type status effect, I¡¯ll leave the rest to you.¡± Pah, pah, pah, pah! When dealing with a huge number of enemies, it is essential to conserve your magic power. At the same time, it is a battle that stands out for its consideration in not stealing Suho¡¯s experience points. The gaze of Suho, who was rushing forward through the storm of lightning from his mother, was filled with the mes of hell. ¡°Burn up.¡± Hurrah! In that moment, the shadow of the guardian that had already swallowed up the entire Elvenwood began to glow hotly. In the middle of it all, Suho sincerelyughed at the high elves. ¡°Dry firewood.¡± Phew! ¡°How dare you!¡± ¡°Creatures who defy the will of the spirits!¡± ¡°Be our nourishment obediently!¡± ¡°Elvenwood, arise!¡± The name Elvenwood seemed to refer to a giant tree towering over the center of the city. The huge tree, like a mountain, raised its huge roots all at once, causing an earthquake. In front of him, Fores went crazy. ¡°How ridiculous, child of shadows!¡± ¡°We have taken over the bodies of the high elves!¡± ¡°We will never¡­ ¡­ unless we are at least of the monarchical level!¡± ¡°therefore.¡± At those words, Suho smiled, showing his teeth. ¡°What I¡¯m saying is.¡± WHEEWHAAAAH In an instant, a crimson energy swirled from all directions and gathered around Suho. Fores¡¯plexion changed abruptly as he witnessed the truth through the foreign news outlet. ¡°Hey, wait a minute! Could that be the energy?!¡± ¡°huh.¡± ¡°No, why is the shadow child¡­ ¡­!¡± ¡°Well, it just so happened.¡± [Use ¡®Skill: Breath of Destruction¡¯.] Quaoooooo! ¡­ ¡­ ! The surprise at Baran¡¯s white me was only the beginning. The sight of the inferno and the aura of destruction stretching straight toward the giant tree, Elvenwood, was shocking and terrifying in itself. ¡°no-!¡± The astonished high elves charged towards the guardian with all their might. Towards them, the ¡®Wrath of Kamish¡¯ began to move from Suho¡¯s two hands. The movement was a small gift that Eugene Ho gave to Ber before departure. 5 He barely managed to find a ¡®rune stone¡¯ after thoroughly squeezing the wealth ofrge guilds for protection. The newly learned skill was finally put to use in Suho¡¯s hands. [Use ¡®Skill: Difficulty¡¯.] Chapter 259 Chapter 259 It was all Ber¡¯s scheme. From the moment Suho received Kamish¡¯s wrath as a reward. From the moment the dagger that was Sung Jin Woo¡¯s main weapon was finally in Soo Ho¡¯s hands. [Keeeeeek!] As if he had been waiting, Ber began to harass Eugene Ho. 2 [Dagger! It¡¯s a dagger! Regardless of the means and methods, somehow find and collect the skills rted to the dagger!] However, Yoo Jin-ho, who was suddenly grabbed by the cor by Ver, was no longer the brat who used to be intimidated by Ver. -Leave it to me. I¡¯ll try to figure it out. Now, looking at Ber and his eyes with the confident eyes of an adult who could trust him more, he asked this question instead. -So what were your brother¡¯s skills? Of course, things like the Ruler¡¯s Power and Shadow Power would be impossible, but other skills could be learned as long as you had ¡®Rune Stones¡¯. To begin with, Sung Jin-woo and Sung Su-ho are just irregrs. It was a daily routine for all hunters on Earth to search for runestones. There was no other way to be stronger than with rune stones. Given this reality, it was only natural that the price of rune stones would skyrocket. Depending on the value and rarity of the skill, it was literally worth it. ¡®Skill: Difficulty¡¯ This skill is a top-tier skill that only a few assassination hunters in the world have, and its value is a treasure of a much higher grade t han ¡®Skill: Stealth¡¯. And these things are not even released into the market in the first ce. This was because it was much more profitable for the hunter or guild leader who obtained the runestone to learn it directly rather than selling it. But that doesn¡¯t mean that learning any skill at once would be an astronomical loss. It ismon sense that assassination skills are more efficient when learned by assassination hunters. That¡¯s why, when a rune stone is discovered, it is usually kept in the guild¡¯s safe until the right person for that skill is found. And Eugene Ho ended up raiding their safe and finding what he wanted. 1 No, I¡¯m correcting that. I squeezed until I found it. -I told you, if you squeeze it, it¡¯lle out eventually. The voice of Yoo Jin-ho, who had be more mature and vicious, is still vivid in my ears. [¡­ ¡­ You¡¯ve grown up well.] Berughed sinisterly, muttering words that had several meanings. And then I looked ahead. [Use ¡®Skill: Difficulty¡¯.] 2 Choke choke choke choke choke choke! The two daggers of the guardian were mercilessly shing at the enemies. The speed gradually increased, until it eventually became difficult to keep up with the eyes. Doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo! ck trails filled the field of vision. Along that trajectory, the bodies of high elves were being cut down mercilessly. [Can you see, Your Majesty?] Ver¡¯s voice faintly echoed before that sight. ¡°Kwaaak¡­ ¡­ !¡± It was just beautiful. The screams of the high elves bursting out here and there echoed like an opera. 1 Kkwarung! Pfft pfft pfft! The thunderbolts that crashed down upon their heads were like t he sound of angels¡¯ trumpets. Hwaruk! Kwak hwak! Hwaruruk! The beautiful Elvenwood was instantly turned into a sea of fire wi th the mes of destruction. [?? Killed.] [?? Killed.] [?? Killed.] [?? Killed.] ¡­ ¡­ . [¡®Protection: Protection of Gluttony¡¯ increases experience points.] [Level up!] [Level up!] ¡­ ¡­ All of these things came together to create a fierce battlefield that looked like a majestic requiem, and Ber burst intoughter. [Hear me, Your Majesty!] And then he cried out. Hoping that his voice would reach Sung Jin-woo in outer space. [Look! Your son is following in the exact same path you walked!] 4 To Ber, all these things were prayers and sacrifices to the king he served. ¡®Skill: Difficulty¡¯ was Ber¡¯s intention to raise it for Seong Jin-woo, not Seong Su-ho. at that time. Shudder. For a moment, Ber¡¯s antennae twitched, and his eyes red at somewhere. 1 [¡­ ¡­ found.] It is only natural that battles ur during war. However, it would be problematic if you were so focused on battle that you forgot your original purpose. [Foreign press!] 3 A battle is a battle, and Ber hasn¡¯t forgotten the reason why Suho came to this suspicious city in the first ce. The fundamental reason why the area was turned into a field-type dungeon. As Elvenwood burned, the location of the energy that had been hidden by the forest and trees was finally captured by Ber¡¯s senses. [My Lord! I have found the gate! I can feel a total of three gates under the ground!] There was someone who responded to Ber¡¯s cry before Suho. ¡°How dare you!¡± Fores gritted his teeth. Then, he stretched out his arm, which had been cut in half by the Guardian¡¯s sword, and wrapped it around the neck of another high elf who was burning and screaming next to him. Kkwaduk! ¡­ ¡­ ?! As if an apple had been plucked from a tree. Fores, who lightly snapped the neck of his fellow tribesman and ripped out his head. Then something amazing happened. Swaaaah! Through the throat of the high elf whose head had been torn off, the spirits inside burst out like a fountain. Just like when you shake a c and open the cap. Numerous spirits burst out as if they were exploding, and began to swirl around Fores¡¯s arms and body. Crunch! Crunch! Then, the other high elves who were fighting Suho also started to follow Fores. He personally tore apart the corpses of his own kind, whose shells had been damaged beyond use by Suho¡¯s attack, and sucked out the spirits inside them. Grrrrrrrr! Then, at an astonishing speed, the bodies of the high elves here and there began to growrger and swell. It was as if it was a giant, old tree that resembled an elf. ¡°Three, my goodness¡­ ¡­ !¡± It was a sight that might at first nce seem beautiful, but at least not to the eyes of the elf Sirka. It was so horrible it made me sick. ¡°It wasn¡¯t just one! How many spirits could possibly be in one body!¡± ¡°Haha. Young elf. What are you so afraid of? Didn¡¯t you know that this is the kind of rtionship we have with you elves anyway?¡± Fores¡¯ smile was strangely twisted as he looked down at Sirka¡¯s terrified appearance andughed heartily. As a fellow elf, it gave me goosebumps. ¡®That¡¯s not an elf.¡¯ He, or rather ¡®they¡¯ were something imitating an elf. Now I understand. In the first ce, they probably didn¡¯t need eyes. Their bodies were already filled with countless eyes, peeking out at the world outside. It¡¯s so full that even a small hole would cause it to pop out! ¡®That¡¯s a high elf?¡¯ If such a horrible thing were a high elf, he would absolutely refuse. Sirka shuddered as she remembered her own desire to be a high elf, even if only for a moment. ¡°Guardian! These guys are a horde of spirits! They¡¯re much worse than the ice golems we saw in the Echo Forest¡­!¡± ¡°How dare youpare us to the likes of ice golems!¡± Kuwaang! ¡°¡­ ¡­ !¡± Are you offended by Sirka¡¯s words? The giant palm of the enraged Fores tore through the wind and fell vertically from the sky. bang-! A hideous palm filled with the eyes of countless spirits struck Sirka as if it were catching an insect. But fortunately, at that moment, two ck shadow soldiers stood up in front of Sirka. [¡­ ¡­ Hmm. Is this it?] [It¡¯s easy.] Grid and iron. They stood side by side, armed withrge shields and full body armor, blocking Fores¡¯ palm. Sirka¡¯s eyes widened as she looked at that sturdy back. For reference, Grid and Iron were the high priests and priestesses of the Foreign Church until recently. In their eyes, the sight of the high elves being devoured by spirits seemed a little different. [Still, it¡¯s a bit novel to think of putting a foreign press te in your eyes. Do you see something different when you do that?] [Instead of losing your eyesight, maybe you can see the foreign appearance directly?] Kwaaah! Meanwhile, as the size of the forest grew, an enormous pressure weighed down the grid and iron. ¡°Sirka! Freeze it!¡± Sirka suddenly came to her senses at the sound of Suho¡¯s shout and disyed her ¡®Blessing of the Cold¡¯. Whioo- damn it! Then a bitterly cold blizzard blew in, freezing Fores¡¯ hands and arms. At that moment, Suho flew over the frost-covered arm and shed down with his sword. Crunch! Crunch! As the zing hot sword collided with the rapidly frozen tree, Fores¡¯ arm was instantly broken. [It¡¯s no use!] WHEEWHAAAAH! At that moment, countless spirits burst out from the broken arm, shouted in one voice, and attacked Suho¡¯s body all at once. Elvenwood, where the forest is burning and lightning strikes. But despite that, there was still a reason for them to smile. [we are!] [Don¡¯t die!] Swaaaah! ¡°Suho!¡± Seeing Suho being devoured by countless spirits, Cha Hae-in, who was fighting with the trees, came running, shouting in an urgent manner. [Your Majesty-!] Berdo¡¯s gship flew towards Suho. In the center of it all, the spirits whispered in unison in Suho¡¯s ears. [Hehehe. If you put a foreign news stone in your eye, you might be able to see foreign news?] They wereughing at what Grid and Iron had said. [Can¡¯t you think of the opposite case?] ¡®The opposite? No way?¡¯ At those words, Suho realized an important fact. ¡°Surely, through your eyes, foreign media are seeing this side¡­ 2 ¡­ .¡± Swaaaah! At that moment, the spirits scattered in all directions and attacked Suho. Hurrah! The crimson shadow that had been wrapping around Suho¡¯s entire body repelled the men. Then the spirits immediately changed direction and chose the next best option. It¡¯s Sirka. A descendant of Shd, the king of the Ice Elves. [Young elf.] [I¡¯ll give you a chance.] [Be one with us.] ¡°¡­ ¡­ ?!¡± Swaaaah! Sirka¡¯s pupils dted. Sirka¡¯s body froze in front of all the strange things rushing towards her. But then. What came out of Suho¡¯s mouth as he urgently reached out his h and towards Sirka was not Sirka¡¯s name. ¡°Srd!¡± At that moment. [¡®Skill: Unknown¡¯ is activated.] sh! Suho¡¯s spirit, who had barely managed to grab Sirka¡¯s hand, fell downwards. * * * A distant darkness. Or somewhere in the halo. In the midst of the raging storm, the spirit of Suho was trapped. But even as he was tossed around in the storm, Suho just closed his eyes peacefully. [¡­ ¡­ Long ago, the Ice Elf warriors who went into battle in the War of the Lords were always apanied by the protection of the Ice Spirit.] A voice was heard towards Suho. [When a bow or any weapon is held in their hands, all their attacks are imbued with the ¡®Curse of the Cold.¡¯] ¡®¡­ ¡­ Shd?¡¯ 1 Soon, Suho realized the identity of the voice. Ah, it worked. This was the world of the King of the Snowmen, the Lord of the Cold. [When we were hit by an arrow we shot, the area froze, and when we were cut by a swinging de, no blood spurted out, and a cold, cruel chill prated the blood vessels in our bodies through the cut surface.] But Suho still had his eyes closed. The shield was not visible. Only his calm voice was telling Soo-ho the old story. 1 [As the attacks piled up like that, the enemy would eventually slowly freeze to death. Everyone was afraid of us. ¡­ ¡­ However, this is only a story about elven warriors who use spirit magic. On the other hand, the elves who were eaten by spirits said it was a miserable experience.] Suho suddenly remembered. If you are an elf possessed by spirits, haven¡¯t you already fought them in the Ice Elf Sanctuary on Facade Ind? At the time, Essil said she clicked her tongue as soon as she saw them. -What a sight. The snowmen were eaten by ice spirits? How weak were they in their lifetime? Elves, who are experts at spirit magic, are not only not able tomand spirits, but are instead having their souls eaten. Isn¡¯t this a truly absurd situation? But now, things are very different from then. Sd¡¯s voice continued to be heard. [At least here, the high elves of Elvenwood were not eaten by spirits because they were weak. Rather, they epted the spirits by their own choice in order to be even stronger.] ¡®¡­ ¡­ .¡¯ Suho, who was trapped in the storm, finally opened his eyes. Beyond that, the figure of Sd was visible. [Perhaps the guys¡¯ original purpose was to ept the ¡®primordial darkness¡¯ rather than the spirit into their bodies. That way they could be monarchs. However, in order to do that, they would first have to find out where the primordial darkness is.] The expression on Shd¡¯s face as he looked at the storm that had engulfed Suho was¡­ ¡­ a little bitter. No matter how I looked at it, this wasn¡¯t normal spirit magic. [Foreign correspondent? Putting such a suspicious object in their eyes. Even those fools would never do something like this. Clearly, some bastards must have tricked them into doing it.] Whioo- As Sd reached out, a pure white wind swirled and seeped into the storm that engulfed Suho. And when Sd grabbed his hand again, the will of someone who had been swept up in the storm blossomed into a small ice flower. Sd clicked his tongue as he looked at the shabby ice flower. [It¡¯s been a while, Fores. My stubborn friend.] [¡­ ¡­ .] When no answer came, Sd¡¯s expression slowly grew angry. [Tell me. Who are the ones who raised you in this fishbowl?] Chapter 260 Chapter 260 Are you not going to answer? Or maybe I¡¯m not in a position to answer. No answer came from Fores¡¯ soul, which had already be a worthless ice flower. [Even if you don¡¯t answer, I need to know.] Sd stretched out his hand with a fearful expression and grabbed the ice flower. [Even if it squeezes your soul.] Whioooo- A st of frosty wind blew from Scy¡¯s mouth. 1 [The King of the Snowmen, the Lord of the Cold, uses ¡®Skill: Illusion of the Ice Flower.¡¯] The fantasy of ice flowers. Sd¡¯s spirit magic that showed the appearance of Cha Hae-in, who was in the tomb of the dragons in the past, before Su-ho¡¯s eyes. This time, the creepy wind wrapped around the ice flowers of Fores like a rope. Then, a system message appeared in front of Suho. Tiring! [Calls out the traces left on the spirit body.] [Do you ept?] (Y/N) ¡®What is this?¡¯ Sd¡¯s firm voice was heard towards Suho, who was looking at the message. [ept it quickly. This idiot was a considerably strong man among the high elves who werepeting with me for the throne. For him to end up like this is by no means a small matter.] ¡®A trace left on the spirit body¡­ ¡­ Are you trying to steal my memories?¡¯ [Yes. Even though I¡¯m dead, I can still exert this much power against the elves I ruled.] Extreme cold. An aura of majesty emanated from Sd, one that seemed to be that of a once lord of a dimension. Seeing that majestic appearance, Suho¡¯s gaze naturally turned to his side. In this world, there were not only him and Sd. The sessor chosen directly by Sd. Sirka had also been dragged here with him. Whioo- In the midst of this raging storm, Sirka was trapped in transparent ice, her eyes closed and still. Even Sirka¡¯s time seemed to be frozen along with the ice. [Don¡¯t worry. I froze that guy for a while, so he¡¯ll be safe for the time being.] The storm of these spirits was not targeting Suho, but Sirka. It was a second-best option after failing to take over Suho¡¯s body, but in reality, the spirits were much more familiar with Sirka than Suho. Sirka was an elf of the same race as the original hosts, the high elves, and her bloodline was a direct descendant of the previous monarch, Shd. [Sirka can¡¯t handle this amount of spirits yet. The moment the ice breaks, Sirka will eventually be eaten by the spirits. ept it quickly.] Sd urged Suho toe. The answer was already decided anyway. ¡®eptance.¡¯ As Suho nodded, a mirage-like illusion bloomed from the ice flower that Sd was holding. Swaaaah! ¡®¡­uh?¡¯ When he came to his senses, Suho¡¯s spirit was no longer in the middle of a storm, but was standing in a beautiful forest. A green forest filled with the fresh scent of grass and flowers. Above it, the fantasy of ice flowers drew a new picture. Then, one by one, images of elves peacefully running through the forest and beautiful tree houses were added to the fantasy. Shwaak- And thest thing the Ice Flower¡¯s fantasy drew was a giant tree towering in the middle of the forest. Suho muttered while looking at the tree. ¡®Elvenwood?¡¯ [Yes, this is Elvenwood where I lived.] Suddenly, a cold blizzard swept over Suho and Sd¡¯s face appeared in the air. Sd muttered, looking back at the forest with a longing expression. [Originally, ¡®Elvenwood¡¯ was the name given to the tree you see in the middle. And we elves were nomads who lived around Elvenwood.] Suho tilted his head. There was a mistake in the words. ¡®You live in groups centered around trees? If you¡¯re a nomad, shouldn¡¯t you be able to move around to live?¡¯ [Wandering around. After thisnd bes deste.] ¡®It¡¯s devastated? What do you mean?¡¯ [Watch. It¡¯s about to start.] Shwaak- As soon as Sd finished speaking, a chilling wind blew through the forest. And as time passed several times faster, the beautiful forestndscape began to be noticeably deste. Spring, summer, fall, winter. As the four seasons passed by in order, all the beautiful scenery that had spread out before my eyes crumbled and withered away. ordingly, the elves¡¯ clothes became thicker and thicker. in result. Whioooo- In the end, what was left was ¡®bitter cold¡¯. But even in these moments, there was still something that hadn¡¯t changed at all since the beginning¡­ It was none other than ¡®Elvenwood¡¯. [Elvenwood is a spirit tree that provides the optimal environment for elves to live in. The power of the spirits grows stronger near Elvenwood, and the elves¡¯ spirit magic also grows stronger.] But nothing in this worldsts forever. There could be no such thing as an inexhaustible force. [Elvenwood sucks up all the nutrients around it. Then, when all the nutrients in thisnd are gone¡­ ¡­ .] Swish! [Use the elves as nutrients.] Ugh! Just then a scream was heard. The Elvenwood, which was bing increasingly withered due tock of nutrients, suddenly began to spread its roots and attack the elves. Suho frowned. ¡®When thend is fertile, they are friends of the elves, but when thend iscking nutrients, they use the elves as emergency food?¡¯ [Emergency food¡­ ¡­. That¡¯s an appropriate expression.] Sd muttered bitterly. [Yes, that¡¯s right. I hate to admit it, but our elves may have been bred as food for Elvenwood from the beginning.] Elves were being brutally killed right before my eyes. It was drying up, with all its nutrients being sucked out by the sharp roots of the Elvenwood tree poking into its body. [At times like this, even the spirits won¡¯t help us. The spirits are friends of the elves? Hehe. Those who say such nonsense are one of two things.] Sd¡¯s eyes shed with anger. [either a young elf who has never experienced this before, or¡­ ¡­.] ¡®It must be the spirits themselves.¡¯ [okay.] Swish. At that moment, the corpses of the elves that had withered to death fromck of nutrients were writhing and rising again right before Suho¡¯s eyes. Like a zombie. [If Elvenwood sucks the nutrients out of the elves, then the spirits are after the husks that have had all the nutrients sucked out. Because we have been friends for so long, our elves¡¯ corpses are full of spirit affinity.] In order to use spirit magic, you must have a high affinity for spirits. To put it the other way around, a corpse with high affinity for spirits is the perfect vessel for the spirits. and. [??] Suho saw. The name tags floating above the heads of the elf zombies had question marks on them, just like in Fores. ¡®I get it now.¡¯ Suho finally understood. Perhaps the question mark means that the system is an entity whose identity cannot be determined. They have already be something that is neither elves nor spirits. Even at this very moment, other spirits werepeting to enter the shell, pushing aside the spirits that had already settled in. ¡®The kernels were constantly turning over, so it was impossible to give them a name.¡¯ [Name. Now that I think about it, you humans seem to call us ice elves ¡®White Ghosts.¡¯] At Suho¡¯s words, Sd stroked his chin and muttered. [If that¡¯s what it means, then it would be appropriate to call those guys ¡®fallen ghosts.¡¯] Tiring. [??] ¡ú [Fallen Ghost] At Sd¡¯s words, the name tag that had been a question mark changed to ¡®Fallen Ghost¡¯. But what does it matter what you call it? Things like names weren¡¯t important. More important than that was the purpose of those ¡®fallen spirits¡¯. Oh my! The zombie elves, possessed by the spirits, moved about staggeringly, and began to ughter every living thing they could see outside the dead forest. And then he dragged the corpses back to Elvenwood. ¡®Are you sure you¡¯re going to gather the nutrients for Elvenwood yourself?¡¯ [Yes. It¡¯s called symbiosis. A rtionship where each side uses and is used for their own benefit. If you think about it, our elves are the same. Look at that.] ¡®¡­ ¡­ !¡¯ Now that I think about it, not all the elves were wiped out and turned into corrupted demons. In the ce where Sd pointed, the elves who had survived Elvenwood¡¯s rampage were desperately running away. At that moment, through Suho¡¯s sight, he spotted ¡®Fores¡¯ running away in a panic, mixed in with the survivors. Since this illusion itself was a mirage that arose from Fores¡¯s memory, among the elves who were scattered and running away in all directions, Fores¡¯s running away was the closest one. But the reason Suho was surprised wasn¡¯t because he discovered Fores. Including Fores, who was running away in a panic, all the surviving elves had a ¡®fruit¡¯ in their arms. ¡®Could that fruit be?¡¯ [¡­ ¡­ Yes. It¡¯s the fruit of Elvenwood. To be exact, it¡¯s a ¡®seed.¡¯] ¡®Are you really going to raise Elvenwood again after being treated like that?¡¯ [That¡¯s why I said symbiosis.] Sd was also looking at Fores¡¯ back with a bitter look in his eyes. [No matter what, elves need Elvenwood to survive. The same goes for the spirits. At least until the nutrients in the area dry up, Elvenwood and the spirits pretend to be ¡®friends of the elves.¡¯] ¡®¡­ ¡­ .¡¯ Fores, who barely managed to escape the rampage of Elvenwood, arrived in a newnd. And finding the most fertilend, he dug into it and nted the fruits of Elvenwood. And as he practiced his magic on thatnd, a new Elvenwood sprouted. The sprout quickly sucked up the fertile nutrients and grew rapidly, and a new elven vige was born around that ce. Suho nodded. ¡®So that¡¯s why they¡¯re nomads.¡¯ [Yes. To grow Elvenwood, you always have to wander around fertilends.] In the meantime, the fantasy again made time pass quickly. The newnd that was acquired after much hardship dried up again at a rapid pace. And the same thing happened again. Elvenwood attacked the elves again. A fallen ghost was born. Fores ran away again, carrying one of the fruits, in search of newnds. And once again, Elvenwood sprouted in the fertilend. While watching this entire series of events, Suho suddenly had a question. ¡®But Sd, why can¡¯t you see me?¡¯ 1 All these illusions were Fores¡¯ memories. And Fores said that he and Sd once lived together and were rivals. But why is Sd nowhere to be seen among all these survivors? But the corners of Sd¡¯s mouth went up in a bitter manner at Suho¡¯s question. [Why can¡¯t I be seen among the survivors? Of course not.] The expression on his face was one of obvious confidence. [Because I didn¡¯t run away.] ¡®what?¡¯ Sd answered confidently. [I am the only high elf who did not flee the rampantnd of Elven wood. That is why I, Shd, am called the King of the Yetis, the Lord of the Cold.] Whioo- A bitter cold wind blew at that moment. [Friends with the spirits?] Sd snorted and smiled, baring his teeth. [He who rules the spirits, that is the monarch.] Chapter 261 Chapter 261 Whioo- The illusion of the ice flower erased the forest, and this time, the very old memories that Sd remembered began to be dra wn before Suho¡¯s eyes. It was a newborn baby. [That¡¯s me.] It was a very young Shd, fast asleep in the arms of an adult elf. [And my mother.] And behind it, the tall Elvenwood trees were swaying their branches ominously. Sd muttered softly, ring at the hideous monster disguised as peace. Since when did it start? [¡­ ¡­ Before I was born, our elves were already being raised by Elvenwood.] And this memory was a very painful memory that Scy still held even after his death. Spring, summer, fall, winter. The four seasons that the elves experienced were not one year. Sometimes it was brief, sometimes itsted for decades. But there was definitely an end someday. The peace that seemed like it wouldst forever was inevitably met with winter. One day, as the once fertilend gradually dried up and a bitter snowstorm swept through the bare forest where even the fallen leaves had fallen. [As always, the ¡®Year of Harvest¡¯ came suddenly.] Whoa- Hey, run away! [Winter is always sudden.] The year of harvest. One day, Elvenwood began harvesting the elves it had been raising. [¡­ ¡­ I was still young.] Suho, who was watching the illusion, saw Sd¡¯s expression. Sd was facing his memories with bitter eyes. WHEEWWW! A bitter cold blizzard. He saw his mother desperately running away across the frozen snowfield. When I closed my eyes, it was still vivid. Holding myself tightly in her arms, still a newborn baby. The urgent face of a mother running away in a panic. In that warm embrace, Sd looked at his young eyes that were staring nkly at his mother¡¯s face. and. Phew- -Ugh¡­ ¡­ ! ¡­ ¡­ Even as her back was pierced by those hideous thorns, the mother¡¯s trembling hands desperately handed her child over to another elf. -You, you too¡­ ¡­ . ¡­ ¡­ Thest voice of my mother as she was captured by the fallen spirits and dragged back to Elvenwood. Those sad eyes that smiled faintly as they watched their child drift away in the arms of another elf. Even with her blurred eyes, she still smiled at the child until the very end, that faint voice. -Alive¡­ ¡­ . [¡­ ¡­ You live too.] All of those things were still vivid in Scy¡¯s memory. 1 Even at this very moment, when I am dead and in eternal sleep, forever and ever. [That is thest I remember seeing my mother.] Whioo- Time passed quickly in the fantasy. Sd. There was a newborn baby there who had lost his parents and barely survived by being left in the arms of other survivors. At the same time, the young elf, who had witnessed all of the tragedy with his own two eyes, settled down smoothly in the new vige with the other adults, remembering all of the despair. New home. Within the fence of the newly sprouted Elvenwood. Sd grew up and became a boy. Became a young man. I also made some friends. Among them was Fores. Sd learned magic and hunting techniques with his friends, and evenpeted with each other for the position of guardian of the vige. Looking back, it was peace. Sunny weather. The fresh scent of grass. Every moment was peaceful. But in all those moments, Sd¡¯s friends never once saw Sd smile. It seemed like he didn¡¯t know how to smile at all. It was natural. Sd¡¯s mother simply told him to live, but left without telling him how to live. [Do you know that?] Sd chanted beside Suho. [Sometimes a bloody battlefield is better than a miserable peace.] Sd was ring at the illusion he had created with a fierce gaze. Kkwaak! Winter hase again. Peace is over. The elves were dying. The survivors fled in panic. -How! Among them, Fores was howling. -Why do we have to end up like this every time! [Fores was the same as me.] Fores, like Sd, was a newborn baby who barely survived in the previous vige. An elf who has experienced the tragedy of repeated winters. [We have always felt wronged. Why do we elves always have to repeat this? Why can¡¯t we escape this cruel fate?] Silent anger bloomed in Sd¡¯s eyes as he watched Fores howling in anger in the midst of a blizzard. [So I stayed.] Srd made a different choice than Fores. In the middle of the vige where everyone is scattered and running away. In that bitter cold, blizzard. Only Sd remained there, holding his weapon. [I felt wronged. So I made a promise. I would never repeat it again.] Arge number of thorn roots descended on Shd, who was looking up at Elvenwood with a venomous expression. Breaking through the ice floor. Through the snowstorm. [If my end is already decided, at least I will choose where I die.] Swish! Swish! The fallen spirits also came rushing in. Evil spirits with their faces turned upside down, once members of the same vige. Hungry spirits who have not yet imed their bowls. Against all those enemies. No, against everything in the world. [¡­ ¡­ I didn¡¯t run away.] 1 Shwaak-! Grrrrrrrr! In that thick snowstorm. Sd fought and fought without rest. In that ce where everyone else had fled, only Sd remained and fought alone. [We fought day and night. We even forgot about hunger. In the first ce, the passage of time had no meaning in a blizzard. We fought so frantically¡­ ¡­ .] Towering. [At some point, no one attacked me.] Whioo- All the enemies had disappeared. A cold and bitter winter. In that bitterly cold blizzard, only Sd stood alone on the deste snowfield. And Sd couldn¡¯t help but burst intoughter when he discovered something toote. Suho, who was watching the illusion from beside Sd, also opened his mouth when he noticed the sight. ¡®¡­ ¡­Elvenwood is frozen to death.¡¯ [Yeah. Isn¡¯t that ridiculous?] At Suho¡¯s words, Sd burst intoughter and responded. [That great Elvenwood froze to death. Much faster than I, who was just struggling to survive. It couldn¡¯t stand the cold. The cold¡­ ] That was all there was to it. There was a mixture of emptiness, ridicule, and resentment on Sd¡¯s face as he muttered endlessly. Looking at it another way, it seemed like she was forcing herself to hold back tears. That¡¯s it¡­ Having barely managed to survive, Sd dragged his wounded body towards the frozen Elvenwood. And then he started beating the frozen tree like crazy. There was no purpose. Just until his anger subsides. Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! For several days. Continue on. He didn¡¯t stop until Elvenwood was torn apart. [But I still couldn¡¯t get over it. So I dug up all the frozen ground and pulled out all the roots hidden underneath. And this time, I chewed up and swallowed all the roots.] ng, ng. The expression on Sd¡¯s face as he forcibly chewed and swallowed the remains of Elvenwood was already half-mad. How can one be in one¡¯s right mind? His entire body was covered in wounds, having been worn out by a long battle. The blood from his wounds had frozen like frost in the bitter cold, leaving his skin cracked and split. In some ways, it was a much more gruesome sight than that of a fallen ghost, and it wouldn¡¯t be strange if he died soon. But Sd was still alive. Even this bone-chilling cold was nothing to him. Rather, he couldn¡¯t copse even more in order to spend his entire life mocking Elvenwood, who couldn¡¯t stand such cold weather. [So I decided to stay in that town after that. Since there was no reason to leave in the first ce.] And the moment he left thatnd to escape the cold, he also felt that he was no longer worthy ofughing at Elvenwood. [So I just sat there. It was cold, but as I lived there, I realized there were many advantages.] What are the advantages? It was so damn cold. But elves were a race that adapted to their environment¡­ ¡­ . [That¡¯s how I became the ¡®first ice elf¡¯.] The first ice elf. It was muchter that Sd, who survived the bitter cold, became the next monarch. Only after the current elven monarch died in the war between the rulers and the lords, could Sd finally be the next lord. But at that time, he was still young and young. If you think about it, it wasn¡¯t even a proper revenge on Elvenwood. All he had aplished was holding out until Elvenwood froze to death. He made up his mind. [I decided that one day I would be the lord of the elves and find all the elvenwoods and uproot them. And I finally did it. As soon as I became the lord, I uprooted all the elvenwoods I could see.] Of course, there were elves who opposed it. However, since the decision of Shd, who had already be the monarch, was absolute, all the elves gradually adapted to the harshnd where Elvenwood had disappeared and became ice elves. And the starting point is the first snowfield where Sd survived. Elvenwood was the first vige to be rebuilt on the dead, coldnds. But ironically, the elves who lost Elvenwood were very weak. The spirits who had lost their center of gravity no longer listened to the elves¡¯ requests. But it didn¡¯t matter. They were no longer friends, so a hierarchy was needed. -Obey me, you lowly and cowardly spirits. After bing the Lord of the Cold, Shd uprooted all the Elvenwood and began to hunt down the spirits that were scattering away from him. [The spirits don¡¯t die. But if you catch them and freeze them, that¡¯s the end of it.] Sd poured out all his resentment and curses on the spirits he had captured one by one. ¨C Spirits, freeze. Be trapped in the bitter cold and suffer forever. The curse was an elemental spell containing all the resentment of Shd, the first ice elf to survive the cold. -Just as you have made my people like that, you too will live an infinite number of years, neither alive nor dead. At the same time, it was as if they had been toying with the corpses of dead elves and turning them into corrupted spirits. They too were cursed to be locked in a frozen prison forever, neither alive nor dead, and be ves to Sd. Grrrrrr! The giant ice giants born in this way trembled before Shd and swore submission. Their howls were the pitiful cries of the spirits trapped within. [Ice Golem] Suho was seeing the name of the prison right before his eyes. And then I remembered. A quote from a philosopher I¡¯ve seen somewhere. ¡®We are all fighting our own war.¡¯ And when I first met the dead Sd in this pure white world. I recalled the illusion of a forgotten timeline that Sd had shown me. In that fantasy, Sd¡­ ¡­ . He was whispering in an extremely cruel voice while thrusting a frozen de into Sung Jin-woo¡¯s heart. -Is this it, human? Then you will not be able to see. The moment our army arrives on thisnd. At that time, your human corpses will form mountains, and your blood will form rivers. It was the worst curse that Sd, the king of the Yetis and the lord of the cold, could do. -But this country where you were born and raised will be different. I will personally freeze all the people of thisnd and make them suffer forever. At the same time, it was a ¡®real¡¯ hell that Scy knew best and understood more desperately than anyone else. -¡­ ¡­They will live for an infinite amount of time, neither alive nor dead. Fallen spirits who live for an infinite amount of time, neither alive nor dead. no. The life of the elves themselves, who were taken away from them by Elvenwood and its spirits. -¡­ ¡­ Hate me endlessly in death like that. Remembering the hell they had personally endured, Sd poured out as many curses as he could towards the dying Shadow Lord. -¡­ ¡­ That will also be my pleasure. And that was the only sacrifice that could save him andfort his mother¡¯s smile who died, and hispatriots who died so resentfully next to him. -Why! Why do we have to suffer like this every time! Before I knew it, the illusion had returned to the image of Fores running away, crying sadly. Looking at that sight, Sd muttered with a sad look in his eyes. [Yes. I too felt wronged. I wanted to make other people experience the hell that our elves live in. That was the least I could do for mypatriots who had already died. But now that I think about it¡­ ¡­ .] Sd¡¯s eyes gleamed as he watched Fores¡¯ next memory. [¡­ ¡­ Fores, this guy seems to have found a different way than me.] Sd, who survived the winter on his own. Forest, who was also a high elf, had to run away from the countless winters that urred. The fates of these two ended inpletely different endings. Sd eventually became a monarch and fought proudly against his enemies, fighting on the battlefield until his death. Even though the ending was defeat, he was a warrior who aplished the task of thrusting his de into the heart of the great Shadow Lord with his own hands. But Fores was different. -You are a creature born with a pitiful fate. ¡­ ¡­ ! Suddenly, in the illusion of the ice flower, someone appeared in front of Fores, who was crying. ¡®¡­ ¡­ !¡¯ At that moment, Sd and Suho¡¯s eyes shed simultaneously. stigma! Unidentified beings with golden stigmata floating above their heads in the form of a halo appeared before Fores. But unfortunately, their faces were not clearly visible because they were obscured by the dazzling light emitted by the stigmata. Because this appearance was Fores¡¯ memory. Fores did not dare to raise his head, overwhelmed by the holy light they emitted. But even in the midst of all that, he saw something. -Can we help you out a little? It was a smile that was as beautiful as it was cruel, and it appeared on their lips. It was their hands that were extended affectionately to me when I was in despair. And that hand, without even waiting for an answer, without hesitation, gouged out Fores¡¯s two eyes. Chapter 262 Chapter 262 The moment Forest¡¯s eyes were gouged out. Swish! The golden stigmata dug deep into Fores¡¯s vision, which was bathed in pitch-ck darkness. Both Suho and Sd already knew that it was a foreign stone. The problem was Fores¡¯ soul. Crack! Crack! As the stigmata dug in, the shock began to crack Fores¡¯ previously darkened vision. and. Zzz! In the end, Fores¡¯ soul shattered and burst like a broken ss window. [The soul is broken.] Ugh. Sd ground his teeth with a fearful expression. Fores¡¯s soul began to fall apart. In that moment, Forest¡¯s memories also began to flicker countless times. The illusion of ice flowers itself is crumbling like snow powder. Sd clicked his tongue as he watched the figures of those who had given him the stigmata melt away like a mirage. [Somehow, the soul size of a guy as big as a high elf was too small. It seems that Fores¡¯s vessel was not enough to ept the power they gave him.] ¡®No, maybe that was their intention from the beginning. Look at that.¡¯ As soon as Suho finished speaking. Swish! Hungry spirits were surging in like a tidal wave through the cracks in Forest¡¯s shattered soul in the distance. If it had been a normal forest, he would have struggled to escape as well. But now it was different. -Ahhh¡­ ¡­ ! This power¡­ ¡­ ! He was already blind. I found new light in the darkness. -Ahh! Thank you! Thank you! God of the Elves! With this power, I can finally be a monarch¡­ ¡­ ! He weed all the spirits with open arms, his expression filled with joy. They willingly chose to be fallen spirits of their own free will. [Tsk. I lost my sense of reason and gotpletely bewitched.] Sd clicked his tongue in regret. Fores heard theughter of the spirits, shaking with joy, but he did not realize what it was. And when so many spirits were mixed together that Fores¡¯ soul could not distinguish them. -What a good boy. He¡¯s quite an interesting creature. A voice like a ray of light whispered to Fores. -Are there any other kids like you? -It is there! It is there! The jubnt voice of Fores, bowing down to that solemnmand, echoed through the air. -Even if it¡¯s not there, I¡¯ll find it somehow and bring it back to you¡­ ¡­ Then stand tall. Suddenly, the voice of Fores, which seemed tost forever, stopped. Then his head creaked and turned to the side like a soulless doll. [Okay, wait a minute.] Sd¡¯s expression hardened. [no way?] The gaze that had lost its light moved slowly, passing by Suho and Sd who were watching him, and then next to him¡­ ¡­ I found Sirka. -Found it. ¡­ ¡­ ?! A bright smile suddenly appeared on Fores¡¯s lips as he lost his sight. Hehe. To his surprise, Fores¡¯s wee looked straight at Sirka, who was trapped in the ice, and screamed. -Found it! sh! Dazzling stigmata! Suddenly, a golden light burst out from Fores¡¯s wee, rapidly growing and extending towards Sirka. [This is crazy! There¡¯s no way something like this is possible¡­ ¡­ !] A terrified Sd hurriedly tried to take away the illusion of the ice flower. Then a strong bacsh came back. Your own spirit magic is out of control! [Hey, stop it¡­ ¡­ !] Sd shouted desperately, clenching his hands and pulling the illusion of ice flowers towards him. grasp! Before he could finish his words, Suho had already leapt forward. Holding Kamish¡¯s Wrath in both hands. That moment. Jjeong! The golden stigmata emitted by Fores pierced through the ice that was protecting Sirka. And then, m into Sirka¡¯s chest! ¡®Where!¡¯ sh! The guardian sword managed to cut through the gold by a hair¡¯s breadth. Hurrruk! The stigmata were burned away in the crimson mes. ¡®Surprise.¡¯ Fortunately, Sirka was unharmed. But this was just the beginning. Ugh! Sd vented his anger. [Don¡¯t hide,e out! Who dares to covet my descendants!] WHEEWWW! A bitterly cold blizzard blew over the out-of-control ice flower illusion. The strong wind revealed the beings that had been hidden beyond the dark abyss. Countless eyeballs. Smile. The strange eyeballs hidden in the abyss spin around as if ying a joke. Even smiling with his eyes. Suho realized their true identity. ¡®Spirit.¡¯ [Yeah, it was my mistake.] Sd gritted his teeth. I let my guard down. Even if this is the world of the dead monarch and time has stopped. For Sylhard himself, this was still unknown territory. Because he was simply called out for a moment by Suho¡¯s unknown power. But one thing I realized clearly. The fact that you can use spirit magic here means that, at least for this moment, the spirits are also free from the flow of time. [While we were spying on Fores¡¯ memories, they were spying on us too.] -Hehehehe! 2 -Kihihihihi- The spirits¡¯ eyes were spinning around Sirka, growing bigger and smaller repeatedly. The entire heavens and earth were covered with strange eyeballs, equal to the number of spirits that Fores had held in his arms. It was clear what they were aiming for. Sd blocked Sirka¡¯s path with a determined expression and spoke to Suho. [Sirka¡¯s vessel is not yetplete. If you give up Sirka, your soul will burst like Fores.] Even though Shd had chosen Sirka as his sessor, Sirka was still young and weak. Evenpared to the high elf Fores, he was far from beingpetent. Damn it! As Sd grabbed the blizzard with both hands, a long trident formed, frozen in frost. [Guardian. You guard Sirka here. I am much morefortable dealing with spirits.] And without waiting for an answer, he leapt forward without hesitation and swung his spear. [I will take this opportunity to teach you how to hunt spirits.] Chuwaaaaak! The two spears swung and attacked the spirits without hesitation. The spirits were frozen and shattered by the attack. But Suho had no intention of just standing still and watching. ¡®The power of the ruler!¡¯ Shwaak- Chomp chomp chomp chomp chomp! Suho defended Sirka¡¯s front, while also attacking the spirits that were approaching in circles, blowing away Kamish¡¯s anger. But there were too many numbers. Even if I wanted to use Breath of Destruction, it was ineffective against these reckless guys because it was a straight-line attack. I¡¯ve never felt more sorry than today about not being able to summon shadow soldiers in this space. But it wasn¡¯t just shadow soldiers that could be summoned. Gray, who is tied to the pet system, has never been summoned from the world of the dead Quresha. ¡®Gray! Summon!¡¯ [Crunch!] Gray, a fanged wolf engulfed in divine light, appeared before Suho. There was no need to even bother going through the trouble of having a spirit being sacrificed. Nowadays, the more hands the better. ¡®gray.¡¯ Whoosh. Gray¡¯s gaze is intense as he turns his head to meet Sooho¡¯s call and looks into his eyes. Seeing that sight gave me a new feeling. It seems like only yesterday that I was a weak,nky puppy held captive by the Hyena Guild, but when did I grow up so much? Suho nodded his head and gave orders to Gray, who was waiting only for his orders. ¡®Eat.¡¯ Hehe. The corners of Gray¡¯s mouth grew longer, revealing his fangs. and. [Crunch!] sh- The moment Gray¡¯s four feet hit the floor. Gray was literally a breath of fresh air. Crunch! Crunch! Crunch! -Keeeeeek! -Heeeeeeek! He started to devour the spirits he came across like a wild beast released into a sheep pasture. Of course, the spirits fought back against Gray with ferocious force, but didn¡¯t Gray have dentures(?) that Suho had specially put in? [Crunch!] Gray¡¯s roar echoed through the air, and an incredible killing intent shook the spirits. [Gray uses ¡®Skill: Contempt for the Weak¡¯.] [¡®Effect: Fear¡¯ is activated.] [All abilities of targets are reduced by 50% for 1 minute.] Not all spirits will be weaker than Gray. But to the spirits who were rtively weaker than Gray, Gray was a true predator. [Crock!] Crunch! Crunch! [Gray uses ¡®Skill: Fatal Wound¡¯.] [Gray uses ¡®Skill: Paralysis¡¯.] Gray was a true hunter, growing stronger by finding and killing spirits weaker than himself. [The spirit has been defeated.] [The spirit has been defeated.] [The spirit has been defeated.] [The spirit has been defeated.] ¡­ ¡­ [¡®Pet: Gray¡¯ offers 50% of its experience points as a sacrifice to its owner.] ¡®They say spirits don¡¯t die, but you can still eat them.¡¯ [The king of beasts, the fang monarch, says that the world is a dog-eat-dog world, and that if you have teeth, there is nothi ng you cannot eat.] [The King of Beasts, the Fang Lord, says that elves and spirits, who have a high affinity for spirits, are eaten by spirits.] Lakan¡¯s pride in seeing the grown-up Gray was conveyed here. ¡®Okay. Then while we¡¯re at it, should we solve this one too?¡¯ Suho turned his head and looked at Sirka. Sirka was sleeping quietly in the broken ice. Crunch. Suho reached into the ice without hesitation and pulled Sirka out. [What, what are you doing! I told you to guard it well!] Sd, who was fighting the spirits, was terrified when he saw this sight. But Suho responded without flinching. ¡®What are you doing? I don¡¯t have enough free time to wait until this guy is fully grown.¡¯ Bam. ¡®Sirka.¡¯ Suho woke up Sirka who was sleeping forcibly. ¡®How long do you n on sleeping?¡¯ Suho shook Sirka awake and said. ¡®I¡¯ve been thinking about it, and I can see why Sd chose you as his descendant, despite having so many high elves.¡¯ Suho watched over Shd¡¯s life from beginning to end. So I could be sure. ¡®You are already qualified enough.¡¯ Sirka was an ice elf who was born and raised in a harshnd where there were no adults. He was a guardian who fought against spirits to protect his friends even though he was young. ¡®Get up. Get up and take control of those spirits yourself.¡¯ ¡­ ¡­ sh! Sirka¡¯s eyes opened. Time in Sirka, which had stopped, began to move again. Chapter 263 Chapter 263 Sirka was dreaming. That was a few years ago. It was a memory of the day I first met ¡®Chacha¡¯. But as always, Sirka¡¯s dreams had one thing inmon that never changed, no matter what the content. That is ¡®color¡¯. Sirka¡¯s dreams were always white. From the moment she was born until now, the world surrounding her was always pure white, so she only knew that world. Whioooooo- A bitter cold blizzard. Pure white snowfield. A life of struggle, running barefoot across the cold snowfield and fighting countless spirits. Because that was all the world Sirka knew. but. It was from ¡®that day¡¯. -Sirka! We¡¯re in trouble! -The spirits have invaded the vige! The world of Sirka, which seemed like it wouldst forever, began to change. -The spirits have gone wild! -Everyone, raise your weapons! One day, the spirits of the Echo Forest went berserk and attacked the vige. For days on end, they fought fiercely against the endless stream of spirits. One day, as she watched the old elves dying one by one near her, Sirka also prepared herself for her own death. Shwaaaaak-! -Look at the sky! -A monster ising down from the sky! -It¡¯s a dragon! Ah, why on earth¡­ ¡­ . Why do misfortunes strike all at once like this? The moment I witnessed a giant dragon descending from the sky through a blizzard. Perhaps Sirka felt such a sense of overwhelming despair. But surprisingly, that despair turned into a bright hope in an instant. From the moment a human riding on top of that giant dragon suddenly appeared andnded on the ground. -Where is this? From the moment I saw the tremendous magical power flowing through the entire body of that human being, who immedia tely grasped the surrounding situation with sharp eyes even in the midst of a snowstorm. and. -Hey, I don¡¯t have a weapon, so can you lend me a weapon of any kind? Have you finally figured out the situation? Sirka ended up handing over her weapon in a panic to the human who suddenly approached her and offered her his hand. Two extra daggers tucked into his waistband. -A dagger¡­ ¡­I somehow miss it. Then, as if something had suddenly urred to the man, he held the two daggers in his hands and smiled faintly. 2 And that was it. Swaaaah! That man began to dance the ¡®sword dance¡¯ in earnest, his hair fluttering. -Kiaaaaaaaah! And right behind him, a huge dragon roared ferociously and started hunting the spirits together with the human. That day. The vige barely regained peace. By a stranger who suddenly appeared. But the stranger did not leave the vige even after the battle was over and continued to harass them. -This won¡¯t work. I don¡¯t know where this is, but I need to take care of you first. Seriously¡­ ¡­ . Looking back, I still think he was a really strange person. -Is everyone okay? All the injured kids, gather here! And you over there! -Me, me? -Yeah, you. If there¡¯s any bandages or medicine in the vige, could you bring them to me? And has everyone eaten? Why are you all dressed so coldly? Aren¡¯t you cold? ¡­ ¡­ Oh my. Although I was the one who felt the coldest. The meticulous hands that suddenly appeared and saved them, tightly opening their cors as the cold wind seeped through. It really wasn¡¯t funny. ¡­ ¡­ Instead, tears came to my eyes. It was tears of relief at realizing once again that I had survived. And it was from that day on. That broad-minded stranger settled down in the vige and was called ¡®Chacha¡¯. Chacha is like that¡­ ¡­ . He stayed with the young elves who barely survived and became their family. 5 Sometimes as a swordsmanship master. ¨C Sirka! Waist! Lower your posture! You won¡¯t fall over if your center of gravity is low! -What is the center of gravity? -Ah, should I exin from there¡­ ¡­ . It taught me tactics and strategy, and how to defend myself. Sometimes like a mother. -Kids, let¡¯s eat! -Wow!-! -Sirka! If you eat first again, you¡¯ll get in trouble! You have to eat together with your friends! -I don¡¯t like it! I already have a mug. In the midst of the still bitter cold and snowstorm, he made warm food and gave them cozy clothes. and¡­. -Hey, our Sirka! You look so cool with your hair braided! This way, your vision won¡¯t be obstructed during battle, right? -Hehe. Yeah! -Elves¡¯ hair is truly amazing. How can it be so pretty and shiny, yet so strong and tough that it could be used as a bowstring? -Ahem. Aren¡¯t you jealous? Just wait a minute. When my hair grows longer, I¡¯ll make a bow for Chacha myself. -Oh, thank you. Then, in return, I will make you a bracelet with my hair. -What¡¯s the bracelet for? It¡¯s useless in battle. -too bad. -Hehehe. Just kidding. ¡­ ¡­ taught me how to smile brightly even in the bitter cold. -Sirka. In this way, thanks to Chacha, Sirka was able to learn new colors for the first time in the cold, harsh winter world where she had been trapped all her life. The color is warm. I had no doubt that if there was such a thing as spring, it would be of these colors. -Sirka. and. A voice that strangely resembled Chacha¡¯s had been heard from afar. -You are already qualified enough. Heart pounding. A voice that resembled Chacha, but had a strangely low resonance, was calling out to him. -So get up. Wake up? What do you mean? The voice reached Sirka, who was having a happy dream. At that moment, I instinctively realized something. Whioooooo! ¡­ ¡­ ! The fact that he was once again surrounded and targeted by hungry spirits, just like that day. WHHHHHHH! Just like before Chacha appeared, the vige was on the verge of being eaten by numerous spirits that invaded it. The first thing thates to mind at that moment is the instinctive fear I felt that day. The next image that came to mind was Chacha¡¯s smile, which always looked straight at him and smiled. -Get up and take control of those spirits yourself. ¡­ ¡­ ! The sound of someone¡¯s voice again awakened Sirka¡¯s courage. Just like that day. -Be a monarch. ¡­ ¡­ sh! At those words, Sirka instinctively opened her eyes and saw Suho¡¯s face, which resembled Chacha¡¯s. Sirka asked with a bewildered expression. [¡­ ¡­ Where is this?] ¡®If you wake up, take out your weapon first.¡¯ No answer came back. Instead, a long ck shadow spread out behind Suho¡¯s broad back as he turned to look forward again. Phew! Phew! [Use ¡®Skill: Monarch¡¯s Realm¡¯.] 1 And beyond that, he watched Sd hunting the spirits and shouted at Sirka. ¡®Wake up and look ahead! The former Lord of the Cold himself will show you how to fight the spirits! Watch and learn for yourself, not me!¡¯ [¡­ ¡­ ?!] Sirka was surprised. It was exactly as he said. Swaaaah! The dead monarch was radiating tremendous force in front of me, overwhelming the spirits. But at the same time I realized. [No. It¡¯s impossible. I still¡­ . . ] The fact that my abilities are woefully inadequate to dare to imitate that tremendous momentum. ¡®Impossible, my ass!¡¯ phut! -Ugh?! Suddenly, Suho¡¯s palm flew and mercilessly struck Sirka¡¯s back, causing Sirka toe to her senses. A familiar taste! This pain was the taste of Chacha¡¯s hands that he had experienced countless times while learning swordsmanship from Chacha. At the same time, it was also the taste of his mother¡¯s cooking that Suho had experienced more times than the number of times he had been touched. Suho said. ¡®Don¡¯t worry, just trust me and follow me. I¡¯ve already learned the tricks.¡¯ [What? That power is definitely different from what you¡¯re handling. How?] ¡®That¡¯s why I said it was a trick. Use what you have as needed. Alright, let¡¯s go!¡¯ [Okay, wait a minute¡­ ¡­ !] WHHHHH! Suho suddenly jumped forward, dragging Sirka along. In a panic, Sirka jumped into a whirlpool of hungry spirits, and Suho snickered beside her. ¡®Okay, take out your weapons first.¡¯ [¡­ ¡­ The Ice Tree¡¯s Spear.] Tsk tsk tsk! As Sirka obediently followed Suho¡¯s words, frost appeared on her hand and the ice tree¡¯s spear extended out. As soon as she held the weapon in her hand, Sirka¡¯s body instinctively began to attack the spirits, following the movements she had learned from Chacha. ¡®Good. You fight well.¡¯ [There¡¯s no way this will work¡­ ¡­ !] ¡®Then it starts now. I¡¯ll teach you the tricks.¡¯ Suho¡¯s eyes sparkled. [Use ¡®Skill: Rigid Body Technique¡¯.] Swish! In that moment, ck energy enveloped Suho¡¯s two fists and two arms. Sirka¡¯s eyes widened. I noticed it instinctively. The fact that that power is not a normal skill. The strong and sturdy ck aura rose up to Suho¡¯s shoulders, forming a gigantic armor. Suho stretched out his huge hand, snatched one of the spirits, and blew it up. Boom! Suho, who had crushed and exploded one of the spirits, looked back at Sirka and smiled with his teeth exposed. ¡®This is power. It is the power that the King of the Strong Body used.¡¯ [Huh, how did you get that power¡­ ¡­?!] ¡®I learned it. You learn it from now on.¡¯ Kwak! Kwaang! Suho grabbed the spirits again and blew them up. ¡®One more here.¡¯ [Use ¡®Skill: Giant¡¯s Armor¡¯.] Phew! Suho¡¯s entire body was covered in armor. This was amon skill, but Sirka had an expression on her face as if she had already realized something. ¡®Sirka.¡¯ Suho was asking. ¡®Srd became the monarch after fighting against the sudden cold. Then what does the cold mean to you?¡¯ There was no need to answer that question. To Sirka, the cold winter meant nothing in the first ce. If Sd fought against the sudden cold, for Sirka, the cold was just something she had seen since the moment she was born. Night and day, nothing but white¡­ ¡­ . Kwajik! The spear of the ice tree that Sirka extended stabbed the spirit that was targeting her. ¡­ ¡­ Yeah, I knew it. He is still young and weak. I will not be able to control all the spirits like the great former monarch Sd. but. I assert here, [At least the spirits that I can touch¡­ ¡­ .] Jjeong! The spirit stabbed by the Ice Tree¡¯s spear froze. [Dominate.] Damn it! One at a time like that. Sirka began to freeze the hungry spirits swirling around her, one by one. -Kkiiiiiiiiaaa- In the midst of the screams and cries of those spirits. Along the tip of Sirka¡¯s spear, all the spirits that Sirka had killed began to freeze like frost. And the shape was that of a giant armor that Suho had personally shown. Jjeong! In that moment, a cold majesty appeared in Sirka¡¯s eyes. [Spirit Armor] (Spiritual machine) Damn it! Then, the armor began to cover Sirka¡¯s entire body, expanding its area in proportion to the number of spirits Sirka had killed. Just like the martial arts and giant armor that Suho himself showed us. As a result, Sirka surrounded herself with a huge suit of armor that was two to three timesrger than her own body. and. Crunch! He extended his huge fist, made up of ice spirits, forward, grabbed another spirit, and sted it. As Suho showed. ¡®Yeah, you¡¯re good at it. If you learned it from your mom, you should be able to do that much.¡¯ Suho smiled at that sight and said. [¡­oh my god.] On the other hand, the eyes of the former monarch Sd, who was hunting the spirits in front of me, widened in shock. But that onlysts for a moment. Immediately afterwards, pride filled Sd¡¯s eyes. [Well, not a bad start.] Spirit control, not spirit magic. To take that first step sessfully by imitating the techniques used by none other than the King of Rigidity. [No, it¡¯s so wonderful.] Yes, that¡¯s right. As expected, his choice was right. Do you see, Fores? Look at that majestic sight of spirit mastery, not just spirit magic, but even the ability to consume spirits as mere materials for making weapons and armor. Isn¡¯t that young elf more worthy of a monarch than a high elf who just ran away from the cold winter? [Hehehehe!] Sd burst intoughter, genuinely delighted. Tiring! [The King of the Snowmen, the Lord of the Cold, expresses his gratitude to his priest.] [The King of the Snowmen, the Lord of the Cold, salutes the deeds of his priest.] ¡®hmm?¡¯ Suho looked back at Shd as he saw the system message that suddenly appeared. Then, Sd smiled with a very satisfied smile. [Son of the Shadow Lord. Do you remember what I said to you when I first met you? I originally intended to kill you the moment I saw you. But I saw your mother. Thepanion of the Shadow Lord who became a mother to my young and weak tribe.] The misery that Sd felt the moment he learned that fact was indescribable. The moment he saw that sight, he was reminded of his mother¡¯s face, who had died protecting him until the end when he was a newborn. [I decided not to kill you because I was grateful to your mother. But not anymore.] Kwajik! Even as Sd tore apart another spirit and killed it, his gaze was still fixed on Suho¡¯s face. [Thank you. For proving that my choice was right.] Tiring! [Would you like to recruit ¡®Descendants of the Cold¡¯ as yourpanion?] (Y/N) At that moment, a new message appeared before Suho¡¯s eyes again. And even the quest. [The quest has arrived.] But Suho already knew what Sd¡¯s request was. [Please take good care of my descendants in the future.] Shh. With those words, Suho and Sirka, wearing ck armor and spirit armor, simultaneously grabbed the spirit and blew it up with their eyes shining. Boom! ¡®Then get out of here. From now on, we¡¯ll eat all the spirits.¡¯ Chapter 264 Chapter 264 Sd had already previously recognized Suho as a priest. He also granted Suho his protection, allowing him to use the skill ¡®Bitter Blizzard¡¯. But as Sd also said, at that time, it was not Sung Soo Ho himself who epted Su Ho, but his mother, Cha Hae In. But not now. Tiring! [Recruited ¡®Descendants of the Cold¡¯ as apanion.] Sd finally acknowledged Suho. As a ¡®priest of the dead monarch¡¯. He truly felt that he could trust and entrust his descendants to him. Moreover, this time it was not only Shd who acknowledged the guardianship. [Suho! Did you see? I did it!] It¡¯s Sirka. The next monarch candidate, armed with spirit armor, looked back at Suho and smiled proudly. Boom! Boom bang! -Heeeeeeeeeee¡­ ¡­ ! [The spirit has been defeated.] [The spirit has been defeated.] [The spirit has been defeated.] ¡­ ¡­ . Spirits who have been living in Elvenwood for a long time, raising elves. To them, Sirka was no longer a desirable prey. Rather, they had turned into cruel rulers who oppressed others with force. Due to Suho¡¯s teachings, the positions have be exactly opposite. The results were astonishing. Tiring! [50% of the experience gained by ¡®Companion: Sirka¡¯ is transferred to the yer.] Is this really what ¡®colleague¡¯ means? ¡®It¡¯s simr to when it was gray.¡¯ Gray was a ¡®pet¡¯ rather than apanion, but the expression was different. The level-up system applies the same principle to Sirka. Suho, who had seen and experienced a lot over the years, now fully understood the concept. For convenience, the expression ¡®experience points¡¯ is often used, but to be precise, the expression ¡®nutrients¡¯ that need to go to the World Tree would be more urate. The nutrients that leak out when demons or spirits die. The level-up system intercepts those nutrients and absorbs them into the guardian. And the method was designed very simrly to the method of the ¡®weeds¡¯ that grew by slowly stealing the nutrients of the World Tree in the afterlife sea. in result. Gray and Sirka were to be messengers who would pass on some of the ¡®nutrients¡¯ that would burst out from the creatures they killed to Suho. This is the concept of ¡®colleague¡¯ that the system speaks of. To borrow an expression familiar to humans, it was a party y where experience points were shared. But among these, there was one exception, and that was ¡®Esil¡¯. Although Eshil volunteered to be Suho¡¯s subordinate, he did not share his experience. He offered a sacrifice even greater than that. [The spirit has been defeated.] 1 [The spirit has been defeated.] [The spirit has been defeated.] ¡­ ¡­ . [¡®Protection of Gluttony¡¯ increases experience points.] [Level up!] ¡®Protection of Gluttony¡¯ The protection of Essil, which increases experience point efficiency by a whopping three times, was still in effect even though Essil was no longer present. This was due to the special nature of the demon tribe. The origins of the demon race are weeds that grew from stealing nutrients from the World Tree in the afterlife sea. Those insignificant weeds evolved to be the inhabitants of the niche and the demon race. Their monarch, Essil, did not simply offer nutrients, but amplified the absorption rate itself to digest the nutrients. 1 ¡®Even though we are all colleagues, each race has different characteristics. Gray was able to be a spirit¡­ ¡­ .¡¯ Growl! Crunch! Boom! ¡­ ¡­ Even now, looking at Gray bravely hunting spirits in front of me, ¡®Gangsin¡¯ must have had a positive effect on Gray¡¯s growth. So-called win-win. Isn¡¯t this a true sense of camaraderie? At this point, Suho had a question. If the ¡®Gaho: Blizzard of the Cold¡¯ you receivedst time was a gift for your mother and not for yourself, what about now? What about Sirka, who just became a colleague? Bam! Bam- At that moment, the area around Suho became quiet. Before they knew it, the spirits that had been swirling around, aiming for Sirka, had all frozen around them. The sight of them frozen in ce as they fled from Sirka and swirled around was a gruesome sight. Sirka thrust the tip of her spear into the center of the jagged, frozen ice as if to confirm the kill. Tsk tsk tsk! Then, strangely enough, the ice began to stick to the tip of Sirka¡¯s spear and form a thickyer. The sight was reminiscent of a giant hammer. It has now turned into a vicious blunt weapon that should be called the ¡®Ice Tree Hammer¡¯ rather than the ¡®Ice Tree Spear¡¯. [Ugh.] Sirka lifted the huge ice hammer and slung it over her shoulder. Suho burst intoughter at that sight. Spirit armor. It would be more appropriate to say that he was riding on a huge suit of armor rather than wearing one. It was hard to ignore the expression on Sirka¡¯s face as she held her head up and posed proudly, as if she was waiting for praise. ¡®You¡¯ve learned more than I thought. I guess that¡¯s what it means to be a descendant of a monarch.¡¯ [Ahem!] Sirka¡¯s shoulders rose high. At that sight, Sd held back the corners of his lips from twitching and firmly warned him. [¡­ ¡­ It¡¯s still far away. Right now, I can only control the spirits that I can touch directly¡­ ¡­ ] [grandfather.] [What, what?!] Sd was terrified. Sirka suddenly looked straight at my face and spoke to me. Up until now, they had onlymunicated with each other through ¡®prayer¡¯, so this was actually the first time that the two had met face to face. At this point, Sirka asked confidently. [Why? No? Are you my grandfather?] [¡­ ¡­ .] Sd couldn¡¯t answer in response to those bold eyes. [I saw my father only once, when I was a baby. When he left for the war, he clearly told me that I was the granddaughter of the Lord of the Cold.] [¡­ ¡­ .] Still no answer. Sirka continued speaking, staring intently at Sd¡¯s face, who was avoiding her gaze. [That¡¯s why I have to grow up quickly and protect this vige.] [¡­ ¡­ .] [Be a guardian.] Although she was very young, Sirka remembered it clearly. [That was the first andst time my father ever said anything to me.] The firm look in his father¡¯s eyes as he spoke those words to him. There was not a shred of warmth in that cold voice. I didn¡¯t know it then, but Sirka had grown to the point where she could distinguish the temperature. [¡­ ¡­ Don¡¯t me your father. To me, he was nothing more than a war tool. And that¡¯s what I learned.] Finally, Sd opened his mouth heavily as if groaning. A pure white cold air flowed out following his sigh. [No, we are all born with the destiny to fight on the battlefield from the moment we are born until the moment we die. That is the sole mission of us elves¡­ ¡­ .] [Wrong.] [¡­what?] [You were wrong.] At Sirka¡¯s bold answer, Sd finally turned his head and looked at Sirka¡¯s face. And then my eyes grew wide. [Chacha didn¡¯t say that to us.] Sirka¡­ ¡­ had an expression that was not at all like that of an ice elf. [I told you not to run around like that. It¡¯s dangerous if you fall. I told you to sleep with a warm nket. I told you to dress warmly because it¡¯s cold.] The countlessints that Cha Hae-in has made. Thinking back to those affectionate voices, Sirka¡­ ¡­ . [Even if we fight, we usually live happily.] ¡­ ¡­ was smiling brightly. [They said I looked pretty when I smiled.] [¡­ ¡­ .] [How¡¯s Grandpa?] [¡­ ¡­ It looks good.] [You mean it¡¯s pretty?] Sirka finally gets an answer andughs. At the same time, Sd had a strange expression on his face. Words I¡¯ve never once said out loud. Words I never even imagined. But, at the sight of his granddaughter smiling so confidently right in front of him, Sd eventually broke down. Shwaaaaak- Couldn¡¯t stand it any longer? Or perhaps the time given to Sd has run out. As the blizzard blew, Sd turned his back and hid into the blizzard. A very small voice flowed out through the cold, bitter snowstorm. [¡­ ¡­Thank you for growing up well.] Swaaaah! With those words, the world of Sd bounced Suho and Sirka¡¯s spirit back to reality. At that moment, Sd¡¯s voice pierced into Suho¡¯s ears. [Prepare for battle. As soon as you leave here, Elvenwood, everything in the forest, will attack you.] ¡®I know. In that sense, why don¡¯t you just give me one useful blessing or skill?¡¯ Even at this moment, Sdughed and responded to Suho¡¯s words that were trying to make a deal. [Good-natured guy. You haven¡¯t answered me yet.] ¡®A quest, you say? Okay. ept!¡¯ [¡­ ¡­ The contract has been established. Please take good care of my granddaughter.] Swaaaah! With those words, Sirka waved her hand towards Sd, whose presence was fading away, with a still bright face. [Grandpa! I¡¯ll prayter¡­ ¡­ !] [¡­ ¡­ Well, something like that.] * * * Swish! Time, which had stopped, began to flow. [Young elf.] [I¡¯ll give you a chance.] [Be one with us!] Swaaaah! Suho and Sirka¡¯s vision changed in an instant. Cha Hae-in¡¯s determined expression was visible next to them. Around them, numerous high elves, tree trunks, and countless spirits were rushing in from all directions. But now was no time to panic. Without a doubt, who will go first? They counterattacked against the entire forest. ¡°Spirit Armor!¡± Damn it! Sirka mmed her spear into the floor. Ice armor that rose like frost from the tip of the spear surrounded Sirka¡¯s entire body. As Suho¡¯s foot took a step in front of him. [Use ¡®Protection: Blizzard of the Cold¡¯.] WHEEWAAAH-! Winter hase to Elvenwood. ¡°T, this is absolutely not true!¡± ¡°Why is the power of a dead monarch in thisnd¡­ ¡­!¡± The expressions of astonishment on the faces of the high elves are quite a sight. They probably don¡¯t even dream about it. That the Lord of the Cold, who had already lost the war and died, could still be involved in this world. And the moment the Lord of the Cold epted his quest. Just as he taught Sirka how to use her powers, he also passed on the know-how to utilize his protection to Suho. [The ¡®Bonding Skill¡¯ is formed through the bond with the ¡®Descendants of the Cold¡¯.] Shh. Suho revealed his teeth meaningfully as he looked at the newly-created skill. ¡°Wingless guys. All rise up!¡± Gooooooooo! 1 At the same time, shadow soldiers rise from the shadow of the guardian. Suho used a new skill towards them. ¡°Spirit Armament!¡± (spiritual martial arts equipment) [Skill: Spirit Armament Lv.1] Requires 1 mana per second Temporarily strengthens Shadow Soldiers by offering spirits as sacrifices. Depending on the type and amount of spirit, the attributes and level of strengthening of the shadow soldier will vary. [Kuaaaah!] Then, without anyone saying anything, the shadow soldiers began to grow in size. The spirits that Sirka had defeated took possession of the soldiers¡¯ bodies. Chapter 265 Chapter 265 [Keeek?!] Ber was surprised by the sudden change in the battle situation. Wedge- The de wind swirls around as the shadow soldiers attack. Boom! Boom! A whirlwind blows at their every step. It had a simr effect to the attack by the ¡®de Wind Ravens¡¯ that were wandering around outside of Elvenwood. Kuwaang- The spirits tried to scatter to avoid their attacks, but were swept away by the giant ice hammer that Sirka swung and were unable to leave the ce. -Heeeeeeek-! Damn it! The startled spirits screamed in shock. And with that expression, he froze in ce like a sharp icicle. It was a spectacr view. [Your Majesty!] Ber looked back at Suho and let out an exmation of admiration. [How did you learn such a great skill!] Ber took a quick look at the structure of Suho¡¯s newly acquired skill. An ability that temporarily increases the attack and defense power of shadow soldiers! ¡°Buff skill?!¡± Cha Hae-in, who had been striking lightning bolts in all directions with the Demon King¡¯s longsword in front, also suddenly had his eyes wide open at the sight of shadow soldiers imbued with attribute powers. Cha Hae-in, like Ber, also found out how valuable the buff skill used by Su-ho was. buff. This is an ability that is mainly used by support hunters, such as healers, to assist party members in battle, and its types vary greatly. And therger the raid party, the more people there are. The higher the difficulty of the dungeon. By utilizing various buff skills appropriately, a much safer and more efficient strategy is possible. But if you were to pick the skill with the most versatility and usability, all hunters would unanimously choose ¡®Attribute Buff¡¯. ¡®A buff that adds attribute damage to allies! In a situation like this, it¡¯s the most efficient buff!¡¯ Melee. Especially when dealing with so many different types of demons like we do now. If you use attribute damage well ording to thepatibility of the beasts you are facing, it is possible to inflict much more damage with the same attack. But Ber had a different perspective from Cha Hae-in. Let¡¯s take a closer look at the pros and cons of ¡®Spirit Weapon¡¯ written by Suho in a more clear and specific way. [Kieeeeek! How admirable! You use spirits instead of mana to strengthen your soldiers!] One advantage. That it doesn¡¯t use mana. This could be said to be the most efficient in that it allowed the Guardian to save mana, a key material for maintaining the Shadow Legion. Advantage two. It is fundamentally different from ¡®Skill: Monarch¡¯s Realm¡¯, so the effects ovep at the same time. Three advantages. The more spirits used as materials, the greater the buff effect. But the problem is thest one. The third advantage was also a disadvantage. A skill that absolutely requires a material called spirit instead of mana. What I was saying was that the limitations were clear. [It¡¯s a shame. It¡¯s a very useful skill, but it¡¯s an ability that only allows the young elf to use the spirits he catches as materials. Even then, the strengthening effect ends the moment the spirits are destroyed, making it a consumable skill. In short, it¡¯s far inferior to ¡®The Monarch¡¯s Realm¡¯.] In that sense, Ber could quickly figure out who Suho had received this skill from. Berga turned his double-edged sword on and looked at Sirka, the descendant of the Cold. [Keeek! How disgraceful! If you want to use more spirits as materials, I feel a strong desire to raise that young elf quickly!] That¡¯s why all the dead monarchs were evil men. A symbol that pretends to help Suho at first, but in the end, asks him to take care of his descendants in some way. Didn¡¯t the Fang Monarch originally have the same purpose in enving Gray to the Guardian? Of course, Suho was also aware of that fact. ¡°But it¡¯s a business where no one loses. Let¡¯s think positively.¡± [Anyway, the little lord is too kind and fell for it¡­ ¡­ Ki-ek?] Ber, who had been grumbling, suddenly looked into Suho¡¯s eyes and realized something. [¡­ ¡­ Your Majesty, really?] Hehe. The expression on Suho¡¯s face as he looked straight into Ber¡¯s eyes and smiled was very simr to the proud look on Sirka¡¯s face as she seeded in imitating Sd¡¯s power, albeit in a weak way. ¡°Yeah. This will definitely help Dad too.¡± [¡­ ¡­ filial son!] Bam! Ber¡¯s admirable filial piety eventually brought tears to his eyes. Regardless, Suho lunged forward with his weapon in hand. Chomp chomp chomp chomp chomp chomp! In front of him, alongside the soldiers, the guardian ughtered the enemies of Elvenwood, and Verga followed him, sobbing continuously. ¡°Ber, you told mest time, right? No matter how strong I be, I can never be as strong as my father. And the same goes for my soldiers.¡± [Ugh! That¡¯s unfortunate! The shadow power that the little lord inherited is nothing more than a ¡®skill¡¯ that is nothingpared to the power of the lord!] ¡°Even if you cry with an expression that doesn¡¯t show any pity, it won¡¯t beforting at all.¡± [But what can we do? It¡¯s an obvious fact.] ¡°Oh my.¡± Suho snickered and cut down the roots of the Elvenwood sprouting from the ground. The facts themselves arepletely devoid of humanity and empathy. But no matter what, Ber¡¯s words are always right. And that was something that Suho always worried about. When you finally meet your father after working hard to be as strong as you are now. ¡®How much help can I be to my father?¡¯ ¡®Can my shadow soldiers be of any help to the force?¡¯ Even on Earth, this is all he can do, so how effective will his power be against the real foreigners his father is dealing with? ¡°In that sense¡­ ¡­ .¡± So, after recently receiving the power of destruction from Yongje and seeing Sirka¡¯s ability today, Suho finally found the answer. ¡°In the end, this is all there is to it. It¡¯s the most effective way for me to be of real help to my father.¡± Buff right away. Suho said with a smirk. ¡°It¡¯s war, right? War is a battle of strength and strength, but at the same time, I learned that you have to be able to create v ariables with various strategies and tactics. That¡¯s what my father taught me.¡± Of course, that¡¯s what you said when we were ying together. A refreshing expression appeared on Suho¡¯s lips as he said those words. okay. Thinking back, it was just a buff. In order to protect the Earth where Itarim¡¯s apostles, who are not Itarim but Itarim¡¯s disciples, are active, this problem could be solved by continuing to work hard like now to gain experience and be stronger. But Suho¡¯s ultimate goal was not limited to Earth. After the Earth¡¯s problems have been definitely solved. Going to space to meet my father, who is at war with foreigners. Fighting side by side with my father. Isn¡¯t that the meaning of the name ¡®Woojin¡¯, the guild that Suho created? But the problem is, what if it doesn¡¯t help the power anyway? If that were to happen, Suho would only be a burden to his father. ¡®¡­ ¡­ Because I am my father¡¯s only weakness.¡¯ But until when? How long must I live as a child who needs to be cared for? ¡°My father already saved the world by himself when he was my age.¡± Knock knock! Suho¡¯s rough hands, gritting his teeth as he spoke, pulled out the roots of Elvenwood with force. Following its roots, the mes of destruction flowed to the pirs of Elvenwood. Suho stretched out his other hand towards it and released his power. [Use ¡®Skill: Breath of Destruction¡¯.] Kuwaaaaah-! Elvenwood, a ce where powerful karma is piercing through. Looking at that sight, Suho remembered what he had seen today. The lives of the elves who were raised by Elvenwood. The history of the struggles that King Sd lived through after being defeated and killed by his own father. The noble elven lord who was left alone in the midst of a bitterly cold blizzard from which everyone else had fled, gritted his teeth and fought and won against the world. ¡°Not only Father, but also Sd fought the bitter cold alone and won. And even Sirka¡­ ¡­ .¡± Yes, that¡¯s right. Even the tiny little Sirka was a child of the bitter cold, learning to walk in a snowstorm from the moment she was born. Since all of these conditions were met, Sd chose Sirka as his descendant as soon as he saw her. ¡®But what about me?¡¯ Suho never overestimated himself. No matter how much I leveled up, I wasn¡¯t foolish enough to get drunk on the feeling that I had be stronger. -Your son is in a bad state after a brief encounter with him. Has the peaceful peace diluted the Shadow Lord¡¯s blood? The words spoken by the King of the Dragons, the Lord of Destruction, who was his father¡¯s arch-rival. The words he heard back then are still, even at this moment, in Suho¡¯s mind, no. It dug deep into the heart of the dragon that was beating inside Suho¡¯s chest. Thump! Thump! As long as the hellish karma received from this dragon boils along with his blood. Suho will never be mistaken. ¡®A very ordinary person who grew up in a peaceful andfortable environment. That¡¯s me.¡¯ The only thing that sets me apart from others is that I was born to good parents. The only thing is that I inherited special blood. But for Soo-ho to show off like that, he already knows too much. Look at the Sirka right in front of me. It was never because of Shirka¡¯s bloodline that he was chosen as the monarch¡¯s heir. Because he had proven his qualifications through his own life. In that sense, Suho ripped off this buff skill from the Lord of the Cold. ¡°This ability not only strengthens my soldiers, but can also buff my father¡¯s Shadow Legion.¡± At those words, Ber¡¯s eyes widened like the crescent moon. [That¡¯s right. Although limited, this skill is clearly applied separately from the Shadow Power. Oh, and by the way, the King is no longer a spirit, but when the rulers¡¯ soldiers die, he uses their energy to buff the soldiers.] ¡°¡­ ¡­ !¡± Towering. At those words, Suho¡¯s once proud expression became dispirited. ¡°What? Your father isn¡¯t a spirit, he¡¯s an angel? You¡¯re using an angel as a sacrifice to give him a buff?¡± [It¡¯s recycling. No more new angels are born from the World Tree. But¡­ ¡­ .] Looking at that guardian, Ber simply smiled and said that he was proud. [It seems that the buffs of angels and spirits will also stack at the same time. In other words, it will be helpful.] Finally receiving Ber¡¯s approval, a smile appeared on Suho¡¯s lips. okay. He still had a long way to go. He was still his father¡¯s only weakness. But at the same time. ¡°I am the variable. The only variable in this war. It will be so.¡± [¡­ ¡­ !] Ber¡¯s eyes grew wide and brighter at Suho¡¯s confident deration. Suho smiled, revealing his teeth. ¡°So just wait and see. I will do whatever it takes to help my father.¡± Kkwarreung! With those words, the giant tree Elvenwood finally copsed before the power of the guardian. Engulfed in the mes of destruction. Phew! Whoa! Whoa! Tremendous heat. A green city turned into a sea of fire. Boom! Boom! A white lightning bolt falling from the sky. Damn it! Below them, the high elves were shattered into ice statues. It¡¯s a true natural disaster. The city of the high elves, who had maintained their beauty by using humans as fertilizer, was destroyed overnight. ¡°Save the people.¡± yes! At Suho¡¯smand, the shadow soldiers moved in unison and began rescuing the survivors trapped underground in the city. [¡­ ¡­ .] Ber watched the scene silently. And I was recalling a memory from some time ago. -My lord, wouldn¡¯t it be okay to return the power to the little monarch now? It was a conversation that Sung Jin-woo and Igret had about Suho¡¯s sealed power. -There have been several tests before, but this is the first time that the Little Prince has reached the King. I think it is a passing grade. At that time, Sung Jin-woo shook his head firmly and said in response to Igrit¡¯s words. -If I had tried to confront the dragon with only my own strength, would we have been able to win? There was one part that Sung Jin-woo was most worried about as he tested Su-ho in his dreams over and over again. It¡¯s just recklessness. It could have been packaged as bravery, but it was different for a father who was worried about his son. -No matter how strong your power is, you need to be able to run away in situations where victory is not guaranteed. And now, at this moment. -It is foolish and reckless to rush into a strong enemy without any calction. ¡°It is foolish and reckless to rush into a strong enemy without any calction. You need a n.¡± [¡­ ¡­ !] Ber¡¯s eyes widened. Suddenly, the words that Sung Jin-woo had wanted so badly came out of Su-ho¡¯s mouth while he was rescuing people. Of your own volition! But it was never because Suho was afraid of death. For Suho, who had lived with shadow soldiers since birth, death was not the end. Maybe Suho¡¯s recklessness started from there. Not fearing death, knowing that it is not the end. But ironically, after seeing the life that Sd lived, the life of fierce struggle to not die, Suho came to realize an important truth. ¡°It¡¯s okay to die. But I don¡¯t want to die a stupid death that leaves me with regrets. I need a solid n.¡± With those words, Suho opened his inventory. And the thing he took out was the item he had found after defeating the ¡®Crazy Tyrant¡¯, who was an apostle of Itarim in the demon world. [Item: Itarim¡¯s Stone Tablet] Difficulty to acquire: ?? Type: Stone b This is a stone tablet engraved with thenguage of Itarim. A special spell has been cast on it. At that time, Ber knew at a nce what this thing was. -I know what this spell is. I have seen Itarim¡¯s forces use it tomunicate with each other during the war. -Youmunicate with the stone tablet? -Yes. The problem is that there are two in a pair, but here, I see there is only one¡­ ¡­ . -The other one is probably held by someone else. Like the one who sent the mad tyrant here. ¡°Harmakan, analyze this stone tablet thoroughly.¡± The order to protect has been given. ¡°From now on, we will track down the apostle by any means necessary.¡± The real hunt has begun. Chapter 266 Chapter 266 Melting darkness. The endless vast ocean. Numerous rafts carrying demons were floating on the gently swaying sea surface. Swish- All you can hear is the faint noise of the oars pushing against the sticky seawater and the apanying flow of polluted air blowing against the wind. ¡®The Sea of Death¡¯ The eyes of the demons rowing the boat, tracking the scent of the World Tree that must be somewhere here, were serious. On the surface, it seemed like a peaceful and cozy trip, but in reality, the demons were exploring ¡®hell¡¯ in the true sense of the word. Beneath the raft is an endless abyss. The countless weeds hiding underneath were just waiting for an opportunity to prey on the demons. Swaying-! [Again!] The moment when the raft rocks violently due to sudden waves. Hungry weeds burst out of the ck sea water, unable to bear their hunger. But even in these moments, the demons rowed without wavering. [Catch him!] It wasn¡¯t the demons who were screaming, it was the bearded dwarves. Chwaaaak-! At themand of the shadow dwarves, shadow spiders spun their webs on the raft. A ck caught the weeds protruding from the sea. [It¡¯s a moonfish!] The shadow dwarves chuckled and raised sharp axes and saw des. Crunch! Crunch! Slugging! Slugging! At the same time, the sound of extension cords could be heard here and there on the quiet rafts. [Okay, I guess we can double the raft size.] [You can¡¯t lose! You demons! If you still can¡¯t find your way, why don¡¯t you just go towards the direction where there are more weeds!] ¡°¡­ ¡­ .¡± [Tsk tsk. Those silent guys. They look scary but they¡¯re actually really scared.] ¡°I¡¯m not scared.¡± Despite the Shadow Dwarves¡¯ urging, the demons had no choice but to be cautious. ¡°You keep forgetting, we are not immortal like you.¡± [Tsk tsk. That¡¯s too bad.] ¡°Tsk.¡± The demons decided to just keep their mouths shut. They were hesitant to get angry because they knew that the Shadow Dwarves¡¯ words were not meant to mock them. The dwarves were truly sorry for the demons. The fact that they cannot be shadow soldiers because their souls are tainted by demons. Maybe there wasn¡¯t no way. 2 The fire of destruction used by Suho had the power to purify polluted souls, and if he used that power, it might even be possible for demons to be shadow soldiers. However, from the perspective of the demons who were still alive, it made no sense to ask Suho to burn them to death. You want me to burn with the power of destruction? Then, if the firepower control fails, and the soul is destroyed instead of being purified, who will take responsibility for that? It would be better to fight and get eaten, that would be just a dog¡¯s death. Likewise, being eaten by the weeds that lurked in this sea was also a death of a dog. It was only natural for the demons to be cautious, since they were not just dying, but had their very existence taken away by them. Of course, the dwarves had a point. It goes without saying that starting out with arge raft is advantageous for exploration in the long term. But it came with a lot of risks. ¡°If you go to a ce with many enemies on a small raft like this, you¡¯ll end up stranded.¡± The moment the number of weeds overwhelmingly outnumbers the webs of the shadow spiders, the flimsy raft is helplessly destroyed. There are already dozens of rafts that have run aground like that. The only good thing is that no demons have lost their lives yet. The moment the raft runs aground, the shadow spiders of the guardians quickly carry the shadow dwarves and demons on their backs and jump over to another intact raft. They stay there for a while and then build a new raft to be independent. The problem was that if this happened repeatedly, the speed at which the raft grew would slow down. Because we have to share resources. [Tsk tsk. Finding the World Tree is harder than I thought.] [That¡¯s right. I thought the demons would find it right away if they just smelled it.] ¡°¡­ ¡­ The sea is so wide.¡± Of course, the devils had their excuses too. ¡°Besides, in this sea, your five senses be dull.¡± It was said that this ce was not called the sea of the afterlife for nothing. Not only was the vision dark, but this afterlife sea was dulling the demons¡¯ senses, as if some kind of barrier had been spread out to obstruct their perception. At this rate, all we have to do isunch a massive offensive to capture the scent of the World Tree. I literally had to sell my feet. ¡°¡­ ¡­ But I will definitely find it.¡± Eshil shared this situation with his subordinate demons one by one, and his eyes shone brightly as if they were piercing thr 1 ough the dark sea. The reason why Eshil was able to know the situation of his subordinates scattered across this vast ocean was none other than the ¡®blood essence¡¯ he gained after bing the king of demons. Essil could immediately tell where and what kind of demons were searching for the World Tree. licking. Suddenly, Eshil¡¯s mouth watered as he thought of the leaves of the World Tree. Once he had tasted the leaves, Essil could understand why Volcan was called the Greedy Demon. And why he became the ¡®Lord of Gluttony¡¯. To the demon tribe, the taste of the World Tree was truly the ultimate taste. ¡°In the beginning, there was a way to increase the size of the raft in one go¡­ ¡­ .¡± That is why Essil agreed with the opinions of the shadow dwarves. It¡¯s a bit risky to gather a lot of materials to build a raft. And it was more efficient for the monarch himself to undertake such a dangerous task rather than relying on his weak demon subordinates. Essil had already been at the forefront since the start, hunting for them in areas with lots of weeds. Now, the weeds had be so clever that they avoided Essil¡¯s raft whenever they saw it. [Hmm. The weeds aren¡¯t showing up at all.] Essil nodded at the dwarf¡¯s words and focused all her senses on finding the sounds of the weeds. But all that came back was quiet silence. Eshil clicked his tongue. ¡°Clever bastards.¡± [At this rate, our ships will never be able to go beyond the level of rafts, let alone battleships. I wish a big one would pop out¡­ ¡­ Keuk?!] ¡°¡­ ¡­ ?!¡± at that time. Phew! Suddenly, a sharp object came out of the middle of the chest of the shadow dwarf who had been muttering next to Eshil. Essil, who was surprised, soon realized what it was and her expression brightened. [Use ¡®Item: Shadow Key¡¯.] Swish! A hole opened inside the Shadow Dwarf¡¯s body, centering around the key, and a Shadow Gate opened. And then Peekaboo. [Devils of Hell! Are you doing well!] Ver¡¯s solemn gaze, which had emerged from the gate that had been breached by the Shadow Dwarves, sharply scanned Essil¡¯s surroundings. And when he saw the size of the demons¡¯ raft, he shouted. [Keeeek! Youzy bastards! Why are your bellies still this big!] ¡°What can we do? The materials are all hiding because they¡¯re scared of us.¡± Eshil grumbled and replied. ¡°I could just dive in and catch them myself, but that would be too dangerous for my men. The weeds are just fighting each other, hoping we¡¯ll do the same. There¡¯s a limit to how much I can catch and share.¡± [Tsk. I knew you would do this, so our little lord came to personally solve your problem.] ¡°what?¡± [So be thankful and worship.] In front of Eshil, who was tilting her head, Suho appeared through the shadow gate. But he wasn¡¯t empty-handed. Swish- ¡°What, what is this tree?!¡± Essil was terrified. Suho used his incredible strength to drag arge, thick wooden pir out of the gate! ¡°Elvenwood.¡± ¡­ ¡­ ?! At that answer, the expressions of all the shadow dwarves nearby were filled with shock. [Eh, Elvenwood?!] [The sacred tree of the elves¡­ ¡­!] with a ssh! As Suho threw the charred ¡®Elvenwood Fragment¡¯ onto the Sea of Afterlife, it floated up onto the ck sea. For convenience¡¯s sake, it was called a fragment, but since Suho had personally cut off all the roots and pulled out only the pirs, its size was enormous. The scale alone made the rafts the demons were riding look shabby in an instant. The demons and dwarves looked at the guardian in astonishment. [Wow! As expected, it¡¯s our master!] [How did you get this precious wood?!] ¡°What do you think? I brought it all here because I felt it would be a waste to just burn it. Do you think it could be used as raft material?¡± [It couldn¡¯t be better!] Ooooooh! The shadow dwarves responded to Suho¡¯s words with cheers. And he looked at the fragments of Elvenwood with eyes burning with greed. And without saying who would go first, they all jumped up on top with saws and hammers. No matter how big it was, it was just one tree. If we don¡¯t hurry, we¡¯ll lose those precious materials to other rafts. ¡°Oh, be careful. That tree is still fresh.¡± Swish! [¡­ ¡­ Huh?!] ¡°Oh, I¡¯mte.¡± Before the Guardian could finish speaking, the twigs attached to the Elvenwood fragments pierced the bodies of the shadow dwarves. But they were immortal soldiers from the beginning. Even though their bodies were impaled on sharp tree branches like skewers, the shadow dwarves continued sawing diligently. Then they lifted the Elvenwood branches stuck in their bodies like trophies and burst into heartyughter. [Khahaha! What an honor!] [I never thought that the day woulde when I would touch the sacred tree of the elves in my lifetime! Of course, I am al ready dead!] [If I had done this while I was alive, that day would have been the day I died! Hehehehe!] The shadow dwarves couldn¡¯t help but be very excited. It had to be that way. Elvenwood! How many dwarves have actually touched this precious elven sacred tree? Probably the rarest in all of Dwarven history! Even he would have obviously just gotten lucky and gently touched the shell. It was unimaginable that such a sacrilegious act of sawing could bemitted at this time. How cruel and tenacious are those noble elves! The spirits were beyond words. But now they themselves have cut down that precious tree with a saw! It was such an embarrassing thing that I wondered if it was okay for it to happen like this. [My saw is hitting the jackpot today!] [Building a ship using the elves¡¯ sacred tree?] [That¡¯s a ship that adventures through the afterlife sea?!] [Wow! This is romance!] [My dwarf life, I would die today without any regrets! Of course, I¡¯m already dead! Hahaha!] 4 Ordinary materials quickly decay when exposed to the deadly air and seawater that flow through the afterlife. But for wood as heavy as Elvenwood, it would be sphemous to even call it an ordinary material. But something was strange. [Hmm. But was Elvenwood originally like this?] Although they had heard a lot about Elvenwood, this was their first time seeing it in person. There was something very strange about the Elvenwood that Suho brought. The energy felt is also like that. There was something very ominous about the way they were constantly pping their branches, trying to attack us. [I heard it was very spiritual.] [If this continues, isn¡¯t it no different from¡­ ¡­ a tree-shaped demon?] ¡°no.¡± Eshil red at Elvenwood with a stiff expression, refuting the dwarves¡¯ words. The other demons had simr expressions. ¡°This tree is the sacred tree of the elves? It feels too simr to the weeds here.¡± ¡°You see it too, don¡¯t you?¡± Suho nodded in agreement with Eshil¡¯s words. ¡°I felt this way while fighting directly, but this Elvenwood feels like something between the weeds of the afterlife and the world tree.¡± That was the custom of Elvenwood that Suho had personally experienced. When Suho told Essil about what had happened to him, Essil muttered with a serious expression. ¡°Are you saying that¡­ ¡­ the weeds of the afterlife were eating not only our demons, but also the elves?¡± ¡°Nobody knows the exact details. But it¡¯s somewhat simr, just in a different way, right?¡± Difference in method. Hunting them yourself and raising them to eat. If the weeds of the afterlife be the inhabitants of the niches, hunting and eating demons. It seemed usible enough that Elvenwood, which had been slowly growing and eating the elves, was at first a weed of the afterlife. Even the process was simr. If the weeds of the afterlife evolve by eating the ¡®dead souls¡¯. Elvenwood grows by coexisting with ¡®spirits¡¯. ¡°¡­ ¡­ It¡¯s certainly simr. Especially in that they must struggle for survival forever. If the fate of the creatures that the ¡®Absolute¡¯ wants is for the warriors who be stronger to be thrown into war against the rulers, then it¡¯s even more so.¡± Eshil felt a little goosebumps as she learned the truth about a world she had never known before. And it didn¡¯t really matter whether Elvenwood¡¯s roots were weeds or not. In the end, what the now dead and non-existent Absolute Being wanted was to witness the never-ending war between creatures, and Elvenwood was an essory that fully suited that Absolute Being¡¯s purpose. [But now it has be our great timber.] Be that as it may, it was a giggling Ber. And the shadow dwarves who were happily chopping down the Elvenwood looked at the guardian and asked. [Master, where did you get this Elvenwood?] ¡°why?¡± Suho noticed their greedy gazes and replied with a sly smile. ¡°Do you want more?¡± [Is that possible?!] The dwarves were startled by those words and went wild, shouting one after another. [Look at the survivability of this Elvenwood!] [It is so poisonous that even at this very moment, it is extending its branches and directly catching weeds hidden in the sea!] [If we actively utilize this principle, it is not a dream to create a post-war battleship that can repair itself!] ¡°surely.¡± Suho was also watching Elvenwood¡¯s branches wriggling. And he nodded at the dwarves¡¯ bright eyes. ¡°I can give you as many as you want. Enough to make all your rafts out of Elvenwood.¡± [Huh?!] Yeah¡­ ¡­ . There were so many that it was a problem. Chapter 267 Chapter 267 Keel. The term is also used, unrted to ¡®dragon¡¯, to refer to the central axis of a ship that runs from front to back across the center of the bottom of the ship. The keel acts as the backbone and main beam of the ship, and the size of the keel determines the size of the ship. Especially when the ship breaks down. Other parts can be repaired and used to some extent, but if the keel is damaged, the ship¡¯s life is essentially over. Recing or repairing the keel ultimately meanspletely dismantling the ship. In effect, it is no different from rebuilding the ship from scratch. [¡­ ¡­ In that sense, what you are saying is that the defensive capabilities of a ship are directly rted to the material used for the keel.] The point of the shadow dwarves who were babbling about the importance of the keel was simple. ¡°So you¡¯re saying you want to use this entire Elvenwood as a keel?¡± [yes!] The eyes of the dwarves who responded in unison to Suho¡¯s words were already filled with madness. If there was only one Elvenwood, we could share it, but if Suho could get more Elvenwood, it would be apletely different story. [There is no reason to waste this precious log on pieces!] [Again, the size of the keel determines the size of the ship!] [The strength of the keel is the strength of the ship!] [If you use one whole piece as the keel instead of sharing this precious material, you will create a truly amazing ship!] Wow! Isn¡¯t it dizzying just to imagine it! A ship made from the sacred tree of the elves! Even that keel has a special talent for growing itself by extending its branches and eating the surrounding weeds ording to its own instinct? If we were to kill this special guy by sawing him off, even his functions might disappear. Suho, who heard their earnest(?) request, epted it without hesitation. ¡°Okay. Then let¡¯s use this guy as a keel for Essil¡¯s ship.¡± [Hahaha!] [Ugh¡­ ¡­ !] At the decision of the guardian, joy and sorrow were mixed between the chosen dwarves and the dwarves who were not chosen. Of course, I knew in my head that it was natural for the ship of the king of demons to be taken, but it was natural that my stomach ached at the thought of having this desirable ingredient stolen right before my eyes. [Then can you give the next turn to our raft?!] [That¡¯s nonsense! Our ship is the biggest among the rafts! In order to support a keel this big, the more other materials you have, the faster the production will be!] ¡°That¡¯s true. Then let¡¯s go next in order of thergest rafts.¡± [¡­ ¡­ !] As the decision of the Guardian fell once again, the Shadow Dwarves grew impatient. [Oh, I don¡¯t have time for this!] [Youzy demons! Hurry up! We need to gather as many materials as possible before the next Elvenwoodes!] As Suho set the standard,petition suddenly broke out among the rafts. [Depending on the level ofpletion of the ship, the movement speed also differs greatly!] Finding the World Tree in this vast, dark ocean was as difficult as finding a needle in a desert. Even if the size of the needle(?) of the World Tree was incrediblyrge, the sea after death was a vast and vast world that was iparably more vast than a desert. In the end, the point was that if you wanted to find the World Tree quickly, you had to risk your life to collect more weeds than anyone else. [Devils! Risk your lives! If our ship finds the World Tree first, wouldn¡¯t it be better for you?] [This means that you can be stronger by eating the most leaves first before the other demons arrive!] ¡­ ¡­ ! The dwarves¡¯ persuasive provocations ignited apetitive spirit in the demons who had been passively rowing. It was natural that the more leaves of the World Tree one ate, the more powerful a demon one would grow into. But until now, we¡¯ve all been drifting aimlessly, picking up weeds floating on the sea. From now on, if you suddenly receive a powerful keel and start off, you can be stronger than other demons at an over whelming speed. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± [Yeah! That¡¯s it!] [Hurry up, demons!] Swaaaah-! ¡­ ¡­ Well, anyway, it was a very positive motivation for Suho and Eshil. ¡°Eshil, would you please take a look at this?¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­ ?¡± Suho, who was watching the rafts scattering ording to each person¡¯s desire, approached Eshil and handed her something. The reason Suho visited the sea of the afterlife in person was not just because of Elvenwood. ¡°My lord, this is¡­ ¡­ .¡± Eshil¡¯s eyes became very serious. The object that Suho handed over was none other than the ¡®foreign stone¡¯ that was embedded in Fores¡¯ eye. After Suho wiped out the high elves and spirits, the moment he touched this stone, he felt a strange sense of alienation. ¡°Somehow, the energy felt strangely different from the stardust and star fragments I¡¯ve found so far.¡± Stardust. A magical power booster developed by the Devil Factory using the demons¡¯ blood poison. And the stardust is a highly refined gem, a star fragment. Although they are now called foreign stones, there was a time when they were simply thought of as magic boosters. But now I know. The amplification of magical power is only a superficial result. If you look inside, you will see that the principle ispletely different. [It¡¯s ¡®reception¡¯, not ¡®amplification¡¯.] [And furthermore, to enable munication¡¯. That was the true purpose of the Foreign Correspondents¡¯ Seat.] Grid, once the high priest of the Foreign Church. 1 Iron, who was a priest. They were now shadow soldiers and on Suho¡¯s side. Thanks to this, Suho was able to share with them all the information they knew about foreign religions. [Foreign correspondents are a kind of medium.] [It¡¯s a medium for injecting extraterrestrial magic power into the human body. It¡¯s not that the magic power has been amplified, it¡¯s just magic power injected from outside.] [If the vessel breaks and cannot handle that enormous magical power, you will die.] [That¡¯s exactly why humans who overdosed on stardust in the beginning died.] Of course, Grid and Iron didn¡¯t know everything about the foreign religion. 1 The reason was that the organization called the Foreign Mission was a thorough guerri organization. And strangely enough, without anyone saying who woulde first, they all appeared spontaneously all over the world. Since it was not a concept of evangelism or missionary work, they did notmunicate or cooperate with each other. There was no need for that in the first ce. It was all thanks to the ¡®foreign press seats¡¯. [The Foreign Mission municates¡¯ with the outer universe through the Foreign Mission Stone.] [So there is no need for humans to exchange information with each other, except in very special cases.] -What about special cases? Grid answered Suho¡¯s question. [Sharing research data from foreign correspondents. Only then.] The existence of the Foreign Mission was the most important goal and means for the Foreign Mission. How much sacrifice and research has gone into the research that started with stardust, turned into star fragments, and then into the current foreign news stone? As a result of their numerous studies, the efficiency and purity of the foreign stones they created increased day by day. As a magic booster, this means that the boosting rate is increasing. And the race that first led that research was none other than the demons. This was the beginning of the ¡®Devil Factory¡¯. And they closely exchanged the materials they had researched and developed with other regions¡¯ foreign missionaries, and finally gave birth to a foreign missionary stone that was capable of munication¡¯ beyond ¡®reception¡¯. [The research on the outer stone has finally reached its peak, to the point where one-way traffic can be transformed into two-way traffic.] From one-way to two-way. It was soon a revolution. [Until then, the foreign missionaries could only passively receive orders from foreign gods who came down through the dimensional rift, but from then on, it became possible for Earth to send information to outer space.] [In foreign religions, it is called ¡®prayer¡¯ or ¡®sacrifice¡¯.] Those whomunicate with foreign media. It was the moment when the foreign religion waspleted as a religion in the true sense of the word. The problem was that the god they served was an invader who came to destroy this world. And since Suho had already heard this information through Grid and Iron, he noticed that the stones embedded in the eyes of the high elves were much different than before. ¡°This stone of foreign mission¡­ ¡­ is not made with the blood of our demons.¡± ¡°also.¡± Essil¡¯s answer was decisive. The moment when Suho¡¯s suspicions turned into certainty. ¡°Something felt strange. While rescuing the survivors, I searched the high elf vige thoroughly, but there was absolutely no trace of demons.¡± Even though I found three hidden gates and searched them thoroughly, they were still gone. Even though the entire area was searched, the Devil Factory was not found. ¡°There are foreign seats, but no demons¡­ ¡­ .¡± Eshil held the stone and pondered Suho¡¯s words. The implications were clear. ¡°It seems that now they can create the Outer Stone without the blood of our demons.¡± It seemed like the research that started with Kwangheoltoxin had finally borne fruit. 2 And even with much purer results than before. ¡°I think I¡¯ve found a substitute for demon blood. And it¡¯s definitely¡­ ¡­ .¡± 2 ¡°It must be someone else¡¯s sacrifice.¡± Suho nodded with a scary expression and epted Eshil¡¯s words. ¡°Esil. You quickly find the World Tree. And be strong as quickly as possible.¡± ¡°yes.¡± Eshil seeded in bing the next monarch, but it was only possible with the help of Suho. This did not mean that Essil was still unfit to be a monarch, but rather had a positive meaning. Essil is the monarch of gluttony. If the reason for this is because we ate the leaves of the World Tree, what would happen if we ate more leaves here? Doesn¡¯t that mean we can be much stronger than we are now? Then, Eshil would be able to unleash the ¡®Army of Hell¡¯ and gather all the demons scattered throughout the dimensions. This means that with just one blow of that power, he can instantly gather all the devil factories hidden by the foreign religions in front of him. That meant that the locations and information of all foreign religions that were connected to those demons could be found out in one go. ¡°Let¡¯s cheer each other on. You go here and find the World Tree, and I¡¯ll deal with Nidhogg, who¡¯s stuck to the World Tree.¡± Suho left those words behind and departed from the sea of the afterlife. Solve Nidhogg. The first step towards weakening the giant six-headed snake was ultimately the same request that Shd had given to Suho. [Quest: Request from the Lord of the Cold] Make the ice elf Sirka, descendant of Shd, the next monarch. However, Sirka is still young and weak, so she is not equipped to contain the darkness of the beginning. Until Sirka can inherit the darkness of the beginning, please stay by her side to ensure her safety and help her grow. Sd¡¯s quest. It was ultimately an earnest request to take responsibility for Sirka¡¯s safety from the threats of numerous spirits and Elvenwood. But there was one thing that Sd hadn¡¯t thought of¡­ [¡­ ¡­ Ki-ek? Why are you looking at me like that?] Ber tilted his head. Looking at that pure evil, no, innocent expression on Ber¡¯s face, Suho just smiled. Very brightly. [The King of the Snowmen, the Lord of the Cold, realizes that something is wrong.] But it was already toote to realize it. Unfortunately, Suho has only learned one thing about how to grow up as a young and weak descendant of a monarch. ¡°It has to roll.¡± [Keeec?] ¡°I am a descendant of the cold, so I should at least be stronger than an antrva.¡± 2 ¡°¡­ ¡­ Huh?¡± Although she didn¡¯t know what that meant, Sirka felt very ominous. Cha Hae-in¡¯s expression was visible in Soo-ho¡¯s expression as he looked at himself with satisfaction. Sirka liked Cha Hae-in very much and followed her like a mother, but not as much as ¡®that expression¡¯. Suho¡¯s expression¡­ was very simr to the expression Cha Hae-in made when he was training them. ¡°let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°Oh, where?¡± ¡°Find all the Elvenwoods in thisnd.¡± Suho immediately stormed into the nearest vige of other elves. [Use ¡®Skill: Breath of Destruction¡¯.] With a devastating greeting. * * * Meanwhile, at that time. russia. An intruder appeared in front of Yuri Orlov, who was drinking wine while looking down at the city from a very tall building. [Someone broke my flower pot.] Orlov didn¡¯t seem surprised by the sudden appearance of an uninvited guest. Instead, I focused on the content of the words and opened my eyes wide. ¡°¡­ ¡­ What? What happened to the terrarium?¡± Chapter 268 Chapter 268 ¡®Yuri Orlov¡¯ The Prime Minister of Russia, and at the same time an S-ss Hunter who stands at the pinnacle of actual state power. At present, no human being in Russia has the courage to enter Yuri Orlov¡¯s room without permission. Even if it weren¡¯t for his military might, the tight security posture of bodyguards, armed soldiers, and hunters responsible for his immediate safety was superior even to the president. But surprisingly, the intruder who had just appeared in front of him had entered his room without even his bodyguards noticing. Moreover, he was showing a sarcastic attitude in front of Yuri Orlov without any intimidation. [Are you deaf? Your damn barrier has been breached.] ¡°What?¡± ng! Yuri Orlov¡¯s brow furrowed, and the winess in his hand shattered. Sharp shards of ss shattered. The red liquid inside it floated into the air and formed a round shape in front of Orlov¡¯s eyes, sloshing around. Like blood trapped in an invisible fishbowl. ¡®Boundary¡¯ Yuri Orlov¡¯s signature skill, and the ability that helped him rise from the bottom to this position. To say that it had been pierced was a real blow to Yuri Orlov¡¯s lofty pride. ¡°No way. The barrier of the terrarium is perfect. No one can break through it.¡± [You¡¯re overconfident. But it was breached. Some idiots broke through your barrier and trampled and burned one of my favorite flower pots. You were so confident, but how poorly did you make the barrier?] Ugh! At those words, Yuri Orlov gritted his teeth and red at the intruder with a frightening expression. Kookookookook! At the same time, an enormous killing intent poured out from Orlov¡¯s entire body towards the intruder. Among the citizens of Russia today, there is probably no one who can withstand his anger in his right mind. Yuri Orlov is the pinnacle of absolute power, even cing the president at his feet. With just one word from him, even a person who had lived a life without shame and looked up to the heavens could be sent enced to death right now. But the intruder in front of him seemed to have no interest in Orlov¡¯s life, and instead red at him and ground his teeth. [Rx those eyes right now. I want to pluck them out. I don¡¯t care about your petty pride. What matters is my flower pot.] He crossed his arms and leaned back against the ss window through which Orlov was looking down. [So tell me. Are you sure there are no loopholes in your barrier?] ¡°does not exist.¡± Yuri Orlov answered firmly. At the same time, hisrge palm grabbed the red wine that had formed into a round shape that sloshed before his eyes. Kkwaduk! The S-ss hunter¡¯s tremendous evil power pressed against the red orb. But unlike the wine ss that had broken earlier, his transparent barrier easily withstood his evil power. ¡°Look. This is the barrier I put up in the terrarium. I poured arge amount of magic stones into it, and created a barrier so strong that even an S-rank hunter could not break it with all his might.¡± [Don¡¯t be overconfident. I never expected the power of a mere human to be perfect. I just have a problem with your barrier, so I¡¯m asking for a solution.] ¡°¡­hmm.¡± Yuri Orlov¡¯s fiery spirit gradually subsided as he watched the intruder calmly respond with the same attitude, ignoring even his own life. He calmed down, crossed his arms, leaned back on the sofa, and asked the intruder again. ¡°Which one is that broken flower pot?¡± [North Korea.] ¡°Hmm. North Korea¡­ ¡­ That ce was created with great care, even if it was just because of the already picky Korean association president.¡± [I know, too. So think about what the problem is. There are more than one or two of my flower pots in paradise, and if one gets punctured, it means the same thing can happen to the other pots. That wouldn¡¯t be good for you either, right?] ¡°I¡¯ve said it many times, but no one can break through my barrier. Especially North Korea, not only Woo Jin-cheol, but also Choi Jong-in¡­ ¡­ .¡± Stop. Yuri Orlov, who had been rubbing his chin to collect his thoughts for a moment, suddenly shut his mouth. If you think about it, even your perfectly wless barrier wasn¡¯t without its ws. I realized there was a glimmer of possibility. ¡°¡­ ¡­ What if it wasn¡¯t a power breakthrough?¡± [You are overconfident to the end. Are you saying that Elvenwood opened its doors to intruders directly from within?] ¡°Yeah. Wouldn¡¯t that make more sense?¡± [There is no reason for Elvenwood to do that.] Orlov snorted and sneered at his firm tone. ¡°I will also take your word for it. Don¡¯t be overconfident. If you don¡¯t know the reason, shouldn¡¯t you find out for yourself from now on? There¡¯s a problem in the paradise you cherish, and you¡¯re just going to whine like this? You¡¯re the one who calls yourself the ¡®Apostle of Paradise¡¯?¡± ¡®Apostle of Paradise¡¯ Yuri Orlov red at the intruder who was called by that name, his eyes as cold as a snake¡¯s and his teeth bared. ¡°Besides, didn¡¯t you cast a perception-obstructing spell near the terrarium in the first ce? You even put up a spatial distortion, so who were you to think that no one would be able to find the terrarium even though it was right in front of them? It was you, wasn¡¯t it?¡± [¡­ ¡­ .] This time, the Apostle of Paradise had no choice but to keep quiet at Yuri Orlov¡¯s words. It wasn¡¯t a wrong statement. ¡®Terrarium¡¯ The area surrounding the pot where the Elvenwood was growing was covered in a thick blue fog, making it impossible to identify it even when looking down through a satellite camera. Moreover, even when you actually got close, you couldn¡¯t see the giant Elvenwood even though it was right in front of you because of the perception-obstructing magic mixed with the blue fog. There is even a spatial distortion there, so that even if you walk straight towards the terrarium, you will naturally pass by on the side street. but. It wasn¡¯t perfect either. The Apostle of Paradise nodded and muttered silently. [¡­ ¡­ Certainly. Perception-obstructing magic and spatial distortion only apply to the ground. If you can get on an airne in the sky and get right in front of the terrarium, it¡¯s notpletely impossible.] but. That couldn¡¯t have happened in the first ce. Because there were always a lot of wild spirits flying around the terrarium. Flying in the sky by ne or helicopter is purely suicidal. No matter how strong a hunter was, unless he had wings, it was much safer to fight with his feet on the ground. Therefore, in order to pass near the terrarium, it was only possible to move on the ground. Any hunter. ¡°Which flower pot is that broken?¡± [North Korea.] Yuri Orlov picked up the tablet on the corner of the table and leisurely scrolled through it in response to the apostle¡¯s answer. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s see. North Korea, North Korea¡­ ¡­ .¡± His fingers scrolled down the screen and suddenly stopped in front of recent news from Korea. -Breaking News) Hunter Sung Soo-ho decides to go to North Korea! -Hot Pick) Cha Hae-in appears riding a ck dragon! ¡°¡­ ¡­ ck dragon?¡± When he clicked on the article, a photo erged and appeared in front of him. A ck dragon spreading its huge wings and flying towards North Korea. And here is the image of Seongsuho riding on it and leaving for North Korea. Yuri Orlov¡¯s expression hardened. ¡®India¡¯s hero, Sung Su-ho¡¯ His abilities were not yet known to the outside world. It was because the Korean association tightly blocked information about him. But when I saw him riding that ck dragon, I was finally convinced. ¡°¡­ ¡­ So you¡¯re a summoner hunter after all? Then, are those ck beasts not all Dungeon Breakers, but summoned beasts?¡± It¡¯s an outrageous ability. Yuri Orlov¡¯s expression became serious. A photo of Seongsuho taken in India. The countless ck summons standing next to Seong Su-ho were all due to Seong Su-ho¡¯s personal power? What this meant was that the uneasy feeling he had when he first saw the article about Sung Soo-ho was correct. But now it¡¯s possible to summon dragons? ¡°Even if he¡¯s an S-ss hunter, in order to show that level of performance, he¡¯d have to draw in external magical power like me. Surely it¡¯s impossible for an individual to obtain that much magical stones, and he¡¯s an association hunter who was secretly trained in Korea?¡± I know because I used the magic stone myself. Considering the number of summoned creatures he had summoned in India, Yuri Orlov can roughly estimate how many magic stones Seongsuho must have consumed. ¡°Korea is a democratic country. It is legally impossible to pour that much money into an individual. Even Woo Jin-cheol would not be able to do something so outrageous. Or, could it be that¡­ this guy Seong Su-ho is like me?¡± You see as much as you know. Yuri Orlov¡¯s eyes shed as he red at Seong Su-ho¡¯s face in the photo. As if he had noticed the truth hidden behind Korea. ¡°This guy named Seongsuho. Maybe he¡¯s a hunter who controls state power from behind the scenes like me.¡± Suspicion soon became certainty. Didn¡¯t Yuri Orlov himself prove that if those with power have the means, it is quite possible to rule a country? ¡°If not, then there is a possibility that Woo Jin-cheol ruled Korea from the beginning. Seong Su-ho is either a secret weapon that Woo Jin-cheol has been secretly hiding, or he has a weakness¡­ ¡­ .¡± Several hypotheses emerged, but at this point, one was the most important. Of all people, it was Seongsuho who rode a giant dragon and flew across the sky to North Korea. And the fact was that along that path there were terrariums that he had personally hidden by creating barriers. As soon as he grasped the situation, a cruel smile appeared on Yuri Orlov¡¯s lips. ¡°Huh. As expected, I felt uneasy from the first time I saw you.¡± As the saying goes, bad predictions alwayse true. Yuri Orlov grinned as he handed the tablet screen over to the Apostle of Paradise. ¡°See? Now I see, the problem wasn¡¯t me, it was you.¡± Then he drank the entire bottle of wine on the table and openly mocked him with a smug expression. ¡°Anyway, apostles are always like this. They usually act like they¡¯re great and dirty, but when a problem arises, theye and whine.¡± [¡­ ¡­ .] Yuri Orlov chuckled as he gave a proper blow to the unlucky foreign messenger. But despite his tant mockery, the Apostle of Paradise did not react at all and just stared at the photo of Seongsuho that he had handed him. Especially the appearance of the shadow dragon Kaisel that Seongsuho is riding. [¡­ ¡­ This really doesn¡¯t make sense.] The eyes of the Apostle of Paradise, who had seen the numerous soldiers of the Guardians standing right below, were shaking without mercy. [How can the Shadow Legion exist on Earth?] ¡°The Shadow Legion?¡± Yuri Orlov tilted his head at the term, which he heard for the first time. But, regardless of his reaction, the Apostle of Paradise had a serious expression on his face, thinking about the worst-case scenario. [¡­ ¡­ No way? No, that can¡¯t be.] The worst case scenario. The probability that the Shadow Lord, who should be in outer space, hase to Earth. [Absolutely impossible.] okay. No matter how much I thought about it, it didn¡¯t make sense. So what are the chances that he sent only the Shadow Legion to Earth and not himself? That also didn¡¯t make sense. [It¡¯s too far. Magic can¡¯t reach. If that were possible, our apostles wouldn¡¯t have to do such a troublesome thing.] Just as the power of the outside world does not reach the Earth, the power of the Shadow Lord would not reach here either. The distance between that ce and the Earth¡¯s dimension was too far for that to happen. [¡­ ¡­ Then who on earth is this person?] ¡°Who is it? The hottest hunter in Korea, Seong Su-ho. Oh, that¡¯s right. You noble apostles aren¡¯t interested in the names of mere humans, are you?¡± [No, now I¡¯m interested. Anything is fine. I need information about this human.] ¡°Hehe, that is indeed a very troublesome and difficult request. Seong Su-ho¡¯s information is top secret even in Korea. If you grant me this difficult request, what can you do for me?¡± 1 [What do you need?] Hehe. Looking at the expression of the Apostle of Paradise, the corners of Yuri Orlov¡¯s mouth went up and a meaningful expression appeared on his face. ¡°It¡¯s nice to hear a refreshing answer. I can¡¯t possibly hate you guys like this.¡± [for a moment.] Ouch. During the conversation, the expression on the Apostle of Paradise¡¯s face suddenly became distorted. [Just now, another flower pot was broken.] ¡°what?¡± Yuri Orlov¡¯s expression also distorted. ¡°Where is that?¡± [Closest to the broken flower pot.] ¡°That son of a bitch is real.¡± It seemed certain that the culprit was Seong Su-ho. But isn¡¯t that too much? He destroyed the terrarium he worked so hard to create twice in one day! Considering the value of the ¡®fruits¡¯ produced in the terrarium, this was an astronomical loss for Yuri Orlov. ¡°This is a big problem. If we just sit here like this, the other flower pots will be in danger too.¡± However, it was too early to send troops there, as the opponent was an S-ss hunter. Moreover, because the location was North Korea, it could have developed into a political problem. That was the reason why I used perception-impairing magic to hide the terrarium in the first ce. There is no need for any kind of perception-impairing magic in the terrariums in the Russiannds he rules. [I¡¯ll go and see. In the meantime, you find out everything about the human named Seongsuho.] Swish. The apostle of paradise left those words behind and disappeared from that ce without a trace. Like graffiti erased by an eraser. ¡°That ghostly guy.¡± Yuri Orlov threw a bottle of wine at the ce where he had disappeared. ¡°Who dares to give orders to you?¡± 1 And then he immediately called his secretaries and began investigating Seong Su-ho. But, one thing. There were still some parts I didn¡¯t understand. ¡°¡­ ¡­ Seriously, how on earth did you break through my barrier?¡± Even though Seongsuho has an army of summoned beasts. Even if you have the talent to fly while riding a dragon. What he is saying is that the barrier he has painstakingly created is not a barrier that can be broken through with a mere barrage of force. ¡°As I said, there¡¯s no way Elvenwood would actually open the door on its own¡­ ¡­ .¡± Yuri Orlov muttered with a dubious expression. But as always, ominous feelings are never wrong. * * * ¡°You are a lost young elf.¡± ¡°Let me show you our beautiful city, Elvenwood.¡± Broadway! The door opened. With the small, childish elf Sirka at the forefront, Elvenwood opened its tightly locked barrier and weed the guardian party. And towards the smiles of the high elves who came out to greet him, full of pretense and hypocrisy. Suho just left one word. ¡°three.¡± ¡°¡­what?¡± ¡°This is the third time. Yonggol.¡± [Use ¡®Skill: Breath of Destruction¡¯.] Kuwaaaaang- ¡°Wh, what?!¡± There was no mercy in the protective mes pouring out towards the terrified high elves. ¡°There is no need for conversation between us.¡± Chapter 269 Chapter 269 ¡°Spirit Armor!¡± WHHHHH! Now my hands and feet fit together well. The forest of the high elves, which had been camouged with beauty and peace, was burning fiercely. When the Guardian and the Guardian¡¯s Shadow Soldiers began to fight the High Elves above, it was Sirka¡¯s job to control the spirits that poured out through the High Elves¡¯ wounds. Damn it! The spirits that Sirka grabbed were immediately frozen and became armor and weapons for Sirka. The sight of Sirka¡¯s back charging forward with even more confidence, using that strength as a stepping stone, was truly impressive. But despite that, the spirits did not run away far, but rather wandered around Sirka, waiting for an opportunity. It was natural. How can I abandon my foolishness! This fresh young elf came to me on his own two feet! To the hungry spirits, Sirka was nothingpared to the old, emaciated high elves they had eaten. A sudden external invasion? That was no problem either. As always, they trusted Elvenwood. Kookookookookook! ¡®Has it started?¡¯ Finally, Elvenwood, sensing the crisis, raised himself up. An unusual earthquake urred, shaking the ground beneath our feet. The roots and vines of Elvenwood, buried deep in the ground, became intertwined. Elvenwood gradually mutated into the form of an elf. It¡¯s a sight that should no longer be called Elvenwood, but Wood Elf. The giant tree monster swung its thick branches like a whip, wiping away the annoying shadow soldiers in one blow. Cookies, cookies, cookies, cookies, cookies! Overwhelming power! In that one room, the entire earth was turned upside down, and the shadow soldiers were torn apart helplessly. [Don¡¯t back down!] But the Immortal Legion did not stop advancing. A huge amount of mana flows in from the guardian. A hot me gushing from the dragon¡¯s heart. Hurrruk! The soldiers¡¯ torn bodies were stitched together with crimson steam. The hot mes were like a natural enemy to Elvenwood. Whether you attack or are attacked. In any case, there is only one fate given to Elvenwood. Grrrrrrrr! All I could do was howl as I was engulfed in hot mes. And only after seeing that sight do the spirits and high elves realize the danger. But regret alwayses toote. From the beginning, it was their mistake to open the barrier because they were blinded by greed. [¡®Protection: Protection of Gluttony¡¯ increases experience points.] [Level up!] [Level up!] [¡®Skill: Storm of ck me¡¯ level has increased.] ¡°Rescue the survivors!¡± [yes!] A sequence that has be familiar now. Once the fighting was over, the Shadow Soldiers quickly began rescuing those buried underground in Elvenwood. ording to the information that Sd had obtained by squeezing Fores¡¯ soul, these people were the fertilizer that fattened Elvenwood. It was buried alive in the ground, its life force being sucked out by the tree roots. Among them, there were both unawakened and awakened ones. They were all living sacrifices offered to Elvenwood by high elves and spirits who hunted outside. [Master! Everyone is still breathing!] thank god. Even though he was unconscious and had his life sucked out, he could have been saved somehow if he had still been alive. Of course, it wasn¡¯t possible with a healing potion. Healing potions only work on wounds sustained in battle, not internal injuries. It won¡¯t even cure a cold, let alone a life-sucking condition like yours. In times like this, you have to go with the proper method. Highly advanced modern medicine. [Use ¡®Item: Shadow Key¡¯.] Suho put the key right into his own shadow. And one more thing. [Use ¡®Skill: Shadow Exchange¡¯.] Swish! This is a method of utilizing the shadow power that Berga recently taught me. If you use the Shadow Key and Shadow Exchange together like now, a gate will open in the Guardian¡¯s Shadow. Then, a gate will be opened on the other side that will directly connect to the shadow soldier designated by Suho. This is to omit the process of going through the shadow dungeon in the middle. [The Shadow Key is something the King made himself for his lord, so this is nothing.] With Ber¡¯s exnation, a gate opened before Suho¡¯s eyes. Then, there was arge building visible across the street. ¡®Ajin Hospital¡¯ It was the hospital run by Suho¡¯s aunt, Seong Jin-ah. And in front of him, Cha Hae-in, who had already fallen, was waiting with Seong Jin-ah. The dyed reunion has already been done. When the first survivors were rescued from Elvenwood, Cha Hae-in immediately thought of Ajin Hospital after assessing the survivors¡¯ condition. Ajin Hospital, which was created with the support of Eugene Ho¡¯s Ajin Soft, was in fact a hospital with the best facilities in Korea. The reason why such a great hospital was built in Yangpyeong rather than Seoul was simple. It was because Suho¡¯s grandparents lived there. In short, Ajin Hospital was like a specialized nursing home with the best facilities in Korea. ¡°Hurry up!¡± ¡°I¡¯ve already emptied an entire ward, soe straight to this building!¡± After checking the survivors¡¯plexions, Cha Hae-in and Sung Jin-ah shouted in urgency, and the shadow soldiers hurriedly carried the survivors over the gate. Seong Jin-ah, who heard the general situation from Cha Hae-in, guided them to an empty ward. The first survivors were taken to the emergency room, but tests showed that what they urgently needed was not treatment, but Ringer¡¯s solution. Cha Hae-in returned to Su-ho¡¯s side and told him the test results. ¡°Suho, the test results for these people came back. Their condition is very simr to that of people with sleep apnea.¡± ¡°Is this sleep apnea?¡± ¡°Yeah. So ording to your aunt, I think you¡¯ll need to use a life support device that uses magical powers like Iksomniac to recover your body first.¡± At those words, Suho¡¯s expression became serious. If it¡¯s sleeplessness, doesn¡¯t that mean the souls of the survivors are already wandering the sea of the afterlife? The immediate priority was to restore the bodies that had lost their vitality, but it was too vague to expect their souls to return to those bodies. ¡°This is a big deal.¡± ¡°But that¡¯s fortunate. Among the people we first rescued, there were already dead, but this time, thankfully, everyone is alive.¡± Cha Hae-in let out a sigh of relief and looked at the survivors with a pitiful expression. And then he looked at Suho¡¯s face again and asked. ¡°There must be more ces like this¡­?¡± ¡°yes.¡± ¡°Please hurry before there are more casualties. Those who have had their vitality drained too much cannot be saved even with life support.¡± Cha Hae-in bit his lip in regret and muttered. But finding Elvenwood was much more difficult than expected. ording to Harmakan¡¯s analysis, if it had not initially flown in on the Kaisel, it would have passed by without anyone noticing. Cognitive impairment and spatial distortion. This was the identity of the barrier and magic surrounding Elvenwood that Harmakan analyzed. But even if we figured that out, it didn¡¯t mean we could find the other Elvenwoods that were hidden away. Another way was needed. And luckily, Suho had Sirka. ¡°Spirit Knight!¡± Damn it! Thanks to Suho, Sirka has awakened the ¡®Spirit Armor¡¯ and has disyed a new ability using that ability. If the spirit armor was the ability to freeze spirits to create armor, the spirit cavalry was the ability to make the armor move on its own without the need for Sirka. That is, ¡®Ice Golem¡¯ In the lost timeline, when Shd invaded Earth, Sirka was finally able to create the ice legions he led around with him. Of course, the current Sirka did not have the ability to create therge army that Shd led. But a few were possible, and that was enough for now. Sirka asked as she looked at the ice golem that appeared before her. ¡°Fores, what is the direction to the nearest Elvenwood from here?¡± Oh my! An ice golem created from the spirits in Fores¡¯ body. He looked in a certain direction and roared as if answering Sirka¡¯s question. Things like cognitive impairment and spatial distortion did not apply to the spirits that made their home in Elvenwood. ¡°Then let¡¯s move on to the next ce. Would you like toe with me, Mom?¡± Suho looked at Cha Haein and asked. It was natural that if Cha Hae-in took action, the speed of conquering Elvenwood would increase. Moreover, the mobility of the Kaisel is the same. But the shadow dragon Kaisel did not listen to the guardian¡¯s orders. Perhaps because of Sung Jin-woo¡¯s order to protect Cha Hae-in, he unconditionally sticks to Cha Hae-in¡¯s side. Cha Hae-in shook his head. ¡°I¡¯d like to join, but I think I¡¯ll have to stay here for a few more days.¡± Suho had already guessed the reason. Where can there be secrets in this day and age? Cha Hae-in, who had so splendidly left for North Korea riding the ck Dragon, suddenly showed up in Yangpyeong, leading numerous survivors. Since the patients at Ajin Hospital witnessed this scene in its entirety, it was only a matter of time before the news was spread to reporters, the Hunter Association, and the government. It was Sung Jin Ah¡¯s discretion to admit the dying survivors to the hospital, but for now, they were North Koreans. In order to bring so many North Koreans to South Korea and provide them with expensive medical equipment, various cumbersome legal procedures were necessary. Even giving up one ward for them right now would be a huge loss to the citizens of Yangpyeong. Due to various reasons from adults, Cha Hae-in was stranded in Korea. A press conference was scheduled for an hourter. ¡°I don¡¯t know how much my name value will be, but if I hold a press conference today, I will be able to ask for cooperation from nearby hospitals. The problem is tomorrow.¡± Although they urged Suho, as the number of survivors rescued from Elvenwood increased, Ajin Hospital was running out of beds. ¡°If this trend continues, we will run out of hospital beds starting tomorrow. That¡¯s when things will get serious.¡± However, it was not possible to discharge the existing patients, so there were mountains of problems to solve, including various political and legal issues. But just in time. Squeak-! ¡°It¡¯s your sister-inw!¡± Yoo Jin-ho jumped out of the sedan that had arrived in front of Ajin Hospital and ran towards me without any regard for my dignity. Although they met at Facade Indst time, Yoo Jin-ho was still worried about leaving Cha Hae-in alone in that coldnd. As soon as he received a call from Cha Hae-in, he put aside all his schedules and rushed to Yangpyeong. And while moving, all the problems that Cha Hae-in was worried about were taken care of in the car. ¡°You said there weren¡¯t enough wards? That¡¯s why I made more!¡± ¡°Huh? You made it? What?¡± At Yoo Jin-ho¡¯s words, Cha Hae-in tilted his head with a puzzled expression. Yoo Jin-ho winked at his wife, Seong Jin-ah, who was rushing into the ward with the patients in the distance, and confidently answered Cha Hae-in¡¯s question. ¡°If these patients only need life support anyway, wouldn¡¯t we just need more buildings?¡± ¡°That¡¯s true¡­ ¡­ Wait, really?¡± Cha Hae-in¡¯s eyes grew wide as a thought suddenly urred to him. ¡°Now, look.¡± Eugene Yoo then quickly pointed to all the buildings surrounding Ajin Hospital. Following his gaze, Cha Hae-in and Su-ho¡¯s gaze naturally also looked around. The spacious grounds of Ajin Hospital. Despite its state-of-the-art facilities, Ajin Hospital was not a veryrge hospital. The site is spacious, but the parking lot is actually quite spacious. And outside the hospital grounds, there were ordinarymercial buildings, several officetels, and apartmentplexes surrounding it. For your information, before Ajin Hospital was built here, this area was just a wastnd with nothing in it. So, before building the hospital, Eugene Ho first bought thend. All thend visible to the eye. Sincend prices were cheaper than in Seoul anyway, it wasn¡¯t really a huge investment. In any case, only thend was purchased, and constructing the building itself required a huge amount of capital. However, Yoo Jin-ho did not bother to exin to Cha Hae-in in detail how much hispany had grown and how much his wealth had increased during the five years he had been missing. Just stating the conclusion. ¡°Yes. All the buildings you see now are our buildings.¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­ !¡± Cha Hae-in and Sung Su-ho¡¯s eyes widened at those words. ¡°No, to be exact, they were my father¡¯s buildings.¡± Yes, that¡¯s right. To be exact, it wasn¡¯t the ¡®Ajin Soft¡¯ building. Ajin Soft is the result of Yoo Jin-ho, a second-generation chaebol, leaving his family on his own two feet and building it from scratch. To put it the other way around, it means that there is a family that Yoo Jin-ho, who was the second generation of a conglomerate, came from. It is thergest constructionpany in Korea, led by the famous CEO, who is Yoo Jin-ho¡¯s father. ¡®Eugene Construction¡¯ Yes, that¡¯s right. This city, which was built around Ajin Hospital, was part of a new city development n in which Eugene Construction directly invested. In response to Yoo Jin-ho¡¯s words that he would build a hospital in Yangpyeong for his brother-inw Seong Jin-woo¡¯s parents, his father, Yoo Myung-eun, signed the investment n with his characteristically blunt expression and said, -Well, I guess I can live there when I retire. Together. -¡­ ¡­ ? For some reason, he felt a strange sense of jealousy in thosest words, but Yoo Jin-ho quickly forgot about it, thinking that his father would never be that kind of person. But anyway, the result of the urban development project that started like that was this ce, Yangpyeong. ¡°Since urban development is still in progress, there are many houses without owners. There are also many unsold properties. So, after a long time, I contacted my father to ask how he was doing, and ourpany bought them all.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not even Blue Marble, what is it¡­ ¡­ .¡± Cha Hae-in opened his mouth in despair at the absurd scale. Is it because I¡¯ve been away from home for too long? Although Eugene Ho¡¯s wealth was already considerable five years ago, thepany that developed the world¡¯s first virtual reality game seemed to have achieved absurd growth over the past five years. Chapter 270 Chapter 270 ¡®Beautiful World¡¯ The founding father who made Eugene Ho¡¯s Ajin Soft the globalpany it is today, and the world¡¯s first virtual reality game. At the time when Yoo Jin-ho decided on this name, all the employees opposed it, saying it was old-fashioned, but in reality, names didn¡¯t really matter. A world first. Because that in itself was enough. Even Beautiful World was a long-running game that enjoyed steady poprity even after 20 years. There was absolutely no way it could go wrong. Diverse content and sustainable gamey that actively utilizes the metaverse tform and open-world sandbox. The innovative stimtion of all of these things taking ce in virtual reality was truly ¡®beautiful.¡¯ And the craze is still hot even after 20 years. Veteran gamers, also known as ¡®Viewers¡¯. Those who were young when the game was released are now middle-aged, and those who were middle-aged are now old. Despite this, they have remained the main consumer base that has been actively enjoying games for 20 years. The gaming industry could not help but take notice of this, calling it a truly unusual phenomenon. At the same time, one thing was noted as to why it was able to enjoy such long-term poprity. It was the development of the ¡®game capsule¡¯. Eugene Yoo has put all the technological capabilities he can into the ¡®game capsule¡¯, a device that is essential for users to ess virtual reality games. And that technical prowess is not limited to the game¡¯s performance; a great deal of attention was paid to the ¡®environment¡¯ in which the game is yed. Equipped with highly developed ergonomic cushioning and full body massage function. Even if you don¡¯t y games and just lie down, you can enjoy thefort of rxing all your muscles, as well as the muscle strengthening effect through micro-electrical stimtion. Rather, it goes without saying that people with turtle neck or lumbar disc problems can even have a significant rehabilitation effect just by lying still in the game capsule. Since it was a virtual reality game that you could enjoy with your eyes closed, there was no need to worry about eye fatigue in the first ce. -The future is already here. This was the catchphrase that Eugene Ho used when heunched Beautiful World. However, the game capsules made in this way were not without their drawbacks. As the desire to create a more perfect capsule grew, the price of the capsule also became ridiculously expensive. But surprisingly, the problem was solved quickly. -You say it¡¯s a problem because it¡¯s expensive? Then you can just lend it to me. -Tongue, bro?! That¡¯s right, Sung Jin-woo. When Sung Jin-woo passed by and said something thoughtlessly after hearing Yoo Jin-ho¡¯s worries, Yoo Jin-ho at the time looked like he had been hit hard on the back of the head. ¡®Capsule rental service¡¯ Yes, that¡¯s right. In short, subscription. We were so focused on development that we were missing the easy answer! -Ugh! As expected from a big brother! How could youe up with such an ingenious idea¡­ ¡­! -Everyone says it, but it¡¯s really unique. There¡¯s an ant in my house who¡¯s addicted to Netflix anyway. -¡­ ¡­Ants? Are there any bugs in your house these days? -Hmm. There are a lot. -Can I send you a pesticide from apany that has a contract with ourpany? -No. Then you die. -Yes? Of course it would die since it¡¯s a bug, right? -No, people. -¡­hmm? In any case, the capsule rental service that started with Sung Jin-woo¡¯s advice really gave wings to Ajin Soft. -Don¡¯t buy, borrow! -We even provide on-site service to AS! Here, Eugene Ho went one step further. -Oh, and otherpanies too! It was from then on. The era of virtual reality games has finally arrived. Eugene Ho did not just rent out game capsules to users, but also lent them to other gamepanies on a whole other leve l. -We will focus more on researching and developing capsules so that users can y the game morefortably and conveniently. -So, I hope you can enjoy other games in ¡®Our Capsule¡¯ to your heart¡¯s content. ¡®The capsules are from Ajin Soft¡¯ Since Ajin Soft owned all the patents for the game capsule technology and system anyway, other gamepanies focused on developing virtual reality content that would make money right away rather than making huge investments to surpass that technology. Just like Apple, which surprised the world with the iPhone a long time ago, Ajin Soft also grew into a giantpany in one fell swoop. But then, a cataclysm suddenly struck the Earth. The world is in shock as a gate opens on Earth and otherworldly demons invade. The gaming industry was also shaken. Who would y a game if they were about to die? But a crisis is an opportunity. Thanks to many hunters around the world, including Woo Jin-cheol, humanity quickly adapted to the rapidly changing world. Rather, Ajin Soft has another opportunity to take a leap forward. ¡®Sleeplessness¡¯ An unidentified sleep disorder that started right after the cataclysm. Treating the condition was a future challenge for the medicalmunity, but until then, a device was needed to keep people with sleep apnea alive. And without a doubt, people found the answer in Ajin Soft. Yes, that¡¯s right. It¡¯s called ¡®game capsule¡¯. The game capsule, which waspleted by packing all kinds of medical equipment for afortable game, was able to function as a ¡®life support device¡¯ for patients with sleep apnea. Even now that it has been modified to use magic stones as fuel instead of electricity, the synergy effect goes without saying. ¡°¡­ ¡­ That¡¯s what I mean. So what I mean is.¡± There was only one reason why Yoo Jin-ho talked so passionately about hispany to Cha Hae-in. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter how many you rescue from North Korea. We have plenty of life support equipment in the warehouse.¡± Choo choo choo choo choo choo choo! Behind him, numerous employees were already unloading ¡®game capsules¡¯ from a huge truck. Since we bought up all the empty buildings in the area, we had enough hospital beds. There is also an abundance of life support equipment for survivors in North Korea. ¡°Suho. We adults will take care of the rest, so you can just focus on saving people.¡± Suho nodded at Yoo Jin-ho¡¯s reassuring words and went straight back to North Korea. In search of a new Elvenwood. ¡°Okay, so now¡­ ¡­ .¡± Eugene Ho turned his head. Before I knew it, I saw reporters swarming around Yangpyeong. And now the person who had to be interviewed was not Cha Hae-in, but Yoo Jin-ho. If Cha Hae-in is the face of a positive image, Yoo Jin-ho confidently dered himself as the person in charge of all of this. ¡°We do not need government support or cooperation from other hospitals. We at Ajin Soft will step forward and provide unsparing support to the survivors in North Korea.¡± As Yoo Jin-ho confidently gave an interview in front of reporters, the mask of a thoroughgoing manager appeared on his face. And he calmly responded to the reporters who peppered him with questions. ¡°I apologize for not being able to answer each question individually due to time constraints. All I can say is that I am truly grateful. Thanks to the users who support Ajin Soft even at this very moment, we are able to do meaningful work for humanity without worrying about money. So I will give all the credit to the users, not to us.¡± Papapapapapang! Even in front of the shy camera shes pouring down on him, Eugene Ho¡¯s gaze did not waver at all. And with that same expression, the reporters started spreading numerous news stories on the Inte right there. The title was obvious even without looking at it. -Meaningful work for humanity! -All credit goes to the users! And his interview was enough to touch the hearts of all users who love virtual reality. That was what I was aiming for from the beginning. ¡®¡­ ¡­ Thepany¡¯s stock price will rise.¡¯ Eugene Ho thought with a shameless expression. Yeah, this is the taste. If you¡¯ve already done something good, it¡¯s best to make it special. ¡®I take care of my own appearance.¡¯ After that. After finishing the interview, Eugene Ho¡¯s expression still showed no sign of loosening. ¡®¡­ ¡­ Right. If you do something good, you should show it off.¡¯ While chewing over his thoughts once more, Yoo Jin-ho looked at the North Korean survivors who had safely entered the game capsule and begun to recover. As I looked at that sight, I felt a quiet anger rising within my heart. ¡®¡­older brother.¡¯ Thanks to Suho, Yoo Jin-ho regained all of his old memories. Most of those memories were of Sung Jin-woo. Even though he was living a new life, these were still memories of his older brother whom he respected the most. therefore. ¡­ ¡­ That¡¯s why I¡¯m so angry. Because it was Yoo Jin-ho who watched Sung Jin-woo¡¯s life more closely than anyone else. ¡°I think it was Itarim.¡± The eyes of Eugene Ho, who is chewing this, burn with quiet anger. okay. The Sung Jin-woo that he remembers, that sturdy back figure, was always alone. The Sung Jin-woo he saw always fought alone. In a ce where no one knows. To save the world. The noble peace that he had so desperately maintained was shattered once again. ¡°Because of those guys, the peace that my brother worked so hard to protect has been broken again.¡± okay. That¡¯s what makes me the most angry. My brother¡¯s hard work was in vain. Ssh. Anger arose. So I made a promise. ¡°I can never forgive you.¡± He was no longer the reckless man he was back then. I had no intention of just standing back and watching like that. ¡°Harmakan.¡± As he gritted his teeth and muttered. Swish. The shadow demon tribe that Suho left behind. Harmakan, whom Yoo Jin-ho had specifically asked Su-ho to leave here, rose up next to him. [So, what do you n on doing to me?] Harmakan¡¯s expression was a little dissatisfied. I have to carry out the orders of a mere human who is not even my master. But Eugene Ho¡¯s subsequent demands were enough to pique his interest. ¡°I heard from Suho that you are good at using magical powers.¡± [Yeah, if it¡¯s witchcraft, I¡¯m the best. What do you want? A curse? An evil spirit?] ¡°That¡¯s not it.¡± Eugene Ho¡¯s gaze is focused on the numerous game capsules spread out in front of him. I was looking at the North Korean survivors lying quietly inside, unconscious. ¡°Actually, the reason why there were so many of these capsules in the warehouse is because they are a new product that is about to be released. It is a new model that can even use magic power inside it for the ¡®Only I Level Up¡¯ project that hunters will use for virtual reality training in the future.¡± [Wow. Even using magic power?] At those words, Harmakan¡¯s eyes sparkled. I immediately realized what Yoo Jin-ho was trying to say. ¡°Can you modify these capsules with your magic?¡± [How do you say that?] ¡°So that the minds of these survivors can all awaken in virtual reality.¡± [Does that mean that we should return the souls that have departed for the afterlife to their bodies?] ¡°Why? Is it difficult?¡± [Of course it¡¯s difficult. But¡­ ¡­ .] Harmakan smiled meaningfully as he nced at the structure of the magical energy flowing within the game capsule. [Do you know that? Even at this very moment, countless shadow soldiers are floating on boats on the sea of the afterlife. Al l of these soldiers¡¯ coordinates are connected to each other, centering around the master.] ¡°What does that mean?¡± Shh. [The ce where the dimensional coordinate system is fixed is no longer an unknown dimension. If it is limited to the souls that the soldiers found there¡­ ¡­ it may be possible to modify it to bring them into the virtual reality you created.] ¡°That¡¯s good. Then can you bring back to virtual reality even thest memories or situations they saw?¡± [That¡¯s much easier than summoning a soul. Instance dungeons are my specialty.] As they talked, Harmakan quietly looked at the human before him who was making such an outrageous request. By human standards, magical power is only D-ss. He was just a human, a weak being who would normally be looked down upon. but. Isn¡¯t it pretty good? Harmakan¡¯s gaze lit up meaningfully. [Your goal was not simply to cure sleeplessness. Your real goal was to understand the true nature of the enemies our master will face in the future through their memories.] ¡°And furthermore, even the strategy of attack.¡± Hehe. At that moment, Eugene Ho and Harmakan¡¯s gazes crossed in midair. Eugene Ho raised the corners of his mouth with a scary expression and made a pledge once again. ¡°This time, I will never let you fight alone.¡± Chapter 271 Chapter 271 The coboration between Yoo Jin-ho and Harmakan brought about a greater synergy than expected. [Hmm. Virtual reality¡­ ¡­ This thing stimtes the human brain?] ¡°Yes. It¡¯s a device that allows you to experience a new world using brain waves.¡± [Hmm.] Harmakan, who started to open the virtual reality capsule in earnest, made a strange expression. [Hmm.] Eugene Ho looked at him and asked. 1 ¡°Why do you have that look on your face?¡± [¡­ ¡­ Originally, this game capsule thing was said to have worked without a magic stone until the cataclysm?] ¡°Yes. The magic stones appeared on Earth after the Great Cataclysm. Before that, they were devices developed purely through human science. To put the basic principle in simple terms¡­ ¡­ .¡± Eugene Yoo, who directly participated in the development as a representative, answered Harmakan¡¯s various questions with out hesitation. But the more he listened, the stranger his thoughts became. [Is this really¡­ made by humans without magic power?] ¡°What on earth have you been trying to say since a while ago?¡± [This virtual reality you created¡­ ¡­ hmm.] After disassembling one capsule and checking the structure inside. Harmakan suddenly became silent and lost in thought. Then I quickly came to a conclusion. [No. I will go and check this myself and give you a definite answer.] ¡°You want to enter the virtual reality yourself? You, a shadow soldier?¡± Eugene Ho responded with delight at the unexpected words. 1 ¡°That¡¯s impossible. This game capsule is a device that uses human brain waves. But you are already dead souls without even a separate body, so how could that be possible?¡± [It will probably work. If what I¡¯m thinking is correct.] ¡°¡­hmm?¡± Eugene Ho couldn¡¯t help but make a strange expression at Harmakan¡¯s confident words. The rtionship between the soul and brain waves. This is still an unsolved problem in the scientificmunity. In the first ce, wasn¡¯t the soul itself a field that was difficult to prove scientifically? However, many scientists insisted that this too would eventually be proven someday. There was a time when even thunder falling from the sky was considered a punishment from God. And as time passed, human science eventually discovered that it was not a divine punishment. Likewise, there have been many scientists who have argued that although it is impossible now, the soul and the afterlife wil l be scientifically proven in the future. In fact, Yoo Jin-ho himself was half-believing and half-doubting when he heard that the Maryeong tribe was a race that used sorcery using evil spirits, and so he asked Harmakan for cooperation. However, Harmakan was cooperating with him much more actively than Eugene had expected. [Can I just put this on my head and lie down?] Harmakan opened the lid of the game capsule and picked up the brainwave helmet inside. Eugene Ho responded with a trembling expression. ¡°Yeah. After putting that on your head, you can set the muscle settings for various parts of your body¡­ ¡­ .¡± [There is no need for that.] Harmakan did not even lie down in the game capsule, but sat down roughly and tried to put the helmet on his head. But the size was small. Apparently, the helmet is sized for humans and doesn¡¯t fit Harmakan¡¯s head. ¡°Should I ask the production department to make a helmet tailored to you?¡± [No, there¡¯s no need to do that. Even if I try to use it in the first ce, there won¡¯t be any brain waves.] Harmakan simply stuck his hand into the brainwave helmet instead of his head. And then I immediately pressed the power button. Beep. Woohoo- Then the game capsule started working. Normally, from now on, the brainwave helmet will start measuring the brainwaves of the user lying in the capsule and start synchronizing with the virtual reality. And once the loading isplete, their minds connect to the virtual reality provided by Beautiful World¡­ ¡­ . [Connecting.] Swish! ¡°¡­ ¡­ ?!¡± Eugene Ho opened his eyes wide. Suddenly, Harmakan¡¯s gigantic body was sucked into the helmet right before my eyes! ¡°Mom, monitor!¡± A startled Eugene Ho hurriedly turned on the monitor that allowed him to view the virtual reality Harmakan was in. Pfft! Then, surprisingly, there was¡­ ¡­ . [Hmm. I guess my guess was right.] A shadowy demon tribe that emits ck steam. Harmakan, who had been sucked into the capsule, was standing there in the pure white virtual reality! sh! sh! Inside the monitor, a magic circle was spread out on Harmakan¡¯s two hands. Harmakan, who had been manipting the magic circle here and there, raised his head. And surprisingly enough¡­ ¡­ . [Hey. Are you watching?] ¡­ ¡­ ?! Harmakan looked straight into the eyes of Eugene Ho, who was watching the scene from outside the monitor, and spoke to him. Creepy. Eugene Ho¡¯s hairs stood on end all over his body. ¡°Huh, how?!¡± It¡¯s ridiculous. Even if you¡¯re a demon, you can¡¯t look outside the monitor while connected to a virtual reality! But Harmakan responded with an expression that said it was no big deal. [That¡¯s why I told you. Instance dungeons are my specialty.] ¡°What? What does that mean¡­ ¡­ .¡± At Harmakan¡¯s words, Eugene Ho¡¯s expression began to harden. Inside the monitor, Harmakan looked around the virtual reality surrounding him, then nodded definitively and said. [That¡¯s right. This isn¡¯t some kind of virtual reality. It¡¯s an instance dungeon that utilizes a dimensional rift.] ¡­ ¡­ ?! ¡°What?! What do you mean? That¡¯s not a virtual reality? We created¡­ ¡­ .¡± [I have absolutely no intention of arguing with you, a human, over something like this. This is an instance dungeon.] Ignoring Yoo Jin-ho¡¯s reaction, Harmakan looked straight into his eyes through the monitor and asked him directly what he was curious about. [So let me ask you. Are you sure you really made this thing called a game capsule?] ¡°Of course. Our developers put all their efforts into it¡­ ¡­ .¡± [No, you¡¯re wrong. Let me ask you again. Think back. Are you sure you designed this system? Didn¡¯t anyone really help you during the development phase?] ¡°Who helped us? We are the first in the world, so there is no way we could have received outside help¡­ ¡­ .¡± Naturally, a rebuttal came out of his mouth. Beautiful World was truly the world¡¯s first virtual reality game. Who from outside could possibly help design that system? ¡°Of course, our research team all worked together to research¡­ ¡­ .¡± But I was gradually losing confidence in Eugene Ho¡¯s voice. At the same time, Eugene Ho was desperately searching for memories from the time of development. It was a time when the Earth was still at peace. Long before the cataclysm that turned the world upside down urred. Back when Eugene Ho¡¯spany, Ajin Soft, was just an ordinary gamepany that releasedputer games¡­ 1 Eugene Ho was recalling the faces of the researchers who had developed the virtual reality game with him at the time, one by one. Then stand tall. ¡°¡­uh?¡± For a moment, Yoo Jin-ho¡¯s expression hardened. A chill ran down my spine. ¡°What is this?¡± Something is wrong. Among the researchers that came to mind, there were some faces whose memories were particrly blurred. It was as if the memory had beenpletely erased. As if someone had forcibly scribbled graffiti over his memories! There was a person among the research team whose facial features were not clearly remembered! And not just one, but several! ¡°Huh? Huh huh?¡± ¡­no! It wasn¡¯t just the face that was strange! Even the silhouettes of those wearingb coats just like other researchers were far from those of ordinary humans. That appearance is just like¡­ ¡­ ! ¡°The Demon Tribe?!¡± [Yes, that is correct.] Only then did Harmakan nod. Eugene Ho finally seeded in recalling the nk memories. In fact, this wasn¡¯t the first time Eugene had experienced this. The shadow key that Suho had once given to him. An experience where, with Suho¡¯s help, I was able to recall memories of an era that no longer exists. Thanks to that, Yoo Jin-ho seeded in regaining the memories that were ¡®intentionally erased by someone¡¯ just through a simple conversation with Harmakan. And that memory¡­ ¡­ . It contained such a shocking truth. [In the first ce, this ability is not something that a mere human can handle. It is a sorcery used by the spirit tribe that controls souls.] ¡°¡­ ¡­ A soul?¡± [Yes. Not brain waves, but soul.] Harmakan nodded. [This device is a magical device that extracts the soul from a living body for a short period of time. It was created as a magi cal device that allows you to indirectly experience instance dungeons.] ¡­ ¡­ ?! Eugene Ho¡¯s mouth opened in shock. ¡°Are you talking about astral projection?¡± [That¡¯s a good expression. But it¡¯s a much safer way. The dimensional coordinates are firmly fixed inside this game capsule so that the soul can return to the body. So if I had to describe it, it would be more urate to call it a ¡®dream¡¯ than an out-of- body experience.] ¡°¡­ ¡­Lucid dream.¡± Eugene Ho muttered as if possessed. ¡®Lucid Dream¡¯ So-called lucid dreaming. A phenomenon in which one dreams while being aware that one is dreaming. In the end, what Harmakan is saying now is that this virtual reality game, which is Ajin Soft¡¯s gship work, was actually developed from the beginning for the purpose of calling out spirits and inducing lucid dreams. That too with the help of an unidentified demon tribe! ¡°¡­ ¡­Why on earth?¡± At this very moment. What Eugene Ho was most curious about was the reason. ¡°Why were there demons mixed in among our research team? It was a long time before the cataclysm struck Earth.¡± Those demons who were mixed in with the numerous researchers without anyone noticing! Why on earth did they help their ownpany? What on earth are you aiming for! [Hmm. You don¡¯t know why? I think I know somehow.] As if oblivious to Eugene Ho¡¯s shock, Harmakan, who was leisurely looking around the empty virtual reality beyond the monitor, slightly raised his lips. He muttered as he recalled an old memory. [Long ago, during the war with the rulers, the world we, the Demonic n, lived in was eventually destroyed. Most of the Demonic n members who lost the war died, or like me, were scattered and barely managed to survive.] Swish. Harmakan continued, holding up his hand, from which ck steam was emanating. [But now that I¡¯ve finally died like this, I understand. For the spirit tribe that controls souls, death is a blessing. The moment you be a shadow soldier, you can study much better magic than when you were alive.] As his emaciated hand clenched into a fist, a new incantation unfolded above it. Harmakan¡¯s gaze turned back to Yoo Jin-ho as he freely yed with the magic circle with his fingertips. [You still don¡¯t get it? If there were demons secretly helping you with what you were doing, who would be behind it?] Eugene Ho eventually realized the answer on his own. It was a brief memory that passed through my mind. -You¡¯re making a virtual reality game these days? -Yes, bro! It¡¯s almost finished! We¡¯re having a hard time with the final stage of space implementation, but if we can somehow solve that, it will be the birth of the world¡¯s first virtual reality game! ¡°¡­older brother.¡± The name that is spat out like a sigh, Sung Jin-woo. Chomp! A small drinking party. In that memory, there was Yoo Jin-ho, who confidently revealed his ambitions while drinking cider in front of Seong Jin-woo. -Wow! Isn¡¯t it amazing just imagining it? When the game is finished, I¡¯ll let you do it first! -What? Me first? Isn¡¯t that dangerous? -It¡¯s dangerous! Of course I¡¯ll go in too! -You too? -Of course! A world first! The two of us will enter virtual reality together! -¡­ ¡­ . At that time, Yoo Jin-ho shouted in high spirits at Sung Jin-woo, who was snickering at him and responding. -So, just trust me and follow me! I¡¯ll protect you! -¡­ ¡­ Well, that might be fun in its own way. What was the expression on my brother¡¯s face at the end of that short conversation? Although he didn¡¯t remember exactly, Yoo Jin-ho thought that perhaps what was in those eyes was ¡®longing¡¯. -Okay. Try making it well. I¡¯ll cheer you on. Shadow Lord¡¯s cheer. Was that really just empty encouragement? Since Yoo Jin-ho had regained memories that had nowpletely disappeared, he vaguely guessed about his memories of that day. And then I finally became certain of one thing. Maybe the desire to suddenly create a virtual reality game was also the result of his subconscious vaguely longing for a memory whose true identity he did not even know. And maybe you too, brother¡­ ¡­ . * * * Swish! And that moment. Suho was advancing north without stopping. With his own army of shadows. Defeat all enemies that appear before your eyes. [Level up.] [Level up.] ¡­ ¡­ . There was a bumper crop of level-ups. ¡®I made the right decision to go to North Korea.¡¯ I feel so refreshed. Coming to North Korea, I was able to hunt as I pleased without any hassles like hunterws or problems between guilds. This kind of endless battle is probably the first time since ¡®that time¡¯. ¡®Level up dream.¡¯ A dream that my father had created specifically to test me. It was an incredibly difficult time, but looking back, it was also the moment when I felt truly alive and free from the boring routine. ¡°Another one.¡± Kugu pce! Already the ninth Elvenwood had copsed before him. Chapter 272 Chapter 272 The problem urred in the 10th. The 10th Elvenwood, discovered using Sirka¡¯s Ice Golem as apass, had a significantly different form than the previous ones. ¡°¡­ ¡­ What is this ce?¡± [¡­ ¡­ Kiek?] Not only Suho, but even Ber was embarrassed. ¡°fortress?¡± It was a strange sight. If Elvenwood up until now was a forest vige that seemed to exist only in fairy tales, the city that appeared before the guardian party was surrounded by high walls. It¡¯s literally like a fortress. [There are no barriers or cognitive-impairing magic around.] As Ber had said, there was no transparent dome-shaped barrier around Elvenwood like there had been before. There was a blue fog surrounding the area, obscuring the view, but no trace of cognitive impairment magic was visible. Instead, a solid iron wall made of stone, cement, and steel, with a human touch, stood guard over the city. [¡­ ¡­Master, should we attack?] ¡°¡­ ¡­ .¡± Quay, who always took the lead and shouted for a charge, hesitated and looked at Suho¡¯s expression. [First of all, ahem. Elvenwood is visible over there.] Quay¡¯s pointed spearhead pointed to a huge tree that stood in the center of the walled fortress. It was definitely Elvenwood, even though the high walls and wooden pirs half-hidden it. The evidence was the spirit birds that were wandering around the area. They were loathsomely seen flying leisurely over the fortress like ordinary city birds, or perching on the branches of the Elvenwood trees, preening their feathers. Sirka looked at Suho. ¡°Suho, what should we do?¡± ¡°Hmm. Let me think about it for a moment. Where is this ce? We¡¯ve already passed Pyongyang¡­ ¡­ .¡± First, Suho estimated the approximate location of this ce. In fact, I never even wondered about the names of the cities I passed through. What good would it do to know the ce name in the first ce? Anyway, the current North Korea¡¯s terrain has changed at will due to runaway spirits and abnormal weather. Where the city used to be,va was flowing. What used to be a mountain was split in half and turned into ake. So the direction of movement was more important than the exact ce name, but in a case like this, I wanted to at least know the ce name. But there was no sign of any kind anywhere on the castle walls. In the first ce, I had never heard or seen that there was a fortress city surrounded by such high walls right in the middle of North Korea. [Your Majesty, it is getting dark soon.] Berga looked at the setting sky and urged Suho to make a decision. But Suho couldn¡¯t make a decision easily. 1 This was the first time that the high elves did note out to greet us first, even though we had Sirka at the forefront unlike before. ¡®Could it be that there are no elves in there?¡¯ At that moment, something came into Soo-ho¡¯s sight as he calmly observed the fortress. ¡°¡­person?¡± 1 A strange sight appeared in Suho¡¯s eyes. It¡¯s ¡®human¡¯. Looking closely, I saw that it was not an elf, but a normal human walking over the castle walls where the sunset was setting. And they were sentries armed like soldiers. ¡°Elvenwood is where humans, not elves, live? Okay, I¡¯ve decided. Let¡¯s go in.¡± [Yes! Then we will tear down the wall!] [Moooooo!] [Purrrr!] As if waiting for those words, Quay, Mino, and Tau strode forward with great momentum. ¡°What are you going to do? There¡¯s no barrier anyway, so let¡¯s just walk in.¡± [Yes! Then we will break down the gate¡­ ¡­ !] ¡°Everything is in there.¡± [¡­ ¡­ .] Gloomy. At Suho¡¯s words, the shadow soldiers disappeared into the shadows with regretful expressions on their faces, licking their lips. ¡°Sirka, let¡¯s go in alone and figure out the situation. We need to get a feel for what kind of neighborhood it is.¡± ¡°Okay. Then I¡¯ll leave the ice golem behind.¡± So, Suho and Sirka approached the entrance to the fortress alone. Walking normally. Among the shadow soldiers, Berman was the only one who quietly followed along with only his face sticking out from above the shadow of the guardian. * * * ¡°Who are you!¡± As they approached therge gate, the gatekeepers guarding it stood in front of Suho and Sirka. Suho tilted his head. ¡®korean?¡¯ It¡¯s strange. There wasn¡¯t a single hint of North Korean dialect in the gatekeepers¡¯ ents. ¡®The gatekeepers are Korean? In the middle of North Korea?¡¯ Suho spoke to the gatekeepers calmly. ¡°Hello. What is this ce?¡± ¡°What, you¡¯re Korean?¡± The gatekeepers also recognized Suho¡¯s origins as soon as they heard his ent, and showed a slightly relieved expression. To the point where I could even feel a sense of joy. Could it be because I met someone from my hometown in a foreignnd like this? But despite that, they remained true to their mission. ¡°How did a Korean get here?¡± They aimed their sharp spearheads at Suho and Sirka and asked questions. Suho answered honestly. ¡°I guess I just walked here.¡± ¡°By foot? It¡¯s quite a distance from South Korea to here.¡± ¡°I also ran a little bit.¡± The conversation is a little floaty. But in the meantime, the gatekeepers¡¯ eyes were carefully watching Suho and Sirka¡¯s movements. Traces of battle. Although there were no clear signs ofbat, the clothes that Suho and Sirka were wearing were full of vivid traces of battle. As if I had passed through ava path, my clothes smelled like charcoal. The captain of the guard asked. ¡°Are you two all there? Are there no otherpanions?¡± ¡°There isn¡¯t any.¡± ¡°Someone go and see.¡± ¡°yes!¡± At the captain¡¯s order, several people ran directly in the direction where Suho and Sirka had appeared, checked to see if there were any other people hiding, and then returned. ¡°What? You two are really all there is? Then how did you get here? Are there really no other people?¡± ¡°It used to be there, but it¡¯s not there anymore.¡± Suho answered honestly. 1 Then the gatekeepers¡¯ expressions became slightly solemn. ¡°¡­ ¡­ Are they all dead?¡± ¡°Um, yes. Well, that¡¯s right.¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­ I see. I see.¡± 1 It became more serious. Of course, there was nothing wrong with Soo-ho¡¯s answer. First of all, it¡¯s true that all the shadow soldiers are dead. But as I answered, the atmosphere became more and more solemn. ¡°Hmm. Yes, that must have been hard for the young man.¡± ¡°The road to get here is a bit rough.¡± ¡°But where did you get this elf? How did you catch it?¡± ¡®Catch the elf?¡¯ In that moment, a strange sight quickly appeared in Suho¡¯s eyes. The nuance is subtle. The gatekeepers were looking at Sirka, who was standing next to the guardian, with curious eyes and whispering among themselves. ¡°What a quiet guy.¡± ¡°Your hair color is unique?¡± ¡°How can you be so obedient without even a leash?¡± ¡°A leash?¡± Rather, he was curious about Soo-ho, so he interrupted their conversation and asked. But to the gatekeepers, that statement was even more surprising. ¡°Huh? You don¡¯t know what a leash is? This is it, this.¡± ¡°iced coffee.¡± When they took something out of their arms and showed it to him, Suho nodded without realizing it. Because it was something I was very familiar with. ¡®Magic restraint¡¯ What they took out was none other than the ¡®electronic ankle bracelet¡¯ that was worn on both ankles of the viins at Jisan Prison. These were extremely vicious handcuffs that contained a very powerful, miniature bomb inside, designed to explode immediately if the electronic ankle bracelet was shocked or if the wearer used magical powers. ¡®I think it was a device invented under the leadership of Chairman Woo Jin-cheol in the early days of the Great Cataclysm.¡¯ Suddenly, I remembered what I had heard from Baek Mi-ho before. -But in fact, the president of the association originally insisted that the bomb should be ced around the neck, not the ankle. Yes, that¡¯s right. At that time, Chairman Woo Jin-cheol imed that in order to properly control the viins, one must use magic power to the point where their heads would be blown off. That¡¯s why the name at the time of development was ¡®bomb ne¡¯. However, the bill was ultimately rejected due to the issue of human rights vitions, and the conclusion was to put it on the ankle. ¡®But why is that suddenly popping out here? And is that a leash? Could it be that it¡¯s used here by putting it around the neck?¡¯ The more we talk, the more questions I have. ¡®Anyway, for people who have this kind of thing, it alles down to one of two things¡­ ¡­ .¡¯ Viin or association. Or another unknown group? Thinking that it was a good idea not to attack without warning, Suho¡¯s gaze passed over the gatekeepers¡¯ necks and ankles. Naturally, there were no magical restraints ced anywhere on their bodies. ¡®Anyway, I guess I should at least give you an answer so that I don¡¯t get suspicious.¡¯ The gatekeepers looked wary of Sirka, who was not wearing a ¡®leash¡¯. The reason why the sense of caution was somewhat light was because of Sirka¡¯s cute appearance. A small, young elf who appears to be about ten years old. The small body had thick silver hair that covered all the way to its waist, so when viewed from behind, it looked like arge hamster. And above all, Sirka basically didn¡¯t know Korean. Cha Hae-in was able tomunicate with Sirka thanks to the ne that Sung Jin-woo gave her as a gift, and Su-ho was able tomunicate with Sirka thanks to the system¡¯s effects. Sirka had not been able to hear what the gatekeepers were saying at all and had just been watching nkly from the side. With such a harmless expression. Bam. Suho¡¯s palm ruffled Sirka¡¯s hair and answered the gatekeepers¡¯ questions. ¡°This guy doesn¡¯t need a leash. I have simr skills.¡± ¡°What? Skill?¡± ¡°Skill? What skill?¡± Looking at the puzzled expressions on the gatekeepers¡¯ faces, I thought it would be quicker to show them. ¡®Should I show you Gray? No. Gray has grown quiterge these days, so you might feel unnecessarily wary.¡¯ I decided. A guy who isn¡¯t a shadow soldier, but doesn¡¯t look threatening at first nce. ¡°Ragnar.¡± Swish! ¡°¡­ ¡­ ?!¡± At that moment, the gatekeepers¡¯ eyes widened. Suddenly, a small lizard appeared from Suho¡¯s hand! ¡°Beep?¡± Dumb eyes. A small lizard with wings on its back opened its mouth and looked around on the guardian¡¯s palm. ¡°You¡¯ve gained some weight?¡± ¡°Beep?¡± Huh? As Suho said, Ragna had gained a lot of weight recently and was nice to look at. It seemed that Antares was working hard behind the scenes to increase Ragna¡¯s magical power. ¡°What is it, a summoning skill?¡± ¡°Were you a summoner?¡± The gatekeepers were quietly amazed at Suho¡¯s skills. There are many different skills in the world, but summoning skills are notmonly seen. Especially for the auxiliary series thatcks the ability to protect themselves, and especially for the summoners who are in a mediocre job, it is not easy to survive in North Korea, which has fallen into an apocalypse. ¡°Then, could it be that this elf is not something you caught, but your summoned creature?¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s simr. Maybe I need to summon an elf to enter the city?¡± ¡°No, you don¡¯t have to do that. I¡¯ll just lend you this leash, so put it around your neck. Be sure to return it when you leave.¡± ¡°¡­thank you.¡± Suho thought as he epted the ¡®leash¡¯ handed to him by the gatekeeper. I¡¯m really d Sirka doesn¡¯t know Korean. Suho roughly put the leash around Sirka¡¯s neck. However, it allows you to unlock it yourself at any time without having to press the lock or operate button. Only then did the gatekeepers lower the tips of their spears that were aimed at the guard. ¡°So where is this ce?¡± ¡°What¡¯s the point of telling me? You¡¯ll know if you go in there yourself.¡± The gatekeepers let their guard down and opened the gate for Suho. Choaaaak- The moment the door opened in front of Suho. What you see right away is a shy neon sign. [LAST PARADISE] ¡°¡­uh?¡± Suho was genuinely embarrassed. Thend of North Korea where the darkness of night has descended. In the middle of hell, where humanity has fallen into an apocalypse. Under the shadow of the giant Elvenwood, the sacred tree of the elves¡­ ¡­ . A city spread out before us, splendidly decorated with colorful neon signs. ¡°Wee. Wee to thest remaining paradise in North Korea, ¡®Paradise.''¡± Chapter 273 Chapter 273 ¡°¡­ ¡­ .¡± Suho was speechless. What was your first impression of the city that unfolded before your eyes? ¡®¡­ Chinatown?¡¯ Of course, there are many different ces in Chinatown, but among them, this ce has a rather bad and dark atmosphere. Colorful neon signs. A messy and disorderly street. Shabby walls covered in mold. And the expressions of the people gathered in the corner of the stone wall, puffing out cigarette smoke, were somehow gloomy. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s right! I had exactly that look on my face!¡± The captain of the guard chuckled again at Soo-ho¡¯s expression. ¡°Why? Are you really surprised? All the guys who first came to this city reacted like you did.¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­ .¡± The captain of the guard seemed to have some pride in this city, and exined everything Soo-ho might be curious about before he could even ask. ¡°To put it simply, this ce is a bit like Chinatown. There are Koreans, North Koreans, Chinese, and Russians living there too.¡± As he said, the people wandering around this disorderly city in groups of three or four had all kinds of different behaviors. Not only their appearances but also their nationalities were diverse. The reason why there were no other countries was obvious. This is probably because North Korea is located adjacent to China, Russia, and South Korea. But anyway, there were two things that Suho noticed. One. [Your Majesty, all the humans here have magical powers.] Nod. Suho nodded silently at Ber¡¯s whisper. ¡®City of the Awakened¡¯ In a way, this might be natural. Would it be possible to survive in North Korea until now without being an Awakened Person? Most of them would have been killed by the demons, or would have been consumed by magic and burned to death as mist burns. The journey to get to this city would not have been easy for the Awakened even in the first ce. But this fact was not that surprising. The second thing that caught Suho¡¯s eye was the problem. ¡°Are you curious about the nes around those guys¡¯ necks?¡± ¡°¡­yes.¡± If you pretend, it will work. The captain of the guard checked the people Suho was looking at and smirked. Among the people smoking, there were often those wearing ¡®bomb nes¡¯. But it looked a little different from the one I had given to Sirka. The outer surface of the ne had LED ¡®numbers¡¯ that were shing. ¡°That ne is different from the one I lent to your summoner. It¡¯s a modified version that has had its magic binding function removed, leaving only the bomb.¡± ¡°There is no magic suppression function?¡± ¡°Yes. Of course, it will explode if you give it any impact, so if you take it off carelessly, your head will be blown off.¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­ ?¡± Suho made a puzzled expression. You removed the magic suppression function from the device used to restrain the viins? So then what on earth does that thing do? ¡°But the purpose of its use ispletely different. It¡¯s called the ¡®Credit Choker.''¡± ¡°Credit choker? Credit¡­ ¡­ ne?¡± ¡°No, a loan ne.¡± Hehe. The captain of the guard, who had been so kind the whole time, had a cold smile for the first time. ¡°All the guys wearing chokers are debtors. They¡¯re the ones who haven¡¯t paid off their bank loans yet.¡± ¡°Bank loan?¡± ¡°Yeah. Don¡¯t you understand? You¡¯ll get used to it soon anyway. You¡¯ll need money to live here anyway.¡± Just then, arge building appeared in front of them. [Paradise Bank] There was arge sign on top of the building where the captain of the guard personally guided Suho and Sirka from the gate. ¡°¡­bank?¡± ¡°Yes, this is also a ce where people live, so you¡¯ll need at least money to buy food, right? You¡¯ll also need lodging to sleep.¡± ¡®Oh, so that¡¯s what it was.¡¯ Only then did Suho realize the true nature of the sense of difort he had felt the moment he entered the city. Somehow, despite his fierce appearance, the captain of the guard was treating Suho quite kindly. Except for the first time we met, the atmosphere was so weing that I wondered if they could be so kind to an unidentified outsider. He is the gatekeeper who supposedly guards the castle walls. But now I think I know. The original purpose of the high walls surrounding this city was to prevent the invasion of demons. If that¡¯s not a demon but a person. Especially if an Awakened person had the power toe this far, they would be weed in this city. ¡°Here, foreign currencies are useless. Transactions are made only with coins that are used only in our city. That¡¯s why neers like you have to first borrow money from the bank.¡± Suho nodded. ¡°So you¡¯re going to be a debtor from the start.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Don¡¯t think too strangely of it. That¡¯s how everyone starts out. Don¡¯t worry, you¡¯ll be able to pay off your debt soon anyway.¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­ ?¡± I wondered how to repay that debt, but that question was quickly resolved. ¡°Open! Neers wee!¡± As the security guard kicked open the bank door and burst into the room, an employee working on paperwork inside recognized him and beamed. ¡°Oh, Mr. Park Young-jun! Is it your turn to be on guard duty today? You brought a new customer with you?¡± ¡°Hahaha! Okay, Inma! Pay me the introduction fee right now!¡± ¡°Yes, yes. I¡¯ll pay you right away. You¡¯re lucky. A newbie came to me on his own on the day of your shift.¡± For a moment, the staff¡¯s gaze quickly scanned the figures of Suho and Sirka standing next to the captain of the guard. Then, with a bright smile on his face, he held out two documents in front of Suho. ¡°Wee to paradise! Here is one copy of your citizen registration card, and the other is a loan certificate to help you settle in.¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­ .¡± I nced at the document and saw that it was tranted into Korean, Chinese, and Russian side by side. It¡¯s a citizen registration card, so you just have to write your name, but the problem was the living expenses. I understand that they are lending money instead of giving it as a settlement, but the problem was the interest rate. ¡®The interest rates are crazy. I don¡¯t think even the most private loan sharks would go this far.¡¯ Outrageous interest rates. What kind of bank would dare to ask for such a thuggish loan? But considering the environment outside the city, it might have been natural. If you don¡¯t like it, you can just get out of this city. As evidence, this was Soo-ho¡¯s reaction when he carefully read the documents and then asked the employee a question. ¡°Can I borrow the moneyter?¡± ¡°Yes, of course! We never force you to take out a loan!¡± Despite his friendly tone, Suho caught the employee¡¯s eyes furrowing for a moment. But the staff member quickly put on a bright expression, nced at the captain of the guard who had brought Suho himself, and spoke as if making an excuse. ¡°It¡¯smon for first-time visitors to our city to be reluctant to ept credit cards. But don¡¯t worry too much. If you justplete a few of the requests our bank gives you, you¡¯ll be able to repay your settlement money in no time.¡± ¡°A request?¡± ¡°Yes. In terms of games, it¡¯s like a quest? Haha, I think younger people understand it faster if you use a game as an example. If youplete a quest, you get a reward.¡± ¡°Ah, give me my reward first!¡± ¡°By the way, there is a reward for finding an outsider like this person and guiding them to the bank.¡± The captain of the security guard who had been bringing Suho along for a while was urging the employee to give him an introduction fee. The officer said, ¡°Okay, then,¡± and handed the captain a few coins. ng. ¡°Okay, okay? Well, it¡¯s not like you have any debts, so how much is that? Anyway, you cane backter to ask about the loan. For now, just write your name on this citizen registration form and leave.¡± The captain of the security guard, who was happily receiving the introduction fee from the employee, suddenly said somethi ng next to Su-ho. ¡°By the way, can I use a pseudonym?¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­ ?¡± When Suho looked at him, the captain of the guard smirked and said. ¡°What, you really thought I¡¯de all the way here and stupidly use my real name?¡± Suho¡¯s eyes widened at those words. It was not because of the words that came next, but because of the words that confidently told me to register as a citizen under a false name in front of the staff. ¡°If I do that, Woo Jin-cheol will chase after me and grab me, saying, ¡®Ugh?''¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­ .¡± ¡°Tsk, isn¡¯t it boring? Anyway, these days.¡± As he listened to that unfunny dad joke, Suho finally realized. [Your Majesty, here¡­ ¡­ .] ¡®okay.¡¯ The true identity of this city. This was the final settlement of the viins who sessfully escaped to North Korea to avoid none other than Chairman Woo Jin-cheol. ¡®Then the Chinese or Russian people must be viins who escaped from those countries.¡¯ [Kill them all right now. Oh, and before that, we need to have Harmakan to get experience from these guys¡­ ¡­ .] He was dismayed to realize that Berga Harmakan, who had been quietly nning mass ughter with an evil look in his eyes, was absent. It wasn¡¯t a good idea to kill all the viins once you found them. Before that, you had to surround this area with Harmakan as an instance dungeon so that you could gain experience from them. If Harma Khan, who I left behind in Korea for a while, were here, he would have burned down this bank, regardless of the loans and everything. ¡°But you are really lucky. Where on earth did you catch that little elf?¡± Finally, towards Suho, who haspleted his citizen registration and is leaving the bank. Even the bank employees showed curiosity as they watched Sirka following Suho around obediently. * * * ¡°Okay, if you just tell me about the bank locations and credit chokers, you¡¯ve basically paid for the referral fee¡­ ¡­ I¡¯ll just give you a few things to watch out for.¡± Aftering out of the bank. On the way back to where he came from, the captain of the guard gave Suho a tour of the city and said: ¡°For your information, there is no separate city hall here. Since it is awless area to begin with, no one will say anything if you do whatever you want. However, if you rely too much on your power and act too aggressively, you will die without anyone knowing. Even if you are an awakened person, you are defenseless when you sleep.¡± His finger pointed to therge avenue that ran through the center of the city. ¡°Here, on one side of the main street, Chinese people live, and on the other side, Koreans live. The North Korean and Russian areas are over there. It¡¯s not like there¡¯s a huge divide based on nationality here, but if you live with people of the same hometown, you¡¯ll have a safe ce to sleep. Of course, it¡¯s all a matter of the heart.¡± Awless area that is neither illegal nor uwful. The saying here was that if someone were to suddenly and secretlye to the dormitory and try to kill someone while they were sleeping, no one would be able to protect them. ¡°Be especially careful of debt collectors with chokers around their necks. Those with high numbers are really dangerous. Did you see the interest rates earlier? The interest on their necks is rising even at this very moment. And if they can¡¯t pay their debts, then boom! It¡¯s all over.¡± ¡°So, if you don¡¯t want to die, you have to carry out the requests given by the bank.¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t want to be ripped off inmissions, you can do business yourself. If you don¡¯t have any debt, bartering is often easier.¡± Suho suddenly remembered the numerous request forms that had been stuck next to the bank employee earlier. The details of the requests varied greatly, but in summary, it was something like this. 1. Elf Hunt 2. Hunting for demons (edible) 3. Bring home the home appliances or furniture requested by the client from outside the city. Some of these requests were made directly by the bank, but most were from people living in the city asking the bank for things they needed. In the meantime, the bank collects a brokerage fee. But, as expected, the thing I was most curious about was ¡®Elf¡¯. Why on earth do people here hunt elves? ¡®Even if that¡¯s true for me, why on earth are these people not getting any experience points?¡¯ Suho asked the captain of the guard. ¡°I saw earlier that the quest to capture elves had the highest reward, but why do we have to capture elves?¡± ¡°Why? Of course¡­ ¡­ .¡± The captain of the guard answered him in a nonchnt tone. Pointing to Elvenwood, which stands tall in the center of the city. ¡°There is no better fertilizer for growing Alfheim than the corpses of elves.¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­ !¡± Suho covered Sirka¡¯s ears with both hands without realizing it. I guess you wouldn¡¯t have understood since it was in Korean anyway. 1 And then he turned his eyes and looked at Elvenwood again. Come to think of it, there was one thing that was noticeably different between the nine Elvenwoods we had found so far and this one. That¡¯s just the size. The elvenwood growing in this city was twice as thick andrge. Surely that reason is¡­ ¡­ . ¡°In thisnd of the North, you can strangely find quite a few elves. If you catch them and bury them in thisnd, Alfheim wil l be very pleased.¡± Suho asked. ¡°Is Alfheim the name of that tree?¡± ¡°Oh, are you by any chance weak to mythology?¡± ¡°I have a rough idea.¡± Alfheim. I think that¡¯s what thend of the elves that appears in mythology was called. ¡­ ¡­ It seemed like the name was probably given because the elves found it effective in growing the tree. Well, it didn¡¯t matter why it was named that way. More than that, Suho couldn¡¯t help but be concerned about one part of what the captain of the guard had said. ¡°But what does it mean to grow that tree?¡± ¡°If you feed Alfheim and make it fat, it will bear ¡®fruit.¡¯ There are no healers in this city, so when we get hurt, we eat the ¡®fruit.¡¯ The ¡®fruit¡¯ greatly increases your vitality and regenerative power. It even does things like that.¡± The captain of the guard pointed to a dark alley where a group of choker-wearing debt collectors were gathered. There¡­ ¡­ there existed a figure that was difficult to call human. At that sight, Suho, Sirka, and even Ber¡¯s expressions hardened. ¡°The arm¡­ ¡­ .¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­ !¡± [¡­ ¡­ !] By the way, the ability to heal apletely severed arm was an ability only avable to advanced healers. Moreover, there were not even any healers worse than him living in this city. What should I do if my arm is cut off in that situation? A normal person would die just from the bleeding from the cut surface. But among the debtors pointed at by the captain of the guard, there were some who particrly stood out. Humans with grotesque appearances, with giant demon arms attached to their shoulders where human arms should be. ¡°Isn¡¯t that amazing? If you eat the ¡®fruit,¡¯ you can transnt the body of a demon into your body.¡± Only then did Suho¡¯s visione into view of the city¡¯s true form. Deep darkness beneath the mour of colorful neon signs, just like in a club. The viins here were ragtags who had survived by grafting monster bodies onto their own. ¡°We call those ragtags ¡®enhanced humans.¡¯ You too, when you get hurt one day, you¡¯ll eventually end up going to the bank on your own two feet and taking out a loan. To buy ¡®fruit.''¡± Chapter 274 Chapter 274 After hearing the captain¡¯s exnation, Suho finally gets to see the true nature of this city. Last Paradise. A refuge for viins, but also thest stronghold for their survival. And in this city, there are ¡®enhanced humans¡¯ who survived by eating the fruits of Elvenwood and recing their injured bodies with parts of demons. And the bank is the entity that keeps entrusting them with risky and difficult tasks by putting them under the shackles of debt. Suho muttered. ¡°After all, that tree is the lifeline of this city.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. If there were no Alfheim, we would have all died long ago. Even if we get hurt or sick from attacks by demons or weather abnormalities, we can survive as long as we have the fruit from that tree.¡± The captain nodded and chuckled. ¡°Well, everyone is gradually bing a debtor and an enhanced human.¡± ¡°Fruit¡­ ¡­ .¡± Suho slowly raised his head and looked up at Alfheim. The height is so high that it makes the back of my neck hurt. The circumference seemed too small for dozens of men holding hands. Compared to any other elvenwood I had seen so far, the ¡®fat¡¯ elven sacred tree was overwhelmingly beautiful and exuded vivid energy. But ironically, the city¡¯s Elvenwood pirs were surrounded by shabby, old concrete buildings built by humans¡­ The gorgeous yet dark, somewhat shabby and slum-like scenery reminded me of Kowloon City in Hong Kong. But if you look at it from a slightly different perspective, this ce looks like¡­ ¡­ . ¡®This whole city is like one giant flower pot.¡¯ Yes, a flower pot. The structure of this city was like a giant flower pot that existed solely to grow one tree and bear fruit. The only thing that has changed is that those who tend the flower pots have changed from high elves to humans. In the end, the viins here were also raised and raised for Elvenwood just like the elves. No, if you look at the results, it seems that the humans were raising Elvenwood better. The proof is in the fruit. ¡®Because there was no such thing as fruit in the Elvenwoods until now.¡¯ In fact, besides its size, there was one more thing that was different about Elvenwood here. The color of the leaves. The branches of the Elvenwoods where the high elves lived were always green and fragrant. But here in Elvenwood, red leaves were mixed in among the green leaves. Like a leaf about to fall. ¡°¡­ ¡­Autumn has begun.¡± At that moment, Sirka, who was watching the same scenery as Suho, muttered softly. Sd also agreed. [The King of the Snowmen, the Lord of the Cold, says that the harvest season has already arrived in thisnd.] Suho nodded at those words. The words of Sd, who had endured the bitter cold and be a monarch, contained a greater meaning. The seasons of the elves are apletely different concept from those of Earth. Regardless of the flow of time, it flows solely in ordance with the growth of Elvenwood. It is not because autumn has arrived that fruit is produced. On the contrary, it is called autumn because the Elvenwood has grown enough to bear fruit. So then whates next is¡­ ¡­ . [The King of the Snowmen, the Lord of the Cold, deres that this city will soon be destroyed.] Sirka had already smelled a familiar scent when she first set foot in the city. For Sirka, who was born in the bitter cold, the elven winter was as familiar as home. ¡°Winter wille soon.¡± So, it was possible to guess when that winter woulde. ¡°When all those leaves have turned red. When all the fallen leaves have fallen¡­ ¡­ .¡± And that day will be the day when this city is destroyed. Suho nodded to Sirka¡¯s words. And then I looked up and saw the berries hanging from the tips of the red leaves high up in the sky. Before Suho could ask anything, the captain of the guard quickly answered. ¡°Yes, those are the ¡®fruits¡¯. The blood of Alfheim, shall we say?¡± Suho nodded at the captain¡¯s words. As he put it, the appearance of the fruits, even from a distance, looked like round clusters of red blood hanging from the branches. ¡°But you know.¡± The captain of the guard suddenly lowered his voice and spoke quietly. ¡°Actually, picking those fruits is not easy. It¡¯s extremely dangerous.¡± ¡°It¡¯s dangerous?¡± ¡°Yes. Alfheim is a tree and a living organism at the same time. How could it like having its blood drained?¡± Well, wasn¡¯t Elvenwood originally a dangerous tree that people would eat elves from? ¡°That¡¯s why banks often ask you to bring them Alfheim fruit. Usually, it¡¯s the debt collectors. The ones wearing chokers around their necks.¡± ¡°I guess themission is high.¡± ¡°Of course. It¡¯s a job where you have to risk your life and climb up that tree yourself. If you fall during the process, your back will break, and the branches and spirits will even get in the way.¡± The captain of the guard exined with a grin. And he also revealed his intentions for exining this to Soo-ho so kindly without hiding anything. ¡°But these days, it has be more difficult to pick fruit.¡± ¡°Why is that?¡± ¡°Alfheim is growing stronger. More than half of those who go to pick the fruit don¡¯t return. Or theye back injured and end up eating the fruit they worked so hard to pick.¡± The captain spoke to Suho in a quiet voice. ¡°So, by the way, would you be interested in taking on the task of picking berries?¡± ¡°Me?¡± ¡°Yeah. You¡¯re a summoner. Why don¡¯t you just summon that lizard summoner and have it climb the tree? You don¡¯t have to take any risks.¡± ¡®Aha. So this was it.¡¯ Looking into the captain¡¯s eyes full of anticipation, Suho finally realized why the captain had been so friendly to him the whole time. ¡°Even if the summoning skill is ambiguous in battle, it seems like it would be perfect for picking berries, right? And what are you going to do starting tonight? Not only is food a problem, but you won¡¯t have money to find a ce to stay, so you¡¯ll have to sleep on the streets.¡± The captain had no doubt that Suho would ept his offer. Originally, people who came to this city for the first time, like Suho, were reluctant to take out a bank loan at first. But that onlysted a day or two. ¡°Don¡¯t forget. This city is a dangerous ce full of viins. In a town where anyone could suddenly turn into a robber at any moment, it¡¯s a good idea to keep a few berries with you in case you get hurt.¡± ¡°So, what they¡¯re saying is to pick the fruit in advance.¡± ¡°Yeah. If you try to buy fruit at the market after getting hurt, they¡¯ll suddenly charge you a high price. This ce is sowless that the prices vary from time to time.¡± ¡°Hmm. Let me think about it.¡± ¡°Hey. Don¡¯t be so negative and think positively. If anything goes wrong while you¡¯re summoning your beast under the tree, I¡¯ll be there to protect you. I¡¯m a tanker who deserves to be the captain of the guards.¡± What the captain of the guards wanted from Suho was ultimately partnership. But the captain of the guard had no idea. The fact that Ber was giggling in Suho¡¯s shadow while listening to his own nonsense. [Foolish human. Our little lord has potions anyway, so why would he need such an ominous fruit?] ¡°Anyway, think about it carefully and let¡¯s talk again tomorrow. If you sleep out on the streets tonight, you¡¯ll probably change your mind.¡± With those words, the captain of the guard returned to his jurisdiction. ¡°Oh, and when you¡¯re homeless, watch out for debt collectors! Especially the ones with high choker numbers, they¡¯re ruthless.¡± Even as he was leaving, the captain of the guard still couldn¡¯t give up on Suho, and told him about an alley where it was safe to sleep. ¡°He is a kind person until the end.¡± [You talk too much. You sound like an exnatory bug.] ¡°¡­ ¡­ ?¡± Suho¡¯s gaze lingered on Ber for a moment. And then he looked back at Sirka with a smirk and asked. ¡°Well, anyway, should we start looking for a ce to sleep now?¡± ¡°Where to sleep?¡± Sirka, who had been following Suho without saying a word because she didn¡¯t know Korean, tilted her head. [Your Majesty, why are you sleeping outside? Why don¡¯t you just go to Korea as a shadow exchange and sleepfortably?] ¡°Of course that would be okay.¡± Ber¡¯s advice was indeed wise. With just one skill, you can have a fluffy Korean bed waiting for you, so why bother buying one and going through the trouble? [And on your way back, bring Harmakan with you.] ¡°That¡¯s true too.¡± [¡­ ¡­ ?] Ber tilted his head. It seemed as if Suho had no intention of following his words at all. And his footsteps were already entering the alleyway that the captain of the guard had shown him, a good ce to sleep. [Are you really nning to sleep out on the streets?] ¡°No, isn¡¯t it stranger than that?¡± A mischievous smile appeared on Suho¡¯s lips as he entered the alley. ¡°That captain of the guard just now, that kind old man, he must have been a viin who ran away from Korea, but he was so kind.¡± [Keeec?] suddenly. The moment I entered a dark alley. Suho¡¯s gaze turned eerie. ¡°¡­ ¡­ Yes, this is normal.¡± Shh. Looking around at those surrounding him, Suho smiled coldly. In the alleyway that the captain of the guard had pointed out, the guests who had arrived earlier were already lined up and waiting for protection. A choker around the neck. A group of grotesque looking beasts with grafted arms from demons. The most dangerous alley in the city, filled with street hyenas who prey on newbies who don¡¯t know anything about the city. And at the very back of them, the captain of the guard who had been kind to Suho until the end had returned and was sitting happily. ¡°See you again?¡± ¡°Oh, don¡¯t think too much of it. There¡¯s one more request from the bank. Guide the newbie around the city. And get him to borrow money from the bank.¡± At Suho¡¯s greeting, the captain of the guard waved his hand with a bitter smile behind the debt collectors. ¡°I honestly think your skills are optimized for picking berries. So I think you¡¯ll listen better if you tear off at least one arm before you need the berries.¡± Somehow, the bank employee gave the security captain a hint earlier. Suho chuckled as he realized what those eyes meant. ¡°They say they won¡¯t force you to take out a loan, but I guess starting out as a debtor is the rule?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. That¡¯s just how it is in this neighborhood. What are you all doing? Come at us all at once!¡± ¡­ ¡­ ! As soon as he finished speaking, the city¡¯s debt collectors all rushed toward Suho. Swinging the giant demon arm transnted into his body. [My lord, if you are going to kill these guys, do it while Harmakan is here¡­ ¡­ .] Even in this midst, Ber¡¯s advice, which was concerned about experience points, was tearful. At those words, Suho chuckled and waved his hand lightly. ¡°I know. There¡¯s still some things to find out here.¡± Pfft! ¡°¡­ ¡­ ?!¡± The viin¡¯s huge fist, which hade right up to Soo-ho¡¯s nose with a light gesture, burst like a balloon. Beyond the shocked expressions on the debt collectors¡¯ faces, the captain of the guard¡¯s wide-open eyes showed a hint that something was wrong. ¡°aha?¡± On the other hand, Sirka had a refreshing expression. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you mean, but I get this.¡± Whioo- The Ice Tree Spear appeared in Sirka¡¯s hand, who had been staring nkly because she didn¡¯t know Korean the whole time. and. Damn it! ¡­ ¡­ ?! One night in Alfheim, when autumn had just begun. The winter wind that came a little early froze the entire dark alley. Chapter 275 Chapter 275 It was worth all the hard work that I put into Sirka. So far, Suho has destroyed a total of nine Elvenwood trees. In the process, countless high elves lost their lives in a mean manner. The spirits that had been swarming inside their bodies like parasites fled in panic. Rather, he attacked me like an evil spirit. But either way, the result was the same. All of those spirits are eventually captured by the guardian and burned to death. 1 He was captured by Sirka and forced to submit. Countless times. The result is right here, right now. In thisnd¡­ ¡­ . WHEEWHAAAAH! It has descended. Tsk tsk tsk! ¡°¡­ ¡­ !¡± The cold frosty wind that started from Sirka¡¯s small body instantly covered the dark alley. The bodies of the enhanced humans who were touched by the pure white snowstorm began to freeze one by one. ¡°Eww!¡± ¡°What, what is this¡­ ¡­ !¡± With screams of terror, the augmented humans hastily turned around and tried to run away, but it was already toote. Sirka¡¯s bitter cold instantly turned the entire alley into an ice kingdom. Ice thorns jut out sharply from the alley. The enhanced humans turned into ice statues with astonished expressions on their faces. and. Crackle crackle- The bodies of the debtors began to fall apart with the sound of ice cracking. The arms and legs of the demons transnted into their bodies were also shattered into pieces like ice cubes. ¡°Ugh¡­ ¡­ .¡± They barely managed to break the ice and escape, but their bodies were already in a terrible state. Meanwhile, some people were seen shivering from the cold, taking out the ¡®fruit¡¯ they had hidden in their bosoms and stuffi ng it into their mouths in a hurry. but. Wheeze- ¡°¡­ ¡­ ?!¡± [Your Majesty, this seems to be a fruit.] The fruits they were holding in their hands were all snatched away by Ber and given to Suho. Tiring. [¡®Item: Contaminated Elvenwood Fruit¡¯ has been acquired.] ¡°¡­ ¡­ .¡± The life slowly drained from the eyes of the enhanced humans who were looking at the sight with bewildered expressions. At that moment. Boom! [Keeec?] Simultaneously, the credit chokers strapped around their necks began to explode here and there. Boom boom! Boom boom! ¡°¡­ ¡­ It seems like it¡¯s designed to automatically explode when the debtors die.¡± Suho was a little surprised by the explosive power of the credit choker, which was greater than he had expected. Even Sirka was so surprised that she created a wall of ice to block the aftermath of the explosion. And the corpses of the enhanced humans left there had their headspletely missing. [From now on, when dealing with them, it would be better to avoid closebat.] And now, at this moment. ¡°T, this can¡¯t be happening¡­ ¡­ .¡± The expression on the face of the captain of the guard, who was watching this whole scene from the end of the alley, was one of shock and horror. No, what is all this? I couldn¡¯t believe it even though I saw it with my own eyes. Just a few seconds. No, just one second ago. A situation I never even imagined unfolded before my eyes. ¡®I, I have to run away¡­ ¡­ .¡¯ The survival instinct was ringing like a mad rm in the captain¡¯s head, telling him to run away from this ce immediately. But I just couldn¡¯t move my feet. It wasn¡¯t just because of fear. Before he knew it, both of his ankles were also firmly bound to the ice of Sirka. Before him¡­ ¡­ inevitable death was approaching. He made excuses desperately. ¡°Oh, no. This is a misunderstanding! I can exin everything! I just, just¡­ ¡­!¡± iced coffee. Suho was approaching. Walking slowly on the ice. ¡°I, really! I really didn¡¯t intend to kill you! I just meant to eat the fruit¡­ ¡­! This is just a ritual that everyone goes through¡­ ¡­!¡± Disjointed excuses began to pour out of the mouth of the captain of the guard, who was gripped with fear. Suho nodded obediently and answered. ¡°Well, it was a misunderstanding¡­ ¡­ . Well, that could be true. It¡¯s because the old man was too kind, and it¡¯s because I came all the way here.¡± The captain of the guard was rather creeped out by the sight. Why didn¡¯t I know? Why did I only realize this now! Looking back, that guy was like that from the beginning. Viins who escaped across the 38th parallel to North Korea would naturally be possessed by evil or have a murderous spirit, so they would be wary of everything. In this hell, you can¡¯t trust anyone. But that guy was different. He followed me around and guided me so obediently that I almost thought he was a fool. Like a tourist on a trip. And that attitude continues even at this moment¡­ ¡­ . The captain of the guards was even more frightened by the sight of Suho, who was calmly approaching him, not feeling even a hint of murderous intent. ¡°Hey, wait! I¡¯m useful! If you spare my life, I¡¯ll tell you everything I know! There are a lot of things you¡¯ll need to know to adapt to this city! If you kill me¡­ ¡­!¡± [Ah, don¡¯t worry about that, kind viin. I¡¯ll be kinder when I¡¯m dead anyway.] 1 ¡°¡­ ¡­ ?!¡± Creepy! Before he knew it, Berga came up to him and patted his shoulder with a very kind expression. The captain of the guard was startled and, in a stroke of genius, suddenly took out two daggers he had hidden and threw them at Suho¡¯s heart and neck. wedge- ¡°asleep!¡± But the daggers are a trick! Before the dagger could even reach Suho, he was so angry that he unleashed every attack he could at Suho. ¡°Kwaaak! Don¡¯te here! Don¡¯te here! If you kill me anyway, you won¡¯t be safe either¡­ ¡­!¡± Phew- ¡°Oh, were you talking? You suddenly attacked me.¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­ .¡± Sirka, who hade closer, stabbed the captain of the guard with the spear of the ice tree, then turned to Suho and apologized with a very harmless expression. At the same time, the life drained from the captain¡¯s eyes, which had been filled with evil. [Keeeek! The little lord¡¯s precious experience points¡­ ] Ber, who just talks about experience points while so many people die. At this point, it was confusing to tell which side was the viin. But Suho wasn¡¯t easy either. ¡°No. They weren¡¯t the type of people who would give me much experience anyway.¡± I didn¡¯t really feel guilty. Anyway, if there are viins who would have fled all the way to North Korea to avoid the association, they are basically the only ones who have done something worthy of the death penalty. If I hadmitted a lesser crime in the first ce, there would be no reason for me to run away to this harsh apocalypse on my own two feet. ¡°Get up.¡± 3 Suho extracted the shadows of the dead without hesitation. [Shadow extraction seeded.] [Shadow extraction seeded.] [Shadow extraction seeded.] ¡­ ¡­ . Aaaah ¡­ A cold alley where winter has arrived a little early. The shadows of the debt collectors whose heads had been blown off by the choker¡¯s explosion echoed with wails. And finally when they rose again from the dead. Their souls, which had been struggling with debt and barely surviving during their lifetime, were no longer filled with chokers. [Shadow Reinforcement Bottle Lv.1] [Shadow Reinforcement Bottle Lv.1] [Shadow Reinforcement Bottle Lv.1] ¡­ ¡­ . A strange sight appeared in Suho¡¯s eyes as he scanned the appearance of the new soldiers who had appeared before his eyes. ¡°The body of the demon that was transnted into my body continues even after I die. It would be a little unfair for Sita to see that.¡± [That¡¯s right. It¡¯s simr to the Yong-in tribe that Sita perfected through experiments.] Sita, who had caused such chaos in India, iming to strengthen humanity, had transformed humans into dragons after numerous experiments. But the viins here have different principles, but the results are quite simr. ¡°Seeing that the changes in the body affect the soul, it seems that the effect of the ¡®fruit¡¯ is better than expected.¡± Suho looked closely at the ¡®fruits¡¯ that Ber had retrieved. Then an information window appeared before my eyes. [Item: Contaminated Elvenwood Fruit] Difficulty to acquire: ?? Type: Consumables This is the fruit of Elvenwood, the sacred tree of the elves. When consumed, instead of temporarily boosting your resilience, the seeds of Elvenwood take root in your body, causing permanent mutations. It is contaminated with an unidentified energy. -Effect ¡®Recovery Boost¡¯: HP, MP recovery speed increased by 200% -Side effect ¡®Erosion¡¯: Permanent damage to the body Suho, who was reading the information window, made a disgusted expression. ¡°¡­ ¡­ If you eat this, Elvenwood will take root in your body? It feels like Cordyceps sinensis. More importantly, what is it that contaminated it with?¡± No matter how much I looked through the information window, I couldn¡¯t see any specific information about ¡®contamination¡¯. Berga gave his attention. [You can feel the energy of Itarim at first nce. You should never eat it on its own.] ¡°I¡¯m not eating.¡± Anyway, Suho had no intention of eating it. ¡°How can you eat something like that when you feel ufortable?¡± Suho pointed to the corpses of the enhanced humans. Slowly. The soul had been transformed into a shadow soldier, but in the wounds of the corpse that remained, thin tree roots were writhing like tentacles. The sight was quite grotesque, as if looking at blood vessels without any blood flowing through them. ¡°I understand the principle by which the demon¡¯s body was attached.¡± ¡°It seems that the roots of Elvenwood forcibly woven the human body and the demon body together from the inside.¡± Sirkado¡¯s expression was stiff. ¡°Srd, is this what Elvenwood is like?¡± 3 [The King of the Snowmen, the Lord of the Cold, says that this is the first time he has seen anything like this.] ¡°Captain of the Guard.¡± [yes.] As Suho turned into a shadow soldier and looked at the captain of the guard standing in front of him, he responded to the call with ck vapor billowing from his entire body. ¡°What happens if you eat several of these fruits at the same time?¡± [Effects stack.] ¡°How many?¡± [I don¡¯t know exactly. Since it¡¯s such an expensive item, I only eat several at a time when I¡¯m seriously injured.] ¡°I see. It¡¯s a really unpleasant fruit.¡± ¡°Ultimately, the more you eat this fruit, the more Elvenwood roots will grow in your body.¡± ¡°It wouldn¡¯t be strange if I ended up bing a walking tree.¡± Suho raised his head and looked up at the city sky. Beautiful tree branches and leaves covering the roof and ceiling of the city. Blood-red berries hanging high in the sky. Suho turned his gaze back to the captain and asked. ¡°Captain. Tell me everything you know about this city. Anything is fine.¡± [Yes. This city isrgely divided into four powers. The first is the ¡®Bank¡¯. On the surface, it looks like a simple financial institution, but in reality, it is the real power that controls this city. In particr, it dominates the distribution of fruits, and is at the center of all transactions.] ¡°and?¡± [The second is the ¡®Hunter¡¯s Guild¡¯. It is a group of enhanced humans who have received a beast¡¯s body transnt, and they are in charge of the city¡¯s actual fighting power. Their main job is to carry out bank requests and obtain fruits. They also go out of the city to hunt beasts or obtain supplies ording to requests.] ¡°Fruit? Is there any reason why they should continue to obtain fruit?¡± [Enhanced humans have a strong sense of pride in their ability to surpass humans. So, in order to be even stronger, theypulsively want to transnt the bodies of superior demons into their bodies.] ¡°Hmm. Should I consider this as a kind of addiction?¡± [Yes, that is correct. And the third is the ¡®Free Market Union¡¯. It is a loose association of the city¡¯s merchants and debt collectors, and although it is not an official organization, it ounts for a significant portion of the city¡¯s economy. It trades in all goods except fruit.] ¡°They say that the banks have strict control over fruits.¡± [Yes. The fruits that the debt collectors have picked at the request of the bank belong entirely to the bank. If they get hurt, they have to borrow money to buy the fruits that they have picked with their own hands. It is a shackle.] ¡°¡­ ¡­ .¡± Suho was silent for a moment. The face of the bank employee who had weed me with a big smile came to mind. Now that I look at it, it¡¯s not a new guest, but an expression of joy at the addition of a new ve. ¡°Then what is the final force?¡± [This is the ¡®executive¡¯.] ¡°bailiff?¡± [Yes. The Executors operate independently of other forces and are responsible for maintaining order in the city. They are not normally seen except in special cases. I have only heard of them, but there are rumors that there are S-ss viins among the Executors.] ¡°A S-ss viin?¡± A strange sight appeared in Suho¡¯s eyes as he listened to the captain¡¯s exnation. ¡°I thought it was more organized than I thought for awless area. Are you saying there are guys who maintain order behind the scenes?¡± But then suddenly a strange thought urred to me. Suho asked, looking back at the ice-covered alley. ¡°When will the bailiff show up? We¡¯ve caused this much chaos and no one has shown up yet?¡± [I guess it¡¯s because it¡¯s a city where viins live together¡­ ¡­ There¡¯s quite a bit of noise like this.] Hehe. The corners of Suho¡¯s mouth went up at those words. ¡°Then how do I make them pop out?¡± [Your Majesty, wouldn¡¯t ite out if we kill all the viins here?] The captain of the guard shook his head at Ber¡¯s words. [No. Rather, when a city falls, the Executors will leave as they always do, looking for a new home. And they will build a new city.] ¡°As always?¡± [Yes. As I exined at the beginning, this city is thest remaining paradise in North Korea. In the past, there were other viin cities besides this one. The ones who escaped from those ruined cities and created a new city here are the Executors.] ¡°Why did those cities fall?¡± [Of course¡­ ¡­ It¡¯s because of Chairman Woo Jin-cheol.] Chapter 276 Chapter 276 Suho nodded at the captain¡¯sst words. ¡°Association Chairman Woo Jin-cheol¡­ ¡­ I thought the association¡¯s North Korea strategy was taking longer than expected, but there was this inside story.¡± Suho didn¡¯t even think about it until he came here himself. I thought that Chairman Woo Jin-cheol had been only eliminating evil spirits in North Korea, but it turned out that he was dealing with viins as well as evil spirits. 1 Moreover, I really couldn¡¯t have imagined that viins would live in a city like this. Even without that, there were quite a few people in Korea who were dissatisfied with the long absence of Chairman Woo Jin-cheol. Actually, who would like that? After all the effort to create an association, the president of the association himself keeps leaving the position vacant and wandering around to other ces. Moreover, the biggest problem was that among the association hunters he had taken to North Korea, there was an S-ss hunter named ¡®Choi Jong-in¡¯. If only Choi Jong-in had remained in Korea. No, if he had just left the position of association president to Choi Jong-in, there would have been no one who was dissatis fied with Woo Jin-cheol¡¯s actions like they are now. The presence of a single S-ss Hunter, a walking weapon of war, was that great. In the end, the many cumbersome procedures that Soo-ho had to go through to get permission to go to North Korea were ultimately a butterfly effect resulting from Choi Jong-in¡¯s absence. ¡®But from our country¡¯s perspective, the existence of such a city is much more threatening than the demons that move ording to their instincts.¡¯ The presence of a city of viins right above their heads was a far more threatening situation than the days when North Korea was still intact before the cataclysm. So, from the association president¡¯s perspective, it would have been a very natural course of action to wipe out the viins¡¯cities as soon as they were seen. Besides, no matter how many viins there were, they wouldn¡¯t really be a threat to him. Above all, isn¡¯t there ¡®Choi Jong-in¡¯ by his side? Just as Suho had burned down Elvenwood up until now, Choi Jong-in was also an S-ss hunter who mainly used fire magic, so it would have been possible for him to turn Elvenwood into a sea of fire. Thinking about Woo Jin-cheol and Choi Jong-in, Su-ho suddenly became curious. ¡°But why is this city still so safe?¡± [That¡¯s because¡­ ¡­Woo Jin-cheol hasn¡¯t discovered it yet. That¡¯s what the Executors do in the first ce. Rebuilding the city in a ce where Woo Jin-cheol can¡¯t see it. And the city walls this time are stronger than ever.] Suho nodded. Even the great Chairman Woo Jin-cheol would be unable to check everything that happens in North Korea. Moreover, thend was covered in thick blue fog, so even satellite cameras were not working. It wouldn¡¯t have been difficult for the executors to avoid his path if they went back along the path that Woo Jin-cheol had already taken and built a new city. After all, if only the executors were safe, cities like this would be created again anytime, anywhere. ¡°Oh my. It¡¯s not like this is some cockroach den¡­ ¡­ .¡± [The King of Bugs, the Lord of gues perks up his ears.] 3 ¡°Go in. I didn¡¯t call you.¡± 1 Suho fought off Quresha¡¯s presence and thought about what he should do from now on based on the information he heard from the captain of the guards. Berga added with a murderous look in his eyes. [Your Majesty, what do you think? If you continue to burn everything as usual, I will lead the soldiers and hunt down those who are escaping outside.] ¡°No. We don¡¯t even know who the executors are. We have to consider the possibility that they might not be in the city in the first ce.¡± It would be no use killing all the viins here and turning them into soldiers if no one knew who they were anyway. ¡°In the end, you¡¯re saying that I have to make them crawl out on their own two feet¡­ ¡­ Wait, what did you say the role of the bailiff is? The role is to maintain order in the city?¡± [Yes, that¡¯s right.] ¡°Then we have the answer.¡± Suho said with a mischievous smile on his face at the captain¡¯s words. ¡°We just have to make them want to maintain order in this city.¡± Hehe. It¡¯s a city that¡¯s better organized than you¡¯d think for awless area. Suho had no shortage of ways to mess up the system here. ¡°Hmm. Well then, let¡¯s start¡­ ¡­ .¡± Excluding the Executor, there are three factions that rule this city from the outside. bank. Hunter¡¯s Guild. And the free market coalition. Of these three, the one that looks the easiest at first nce is, of course, a loose confederation of merchants and loan sharks. It was a market. ¡°Let¡¯s start by shaking up the ¡®market¡¯ side.¡± Suho, who had decided on a rough n, smiled and looked back at Sirka as he asked. ¡°Sirka, are you tired? Let¡¯s go to sleep.¡± ¡°Where are you going to sleep?¡± Sirka tilted her head at those words. But before the order could be given to him, the captain of the guard quickly moved, took out the money bag he had hidden in the bosom of his dead body, and respectfully offered it to Suho. [It¡¯s not much, but it¡¯ll be enough to get you a ce to stay for a while.] ¡°Oh, what a kind person.¡± ng. Suho smiled and dly epted the money bag. but. ¡°Thank you, but I don¡¯t need a ce to stay.¡± Phew! Suho took out the ¡®Key to the Shadow Dungeon¡¯. ¡°When you sleep, you should sleep in afortable ce. And I haven¡¯t finished my daily quest yet.¡± [Enter the Shadow Dungeon.] So Suho disappeared into the shadow gate with Sirka. * * * And a littleter. ¡°¡­what?¡± The bank employee who had been leisurely waiting for news of Suho¡¯s return had a stiff expression when he heard the bad news from the captain of the guards. ¡°The captain of the guard was found dead?¡± ¡°Yes. All the enhanced humans that were dragged along were dead. And the entire area¡­ ¡­ .¡± ¡°It was frozen?¡± ¡°Yes. There were traces of a considerable amount of freezing magic. With this level of power, it would be at least A-ss.¡± ¡°A-ss? You said you were a summoner¡­ ¡­ .¡± The bank employee burst intoughter after hearing the report from the choker-wearing debt collector. But his eyes were more alive than ever. The atmosphere was theplete opposite of the expression on his face when he weed Suho earlier. ¡°Then what was that elf? Was it not a summoned beast, but something you captured and tamed yourself? Or was it apletely different skill?¡± Doubts were running rampant, and many scenarios were running through his head. ¡®¡­ ¡­ If a simple A-ss viin had appeared in the city, it wouldn¡¯t be a problem. After all, money is needed to survive here.¡¯ There was no need for all citizens to be debtors in the first ce. Today, it is just a ceremonial event to turn a neer to the city into a debt collector. Rather, it had a greater meaning of testing the level of a newbie. I¡¯m going to check out the skills and see where and how I can use this one. Moreover, the fact that the captain of the guard who had brought the enhanced humans against him was annihted was not a particrly big deal. There were plenty of recement troops in the Hunter¡¯s Guild. But the problem is¡­ ¡­ . ¡®I¡¯ve had a strange feeling about this since a while ago.¡¯ Yeah, this newbie gave me a strange feeling from the moment I first saw him. A rxed attitude that is subtly revealed in one¡¯s facial expression or attitude. Something that can never be exined by vanity. It was an expression rarely seen in North Korea, which had be an apocalypse. Suddenly, the banker¡¯s gaze turned to the desk. There was the civil registration papers he had left behind. ¡®Name: Ber¡¯ 2 ¡°¡­ ¡­ Tsk. Even if I use a fake name, it¡¯s still a middle schooler-like name. It¡¯s not like I¡¯m making a game ID or anything.¡± Anyway, these days. Even looking at him again, isn¡¯t he still a pathetic guy? They say that everyone in this city uses fake names anyway, but in any case, if you¡¯re in the position of having to be called by that name from now on, you don¡¯t have a very good sense of naming. But what if even that name was intended to lull us into letting our guard down? Why? ¡°¡­ ¡­ Is there any possibility that it could be Woo Jin-cheol¡¯s trick?¡± The debt collector in front of him shook his head at the banker¡¯s words, who had just mentioned the worst of the possible scenarios. ¡°That¡¯s not possible. If that were the case, it would have been let go rather than making a big deal out of it like this.¡± ¡°Right. Anyway, he¡¯s a really creepy guy, so we¡¯ll have to keep an eye on him for the time being. So, that guy named Ver, where is he staying today?¡± ¡°That¡­ ¡­ isn¡¯t there.¡± ¡°What? What¡¯s missing?¡± The debt collector answered in a panic at the banker¡¯s cold gaze. ¡°Yes, it is. Whether it fell into the sky or into the ground, all traces of it disappeared from the alley where the bodies were found.¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­ Find him! He couldn¡¯t possibly be sleeping outside after he took all the guard captain¡¯s money!¡± ¡°Really. Even now, I¡¯ve mobilized all my subordinates to search the entire area, but I can¡¯t¡­ ¡­ .¡± ¡°These pathetic things! I¡¯ll find them somehow, even if it means staying up all night!¡± ¡°Yes, yes!¡± The debt collector left the bank as if he was being chased out by the banker¡¯s scolding. And under his orders, they searched the entire city through the night in search of the missing guardian. But all that hardship was in vain¡­ ¡­ . When morning came, Suho was leisurely strolling in the middle of the market. ¡°I found the car! It¡¯s just at the market¡­ ¡­!¡± ¡°You guys didn¡¯t find it! Don¡¯t even dream of debt forgiveness!¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­ !¡± The debt collector is frustrated by those words. Debt was this scary. 1 Fortunately, this wasn¡¯t the only thing he had to report. ¡°But that guy named Vera¡­ ¡­ started selling something at the market this morning.¡± ¡°What? You suddenly started a business?¡± The banker looked puzzled at those words. The first thing neers do when they first arrive in the city is to sell the goods they brought from Korea to make money. But why is that? This time my instincts weren¡¯t good either. ¡°Where is that? I guess I¡¯ll have to go see it myself.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll guide you right away!¡± The debt collector took the lead, beaming with joy at the thought that his debt would be reduced even a little. And after a while. The banker, who had arrived at the ce where ¡®Ber¡¯ was doing business, following the loan shark¡¯s instructions, froze on the spot. ¡°¡­ ¡­ What are all those things?¡± It¡¯s ridiculous. That¡¯s ridiculous. The city¡¯s market is wide and spacious. The citizens of this city have to pay off their debts to the bank. Or, in order to avoid debt, they do business fiercely with each other. But where do all those thingse from? At best, belongings brought from Korea. They quickly be dull in just half a day. Then, as everyone eventually does, he had to take a risk and go out of the city to find something worth paying for. however¡­. ¡°Where did all those thingse from?¡± The banker couldn¡¯t help but be astonished. Wow- what is all this?! How long has it been since I¡¯ve had food like this?! There¡¯s even whipped cream cake! ¡­ ¡­ Ber, or rather Suho, was selling Korean food in the middle of the market. A huge amount of groceries, as if they had brought an entire supermarket from Korea! Chapter 277 Chapter 277 Have you ever eaten devil¡¯s meat? It tastes terribly bad. Is it just tasteless? It¡¯s also toxic. If you eat it carelessly, you will not only get a stomachache, but your stomach itself may melt or all of your organs may rot. But there is now that says you have to die. Among the demons, there are definitely some that are edible. So, survivors in North Korea eat the weakly toxic demons by neutralizing their toxicity through various methods. Of course, it wouldn¡¯t taste good anyway. But anyway, this is apocalyptic North Korea. After the cataclysm, thisnd became a paradise for demons. The city was in ruins, and people were struggling to survive. In this beggarlynd,ining about food was a luxury. I¡¯m about to starve to death, so what does taste matter? If a person starves for a few days, eventually there will be no taste or anything. In order to survive, you have to put anything in your mouth, chew it, or swallow it, whether it¡¯s meat or food waste. And that is why there is a ¡®market¡¯ in this city. ¡°For sale! Weakly poisonous demon meat! Avable at a special price!¡± ¡°Look here! The poison-neutralized devil meat! Prepared with minced meat!¡± ¡°Fresh fruit just picked this morning! Wee!¡± ¡°Barter is avable! Negotiation wee!¡± The free market is bustling today too. Anyone can freely buy and sell items here, even if they don¡¯t necessarily have to join the union. The atmosphere is simr to a second-hand market. Kim Cheol-su (pseudonym), a hunter who cuts up the meat he just caught and sells it on the street, clicked his tongue with a worried look on his face. ¡°Tsk, business is really bad.¡± At those words, another merchant nearby, Kang Ki-ho (pseudonym), responded. ¡°That¡¯s right. But what can I do? I have to sell it somehow.¡± Hunters usually carry out requests from banks to procure food, receive a reward, and then sell the remaining scrap meat. Kang Ki-ho sat on the floor and spoke while chopping meat diligently. ¡°So, you should also chop it up like this and sell it to me so that it¡¯s easy to chew. It takes a lot of work, but it¡¯s effective.¡± Kim Cheol-su answered with a sigh. ¡°Write. Is that for one or two days? If it doesn¡¯t sell in the end, it¡¯s all a waste of effort.¡± ¡°Then it all goes into your mouth, hyung.¡± ¡°No. This is actually quite toxic.¡± ¡°Huh? Oh my. You really are a real swindler. Hehe. Of course, my meat is like that too.¡± 2 Shh. Two merchants face each other, their eyes shining sinisterly. In the first ce, in a free market where trickery and intrigue run rampant, a weak viin cannot survive. And yet, the most popr ingredient at the market wasn¡¯t meat, it was something else. It¡¯s fruit. Or a spice that allows you to pretend not to notice the unique odor of horse meat. Merchants who specialized in selling strong-smelling fruits and vegetables, collectively known as ¡®fruit merchants¡¯, were the real executives and real power behind the free market union. ¡°Business is good today too. It¡¯s fruit after all.¡± Mr. Park (pseudonym), a fruit merchant, stood in front of his store and smiled proudly. At President Park¡¯s words, President Choi (pseudonym) of the store next door nodded with an envious expression. ¡°That¡¯s right. Mr. Park is really amazing. Where on earth do you get all that fruit every time¡­ ¡­ .¡± President Park looked at President Choi with a sly smile and an arrogant expression. ¡°Does it hurt to ask for trade secrets like that? And even if I tell you, you¡¯re too dangerous to imitate.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Despite Chairman Park¡¯s blunt remarks, President Choi simply smacked his lips without showing any sign of difort. In the first ce, selling fruit was something only the strong could do. This was because it was much more difficult and dangerous to wander around the city in search of fruit that might be some where, rather than hunting the demons that you would soon encounter just by going outside the city. That is why the fruit trade was only possible for the strong. It wasn¡¯t for nothing that fruit merchants became executives of the union. If you are weak and simply earn a lot of money, walking at night can be dangerous. You could be sleeping at night and suddenly be invaded by other viins and have your life taken away. ¡°hmm?¡± But then it happened. Suddenly, the doctor narrowed his eyes and looked somewhere. ¡°¡­ ¡­ What an unfamiliar face.¡± As usual, a stranger appeared in the quiet and bustling morning market. Although not all, there are quite a few merchants who remember the faces of customers who have passed by. Chairman Park was one of them, and President Choi also looked in the direction he was looking and meaningfully rubbed his chin. ¡°Hmm. I heard a new employee came inst night. His name was ¡®Ber.''¡± ¡°Oh, is that him? I had high hopes since he¡¯s a newbie after a long time, but I¡¯m so empty-handed.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± No matter howrge a city is, rumors like this spread quickly. Word of the new arrival in town the previous evening had spread quickly through the Free Market Alliance through the mouths and ears of the guards. Even the alias he gave to the bank. It was one of the positive functions of the union. Hehe. ¡°¡­ ¡­ But it¡¯s just as the rumors say. Look. He¡¯s notpletely broke. He¡¯s even carrying around an expensive item like that.¡± ¡°I know.¡± At President Choi¡¯s meaningful words, Chairman Park also raised the corners of his mouth and looked surprised. ¡°Isn¡¯t that a real elf? And it¡¯s alive and well.¡± The doctor smacked his lips as he observed the pointy-eared alien walking obediently beside ¡®Ber¡¯. ¡°At first, he said he was a summoner, but given themotionst night, that must be a lie. Of course, that elf isn¡¯t a summoner either.¡± ¡°You¡¯re really lucky. Where on earth did you find such a fresh elf? It¡¯s not even an adult, so whoever picks it up first should be the owner.¡± The expression of jealousy and greed that had been on President Choi¡¯s face just a moment ago had now spread to President Park¡¯s face. No matter how expensive the fruit was and how well it sold, it was nothingpared to ¡®Elf¡¯. Elves are Alfheim¡¯s favorite fertilizer. Even if you sold the hundred-day or thousand-day fruit, the best way was to catch an elf and take it to the bank to sell. But is there anyone in this market who doesn¡¯t know that fact? The doctor¡¯s gaze nced around. Suddenly, the attention of all the merchants in the market was focused on Ber and Sirka. With eyes like your own. ¡°¡­ ¡­ Is this a market? It looks like there are quite a few people here.¡± Suho and Sirka were leisurely looking around the market scenery. On the surface, it looked just as bustling as before, but there was already a quiet tension brewing among the merchants. The reason was no different. ¡®A person who doesn¡¯t know the market price is a fool.¡¯ A neer who has just arrived in the city does not know the city¡¯s current situation. Customers who do not know the value of goods are tasty prey to merchants, nothing more, nothing less. Even when that rookie is still fresh and doesn¡¯t have much debt. If you fool him well, he is the ultimate fool who canpletely steal your soul. And you¡¯re an elf? ¡®Is this a fight for the first breath?¡¯ ¡®Before someone else eats that fool, I¡¯ll eat him first¡­ ¡­ .¡¯ ¡®If I could somehow buy that elf for cheap, it would be a real jackpot.¡¯ While so many greedy eyes were watching Suho and Sirka¡¯s every move. Swish- Suddenly, a roughly made wooden sign popped out from Suho¡¯s arms. Then, he chose a reasonably wide and quiet space and, like other street vendors, nted a wooden sign deep into the ground. [Berbaguette] A puzzled look appeared on the faces of the market people as they saw the roughly scribbled wooden sign. ¡°Baguette? Bakery?¡± The doctor muttered, narrowing his eyes. President Choi also tilted his head. ¡°Are you trying to sell bread? What about the elf?¡± Something is strange. He had a sign that said ¡®Baguette¡¯, but he didn¡¯t have anything in his hand, not even bread. A merchant whispered. ¡°What are you thinking? No matter how I look at it, it¡¯s empty.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Are you just going to set up the elf to attract attention and sell other items first?¡± A strange sight appeared in people¡¯s eyes. For a fool, he¡¯s actually quite good at salesmanship. Anyway, the neers who have just arrived in the city are likely to have belongings that are difficult to obtain in North Korea since they have not been out of South Korea for long. It¡¯s not toote to sell the elf after getting rid of them all. ¡°Oh, is it by any chance a small object?¡± ¡°Cigarettes, no?¡± ¡°Oh, it¡¯s a cigarette!¡± They were convinced. In such cases, there is almost a 100% chance that a cigarette or lighter will fall out of the pocket. And of course, cigarettes are an incredibly raremodity in apocalyptic North Korea. It¡¯s incredibly expensive. Of course, this is only true if the person selling it knows the market price. ¡®So what?¡¯ ¡®What are you going to sell?¡¯ Market people were focused on what would be sold at ¡®Berbaguette¡¯ based on past experiences. The point here is to nce at them without letting them know. When they realize that they have been given attention, they start asking for a high price without even knowing the topic. ¡°Hmm. I wonder if this amount of space will be enough.¡± Suho looked around and muttered. ¡®So what!¡¯ At the same time, people¡¯s interest also skyrocketed. however. Swish- ¡°¡­uh?¡± In that moment, the expressions on the faces of the market people suddenly froze. ¡®container¡¯ The moment Suho inserted the ck key into his shadow, arge container suddenly appeared majestically above his shadow. ¡°Hey, what is that?¡± A merchant said, rubbing his eyes. ¡°container?¡± ¡°What kind of skill is that?¡± Others also began to murmur in surprised voices. It¡¯s a world where when a strange phenomenon suddenly urs, the first thing thates to mind is skill. But I¡¯ve never heard of a skill that can summon a container like that. Skills are skills, but of course that doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯ll sell containers¡­ The minds of those who had been filled with anticipation suddenly went nk at the unrealistic sight that unfolded before their eyes. It has be difficult to even control my facial expressions anymore. Berga chuckled next to Suho as he watched the people surrounding them and making a fuss. [Your Majesty, the reactions are already hot.] ¡°Yeah. I haven¡¯t even opened the lid yet.¡± Suho answered with a grin. The first step towards shaking up the order of this city. For this, Suho had to move around a bitst night. First, finish the daily quest of bodybuilding training in the Shadow Dungeon. Instead of returning to this city right away, I made a brief visit to Korea before that. Using the Shadow Key and Shadow Exchange skill. And I stopped by the nearest ¡®bakery¡¯. -Please give me everything from here to here. -¡­yes? -The packing is done. They¡¯ll do the moving. -¡­ ¡­ ?! Woorrr- The bakery employee, who was slowly closing up shop, couldn¡¯t help but be flustered when he suddenly saw a crowd of porters(?) rushing in. That¡¯s flex. By this time, Suho had quite a bit of money. During that time, I also raided dungeons to level up and for various other reasons. The money for the spring water from the Echo Forest that the Scavenger Guild sold on their behalf was also being deposited steadily into the Ujin Guild¡¯s ount. With this much wealth, it would be possible to buy an entire bakery. In fact, it was something that was possible even for a B-ss hunter, without having to go all the way to Suho. It¡¯s just that no one does it because there¡¯s no need to do it. But this time, Suho finally found a reason to do so. ng! ng! The moment Suho¡¯s two hands opened the container door. ¡­ ¡­ ?! ¡°crazy.¡± With a thud, one of the fruits that the doctor was holding in his hand fell to the floor and rolled around. But he was so shocked that he couldn¡¯t even notice it himself, his mouth wide open. Just like everyone else gathered in the market right now. His eyes were wide open as if they would pop out at any moment. ¡°Hey, what is all that?!¡± Simultaneously, a shocking uproar shook the entire market. It¡¯s ridiculous. A neatly disyed stand. The countless, shining, splendid loaves of bread that filled it all. And as soon as the container was opened, the crazy, stimting smell of bread exploded out! The sight was truly shocking, terrifying, and overwhelming, with so much emotion piled up inside the container! Hehe. And in the middle of it all, Verga raised the corners of his mouth with an extremely evil expression and said: [Do you want bread? If you want, I¡¯ll give it to you. I brought all the remaining stock from the bakery here.] As soon as he finished speaking. Woohoooooooooooo-! The market has truly entered the era of the big bakery. And people, filled with madness, rushed towards Berbaguette. He takes out his own pocketbook as much as he wants. but. Suho mercilessly poured cold water on the customers, or rather the customers, who were rushing in with such a fearsome momentum. ¡°Now, we will begin the auction.¡± ¡­ ¡­ What?! It was the moment when the bnce of the free market alliance, which had been firmly maintained by the meat and fruit merchants, copsed. Chapter 278 Chapter 278 The market was turned into aplete mess because of Suho¡¯s bakery. The viins began topete with each other in Suho¡¯s auction and began to spend all the money they had without holding back. ¡°Hey, you absolutely have to buy this!¡± ¡°How long has it been since I smelled bread like this?¡± Bread! A bakery in the middle of the apocalypse! It was a truly shocking incident that would have made all the viins¡¯ mouths water and their eyes roll back. Honestly, who has ever wanted to eat devil¡¯s meat? You say it doesn¡¯t taste good? No, that¡¯s just garbage! It¡¯s so disgusting that it¡¯s not even worth evaluating the taste! Honestly, I was confident that even if I opened the capsule and put it all in my mouth, I would lick it and enjoy it more than the meat of a horse. There is a reason why the best-selling food item in the market is fruit. It¡¯s the exact same behavior as taking bitter medicine and then quickly opening a piece of candy and putting it in your mouth. ¡°50 coins!¡± ¡°60 coins!¡± ¡°It¡¯s 80 coins!¡± Auction prices began to soar at a frightening rate here and there. ¡°100 coins!¡± ¡°110 coins!¡± ¡°150 coins-!¡± The market heats up endlessly as everyone checks each other. Even now, a very violent and stimting smell of bread was dominating the market. The viins¡¯ hungry desires were infinitely helpless in the face of that overwhelming power. But the reason they did this wasn¡¯t simply because of hunger. Anyway, everyone gathered here is a bunch of worn-out merchants. They have been on the market floor fighting countless viins so far, so their calctions are quick. ¡®Let¡¯s buy it first!¡¯ ¡®No matter how much it costs, you have to buy it!¡¯ ¡®It¡¯ll end up being resold at a higher price anyway!¡¯ It¡¯s a very simple calction. No matter how much bread is in that container, bread is ultimately a consumer good. It is a limited resource that will eventually be consumed. They instinctively recognized the value of that rarity. Anyway, the people gathered here now are not all of the citizens living in the city. In fact, there were far more people outside the market. So, no matter what the price, the one who buys one more is the winner. They can buy it and eat it themselves, but if they take it to people who aren¡¯t here right now, they can sell it for a much higher price. And then. ¡®It¡¯s worth calling!¡¯ Okay, now the table is set. From now on, all Suho had to do was smile and watch them all shout out their praises. ¡®They say if you don¡¯t know the market price, you¡¯re a fool¡­ ¡® Suho already knew from the beginning how they were looking at him. It was thanks to asking the captain of the guard who had be a shadow soldierst night about various things about the city. Thanks to this, Suho already knew the exact market price before entering the market. ¡®Who is the fool now?¡¯ But what if you don¡¯t know the market price? ¡®I can decide the price anyway.¡¯ Shh. Since ancient times, green has been the same color. From some point on, Suho and Ber¡¯s smiles began to look more and more simr. No, maybe it¡¯s been like that for a long time. Anyway, it was Ber who raised Suho. 2 [Your Majesty, the n has been a great sess. Half of it has already been sold.] Berga whispered, smiling devilishly next to Suho. But Suho responded with the corners of his lips raised in an even more ominous manner. ¡°Already? There¡¯s still halfway to go.¡± Because there were so many breads filled in the container, the ra te at which the auction price was rising was gradually slowing down. As only merchants gathered here, prices began to be more reasonable. But for times like this, Suho set aside the biggest and most delicious breads. ¡°Okay, from now on, I will raise the starting auction price to 1000 coins.¡± ¡­what?! There was a mix of joy and sorrow among the viins. Those who seeded in buying bread first by raising the price diligently were relieved, while those who were just watching to save money were shocked and trembled all over. ¡°Gah, that¡¯s bullying!¡± ¡°Yeah! This is just too much!¡± ¡°1000 coins for just one loaf of bread!¡± Those who had not yet bought a single loaf of bread protested fiercely with angry expressions on their faces. Magic instinctively seethed from their clenched fists. But I had to endure it. Because within this free market, the use of force was against the rules. Outside the market, it might have been different, but once some one started doing business inside, the union¡¯s rule was to strictly ad here to market logic. The moment someone breaks that rule, it bes possible for the strongest of them to kill all the merchants and monopolize all the supplies for themselves. If that happens, the city will eventually be destroyed in the long run. And thest person left behind is left alone, so how will he survive in this apocalypse? Ultimately, it was to prevent that that the ¡®Free Market Union¡¯ existed in this city. ¡°Hah! Where did this young bastard learn all these bad things!¡± ¡°You dare y with food?!¡± Despite people¡¯s protests, Suho just shrugged his shoulders with a shameless expression. ¡°If you¡¯re not going to buy it, you can just leave it out.¡± The barely polite tone of speech was terribly unlucky. It would be better if that were all, but Suho decided to start tantly bullying others without even a shred of courtesy. Suho nced at the merchants who had just vented their anger most intensely on him, then quickly changed his subject. ¡°Hmm. I changed my mind because of those guys. Let¡¯s start with 1100 coins.¡± ¡­ ¡­ ?! ¡°No. Since there are two of you, it¡¯s 1200 coins.¡± Oh, no! Seriously¡­ ¡­ Isn¡¯t that too much! But even Suho¡¯s shameless bullying made the viins tremble. But what can I do? They say if you don¡¯t like it, just leave. They had to grit their teeth and suppress the surging magical power. And at the same time, everyone in the market looked at the two people Suho was pointing at as if they were going to kill them. The two people¡¯s faces turned pale at the sight of those murderous gazes, and they hurriedly hid themselves in the crowd. It seemed like I would have to go into hiding for a while. Although the use of force is illegal inside the market, it ispletely possible outside the market. ¡®Two, let¡¯s see!¡¯ ¡®No matter how much money I earn here, if I run into someone outside¡­ ¡­!¡¯ Everyone in the market ground their teeth at Suho¡¯s tyranny. But what can I do? The auction resumed without warning. ¡°¡­ ¡­ 1200 coins!¡± ¡°1300 coins!¡± The price of bread was skyrocketing, but the mindset was that it would be okay to resell it for even a penny more. It was during that time. Swish- The noisy market suddenly became quiet at the sudden sharp metallic sound. ¡®what?¡¯ A moment when Suho is puzzled by the sudden atmosphere. Before we knew it, everyone¡¯s eyes in the market were focused on one ce. And at the end of those gazes¡­ ¡­ . [Keeec?] In that moment, Ber¡¯s eyes narrowed. A girl was standing at the entrance to the market. Age: roughlyte teens. A girl who looked to be a high school student was carrying a huge scythe on her shoulder that did not match her body type. I think the sound I heard a moment ago was the tip of thatrge scythe hitting the ground. ¡°¡­ ¡­ The harvester is Hasul!¡± ¡°Why is that crazy bitch here¡­ ¡­ .¡± In an instant, the atmosphere in the market froze. The expressions of the people who had been full of enthusiasm just a moment ago were now filled with fear. On the other hand, a strange light appeared in Suho¡¯s eyes. ¡®Harvester Hasul.¡¯ He was one of the people of interest that I heard from the captain of the guardst night. [People who specialize in harvesting the fruits of Alfheim are called ¡®reapers¡¯. The most famous of these harvesters is¡­ . . ] That girl was Hasul. Her notoriety had spread throughout the city, so much so that even Suho, who had just arrived here, could easily hear about it. There were more than a few viins who had been hitting on Hasul because she was young and pretty, only to have their heads blown off by that giant scythe. Considering that this city was originally a ce where only viins gathered, it was meaningless to count the number of people who lost their lives to Hasul¡¯s scythe. But apart from her cruel hands, Suho could immediately see why she had be the most famous harvester. ¡®S-ss.¡¯ Suho immediately recognized Ha Seul¡¯s level. It¡¯s understandable why people get so nervous just by appearing. Thump. As if she was used to this quiet atmosphere, Hasul slowly walked towards me. Wherever Hasul passed, people hurriedly made way for her. So in the end, Hasul stood in front of Suho. The moment when Suho and Ha-seul¡¯s eyes met in the air. Sirka, who was next to Suho, muttered with sharp eyes. In anguage that only Suho could understand. ¡°Is this person an executor?¡± If it¡¯s S-ss, the ability is sufficient. No one knows the identity of the bailiff, but conversely, it could be that he is hiding his identity and living among the people. but¡­. ¡°That.¡± ¡°¡­hmm?¡± For a moment, Suho looked in the direction that Ha-seul¡¯s fingertip was pointing with a puzzled expression. ¡°Strawberry cake.¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­ .¡± ¡°How much?¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­ .¡± hmm. I don¡¯t know about the bailiff, but I can definitely tell he¡¯s a man of few words. In the tense atmosphere, Harvester Hasul silently pointed to the strawberry cream cake disyed on the stand. On his shoulder he still carries a giant scythe that has cut off the heads of countless viins. One curious thing was that there was no emotion in the eyes looking at the strawberry cake. It looked like a doll with no emotions. Suho stared at Ha-seul intently, and finally opened his mouth with a firm resolve. ¡°Hey. You said you broke it first?¡± ¡­ ¡­ ?! ¡®He¡¯s crazy!¡¯ People were greatly shocked by Suho¡¯s shocking remarks. ¡®Are you really a crazy person?¡¯ ¡®Is the liver outside the stomach?¡¯ ¡®Even if you¡¯re a newbie who just came to the city, don¡¯t you have any sense ofmon sense?¡¯ ¡®If we¡¯re this tense, at least try to gauge the mood!¡¯ ¡®How dare you say something like that to Hasul¡­ ¡­!¡¯ Of course, even the most infamous Hasul doesn¡¯t harm people in discriminately in the market. But what if we meet outside the market? Even if they aren¡¯t Haseul, all harvesters are basically fast movers. Because it is impossible to climb up the tall pirs of Alfheim and get the fruit while enduring the attacks of numerous spirits at a reasonable speed. What this meant was that if you encountered Hasul outside the city, it would be difficult to escape. But that rookie with no clue¡­ ¡­ . Sigh. He continued to speak confidently,pletely disregarding Hasu l. ¡°If you want to buy a cake, participate in the auction like everyone else here.¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­ If you don¡¯t like it?¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t like it, then barter.¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­ ?¡± Whether Soo-ho¡¯s answer was unexpected or not, Ha-seul¡¯s expressionless face furrowed for the first time. Suho felt strangely pleased by that slight change in expression. On the other hand, the expressions of the market people watching the breathtaking conversation between Suho and Ha-seul were changing from moment to moment. ¡®What? So you can barter too?¡¯ ¡®I guess that¡¯s the rule that was just made.¡¯ ¡®What kind of business is this?¡¯ But anyway, this is a free market. It was also possible to freely auction off valuable items and barter was also possible. The only problem right now is that the ¡®bread¡¯ that Suho is selling is an overwhelmingly rare item that breaks the logic of the market. In the end, what Suho is doing now is an action that does not vite the logic of the free market in the least. Hasul also knew that fact. Eventually, Ha Seul nced at the strawberry cake, then looked straight into Su Ho¡¯s eyes and asked. ¡°What do you want?¡± ¡°fruit.¡± ¡­ ¡­ ?! The market was once again in an uproar at Suho¡¯s bold request. I don¡¯t know how many times I¡¯ve been surprised today. Even though bread is a raremodity here, I¡¯m willing to trade it for the expensive fruit of Alfheim! A madman has appeared who is trying to tantly trick the infamous harvester Hasul without any fear. That guy couldn¡¯t have been anything but crazy. ¡°One fruit, one cake. Oh, and the strawberry cake is special because it has two fruits.¡± ¡­ ¡­ Yeah. That crazy guy definitely had two lives. 3 Or even if you die, you will be resurrected. Chapter 279 Chapter 279 He¡¯s crazy. That guy is alsopletely crazy. ¡®Does that guy even know the value of fruit when he speaks like this?¡¯ Contrary to the shock the market people received, Suho was actually waiting for this moment. ¡®This is perfect. I¡¯ve already saved up quite a bit of money, so I was just about to move on to the next step.¡¯ Rather, from Suho¡¯s perspective, Ha Seul¡¯s sudden appearance was something to be thankful for. His n to buy up as much currency as possible from the market was actually quite sessful. As expected, whenpetition was introduced, the reaction was much more explosive than expected. Besides, there was still a lot of bread left over anyway. ¡®So from now on, it¡¯s time to slowly sweep up other things.¡¯ And for Hasul, the most famous harvester in the city who happened to be there at that time, there was pl enty of fruit, and it was much easier and simpler than mixing in with people and participating in the auction. chuck. In the end, at Suho¡¯s request, Hasul took out the ¡®Fruit of Alfheim¡¯ from his pocket without saying a word and handed it to Suho. That too¡­ ¡­ . Six of them. Suho smiled broadly as he epted the fruits that Ha-seul offered. ¡°Oh, my. Thank you, sir. Pick any one of them. Since there are six berries, only three strawberry cakes are allowed?¡± Whoosh. As soon as she got permission from Suho, Ha Seul quickly walked over to the stand where the cakes were disyed. But it¡¯s called cake, but in reality, all there was there were slices of cake. Unfortunately, Suho had just swept up all the unsold bread from the bakery that was closingst night. But among those pieces of cake, Hasul carefully selected the ones with the most beautiful strawberries and the best color, and began to put them in one by one. ¡°¡­ ¡­ !¡± Everyone in the market was shocked at the sight. It¡¯s a huge profit. It¡¯s tyranny. And I couldn¡¯t understand Ha-seul¡¯s behavior of epting that absurd request withoutint. The fruit of Alfheim is the most precious item in this city. No matter how much fruit the harvesters have, it is not enough to trade it for a few pieces of bread. But, not caring about people¡¯s reactions, Ha Seul very carefully selected the three pieces of strawberry shortcake she liked the most and carefully ced them in the stic bag that Su Ho had handed her. And just like when he came, he left the market without saying a word. As Hasul disappeared, a sigh of relief spread throughout the market, a beatter. It felt like a typhoon hade and gone. It was evidence of how many people had been beheaded by Hasul¡¯s scythe during that time. Anyway, people who were relieved that Hasul had left jumped into thepetition for Suho¡¯s bread again. But with the appearance of Ha-seul, which was thought to be just a minor incident, quite a lot has already changed. Suho, who had been watching Hasul¡¯s back as she left for a moment, snickered and changed the auction rules again on his own. ¡°Now, let me change the auction rules a little. For those of you who have run out of money, from now on, you will also be able to participate in the auction with the fruits of Alfheim.¡± ¡°¡­crazy!¡± ¡°Who would say that the fruit¡­ ¡­!¡± ¡°Of course, I don¡¯t know when the prices will rise again.¡± Towering. Suho¡¯sst words were decisive. At that moment, people realized. As long as there is bread left in Berbaguette anyway. And as those breads get smaller and smaller. Thepetition only became more and more fierce. Extreme shortage. But now, it is not just a pricepetition; the currency unit haspletely changed. Because of Hasul¡¯s appearance. In the end, Suho¡¯s bakery ended up emptying the market merchants¡¯ pockets of money and even making them take out expensive fruits themselves. ¡®¡­ ¡­ All glory goes to Hasul.¡¯ And Suho. ¡°Ber.¡± [Yes, Your Majesty.] He looked in the direction where Hasul had disappeared and asked Ber softly. ¡°Wasn¡¯t that guy S-ss just now?¡± [You saw it correctly. More than that¡­ ¡­ .] However, what caught Ber¡¯s attention was not the fact that Hasul was a S-ss viin, but rather the giant scythe hanging from Hasul¡¯s shoulder. [I felt an alien energy from that scythe earlier.] At those words, Sirka nodded in agreement. ¡°I saw it too. It was definitely a weapon made from a stone. The same one that was embedded in the eyes of the high elves¡­ .¡± Is that guy the bailiff? This is something I need to look into. ¡°Ber, you follow him. See what he¡¯s doing.¡± [yes.] At Suho¡¯smand, Ber disappeared immediately. ¡®And while I¡¯m at it¡­ ¡­ .¡¯ While he was at it, Suho gave separate orders to the other shadow soldiers hiding in his shadow. Hide in the shadows of all the viins gathered in this market right now. ¡­ ¡­ and so on. In the paradise city that lies beneath the vast shadow of Alfheim, the shadow of the guardian gradually began to expand its territory without anyone knowing. * * * And a littleter. Eventually, the executives of the free market coalition gathered together. The one who summoned them was none other than the ¡®bank president.¡¯ ¡°Is everyone here?¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­ .¡± The bank manager¡¯s gaze scanned the faces of the fruit merchants, whoseplexions were unusually gloomy, and he clicked his tongue. It¡¯s absolutely pathetic. Guys who were always confident and proud suddenly became like this overnight. ¡°¡­ ¡­ Berbaguette.¡± Ouch. At those words, all the executives¡¯ bodies flinched simultaneously. Looking at those reactions, the bank manager sighed softly and said. ¡°Does this make sense? The city¡¯s economy is being shaken because of a single bakery?¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­ .¡± Even though it was said that a ¡®bakery¡¯, which is hard to find in thisnd, appeared, it was absurd to say that the city¡¯s economy would be in danger because of an incident of this magnitude. But that actually happened. because¡­. ¡°¡­ ¡­ Later, another container popped out.¡± Yes, that¡¯s right. As it turned out, the newbie had not one, but two ¡®bakeries¡¯. After the market traders had already spent a considerable amount of money to buy the bread from the first container he took out. When he suddenly summoned a second container, everyone there couldn¡¯t help but start a fight. ¡°¡­ ¡­ I don¡¯t know what kind of skill that is though.¡± What should I call this container summoner¡­ ¡­ . But the problem at hand wasn¡¯t his title or his skills. ¡°That newbie blew up so much money in one day.¡± ¡°And then he just disappeared without spending a single penny of that money.¡± Yes, that¡¯s right. That was the problem from the beginning. It wasn¡¯t a problem at all for someone to make a lot of money in the market. That¡¯s what the market exists for in the first ce. But if he just earns that money and doesn¡¯t spend it, but just holds on to it, it bes a huge problem. In fact, the city¡¯s economy was maintained not by money but by ¡®debt¡¯. No matter how much the debtors want to repay the debt, if they don¡¯t have the money themselves, the in terest will just keep increasing. And in the end, when you can¡¯t repay your debt and the lenders burst your head with the debt, that¡¯s the oue that no one wants. Even the banks didn¡¯t want that. If all the lenders go bankrupt, the bank will eventually copse as well. ¡°¡­ ¡­ If things continue this way, the cirction of currency in the city will be severely reduced within a few days, causing major disruptions in transactions. As you all know, the amount of currency in cirction in our city is extremely limited, and if that much money is tied up in one ce, there will be a shortage of currency needed for other people¡¯s transactions, which will inevitably lead to a reduction in market transactions.¡± Everyone nodded their heads at the bank president¡¯s lengthy speech. Because the market size of this city is small, it is bound to be more sensitive to such changes. ¡°And when transactions decrease due to a shortage of money, prices also¡­ ¡­ .¡± Mr. Park, the fruit merchant, finally opened his mouth as he could no longer endure the boring sermon that seemed to never end. ¡°Mr. Banker, do you really need to worry about that already? If you wait a little bit, won¡¯t that rookie eventually spend the money?¡± ¡°What year was it?¡± The bank manager looked at him with sharp eyes and asked back. ¡°When would that rookie spend all that money on his own? No, would he even need anything in the first ce? After all, he¡¯s already earned a lot of fruit, so what else do he need?¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­ .¡± Yes, that¡¯s right. In fact, everyone knew. In any case, what people need to live is ¡®food, clothing, and shelter¡¯. Here, ¡®of¡¯ means armor. Not clothes to adorn yourself, but armor to keep you safe. And because of the special nature of North Korea, there was virtually no way to resolve this. Unconditional self-sufficiency. Beforeing to North Korea, I had to fix the armor I was wearing myself. Next is food. This is usually meat or fruit. And it meant the fruit of Alfheim. This is precisely why things are so tangled up today. With the sudden appearance of a bakery. And thest third is ¡®Ju¡¯. It was a lodging. To begin with, the citizens of this city had no concept of ¡®owning a home.¡¯ It¡¯s definitely monthly rent. No, to be exact, it¡¯s ¡®Ilse¡¯. In a world where you never know when you might die, every hotel in the city unconditionally charges a daily amodation fee to its guests. ¡°How about we tell people to charge a higher rate for amodations just for that guy?¡± For once, CEO Choi gave a good opinion. But that was the biggest problem. The bank president¡¯s gaze swept over the union¡¯s executives and asked sharply. ¡°Good idea. So does anyone know where he is now? What kind of amodation is he staying at?¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­ .¡± ¡°You said you lost track of me as soon as you sold all the bread and went out of the market?¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­ .¡± Yes, that¡¯s right. He disappearedst night, and he disappeared again tonight. It¡¯s truly unpredictable. He is truly a ghost. ¡°Is it by any chance rted to that container skill¡­?¡± ¡°Maybe he¡¯s still hiding somewhere, sleeping in that container that was filled with bread.¡± The bank manager clicked his tongue in annoyance at the words someone was mumbling in an uncertain voice. ¡°Then shouldn¡¯t we find that container? From your perspective, it would be a real hit if you ran into that guy outside the market!¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­ The Hunter¡¯s Guild is already searching every city. We¡¯ve even put out separate requests to the skilled ones.¡± The bank manager¡¯s words hit the nail on the head. It¡¯s not that that newbie wasn¡¯t a walking treasure trove right now. That means today, instead of all those loaves of bread, that guy¡¯s container will be filled with shiny coins. And since force is always possible outside the market, the first one to find and kill that guy will be the owner of that huge sum of money. Of course¡­ ¡­the problem was what happened next. Everyone knew what happened after that. The first person to catch that guy will eventually be caught and killed by someone else. Then the money goes to someone else, and that person gets caught by yet another person and killed¡­¡­ Such endlessly repeated ughter will take ce in the city. Literally, this is a city of viins. Then, eventually, the money will end up in the hands of the most powerful viin, or the most powerful force, and only then will the case be concluded. ¡­ ¡­ and the results of all of this were the worst for the city. No, it was a disaster. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter who catches and kills the newbie anymore. The bnce of the city has already begun to crumble.¡± Sigh, I can¡¯t help but sigh. The most absurd fact of all is that all of this started in just one day, from an incident caused by just one person. From the perspective of a bank president who has to maintain the city¡¯s bnce, it is impossible not to sigh. ¡°Whew. In the end, the best way is¡­ ¡­ to get the money he has back into the market. We have to make him spend it somehow. Through the bank or some other means.¡± Yes, that¡¯s right. This was the best the bank manager could imagine. ¡°None of us gathered here have any real economic knowledge or banking experience. We just created this system to survive. This economic system we created is on a precarious equilibrium that could copse at any moment.¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­ .¡± Yes, that¡¯s right. In the first ce, no one gathered here could have predicted the current situation. No, actually everyone already knew. No matter how much they try to support the city¡¯s market economy from behind the scenes, when something like this actually happens, the real bottom is revealed. No matter how much they pretended to be great, they were just ordinary murderers who were chased by the association and eventually fled to North Korea. It was said that rather than discussing difficult market logic or bnce, these people find it easiest to just catch someone and kill them. ¡°So what do you want to do in the end?¡± Finally, President Choi, who could no longer bear it any longer, opened his mouth. ¡°What the bank manager is saying now is that we should find that guy somehow and make him spend the money. Even if it means using some drastic measures if necessary.¡± ¡°Hmm. That¡¯s a radical method¡­ ¡­ . That¡¯s a really good idea, isn¡¯t it?¡± The bank manager¡¯s eyes shed like a snake¡¯s as if he had been waiting for those words. Then he looked back at the other union executives with a disgusted expression and shrugged his shoulders. ¡°From my perspective, this is something I could never have imagined, but is it really okay? Of course, just this once.¡± The union leaders ground their teeth inwardly at that shameless expression. ¡®This snake-like thing.¡¯ ¡®So you were waiting for us to speak first.¡¯ Banks and free markets never cross the line they have set. That was the rule, and it was the secret to how the city maintained its delicate bnce. But to say that we should make an exception just this time was a statement that essentially ignored the existence of the union, regardless of the city¡¯s crisis or anything like that. Shh. As the atmosphere ripened as he had hoped, the bank manager sat down with his hands sped together and a satisfied smile on his face. ¡°Okay. Then, ording to your opinion¡­ ¡­ .¡± That was when. Suddenly the door opened wide and a loan shark came rushing in. ¡°Bank Manager! We¡¯re in big trouble!¡± ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± As the bank manager turned his head with an annoyed expression, the loan shark shouted urgently. ¡°B, B! That newbie¡­ ¡­!¡± ¡°No way! Did you find it?!¡± At those words, everyone present was startled and jumped to their feet. But the reply from the returning debt collector was quite surprising. ¡°That, that¡­ ¡­ I looked for it, but I found it on my own feet.¡± ¡°What? Where did youe from?!¡± ¡°I¡¯m at the bank. I came to buy some fruit.¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­ What? Fruit?¡± At that moment, the bank manager¡¯s expression hardened upon hearing those words. Could it be him? The debt collector, faced with the bank manager¡¯s fierce gaze, felt intimidated and answered awkwardly. ¡°Yes. Hey, hey, how much fruit can you buy from the bank with the money you have¡­ ¡­ .¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­ .¡± Oh, I see. He¡¯s crazy. The bank manager was convinced at that moment. Ber, that guy is definitely a lunatic. ¡°Hey, stop it! Go and stop it right now!¡± The bakery viin who appeared at the market was targeting the fruits stored in the bank this time! Chapter 280 Chapter 280 My breath is pounding. The bank manager ran and ran. I raced through the city at a truly crazy speed. Towards the bank where Suho appeared! Crunch! Crunch! Bam! Bam! Her two legs, unusually taut, kicked the ground and cut through the wind. The ground he walked on became hollow. All citizens of this city are awakened. The bank president was also a B-ss viin. But it was the first time since ¡®that day¡¯ that he had gone at full speed like this. But as soon as the bank manager heard that Su-ho had shown up at the bank, the hairs on his body stood on end just like that day. ¡®We must stop that kid!¡¯ I feel impatient. Are the employees responding calmly and well? Worryes first. What I¡¯m saying is that we¡¯ve never been taught anything like a manual for situations like this. It felt too ominous to leave everything to the discretion of the staff. ¡®¡­ ¡­ Should we just join forces and kill them all?¡¯ Kkwaduk! As his murderous intent grew, a red aura spread throughout his body along his prominent veins. No matter what, the bank president was ultimately a viin. It would be much easier if it could just be solved by killing one person rather than racking your brain. Ah, we¡¯ve arrived. bang! The bank manager arrived at the bank in an instant and kicked open the door and came in. ¡°Uh, bank manager¡­ ¡­ .¡± An employee opened his eyes wide and looked at the bank manager, who looked unusually disheveled. The employee¡¯s face turned pale. ¡®What is it? What happened?¡¯ The bank manager took a quick look at the bank¡¯s situation, out of breath. A chaotic atmosphere. There was a deste air in the air, as if a storm had passed. And at the center of it all¡­ ¡­ . ¡®money!¡¯ The bank manager¡¯s eyes widened. A ton of money! The huge amount of coins piled up in front of the employees had an overwhelming presence. The very money that had just been discussed with the union executives was returned to the bank on its own. But rather than being delighted by that fact, the bank manager hurriedly passed the money by and checked the most important fruit warehouse first. The warehouse was¡­ ¡­wide open. Suddenly. ¡°¡­ ¡­ These fucking kids.¡± He looked back, gritting his teeth as he confirmed the appearance of the empty warehouse. Choooowaaaah-! At that moment, his arm extended forward and grabbed one of the employees by the neck at incredible speed. He was the employee closest to ¡®Money¡¯. ¡°¡­ ¡­ Ugh, ugh!¡± The vice president, whose throat was grabbed by the bank president¡¯s hands, started kicking his feet desperately, squeaking. And the bank manager¡¯s arm that lifted him up lightly¡­ Surprisingly, where human muscles should have been, there were numerous tree trunks entangled together, writhing like tentacles. Just like¡­ ¡­the branches of Alfheim. ¡°Speak.¡± The bank manager looked around at his terrified employees and opened his mouth in a cold voice. ¡°Tell me what happened here right now.¡± Madness flowed from his bloodshot eyes. * * * A little while ago. All the bank employees and citizens who had stopped by the bank for requests and debts were greatly stirred by the sudden appearance of Su-ho, who opened the bank door and walked in. ¡°Hey, is that really it?¡± ¡°Is that it?¡± People were murmuring. This is because Suho came carrying an enormous bundle on his shoulder. With all those gazes on him, Suho walked slowly to the bank window. People stepped back without realizing it, clearing Suho¡¯s path. Thanks to what happened at the market this morning, there was no one in this city who didn¡¯t know about Suho¡¯s existence. Even the citizens who were not present at the market at the time knew Suho¡¯s pseudonym, ¡®Ber¡¯, even if they did not know his face. And at this point, there wasn¡¯t anyone here so dumb as to not notice that the guy showing up at the bank with that kind of bundle was the main character of the rumor. Because thisnd is a ce where it¡¯s hard for a viin without any sense to survive. Chararak- ¡­ ¡­ ! Amidst their gazes, the moment when Suho opens the bundle he was carrying on his shoulder in front of the bank teller. Everyone in the bank¡¯s mouths dropped open in amazement at the brilliant brilliance of the coins glittering inside. ¡®crazy.¡¯ ¡®I never thought it would happen¡­ ¡­!¡¯ ¡®That¡¯s all the money I earned in just one day?!¡¯ It¡¯s absolutely overwhelming! It would be normal for any citizen of this city to first think of greed when they see someone¡¯s money. But the amount of money that Soo-ho had just taken out was so amazing that it made me feel more amazed than greedy. ¡°I came to buy fruit.¡± ¡°That, that¡­ ¡­ .¡± The banker was startled by the dazzling light that suddenly appeared before his eyes and was flustered by the straightforward question of protection. Then, the vice president behind him quickly pushed him aside and skillfully responded to the request. ¡°Hello, customer! I was wondering who you were, and I see you¡¯re Mr. Ber who came to townst night! Are you interested in purchasing some fruit?¡± ¡°Oh, yes. How much Alfheim fruit can I buy with this amount of money?¡± ¡°Hmm. Really? Even if you buy this amount of fruit, it¡¯s inconvenient to store it¡­ ¡­ .¡± ¡°it¡¯s okay.¡± ¡°Is it really necessary to buy so many fruits at once? It would be inconvenient to store them, so why not just save the money in the bank and take the fruits when you need them¡­ .¡± ¡°I need it now.¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­ .¡± The vice president had no choice but to keep his mouth shut due to the strong will to protect. He nced down and estimated the amount of coins shing before his eyes. ¡®With this money¡­ ¡­ .¡¯ Gulp. In fact¡­ ¡­ anyone who isn¡¯t an employee can see this amount. No, everyone in the bank could tell. ¡®With that amount, I could buy all the fruits in the bank and still have some left over¡­ ¡­ ?¡¯ ¡®Are you here to rob the bank¡¯s warehouse?¡¯ ¡­ ¡­ No, this is nothing more than a bank robbery. However, the bank robber was brazenly trying to rob the bank¡¯s warehouse, armed with arge sum of money instead of a gun or knife. ¡°Ahem, ahem!¡± Under everyone¡¯s gaze, the bank clerk who was serving Suho coughed in vain for a moment and desperately shook his head. ¡®Damn. The bank president is out at a time like this.¡¯ He went out to meet with the union executives to solve the problem of ¡®Ber¡¯, which had appeared right before his eyes. ¡®For now¡­ let¡¯s buy some time. The bank president will be back soon anyway.¡¯ He desperately tried to keep a rxed expression on his face and continue the conversation. ¡°Haha, Mr. Ber! You¡¯re really amazing! I heard a rumor that you made a lot of money at the market today, and it really is just as the rumors say¡­ ¡­ .¡± ¡°fruit.¡± ¡°Oh, yes! Of course I should give it to you! But¡­ ¡­ .¡± ¡°fruit.¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­ .¡± We¡¯re in trouble. Nothing works. No matter what he said, Suho just calmly pointed to the price list of fruits on the wall and repeated the reason he came there. ¡°Bring it all. I have plenty of money.¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­ .¡± ¡°The bank will need this money anyway, right?¡± At thosest words, the vice president closed his eyes tightly. ¡®¡­ ¡­ You know everything.¡¯ This kid wasn¡¯t just doing whatever he wanted. I came here knowing full well the circumstances. And all their conversations, all the viins who visited the bank, no, the hunters, were watching with interest. The look of confusion slowly disappeared from their eyes, and greed began to creep in. ¡®For that kind of money¡­ ¡­ .¡¯ ¡®I wonder if I can get a decent share?¡¯ Gulp. My mouth is watering. Just like when I saw Berbaguette at the market. Just as force is illegal in the free market, so it is inside a bank. But the moment you step out of the bank, it bes awless zone. No matter what deal that guy Ver makes here, he¡¯ll be their target the moment he steps out of this door. Now that they have actually seen that money with their own two eyes. There is no change. ¡®First, let¡¯s all rush in and kill them.¡¯ ¡®Then we¡¯ll split the money.¡¯ An intense desire was blooming in the eyes of the hunters who exchanged nces with each other. And the vice president could clearly see through their thoughts. ¡®If I refuse this money here, it will go to them the moment this guy walks out the door.¡¯ And it could copse not only the banks, but ¡®paradise¡¯ itself. But that doesn¡¯t mean that handing over all the fruits in the warehouse to that crazy guy named Vera would lead to the same ending. It¡¯s a situation where you can¡¯t do anything. ¡®I can¡¯t help it. In this case, I¡¯ll use my discretion.¡¯ He finally made a decision. WHACK! Suddenly, the vice president who was responding to Suho walked up to him and ripped the price tags of the fruits that were stuck on the wall. ¡°¡­ ¡­ ?¡± While everyone was wondering. The vice president answered Soo-ho with an extremely resolute expression. ¡°I¡¯m really sorry, but the price of fruit has gone up from now on.¡± ¡°Suddenly?¡± Suho tilted his head crookedly and looked at his face. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s what happened, so please understand.¡± ¡°So how much is it?¡± ¡°10 times the market price.¡± ¡­ ¡­ ?! At his shocking deration, the eyes of the other viins in the bank grew wide rather than Soo-ho¡¯s. ¡°What? Did you hear what that kid just said?¡± ¡°What the hell was that crazy kid talking about?¡± Their tant murderous intent poured out on the vice president, but the expression on his face as he stared intently at Su-ho remained unwavering. ¡°¡­ ¡­ Lord Ber may not know this yet, but in this city, our bank manages money and fruits. For the safety of the citizens and the bnce of the city, we have the authority to change the price of fruits at will.¡± Yes, that¡¯s right. After all, rules are rules. It was definitely not a wrong statement. In fact, the price of fruits changes frequently. And the price is set by the bank. But the current situation where prices suddenly inte tenfold has clearly crossed the line. Because everyone in the city needed the fruit. ¡®But what if we do this?¡¯ The vice president opened his mouth with determination. His n is to return the favor to Suho for what he did at the market today. In short, it is ¡®gapjil¡¯. ¡°In that sense, from now on, our bank has decided to sell fruit only to you, Ber, at ten times the market price.¡± ¡°hmm?¡± At that moment, Suho¡¯s eyebrows furrowed. ¡°Of course, other citizens can purchase it at the original price.¡± ¡­ ¡­ Huh? This makes a difference. At the same time, the corners of the viins¡¯ mouths went up. In an instant, all myints disappeared. As public opinion changed, the vice president smiled with satisfaction and drove the wedge in once again. ¡°I, as the Vice President, will take full responsibility for this matter. However, I am concerned about your safety, Mr. Ber. This is a city of viins. It is too dangerous to keep this much money in your possession with out storing it in the bank.¡± Hehe. Okay, the justification is perfect. ¡®So, what do we do now?¡¯ He waited for Suho¡¯s answer with a meaningful smile. The board was properlyid. Now the cocky newbie was left with only two options. ¡®Buy the fruit at ten times the market price and give all that money to the bank.¡¯ ¡®Or, to save some money, just take it out and get attacked by those hungry hunters and die!¡¯ It¡¯s genius. The vice president was amazed at his own genius at dealing with situations. But why is that? The guy was¡­ ughing. ¡°Hmm. I see. Okay, I understand.¡± Even after being subjected to such biased and absurd bullying, Su-ho remained steadfast. He nodded obediently without any sign of resentment or difort. ¡®What? Are you bluffing?¡¯ But I soon learned that it wasn¡¯t a bluff. Suho didn¡¯t evenment on the banker¡¯s decision, and just looked away. And he spoke to all the viins who were looking at him. ¡°You all heard, right? The fruit is ten times more expensive for me, and it¡¯s the same for you.¡± Hehehe. At those words,ughter can be heard here and there. Is there anyone among them who has not heard that? However, the problem was what followed. Suho smirked and announced to all the viins in the bank who were watching him. ¡°From now on, I will unconditionally purchase any fruit you bring me at twice the market price.¡± ¡­what? At those words, the bank teller¡¯s expression, which had been smiling with conversion, suddenly hardened. The viins who heard those words also doubted their own ears. ¡°What, what is that guy saying just now¡­ ¡­ .¡± Here Suho drove the wedge in. ¡°Oh, I already have a lot of money, so let¡¯s multiply it by five.¡± ¡­ ¡­ ?! ¡®Hey, wait? What is this?¡¯ The vice president had no time to panic. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s begin.¡± ¡­ ¡­ Euaaaah! As soon as Suho finished speaking, all the viins in the bank rushed towards the bank employees. ¡°fruit!¡± ¡°I want to buy some fruit!¡± ¡°Me first!¡± All distracting thoughts had already disappeared from their minds. If you just buy the fruit, your money will be multiplied fivefold right before your eyes. How can you resist that? ¡°By the way, you know that this is only until I run out of money, right?¡± With Suho adding fuel to the fire, it has now be a firste, first-served fight. ¡°Hand it over! Now! Hand me the fruit!¡± ¡°Okay, wait a minute! Wait a minute, everyone!¡± ¡°Please calm down¡­ ¡­ !¡± No, this was a total riot. A mob armed with money began to harass bank employees by grabbing them by the cors in a fair manner. To sell the fruit back to Suho! Chapter 281 Chapter 281 It¡¯s a very clear choice. ¡°I want to buy some fruit!¡± ¡°Give me the fruit now!¡± ¡°fruit!¡± Even if you kill ¡®Ber¡¯ who came out of the bank and took all the coins, it was obvious that those who were left would eventually fight over the coins again. It¡¯s virtually impossible to not get hurt in the process. That is, in the end, they had toe back to the bank again, bleeding profusely, to buy fruit. So what will be left in the end? In the end, only the bank benefits. Inparison, what about the other options? How about getting a huge pile of coins shing right in front of you? If you buy the fruit at regr price and resell it at five times the price, should you really put up with this? Euaaaahhhhh! ¡°fruit!¡± ¡°Give me the fruit!¡± There is no such thing as a mob. The viins who were harassing bankers to sell them fruit were almost madness-like. The citizens of this city have long been brainwashed by debt and coins. They are willing to kill to pay off their debts and get coins. No, just murder? In the first ce, this ce is a city of viins. In particr, debt hunters wearing explosive chokers around their necks even openly threatened bank employees by grabbing them by the cor and making threats as if they were going to kill them. ¡°What are you doing! Why don¡¯t youe out right now!¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong with me buying fruit from the bank with my own money?¡± ¡°How much more will my loan amount be in the future?!¡± ¡°Okay! I might as well take out a loan while I¡¯m at it!¡± ¡°Hand it over! Now!¡± They did not hesitate to buy fruit, even going so far as to take out loans. If you resell it right away, you¡¯ll get five times the money back anyway, so what¡¯s the problem? With such a guaranteed return on investment, how many people would not take out a loan? ¡°Okay, wait a minute!¡± ¡°wait a minute!¡± The bankers were at a loss and couldn¡¯t help but panic at their explosive momentum. But there was no way. Of course, they could also refuse to trade with them in the name of maintaining the city¡¯s bnce, but res tricting the purchase of fruits essential for survival in this apocalypse could lead to riots by all the viins in the city. If it was just one ¡®Ber¡¯, it might be okay, but if all the viins in the city rose up, there was no way for the bank to suppress them. ¡®That crazy guy¡­ ¡­ .¡¯ In the end, the vice president looked at Ber, who was leisurely looking at the mess that was Abigwihwan, with a look of defeat on his face. and. * * * ¡­ ¡­ Crunch! After hearing the whole story, the bank president snapped the neck of the vice president he was holding and killed him. The vice president lost his life without even being able to scream. Then something amazing happened. Whaaaaaah! The bank president¡¯s ¡®tree roots¡¯, which consisted of hard bark and squirming tree trunks instead of arms, began to suck up the red energy from inside the dead vice president¡¯s body. p. Eventually, the lifeless, shriveled corpse rolled helplessly on the floor like a dried-up tree. The expression on the bank manager¡¯s face as he trampled the corpse with his foot was surprisingly ¡®satisfied¡¯. ¡°Ugh. You ate a lot, kid. Did you sneak some fruit from me while you were away?¡± Hib. The sound of someone huping. The bank manager¡¯s words made the employees, who had a history of secretly stealing fruit from the war ehouse, look pale. As far as they knew, the bank manager¡¯s awakening level was only B-ss. But at the same time, he was the bank president who ate the most Alfheim fruit of anyone in the city. They had no idea what would happen if they ate that much fruit, or how strong they would be. To begin with, Alfheim itself was an unknown entity. You can¡¯t know what effect something has on your body until you try it yourself. Just one thing. There was something they knew. The bank manager is most wary of someone else eating more fruit than he does. ng. His arm, which had turned into a tree trunk, shrank back to its original state. The bank manager absently stroked his own arm, which had returned to its fleshy color, and asked his employees who were trembling with fear as they looked at him. ¡°So where is the guy?¡± ¡°That, that¡­ ¡­ disappeared again. Suddenly, the moment I left the bank.¡± ¡°Then what about the other guys who were here?¡± ¡°They sold all the fruit back to him and went their separate ways.¡± ¡°Well, I guess so. Thanks to that guy, they¡¯ve each made a lot of money, so I guess they¡¯ll just hide and watch out for each other for a while. Haa, this is getting annoying.¡± The bank manager regained hisposure, perhaps thanks to venting his anger or feeling satisfied, and t ook a moment to collect his thoughts. ¡°Hmm. First, we need to refill the empty warehouse. If rumors start to spread that there is no fruit in the bank, the loan sharks wille and raid this ce right away.¡± Gulp. At those words, the employees¡¯ expressions became determined. The reason a bank can exist as a bank in thiswlessnd is because of its ¡®fruit¡¯. No matter how much the debtors live in debt. Even though I was wearing a bomb ne and was treated like a ve, my life was threatened every day. The reason they could never challenge the authority of the bank was because the bank held the ¡®fruit¡¯. With all the fruits that heal all wounds gathered here, what kind of crazy person would volunteer to rob a bank to make some money? Although life should be one and only, bankers who hold the fruit are like storing a warehouse full of spare lives. But now things arepletely different. ¡®The fruit is gone.¡¯ ¡®Instead, the money piled up just as much as mine.¡¯ ¡­ ¡­ A bank that only has money and no fruit. Isn¡¯t this really the worst? What better time to provoke debt collectors than now? ¡°Everyone, be prepared for terrorism. If word gets out, the debt collectors mighte knocking.¡± ¡­ ¡­ ?! At those words, a determined look appeared on the faces of all the bank employees who had been terrified. This is no joke. Haven¡¯t we just experienced the violence of the mob that was shouting at us to buy fruit? But that was just medicine. Their goal was to make money, not to pay off debt. But how many debt collectors have been squeezing our souls with their debts as bait? If this situation became known to all the debt collectors in the city, it would only take a moment for them to turn into bank robbers. ¡°And spread the false rumor throughout the city as quickly as possible. The truth is that there is another fruit warehouse in the bank.¡± ¡°Yes, yep.¡± ¡°We must buy as much time as possible. Time to refill the warehouse with fruit.¡± At the bank manager¡¯smand, the employees began to move busily. ¡°I will doubles the fruit of the fruit for a few days.¡± ¡°Oh, I see¡­ ¡­ .¡± ¡°If you know what you¡¯re doing, move quickly!¡± ¡°Yes, yep!¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­ No, wait.¡± Towering. The bank manager turned his head out the window at the ominous feeling he felt for a moment. Doo doo doo doo doo doo¡­ ¡­ . I could feel a slight vibration under my feet. ¡°Could it be already¡­ ¡­ ?¡± It¡¯s ominous. His expression hardened. No, that can¡¯t be. This is too fast, even if it¡¯s fast. Given the size of the city, it¡¯s unlikely that word had already spread to the loan sharks. ¡®Even if the rumor spreads, it can¡¯t reach everyone yet. It¡¯s still a long way before they join forces to attack¡­ ¡® but. As always, ominous feelings are never wrong. ¡°¡­ ¡­ Damn it. Everyone stop what you¡¯re doing and grab your weapons!¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­ !¡± The bank employees were startled by the bank manager¡¯s sudden shout and grabbed their weapons. And they too, a little toote, ended up seeing what he was seeing. Doo doo doo doo doo doo doo¡­ ¡­ ! Far away, outside the window¡­ ¡­ . A lot of debt collectors were flocking here. With a bomb choker around her neck. ¡°Oh, how already?!¡± That¡¯s ridiculous. Even if there were a lot of hunters who returned here after making five times the money, isn¡¯t this too fast? but. They never dared imagine. The fact that right now, beneath the feet of the loan sharks who are frantically wielding weapons and rushing into the bank, there are ¡®shadows¡¯ spreading rumors in real time at this very moment. [Hey, did you hear that? They say the bank is out of fruit?] [Hey, no way.] [No. Seriously! That bakery viin who showed up at the market earlier bought up all the fruit in the bank.] [What, really?! Then what¡¯s at the bank right now¡­ ¡­ !] [There aren¡¯t any fruits!] [What? Then isn¡¯t now the chance?] [What are you doing? The other guys have already left, saying it¡¯s their chance to get revenge on the bankers!] [How long must we live as ves to those bastards?] [Yes, that¡¯s right. I escaped all the way to North Korea, so why do I have to be a ve to capitalism here again?] The identity of those voices is this morning. These were the countless shadow soldiers that Suho had nted in the shadows of the people gathered at the market. And even at this moment, rumors about the bank were spreading throughout the city, following people¡¯s shadows. ¡°What the hell! What the hell is going on!¡± The bank manager couldn¡¯t believe it. The fact that the situation in the city, which had been peaceful until now, became like this in just one day. He eventually had no choice but to resort to the veryst resort. When a city gets to this point, there¡¯s only one thing it has to do. ¡°First, stop it somehow! I¡¯ll do whatever it takes to buy as much time as possible!¡± ¡°Yes, yes!¡± At his abstractmand, answers immediately came out of the bank employees¡¯ mouths. And without saying who would go first, they began to draw out the energy of the ¡®fruit¡¯ they had eaten. Tsk tsk tsk! Then, in an instant, their skin hardened like tree bark. Although it may not be possible to reach the level that the bank manager showed us earlier, the bankers gathered here were the ones who had so far enjoyed the most fruit among the citizens of the city. And how to use this power was something I could quickly learn from what the bank manager had just shown me. And with this level of power, it seemed possible to buy some time as the bank manager ordered. Because the skin has be hard like tree bark, the defense power has increased. But none of them knew what the bank manager was going to do next. Kwajik! The bank president tore up the floor of the bank in front of everyone. Then, the ¡®safe¡¯ hidden there was revealed. ¡®Secret safe?¡¯ ¡®There was a safe we didn¡¯t know about?¡¯ ¡®There¡¯s no way there¡¯s fruit there?¡¯ ¡®Or a weapon?¡¯ The first thing that came to mind was fruit, but what the bank manager took out when he opened the secret safe was nothing else. ¡®te?¡¯ It was a small stone tablet with a strange pattern engraved on it. While everyone was wondering, the bank manager ground his teeth and grabbed the te. ¡°Just hold on a little longer. In the meantime, I will¡­ ¡­buy some fruit from another city.¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­ ?!¡± The bank employees¡¯ eyes widened at those words. The city was a paradise for thest remaining viins in ¡®North Korea¡¯. But the viins¡¯ city wasn¡¯t only in North Korea. I¡¯ve only heard rumors, but there are viins in China and Russia who have fled to avoid their associations¡­ ¡°Whew. I hate reaching out to those guys more than anything, but I have no choice because it¡¯s urgent. I have no choice but to buy at least a few hundred from China or Russia, or wherever they sell the fruit cheaply.¡± Again, money is flowing in because of that fucking guy. The bank manager sighed deeply and activated the te. Saaaah- As the red aura extended from the bank manager¡¯s hand and the stone b shed with light, the empty space in front of him was forcibly distorted and a ¡®gate¡¯ opened. * * * And that moment. ¡°Chairman, there is a radio message.¡± ¡°ah?¡± A hunter approached Woo Jin-cheol, who was taking a breather on top of the piled up corpses of demons. The hunter handed him a water jug along with a radio. ¡°Thank you. I was just feeling thirsty.¡± Woo Jin-cheol gulped down water and turned on the radio. It may look old-fashioned, but it was a state-of-the-art radio that allowedmunication to continue even in this foggy apocalypse. Chiik- After a while, a calm voice was heard over the radio. -Report. This is the Shadow of Paradise. An abnormality has urred. A riot has broken out in the city. This is due to a viin named ¡®Ber¡¯ who first arrived in the city yesterday¡­ ¡­ . ¡°Phew!¡± Woo Jin-cheol, who had been listening to the report leisurely, was so flustered that he suddenly spat out the water in his mouth. The hunter who brought the radio couldn¡¯t help but feel even more nervous at the noticeably flustered look. Chairman Woo Jin-cheol, who always keeps everything under control calmly and coolly¡­ ¡­ is so flustered? ¡®How serious is the situation over the radio! Wait a minute. Are youughing right now?¡¯ The hunter felt confused for a moment. Woo Jin-cheol raised the ck sunsses he was wearing and asked into the walkie-talkie. ¡°Are you saying that ¡®Ber¡¯ just appeared there?¡± The corners of Woo Jin-cheol¡¯s mouth went up as if he had been embarrassed for some time. Chapter 282 Chapter 282 A state of emergency has been dered in the city. Euaaaaaaaaaah! ¡°What, what?!¡± ¡°Are those loan sharks crazy?¡± ¡°Why are you guys acting like that all of a sudden?¡± Doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo! Just one day. The paradise city that had been peaceful until justst night was suddenly filled with chaos in just one day. The market guys were making a lot of noise this morning. This time, the suddenly maddened debt collectors joined forces and began storming the bank. sh- Kuwaaang! The aura of the loan sharks, each wielding a weapon and emitting magical power, was fierce. Around their necks were worn the credit chokers that still strangled them. And even at this moment, the LED numbers on the choker were counting down, adding interest little by little. ¡°No, don¡¯t they value their lives?¡± ¡°I know when the bomb will explode on my neck!¡± The city¡¯s citizens who saw the sight could not help but be bewildered. But they knew too. Credit chokers don¡¯t explode anytime soon. It only explodes when a debt is not repaid. As long as the interest was paid on time, it was a device that even a bank with great power could not blow up at will. Those loan sharks are well aware of this fact, which is why they attack the banks so bashfully. But even though we knew that so clearly, why didn¡¯t we do it until now? Of course, it¡¯s because they¡¯re scary. To be more precise. ¡°Aren¡¯t the fruits of bankers scary?¡± In thisnd where healers are scarce, the group called Bank, which holds arge amount of Alfheim¡¯s fruits, is truly invincible. How can you fight against those who can quickly recover from exhaustion and instantly recover from injuries by just eating the fruits that are piled up in the warehouse? Especially when they were determined to defend the bank and fight a defensive battle, those bank employees were the ones who became immortal. Of course, if you keep fighting, you might win somehow. Because we can push forward with greater force and quantity. But what would be left then? If you were injured during a fight, that would be a problem in its own right. But there was a more fundamental problem. ¡°If the bank disappears like this, where are we going to pay our debts?¡± Yes, that¡¯s right. Just because banks disappear doesn¡¯t mean debt disappears. Rather, since there will be no ce to repay the debt, the interest will only increase over time. And then bang! ¡­ ¡­ In the end, everyone¡¯s head will explode and they will die. but. ¡°¡­ ¡­ That sounds fun, doesn¡¯t it?¡± Someone muttered. The citizens nearby also began to watch from afar the battle between the bank employees and the loan sharks who had turned into a mob, one by one, raising the corners of their lips. Yes, that¡¯s right. In the first ce, this ce is a city of viins. If these people were good people who cared about the lives of debt collectors, they would not have fled to North Korea in the first ce, being chased by the association. ¡°Hey! Cheer up!¡± ¡°It¡¯s crowded there!¡± ¡°Hold on like a hawk!¡± Before we knew it, there were even citizens cheering on their rampage. But I really didn¡¯t want them to win. Boom! ¡°Phew! One of them died!¡± ¡°You idiot! You should have blocked the choker instead of the leg just now!¡± There isughter here and there at someone¡¯s death. From the beginning, the loan sharks had a fatal weakness. It¡¯s a choker. If you try to take off the choker forcefully or if it receives a certain amount of external impact, it will burst. Bankers who knew this fact were attacking the debt collectors¡¯ chokers at every opportunity. It was a very wise decision to ovee the overwhelming numerical disadvantage. Then, as the citizens watched, they began to notice something strange. ¡°huh?¡± ¡°Why are the bankers so hurt¡­ ¡­ .¡± As time went by, wounds began to umte on the bank employees¡¯ bodies. Yet no one fell back to eat the fruit. ¡°Wait a minute, isn¡¯t that right?¡± ¡°Was that rumor true?¡± The citizens¡¯ eyes changed. The debtors who had been burdened with debt and resentment for a long time immediately turned into rioters as soon as they heard the ¡®rumor¡¯, but for citizens without debt, the rumor could not spread as quickly as it did. Half in doubt. There was no reason for citizens to suddenly be bank robbers just because they heard rumors that the bank¡¯s warehouse was depleted of fruit. But what if the rumor was true? ¡°¡­ ¡­ Child, this makes a difference.¡± licking. ¡°Okay. Hehe.¡± Citizens who had been watching with their arms crossed began to swallow their saliva one by one. ¡°If the rumors are true, should I take a peek too?¡± ¡°It seems like they¡¯re starting to get tired of each other¡­ ¡­ .¡± There¡¯s no one in this city who hates money. Even if you¡¯re not in debt, the more money you have, the better. What if the bank fails? It¡¯s actually a good thing for ordinary citizens, not debtors. ¡°Even if this city falls apart, the executors will build another city.¡± ¡°It would be much more profitable if you just took the money and moved to another city.¡± Gooooooo! Adding insult to injury. 1 In the end, even the citizens who had no debt ended up bing rioters. This was very unfortunate news for bankers who were growing increasingly tired of dealing with loan sharks. ¡°Hey, did these guys take the drugs as a group?¡± ¡°Why are you guys like this today, seriously!¡± The bankers gritted their teeth and mustered all their strength. Fortunately, they also had ast resort to fight against the mob. The ability to draw on the energy of the fruit they have eaten so far! This is the moment I witnessed the bank president killing the vice president a while ago. It was like an instinct that I had developed on my own, even though no one had taught me how to do it. Kwajik! The bankers¡¯ hands plunged into the chests of the dead debtors and clutched their hearts. Juwaaaaah! Then, he sucked the power of the fruit that the debtors had consumed while alive, which had umted in their hearts, with his fingers. Just like the roots of a tree absorb nutrients from its surroundings. ng! ¡°Ugh. This is delicious. Is this real?¡± ¡°Ugh. This kid has only eaten five berries so far.¡± He could even guess the exact number of berries the debtor had eaten. And in proportion to that number, the umted wounds on the bankers¡¯ bodies were healed. The remaining energy even amplified their strength more than usual. The bankers snickered as they looked at their fingers, which had be hard and cracked like tree roots and wiggled hideously. Even though it looks like this, isn¡¯t the effect killing it? ¡°Hey, what is that?¡± The eyes of those attacking the bank widened at the sight of the bank employees who had changed so bizarrely. But the confusion onlysts a moment. In the first ce, has there ever been a person living in this city who hasn¡¯t eaten a single fruit? Now, not only bankers, but other citizens also instinctively realized the power they possessed. ¡°Oh, that. I think I could do that too.¡± ¡°me too.¡± sh. A sh of light appeared in the eyes of the loan sharks who were attacking the bankers. And without saying who would go first, they scattered, ripping open the chests of the dead corpses lying nearby and grabbing their hearts. Juwaaaaah! ¡°Wow! It really works!¡± ¡°This is killing me? It¡¯s more efficient than the fruit!¡± Those who joined the battlete, perhaps because they had no umted wounds on their bodies, trembled with the tremendous tion that came over them the moment they sucked the power of the fruit. I could feel the power of the fruit, highly concentrated within my body. And then I realized the truth I should never have known. ¡°Hahaha! What is this? I was an idiot who bought and ate fruit all this time¡­ ¡­ .¡± Phew! ¡°I know.¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­ ?!¡± The man who had beenughing out loud in excitement opened his eyes wide and his body became stiff. Before he knew it, a woman¡¯s hand had secretly approached him from behind, and out of nowhere, it pier ced his back and grabbed his heart. Juwaaaaak- The woman sucked the fruit¡¯s power from the man¡¯s heart, whispering devilishly in his ear. ¡°You could have just killed anyone like this, but you¡¯ve been wasting your time trying to make money all this time.¡± ¡°You, you¡­ ¡­ !¡± The man was unable to continue speaking and died on the spot with his heart in the woman¡¯s hand. The bankers who saw the whole scene sighed. It was a total disaster. ¡°¡­ ¡­ When the bank presidentes back, we¡¯re all dead.¡± ¡°At this rate, the bailiff mighte today.¡± ¡°Should I run away now instead?¡± Those who just said this were actuallycking in the ability to execute. ng! The bank employees, already alert, hurried into the bank and swept up the money before running away. Even if another city were created by the Executors, this coin would still be used as the same value in the new city. And there was someone who was quietly watching all this from afar. Harvester Hasul. Hasul was happy with whatever happened to the city. Because there is something very important left to do now. Strawberry cake. There¡¯s finally only one piece of cake left from the market this morning. From now on, it was important. Should I eat the strawberry on top of the whipped cream first? Or should I save the strawberries untilst and eat them in one bite at thest moment? ¡­ ¡­ Gulp. After staring at thest remaining strawberry cake with such serious eyes for a long time and swallowing her saliva, Ha-seul finally made up her mind. Let¡¯s eat it tomorrow since it¡¯s toote. And in an effort to divert attention elsewhere, he decided to focus on his own mission first. Whirlwind. Hasul was holding a strawberry cake in one hand and a giant scythe in the other, slung over her shoulder. Jumped up onto the building. No one could detect Hasul¡¯s presence due to his nimble movements. So, Hasul went into a quiet alley where there was no one and took out the walkie-talkie that she had hidden. Chijijik- After a while, the radio turned on and I calmly ryed the situation in the city to his lips. ¡°Reporting. This is the Shadow of Paradise. An abnormality has urred. A riot has broken out in the city. This is due to a viin named ¡®Ber¡¯ who first arrived in the city yesterday¡­ ¡­ .¡± -Phew! ¡°¡­ ¡­ ?¡± Hasul tilted her head for a moment at the noiseing from beyond the radio. But soon after, the voice of Association Chairman Woo Jin-cheol was heard. -Are you saying that ¡®Ber¡¯ just appeared there? At that moment, Hasul¡¯s ears perked up. Is it because of my mood? There was a faint smile in the voice of Chairman Woo Jin-cheol. Hasul took a moment to reflect on what he had reported, then answered the question earnestly. ¡°Yes. Of course, it¡¯s probably just a random pseudonym, so it doesn¡¯t really mean anything¡­ ¡­ .¡± -No, it does. It means a lot to me. Thank you so much for sharing. ¡°¡­ ¡­ ?¡± Hasul became even more confused by the answer he received. It¡¯s not even a city riot, it¡¯s just a viin¡¯s alias. Is this worth it? I can¡¯t even guess why¡­ ¡­ . That was when. [Was it you?] Creepy! Suddenly, a voice was heard from behind Hasul. I got goosebumps. An opponent who can fool your senses ande right up to you! WHHHHHH-! Although he was surprised inside, Hasul¡¯s body was already swinging the weapon ording to the survival instinct that was ingrained in him. Kookwakwang! A giant scythe cut through the air in arge semicircle. An attack powerful enough to cut straight across the wall beyond. But surprisingly, there was no one there. Like a ghost. ¡°Who are you!¡± [Shadows are everywhere.] ¡°¡­ ¡­ !¡± To Hasul¡¯s surprise, the answer to her question came from beneath her feet. When he hurriedly looked down, there was a pitch-ck shadow starting from under Hasul¡¯s feet,ughing with its mouth wide open. Looking at Hasul. ¡°Huh!¡± Hasul swung his scythe without hesitation and cut down the shadow. sh! Sickle of the harvest. A scythe made of foreign stone cut through space and attacked shadows. but. [Trivial.] Bam. ¡°¡­ ¡­ !¡± Hasul was astonished. Your attack has been blocked! So vain! Swoosh- Surprisingly, the shadow that had been smiling at Hasul suddenly pulled out one of its pitch-ck arms and grabbed Hasul¡¯s scythe with two fingers. Then, starting with that arm, the shadow slowly began to raise its body from the ground. In front of him, Hasul lost his will to fight. ¡®What the hell is this devil¡­ ¡­ .¡¯ It¡¯s far away. For the first time, Hasul felt such a vast abyss with no end in sight. Yet the creepiest thing of all. ¡®There is no sign¡­ ¡­ of life.¡¯ I can¡¯t believe it. Even though I could see it so clearly with my own eyes, it was difficult to read its movements to the point where I had a hard time even determining its location. The difference in ss is ridiculous. [I¡¯ll ask.] ck ants. A winged humanoid ant demon with ck vapor billowing from its body was squinting its pure white eyes and staring intently into Hasul¡¯s eyes. He lifted the sickle of the harvest, which he held with two fingers, lightly from Hasul¡¯s hand. [Where did this weapone from?] The harvest sickle, which was sorge that it felt burdensome to Hasul herself¡­ ¡­looked like a trivial toy to the ant demon that had grown sorge. at that time. ¡°¡­ ¡­ Berga went here?¡± [Keeec?] hook. Suddenly, someone¡¯s voice was heard from afar, and the presence of the guy who had beenpletely in control of the area disappeared as if it were a lie. ¡°¡­under?¡± My blocked breathing passages cleared up. And when Hasul looked forward again, it was already¡­ ¡­ . [Keeeek! Your Majesty!] 3 Just as its presence had shrunk, an ant that had shrunk to the size of a fist in an instant was flying out of the alley. [You couldn¡¯t stand it anymore and you missed me?!] ¡­ ¡­ A head of such a cute and disgusting size. Byparison, he dragged a harvesting sickle of a rtively huge size on the ground. Chapter 283 Chapter 283 Meanwhile, Ber had been steadily building up his magical power by eating the magic stones that Suho had brought him. Of course, the efficiency is still low. Compared to when he received magical power directly from Sung Jin-woo, his power was woefully inade quate. But what can we do? From Ber¡¯s current perspective, even this much was a blessing, and he had to live with a grateful heart, saving and cherishing as much as possible. Sometimes I had to hold back even though my hands were itching to use force. If he hastily used up the magical power he had worked so hard to umte, he would have to ask Suho again to recharge the lost power. That kind of thing really happens¡­ ¡­ . As for Ber, who had raised Suho since he was a baby, he felt bad about taking the baby¡¯s little pennies to help pay for the household. Each magic stone on this Earth is so expensive and precious, what kind of nuisance is this? But if the other party is a foreign messenger, things arepletely different. A weapon made from foreign stones? Who on earth could have collected that much foreign stones and made a weapon out of it? Reasonable doubt. Ber, who had been secretly following the harvester Hasul, was convinced that Hasul was either an apostle of a foreign god or a spy with close ties to a foreign religion. Isn¡¯t he even a viin with S-ss magical power? If that woman really was a foreign power, it would have been much more damaging to wait for Soo-ho and miss the opportunity. So, if anything, he even thought about killing it himself, even if it meant using up all the magic he had worked hard to umte. First, you have to kill them so they can¡¯t escape, then you can either turn them into shadow soldiers or eat their brains yourself to extract their memories. But fortunately, such an unfortunate thing did not happen. [Keeeek! Your Majesty!] It was a fortunate thing for both Ber and Hasul. [You couldn¡¯t stand it anymore and you missed me?!] As Suho appeared in the alley where Ber had just entered, Ber shrank in an instant as if nothing had happened. If Suho hase, then from now on, you can leave it to Suho. The best thing would be to kill Hasul with Harmakan¡¯s help and gain experience points. ¡°¡­you?¡± Hasul, who was suddenly overwhelmed by Ber¡¯s presence, opened her eyes wide when she realized Suho¡¯s identity who had appeared at that moment. ¡°bakery?¡± He was the owner of the bakery I saw at the morning market. But why did he suddenly appear here? And why is that ck ant demon suddenly sticking right next to that guy and acting cute? No, isn¡¯t that a girl? Looking at it again, it seemed like she wasn¡¯t pretending to be cute, but rather was being cute. Anyway, it was such a confusing moment. 2 Chijijik. -¡­ ¡­ Did something happen there? A voice came from the radio I was holding in my hand. Hasul quickly stepped back and opened his mouth to speak into the radio. ¡°that¡­.¡± But my mouth doesn¡¯t open properly. Perhaps because of the aftereffects of the ant¡¯s grip that had been overwhelming until just before, I could n¡¯t quite figure out how to bring up the subject at that moment. at that time. Whoosh- ¡°oh?!¡± Suddenly, the walkie-talkie in Hasul¡¯s hand floated into the air. It¡¯s as if it¡¯s been taken away by an invisible hand. Hasul¡¯s walkie-talkie flew through the air in an instant andnded in the hands of the bakery owner. Hasul couldn¡¯t help but be surprised. ¡®Magic¡­ ¡­ .¡¯ It¡¯s strange. It was a skill where I couldn¡¯t feel even the slightest flow of magical power. But this was to be expected. In the first ce, the ¡®Ruler¡¯s Power¡¯ was a skill that did not consume magic power, and was like a third hand that Suho was born with. Chijijik-! -Please respond. Shadow of Paradise, what is happening there now¡­ ¡­ . ¡°Hello, President Woo Jin-cheol. This is Ber.¡± -¡­ ¡­ ?! Suho immediately greeted Ha Seul through his walkie-talkie. Then, for a moment, I felt a look of confusion beyond that. Woo Jin-cheol, who had grasped the situation in an instant, asked a question in a calm tone. -Are you Hunter Seongsuho? 1 ¡°Oh, you recognized me right away?¡± -Well, your voice¡­ ¡­is just like your father. As a son grows up, his voice begins to resemble his father¡¯s more and more. As soon as Woo Jin-cheol heard Su-ho¡¯s voice over the radio, he couldn¡¯t help but feel like he was talking to Seong Jin-woo. -Besides, as far as I know, I am the only ¡®human¡¯ in this world who remembers the name ¡®Ber¡¯. In Woo Jin-cheol¡¯s voice, which had a faint smile, there was even a faint sense of longing. Yes, that¡¯s right. Woo Jin-cheol has been Sung Jin-woo¡¯s closest friend and colleague for the past several decades. At the same time, he was a human being who remembered all the lost histories that have now been forg otten and considered to have never happened. Even he did not only have personal memories rted to himself. He was a person who knew everything about Seong Jin-woo. The reason was that before the Cup of Reincarnation was used, Sung Jin-woo had directly conveyed to Woo Jin-cheol¡¯s mind all the memories of the Shadow Lord that he had seen, namely, all the truths rted to the war between the rulers and the monarchs. -Wasn¡¯t that the reason you used that alias in the first ce? ¡°Oh, yes. If there was anyone who recognized the name Ber, I thought it would definitely be the president of the association.¡± [Was that it?!] Ber was startled by those words. [I clearly thought that the little lord wrote my name because he wanted to be a great ant like me so meday¡­ ¡­ .] Ber soon became sullen. Suho, a child who had been drawing ants diligently with ck crayons on a nk sheet of paper since he was young, clearly wanted to be an ant. 1 -Hmm. I see. Is Hasul okay? She¡¯s a spy we nted in that city. ¡°Yes, well¡­ ¡­ .¡± In response to that, Suho¡¯s gaze nced at Hasul. In front of me, when Suho and Woojincheol suddenly started talking, Ha-seul stood there in a daze, unable to do anything. At the same time, it was clear that he was wary of Ber¡¯s presence, who was sticking close to Suho. For that reason, Suho suddenly took something out of his hand as if by magic and handed it to Hasul. ¡°Just eat this for a bit.¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­ !¡± For a moment, Hasul¡¯s eyes sparkled. It¡¯s strawberry cake! And this time, it¡¯s not a piece of cake, but a proper cake in a perfect circle! Hasul, who epted it gently with both hands, immediately became quiet. And finally, a momentous decision was made. I decided to eat thest piece of cake I had left right now. -There are more things I want to ask Hunter Seongsuho. I don¡¯t know exactly what the current situation is in the city, but if possible, can I ask you a few questions? ¡°Of course. Please speak more freely. I heard you are my father¡¯s friend.¡± -Haha. It¡¯s okay. I¡¯m morefortable with formal speech. Unfortunately, I happened to see an E-ss hunter, once known as humanity¡¯s weakest weapon, save the world, so I contracted a disease that made it impossible for me to be easy on anyone again. ¡°Oh my, that¡¯s so.¡± With appropriate jokes, Suho answered Woo Jincheol¡¯s questions one by one. The first question that came up was, of course, about Sung Jin-woo. But Woo Jin-cheol¡¯s anticipation turned to disappointment when he heard Soo-ho¡¯s answer. But there was hope. -Still, it¡¯s really fortunate that Hunter Cha Hae-in, CEO Yoo Jin-ho, and Thomas Andre have regained their memories. This is a huge power for humanity. Are there others? And if Hunter Sung Su-ho wants, can he restore anyone¡¯s lost memories? To Woo Jin-cheol¡¯s most fundamental question, this time the answer came out of Ber¡¯s mouth, not Su-ho¡¯s. [It is not possible for everyone. Basically, it is much easier to restore the memories of people like you who had a direct connection with the monarch. Of course, in a broad sense, all people on Earth received the king¡¯s grace and were saved, so there is an indirect connection, but it is a bit difficult to do that.] -Hey, wait a minute! Are you sure that the person you just spoke of is really ¡®Ber¡¯?! Woo Jin-cheol, who recognized Ber¡¯s voice, reacted with even more shock than when he saw Su-ho. Happy. At that reaction, Ber shrugged his shoulders towards Suho with a very satisfied expression. [Have you seen it? This is what I am like.] -You really are Mr. Ber! A sigh of relief was heard from Woo Jin-cheol. It¡¯s a shame that Sung Jin-woo isn¡¯t on Earth, but how incredible is it that Ver is here? Woo Jin-cheol remembered clearly. The Jeju Ind raid that countless S-ss hunters put their all into! That¡¯s because the natural disaster that mercilessly massacred all the hunters there was none other than the devil named Vera. But now that he has turned from his ways and be one of Sung Jin-woo¡¯s core forces, it is like humanity has been given an enormous amount of power. -That¡¯s fortunate. That¡¯s truly fortunate. ¡°¡­ ¡­ Hmm.¡± Suho looked at the mini-sized Ber with a slightly disturbed expression at Woojincheol¡¯s reaction of great relief just from hearing Ber¡¯s voice. [Keeek? Why are you looking at me like that? You can look at me as much as you want.] ¡°¡­ ¡­ .¡± Woo Jin-cheol, who is still diligently exining to Su-ho about Ber¡¯s truly amazing days as a Riz(?), probably can¡¯t even imagine. The appearance of Ber, who has be so small now. ¡®¡­ ¡­ I need to get more magic stones.¡¯ It was a firm pledge. And Woo Jin-cheol, who had heard many things he was curious about from Su-ho, asked onest question. ¨C So anyway, what¡¯s the situation in the city now? You incited the citizens to riot at the bank in just one day? Woo Jin-cheol has already been informed by Ha-seul of what Su-ho has done. Thinking back, it was truly amazing. But at this point, what ultimately matters is the n for the future. -Do you have any ns? That city is a ce that is difficult for us to touch, so we have nted spies there and are only observing the internal situation. Up until now, the association hunters led by Woo Jin-cheol have been eradicating the viins¡¯ cities as so on as they are discovered. But there was a reason why this city was not easily touched now. Right on the wall. The enormous and tall iron wall surrounding the city was an extremely sturdy barrier that could not be burned even by the final man¡¯s me attacks. And thanks to that wall, all the viins who had been scattered to avoid the association began to flock to this city one by one and live there. The power of the viins gathered in this way was overwhelmingly greater than that of the hunters from the association that Woo Jin-cheol brought from Korea. Of course, if you push yourself, you can deal with it somehow, but the problemes after that. Even though he had destroyed the viins¡¯ cities countless times so far, it was only rtively recently that Woo Jin-cheol noticed that a new city was being built in a new location. -Ultimately, in order to fundamentally eliminate all the viins, we need to catch the Executors. This is also information that I learned thanks to letting Hasul live in that city. Our people are already known to all the viins there, so no one can pass through the city gate. Kookwakwakwang-! Even as this leisurely conversation was taking ce, the city was turning into a fierce battlefield in real time. Blood spurts, screams erupt. A bloody battle where it no longer matters who is friend or foe. This was because the viins, who had been living for each other¡¯s desires, found out that they could absorb the power of the fruit by killing each other. In this way, their blood and flesh were sprinkled and scattered throughout the city. But at this point, there was one thing that no one noticed¡­ ¡­ . The story was that all the dead, twisted corpses were slowly melting into the ground without anyone knowing. in result. Sararak. ¡°¡­ah.¡± The outskirts of paradise city. Sirka, who was absentmindedly watching the viins¡¯ war outside the dark alleyway that Suho and Ha-seul had entered, raised her head absentmindedly at the falling leaves. Before I knew it, red leaves were falling from the sky. Even the leaves of Alfheim, which had been green until justst night, were gradually turning into vibrant colors. Underneath the beautiful scenery of red maple leaves falling from the sky. ¡°¡­ ¡­ It smells familiar.¡± Sirka closed her eyes and took a deep breath. I could feel the familiar scent of winter on the tip of my nose. Sirka muttered as she looked up at the sky. ¡°Winter ising.¡± Chapter 284 Chapter 284 It was now autumn. Sararak- The red maple leaves falling one by one increased in number, eventually filling the entire sky. [The King of the Snowmen, the Lord of the Cold, warns that autumn has arrived.] Autumn alwayses suddenly and goes away in an instant. [The King of the Snowmen, the Lord of the Cold, says that humans themselves have brought autumn for ward.] As Sd said. Autumn came particrly quickly here. As if time had passed tenfold, the leaves that had been green justst night had now turned red and were falling. To some people, this sight might seem very strange and strange. But to those who knew even a little about Elvenwood, it was an extremely creepy sight. The fallen leaves were soaked in someone¡¯s blood and turned red¡­ ¡­ so they couldn¡¯t support the weight of the blood and ended up falling because they were too heavy. For elves, autumn is a sign of imminent destruction. It¡¯s a season where you have to quickly evacuate to avoid being eaten. As was the case with all the Elvenwoods that the Lord of the Cold, Shd, had experienced. Alfheim, which grew up in this city, also ended up experiencing the same seasons as any other Elvenwood, except for the name. Sarak, Sarak- Red-tinged maple leaves covered the entire field of vision, and gently descended upon all thends that were called paradise. The ¡®Signs of Destruction¡¯ began to appear over the city, where the entire world was dyed red like blood. Choaaaak- Swaaaah! ¡°Huh?!¡± ¡°What, what is this?!¡± Suddenly, the roots of Alfheim rose up above the red-tinted ground and began attacking the viins who were fighting each other. and. Gulp! Gulp! ¡°Ugh! What the¡­ ¡­ ?!¡± Sharp tentacles hidden underground began poking their bodies and sucking up nutrients to their hearts¡¯ content. ¡°Hey, wait! Stop attacking! Alfheim is going crazy right now¡­ ¡­ Kkaaaak!¡± Gulp! Gulp! The viins who had been fighting frantically were all startled and temporarily stopped fighting. And Alfheim hurriedly tore out and cut off the tree roots that had been thrust into their bodies without warning. But it was already toote. Swack! Shaaaak! The whole ground was covered with red fallen leaves, so it was impossible to tell when and where tree roots would burst through the ground. Even for the most ingenious viins, it was impossible. Because in the first ce, these fallen leaves were not ordinary fallen leaves. [Your Majesty! These fallen leaves have a cognitive-inhibiting effect!] Berga confirmed the true nature of the fallen leaves at a nce and warned Suho. Suho realized. ¡°Your senses have be dull. These fallen leaves have turned the entire city into a barrier of cognitive impairment.¡± Suddenly, everyone in the city was trapped in a giant cognitive barrier. Even Suho¡¯s senses were dulled, let alone the other viins. They were helplessly impaled on tree roots that suddenly sprouted from the ground and died. In this way, Alfheim began to take away the power of the fruits that had been fed to them. The problem was that the Alfheim here was thergest and most well-grown tree of any Elvenwood the Guardian had ever seen. The speed at which the bastard¡¯s roots sucked up the viins¡¯ power was also incredibly fast. 1 ¡°Run, run¡­ ¡­! Ugh!¡± ¡°Turn it off¡­ ¡­ !¡± The viins ran away with all their might to avoid those roots, but in the meantime, victims were appearing one after another, drying up and dying like mummies in an instant. While they were dying one by one, desperately scattering and running away. The viins eventually face the shocking truth. As it was with all elves at one time or another. ¡°Could it be that until now¡­ ¡­ ?¡± Yes, that¡¯s right. Alfheim was no longer on their side. No, it probably wasn¡¯t like that from the beginning. Just food. They finally realized that to Alfheim, they were just high-quality livestock that had been raised to fatten them up over time. Kkaaaaaaah¡­ ¡­ ! Screams are heard all over the city. Above their heads, red fallen leaves were still falling, obscuring their entire view. The scenery was¡­ ¡­ truly beautiful. But not everyone died in vain. WHHHHH! The crescent moon¡¯s ck energy cuts through the air. Red maple leaves swirled around, and through them, the figure of the harvester Hasul was revealed, swinging a huge scythe. ¡°Ha, it¡¯s Hasul!¡± ¡°The reapers¡­ ¡­ !¡± Hope appeared in the eyes of the viins who had been running away without any reason. Including Hasul, the harvesters who had been collecting fruits at the bank¡¯s request have begun a counter attack! The harvesters, who had to climb the tall tree trunks every day to pick the fruit, were skilled at dealing with the roots of Alfheim. And the same was true for the bankers who exploited the harvesters. Bankers have been receiving all their sries in fruit form. They also earned coins by reselling them, but they were basically the ones who ate more fruit than other citizens. They were somewhat immune to the cognitive impairment caused by fallen leaves, perhaps due to thetent power of the fruit within their bodies. ¡°What the hell! Run away!¡± ¡°Hey, wait a minute! Before that, let¡¯s have some of those berries¡­ ¡­!¡± Even in this dire situation, some bank employees looked at the fallen fruits among the fallen leaves that filled the floor with greedy eyes. Having personally experienced the efficacy of the fruit, picking up the unimed fruit became almost insti nctive. ¡°Cough!¡± Some bankers died, but most of them used their discretion to pick up the fallen fruits. [The King of the Snowmen, the Lord of the Cold, clicks his tongue.] Looking at this entire series of scenes, Scy felt a deep regret. Eventually, the fall that the elves had experienced came to humans as well. 1 No matter how different the race was, it was never a pleasant feeling to see this piece of shit again. That was when. ¡°¡­ ¡­ What the hell, has it started already?¡± The bank manager who had crossed over to another country through the gate returned to this city. The bank president, who was a bitte in seeing the situation in the city, ground his teeth. We tried to hurry as much as possible, but the Russians kept being greedy, so there was a dy. But even so, this speed was unreasonably fast. Until just mid-morning, nothing had happened. ¡®It¡¯s all because of that little bastard Berg!¡¯ If only that damn newbie hadn¡¯te into town yesterday, this wouldn¡¯t have happened. But what can we do? Once we got this far, there was no turning back. Just let things happen as theye. ¡°Haa¡­ ¡­ How did I grow this ce so new?¡± The bank manager sighed with genuine annoyance, washing his face with both hands. Then he started stuffing all the berries he had bought in Russia into his mouth. There were quite a few berries, but I gulped them down without even chewing them. As this happened, the bank manager¡¯s body gradually changed. All of the skin was covered with a hard shell like a dry old tree, and all the muscles and muscle fibers that made up the human body werepletely split like a tree trunk. ¡°Bank manager¡­ ¡­ !¡± The bank employees btedly noticed the bank president¡¯s return and flocked to greet him happily. The bank manager, who had alreadypletely lost his human form, ordered them with his inanimate eyes. ¡°It¡¯s full here. Let¡¯s get out of here quickly.¡± ¡°Before that, let¡¯s gather some berries¡­ ¡­ Ugh!¡± Phew- The bank manager stabbed the heart of the employee who dared to spit on him, and continued speaking with a frown. ¡°Just shut up and leave. If this keeps up, the bailiffs will show up and we¡¯re all finished¡­ ¡­ Ah, shit.¡± For a moment, an ominous feeling came over me. The bank manager raised his head urgently and looked above his head. Then, there¡­ ¡­ on the bare branches of Alfheim, where all the leaves had fallen, five fruits were swelling up and bulging. ¡°What is that?¡± ¡°fruit?¡± The eyes of the bank employees who looked up following the bank president grew wide. A size and shape that was clearly different from the fruits of Alfheim that they were familiar with. It was more like an ¡®egg¡¯ than a fruit. ¡°Fuck, get out!¡± In an instant, the bank manager¡¯s body jumped up from its spot like a spring. From now on, each person must survive on their own. There was no time to take care of the employees. Seeing the bank manager running away without looking back, the bank employees also sensed something and ran after him in panic. But it was toote. Bang! Bang! The fruits that had been abnormally bulging began to burst simultaneously like balloons. Then, ¡®executors¡¯ popped out from within. Although they are called executors by humans, their true nature is neither human nor anything else. Whioooooooo-! What burst out from within was ¡®winter¡¯ itself. As Scyd put it, it was bitterly cold. Shwaaaaaaaah-! With the sound of a balloon popping, a massive snowstorm started inside and engulfed the entire city. The red season suddenly covered the entire field of vision in white. ¡°Eww! Bank manager!¡± ¡°What is this?!¡± ¡°What the hell, you guys are the executors! If we don¡¯t get out of here right now, we¡¯ll all freeze to death! From now on, you¡¯ll have to figure out how to survive!¡± With those words, the bank manager disappeared into the snowstorm. but. ¡°¡­ ¡­ Aah!¡± Soon after, at the sound of the bank manager¡¯s screams heard from beyond, the bank employees following him turned around without hesitation and scattered. In the pure white snowstorm, I caught a glimpse of something reflected beyond it! There was a giant monster there, holding the bank manager¡¯s head in one hand. [Spirit of Cold] [Spirit of Cold] [Spirit of Cold] ¡­ ¡­ . The true identity of the men was finally revealed before Suho¡¯s eyes. ¡°Was the bailiff a spirit?¡± Suho¡¯s eyes shone sharply. The sense stats are ringing the rm. How much of the nutrients have I been sucking up while I was stuck in Alfheim? To simply call it a spirit, it waspletely different in ss from the spirits that had been easily defeated on the way here. [Keeeek! Could that be¡­ ¡­?!] Berga called Suho urgently with a serious expression. During that time, I was following Sung Jin-woo through the war in outer space. By Ver¡¯s side there were always soldiers of the rulers, angels. That¡¯s why Ber realized how this whole situation was going the moment he saw the birth of those bastards called Executors. [My lord! Those guys, they look like angels being born from the fruit of the world tree!] ¡°what?¡± At those words, Suho¡¯s expression also hardened. The World Tree, which has taken root in the afterlife sea, bears fruit by feeding on dead souls. Among those fruits, angels were born from special fruits that contained the most energy. But is it the same here in Alfheim, or rather Elvenwood? The only difference is that it is the body, not the soul, that is used as nourishment. It raises living things and sucks their nutrients, and among the numerous fruits, the most special ones are the ones from which the ¡®Spirit of the Cold¡¯ is born. ¡®Is Elvenwood imitating the World Tree? Or is it originally the same seed?¡¯ There was a growing curiosity, but solving the immediate problem was the top priority. Berga shouted, pointing to the spirits of the cold that had revealed their true nature. [Looking at it this way, in a broad sense, angels are no different from spirits! That means, in the end, those spirits of the cold¡­ ¡­ !] It was said that the soldiers of the rulers were on the same level as angels. Just five berries. Even though only five were born, a cold wave has already covered this area and is threatening to freeze the entire world! At that moment, warning messages began to appear one after another before Suho¡¯s eyes. Tiring! Tiring! Tiring! Tiring! [The ¡®cold winter¡¯ has begun.] [¡®Debuff: Cold¡¯ is activated.] [Real-time movement speed slows down.] [Attack speed slows down in real time.] [As time passes, the effect of ¡®Debuff: Cold¡¯ continues to umte.] It¡¯s a true natural disaster. As if entering the afterlife sea, powerful and ominous warning sounds were ringing the rm bells. but. ¡­ ¡­Whoosh! It was different then. Because the karma that had boiled from the dragon¡¯s heart was burning all over Suho¡¯s body. [¡®Heart of the Dragon¡¯ cancels out the effect of ¡®Debuff: Cold¡¯.] Rather, even in this world, Suho¡¯s body temperature was seething with crimson heat. But that fact must have been quite irritating to the spirits of the cold. Phew! [¡­ ¡­ who is it.] [Those who seek to oppose us.] The five spirits of the cold, who instinctively took the heat away from all living things around them as soon as they were born, all turned to look at Suho. As they swelled with the surrounding snowstorm, they were more than enough to fill the entire sky. [Execute winter.] Gooooooo- bailiff. They surrounded the Guardians to enforce the winter that was the scourge of the elves. but. ¡°So, what do you think?¡± Suho was smiling. Rather, as if it were a good thing. ¡°Does it look useful?¡± In response to Suho¡¯s question, Sirka, who was standing next to him, said something strange instead of a nswering. Zuuuk- ¡°Ha, that feels refreshing-.¡± Stretching with an extremely refreshing expression. Whioooooooo- In a bitterly cold blizzard where you can¡¯t see even an inch ahead. A cursed and cruel winter that has been a gue on the elves since the beginning of time. But so what? To begin with, Sirka was a child of winter who took her first breath and took her first steps in this world. If Suho had ovee the cold with the heart of a dragon. Sirka is the opposite. ¡°Does it feel like I¡¯m home?¡± Instead, he was smiling brightly, taking in the cool air. [The King of the Snowmen, the Lord of the Cold, reveals his teeth meaningfully.] Yes, that¡¯s right. Shd, the first ice elf. His descendantsughed and ran out into the bitter cold without hesitation. Stepping lightly through the snowstorm. Chapter 285 Chapter 285 Shwaaaaaaaah-! In the midst of a swirling snowstorm. Sirka¡¯s steps as she ran up the softly falling, pure white snowkes looked light and brisk, as if she was taking a walk. But the speed quickly elerated, and soon caught up with the speed of the swirling snowstorm. [What the¡­ ¡­!] The spirits of the cold were confused. [You dare to oppose us!] Their angry voices reverberated through the snowstorm. Their anger was justified. They are spirits of the cold. He was the executor of winter. [A mere elf tries to defy winter!] [Just ept it!] [Obey and endure!] Because winter was not something that any mere creature could dare to go against. [That is the fate given to creatures!] Phew! A blizzard swept in from all directions, engulfing Sirka. In that bitter cold wave, white breath finally leaked out from Sirka¡¯s mouth as she ran through the sky. [Execute Winter!] [Execute Winter!] Wheeeeeeeeeek- But nothing could stop Sirka¡¯s steps. Even in the face of that intense cold, Sirka did not flinch at all. Rather, as the blizzard grew fiercer, Sirka¡¯s speed only increased. The extreme of ¡®Elf¡¯s Footsteps¡¯. and. ¡°Spirit Armor!¡± As we move forward step by step like that. Pure white snowkes gradually clung to Sirka¡¯s body. Jeez, jeez, jeez! A huge ice armor began to form all over Sirka¡¯s body. It grew in size, and as he clenched his fist, a spear of ice tree sprouted out and transformed into a giant hammer. Hoooowoong- Kuwang-! He just hit me with his fist. In that one room, the direction of the blizzard changed with a huge explosion. [¡­ ¡­ !] A frigid spirit of overwhelming size that filled the field of vision visibly staggered. ¡®It¡¯s working!¡¯ Sirka¡¯s eyes shed sharply. At that moment, the giant hammer that Sirka was swinging also grew bigger and bigger. Another room. Kuwang! The blizzard screams. The bitter cold mercilessly tears and flutters. Sirka¡¯s attacks were merciless and unstoppable. Kwang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! [Ghhhhhhhhhhhh!] The giant hands of the angry spirits of the cold grabbed Sirka. Phew! Sirka burst through and struck their hands, arms, shoulders, and faces. The sight was truly horrifying. A bitter winter. Winter itself, born from the fruit of Elvenwood. The sight of Sirka bravely charging forward against those overwhelming beings was like a flower that had managed to sprout through the cold icy ground. [The King of the Snowmen, the Lord of the Cold,ughs, showing his teeth.] [The King of the Snowmen, the Lord of the Cold, urges them not to mess with the spirits, but simply to rule them.] Sd¡¯s nagging continued. To both Suho and Sirka. Sirka took his advice to heart. ¡°Like this?¡± Snap-! Sirka jumped high into the sky and grabbed the head of the spirit of cold with her hands covered in giant ice gloves. [Ghhhh! How dare you-!] The spirit of the cold rebelled. Then all the blizzards in the area rose up and pushed Sirka away. No, I pushed it away. No, I couldn¡¯t push it away at all. Sirka, still clutching the bastard¡¯s head, was looking down at him from that high ce. ¡°Shut up and obey.¡± With a haughty and domineering gaze like a queen. ¡°You are mine now.¡± [¡­ ¡­ Gaaaah!] The bastard shuddered under those determined eyes. And he cried and rebelled. Something is wrong. It was ridiculous. A mere elf! [How could a creature¡­ ¡­!] ¡°Don¡¯t go against winter?¡± Sirkaughed at the bastard¡¯s defiance. These guys were seriously mistaken from the start. The reason why the previous monarch, Shd, created a sanctuary in the coldnd and made the elves live on that frozennd. It was only for this moment. Any of your descendants who will be born in the future. No matter which of the ice elves will seed him. Never again should anyone sumb to winter. ¡°Our winter has been here since birth. So even if there were any other ice elves here besides me¡­ ¡­ you would be nothing to us.¡± [The King of the Snowmen, the Lord of the Cold, bows in satisfaction.] ¡°So, kneel down right now.¡± Sirka, who had inherited his will, continued to speak resolutely. Phew! Sirka, who was holding the bastard¡¯s head with one hand, raised her other hand, which was holding the hammer, high into the sky. ¡°If you don¡¯t want to get beaten up.¡± And then he struck down mercilessly. ¡­ ¡­ Boom! Boom bang! Boom bang bang! 1 Over and over again. Continue on. Until the bastard¡¯s massive body was crushed and hey t on the ground. [Keeeeeek¡­ ¡­ .] ¡°¡­ ¡­ It must hurt a lot.¡± Suho and Ber, who were looking up at the scene from a distance, were at a loss for words. Children born in winter are strong. Because it was a ce that couldn¡¯t be endured unless it was that poisonous. But there are five of them in total. The spirit of the cold that Sirka was personally beating was only one. What about the remaining four? [Ghhhhhhhhhh!] Whioooooooo- The snowstorm is swirling dizzily. Seeing that the direction is disorganized¡­ ¡­ . ¡°Hmm. Is that thing running away?¡± [I think so.] The remaining four spirits were scattered in all directions, east, west, south, and north, centered around where Sirka was. But the momentum was too overwhelming and brutal to simply run away in fear. [Execute Winter!] [Executing Winter¡­ ¡­!] [Winter¡­ ¡­!] Well, it seemed like there was a reason for it. There was no need for winter toe only to this city. However, if we let them run away like that, it was clear that a bitter cold woulde upon every path they took. It was obvious what the oue would be. ¡°If we leave them alone, the entire Earth will freeze over like the world of the Ice Elves?¡± [That¡¯s right.] ¡°If I catch them, I¡¯ll level up too?¡± [That¡¯s right.] Berg nodded broadly in response to Suho¡¯s question. But even knowing all that, there was a reason why they could be so rxed. ¡°Harmakan.¡± [Yes, master.] Swoosh- As if waiting for the guardian¡¯s call, Harmakan appeared. Last night, Suho visited Korea and brought Harmakan, who was researching virtual reality with Yoo Jinho, here for a while. Even if he were to leave for a while, Harmakan still had a lot of work to do here. Although Suho had given him so many tasks, Harmakan was fundamentally a sorcerer of the Demonic n who enjoyed studying sorcery. In particr, what the Demon Tribe enjoys the most is ying with souls. Those rare spirits were also fun experiments, but even Suho couldn¡¯t have predicted that such guys would appear in the first ce. So, there was no other reason why he brought Harmakan to this city. [It took a while to weave the magic circle because of the fallen leaves in Elvenwood, but I just finished it a little while ago.] ¡°good job.¡± Boom! [Huh, huh?!] The spirits of the cold who were trying to escape Sirka were suddenly blocked by a transparent force field and trapped inside the city. They were embarrassed and angry. [What is this barrier!] [Do you dare to lock us up!] WHEEWHH! KWAKWAKWANG! The fury of the cold struck the transparent wall. The force field surrounding the city shook incessantly under the tremendous attack, teetering precariously as if it would shatter at any moment. But still. [How could this happen¡­ ¡­!] [How can the magic of the Demon Tribe¡­ ¡­!] There was no nod. ¡®Instance Dungeon¡¯ This vast barrier, the legacy of Candiaru, the great sorcerer of the Demonic Tribe and the next monarch, tore a rift between dimensions and dragged the entire Paradise City into the other world. 1 Once trapped here, it was impossible to break through the dimensional wall and travel to another dimension, no matter how bitter the winter was. But this was by no means because Candiaru was of a higher rank than those bastards. On the other hand, Candiaru¡¯s blessing ¡®Good Health and Longevity¡¯ was not affected by ¡®Debuff: Cold¡¯. The level between the two was simr. If Candiaru was the eternal second-inmand of the underworld, the King of Demons and the Lord of the Underworld, he could never surpass him. On the other hand, the spirits of the cold are the strongest spirits that Sd forced to submit by force in order to be his monarch. They are of simr grades. But still. Most of the spells that Candiaru had designed with all his heart and soul solely for the sole purpose of the Shadow Lord were advanced spells that could even be used on higher-ranking monarchs. [Ghhhhhhhhhhhh!] [Get us out now!] [Execute winter¡­ ¡­!] Snap! ¡°Where are you running away to?¡± One of the spirits of the cold who had been striking the transparent barrier indiscriminately was eventually caught by the hair by Sirka who had chased him from behind. [¡­ ¡­ ?!] At that moment, the guy looked back and was terrified. I saw what happened to the spirit that was captured by Sirka earlier. Pure white snowfield! Something absolute that was the executioner of winter¡­ ¡­ It waspletely crushed. Lying t at Sirka¡¯s feet. It was the ultimate humiliation for a person who had to fly freely towards the world in the bitter cold of winter. [How dare you¡­ ¡­! What the heck?!] Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! ¡°You too, obey. If you don¡¯t want to be beaten.¡± Of course, the second spirit was no different. The violence and coercion begin again. And in the meantime, the city¡¯s viins were dying. ¡°Ugh¡­ ¡­ .¡± They fought each other to eat each other, but eventually, one by one, they could not endure the cold and copsed on the snowfield. Like the elves who once froze to death while running away from winter. But there is no need to mourn their deaths. [These are evil spirits thatmitted murder. They are my favorite material.] Harmakan was smiling. It¡¯s always fun to mess around with demons. Especially, looking at the viins¡¯ riot and the terrible chaos that urred today, Harmakan added one more spell when creating this instance dungeon. Tiring! [Skill: Mirage is activated throughout the instance dungeon.] ¡®mirage¡¯ A powerful illusion used by Xavier, a demonic spirit who fought in Haeundae, that pulls out and shows the most horrific or intense moment from the target¡¯s memory. Through this illusion, Xavier enjoyed viewing the colorful horrors hidden within the baser minds of humans. However, Harmakan is the chieftain of the Demonic Tribe, who is of a much higher rank than Xavier. If Xavier used sandstorms as the material for his illusions at that time, Harmakan was able to create more powerful illusions using the blizzards here as the material. in result. -Why did you kill me? -I begged you to spare my life¡­ ¡­ . ¡°¡­ ¡­ !¡± The viins who were half-conscious on the snowfield could not help but open their eyes wide in shock. Before their eyes¡­ ¡­ the people who had been killed by their own hands appeared. It became the appearance of a cold corpse covered in dried blood. ¡°What, what? How¡­ ¡­ ?¡± ¡°Father, I was definitely the one who killed him¡­ ¡­ ?¡± In the face of that horrific nightmare, the viins could not help but instinctively retreat. But their bodies, frozen from the cold, hardly moved. and. -I begged you to save me! ¡°Eww!¡± ¡°S, save me¡­ ¡­!¡± They died, haunted by the nightmare they had brought upon themselves. [Level up.] [Level up.] Could it be because there were a lot of viins living in the city? Or maybe it¡¯s because they¡¯ve umted a lot of bad karma over the years. Suho leveled up. But Suho¡¯s gaze wasn¡¯t on the status window. nce. Could it be because the fallen leaves that were causing cognitive impairment were covering the snowfield? When my dulled senses returned, I was finally able to feel something. Suho suddenly raised his head and asked with sharp eyes ring at the snow-covered sky. ¡°Who are you?¡± Gooooooooo- [The Apostle of Paradise is watching you.] 2 Beyond the instance dungeon, somewhere far away, an ominous gaze was watching us. Chapter 286 Chapter 286 ¡®Skill: Mirage¡¯ A horrifying illusion that pulls out and shows the most horrific or intense moment from the subject¡¯s memory. Just as Xavier once did, Harmakan created this powerful barrier and trapped all the viins in the city in a pure white blizzard. Of course, this illusion was a little different from Xavier¡¯s because it was performed by Harmakan¡¯s hands. Even if it is the same sorcery, the results will vary depending on the taste of the spirit performing it. In short, Harmakan¡¯s taste is ¡®evil spirit¡¯. Because of this, the illusion of this mirage had a more powerful effect on the evil spirits, and all the viins living in the city were faced with all the evil deeds they had evermitted. Especially murder. They now face the wrath of the countless victims who were brutally murdered at their hands. And of course, it goes without saying¡­ ¡­ . Among them was the harvester Hasul. ¡°ah¡­.¡± Suddenly, when she came to her senses, Ha-seul realized that she was wearing her school uniform. When I turned around in surprise, it was still winter around me. But instead of a fiercely swirling blizzard, snowkes are falling from the sky. And before that¡­ ¡­ . Hururuk. There was an orphanage that was burning down. In front of Hasul. ¡°¡­ah.¡± Like other viins, Hasul¡¯s reaction to facing her nightmare was a bit nd. It had to be that way. For Ha Seul, reminiscing about that day was just a daily routine. How could I forget? ¡°¡­ ¡­ Is this a dream again?¡± Winter of the first year of high school. Hasul woke up. and. Killed the orphanage director. That woman who always forced the children to smile in front of the sponsors¡­ ¡­ . He was a split personality who would turn into a devil when he turned around. The old woman who would smile like an angel in front of her sponsors, but then turn around and hysterically abuse the children after they left. Looking back, she was still a woman who deserved to die. [I guess this nightmare is familiar.] Suddenly, someone¡¯s voice chuckled in Hasul¡¯s ear. [You¡¯re a viin with a story to tell.] Hasul replied as if entranced by the voice. ¡°¡­ ¡­ I have no intention of selling my story. I¡¯m just amon bad girl. I killed someone and ran away. That¡¯s all.¡± Oh, and they set fire to the orphanage. Anyway, once a new directores in, the same thing will happen again. But I had no regrets. If I went back to that day, I would end up doing the same thing. But, one thing. The foolishness remained. -Choi Ha-seul! Hasul instinctively trembled at the voice calling her name. The ¡®director¡¯ was now walking towards him with a staggering pace. Open the door to the burning orphanage. -I should haveughed more in front of my sponsors! As always, he shouted at me with a venomous look in his eyes. ¡°¡­ ¡­ .¡± But Hasul didn¡¯t back down from that nightmare at all. Because I was used to this kind of thing. Because nightmares like this have been repeating themselves every night since that day. For some reason, today¡¯s nightmare was much more vivid than my usual nightmares, but it was no different. Is that why? Perhaps because the nightmare was more vivid than usual, Ha-seul mustered up a little more courage than usual and asked the director. ¡°¡­ ¡­ Were you alive?¡± I ended up asking. Hasul had always been curious. Did that woman eventually die ¡®that day¡¯? Or maybe he was rescuedter and somehow managed to extend his tough life. ¡°I came over without confirming that¡­ ¡­ .¡± Yes, that¡¯s right. The identity of this nightmare was Hasul¡¯s one remaining regret. What if that director is still alive? That possibility was truly a terrifying nightmare for Hasul. ¡°I should have checked¡­ ¡­ .¡± Regrets alwayse toote. There aren¡¯t many people who suddenly gain superpowers and can kill people as if they were waiting for it. Hasul was just one of them. So rather than killing the director directly, he chose to set fire to the orphanage. After evacuating all the children from the orphanage in advance, they set fire to the director¡¯s office. I didn¡¯t have the courage to kill him myself. I didn¡¯t even have the courage to go back in and confirm the director¡¯s death. Because I was scared. No matter how much strength I had awakened, the moment I made eye contact with the director, I was sure I would freeze like a frog in front of a snake and not be able to move. And whenever she felt this way, there was something Hasul would mutterpulsively. Words he would say to his younger siblings who woulde to him every night and shed tears, and words he would also say to himself. That wasn¡¯tforting or anything. ¡°It¡¯s okay. It wasn¡¯t our fault. We were just¡­ ¡­ unlucky. In fact, there are probably plenty of normal, ordin ary orphanages out there.¡± okay. Looking back, it was all luck. It was just bad luck that his own mother, whose face he couldn¡¯t even remember, abandoned him in this terrible orphanage. The gangsters who ran that orphanage were probably just unlucky. ¡°Why did a girl like me suddenly have an S-ss awakening at the orphanage they run¡­ ¡­ .¡± [So you killed them all?] Someone whispered. Hasul answered. ¡°Yes, I killed them all. I even went to the buildings of the gangsters involved and killed and burned them all. For the sake of the younger siblings I left behind.¡± Shwaaaaak- Before Ha-seul knew it, the nightmare of the burning orphanage passed before her eyes. In fact, Hasul¡¯s hell started to get real after that. After killing everyone involved. ¡°¡­ ¡­ I crossed the 38th parallel without hesitation.¡± Towards North Korea, which has be a true hell. But on the contrary, Ha Seul was not afraid of North Korea at all. ¡°It seemed easier to live in North Korea, which was alreadypletely ruined, than in that damned South Korea. And it really was.¡± I left with all my fears burned away, so there¡¯s nothing left to be afraid of. The world seen from inside the orphanage was extremely cold. A world where you can never live an ordinary life with ordinary effort. A world where no one dares to dream of a dragon rising from a stream. I developed the ¡®power¡¯ to escape on my own, so there was no reason not to leave. Natural disaster? Climate change? What about strange demons and alien races? I learned what was truly scary at a young age, so I wasn¡¯t afraid of something as simple as that. ¡°Humans. In fact, there is nothing as scary as humans.¡± Hehe. As he concluded, the strongest viin living in the city of viins raised the corners of his mouth. ah. There is one thing that is regrettable. Unfortunately, it was before the association wasunched, so he didn¡¯t know that the power he had awakened was S-ss. I also learnedter from the viins who crossed over to North Korea that bing an S-ss hunter would allow one to enjoy great wealth and honor. But I only felt regret, not regret. Things like wealth and honor, if you have the power, you can enjoy them anywhere. ¡°¡­ ¡­ Same here.¡± [Then shouldn¡¯t you protect it? Your paradise?] As if waiting, the voice whispered to Hasul like a devil. Saaaaaa- Then, before anyone knew it, a giant sickle made of a foreign stone was once again in Hasul¡¯s hands. The harvest sickle that was stolen by the ck ant demon a while ago has returned. And the moment he took hold of the weapon, a hot energy suddenly boiled up inside Hasul¡¯s body. ¡°This power¡­ ¡­ .¡± Hasul instinctively realized the basis of this power. The fruits of Alfheim that I have eaten so far. Aside from the bank guys, you¡¯re probably the most fruit-eating viin in this city. [I will lend you my strength. Defend this city with your own hands.] ¡­ ¡­Whoosh! In an instant, a red aura enveloped Hasul¡¯s entire body. Hasul instinctively swung the sickle of the harvest forward, splitting the air. Then, the power formed a crescent moon and made a hole in the transparent wall of the ¡®Instance Dungeon¡¯ that covered the city. [Well done.] The voiceughed. Swaaaaaaah! At that moment, the blizzard that had been trapped inside the city began to be sucked out of the barrier through the hole. It was truly an incredible momentum. What was revealed then were red fallen leaves buried under a pure white snowfield. WHHHH! As Hasul swung the scythe again, colorful autumn leaves fluttered beautifully in the air along its path. Since those maple leaves were basically fallen leaves with a cognitive impairment effect, at that moment, Hasul¡¯s presencepletely disappeared from the world. Wheaaa ¡­ Hasul, who had hidden her presence so that no one could notice, jumped high into the sky, stepping on the red fallen leaves like stairs. Then, at the end, there was a being waiting for Hasul. [Yeah, you did very well. You¡¯re a good kid.] Apostle of Paradise. He was waiting for Hasul outside the instance dungeon. With a bright smiling face. [I personally appoint you as my high priest. From this moment on, you are the high priest of the glorious foreign religion!] sh! At that moment, power was concentrated on the scythe made of the outer stone that Hasul was holding. The Apostle of Paradise gave orders to Hasul as if he was manipting a puppet. [Hehehe. Can you feel it? The difference in strength? I will personally give you all the strength that has borne fruit in this city¡­ ¡­ !] Shhh! At those words, Hasul raised his sickle with his characteristically expressionless face. A tremendous amount of power began to be concentrated in the scythe. The Apostle of Paradise smiled happily at that dignified appearance, and pointed his finger toward the center of the city and gave a strongmand. [Now, go! Towards the enemies who dared to destroy your city, my flower pot¡­ ¡­! What, what are you doing?!] WHHHHH! The apostle of Paradise could not help but be greatly embarrassed. Surprisingly, Hasul¡¯s scythe suddenly attacked him. And that too, using the power he himself gave me! The Apostle of Paradise barely avoided Hasul¡¯s attack and shouted. [What the heck?! What are you doing!] How dare the high priest attack the apostle! When something so absurd happened, the apostles of Paradise could not help but be shocked. That was when. [What¡¯s going on, you ask?] [¡­ ¡­ ?!] Creepy! The apostle of Paradise hurriedly turned his gaze towards the voice he had suddenly heard. Then, Hasul¡¯s ¡®shadow¡¯, which was constantly attacking him¡­ It was stretched out abnormally long and was smiling at itself. That moment. [Hey, wait! You¡¯re not¡­ ¡­?!] The Apostle of Paradise¡¯s eyes widened sharply. A very ominous yet familiar feeling! The apostle of Paradise instinctively recalled the identity of this sensation. [Old, Corps Commander Be¡­ ¡­ .] [Do you know me?] Ha Seul¡¯s ¡®shadow¡¯ opened its eyes in delight at those words. Then he continued speaking with a smirk. [But I don¡¯t know you at all. After all, everyone who has encountered me so far is already dead.] 1 Those words ultimately meant one thing. Ber, the apostle of paradise, slowly rose from Hasul¡¯s shadow and judged him. [You, you little punk. You just watch me from far behind.] [¡­ ¡­ Ugh! High Priest! Protect me!] The apostle of Paradise gritted his teeth and tried to control Hasul. but. ¡°It¡¯s no use.¡± Creepy! [¡­ ¡­ !] Suho, who hade up behind him without him noticing, continued speaking while raising his fist. ¡°Just in case, I put water from the spring of the Echo Forest on all of Berbaguette¡¯s breads.¡± Tukwaang-! In that one room, the apostle of paradise was thrown to the ground. Chapter 287 Chapter 287 Again, Suho was really busyst night. It wasn¡¯t just Suho who was busy, the shadow soldiers were also very busy. First, we raided every bakery in Korea and brought back a container full of bread. Inside the container, shadow soldiers lined up in ordance with Ber¡¯smand and began to open each piece of bread wrapped in stic like bakery workers. Because this was a very delicate task, the clumsy soldiers were mercilessly caught by Ber and thrown out of the container. -Keeeeeek! Didn¡¯t I tell you to spray this kind of bread with a sprayer? Ber, themander who oncemanded numerous ant legions, has now be the harsh and charis matic manager of a bread factory. -You vile bastards! How many times do I have to tell you this! Each bread has a different shape and sealing condition! -Use a syringe for this bread! Keep the bread crispy, but carefully inject the spring water from the Echo Forest into the red bean paste! Church hurch hurch hurch hurch hurch. It was, so to speak, manual work. Shadow soldiers who perform their work in unison ording to Ber¡¯s orders. ¡®Berbaguette¡¯ is a bread that has been soaked in the spring water of the Echo Forest in various ways. It was the birth of Ber¡¯s bakery in the true sense of the word. ¡®¡­ ¡­ I really had a hope.¡¯ Suho¡¯s n was sessful. [Item: Spring of Echo Forest] Difficulty to acquire: ?? Type: Consumables This is the mysterious spring water of the Echo Forest. When consumed or applied to the body, it has a neutralizing effect. The spring water of the Echo Forest was used as an ingredient to create the ¡®Divine Water of Life¡¯, and was a very powerful detoxification potion that could neutralize the toxicity of the ¡®Purified Demon King¡¯s Blood¡¯. And if it works for the monarch level, it obviously works for the apostle level as well. The spring water of the Echo Forest can even purify the spirits of foreigners. However, the effect was a bit weak, perhaps because the amount of spring water spread on each piece of bread was small. That was why Hasul was so bewitched by the call of the Apostle of Paradise that it took her a long time toe to her senses. But even though it waste, the effect was certain. ¡­ ¡­ Boom! [Cough!] The Apostle of Paradise was thrown to the ground by Suho¡¯s powerful blow. The impact buried his body in the ground, creating a huge crater. [¡­ ¡­ Ugh.] The apostle of paradise groaned and gritted his teeth while buried in the ground. The expression was a mixture of anger, shock, andplex emotions. But there was no time to lie down leisurely. Wheaaa ¡­ Because Suho¡¯s second attack was already right in front of us. But at first, I was just confused and let my guard down. I had no intention of letting this happen to me twice. The Apostle of Paradise raised his arm toward Suho and drew his index finger horizontally in the air. [Eat it up, you emptiness.] Tzuyuu ¡­ ¡°¡­ ¡­ !¡± moment. Suho¡¯s expression hardened. Following the Apostle of Paradise¡¯s fingertips, a huge mouth suddenly opened in the air between him and the guardian! Whioooooo! At the same time, an enormous suction power was generated in its mouth, and it began to suck Suho in. With the momentum of Suho running towards him added in, Suho¡¯s body was sucked into the mouth of the void at an incredible speed. [My Lord! Danger¡­ ¡­ !] ¡°gray!¡± Groan! At Suho¡¯s call, Gray appeared from beneath his feet, carried Suho on his back, and jumped in the opposite direction. It was a close call. Suho barely managed to turn around in front of the mouth of the void. But the mouth of the void that had already opened began to suck in everything around it with terrifying force. Even the snowstorm that was filling the city. WH ¡­ It was spectacr. A pure white blizzard formed a huge whirlpool and was sucked into the mouth of the void. Ber knew at a nce what the Apostle of Paradise had done. [It¡¯s a dimensional rift! That guy forcibly tore through the dimensional wall!] Tearing apart the dimensional wall with just a gesture. He was a guy with a unique talentpared to his poor looks. A rift in dimensions. I went to Suho Indst time, but that ce is an unknown space that cannot be defined in a word. It was the universe itself. If you get sucked in there, if you¡¯re unlucky, you could end up wandering around aimlessly until you die. If we were really lucky, we might one day discover another rift connecting to an unknown dimension, but no one could guarantee that. [If you continue to do things like that, the very dimension that makes up the Earth could copse!] Like the dimension of demons that was torn apart and scattered, or the dimension of elves where the sky was falling down. [The best way to block that hole is¡­ ¡­!] ¡°I can just cut off that damn finger right now!¡± [That¡¯s correct!] Groan! Suho rode Gray and raced through the blizzard¡¯s swirling wind. Towards the Apostle of Paradise, who still extends his index finger towards me from beyond. The Apostle of Paradise, who had suddenly risen, red at Suho and bared his teeth. [That¡¯s quite something. For a human to surprise me this much.] ¡°You¡¯re going to die soon, don¡¯t you think? Don¡¯t you want to show off?¡± [¡­ ¡­ Cool. Still easy.] The Apostle of Paradise listened to Suho¡¯s retort and wiped the blood flowing from his mouth with the back of his hand. But still, with his other hand, he had his index finger extended forward, and it seemed like that finger was really the culprit. Suho could tell because he had already hit the guy once. ¡®He¡¯s weaker than I thought.¡¯ Although he is said to be an apostle, his main body¡¯s durability is poorpared to those I¡¯ve encountered so far. Bertrand also criticized him harshly. [If you saw me from a distance, I would have definitely been an apostle providing magical support from the rear.] By ss, he is a wizard, not a warrior. The power or versatility of the ability may be superior to that of a warrior. However, on the contrary, it was not difficult to deal with it as long as you did not give it time to demonst rate its abilities. ¡°Are you the one who nted Elvenwood in thisnd?¡± [Yes, that¡¯s right. This is the garden I¡¯ve been working hard to tend.] The Apostle of Paradise red at Suho, who was running toward him through the swirling snowstorm. [And you are the one who ruined my garden like this?] This time his index finger was drawn vertically. Then the dimensional wall tore apart again, and the mouth of the void split open in a cross shape. The aftermath was enormous. Quaoooooooooo! In an instant, the suction power increased three to four times, and Gray began to have difficulty controlling his body any longer. [The King of the Mad Dragons, the Lord of Destruction, advises using the Dragon Emperor¡¯s Breath.] Hurrruk! In fact, I had been hearing Yongje¡¯s nagging for a while now. But this damn suction power was the problem. The breath of the solvent is so strong that the repulsive force is also great. In a state where I couldn¡¯t properly support my body like I was now, it was difficult to urately hit an attack that wasing in a straight line. but. ¡®If you make a method, it will work.¡¯ ¡°Guardian! Use the Elf¡¯s Footsteps!¡± At that moment, Sirka¡¯s scream was heard from the other side of the city, as she was fighting the spirits of the cold. At the same time, Suho also jumped down from Gray¡¯s back and was jumping over the snowstorm. ¡®Elf¡¯s Footsteps¡¯ A skill that allows you to walk on snow-covered fields or on the calm sea of the afterlife. Since Sirka had already shown the extreme limits of that technique right before his eyes, Suho was confident that he could imitate it as well. Here are some little tips to help you out. ¡°Gray, Kangshin!¡± Krrrr! [The spirit of ¡®Pet: Gray¡¯ is possessed by the priest¡¯s body.] Suho¡¯s hair flutters silver with the divine wind. [Use ¡®Skill: Wind of the Grasnd¡¯.] [Movement speed temporarily increases by 30%.] [Temporarily increases attack speed by 30%.] The senses of the beast took hold in Suho¡¯s body. Taat! Suho started running without hesitation, stepping through the swirling snowstorm. It looked as if he would be sucked into the dimensional rift at any moment, but Suho glided precariously through it as if surfing and ran towards the Apostle of Paradise. [The level of ¡®Skill: Elf¡¯s Step¡¯ has increased.] After all, there is no training as efficient as actualbat. [This guy has some pretty amazing talents. Cool.] The Apostle of Paradise looked a little bewildered at the sight of Suho, who was noticeably getting used to running through the snowstorm. Although he appeared rxed on the outside, it was still not enough time to recover from the initial damage. Swaaaaaaah- Even now, the power of the fruits harvested from thisnd was healing his wounds in real time, but it seemed as though Suho would arrive before that. The Apostle of Paradise eventually turned his energy from recovery back to attack. [¡­ ¡­ No matter how hard you struggle, the Mouth of the Void will just tear even more.] Swish- His fingers drew a new line through the air. But before he could tear open the third void¡¯s mouth. Hurrruk! Already, a dark red energy was boiling over Suho¡¯s entire body. [Okay, wait a minute¡­ ¡­ .] At that sight, the expression on the apostle¡¯s face in paradise disappeared. 1 [What is that power!] Horrible. Shock and horror. Of course, you can¡¯t help but be surprised. For the Apostle of Itarim, who had only ever dealt with Shadow Soldiers, not Shadow Lords, the power that Suho had just unleashed would be a very unfamiliar power. [Use ¡®Skill: Breath of Destruction¡¯.] The identity of this power is none other than the great shadow lord Seong Jin-woo, who fought a bloody battle until the very end at the end of that vicious war. Because it was the power of Antares, the king of dragons and lord of destruction. Kukwakwakwakwakwakwa-! The hellish karma that stretched out from Suho¡¯s hand melted the swirling blizzard in a straight line and covered the apostles of paradise. [Wh, what¡­ ¡­!] The apostles of Paradise could not help but be terrified before that overwhelming power. [Ugh!] Damn it! And instinctively, he tore open the mouth of the third void, desperately twisting the direction of the breath of destruction. but. ¡®The power of the ruler!¡¯ At that moment, Suho¡¯s eyes shed intensely. Wheeeeeeeek-! [¡­ ¡­ !] The apostle of paradise red in astonishment. Through the swirling blizzard, he discovered two daggers flying towards him at incredible speed, the ¡®Wrath of Kamish¡¯. This is because I noticed the identity of the power contained in the attack more than the attack itself. [No, how about the ruler¡¯s power¡­ ¡­?] That¡¯s ridiculous! What, there are all these hybrids! [Use ¡®Skill: Difficulty¡¯.] Choke choke choke choke choke choke choke! [Kkaaaak¡­ ¡­ !] The first one to be cut off was the finger of the Apostle of Paradise. From that point on, his body began to be cut up without mercy. This is a total mess. [Ahhh! Eeeeek!] Screams poured out incessantly from the mouths of the apostles of paradise. And in the midst of his suffering, he suddenly realized that half of his body had melted away. I managed to change the direction of the breath of destruction, but I couldn¡¯t stop it all. [How dare a human like you¡­ ¡­ .] but. It wasn¡¯t over yet. [Me, in my garden, do I feel like I¡¯m going to die¡­ ¡­ .] Even in that state, the Apostle of Paradise red at Suho with a fierce expression and said. There was a terrible curse in that voice. At that moment, the system realized the seriousness of the situation and sent an urgent message to Suho. Tiring! [The Apostle of Paradise recognizes the enemy.] Engulfed in mes, his eyes red at Suho and his teeth were gnashed. [You, you, I will definitely kill you.] Passover. [You can look forward to it. Regardless of the means and methods¡­ ¡­ I will definitely¡­ ¡­ ¡­ you.] With those words, the remaining body of the Apostle of Paradise began to crumble apart. Rather than being burned in the mes of destruction, it copsed of its own volition and was scattered in the wind. [Did you get hurt?] ¡°Hmm. I think I just came back to life because of you.¡± [Keeec?] A winter city zing with hot karma. There the apostle of paradise fled from his guardianship. Vowing revenge. * * * bang! [Give me the information about Seongsuho!] ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Why do you look like that? Did you change your body?¡± Russia¡¯s Yuri Orlov frowned at the sudden appearance of the intruder. Maybe it was my imagination, but I could smell something burning somewhere. ¡°So did you confirm what you were trying to confirm? So what the hell is this Shadow Lord?¡± [Be quiet and give me all the information about Seongsuho right now. I told you to find it before I get back, didn¡¯t I?] ¡°¡­hmm.¡± Yuri Orlov sipped his wine, leisurely savoring the look of hatred on his face. I never thought I¡¯d see this look on this guy¡¯s face. It was clear that something had gone wrong, it was just strange. [Ah, right. Human! Of course a human would have a family, right? Seongsuho wouldn¡¯t be an orphan like you!] ¡°Hmm. Family?¡± At those words, Yuri Orlov¡¯s eyes shed like a snake¡¯s as he snickered. It was pure curiosity. ¡°I never thought you¡¯de looking for that. A guy who has no interest in the human race would utilize the culture called ¡®family¡¯?¡± Crack! The Apostle of Paradise red and ground his teeth at Yuri Orlov¡¯s retort. [I told you to shut up, didn¡¯t I? Before I deal with him directly, I¡¯m going to prune all his limbs first. Just like my broken flower pots!] ¡®¡­ ¡­ I guess I really got scammed. This is out of the question.¡¯ When he lightly scratched it, Yuri Orlov saw it getting angry like fire and internally raised the level of danger towards Seongsuho by one level. But it didn¡¯t matter anyway. This one in front was a tough seed like a weed, so if you just scratch it lightly, its future utility will be endless. ¡°Don¡¯t be so excited.¡± Yuri Orlov leisurely sipped his wine and handed him a thick folder from his desk. ¡°The information I came looking for was from that side anyway.¡± [Family Matters] ¡°I¡¯m not an apostle like you. I tried to handle things ¡®humanely¡¯ from the beginning.¡± Yuri Orlov smiled faintly and pointed to the very front of the file. ¡°Yangpyeong. Go here. All of Seongsuho¡¯s weaknesses are gathered there.¡± Chapter 288 Chapter 288 Shuuu- As the Apostle of Paradise fled, the dimensional rift he had torn apart began to heal itself. Ber¡¯s eyes sparkled as he confirmed the presence of the apostle of paradise who hadpletely disappeared. [He must be alive somewhere. The fact that he is still alive despite knowing me means that he is a species that terribly values his own life.] The Itarim apostles that Berga faced in outer space varied greatly in appearance and abilities. This is because Itarim is not one but many. As the foreign gods served by the apostles were different, the abilities of the creatures created by each foreign god were also different. Because of this, the nature of the war changed every time new foreign news arrived and entered the battlefield. From Sung Jin-woo¡¯s perspective, who had to stop them all, it was like endlessly dealing with a huge coalition force that kept adding troops. But even though they are called allied forces, if you look deeper, there were invisible conflicts even among the Itarims. They were not on the same side to begin with, but they joined forces for a while because their goals aligned. They were temporarily grouped together to face a powerful enemy called Sung Jin-woo, but their original purpose for invading this universe was to ¡®monopolize¡¯. Even if by some chance they managed to defeat the powerful Sung Jin-woo¡¯s army and take over this universe, their war would not end. From then on, the victorious foreign gods willpete with each other to monopolize the vast amount of magic power that remains in this universe. In the process, this universe and the dimension surrounding the Earth would eventually be torn into hundreds or thousands of pieces, which would drift through the dimensional gaps forever. [¡­ ¡­ That¡¯s why they are good at talking behind each other¡¯s backs even during battle. They send other foreign forces to the front lines first, and then withdraw their own forces to the back to preserve them. They use mysterious methods to hit each other in the back.] Ber¡¯s exnation is, in short, a three-way battle. No, I don¡¯t know if this is the right expression, but it was at least a few dozen battles. The fact that Sung Jin-woo was able to stand his ground against the endless coalition forces without giving an inch of retreat was also thanks to these factors working in his favor. ¡°Thank you for the exnation, but could you exin it to meter?¡± The situation right in front of Suho was not convenient for him to quietly listen to Ber¡¯s lengthy exnation. Oh my! Kwaaaaaaaaaah-! Even though the Apostle of Paradise had fled, the battle was not over yet. The apostle¡¯s burned and melted flesh was scattered throughout the city and became fertilizer, elerating Alfheim¡¯s rampage. This also had a great impact on the spirits of the cold that were overwhelmed by Sirka¡¯s spirit. Grrrrrrrr! The wild spirits of the cold grew sorge that they seemed to freeze the entire world, and for the first time, they deflected Sirka¡¯s hammer. That wasn¡¯t all. [Use ¡®Skill: Breath of Destruction¡¯.] Boom! The breath of destruction that Suho breathed out passed through arge hole in the body of the giant spirit of cold. Rather than burning, it just melted. Like cotton candy in water. This is truly an extremely strongbination. But surprisingly, therge hole was quickly restored to its original state. Shh ¡­ The surrounding blizzard blew in in an instant, filling the wounds of the spirit of the cold. The spirits of the cold are not demons, but the season itself. In the end, the point was that in order topletely destroy them, we had to burn down the winter that had engulfed this city and this instance dungeon. ¡°Everyonee out!¡± Whoaaaaah- [Use ¡®Skill: Monarch¡¯s Realm¡¯.] A ck shadow filled the city, centered around Suho¡¯s feet. Above it, a legion of shadows rising up in unison, their bodies zing with crimson mes. ¡°All hands on deck!¡± Euaaaahhhhhhhhhh! At Suho¡¯smand, thousands of shadow soldiers roared and charged forward simultaneously. The once-glorious city of viins began to burn downpletely. But what they were after was not the spirit of the cold. ¡°Those are the ones that Sirka will eat.¡± The Guardian and the Shadow Legion aimed elsewhere. It¡¯s Alfheim. ¡°We eat that tree.¡± Now that we¡¯ve uncovered the mastermind and revealed the city¡¯s secrets, there¡¯s no need to hold back any longer. Swaaaaaaah! Wheeeeeeeek! From under the ground to above the sky. Thousands of ugly branches and roots of trees, sharply rushing out from the world. From time immemorial until now, Alfheim, where winter came, has been the elves¡¯ nightmare in itself. But right now, at this moment. The nightmare was turned upside down. [Follow me!] [That tree is ours!] [Pull out the roots and cut off the branches!] Whoosh whoosh! A crimson me rippled from the shadow soldiers¡¯ bodies, engulfing the entire city. Shadow soldiers charged towards Alfheim amidst the zing mes. Grrrrrrrrr- The ground shook under their footsteps, and the entire city melted under the mes they breathed. Kugu-gung-! One by one, the roots of Alfheim were uprooted and cut off by the attacks of the shadow soldiers. A sea of fire spread out above the cold winter. That was when. [My lord! Look over there! The roots of Alfheim surround the entire city!] Berga pointed to the walls surrounding the city. [I guess he used the corpses of all the dead viins as nutrients!] As Ber had said, Alfheim¡¯s roots had already wrapped around the entire city like a spider web, and they were sucking up all the nutrients in the city. Crunch- crunch! Every time the shadow soldiers cut off a root, the corpses of the viins who were eaten within it poured out. It looked like a twisted bellflower. ¡°It was a real flower pot.¡± Suho frowned. It is no exaggeration to say that the city itself was a giant flowerpot for growing Alfheim. Looking at it again, it certainly seemed that the Apostles of Paradise were more adept at this type of backroom tactics thanbat. Wheeing- On the other side, Sirka was engaged in a bloody battle with the spirits of the cold. Boom-! Sirka¡¯s massive ice hammer split the blizzard and crushed the enemies. [How dare you¡­ ¡­ us¡­ ¡­ !] ¡°Shut up and submit!¡± Phew-! In that one room, in that one room, the spirits¡¯ bodies were shattered into pieces and then reassembled, repeating the process over and over again. [The King of the Snowmen, the Lord of the Cold, clenches his fist.] It seemed as if the cheers of Sd could be heard from here. The fertilizer scattered by the Apostle of Paradise caused the spirits of the cold to go berserk, but the situ ation was already over. Before she knew it, Sirka hadpletely taken control of the four spirits, and now only thest spirit remained. ¡°It¡¯ll be over soon over there.¡± Suho muttered. Most of Alfheim¡¯s roots were also cut off, and the spirits of the cold were also eaten by Sirka. Now all that remains is¡­ ¡­ . ¡°Whoaap!¡± Knock knock knock! The moment when thest root, held in Suho¡¯s strong grip, is torn out. Kugu-gung-! The wooden pirs of Alfheim fell, splitting the city in half. A shock wave that shook the heavens and the earth engulfed the city. But even at that moment, Alfheim attempted a final struggle. At that sight, Ha-seul, who hade close to Su-ho, shouted with a nervous expression. ¡°This is a big deal! Alfheim is attempting the ¡®Last Harvest¡¯!¡± ¡°Thest harvest?¡± Hasul, who was a harvester, knew Alfheim¡¯s nature better than anyone else. One of the most important missions I had undertaken when infiltrating this city under the orders of Chairman Woo Jin-cheol was to learn about the characteristics of Alfheim. Swaaaah! New roots began to sprout from the burned-out tree trunks of Alfheim, rooting themselves into the ground. Then, it started sucking up all the nutrients around it at an incredible speed. The corpses of elves that the viins had hunted were buried in thisnd. Let¡¯s concentrate all the umted nutrients into one point¡­ ¡­ . ¡°ah.¡± The result was also discovered by Suho¡¯s eyes. The st fruit¡¯ was sprouting from Alfheim. ¡°Are you trying to give birth to another spirit?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! The final executioner! If that thing is born, we¡¯ll all¡­ ¡­!¡± Kwajik-! Before Hasul could finish speaking, Sirka¡¯s hands were faster. Sirka grabbed thest fruit and burst it without hesitation. ¡°Don¡¯t waste time and be born now. You¡¯re the only one left.¡± ¡­ ¡­ ! Looking back, the snowstorm had died down. Instead, what exists are five giant ice golems standing behind Sirka. Finally, he seeded in controlling all the spirits of the cold. And the moment when Alfheim bursts thest fruit he had created with all his might. ¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D! ¡°¡­ ¡­ !¡± What emerged from within was not a spirit of cold, but a scream. A terrifying scream, beyond human hearing, erupted in all directions. That moment. Tiring! [An urgent quest has arrived.] ¡°under?¡± Suho burst intoughter at the sudden quest window. [Urgent Quest: Kill the Enemy!] Beings with murderous intent on ¡®yer¡¯ have surrounded the area. Kill them all and secure safety. Number of enemies to kill: 2,918 Number of enemies killed: 0 What are these numbers all of a sudden? He said that he was surrounded by nearly 3,000 enemies. There was no sound at all. ¡°¡­ ¡­ Ah, was it because of the fallen leaves?¡± As the snowstorm cleared, winter passed away and thend returned to autumn. As the snow-covered fields melted in the mes of destruction, the colorful fallen leaves beneath them a lso burned. But even though they had turned to ashes, the fallen leaves turned into smoke and covered the sky, leaving behind the full effect of ¡®cognitive inhibition¡¯ on thend. Of course, it is only a temporary effect, and even this will disappear soon. The problem was that in the meantime, there were beings who had heard Alfheim¡¯s screams and had flocked here. Sigh. Suho looked around and ended upughing in disbelief. On top of the burning walls. Suddenly, there were three thousand ¡®high elves¡¯ standing on top of it, looking down and aiming their bows. They are also high elves whose skin has been strengthened by hard bark and has been eroded. ¡°Srd, were high elves originally thismon?¡± [The King of the Snowmen, the Lord of the Cold, clicks his tongue.] [The King of the Yetis, the Lord of the Cold, exins that they are half-high elves that were forcibly evolved by the corrupted Elvenwood.] They also said that it was ultimately the work of the apostles of paradise. How many flower pots have been created on thisnd? ¡°¡­ ¡­ .¡± Meanwhile, Hasul grabbed the scythe of the harvest with a determined look in his eyes, surrounded by the overwhelming murderous aura of the high elves simultaneously rising up. And with his other hand, he grabbed the round strawberry cake that Suho had handed him earlier and roughly took a bite. Even if this is where I die today, wouldn¡¯t it be nice to have a bite of strawberry cake before I die? But Suho called Arsha as if everything was going well. ¡°Arsha.¡± [Yes. Did you call?] Wayang- As soon as he answered, a swarm of bees flew up from under Suho¡¯s shadow. The bees swarmed in the air, revealing Arsha¡¯s face with a polite expression. Hasul flinched at the sight, but soon took another bite of the cake. Now, no matter what happened, he was as if he was going to chew and swallow the cake until his cheeks were about to burst. Suho ordered Arsha. ¡°That¡¯s good timing, right? Spray the bees to trace their tracks. And¡­ ¡­ .¡± [We will find out the location of all the Elvenwoods at the end.] If you pretend, you pretend. With that answer, Arsha scattered into countless bees and flew up into the sky all at once. ¡°And those guys.¡± The instance dungeon has already been broken due to the Apostle of Paradise. But don¡¯t those high elves just give you experience points if you catch them? Suho smiled, revealing his teeth. ¡°It was a hassle to look for them one by one, but this is good. Don¡¯t miss a single one.¡± [yes!] The Guardian¡¯s Shadow Legion simultaneously charged forward towards the three thousand high elves, gaining momentum. And in Sirka¡¯s body, facing so many high elves¡­ Something strange was happening. Phew! A cold air began to swirl throughout Sirka¡¯s body. Chapter 289 Chapter 289 Whioooo- A quiet anger permeated the cool breeze. This was the anger that Sirka felt. After all, the title of ¡®High Elf¡¯ was a legendary feat that was passed down through word of mouth among ordinary elves. They are the greatest guardians among the elves. Among them, it was a glorious name given only to great elves who had grown so much that they were even considered as candidates for the next monarch. But look at them now. A miserable sight, having lost even its essence, having been consumed by Elvenwood and its spirits. There are a whopping 3,000 of those guys. ¡°¡­ ¡­ There were that many?¡± It¡¯s cool. It felt like something that had been weighing on Sirka¡¯s chest had been released. In fact, this feeling has been with Suho all this time while he was searching for the Elvenwoods. Every time I encountered the high elves living there, I felt a feeling building up deep in my heart, little by little. But the moment I faced 3,000 high elves all at once. The thread of reason that had been barely holding on within Sirka finally snapped. Ssh. ¡°¡­ ¡­ If only there were that many.¡± The mouth of the evil Sirka muttered the same words several times. purple. Isn¡¯t that absurd? The fact that so many elves are still alive and well. Even if they aren¡¯t just ordinary elves, there are so many authors who are high elves¡­ And yet¡­ ¡­ . How have they lived until now? Young elves. Newborn babies who lost their parents during the war and were living difficult lives. In a sanctuary that had lost its king, they werepletely abandoned and neglected in the bitter cold, and had to worry about their survival from the moment they started walking. ¡®When I was young, I thought that was normal¡­ ¡­ .¡¯ All those times shed before her eyes in Sirka¡¯s memory. Cold since birth. Young elves had to learn to walk on ice from the moment they were born. There was a time when Sirka also thought that all those moments were an extremely natural fate. So, they thought of it as just a normal¡­ ¡­ ordeal they had to go through simply because they were born as ice elves. ¡­ ¡­ Yes. At one time. ¡®But it wasn¡¯t.¡¯ I ended up finding out that it wasn¡¯t true. Chacha. No, it was only after meeting Cha Hae-in that I realized things I didn¡¯t know before. The very existence of parents. Adults protect children. That something so natural and warm¡­ ¡­ . That they were still young and weak and needed to be cared for. I learned it step by step. Only then did something be visible. The empty space of adults. Not just for fun, but to fill the void left by the adult elves who should have protected and raised them. No, yeah. But at least¡­ ¡­ . Everything was fine until then. Wasn¡¯t there nothing we could do in the first ce? What can I do? They say all the adults died during the war. But now I see that wasn¡¯t the case. ¡°So many¡­ ¡­ .¡± There are so many of them, it¡¯s really dirty. I saw with my own eyes that so many high elves, who should have been at the forefront protecting the children who would be the future of their race, were still alive. ¡­ ¡­ It was a perfectly natural anger to feel so terrified. Whioooooo- The cold air that started deep in Sirka¡¯s chest began to spread out in all directions. The momentum was calm at first, but it quickly gained momentum and became as vicious as when the spirits of the cold were first born in Alfheim. This was never because Sirka controlled the spirit of the cold. A bitter resentment. Pure betrayal. At a very young age, he had to be the guardian of his n and protect his friends. This phenomenon urred because the high elves who had abandoned their duties and fled the war appeared in such arge number in front of Sirka. Or rather, if you¡¯re going to show up, you might as well show up looking amazing. Even that was corrupted by Elvenwood and the spirits, and was tainted by the power of the outside world, so it was a pathetic¡­ ¡­ . If you show up like that, you piece of trash. ¡®Can¡¯t we just despise it?¡¯ Can¡¯t you really help but look down on it? ¡°Spirit Knight.¡± Jeez-! At Sirka¡¯smand, the spirits of the cold that had just finished ruling began to shine. They were not just spirits, they were the nightmare of the elves, who were winter itself. In front of the majesty of Sirka, he was thoroughlypressed and condensed, transforming into an extremely solid ice golem and raising his gigantic body. Kugu pce! Sirka personally pledged as she marched with them. To those vicious high elves¡­ ¡­ . That he himself would be their winter. ¡°My name is Sirka.¡± He will personally teach us all the suffering we have experienced. ¡°I dere myself as the rightful sessor to the King of the Yetis, Lord of the Cold, Shd.¡± It was dered. ¡°I swear on my grandfather¡¯s honor¡­ ¡­ .¡± ¡®Spirit Armament¡¯ Tsk tsk tsk! The anger surged through her, arming her entire body. Sirka¡¯s full body armor gradually grew in size. ¡°I will strip you all of your qualifications as high elves. No, you are not qualified to be elves in the first ce¡­ ¡­ .¡± Sirka¡¯s every word, filled with extreme anger, was filled with cold air. WH ¡­ ¡°Just die.¡± So it became winter in Sirka. * * * Yangpyeong. In a small country called Korea, somewhere in a dark valley covered in valleys and fog. Tzaak-! Suddenly, a ¡®mouth of emptiness¡¯ opened in the empty space. What came out of that mouth was none other than the Apostle of Paradise. [¡­ ¡­ Is this it?] The Apostle of Paradise, who had removed the Mouth of Void to conserve strength, looked around with a frown. Because there was so much thick fog, I couldn¡¯t see anything. But the apostle of paradise raised the corners of his lips slightly. Isn¡¯t that a coincidence? Yangpyeong. Who would have thought that all of Seongsuho¡¯s weaknesses would be gathered here? Augh just came out of my mouth. Even if you are confident, you can¡¯t go anywhere. Using the Mouth of Void, the only ces where one can cross the dimensional gap are ces where the power of an outsider can reach. So, even at this moment, they are continuing to spread foreign religions throughout the world. But, ironically, Yangpyeong happened to be an area where foreign religions were hidden. Of course, it¡¯s gone now. -But I heard that it was recently discovered by the Korean association and destroyed. Suddenly, I remembered what Yuri Orlov had said while handing over the materials. But it didn¡¯t matter. Especially here in Yangpyeong¡­ ¡­ . [Because that¡¯s where the meteorite fell.] The Apostle of Paradise walked slowly through the mist with a meaningful smile. Crackle, crackle. The footsteps of the apostles of paradise, walking on the ground dampened by the water mist, gradually disappeared into the water mist. At the end of the path he was walking in was a ¡®meteorite¡¯. meteorite. This Yangpyeong was thend where a piece of a star from outer space crashed. The next thing to do was to find Seongsuho¡¯s weak points, his rtives, and either kill them or take them hostage. Looking back, it was an extremely difficult and tricky process to deceive the sight and senses of the Shadow Legion from outer space ande over to this dimension. Currently, all routes leading from outer space to this side are thoroughly defended by the Shadow Legion. But how big is the universe? Even they could not monitor all of the meteorites that exist in the universe, which are literally ¡®as numerous as stars¡¯. The method they tried to take advantage of was to hide in the meteorite and escape the front line. But there were also some tricky conditions attached to this. First of all, an apostle who was too strong waspletely impossible. Even if you hide in the meteorite, its presence is too great and you will be immediately discovered by the Shadow Army. But even so, sending an apostle who was too weak was meaningless. What could a weakling do if he arrived here safely? So this was the strategy that was devised. Splitting the power. ¨C In order to solve the difficult problem of dimensional travel, my ¡®main body¡¯, which possesses immense power, was split into pieces of power and personality and sent to this world. -You broke the main body into pieces? Does that mean you were originally one body? -Yes. Those pieces hid in countless meteorites and traveled across outer space. I am one of those pieces. Yuri Orlov, who had heard this story before, had to rack his brain for a long time to understand it. It was a natural reaction. The ability to fragment existence was something that an ordinary human living in this barren and insignificant universe could not possibly understand with just one hearing. So Yuri Orlov, who barely understood the situation, asked only for the conclusion. -Anyway, so you¡¯re saying we need to find other meteorites? -¡­ ¡­ Yes. The meteorites sent that way must have reached other dimensions in this universe, as well as here on Earth. As I find them and absorb the other pieces contained within them, I gradually regain my original power. -How do we find those meteorites? -¡®We¡¯re already looking for each other. Even if we don¡¯t know where we are, we will eventually meet because our goals are the same. -Then what can I help you with? -There are many religions in thisnd. In the meantime, create a religion that worships our god, Itarim, and spread it widely. -Huh. Are you telling me to create a cult? ¨C What an irreverent expression. You must have already experienced my divine power? Anyway, that is enough. After all, those who possess the divinity of Itarim can recognize each other¡­ ¡­ . -Are you saying that you¡¯re going to merge with each other like that? -That¡¯s something you can decide after you¡¯ve joined. You can ¡®fuse¡¯ at any time. However, since your personalities have been torn apart anyway, if you decide that it¡¯s better to work separately, there¡¯s no need to be one again. The important thing is to not get caught by ¡®him¡¯. -Who is ¡®he¡¯? -¡­ ¡­ I don¡¯t know. The Apostle of Paradise continued walking through the mist, recalling the conversations he had had with Yuri Orlov in the past. There was no particr reason why he did not answer Yuri Orlov¡¯sst question. It was because the Shadow Lord he was so afraid of and wary of happened to be a ¡®human¡¯ like Yuri Orlov. Given Yuri Orlov¡¯s personality, he would have been very proud if he had known that fact, but I didn¡¯t want to see his ugly reaction. [Hmm. The meteorite definitely seemed to be around here¡­ ¡­ .] The apostle of paradise wandered around looking for meteorites. It was clear that it was nearby, but it was difficult to find the exact location when it was this close. When I first discovered this ce, it had absorbed most of the power hidden in the meteorite. At that time, it was the early days of the establishment of the Foreign God Church, so there was a factory where they could enter the nearby gate, capture demons, and study Foreign God Stones. For that study, they did not absorb all the power in the meteorite, but left a little bit of it behind. But even if you search for it like this and still can¡¯t find it, I don¡¯t feel too worried. Even if you say it¡¯s a meteorite from outer space, it looks like just a rock on the outside. Even if the foreign religion was destroyed, no one would have cared about the meteorite. Besides, isn¡¯t the fact that he was already able to connect the dimensional rift to this ce proof that the meteorite still exists here? [Found it.] The Apostle of Paradise, who had finally found the remains of the meteorite that had arrived in Yangpyeong, smiled and showed his teeth. And it absorbed thest bit of strength left in it. [¡­ ¡­ Phew. Good.] He slowly melted the fragments of power that had been fused within him into his body, his expression filled with ecstasy. Passover. After sucking up everyst bit of strength, the meteorite eventually disintegrated. But despite this, the meteorite was useful. The material that made up this meteorite was from the dimension where the Apostle of Paradise lived, so it was a medium that responded to his power better than any other material. In some ways, it was the most suitable fertilizer to use as a material for ¡®divine power¡¯, even better than t he foreign stone. [Grow fruitfully.] Shwaaaaak- As soon as his words left his mouth, the ¡®fruit¡¯ he was holding began to take root in the damp ground at a frightening speed, using the meteorite as fertilizer. [Sprout and bear fruit.] Swish! Apostle of Paradise. His personality and abilities, torn from his main body, were to make this his own paradise, just like the ¡®name¡¯ he gave himself¡­ [Seongsuho. Yangpyeong, where your family gathers, will now be my flowerpot.] He smiled meaningfully and began to gradually pollute Yangpyeong with his new terrarium. However, there was one thing he didn¡¯t know. The answer was in what he had once said to Yuri Orlov. -Anyway, those who possess the divinity of Itarim can recognize each other¡­ ¡­ . The moment when the Apostle of Paradise opened a rift between dimensions and arrived in Yangpyeong. The moment he used his divine powers to sprout a new Elvenwood in Yangpyeong. His father, who had been living in thisnd for a long time, sensed the presence. Chapter 290 Chapter 290 Beyond the thick fog. The ¡®erosion¡¯ has begun in earnest. [Grow.] Shwaaaaak- The apostle of Paradise strolled leisurely through the mist, scattering his seeds indiscriminately. The seeds sown in this way dug into the ground. Yangpyeong¡¯s clean forests are slowly beginning to change. [Prosper.] Tsk tsk- Tsk tsk- The once clean soil gradually turned a dark purple and began to feel sticky like flesh. Above it, the roots of Elvenwood spread out like blood vessels. Push- push- Roots burst through the ground, beginning to envelop everything around them. The tree trunk grew and writhed in strange ways. It was a form that could no longer be called a tree. It moved and grew on its own as if it were a living organism. 1 [This will be my new paradise.] Choaaaak- A messy mycelium covered the forest. It spread like a spider web, infecting everything around it. Trees, grass, rocks¡­ ¡­ even the air. Everything gradually became familiar to the apostles of paradise. [I dedicate all these to my great god, Itarim.] ¡­ ¡­ Wherever his footsteps took him, the pristine nature of Yangpyeong transformed into something from outer space. Swoosh- In the damp fog, buds of Elvenwood began to sprout here and there. It grew at an astonishingly fast rate, changing the surroundingndscape in an instant. The pine trees that were growing healthily were infected by the roots of Elvenwood and began to rot. The rotten and decayed trees became new nutrients for Elvenwood. And the little animals that were ying on it began to mutate into hideous creatures. Kiyaaaa! [Haaah. Good.] The Apostle of Paradise took a deep breath of this familiar air and bared his teeth viciously at the edge of the paradise he had created. This was a much faster rate than he had been able to produce pots elsewhere in the past. This was a passage that showed how much the Apostle of Paradise was gnashing his teeth and how angry he was at the guardian who had brought shame upon him. at that time. At the end of Yangpyeong, which is strangely changing. [¡­ ¡­ Are they humans?] sh. Apletely differentndscape came into view of the apostles of paradise. For some reason, it felt like only that ce was brightly lit. ¡°Sister! Look at this!¡± ¡°Wow, what a pretty flower!¡± ¡°I want to see it too, me too!¡± Gyareuk, the sound of brightughter. You can see children running around and chatting away. In the spacious, elegantly decorated garden, children were smiling brightly with bright expressions. Their pureughter echoed through the clear sky that had not yet been eroded. Hehe. [It¡¯s an orphanage. That¡¯s a good thing.] The eyes of the apostle of paradise who discovered the ce while walking from afar sparkled. When he first arrived on Earth, he had no interest in the human race. What good would it do to know what kind of ecosystem has formed on this? Anyway, I¡¯m going to kill them all and melt them into a handful of mana. All they had to do was just erode and pollute it like this and turn it into the familiar ecosystem they used to live in. But while staying with Yuri Orlov in Russia, I happened to notice some of his striking features. Especially among them¡­ ¡­ . ¡®family¡¯ A concept that does not exist in their world, but exists in humans. The very concept of ¡®family¡¯ was an extremely unfamiliar culture to the Apostles of Paradise. Strictly speaking, Itarim, who created him, was close to his parents, but he was fundamentally different from humans in terms of concept. First of all, humans do not worship or respect their parents who created them as gods. Their parents also do not destroy the creatures they created if they disobey theirmands. That was quite interesting and awkward at the same time. Then, what was discovered was that they were humans who had been abandoned by their parents. A creature abandoned by God? Doesn¡¯t this sound familiar? A fragmented soul that was sent to another dimension with its personality and abilities torn to pieces while fighting on the battlefield at themand of God. Because that was precisely the state of the apostle of paradise himself. Orphans who had lost their parents could not help but feel more familiar. Maybe when I first discovered Yuri Orlov in Russia. That may actually be the reason why he willingly cooperated with that human¡¯s obvious and tant desire. Yuri Orlov was also an orphan, so he instinctively rejoiced at the source of hiscking desires. But as I watched the ecology of humans from Yuri Orlov¡¯s side, there was one part that I found most iprehensible. That¡¯s an orphanage. What on earth is going on? Humans were gathering and managing creatures that had lost their parents or were abandoned. Under the pretext of protecting and guarding. Seriously¡­ ¡­ it was such an awkward and useless thing. ¡°Okay, everyone stop ying ande in! It¡¯s lunch time now!¡± ¡°Wow! What¡¯s it today?¡± ¡°Curry Donkatsu!¡± ¡°Really? Yay!¡± ¡°Wow-!¡± A peacefulndscape unfolded before my eyes, as if painted in a painting. Seriously¡­ isn¡¯t it embarrassing? But the apostle of paradise now knows. That was just superficial in the end. Well, as for my impressions of visiting various orphanages in Russia, well. On the outside, they acted peaceful, but behind the scenes, most of them were groups that used the children to satisfy the desires of the adults. And the souls of the orphans trapped inside¡­ ¡­ . [¡­ ¡­ Very tasty prey.] Gulp. The Apostle of Paradise, who slowly approached the Yangpyeong Child Protection Center, swallowed his saliva with a meaningful expression. Souls with great deficiency, souls distorted by repressed desires, were the perfect material to make into his soldiers. Saaaah- And following his footsteps, behind him the trees of the forest were rotting and the earth was cracking. The thick darkness was slowly closing in to drown out theughter of those poor souls who were pretending to be happy only on the outside. That was when. ¡°Sister, look over there! The flowers are blooming again!¡± In the garden in front of the building, a girl was pointing this way with her finger and smiling. The tip of the finger was pointing to the apostle of paradise. To be exact, the flowers of outer space that are sprouting up behind it. On this, they seem to be called ¡®Elvenwood¡¯, but in the universe where the Apostles of Paradise lived, these entities were ssified as ¡®predatory nts¡¯. Hehe. Before he knew it, the apostle of paradise was standing in front of a girl. The girl tilted her head at his smile. ¡°who are you?¡± [Would you like to try this?] ¡°¡­ ¡­ ?¡± Instead of answering, the apostle of paradise offered the girl a delicious red fruit. * * * Yangpyeong. A natural wondend of green grass and misty mist. There was a man sitting on the steep cliff with his eyes closed. An old man in his twenties. The man with grey hair had fist-sized blue jewels embedded all over his body. Foreign correspondent seat. The alien energy that rose from those jewels, which contained highlypressed mana from the outer space, was both a curse and a blessing to this man. Using this as a medium, he was able to use the mana flowing in from outer space, but in return, the tremendous power was eating away at his body with each passing moment. Tsk-tsk- tsk. Pressure of enormous dimensions. Because of that, his skin and muscles were in danger of being torn to pieces at any moment. The numerous alien stones imnted in his body are writhing in an attempt to create dimensional cracks in his body. but¡­. ¡®Hold on.¡¯ I had to hold on. This power was ultimately a power that had been forcibly transnted into him, so it was also his job to suppress the cracks from widening. Phew- Muscles that were literally swollen to the point of tearing apart. A body that is ridiculously developed for someone who is old. Above all, he had the skill to handle this heterogeneous energy so skillfully that he was far too skilled for a human. Yes, that¡¯s right. He was skilled. Inhumanely. There was a reason why this was possible. Because this wasn¡¯t the first time. It was the first time he had ever taken in such an enormous amount of energy that a human could not handle. No, at one time rather¡­ ¡­ . Even more absurd powers had to be forced into this wretched body. To protect my son. Even risking one¡¯s life. ¡®¡­ ¡­ So I can do it this time too.¡¯ Seong Il-hwan gritted his teeth. The bowl is sufficient. I know the trick. All I¡¯m doing now is retracing the difficult path I¡¯ve taken in the past. The pain experienced in the process was inevitable, but theoretically it was clearly possible. ¡®I will definitely do it.¡¯ Gooooo- Void Gate. Right behind him, where he was sitting, a door leading to a rift between dimensions was open. He also knew that if he just took one step beyond that, the pain that was tearing him apart would disappear like melting snow. Because you are safe within the dimensional gap. But before taking that one step, the process of feeling all this pressure and pain all over my body was a kind of training. Enduring pain and building physical endurance. Overworking your body until your muscles tear. Tormenting the soul until the vessel of mana is on the verge of breaking. After enduring and enduring like that, growing step by step. In short, it¡¯s weight training. Tsk tsk- Phew! Crunch! Crunch! In this way, Seong Il-hwan deliberately drew the mana of the outer universe into his body, abusing his own body. Of course, all of this is a secret from the family. If they found out that I was doing something so dangerous, they would definitely try to stop me. But I had to do it anyway. The war is over, but new enemies have emerged. Those enemies were much stronger than before. And just like then, his son was still fighting all those enemies alone. To protect everyone. ¡­ ¡­ Of course, I know that too. The guy is all grown up now. It¡¯s so disappointing how big it became. To the point where he no longer needs any help or advice from his father. My son has now grown into a respectable adult. 1 Besides, that guy has already grown up so much and be a father of a child. but. Even so, what difference does it make? Nevertheless, the guy was still his son. ¡®I am a father.¡¯ No matter how well-mannered a son may be, where in the world would there be a father who would just sit back and watch his son risk his life fighting? If the guy fights to save the world. ¡®¡­ ¡­ I protect my son.¡¯ As always. Even if it means risking one¡¯s life. ¡®So, I must¡­ ¡­make this power mine.¡¯ sh! That was when. Seong Il-hwan, who was quietly meditating in front of the Void Gate, suddenly opened his eyes. ¡°¡­hmm?¡± Something has changed. The nature of the air has changed. Somewhere beyond the fog. I could feel the dimensional walls rippling against my skin. It¡¯s not a skill or anything, it¡¯s an instinctive feeling. The foreign stone embedded in his body was humming. Was howling. ¡°What is this?¡± Seong Il-hwan felt the changes taking ce in his body and stared beyond the mist with a fearful expression. It was a feeling that suddenly popped up from somewhere beyond, an ominous yet familiar sensation. ¡°Who is it? Who has appeared?¡± I don¡¯t know the identity. But I could guarantee it one hundred percent. Whatever its identity, the fact that the Foreign Corridor is so happy tells me that it is definitely not on the human side. ¡°I will go and find it for you.¡± The worries were short. Seong Il-hwan jumped down the cliff without hesitation. Chapter 291 Chapter 291 Shwaaaaak-! A strong headwind hits my body. Seong Il-hwan¡¯s body, which had jumped off the cliff, fell endlessly through the white mist. But there was not a single waver in his eyes as he fell at a frightening speed. Far from being scary, I didn¡¯t even feel the need to use my magic power to this extent. Haven¡¯t we seen much worse things in the past? ¡®¡­ ¡­ Was the beginning a failure?¡¯ A world now forgotten by everyone. Beyond that lost history, he was a hunter who awakened in the early days of the cataclysm. No, actually, it was before the name ¡®Hunter¡¯ was even properly established. It was a time when the hunters¡¯ ranking system had not been properly established. Sometimes when I think back to that time, I wonder. What level of hunter was he at that time? At that time, no Awakened person in the world could measure the extent of his own power. Because this was before the development of the horsepower meter. Maybe that¡¯s why everyone was so reckless back then. Because I don¡¯t know what my own level of strength is. He jumped into the unidentified gate, saying he would conquer the extremely dangerous dungeon where some unknown danger might lurk. But sometimes, when I was in a dungeon with a high difficulty level, I would lose my life so quickly that it felt frustrating. But looking back, there was a romanticism to them at the time. Reckless courage that was possible because he couldn¡¯t measure his own strength. They jumped into the unknown world with only one mission: to protect the world. ¡®¡­ ¡­ Then the gate closed, and I was left alone in the dungeon.¡¯ Fall behind. Istion. The rulers who appeared before him as he wandered aimlessly, trapped in a dimensional rift¡­ ¡­ . As for the mission that was given to you, it¡¯s all in the past now, so it doesn¡¯t matter. The problem came next. With such luck, with the help of the rulers, I returned to Earth¡­ ¡­ . He had already be a terrible father. Because of his own disappearance, because of his reckless courage to save the world¡­ ¡­ . His wife, Park Kyung-hye, lost her husband overnight. His children, Sung Jin-woo and Sung Jin-ah, lost their father. Even soon after, his wife was admitted to the intensive care unit in an unconscious state with sleep apnea. Suddenly, their children became orphans, having lost both their parents. At that young age, he was struggling to survive in a dangerous world. My son even gave up going to college to earn money. ¡®¡­ ¡­ I was a terrible father and a terrible husband.¡¯ So, perhaps because of the enormous guilt and sense of debt, he fought even harder, risking his life, to protect his son. But now, the history of that time has be nothing more than a fragment of history forgotten by the world. But even so, how could I forget? He had to remember that he was a terrible husband and father. The guilt and helplessness he felt at that time, as well as the weight of being an irresponsible father, still lingered deep in Seong Il-hwan¡¯s heart. That¡¯s why¡­ ¡­ . ¡°¡­ ¡­ I will protect you this time. Definitely.¡± At least in this world. I will never repeat the same mistake again. Seong Il-hwan made that pledge and ran through the foggy forest with a fearful expression on his face. * * * At that moment, the apostle of paradise who gave the fruit to the girl couldn¡¯t help but be embarrassed. A mouth-watering fragrance. This fruit stimtes hunger all the more the greater the soul¡¯s deprivation. The most frightening thing about predatory nts was that they exuded an alluring magic that was especially appealing to those who were hungry for souls. And yet. ¡°You don¡¯t like it?¡± [¡­what?] Towering. For a moment, the apostle of paradise thought he had heard something wrong. But it wasn¡¯t a mistake. The girl¡¯s eyes did not waver even slightly when faced with the fruit of Elvenwood. ¡°The director told me not to eat food given to me by strangers.¡± [¡­ ¡­ ?] It¡¯s such an obvious statement. He was a straightced child. But the apostle of paradise felt like his mind was going crazy for a moment. No, how? A human so young and weak? How could a soul that has lost its parents and iscking dare to resist the temptation of a predatory nt? ¡°Anyway, if you are a guest, go to the director¡¯s office over there! I have to go eat curry donkatsu now!¡± Dododododo- [No, I¡­ ¡­ .] As soon as he finished speaking, the apostle of Paradise couldn¡¯t help but be taken aback for a moment at the sight of the girl moving her short legs without hesitation and heading towards the restaurant. In fact, even now, if I wanted to, I could have grabbed the girl by the back of her neck, forced her mouth open, and fed her the fruit. But I felt a bit uneasy about doing that. How could a creature trapped in an orphanage dare resist the temptation of a predatory nt! [Now, wait a minute. The director? Who is that?] ¡°¡­yes?¡± The girl who was running towards the restaurant at the question heard from behind her turned her head quickly and looked at his face again. The girl¡¯s eyes, which had been firm even when she refused the fruit, were sparkling brightly. ¡°Who is the director? Uhm¡­ ¡­ .¡± But the question itself was too out of context. The girl suddenly fell into deep thought. However, he tried to answer the customer¡¯s questions sincerely with a somewhat serious expression. I¡¯m hungry, but I¡¯m still a visitor to the orphanage. ¡°So, our grandmother is¡­ ¡­ who is she¡­ ¡­ . Hmm.¡± Besides, children naturally like to teach others what they like. In particr, the grandmother who created this ce was a grandmother he loved so much that he was confident that she would be able to answer anyone¡¯s questions. ¡°So, our grandmother¡­ ¡­ a long time ago, her only son suddenly disappeared. Well, it¡¯s not really anything special. Every middle school student runs away from home once or twice, right?¡± [No, that¡¯s not what I¡¯m curious about¡­ ] ¡°No, but listen?¡± [¡­ ¡­ .] ¡°You¡¯re saying that our grandmother had a really hard time finding her son? But in the end, he came back home on his own two yearster! Isn¡¯t that amazing?¡± [¡­ ¡­ .] Even the apostles of Paradise could not stop the talkative girl once she started talking. It would have been easier to just kill her, but the problem was this girl¡¯s soul. Now the apostle of paradise was feeling confused. His hand still remained still, holding the fruit out in front of the girl. Still, the girl didn¡¯t even nce at the fruit. ¡®¡­ ¡­ Is there really no deficiency?¡¯ It¡¯s strange. Isn¡¯t it too bright? On the subject of creatures trapped in an orphanage. Seeing such a pure soul right before his eyes, the apostle of paradise could not help but listen to the girl¡¯s chatter as if he were possessed. Besides, he was so hungry that he spoke like a machine gun in an attempt to get to a restaurant quickly. Besides, running away from home is nothing special, but for a runaway child toe home on their own two feet is a really big deal, and to stop this girl¡¯s chatter, it seemed like it would be a lot easier to just rip the whole head off her neck. ¡°¡­ ¡­ Anyway, back then! The olddy was trying so hard to find her son, and even after her son came back, she still kept seeing kids like us! So she ended up opening this ce¡­ ¡­! It¡¯s called the ¡®Yangpyeong Child Protection Center¡¯! It¡¯s so cool!¡± Hua- The girl¡¯s smile as she beamed at the Apostle of Paradise with an expression that said she had finished her introduction so well looked incredibly refreshing. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s right! And our director¡¯s name is ¡®Park Kyung-hye¡¯!¡± [That kind of human name¡­ ¡­ .] 2 Suddenly. At that moment, the expression on the apostle of paradise¡¯s face hardened at those words. And at the same time, the corners of the lips slightly rise. [¡­ ¡­ Wait. Did you just say Park Kyung-hye?] ¡°Yes! Write Park Ja, Kyung Ja, and Hye Ja! Anyway, is that okay? If you don¡¯t have any more questions, I¡¯l l really go eat?¡± [Then this fruit¡­ ¡­ .] ¡°Oh, I told you, that¡¯s enough!¡± Dododo dodo- After finishing what she wanted to say, the girl turned around without hesitation and ran back to the restaurant. Hehe. But the apostle of paradise, unlike before, had the corners of his lips raised brightly. [¡­ ¡­ How could this be such a coincidence?] What a coincidence. Now, that girl¡¯s soul was fine. Because I found a much better prey. ¡®Yangpyeong Child Protection Center¡¯ ¡®Park Kyung-hye¡¯ Aren¡¯t these two names also listed in the materials that Yuri Orlov had just handed over? [I guess we can start here.] He nted the fruit he intended to feed the girl in the orphanage¡¯s garden. And he poured enormous divine power into thisnd. Swaaaak! Then, thend was polluted at a rapid pace, and predatory nts sprouted and sprouted leaves on it. The once clean soil gradually turned a dark purple color. Above it, the roots of Elvenwood began to spread out like blood vessels. That moment. Sway. [Ugh. That bastard Seongsuho¡­ ¡­ .!] The new form of the Apostle of Paradise staggered with sudden dizziness. Seongsuho! What on earth is that guy doing in North Korea right now¡­ ¡­! I felt like the flower pots that remained on North Korean soil were rapidly decreasing with each passing moment. The more this happened, the weaker the power flowing from those flower pots would be. The apostle of paradise ground his teeth with a murderous expression. [I guess I have to hurry.] If this is the case, it¡¯s a race against time. Does your own base get robbed first? Before that, I should first destroy the bastard¡¯s base here! But it¡¯s okay for now. Because his flowerpots were spread not only in North Korea, but also in other countries. But aren¡¯t all of that guy¡¯s rtives gathered in thisnd? Yangpyeong Child Protection Center. In front of him, the Apostle of Paradise stood before him, emitting tremendous divine power. [Grow up, Elvenwood!] Swaaaaaaah! He decided to sacrifice the entire orphanage as a sacrifice for the new Elvenwood. [Seongsuho! If you burn everything I have, I will also turn all of your family members into toys!] Push- push- Let¡¯s hurry. elerates the rate of erosion. Centered around the orphanage, the area around where the Apostle of Paradise stands began to change rapidly. The tree trunks began to grow in grotesque, writhing forms, their hideous branches spreading out like spiderwebs and intertwining with one another, forming a nest-like enclosure around the orphanage garden. Meanwhile, the Apostle of Paradise entered the building to find Park Kyung-hye. Just then, amotion was hearding from the restaurant. ¡°Wow! Did you make this curry yourself, sir?¡± ¡°This is really great! The kimchi that the director makes is the best!¡± [¡­ ¡­ Over there.] The eyes of the apostle of paradise shed. An old woman with children. It was Director Park Kyung-hye. An old man who looked exactly like the grandmother in the photo that Yuri Orlov had given Seong Su-ho was gathered in the restaurant with the children. The apostle of paradise waved his finger toward it. Shhhhhh! Then, Elvenwood¡¯s roots burst through the restaurant floor and burst forth. ¡°Ugh!¡± ¡°What, what is this!¡± The screams of children, terrified by the sudden turn of events, filled the restaurant. In the middle of it all, Park Kyung-hye was floating in the air, wrapped around ugly tree roots. ¡°Director!¡± ¡°Director, it¡¯s dangerous!¡± The children were struggling to save Park Kyung-hye, hanging on to the tree roots. But Park Kyung-hye was not concerned about her own danger and was concerned about the safety of her children. ¡°Kids, run away!¡± ¡°No!¡± ¡°I can¡¯t leave you, Director!¡± The children gathered together, sobbing. They too were eventually caught and entangled in the tree roots, but despite this, they tried hard to save the grandmother. The grandmother, Park Kyung-hye, was that precious to the children. The one who made me a warm meal every morning, stayed by my side all night when I was sick, and hugged me when I was sad. To the children who were left alone without parents, Park Kyung-hye was everything. ¡°Ah, report! If anyone has a cell phone, report it to the association!¡± At that moment of panic, one of the brightest kids among them screamed. Then, one of the children who had been caught by the tree roots started to struggle and took his cell phone out of his pocket. Bam. Of course, the attempt failed. With one wave of the Apostle of Paradise, the tree roots hit the child¡¯s hand and the phone fell off. [The intruder is a specification.] The Apostle of Paradise walked through the pollutednd, smiling leisurely. [From now on, it¡¯s all my time.] Then he approached Park Kyung-hye, who was wrapped tightly around the tree roots, and held out a new red fruit in front of her face. [Eat.] ¡°Who, who¡­ ¡­ .¡± Park Kyung-hye¡¯s answer, which seemed flustered as she looked at herself, was still good. Anyway, the answer is already set. [If you don¡¯t eat this fruit right now, I will kill all the children here.] ¡°¡­ ¡­ !¡± At those words, Park Kyung-hye¡¯s expression instantly turned terrified. The apostles in paradise were delighted beyond measure. And I knew how to make it more fun. [No. Instead of killing you, I will cut off your limbs one by one. First your fingers, then your arms, then¡­ ¡­ .] ¡°Oh, I¡¯ll eat it! Please stop!¡± He eventually got the answer he wanted from Park Kyung-hye. Hehe. [Yes, eat it. Since you are a human with no magic power anyway, one fruit should be enough.] And just like the North Korean viins did. This woman too will be a beautiful sprout living in her own flower pot. So the apostle of paradise smiled sinisterly, forcibly opened Park Kyung-hye¡¯s mouth, and took the fruit. And I was filled with anticipation. Seong Su-ho, what kind of expression would he make if I showed that abominable bastard his grandmother who had been reduced to his ything right in front of his eyes? But then it happened. Creepy. The moment he was about to feed the fruit to Park Kyung-hye, his body instinctively moved backwards. ¡­ ¡­ Boom-! At that moment, a man came down through the restaurant¡¯s ceiling like lightning and blocked the distance between them. ¡°Hey, honey¡­ ¡­ ?¡± Seong Il-hwan, in an instant, he pulled out the tree roots with his strength and held Park Kyung-hye in his arms. Chapter 292 Chapter 292 Seong Il-hwan, who saved his wife by a hair¡¯s breadth, quickly looked around to check on her safety. ¡®¡­ ¡­ It¡¯s not toote.¡¯ thank god. My wife was safe. It was really¡­ ¡­ fortunate. Seong Il-hwan was so relieved that he felt relieved when he realized that fact. But he said he was relieved. ¡°Who are you?¡± His swaying gaze red at the apostle of paradise and asked. At the same time, Seong Il-hwan had to suppress the magical power that seemed like it would burst out from within his body at any moment. For fear that his unrefined energy might have a negative influence on his wife. To make matters worse, wasn¡¯t his wife already a person with no immunity to magic, to the point where she had already suffered from sleeplessness in the old world? So he had to desperately suppress it. This anger feels like it could explode at any moment. But contrary to his mind, his anger was slowly seeping out of his body. Tsk, tsk¡­ ¡­ . ¡°You¡­ ¡­ body¡­ ¡­ .¡± Park Kyung-hye¡¯s eyes widened as she checked his condition. My husband¡¯s skin is all over¡­ The stones embedded in his body were cracking as if they would tear apart at any moment. Even to Park Kyung-hye, who knew nothing about magic, Sung Il-hwan¡¯s body looked dangerous, like a ss bead about to shatter into pieces, or a bomb about to explode. However, Seong Il-hwan tried to reassure his wife by calmly and calmly speaking. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. You don¡¯t have to worry about anything, honey. I¡¯m here now.¡± okay. Everything was okay. Because my wife is safe. Because this time it¡¯s not toote. Feeling relieved, Seong Il-hwan turned his gaze and asked the Apostle of Paradise again. ¡°You can¡¯t speak, can you? You just asked me who I was.¡± [If you want to know who I am, start by telling me who you are.] ¡°what?¡± Shh. Instead of answering, the apostle of Paradise asked Seong Il-hwan a question. Even though his crucial moment was suddenly interrupted, the Apostle of Paradise was not at all angry. Instead, he wasughing. Very brightly. Isn¡¯t it good? Because the face of the intruder happened to be the face in the family photo of Seong Su-ho that was in the documents handed over to Yuri Orlov. ¡®Seong Il-hwan¡¯ ¡®Seongsuho¡¯s grandfather¡¯ But even though he recognized his face and name at a nce, the Apostle of Paradise insisted on asking him about his identity. This was not a question asked of Seong Il-hwan as a human being. I didn¡¯t even expect an answer in the first ce. Because the state of his body that was already visible before my eyes was giving me the answer on its own. Tsk, tsk¡­ ¡­ . Even at this moment, the foreign stones embedded in Seong Il-hwan¡¯s body were resonating and emitting a blue light. Reacting to the outer space mana emitted by the Apostle of Paradise! [I really couldn¡¯t have imagined it. Who would have thought that there would be a high priest of a foreign religion in Seongsuho¡¯s family.] ¡°¡­ ¡­ What did you just say?¡± In that moment, Seong Il-hwan¡¯s expression hardened. And he revealed his teeth in a scary voice. ¡°Whose family are you? Are you the one who came here to target our Suho?¡± [Our guardian¡­ ¡­ . Interesting. Really interesting.] Even when faced with his wrath, the apostle of paradise simply smiled. And it whetted my appetite. She scanned his body with her snake-like gaze. [Twenty-three foreign stones. And a perfect fairy tale. Who would have thought such a perfect vessel would be hidden in such a remote ce.] licking. High Priest level. How could I not be drooling when I found this guy? But no matter how he reacted, all of Seong Il-hwan¡¯s attention was focused on his wife. In fact, he didn¡¯t ask because he was curious about the identity of the apostle of paradise, he just needed a definitive answer. ¡°Apostle of the foreign press. I am not a high priest.¡± [No, you are indeed a high priest. And you are a very well-made vessel. I have never seen a vessel as fine as yours.] In the first ce, Seong Il-hwan¡¯s answer wasn¡¯t important. The Apostle of Paradise smiled brightly and reached out to Seong Il-hwan. And he introduced himself confidently. [So worship me. My name is Apostle of Paradise. I am the Apostle of the God you will serve from now on.] At that moment. Shwaaaaak-! ¡°¡­ ¡­ Huh!¡± Seong Il-hwan barely resisted the invisible pressure. Suddenly, following the gesture of the Apostle of Paradise, the stones embedded in various parts of his body began to move forward at once. Like a puppet tied to strings, her body was being forced to move against its own will. It felt as if each and every one of the foreign stones was connected to his hand by an invisible thread. When Seong Il-hwan gritted his teeth and resisted the force, the Apostle of Paradiseughed as if it was funny. [You¡¯re cute. Just submit. This is not something a mere creature can withstand. The alien stones embedded in your body were nted for this moment.] The situation waspletely different from when Ha-seul was holding a sickle made of foreign stone in North Korea. From the priest level and above of the foreign religion, the foreign stone is directly imnted in the body,just like Seong Il-hwan. It was to use them as puppets directly, just like right now. [Since the temple here has disappeared, you probably didn¡¯t know, so I will tell you the truth myself. The power inherent in your body is a device solely for bing my faithful puppet. So obey. That is the only value of your existence, and the mission given to you by the great Itarim!] Phew! With those words, the invisible pressure grew stronger. But Seong Il-hwan gritted his teeth and answered with the corners of his lips raised. ¡°¡­gibberish.¡± Kwaaang-! He withstood the force and exploded blue energy from his entire body. And at the same time, he swung the dagger he was holding in his hand and shed in all directions. What the heck! Then the invisible, intangible power was cut off. [No, how?] The apostles of Paradise opened their eyes in surprise at the sight. I just realized it. [You, now that I look at it, you weren¡¯t just a high priest! What on earth did you do to that body!] It was amazing! What kind of training has Seong Il-hwan been doing with that body all this time! He had already reached a level where he could not only passively receive the mana of the outer space, but also perfectly control its power! Choke choke choke choke choke! Taking advantage of the brief moment of confusion that the Apostle of Paradise had, Seong Il-hwan quickly swung his dagger and cut off all the tree trunks that were wrapping around all the orphanages that were being held captive in the restaurant, and shouted. ¡°Everyone gather together!¡± Knock knock¡­ ¡­ ! ¡°grandfather¡­!¡± As the tree trunks that had been binding their bodies were cut off, the children were set free and, following Seong Il-hwan¡¯s words, they hurriedly gathered around him. Only then did he finally feel relieved, and he began to sob btedly, shedding tears like chicken poop. Just a moment ago, they had mustered up the courage to protect the olddy, but as expected, children are children. In the first ce, isn¡¯t the current situation scary enough even for a fully grown adult? Because, as the expression goes, the whole world turned into hell in an instant. And in the center of that hell. Seong Il-hwan stood alone and took up his sword to protect his wife and children. At the tip of the sword, the apostle of paradise grumbled with hurt pride. [Oh my. You dare to defy my authority? This guy, that guy¡­ there¡¯s not a single one of you who listens to me obediently.] But I wasn¡¯t disappointed. No, it was even better. Anyway, isn¡¯t it true that the human body is alreadypletely soaked in outer space mana? Even though he had tried so hard to be ustomed to that mana, he had be perfectly ustomed to its power to the point where it even deflected his own dominance. Hehe. [Then the story changes again.] So, I felt like asking instead. What kind of experiments must be done to refine the body of a high priest to that state? If you know the method, doesn¡¯t that mean you can make dishes like that over and over again? The apostle of paradise made up his mind. [That¡¯s a good thing. Now that I think about it, I think it would be better for me to use your body myself ra ther than just take you as a soldier.] It was ufortable to be temporarily in a clumsy human body, but a vessel like that would be perfect for my own use. [I have decided. You are now my new vessel, so prove your faith through death!] Swaaaaaaah! At that moment, the Apostle of Paradise unleashed an incredible amount of divine power and rushed at Seong Il-hwan. ¡°Where!¡± Seong Il-hwan swung his sword and counterattacked. But the apostle of paradise was clever. [Struggle as much as you want! While protecting those humans!] Kkwarreung! The Apostles of Paradise copsed the ceiling of the dining hall above their heads. Targeting his wife and children, who are being protected by Seong Il-hwan. Then they screamed in surprise as a pile of concrete poured down from above their heads. Seong Il-hwan quickly changed the direction of the attack, destroying and bouncing off each and every one of the copsing concrete piles. [Good move! I¡¯m even more tempted!] Meanwhile, the Apostle of Paradise spread his divine power wide like a, encircling Seongilhwan from all directions. [Hold on to this too! If you dodge, will they be safe?] ¡°Ugh¡­ ¡­ !¡± Even though he knew the bastard¡¯s obvious trick, Seong Il-hwan couldn¡¯t back down. As he said, his wife and the orphanage children would be in danger if they were even slightly touched by his mana. With this much concentrated energy, even a simple brush with an ordinary human would cause them to b urn to death in an instant. In the end, he had only one choice to make. Without taking a single step back, he cuts off all of his divine power. Choke choke choke choke choke! [Hahaha! Good, good!] The more he rebelled, the more the apostles in paradise rejoiced. Rather, it is something to look forward to. That bowl will eventually be yours. If my soul were to dwell within me, how strong would I be? In order to handle the mana flowing in from outer space, arge and strong vessel that could withstand that power was ultimately needed. ¡®With a vessel of this size, I might be able to withstand a force simr to my main body even without havi ng to find and collect all the pieces of my main body!¡¯ The sky was hollowed out by a copsed ceiling. The apostle of the foreign god, who was emitting brilliant divine power from above, pressured Seong Il-hwan even more strongly. [Worship and praise God! Prove your faith! That alone is the value of your existence!] At the same time, he was talking behind people¡¯s backs. Just as the of divine power covered the sky, the situation underground was actually the same. Isn¡¯t thisnd already covered with a of the roots of the predatory nts that he had nted? You don¡¯t have to make any gestures yourself, just put your mind to it and you can do it like this! Kwachang! ¡°¡­ ¡­ Gyah!¡± Suddenly, a tree root burst through the ground and wrapped itself around the girl who had just had her first conversation with the Apostle of Paradise. At that moment, Seong Il-hwan¡¯s gaze turned to the girl. The moment his sword changed direction and cut off the root. Swaaaaaaah! Starting with that, countless tree roots appeared simultaneously through the ground and attacked the orphanage children. ¡®this!¡¯ It was a crisis. There weren¡¯t enough hands to protect everyone. Seong Il-hwan was only focused on defense, not having time to attack the Apostle of Paradise. From the beginning, it was going ording to the n of the apostles of paradise. In that gap, the divine power emitted by the Apostle of Paradise changed from a to a chain, binding Seong Il-hwan¡¯s body like shackles. ¡°Ugh!¡± [Got it¡­ ¡­!] It was the moment when the Apostle of Paradise, who had finally captured Seong Il-hwan, showed an expression of joy. Kkwarreung! Before he could finish his words, the sky split open. sh-! A dazzling sh. Blue thunderbolts streaked down from the hollow ceiling. The powerful lightning caused the roots of the trees that had been attacking the children to turn to ash and disappear. The eyes of the apostles of paradise widened at the magnificent sight. On the other hand, Sung Il-hwan¡¯s face showed more relief and joy than surprise. ¡°Are you here?¡± Wheeing- White me. Above the dazzling lightning that struck down one after another, a huge shadow fell over their heads. Kyaaaaah! Above the hollow ceiling. The shadow dragon Kaisel, with its huge ck wings spread, let out a long howl. And above it stood a woman. With the ¡®Demon King¡¯s Longsword¡¯ pointed downwards. ¡°Sorry I¡¯mte, Father!¡± ¡°No, you arrived just in time, my daughter-inw.¡± A smile appeared on Seong Il-hwan¡¯s lips at that sight. Thanks to my dependable daughter-inw, I can now focus solely on fighting. Thud, thud! ¡°Okay, now it¡¯s real.¡± He broke the chains of divine power that bound his body. But whether or not, the apostle of paradise¡¯s reaction was very strange. [Oh, my God¡­ ¡­ .] As Cha Hae-in appeared, the expression on the Apostle of Paradise¡¯s face as he raised his head to check on her rapidly grew more terrified. What he was looking at was not Cha Hae-in. [How¡­ ¡­ . this could happen¡­ ¡­ .] Rather, the image in his eyes, which were sorge that they seemed about to pop out, was that of the shadow dragon Kaisel that Cha Hae-in was riding. And it was the identity of the familiar and eerie aura that was strongly felt from Kaisel. The Apostle of Paradise could tell as soon as he saw the shadow soldier that it was not the shadow soldier of Seongsuho that he had encountered in North Korea. [No, that can¡¯t be. Could it be that ¡®he¡¯ is really on Earth¡­?] He panicked. Chapter 293 Chapter 293 Itarim is a god. They are capricious and destructive beings who can create or destroy universes at will. There are not just one but dozens of such altruisms. The one who single-handedly stopped several great foreigners was none other than the Shadow Lord Seong Jin-woo. On the other hand, who were the apostles of paradise? I was just a mere creature who had caught a glimpse of ¡®him¡¯ from afar in the universe. That is why the apostle of paradise never overestimated himself. Understanding the subject is essential for creatures to survive. 1 That was the secret to living a long life. That¡¯s why he never dared even think of the crazy idea of facing the Shadow Lord. The moment he stands out may soon be the moment he dies. In the end, it was best for him to fight the rascals he led in a manner befitting his status. But what on earth is going on? [How did ¡®he¡¯ get here¡­ ¡­!] I couldn¡¯t believe it even though I was watching it. How on earth could the Shadow Lord¡¯s soldiers find their way to a remote like this! Especially since such a high-ranking soldier has arrived on Earth, doesn¡¯t that mean the Shadow Lord has alsoe here? [Then what about the war? What happened to the war?] Could it really be true? No, that can¡¯t be! What kind of being is Itarim! Not even one, but many! In a war against the coalition forces of countless Itarims, the possibility of Itarims being defeated was so mething that could not even be imagined. but. ¡®Then what about that soldier? How on earth did he get across the outer space?!¡¯ I don¡¯t know. I really don¡¯t know! Even though I can¡¯t believe it, ominous thoughts keeping to me. I¡¯d like to believe otherwise, but isn¡¯t the evidence right before our eyes? The power of the Shadow Lord is deeply embedded in the Shadow Dragon Kaisel! Faced with that eerie aura, the mind of the Apostle of Paradise was filled with despair and fear. Even when he discovered the son of the Shadow Lord in North Korea, he was not flustered. He wasn¡¯t even this shocked when he discovered that his son had inherited simr powers. 2 Because it was a skill! Although he was great for a human, he was nothingpared to the Shadow Lord that he had personally witnessed and experienced! However, he couldn¡¯t help but be greatly embarrassed when his son used not only the power of the shadow, but also other unknown powers. It was an unimaginable scenario where even the power of the ¡®Rulers¡¯, who were on the same side as the Shadow Lord, would be used. But even so, it was never as terrifying and frightening as it is now. I thought that if I could somehow gather all of my fragments and restore my main body¡¯s power, I would be able to deal with it! But in the midst of confusion, not knowing what¡¯s going on. The body of the apostle of paradise was already moving solely ording to its survival instinct. [Mouth of the Void!] bang! The Apostle of Paradise immediately retreated from his spot, tearing a dimensional rift in the air. Now, people like Seong Il-hwan were not important. A mere human being. Seong Su-ho¡¯s family was good after all. If it was true that the real Shadow Lord had descended upon thisnd, then it was urgent to get out of he re quickly before being discovered. First of all, you have to survive to n for the future! Tsk tsk-! Eventually, the dimensions split apart and an infinite universe was revealed. A rift in dimensions. The apostle of paradise threw himself without hesitation into the vast void of space. but. ¡°Do you think you¡¯ll miss it?¡± Swish! [¡­ ¡­ ?!] In an instant, the eyes of the apostle of paradise opened wide. Seong Il-hwan jumped in right behind him. [Foolish human¡­ ¡­ !] The apostles of Paradise were truly dumbfounded by his reckless actions. Does that guy really think he¡¯s running away because he¡¯s scared? In the first ce, he must have had no idea how dangerous it was to cross the dimensional gap. If you lose your bearings here even once, you will wander around the universe forever and die. Especially a mere human being, who doesn¡¯t even have flower pots nted here and there like himself! But whether or not, Seong Il-hwan was solely focused on one thing. hunt. ¡°I can¡¯t just let the guy who dared to target my family go!¡± Seong Il-hwan chased after the bastard fiercely and swung two daggers. Chomp chomp chomp chomp chomp chomp! Then, blue light poured out from the stones embedded all over his body. The energy dyed the two daggers blue. The blue sword that waspleted in this way mercilessly attacked the Apostle of Paradise who had escaped through the dimensional rift. [What the¡­ ¡­!] For a moment, the apostle of paradise trembled. Regardless of the level of strength, the sight was so familiar. Two daggers. Cold eyes that resemble someone. Mana explodes, covering his entire body. It all looked so much like ¡®him¡¯. [How dare you¡­ ¡­!] The apostle of paradise ground his teeth. When he realized that he was instinctively intimidated by mere humans, his anger was btedly welling up in him. [How dare you imitate ¡®him¡¯!] Kwaaaaang! 1 The divine power that exploded around the Apostle of Paradise covered the dimensional rift. And that enormous energy blocked Seong Il-hwan¡¯s attack. At the same time, his body was wrapped around all sides like before. sh! The foreign stones embedded in Seong Il-hwan¡¯s body cried out in unison. He screamed as if his body was being torn apart. His foreign subjects are about to surrender to that divine power and turn themselves into puppets. But Seong Il-hwan gritted his teeth and suppressed that instinct. ¡°To this extent¡­ ¡­ .¡± Crackle crackle-! The more I hold on, the more my body feels like it will break at any moment. His entire body cracked like a spider¡¯s web, and blood flowed out. However, Seong Il-hwan forced himself to smile, twisting the corners of his mouth upwards as if trying to enjoy the pain. ¡°This is not enough.¡± And he continued to swing his dagger. Doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo! The blue trajectory he shot out shed madly with the attacks of the Apostles of Paradise in the air. The apostles of paradiseughed at him. [You fool! This is already my territory! Your power cannot reach me¡­ ¡­ ] but. Doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo! It reached. 1 Jjeong-! [¡­ ¡­ !] His defenses were broken before he could even finish his sentence. The apostle of Itarim could not help but be astonished. His divine power was eventually shattered by endless attacks. And to the extreme madness of Seong Il-hwan, who destroyed that power and rushed straight towards him. [T, how is this¡­ ¡­?!] ¡°Did you say there were twenty-three foreign stones embedded in my body?¡± Seong Il-hwan smiled, revealing his teeth. Earlier, he was only focused on defense to protect his wife and children, but the original purpose of a ¡®hunter¡¯ is to attack, not defend. One who pursues and hunts prey. ¡°Thank you. I¡¯ll use it well.¡± In that sense, Seong Il-hwan was a true hunter. He was the most experienced and long-serving hunter in the world, even excluding his own son. sh! [No brainer! Know your subject!] The Apostle of Paradise condensed his divine power and blocked his dagger. And then I looked straight into his eyes and gritted my teeth. [Don¡¯t be mistaken! Do you think I¡¯m running away because I¡¯m so scared of you?] Phew! In that moment, a of divine power engulfed Seong Il-hwan¡¯s body, centered around the Apostle of Paradise who had blocked his dagger. There was no room to avoid. Because unlike before, the opponent was right in front of me. [me your foolishness in following me this far!] Since I escaped to the dimensional rift anyway, I could rest easy for the time being. Even for a Shadow Lord, it wouldn¡¯t be easy to find oneself in a dimensional gap with unbnced coordinates. So, he decided to take over Seong Il-hwan¡¯s body as originally nned. This would have actually been an opportunity for a reversal. [¡­ ¡­ Even if he is the Shadow Lord, he won¡¯t be able to act recklessly if his father is held hostage!] Crackle! Crackle! ¡°Huh!¡± Seong Il-hwan¡¯s expression became distorted as he was engulfed in the divine power of the foreign news. Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! His heart was pounding like crazy at the resonance of the foreign correspondents. [Submit! Obey and worship! Your body will now be a vessel for me!] But there was a moment when an incredibly bizarre smile appeared on the face of the apostle of paradise who was shouting like a fanatic. ¡°¡­ ¡­ This bowl.¡± Seong Il-hwan¡¯s lips twisted upward. He opened his mouth, ring into the mad eyes of the apostle of paradise. ¡°It is a vessel that once contained the power of a being far greater than you, long ago.¡± [What nonsense¡­ ¡­ .] 1 ¡°I died then.¡± Whoaah- Before he knew it, Seong Il-hwan¡¯s eyes had be calm. At the same time, even the energy that was stirring inside him. But the apostles of Paradise were too bewildered to notice the change. Gooooooo-! [¡­ ¡­ The, ruler?] The eyes of the apostle of paradise were shaking without mercy. It was only when I got here that I finally noticed. Now I see that Seong Il-hwan was not an ordinary person. It was not even a test subject created at the level of a high priest after countless experiments by foreign religions. His vessel¡­ ¡­was alreadyplete before that. That too, from a very long time ago. Woof- It was visible to the eyes of the apostles of paradise. His soul, which is now quietly shining within Seong Il-hwan¡¯s body. And the true size of his soul vessel, which was hidden by the external stones. The eyes of the apostle of paradise were filled with astonishment. [That, that¡¯s a lie! What on earth was in there¡­? How can a human be like this!] ¡°You humans. You don¡¯t know anything.¡± 1 Seong Il-hwan chuckled at those words. ¡°Humans are a species that grows through hardship. My son is at the pinnacle of that.¡± Oh, and my grandchild, of course. Just as I was about to spit out myst words. Phew-! [Cough?!] At that moment, the bnce of power that had been maintained tightly was greatly shaken. At the same time, the soul of Seong Il-hwan, whom the Apostle of Paradise was trying to make his vessel, began to mercilessly bite the Apostle of Paradise. Like a predator. ¡®What the heck?! They¡¯re trying to eat me instead! The soul of a human being!¡¯ It was absurd. 1 But the situation did not give the Apostle of Paradise any time to panic. Kyaaaaak! At that moment, a huge shadow appeared across the gap in space. The shadow dragon Kaisel appeared, howling, with its ck wings spread out. ¡°Father! I have evacuated everyone to a safe ce!¡± From above Kaisel, Cha Hae-in shouted and reassured Seong Il-hwan. And without hesitation, he joined their battle. Skill, ¡®Sword of Light¡¯ -Storm of White me A single, huge bolt of lightning struck down in a straight line along the path of Cha Hae-in¡¯s sword. sh-! A dazzling sh of light split the dimensional rift and split the Apostle of Paradise in half. Chapter 294 Chapter 294 [¡­ ¡­ Ugh!] The Apostle of Paradise barely managed to avoid Cha Hae-in¡¯s attack, but he couldn¡¯t look all that bad. One third of the torso. One arm and the entire body from shoulder to waist were cut off. Even lightning! Passover. The attack was so brutal that the severed parts were scattered like ck charcoal and ashes. Of course, this body could be changed at any time. But the problem is something else. ¡®Why on earth is that woman¡¯s power also mixed with the aura of a ruler!¡¯ The aftermath was devastating. In the end, the apostle of Paradise suffered damage not only to his severed physical body, but also to his spiritual body within it. [How on earth do humans¡­ ¡­!] Kiaaaaak! A ck shadow fell over the sight of the bewildered apostle of paradise. As expected, my teeth were chattering when I saw it again. I feel the energy from that shadow dragon! That was definitely ¡®his¡¯ power! I don¡¯t know how things work, but what I can do here hasn¡¯t changed at all. Somehow or another, I need to escape from here right now! [Mouth of the Void!] The apostle of paradise let out a final cry. And then he moved his one remaining arm hastily, tearing apart the dimensions surrounding him in all directions without any order. Crackle! Crackle! Tzuyuu ¡­ Then, dimensional holes opened up here and there, and dimensional storms that started from those tattered dimensional cracks began to swirl and intertwine. WH ¡­ A terrible storm swept across the dimensional rift, engulfing Seong Il-hwan and Cha Hae-in. If you get caught in this storm, you will be cosmic dust and drift forever. [In this gap¡­ ¡­ !] but. Swish! Seong Il-hwan jumped upwards to avoid the dimensional storm as usual. Movements that make it seem like this isn¡¯t the first or second time he¡¯s been in this situation. Okay! His feetnded lightly on the back of the shadow dragon that Cha Hae-in was riding. ¡°Father!¡± ¡°Thank you, my daughter-inw.¡± Seong Il-hwan smiled happily. And then, shing the daggers in both hands, he leapt forward without hesitation, ring at the Apostle of Paradise. When the sight ovepped with Sung Jin-woo¡¯s appearance that he had once seen in outer space, the apostle of Paradisepletely lost his will to fight. Seong Il-hwan¡¯s dagger swung mercilessly, and powerful sword pressure spread out in all directions. Choke choke choke choke choke! [Kkaaaak¡­ ¡­ !] A desperate scream burst from the mouth of the apostle of paradise. His fingers were cut off joint by joint, and even his remaining arm was cut off. Next are the legs. In the end, even his torso was mercilessly cut off. A true five-body experience. And in the end, even his spirit body that was hidden inside that wretched body was mercilessly stabbed by Seong Il-hwan¡¯s dagger. [¡­ ¡­ !] No more screams came out of the mouths of the apostles of paradise. A rift in dimensions. In the midst of this chaotic universe, only the sound of flesh being torn and bones being crushed resonated. Passover. Eventually, the fragmented body began to crumble and scatter into pieces in the air. Then something amazing happened. Swoosh- The remains of the Apostle of Paradise, reduced to mere crumbs, began to be sucked into the outer stone of Seong Il-hwan. Seong Il-hwan looked at the sight indifferently. ¡°Is it being absorbed?¡± Seong Il-hwan¡¯s wounded body began to regenerate by sucking up the energy of the Apostles of Paradise. The cracked skin began to heal. The bones that were crushed inside were healed. So slowly his body returned to its original state. Just as the cracks in cracked pottery are filled and restored. His physical condition, which had been eating away at him by twenty-three foreign stones, began to improve. ¡®I guess we can rest assured for the time being.¡¯ As the constant, agonizing pain that had been following him began to lessen, Seong Il-hwan let out a soft sigh of relief. ¡®Run away! Run away! Meanwhile, the Apostle of Paradise, who had been torn to pieces and was now only a handful of spirits left, desperately turned his eyes to find a way to survive, even though his life was still hanging on like a weed. Swoooooooooo- A dimensional storm that swirls wildly. Countless holes visible beyond the dimensional rift that had torn everything apart. Beyond that chaotic void. The Apostle of Paradise managed to find the energy of the flowerpot he had nted in advance. Whoosh! And without hesitation, I jumped towards it. Choaaaaaaah- The dimensional walls shook. [¡­ ¡­ I did it!] The Apostle of Paradise, who had barely managed to cross the dimensional wall, was greatly relieved and happy. I gathered all my remaining strength and barely managed to tear through the dimensional wall and escape! And the bastards couldn¡¯t keep up with him. It was a natural thing. In the first ce, the hole he had just passed through was such a small gap! Because they were so small that even strong beings like them could not pass through. This actually meant that the power of the Apostle of Paradise himself had been greatly weakened, but so what? What matters in the end is that you survived, right? [If you gather your strength again, it will be enough!] In any case, he was just a fragment broken into small pieces from the main body. Although it was weakened for now, it could easily regain its strength by finding and fusing other fragments that had crossed over into this universe. Of course, that wasn¡¯t necessarily a good thing. The process of finding each piece one by one is cumbersome. When they actually merge, the one with less strength ends up having its ego eaten. Although I was not happy with that fact, it was not a big deal since all of those selves were ultimately derived from one entity. Because the most important thing was survival. But the real big problem was the Shadow Lord. [¡­ ¡­ Could it be that we really lost the war?] The Shadow Lord won the war and returned here? Winning the war against all those Itarims? Oh my god. It was horrible to even imagine. But if that were true reality, then his future was only inevitable death. I never even imagined such a hopeless future. Besides, why are there so many humans on this who have this much power as rulers? The son of the Shadow Lord! The father of the Shadow Lord! And what about his wife?! It was a family without a single truly normal person. But it¡¯s okay since I survived. [¡­ ¡­ Haa. I almost got eaten whole.] okay. Let¡¯s be satisfied with that for now. And I looked around. He used hisst bit of strength to connect the dimensional coordinates and arrived at the viin city in China where he had prepared a base in advance. Just like in North Korea, there was a hidden flowerpot in thisnd that he had lovingly raised. Push- The remains of those torn souls appeared above the city of Chinese viins. however. [What, what is this? This is¡­ ¡­ .] The problem is that the cityscape reflected in the Apostle of Paradise¡¯s eyes was quite different from what he remembered. The city was already reduced to ashes. Buildings copsed and the streets were a sea of blood. ¡®Could it be that they found out here too¡­?¡¯ An ominous feeling came over me. No! What on earth is the cognitive inhibition spell I put in ce that keeps causing this to happen! Because of what he had been through, the Apostle of Paradise thought of the worst case scenario at this moment. First of all. ¡®The Shadow Lord¡¯s presence is not felt!¡¯ It was a blessing. And then the shadow soldiers led by his son disappeared from sight. ¡®Then what the heck?¡¯ Who the hell did this! Booooooooo- At that moment, there was a noiseing from the sky. When I looked up, I saw countless flying drones covering the sky. Those drones looked down on the whole earth from high in the sky through numerous camera lenses. [What¡­ ¡­ .] It was just disappointing. Even if they were crude objects, if they were looked down upon from up there, even the cognitive inhibiti on magic would be useless. That was the moment. Snap! [¡­ ¡­ ?!] Suddenly, out of nowhere, a strong hand appeared and grabbed the spirit of the Apostle of Paradise from behind. ¡°What are you?¡± [¡­ ¡­ Who are you!] The apostle of paradise could not help but be perplexed. It was because he felt a familiar energy inside the human body that had captured him. It was sudden and wee. Isn¡¯t this just perfect! Even though the stone was not set in stone, this human was also a great vessel for a high priest! furthermore. [Human! A fragment of my true self resides within your aged body! Submit to me immediately and offer me your power¡­ ¡­ !] Crunch! [¡­uh?] Before he could finish his words, the old man, without a second thought, mercilessly bit the spirit body of the apostle of paradise. It wasn¡¯t an abstract expression, but he literally started biting, tearing, chewing and swallowing. [Ah! What, what are you doing!] The remnants of his soul, already ruined, began to crumble and break down inside his mouth. The energy entered his body intact and was digested. Gulp, gulp¡­ ¡­ Gulp! An old man who swallowed the apostle of paradise whole. China¡¯s six-star hunter Liu Zhikang muttered, his mouth watering. ¡°Hmm. It tastes familiar.¡± [You bastard, don¡¯t tell me that you are¡­ ¡­ !] Being eaten by him in real time, the apostle of paradise finally realized. That something was wrong. Now I see that there was another guy like Seong Il-hwan here. An absurdly vast vessel of the soul! Even inside this old man, there was an empty space where the ruler had once resided. And the fragments of his own body¡­ ¡­ . It was quietly sleeping in a corner of the bowl. Rather than having the bowl taken away, he lost his self and only had his strength taken away. [Oh, why is this happening?] What unknown power was at work? This old man was also a being who was ustomed to using the power of the apostle as his own! The Apostles of Paradise, who had no idea of the existence of the ¡®Spring of Echo Forest¡¯ that Suho had found, were simply confused and had no idea what was going on. [What on earth¡­ ¡­ is the human race¡­ ¡­ .] Gulp, gulp, gulp! Even the old people I pass by are of this kind¡­ The apostle of paradise, who had usually ignored the human race itself, died in vain, feeling disillusioned and fearful of humans. Swoosh- ¡°Huh. So you were really an apostle of Itarim? Your presence was too weak for that to be the case.¡± Ryu Zhikang tilted his head, licking his lips. It was too weak to be called an apostle of Itarim, and the energy it absorbed was also too minimal. He immediately took out his cell phone and contacted Seong Su-ho. ¡°Ah, yes. It¡¯s me, Ryu Zhi Kang. As you said, I persuaded our government tounch a flying drone and found the viins¡¯ city. Right now, I¡¯m looking around to see if there are any more, and I happened to find and kill one of Itarim¡¯s apostles¡­ ¡­ .¡± Cell phones are really good these days. Since it is a real-time interpretation, it is actually easier tomunicate than when we meet in person and talk. As Suho had requested in advance, Liu Zhikang was searching for and destroying all the ¡®flower pots¡¯ hidden in China, one by one. It was a natural idea from Suho¡¯s perspective. Anyway, didn¡¯t China illegally fly a lot of drones to film Suho while he was in India? They figured that if they recycled a bunch of cameras like that swarm of bees, it would be easy to find the pollens of the apostles of paradise in the sky. Of course, there was the cumbersome process of having to persuade the Chinese government during the process, but from Liu Zhikang¡¯s perspective, that was not difficult at all. Of course, Liu Zhikang, who had spent his entire life cultivating, did not have the political power to persuade politicians. But if you destroy just one important building, wouldn¡¯t it be more persuasive where it wasn¡¯t before? ¡°¡­ ¡­ Ah, right. Elvenwood has its own uses? I see. Then let¡¯s just cut off the roots and set it aside.¡± While talking on the phone with Suho, Ryu Zhikang nced up and looked at Elvenwood. Elvenwood, which had been desperately resisting until just a moment ago, had be quiet as if it werea lie. Perhaps it was from the moment I chewed and swallowed the apostle of Itarim just now, but it was a good thing. Anyway, he was in the process of using his outstanding(?) political power to summon all the Chinese hunters andpletely wipe them out. Chapter 295 Chapter 295 ¡°¡­ ¡­ Yes, then I will ask you to do it.¡± Stop. Suho put down his phone after finishing his call with Ryu Zhikang. Tiring. [The Apostle of Paradise has been defeated.] Thanks to the system, I was able to find out who the Itarim apostle that Ryu Zukang had just discovered and killed was. It¡¯s a shame that he lost his experience points because he died from afar, but it was still a good thing that he died at the hands of Ryu Zukang. If he had absorbed the Apostle of Paradise, it would have been of great help to Ryu Zukang, who was a national power-level hunter, in regaining his former strength. In order to find and deal with the Itarim apostles spread across the Earth one by one, it was naturally more effective to do it in groups than alone. Especially, if these former national power-level hunters regain their former strength, they will be an incredible force against the Apostles. ¡°By the way, this guy is so unlucky.¡± Suho hung up the phone and chuckled. The apostle of paradise who had run away sharpening his sword of revenge died alone after notsting even a day. ¡°They say there is no paradise where you run away.¡± [Your Majesty, this is not the kind of thing you would use in a situation like this¡­ ¡­ Ki-eok? Now that I think about it, it seems right.] Berga, who was giving advice to Suho, tilted his head for a moment, but eventually had no choice but to nod in great admiration. There must have been paradise where the apostle of paradise fled, but now it was no more. [I guess it¡¯s because you majored in art! Now you have the literary talent to enjoy using such poetic expressions¡­ ¡­ .] Kekekekekeke¡­ ¡­ ! And as always, Suho listened to Ber¡¯s constant barrage ofints with one ear and let it go out the other. Soo-ho, who had shaken off the longing for the Apostle of Paradise from his mind, turned his gaze and looked at the pile of corpses he was sitting on. Then the sight that unfolded there was¡­ ¡­ . Hell too. Because it was what it was. Fire and ice. The scorching winter created by Suho and Sirka. In front of that overwhelming disaster, the corpses of high elves piled up like a mountain filled the entire field of vision as far as the eye could see. Their condition was so dire that it was difficult to describe it simply as a mess. Some were charred ck and scattering ashes, while others were frozen blue and shattered into pieces. There were also many corpses that were so badly mangled that it was impossible to tell what they had originally looked like. puck! Just then, Grid¡¯s ferocious fist crushed the head of thest remaining high elf. Tiring. [Number of enemies to kill: 0] [Number of enemies killed: 2,918] The quest is finally over. At the same time, the winter of the high elves who betrayed their n and hid behind the war also ended. [You havepleted the ¡®Urgent Quest: Defeat the Enemy¡¯.] [Level up!] [Level up!] ¡­ ¡­ . Tiring! [Quest reward has arrived.] Before checking the quest reward, Suho turned his gaze to look at Sirka¡¯s condition. ¡°¡­ ¡­ Not yet?¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­ .¡± There was no answer from Sirka. Sirka has been trapped in a giant ice pir with her eyes closed for some time. [It is exined that this is the result of the King of the Snowmen, the Lord of the Cold, trying to control too many spirits at once.] In short, it was said that this was the result of Sirka¡¯s vessel not being able to contain this amount of spirits. But since this wasn¡¯t the first or second time this had happened, Suho immediately understood Sd¡¯s exnation and asked back. ¡°Are you saying that Sirka is not yet fit to be a monarch?¡± Gooooo- As if responding to Suho¡¯s words, the ice pir that had engulfed Sirka¡¯s body was still emitting a terrible cold even at this moment. But Sd refuted Suho¡¯s words. [The King of the Snowmen, the Lord of the Cold, says that he has enough vessels, and that for now he must simply wait until he can fully control the power he has mastered.] ¡°Wait? How long?¡± Sd remained silent in response to Suho¡¯s question. In the end, he said he didn¡¯t know either. ¡°Okay, okay.¡± Suho nodded, stretched, and got up from the pile of corpses. ¡°We can¡¯t wait here forever, so let¡¯s leave him here and move on our own.¡± [That¡¯s a great idea. Let¡¯s leave a sentry here.] ¡°Let¡¯s do that.¡± As Ber had said, Suho turned his gaze to choose one shadow soldier to leave here. Then, all of a sudden, his eyes met with Ha-seul¡¯s, who was looking at him from afar with an indifferent expression. ¡°¡­ ¡­ Oh, right. That guy was there.¡± Suho was so absorbed in the battle that hepletely forgot about Hasul¡¯s existence. And Ha-seul was there watching everything Su-ho had done from beginning to end. That¡¯s why I couldn¡¯t say anything right now. I couldn¡¯t do anything. At first, he tried to help in some way. But this was the spot where I had quietly retreated when a small shadow ant suddenly appeared and started to nag me to get out of the way. And it didn¡¯t take long for him to realize why he was a nuisance. At first I thought arge-scale war had broken out. Suddenly, they were surrounded by thousands of troops. I think I briefly imagined the summoned creatures of the guardians fighting against him breaking through the siege and waging a defensive battle. He also raised one hand next to him. But when the battle actually began, the reality that unfolded before Hasul¡¯s eyes waspletely different from what he had imagined. It wasn¡¯t a war. ¡®Just hunting¡­ ¡­ .¡¯ Yes, that¡¯s right. What happened here was nothing more or less than hunting. No matter how many prey gather before the hunter, what does it matter? Anyway, nothing would have changed the oue. Rather, it was a good thing that he could hunt, and Seongsuho simply hunted the demons here ¡®in a very hunter-like manner¡¯. And in front of that, Ha-seul¡­ ¡­ had nothing to do but just watch. What could you do in the first ce? Even if you are an S-ss hunter. Hasul just stared nkly, his mouth open, taking in each and every aspect of the overwhelming battle and the wondrous sight. And it was a reminder once again. ¡®A hunter is someone who hunts demons.¡¯ Heart pounding. As she recalled what Chairman Woo Jin-cheol had once said, Ha-seul tapped her sore left chest with her fist. The name ¡®Hunter¡¯ has a special meaning to Ha Seul. Hasul became an S-ss Awakener faster than anyone else, but because it happened so quickly, he found out much toote that he was an S-ss. Even after awakening, he immediately crossed over to North Korea, missing the opportunity to be a hunter. Perhaps because of the sins he hadmitted in the past, even if he had remained, he would not have been able to be a hunter in Korea anyway. He would have just be a viin and been locked up in prison. I heard that a S-ss viin named ¡®Hwang Dong-soo¡¯ is also living in hiding in an unknown ce, avoiding the Association¡¯s fierce pursuit in that way. ¡­ ¡­ Ha Seul was sure that his own future would not be much different from that viin named Hwang Dong-soo. What was even more surprising was that it was actually a happy ending. The only happy ending that would have happened if Hasil had remained in Korea. That is why, to Ha-seul, the name ¡®Hunter¡¯ was both a regret for the past that he could have achieved but missed, and an object of longing that he could only vaguely look up to. The more I learned about the lives of the hunters from the viins who came over to North Korea one by one, the more my feelings grew. The person I met then was none other than the president of the association, Woo Jin-cheol. -You¡¯re lucky. If this were Korea, we¡¯d have to fight each other. As an association, we can¡¯t just let an S-ss hunter whomitted murder live among the citizens. But this was North Korea. It wasn¡¯t Korea. Perhaps for that reason, Chairman Woo Jin-cheol did not show hostility to him as soon as he saw him. Rather, he approached it cautiously, as if he were a herbivore, and offered to apany it. And of course, Hasul never let her guard down with him. Isn¡¯t it only natural to be suspicious when an adult you¡¯re meeting for the first time suddenly approaches you and shows kindness? Besides, why are you trying to recruit me without any reason just because you saw me? Anyway, he is a viin wandering around North Korea. But when asked the reason, Woo Jin-cheol adjusted his ck sunsses and smiled faintly. -Well, just. I have a good eye for many things. I¡¯ve lived a pretty twisted life, so I have a pretty good eye for people. ¡­ ¡­ It¡¯s just ¡®that¡¯. It was a really pointless reason. Hasul was left feeling empty after hearing an answer that waspletely unconvincing. In the life of Ha-seul, who was born in an orphanage and escaped from a rather harsh orphanage on her own, the word ¡®adult¡¯ was a name that was synonymous with disaster. In front of such a person, an adult named Woo Jin-cheol shrugs his shoulders nonchntly, saying that he has lived a life of his own. It was definitely the number one target for surveince. Besides, Woo Jin-cheol, that name is a notorious name that I¡¯ve heard countless times from the mouths of viins I¡¯ve encountered in North Korea. However, Woo Jin-cheol seemed topletely understand Ha-seul¡¯s wariness, and just smirked, covering his sharp gaze, reminiscent of a bird of prey, with his ck sunsses. Then, instead of apanying her, he made another offer to Hasul. -Well, it¡¯s okay. In this world, it¡¯s good to be cautious. Then what do you think? After all, it¡¯s not good strategy to have two S-ss hunters moving around at the same time in this vastnd. -¡­ ¡­ ? -I¡¯ll give you this radio. Let¡¯s just use it to say hello to each other every now and then. Without anyone else knowing. -¡­ ¡­Secret friend? -Ugh! Oh, no! Don¡¯t use such suspicious-sounding expressions! Aren¡¯t there many expressions that sound much better? Something like spy or intelligence agent! -¡­ ¡­ ? Wouldn¡¯t a spy be much more suspicious? Isn¡¯t it? Woo Jin-cheol is suddenly flustered by Ha-seul¡¯s words. And seeing the atmosphere of other hunters surrounding him, giggling and teasing him, Hasul¡¯s guard was slightly lowered. -That, that¡¯s right! How about this expression instead? Unofficial Hunter! -Hunter? -Yes, be a Hunter. Of course, you may not be able to work in Korea due to circumstances, but our association will not spare any support for S-ss Hunters¡­ ¡­ . I didn¡¯t even hear what happened next. The important part is the beginning. Because it was said to be a ¡®hunter¡¯. And because those words came directly from the mouth of the Hunter Association¡¯s president, their weight was felt even greater. From that day on, Ha-seul became the unofficial hunter of the Korean Association, and as Woo Jin-cheol had suggested, he wandered around North Korea alone and kept in touch with her from time to time. In fact, since he had been wandering around North Korea the same way before, nothing had really changed in Ha-seul¡¯s daily life. But it was different. In this deste apocalypse, having a sense of ¡®belonging¡¯ gave me a much greater sense of relief than I expected. Especially for Ha-seul, who was abandoned by her parents and spent her adolescence in an orphanage. After escaping from that hellish orphanage on her own, she began to enjoy true freedom, but ironically, as she began to feel a sense of belonging in her new ce, her anxiety melted away like snow. And Woo Jin-cheol¡­ ¡­ . Surprisingly, he didn¡¯t ask Hasul to do anything. Unlike other adults who approached Ha Seul and stayed by her side. True to their initial promise, Woo Jin-cheol only asionally contacted them. And now, at this moment. Gulp. A ¡®real¡¯ hunter appeared in front of Ha-seul. Seong Su-ho, a Korean S-ss hunter who overwhelmingly shows what a true hunter is and what it means to be a hunter. After he finished all the hunting, he looked into my eyes and asked me. ¡°Oh, yeah. You were there.¡± Just like Woo Jin-cheol back then. ¡°Was your name Guseul?¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­ Haseul.¡± ¡°Okay, anyway.¡± It¡¯s canceled. Woo Jin-cheol never called his own name like that. He always used politenguage as if he respected me as a person. ¡°So, Sky. What are you going to do from now on?¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­ Haseul.¡± ¡°What are you going to do? If you¡¯re going to stay here, watch over Sirka. If you¡¯re going to follow me, then follow me.¡± With that suggestion, Suho pointed to Hasul and said, pointing to the copsed Alfheim and the scenery beyond it. ¡°The apostle of Paradise just died. That¡¯s how things turned out.¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­ .¡± Hasul turned her gaze in the direction Suho was pointing. Then, an amazing sight unfolded there that had never been seen before. When the Apostle of Paradise died, the cognitive inhibition magic that had been hiding his flower pots all along disappeared. North Korea, China, Russia¡­ ¡­ . The countless Elvenwoods that had been growing tall and towering over this enormous, super-sized apocalypse were revealed to the world. in result. The giant sacred trees that had been growing in secret were made avable for the entire world to see. ¡°I¡¯m going to cut down all those trees and head to where Chairman Woo Jin-cheol is. Do you want to follow me? If you can just tell me the location, that would be fine.¡± Chapter 296 Chapter 296 one side. ¡°¡­ ¡­ What is that?¡± Hunters from the Korean Association who happened to be wandering around North Korea at the time, hunting for demons. That unrealistic scene also unfolded in front of Association Chairman Woo Jin-cheol. However, Woo Jin-cheol calmly sent a radio message to the association to understand the situation even though it was a very confusing situation. And when he learned that this phenomenon was happening all over the world, he nodded in a very businesslike tone. ¡°Hmm. There are now more things to handle.¡± He looked at the endless destend before him with bird-like eyes through his dark sunsses. A sense of alienation, as if thisnd had suddenly turned into an alien. The sky was still covered in blue fog, and the asional howling roars of demons and spirits echoed from the ground. In the midst of all this, the sudden appearance of huge trees that caught their eye from afar was an event that might have forced them topletely revise their ns up to that point. ¡°There are trees that we didn¡¯t see on the road we passed. Did they just appear, or did we really pass by without seeing them?¡± At that moment, Choi Jong-in, a S-ss hunter from the association, approached Woo Jin-cheol and spoke to him. And as if it was interesting, I took in the sight of the numerous trees towering up as if they were piercing the sky. It was quite surprising, but not surprising. No matter what, the work he had to do was the same. Hurrah! A bright red me burst out from the final person¡¯s hand. He gripped the me tightly, pushed up his horn-rimmed sses, and grinned. ¡°I vote for going back the way we came and burning it all down.¡± ¡°hmm.¡± At the suggestion to go back the way he came, Chairman Woo Jin-cheol hesitated for a moment. They had already been eliminating the demons as soon as they saw them as they came here. So the decision to just go back the way we came to burn those trees was a bit inefficient. Because those alien trees existed not only along the path they had passed, but also on the opposite side. Just north. Rather, the number of trees visible at the end of the path they had been moving in was much greater. So, if we only consider efficiency, it would be much more efficient to continue on the path we were on, burning trees and eliminating demons. So then what the heck is the problem? In fact, Woo Jin-cheol¡¯s gaze had been focused on a particrly irritating spot beyond the north. ¡°Is it just me or does it seem like those trees are more crowded together on the Russian side?¡± ¡°Hmm, that¡¯s certainly true.¡± Following Woo Jin-cheol¡¯s gaze, Choi Jong-in also checked the Russian border and nodded. Beyond the distant blue fog, countless alien trees towered over Russia, forming andscape painting. Is it just my imagination that makes it look like those strange alien nts originated in Russia? ¡®No way.¡¯ Woo Jin-cheol muttered while ring at Russia. ¡°If it¡¯s Russia¡­ ¡­coincidentally, it¡¯s Yuri Orlov¡¯s country.¡± ¡°Yuri Orlov? Are you talking about the Prime Minister who was elected two years ago?¡± ¡°Yes, he happens to be an S-ss user with great barrier abilities.¡± Choi Jong-in absentmindedly observed Woo Jin-cheol¡¯s expression as he spoke, seeming to have guessed something. Looking from the side, Woo Jin-cheol¡¯s eyes were shining seriously behind his ck sunsses. Gulp. When he saw those eyes, Choi Jong-in swallowed dry saliva without realizing it. ¡®¡­ ¡­ You have that expression again.¡¯ Sometimes, Chairman Woo Jin-cheol would make that kind of expression. A gaze that is vague as if reminiscing about the past, but at the same time extremely rational and confident as if nning for the future thoroughly. When Woo Jin-cheol makes that kind of expression, it¡¯s a bit embarrassing to say this, but¡­ ¡­ Honestly, it gave me goosebumps. Sometimes, I felt like his gaze was not looking at the reality right in front of him, but at a worldpletely different from his own. It¡¯s as if there are things beyond his gaze that are never seen by the eyes of ordinary people. ¡®¡­ ¡­ That was the expression you had on your face when you first proposed the association to me.¡¯ -Will you be myrade for this country, for justice, and to protect the world? Two years ago, Woo Jin-cheol¡¯s gaze as he politely handed out his business card to her after she had awakened was also like that. Overwhelmed by those confident eyes, he had no choice but to ept the business card. And from that day on, Choi Jong-in began to work as an S-ss hunter representing the Hunter Associati on of Korea, and even earned the somewhat embarrassing nickname of ¡®Humanity¡¯s Ultimate Weapon¡¯. When I first got called that childish nickname at this age, I was so shocked that I felt embarrassed, but at the same time, I focused even more on the work of the association with the determination to devote myself to the country so that I would not be ashamed of that nickname. Two years like that. But now, when I look back on all the actions of Chairman Woo Jin-cheol, whom I have watched from the closest side, I sometimes have such absurd thoughts. ¡®Maybe the president already knew that I would awaken to S-ss?¡¯ It was a truly absurd imagination, but I couldn¡¯t help but think that Woo Jin-cheol might have really done that. ¡°Chairman, do you think that Prime Minister Yuri Orlov has been using his barrier powers to keep those trees hidden all this time?¡± ¡°It is quite possible.¡± ¡°The scale of the barrier is too enormous for that. I know that even if they are the same S-rank, the level difference is different, but isn¡¯t there a limit? With my ability, I would never be able to burn that many trees at once.¡± ¡°He may have received help from outside. And in particr¡­ ¡­ Yuri Orlov¡¯s abilities are optimized for receiving outside help. With enough magic power, he can easily cover an entire city with a barrier.¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­ ?¡± Choi Jong-in made a puzzled expression at Woo Jin-cheol¡¯s confident tone. Not much is known about Russia¡¯s new Prime Minister Yuri Orlov. This was partly because Russia had be such a hostile ce after the cataclysm, but its istion had be even more severe since Yuri Orlov became prime minister. ¡°Have you by any chance nted a spy in Russia without my knowledge?¡± ¡°No, not yet at least. But at least I know what kind of person Yuri Orlov was.¡± ¡°Was it?¡± past? Choi Jong-in tilted his head at the strange feeling. Even less was known about Prime Minister Yury Orlov¡¯s past history. ¡°Have you ever met Yuri Orlov before?¡± ¡°Well, I haven¡¯t met him in person¡­ ¡­ but I know one thing. No matter how old a person gets, their true nature doesn¡¯t change much. Good people age well, and bad people age badly¡­ ¡­ .¡± Woo Jin-cheol adjusted his ck sunsses and a confident smile appeared on his lips. ¡°Of course, this is often a bias, but I tend to trust that bias quite a bit.¡± ¡°We¡¯ve reached a social consensus to just call it in old nerd stuff.¡± ¡°Haha, is that so?¡± Woo Jin-cheol burst intoughter, saying that he was taken aback by Choi Jong-in¡¯s joke. But what if you¡¯re an old fart? At least in the two lives I have personally walked, I have learned that prejudice is ultimately the result of countless big data. ¡°Chairman, we have a radio transmission.¡± At that moment, the secretary handed Woo Jin-cheol a walkie-talkie. ¡°It is the shadow of paradise.¡± ¡°Ah! That¡¯s perfect timing.¡± As if he had been waiting, Woo Jin-cheol happily epted the walkie-talkie. But the voice heard over the radio was not Ha Seul¡¯s, but Seong Su Ho¡¯s. Woo Jin-cheol nodded vigorously after receiving a detailed ount of the situation that had just urred from Sung Su-ho. ¡°¡­ ¡­ So that¡¯s what happened. Thank you for sharing.¡± Apostles of Paradise and Alfheim. Elvenwood and the High Elves. And the apostle of Itarim. ¡®And Russia¡­ ¡­ .¡¯ Thanks to Suho, countless pieces of information were piling up in Woo Jincheol¡¯s head, and a picture was being drawn. Woo Jin-cheol, who had gathered his thoughts, spoke to Su-ho in a serious tone into the walkie-talkie. ¡°Hunter Seongsuho. I think the repercussions of the death of the Apostle of Paradise will be much greater than expected.¡± -I think so too. Su-ho also agreed with his words in a serious voice from the other end of the radio. As he said, even now, the death of the Apostle of Paradise was already causing enormous ripples through out the world. Meanwhile, the Apostle of Paradise had been creating and hiding his flower pots in various parts of the world, and the moment his death caused the cognitive inhibition magic that had been hiding them to disappear all at once. Phew! Phew! People all over the world were in shock. -What is that? -What are those trees?! Alien trees that grow tall and jut out as if they are piercing the sky. To the eyes of people all over the world, the sight seemed as if countless alien ecosystems had suddenly invaded the Earth on the same day and at the same time. Even the sheer size and scale of the events, and the fact that they urred simultaneously, were enough to cause panic among the people. Add in the countless Chinese drone cameras and American satellite photos, and the entire scene was bro adcast to the entire world. in result. The whole world was thrown into chaos overnight. -No, really, what are all those?? -Where did those trees suddenlye from? -Is this a new type of dungeon break?! -Surely there won¡¯t be gates appearing underground now? -Oh, my God! That¡¯s so horrible! -If a gate is created underground, there¡¯s no way for the hunters to stop it! An extremely unusual situation. It was natural for people to be shocked by the absurdlyrge scale of the situation. The gate isn¡¯t even open. It wasn¡¯t even a dungeon break. It¡¯s not like ¡®those trees¡¯ suddenly sprouted from the ground. Alien trees appearing all over the Earth so naturally, as if they had always been growing there. The absurdlyrge scale made the viewer feel both an overwhelming sense of pressure and a sense of bizarreness. That wasn¡¯t all. It didn¡¯t take long for the world to learn that beneath those trees, not only were there strange nts, but there were also cities of demons, spirits, and viins living hidden within them. This was a disconcerting situation for both those outside the barrier and those living hidden within it, and it was not something that anyone had nned. Then, naturally, a fierce battle suddenly broke out between the two forces without anyone saying who would start. This phenomenon was not limited to North Korea, Russia, or China. The Apostle of Paradise had been working hard to increase the number of flower pots in various ces, and there were some flower pots in other countries as well. but. ¡°People¡¯s reactions are all good.¡± At least for Woo Jin-cheol, who had experienced the brink of the end of the world, the appearance of a few Elvenwood trees was a good thing. After all, they are neither rulers nor monarchs, just a few trees. It was the role of the hunters to solve such problems. That is why the fact that the entire world was shocked when they witnessed the existence of Elvenwood being revealed to the world overnight was information that had absolutely no value to Woo Jin-cheol. But right now, at this moment. However, there was another important issue that Woo Jin-cheol was really worried about. -¡­ ¡­ The problem is that because of this situation, the other Itarim apostles will also know that the Apostle of Paradise has died. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m sure it will.¡± -There will definitely be a reaction in some way. It could even lead to an all-out war. ¡°¡­ ¡­ It is quite possible.¡± As the conversation progressed, Woo Jin-cheol was quite impressed by Su-ho¡¯s words, which urately captured the essence of the situation. Early 20s. Compared to himself, who was living two lives, the person on the other end of the radio was still just a young and immature young man. But what does age matter? Woo Jin-cheol already knew ¡®him¡¯. A man who had already saved the world single-handedly at that age. ¡°In that sense, Hunter Seongsuho.¡± -yes. And at the same time, hearing the voiceing from the other end of the radio, I realize it again. The fact that Seongsuho is his son. Especially since we were talking only with voices like this, I couldn¡¯t help but feel like I was talking directly to Sung Jin-woo when I listened to it again. In that strange feeling, Woo Jin-cheol couldn¡¯t help but feel very excited about what his son, Seong Su-ho, would do from now on. ¡°¡­ ¡­ What are your ns from now on, Hunter Seongsuho? We will decide what to do from now on ording to Hunter Seongsuho¡¯s ns.¡± Woojin Railroad and Seongsuho had the same opinion. By this incident, all of the Itarim apostles spread across the world would have noticed that someone like them had been murdered. So, as Seong Su-ho said, it was certain that there would be some kind of response from them in the future. An all-out war could suddenly break out. ¡®¡­ ¡­ Just like back then.¡¯ Woo Jin-cheol couldn¡¯t help but swallow dry saliva as he recalled the tragedy he had experienced long ago. The end alwayses suddenly. And although Woo Jin-cheol had been thoroughly prepared for that moment, he couldn¡¯t help but feel anxious. It was because there was no Sung Jin-woo on this Earth like there was back then. but. That is why we can¡¯t help but look forward to it even more. To his son, Seong Su-ho. And Seongsuho answered. -Please join us. We will arrive shortly. Kururung-! Kwakwakwakwang! At that moment, Woo Jin-cheol saw huge trees falling in the distance. Just like dominoes. ¡°¡­ ¡­ Haha.¡± Woo Jin-cheol burst intoughter at the sight. And then suddenly a n came to mind, and I made a suggestion into the radio that was still to my ear. ¡°Hunter Seongsuho. Do you have any ns to go to Russia?¡± -Oh, isn¡¯t that illegal? ¡°That¡¯s true. Of course, our association doesn¡¯t know about it.¡± -¡­ ¡­Secret friend? Woo Jin-cheol touched his forehead when he heard Ha-seul¡¯s voiceing from next to him. ¡°Saying it¡¯s a secret, isn¡¯t there a better expression like spy?¡± Chapter 297 Chapter 297 The situation was already going exactly as Suho and Woojincheol had expected. Tutatatata! ¡°Target found!¡± A helicopter pilot shouted. A helicopter squadron carrying French special forces was heading towards the area where Elvenwood was discovered. [This is headquarters. Begin attacking immediately.] ¡°All right!¡± Wedge- The missile flew. A missile flying straight towards the giant tree hit the pir of Elvenwood. Kugu-gung-! ¡°That¡¯s a hit!¡± Part of Elvenwood exploded. After the death of the Apostle of Paradise, Elvenwood no longer had the strength to resist. It wouldn¡¯t have been like this originally. Originally, Elvenwood was a sacred tree for elves, and throughout its long history, it was a monstrous tree that bred and ate elves. But the Elvenwood that emerged on Earth was a little different. Elvenwood, which was ¡®contaminated¡¯ by the mana of the outer space, was a mutant that sprouted and was nted by the Apostle of Paradise. When the Apostle of Paradise died, the orphaned monsters werepletely at a loss as to who to attack, raise, and eat. The result is now. Cookie Cutter! ¡°Another hit! There¡¯s no response from the tree!¡± Numerous fighter nes continued to attack the monster that had suddenly appeared in France. The missiles they wereunching were no ordinary missiles. A specially crafted magic cannon made by grinding magic stones and magic crystals from the dungeon. This missile was an explosive capable of inflicting significant damage to demons. Of course, the production cost for each one was ridiculously expensive¡­ ¡­ . But look. Wasn¡¯t it worth investing so much money in research? Krrrr! The sound of the tree copsing with the explosion was so creepy, like the howling of a monster. The helicopter pilot, who hade all this way with a very nervous face, finally let out a sigh of relief at t he sight. ¡°Ha. It¡¯s not as bad as I thought¡­ ¡­ .¡± but. It¡¯s still too early to feel relieved. ¡°Up, danger! 12 o¡¯clock!¡± In an instant, the helicopter pilot turned the steering wheel sharply. Hundreds of demons suddenly burst out from between the piles of fallen trees. They were the beings who had been living in hiding within Elvenwood. Kwaaaaak! The winged demons rushed towards the helicopter. puck! A horse struck the helicopter¡¯s propeller. The helicopter lost bnce and shook. ¡°Shit!¡± Then, countless figures poured out from the ground and attacked them. They were viins hiding in Elvenwood. ¡°Headquarters! This isn¡¯t just a tree! This is the enemy¡¯s stronghold!¡± -All units, immediately initiate joint operations with ground forces! The battle intensified. Elvenwood fell easily, but the beings hiding within were no joke. Simr things were happening all over the world. USA. The United States even mobilized strategic bombers to destroy Elvenwood, but the situation quickly became chaotic due to the demons and viins that emerged from within. The soldiers could not help but be bewildered by this unexpected turn of events. ¡°¡­ ¡­ Could it be that we disturbed the beehive where they were quietly hiding?¡± It was a moment of self-loathing, wondering if I had done something in vain. but. Boom-! Suddenly, with a huge explosion, the demons and viins pouring out of Elvenwood were swept away like waves. and. ¡°What nonsense are you talking about? Of course, it¡¯s right to find them first and kill them all before the bees multiply.¡± ¡­ ¡­ ?! Just one room. The man who had swept away all the enemies in the area with that one blow grinned like a mischievous c hild and said. The eyes of the soldiers who witnessed his identity grew wide. ¡°Thomas Andre!¡± ¡°They said he was arrested for murder¡­ ¡­!¡± ¡°Why? Are you picking on me?¡± Shh. A gray-haired old man. A muscr old man with snow-white hair that resembled a lion¡¯s mane, waving his huge fist in front of him, was standing there, perfectly suited to the description. Wearing flowing shorts and sunsses, as if he had juste out of a resort. ¡°Yeah, I survived!¡± The surprise was short-lived, as the soldiers let out exmations of relief mixed with relief at the appearance of Thomas Andre. Thomas Andre! His muscr bulk and the magical power zing from his body were a source of fear when he was the enemy, but when he was on the same side, he was never this sturdy. Recently, he was a prisoner who was taken to the Hunter Management Bureau on charges of murdering American S-ss Hunter, Christopher Reed. But for some reason, Thomas Andre, who should have been locked up in prison, showed up with the Hunters from the Administration Bureau instead. ¡°Master! I¡¯ve taken care of the other side too!¡± Bring all your scavenger guild members with you! And China. China was quickly gaining control of the situation under the leadership of Liu Zhikang, but it was having a hard time because of therge number of Elvenwoodspared to other countries. The area was a huge field bordering North Korea and Russia, and it was a huge apocalypse that even China had already given up on and left alone. But with the sudden appearance of the Elvenwoods that suddenly appeared there, it was no longer possible to just watch. Because of the vast amount of informationing in from all over the world, we havee to know that the trees are actually ¡®bee hives¡¯. The cave where countless viins and demons were hiding was like a time bomb that could explode at any moment, so if left alone, there was no way of knowing what would happen. While the military and hunters fought desperately against Elvenwoods that appeared all over the world. ¡°¡­ ¡­ This is interesting.¡± Inside the Kremlin in Russia. Yuri Orlov sat leisurely in front of his monitor, watching the chaos unfold around the world. All around the world, everything that had been hidden in Elvenwood was pouring out at once. ¡°Apostle of Paradise, I never thought that weed-like thing would really die.¡± Looking at the current situation, there was no need to check it directly. The apostle of paradise died, and this is the result. ¡°Hmm. Then the cognitive impairment that has been hanging over our country will also disappear. This is going to be quite a problem.¡± Yuri Orlov rubbed his chin with an embarrassed expression. He had no intention of mourning the death of the apostle of paradise who had been his coborator. Rather, he just clicked his tongue, saying that he was a loser who always acted so smart, but ended up dying in a foreignnd. Even if the Elvenwoods that were being grown all over the world were discovered overnight, didn¡¯t the fruits of theirbor already be Russia¡¯s assets? However, the future was the problem. ¡°If this happens, ¡®they¡¯ will start moving too.¡± The Apostles of Itarim. For convenience¡¯s sake they are called that, but strictly speaking they were the ¡®apostles of the Itarims¡¯. Since they each served different gods, they were both invaders of the same Earth, but at the same time, they were in a rtionship of checking andpeting with each other. And from now on, they would inevitably flock to Russia, China, and North Korea. To im the achievements of himself and the apostles of paradise. To im the fruits of Elvenwood that had lost their owner. and¡­. ¡°No.¡± A cynical smile appeared on Yuri Orlov¡¯s lips as he pondered for a moment. Anyway, a dead guy is still a dead guy. Shouldn¡¯t humans y with other humans? Maybe other countries have already figured out that Russia was behind the Apostles of Paradise. It would be difficult to present evidence, though. Anyway, after considering all the situations openly. Yuri Orlov took a sip of red wine and stood up. ng! ¡°Now that it¡¯se to this, why don¡¯t we take this opportunity to make some new friends?¡± * * * Suho moved forward without hesitation. The flower pots that had lost their owners copsed in front of the Guardians¡¯ army, unable to hold back their momentum. Suho uprooted all the trees he could find and threw them into the shadow dungeon. [Keeeek! I can see your hand! Can¡¯t you work faster? We need to process the logs quickly and send them to the afterlife sea!] Ber traveled to the Shadow Dungeon and handed over the Elvenwoods to the Shadow Dwarves. The shadow dwarves cheered as they saw the sudden influx of work materials. [Kuhahaha! I never thought I would see so many of the legendary elven sacred trees, even though I had never seen one before!] [Who on earth grew so many of these rare trees!] [Who was he? His name was Apostle of Paradise?] [Apostle of Paradise? Wow, that¡¯s truly a great talent! If he hadn¡¯t been a bastard from outer space, I would have captured him and made him nt trees for the rest of his life!] The Shadow Dwarves were licking their lips at the knowledge that the Apostle of Paradise with such a devilish talent was already dead. But that onlysts for a moment. [What, what is it? Why do you keeping in?] [It¡¯s never ending!] [Elvenwood¡­ ¡­ there were this many?!] The shadow dwarves let out sighs of happiness at the overwhelming onught of enemies that continued to pour into the shadow dungeon. And then, under Ber¡¯s harsh whipping, he began to move his hands briskly. Any longing for the Apostle of Paradise had long sincepletely disappeared. He didn¡¯t have enough hands to just trim the trees he had already grown. Because most of mypatriots were already floating on the sea of the afterlife, leaving only a few workers in the Shadow Dungeon! [Oh, oh! The master is chopping down trees faster and faster! I can¡¯t keep up with him!] [Euracha!] The Elvenwood logs they had worked so hard to trim were gradually transformed into the keels of ships for the afterlife. And as soon as it was trimmed, it was transferred intact to the sea of the afterlife through the ¡®Hell Gate¡¯ that Harmakan had dug. [What, what is this? These things all of a sudden?!] Then it was the turn of the demons and dwarves in the afterlife sea to be surprised. The keel made of Elvenwood, which was a blessing in disguise, continues to fall endlessly! Until then, the king of demons, Lord of Gluttony, Essil, who had been riding on a ship made of the finest keel, quickly changed ships. Above all the keels, the one made of ¡®Alfheim¡¯ is particrlyrge and thick. Woohoooooooooo-! Then, all of a sudden, the shadow dwarves who were with Essil became incredibly excited and began constructing huge ships at a crazy speed centered around Alfheim. The keel is the most important pir that makes up a ship. If it was Alfheim, they would be able to build ships muchrger and more powerful than they could even dare to imagine. Of course, a ship is notplete just because it has a keel. In order to match the level of the keel, a huge amount of auxiliary materials were needed. But wasn¡¯t it decided to procure it locally anyway? [Hahaha! Come as you please! You dregs of the afterlife!] Suddenly, only the weeds of the afterlife that had been eyeing the demons that had entered the afterlife sea until now began to die. As soon as they were caught, they were turned into materials for Alfheim. [The Demon King¡¯s Battleship, Alfheim] In that unknown ce, a legend began on the sea of the afterlife. Chapter 298 Chapter 298 Meanwhile, in the middle of a dense jungle. A huge greenhouse located deep in the dark forest. The person who had been quietly curled up there opened his eyes. [¡­ ¡­ I guess he¡¯s dead.] I felt it instinctively. The fact that the cognitive inhibition magic that had been hiding his hiding ce until now suddenly disappeared. But it didn¡¯t matter anyway. [¡­ ¡­ Because I¡¯ve already made enough time.] Chook- He spread his wings that had been curled up. Then, huge wings fluttering like butterflies filled the ceiling of the greenhouse. And he lifted up his eyes and looked ahead. In this greenhouse, thousands of pupae were hanging in clusters. And the identity of the giant tree that the pupae were hanging from was¡­ ¡­ none other than the ¡®Elvenwood¡¯ obtained through a deal with the Apostle of Paradise. But now with his death, the tree has lost its use. So now¡­ ¡­ . [I have no reason to hide any longer.] He pped his wings toward the ceiling of the greenhouse. Then, the light dust from his wings scattered in all directions and was absorbed by thousands of pupae. Kugu-gung-! And then the ceiling shattered. It was the moment when the giant greenhouse, which had been quietly crouching until now, appeared above ground. * * * And that moment. Somewhere in a deep valley in a snow-covered field. A hugeboratory located in a deep, dark cave. [That fool ended up dying.] There, thousands of test tubes were glowing red and humming. Tch. The owner and sole resident of this ce muttered with a displeased expression, clicking his tongue in the middle of the test tubes. [I knew he would end up like that someday, since he is such an idiot¡­ ¡­ .] It didn¡¯t matter to him whether the apostle of paradise died or not. What he really disliked was something else. The ¡®achievements¡¯ he left behind just before he died. [You sly bastard. When did you start expanding your territory so secretly?] He was looking at the numerous monitors installed in front of him, staring at the news screens being broadcast around the world. Regardless of the country, news all over the world was highlighting the achievements of the apostle of paradise before he died. From the perspective of invading Earth. The ridiculous amount of Elvenwoods was nothing short of an achievement. That¡¯s why I dislike it even more. [I was falling behind without realizing it. To a guy like that.] My pride was terribly hurt. [¡­ ¡­ Did you have any helpers?] As an assistant¡­ ¡­ . Considering the meager abilities of the Apostles of Paradise, it was quite possible. But what can you do about it? Anyway, the apostle of paradise had already died, so there was no way to confirm it now. It wasn¡¯t worth checking. Here, the only thing that interests you is one thing. The legacies he left behind when he died. All I had to do was quickly retrieve the nutrients that had gathered in the numerous flower pots that had lost their owners. [It¡¯s annoying.] licking. My mouth is watering. Unlike his frowning eyebrows, which looked as if he was displeased, his mouth was honestly raised at the corners. The fact that the legacy left behind by someone I usually ignored was much bigger than I thought was a huge blow to my pride. But at the same time, it was clear that inheriting such a vast inheritance would make one¡¯s power stronger. That had to be done quickly, too. Before the others intercept it. The fact that he knew this meant that other guys knew it too. [I should take care of it a little more before that.] He raised himself up, his eyes gleaming sinisterly. * * * ck waves. A huge ck wave was rolling along the mountain range. The wave continued to advance, knocking down and swallowing up the Elvenwoods it encountered one by one. The sight was as if countless ck ants were eating everything they passed by. But their true identity was the Shadow Army led by Suho. [Your Majesty! I see the Association¡¯s g over there!] Verga shouted from the sky. The Korean Association¡¯s g was fluttering in the distance. Suho stood there for a moment and looked at the association¡¯s base. And I could feel the gaze of Chairman Woo Jin-cheol, standing in the middle and looking this way. We finally meet. ¡°let¡¯s go.¡± At Suho¡¯s one word, Ber¡¯s gaze changed in an instant. The majesty of amander enveloped Ber¡¯s small body. [Follow!] The shadow army moved in unison. ck waves flowed along the mountain range. The sight was overwhelming. ¡°ats¡­.¡± Woo Jin-cheol was ovee with emotion as he watched the shadow army approaching from afar. An old memory came to mind. ¡®It was like this back then too.¡¯ The moment when the world almost ended. The day of the end when everything seemed to be over. There was ¡®him¡¯ that day. Leading thousands of legions of shadows like that. And before him, powerful enemies were forced to kneel. Even mighty beings from other dimensions were nothing more than prey before his shadow. Looking back now, it was the most desperate and yet most hopeful moment. War with monarchs. In a war that seemed impossible to win. A miracle created by a man. ¡°Association President.¡± Towering. Before he knew it, Suho had arrived in front of Woo Jincheol. Even with that sight before him, Woo Jin-cheol had a hard time getting out of his thoughts for a while. Isn¡¯t that so? The young man standing in front of him was so much like ¡®him¡¯. Gait. twinkle. Even leading the Shadow Legion. Suho greeted politely. ¡°nice to see you.¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­ I somehow feel like this isn¡¯t my first time.¡± Woo Jin-cheol¡¯s voice was filled with emotion. ¡°and¡­.¡± His gaze quickly turned to Ber, who was next to Suho. And then I bowed to him with the utmost respect. ¡°Long time no see, Ber.¡± [hmm!] ¡°¡­ ¡­ Ber?¡± Suho looked up at Ber with a puzzled look. Before he knew it, Ber had grown to a huge size next to Suho. ck steam billowing from all over the body. Sung Jin-woo¡¯s closest aide, who looked like an ant, was looking down at Woo Jin-cheol with narrowed eyes. ¡­ ¡­ Gulp. When he saw that sight, Woo Jin-cheol couldn¡¯t help but swallow his saliva without realizing it. And that¡¯s whates to mind instinctively. The Jeju Ind disaster that will never be forgotten even after time passes. The disastrous demon that had mercilessly massacred the excellent hunters summoned to the scene¡­¡­was now standing before him. Unfortunately, even though Sung Jin-woo is no longer here, this Earth is safe with just that one Ber¡­ ¡°Ber.¡± [Huh?] ¡°You said you had to conserve your magic power.¡± [Okay, I understand.] Beep¡­ ¡­ . ¡­ ¡­ ?! Mini Ber suddenly shrank at Suho¡¯s one word. Woo Jin-cheol¡¯s eyes couldn¡¯t help but widen at that sight. He is not stupid. Rather, the problem was that he was too smart. So much information was gleaned from that short conversation. ¡°Could it be¡­ ¡­ the power of Vernim¡­ ¡­?¡± [What an irreverent look.] ¡°¡­ ¡­ .¡± There was silence for a moment. At this very moment. One hope has disappeared from Earth. At least in Woo Jin-cheol¡¯s mind. ¡®¡­ ¡­ Then it¡¯s n B. Now the only hope left is the real Seongsuho Hunter.¡¯ Woo Jin-cheol immediately shook off his foolish thoughts and introduced his colleague who was next to him to Su-ho. ¡°This is the final hunter.¡± There was a brief exchange of greetings. And then, out of nowhere, Woo Jin-cheol brought up the thing he had asked Su-ho to do over the radio in advance. ¡°First of all, could you please restore the memories of the final hunter? I think the next story will proceed only after that.¡± ¡°All right.¡± When Suho took out the shadow key without saying anything, Choi Jongin looked at Woo Jincheol in confusion. ¡°Did I have some kind of amnesia?¡± From his perspective, it was a situation that could not help but be confusing. But at the sight of Woo Jin-cheol¡¯s unwavering gaze, Choi Jong-in shrugged his shoulders and approached Su-ho. Bam. The shadow key touched his forehead. At that moment. ¡°¡­ ¡­ !¡± Choi Jong-in¡¯s expression began to change from moment to moment. Memories came flooding back. Gate. Hunter. The confusion when the first Awakened appeared. The moment he founded the Hunter¡¯s Guild. A time when we were struggling to survive inpetition withrge guilds. And finally, the moment when the Hunters Guild stands tall as the best guild in South Korea. Battle in an S-ss dungeon. A battle with unknown beings within the gate. Countless moments spent with my colleagues. It all came back to life in an instant. ¡®What, what is this memory?!¡¯ Choi Jong-in suddenly looked like he had been hit in the back of the head. Countless memories, both unfamiliar and familiar, passed through his mind like a movie, like a panorama. Two lives. Two awakenings. The lives of the person named ¡®Choi Jong-in¡¯, who was once one and then two, ovepped and merged into one in an instant. ¡°¡­under.¡± Suddenly, Choi Jong-in¡¯s gaze changed. There was a depth to his eyes that had never been there before. No further exnation was needed. All the questions that had been there were resolved in one go. Even the fact that my meeting with Woo Jin-cheol before awakening was not a coincidence. Choi Jong-in¡¯s serious gazended on Woo Jin-cheol. ¡°Chairman¡­ ¡­ Do you remember all of this?¡± Woo Jin-cheol nodded silently. ¡°Since when¡­ ¡­ .¡± ¡°Long before I went to see the final hunter.¡± ¡°Ah, so that¡¯s why¡­ ¡­ .¡± Only then did he understand everything. And sighed. ¡°Carry that heavy burden alone¡­ ¡­ .¡± ¡°You are not alone anymore.¡± At Woo Jin-cheol¡¯s words, Choi Jong-in clenched his fists with a hardened expression. Now he knew what he had to do. ¡°There is no need for the Hunters Guild in this world. The Association has taken its ce.¡± ¡°No matter who sets what, the goal is the same.¡± In the past, the Hunters Guild was thergest guild in Korea. And the representative there was Choi Jong-in. But this time it will be different. What was needed was a force to protect the world, not just a group of simple savvy people. And because Choi Jong-in knew everything that Woo Jin-cheol had done from the beginning of the association until now. He realized it. The fact that Woo Jin-cheol had already thoroughly prepared for everything humanity could do. Even at this very moment. ¡°In that sense¡­ ¡­ .¡± Woo Jin-cheol opened his mouth towards Su-ho. ¡°Now let me tell you what we have been doing.¡± Chapter 299 Chapter 299 5 years ago. Woo Jin-cheol had already noticed the changes in the world since then. ¡°¡­ ¡­ You didn¡¯te in today either?¡± ¡°Yes, Chief.¡± Central Police Station, Violent Crimes Unit Office. Detective Sung Jin-woo¡¯s desk had been empty for several days. But the expressions on the faces of his colleagues who shared the same office did not show even a hint of worry or concern. This was because such things happened frequently. Detective Sung Jin-woo was a very elusive person, and he often left his post like that. But despite that, he was a so-called ¡®untouchable¡¯ who didn¡¯t even write a single report, let alone discipline. From the perspective of a civil servant living off the country¡¯s taxes, such a case was extremely unusual. But of course it had to be that way. Back? Is it because Chief Woo Jin-cheol is supporting him firmly? It¡¯s not like that, it¡¯s just because the results were so good. If a violent crimes detective is good at catching criminals, who would dare touch him? Especially when detective Sung Jin-woo disappears for a long time and returns, there are always countless criminals who follow him like candy. Most of them were people who had practically given up on the investigation, not to mention other depart ments, but also other local police stations, and that day was also the day when the entire violent crimes unit had a dinner party. As if they thought that Sung Jin-woo would naturally do the same this time, none of Sung Jin-woo¡¯s fellow detectives worried about his well-being, who had been absent for several days. Instead of worrying about the living legend of the Central Police Station¡¯s violent crimes unit, he was busy cleaning up after the criminals he had caught. Detective Sung Jin-woo was good in every way, but the problem was that he only caught criminals and left all the annoying and burdensome paperwork to his subordinates. Of course, he would share the credit with his subordinates who did the paperwork for him, or even give them all the credit, so he was truly a veteran who you couldn¡¯t help but know. There¡¯s a reason why there are rumors going around that he¡¯s a police officer as a hobby. But despite that, there is one person in particr. For some reason, this time, Chief Woo Jin-cheol¡¯s expression was a little dark as he looked at Detective Seong Jin-woo¡¯s empty seat. ¡®¡­ ¡­ This time it¡¯s taking you particrly long.¡¯ Woo Jin-cheol knew that every time Seong Jin-woo was away for a few days, it was just an excuse to catch criminals. In fact, every time, Sung Jin-woo would have struggled to protect the world alone in a ce unknown to anyone. And on the way back, I just catch a few criminals who are hiding because I don¡¯t want toe empty-handed. But in recent years. The number of times Sung Jin-woo was absent from his post was increasing. Of course, the period wasn¡¯t long each time¡­ For some reason, this time in particr¡­ I had a feeling that his overseas trip would be long. ¡°Phew.¡± Woo Jin-cheol, who had been looking out the office window for a moment, looked up at the sky. And then he opened his mouth as if letting out a sigh. ¡°This time, let¡¯s treat it as a vacation.¡± ¡°Yes? But Detective Seong didn¡¯t even apply for vacation¡­ ¡­ .¡± ¡°I will pay it myself.¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­ Yes, I understand.¡± Is there any possibility? The police chief said he would handle it himself. thud. The door closed like that, and Woo Jin-cheol sat alone and let out a deep sigh. And I thought of Sung Jin-woo, who at this very moment is somewhere in the world fighting something that threatens the survival of humanity. And I believed it without a doubt. As always, he will eventuallye back. Smiling as if nothing happened. ¡­ ¡­as it always has been. But why is that? ¡®This time it feels different.¡¯ Even though he was fully aware of Sung Jin Woo¡¯s power, for some reason this time, Woo Jin Chul felt a strange sense of unease. And why are ominous intuitions never wrong¡­? Not a few days, but months. Not a few months, but a year, two years¡­ ¡­ . No matter how much time passed, Sung Jin-woo never returned. ¡®¡­ ¡­ I guess I should prepare myself mentally too.¡¯ And Woo Jin-cheol¡¯s eyes, looking at his empty spot covered in dust, became determined. Of course, even at this moment, he wasn¡¯t worried about Sung Jin-woo¡¯s well-being at all. At least to Woo Jin-cheol, Seong Jin-woo was a god, or something more. The idea that Sung Jin-woo is in danger is something I can¡¯t even dare to imagine as a possibility. However, I only focused on how difficult the enemies were to keep him captive for so long. Time passed like that¡­ ¡­ . About two years ago from now. Woo Jin-cheol¡¯s intuition turned out to be correct. ¡®Cataclysm¡¯ bang! When news broke that the first gate had been discovered in downtown Seoul. Woo Jin-cheol took action without hesitation. A moment of cataclysmic change when Earth connects with the other world. While world leaders are in turmoil, they are at a loss. Woo Jin-cheol was not flustered. At least this isn¡¯t the first time something like this has happened to him. ¡®First, awakening.¡¯ Since it was something I had already experienced once, the process was not difficult. A foreign energy flowed into the atmosphere through the gate. He skillfully grabbed ¡®Mana¡¯. sh! He woke up immediately. As an A-ss hunter like before. ¡®The total amount of magic power is the same as before. Is this my limit?¡¯ Woo Jin-cheol, who had measured his own magical power, immediately grasped the situation. I didn¡¯t even have the vain thought that maybe this time I would awaken to an S-ss. Since he was a thoroughly rational person, he only thought and nned about how to utilize this situation. ¡®So you¡¯re saying that depending on your magical aptitude, you¡¯ll awaken just like in the old world. This is actually better. It reduces the margin of error.¡¯ He knew exactly what he could do and what he had to do. ¡°I guess we should start by creating an association.¡± Woo Jin-cheol immediately put his n into action. ¡®In the old world, the association was formed when Chairman Go Gun-hee awakened as an S-ss hunter. Unfortunately, Chairman Go Gun-hee had already passed away from old age.¡¯ In the end, the only person who could rece the role of Association Chairman Koh Kun-hee in the present era was Woo Jin-cheol himself. Even in the old world, wasn¡¯t he already the person who became the association president after Chairman Koh Kun-hee? Since it was a position I had taken on before, it wasn¡¯t difficult. However, if there is a problem. ¡®I am not Chairman Koh Kun-hee.¡¯ Chairman Koh Kun-hee, who was the head of arge corporation, organized the association with his enormous financial resources and power. But Woo Jin-cheol did not have enormous financial resources or power. A mere police chief can¡¯t even hand out his business card in front of those with real power. ¡®But I have memories of the past.¡¯ Woo Jin-cheol was living a second life thanks to Seong Jin-woo. And since I was much older than then, I had enough experience and knowledge to go with it. ¡®My memory, depending on how I use it, is not much different from knowing the future.¡¯ Woo Jin-cheol was fundamentally a righteous person, but he was by no means an easygoing person. Knowing his personality, Chairman Ko Geon-hee also ced him in the ¡®Hunter Association¡¯s Surveince Department¡¯. And because of the nature of the surveince department, they dealt with a lot of secret information there¡­ ¡­ . ¡®The future may have changed, but the past remains the same. The corruptionmitted by those in power and the second and third generations of conglomerates decades ago remains the same.¡¯ Woo Jin-cheol also remembered all the information they had discussed at that time. However, these were corruption cases that had already urred decades ago, and had beenpletely forgotten and covered up a long time ago, so the ¡®police chief¡¯ was unable to take any action. ¡®¡­ ¡­ But if it¡¯s a ¡®hunter¡¯, it¡¯s different.¡¯ The current situation is one of great upheaval andwlessness. This means that we live in a world where it is difficult to discipline criminals who break thew at will, but conversely, it also means that we have entered a world where criminals can be punished ¡®regardless of thew.¡¯ In that sense, the first thing Woo Jin-cheol did was to take out the information on corruption of politicians that he had collected over the past several years by using his position as police chief. And he neatly filed them away in a file, linking them to corruption that had been covered up decades ago. And then, out of the blue, he went to the prosecutor¡¯s office and powerful politicians and handed them the files. bang! ¡°Minister, could you spare me a moment?¡± ¡°What, what are you! Who are you to dare say where this is¡­ ¡­!¡± ¡°Ah, the guards outside have been put to sleep for a while. No one wille for a while even if you scream.¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­ ?!¡± They couldn¡¯t help but be taken aback by Woo Jin-cheol¡¯s unexpected visit. Originally, meeting famous people with a lot of power or money was quite difficult. Of course, they don¡¯t meet just anyone, and they don¡¯t waste their precious time on things that don¡¯t bring them any benefit. In particr, no one among them wanted to get involved with the police. Even if Woo Jin-cheol is the chief of police, it is basic etiquette to contact him in advance and make a reservation through his secretary when meeting with a powerful person. But that was before the cataclysm. It was now an era in which force was more important than power and money. Especially in the early days when there weren¡¯t many Awakened people, the bodyguards of the powerful were just ordinary people without even a bit of magical power. Although it was a time before the term viin had been properly established, Woo Jin-cheol¡¯s actions were shamelessly no different from those of the viins he had caught after him. Shh. Woo Jin-cheol, who had just gone to see the politicians, raised his ck sunsses with a meaningful smile in front of them. Then he put a tight leash around their necks, holding out in front of them the old materials he had organized. ¡°Minister, wouldn¡¯t it be quite troublesome if these things were leaked to the press?¡± ¡°Wh, what¡­ ¡­! Isn¡¯t this police chief afraid of the consequences aftermitting such a heinous act?! And what effect does this old, stale data, which is past the statute of limitations, have now¡­ ¡­!¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. Everything you said is correct, Minister. But, you know.¡± In that moment, the smile that had been on Woo Jin-cheol¡¯s face disappeared. And then suddenly a memory came to mind. A history now forgotten by everyone. In the past, at a time when he had just be the president of the association after Chairman Koh Kun- hee. He was immediately summoned before the president and was asked, not suggested, but forced to use Sung Jin-woo as a public rtions ambassador to promote national prestige. At first, he was a public rtions ambassador. Next, President Kim Myung-chul, who gradually tried to use Sung Jin-woo¡¯s reputation for political purposes¡­ ¨C Hehehe, our President Woo Jin-cheol is moremunicative than anyone else. Yes, I wish President Woo would work harder. Is that something I should do just for my own good?¡± Different from everyone else. It wasn¡¯t a difficult problem to figure out who he was talking about. At that time, Woo Jin-cheol gritted his teeth and spoke silently. -Former Association President Koh Kun-hee was a truly gentlemanly man. -Yeah, yeah. As much as he is a gentleman, he is very old-fashioned. -I am very different from Chairman Koh Kun-hee. ¨C Hehehe. That¡¯s right. The Hunter Association needs to change like that too. How long should we stay bound by the old framework? At that time, Woo Jin-cheol felt very discouraged by the president¡¯s proposal. And he was getting angry that he had to get involved in this kind of noise right after bing the president of the association. ¡®¡­ ¡­ You must be taking it lightly.¡¯ Because I am not former association president Koh Kun-hee. When former chairman Koh Kun-hee, who had served as a breakwater for the association, disappeared, the political world immediately pointed to him. Do the work for us. but. Woo Jin-cheol found himself feeling angry and relieved at the same time. President Koh Kun-hee has said this over and over again. The Hunter Association must create an environment where hunters can focus on their work. ¡®¡­ ¡­ And that¡¯s a task that¡¯s absolutely necessary, not just for hunters, but for non-hunters as well.¡¯ Recalling the memories of that time, Woo Jin-cheol slowly raised his magical power in front of the Minister of National Defense. Kugugugugugu! ¡°Hey, you¡­ ¡­ what are you¡­ ¡­ doing now?!¡± The minister couldn¡¯t help but be terrified as the building shook as if it would copse at any moment due to Woo Jin-cheol¡¯s magic. The man I thought was just a police chief was suddenly showing off the aura of a giant predator. ¡°Minister.¡± Woo Jin-cheol opened his mouth calmly as he looked at the minister whose face had turned pale. Just as I said long ago in front of President Kim. ¡°If I step forward, how long do you think it will take to kill everyone in this building, including your bodyguards?¡± ¡°No, this guy!¡± At those words, the minister jumped to his feet, but his body froze stiffly at the murderous intent that Woo Jin-cheol was sending out. Woo Jin-cheol did not overestimate his own strength. Just an A-ss. With such mere power, they were nothing but flies in the face of those great monarchs and rulers. But at least¡­ ¡­ among the same humans, the power of an A-ss Hunter is truly disastrous. How can a human who is helpless when confronted by a tiger or a bear possibly handle a top-ss hunter? ¡°How many hours? No, it won¡¯t even take a few minutes.¡± Woo Jin-cheol continued to speak calmly, looking at the minister who was bing increasingly blue in his own eyes. ¡°How many people do you think it would take to stop me from causing such a ruckus? Well, if we mobilize all the police and military in Seoul and hold out until my magic power runs out, we could probably stop it somehow.¡± Woo Jin-cheol¡¯s expression as he spoke of the terrible things so calmly and nonchntly aroused the minister¡¯s fear even more. ¡°Well¡­ ¡­ You, why on earth¡­ ¡­ .¡± I wanted to say something, but I was so overwhelmed by the pressure of life that I couldn¡¯t even move m y lips properly. ¡°At that time, I will kill the minister right in front of you, and I will kill your family members one by one. Oh, of course, I will only kill the family members whomitted wrongdoings in the past as recorded in this document.¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­ !¡± ¡°And as the Minister said, I just have to run away until the statute of limitations runs out.¡± ¡°So, you¡­ ¡­what do you want from me?¡± The terrified minister eventually gave in to Woo Jin-cheol¡¯s threats. At that moment, Woo Jin-cheol¡¯s murderous spirit that had been dominating the area disappeared as if it were a lie. He adjusted his ck sunsses and smirked. ¡°Um, well, first of all, help me establish the association¡­ ¡­ and here¡¯s one more thing.¡± Woo Jin-cheol held out a strange mineral from his bosom. ¡°I¡¯m trying to collect some of this stuff, could you help me out?¡± ¡°Th, what is that?¡± ¡°No one knows the name yet, but it¡¯s called ¡®Rune Stone.''¡± Shh. In this way, the Hunter Association was quickly established with the consent of many politicians ording to Woo Jin-cheol¡¯s wishes. After that, Woo Jin-cheol kept his promise and spared the lives of all those who hadmitted corruption in the past. But only life. 1 After everything was over, they were all imprisoned in Jisan Prison, which Woo Jin-cheol had created. Chapter 300 Chapter 300 This was originally an absolutely impossible task. In order to create an association that would unite all the hunters in a country, it was necessary to go through a veryplex and cumbersome process, both politically and economically. That wasn¡¯t a problem that a mere police chief could handle. In the past, this was possible because Chairman Koh Kun-hee himself was the head of arge corporation. But perhaps it was because we pursued too moderate a method. At that time, it took too long for the association to be established. In the meantime, countless senseless sacrifices have urred due to uncontrolled viins. Since Woo Jin-cheol had all those memories, he decided to use a rather radical and bold method this time. This was not simply due to the problems discussed above. Because he was someone who had already experienced the world on the verge of apocalypse, and he clearly remembered all the disasters that were absolutely impossible for humans to handle. It was not a situation where one could be picky about the means and methods. ¡®This is a world without Hunter Sung Jin-woo. Can I fill his empty spot?¡¯ Just that fact alone shows how heavy the responsibility that Woo Jin-cheol had to bear must have been. After the cataclysm, he couldn¡¯t sleep a single night without sleeping pills. How can you lie in bed with your eyes closed when you feel as if the heavens will split open at any moment and the monarchs will storm in? ¡®It¡¯s impossible to fill his empty spot in the first ce. So what can I do?¡¯ Woo Jin-cheol desperately thought about it. What Sung Jin Woo wants. What will this world look like when Sung Jin-woo returns from his absence? Then the answer came out. ¡®Not to hold him back when hees back. That¡¯s the best we can do. At least we shouldn¡¯t be a nuisance to him.¡¯ To do that, first of all, he needed the power topletely control the Hunters. It had to be a Hunter Association with overwhelming control over the Hunter Association led by S-ss Hunter, Chairman Go Gun-hee. But he himself was only an A-ss. It would have been impossible to make the S-ss Hunters that would appear in the future follow the Hunter Association¡¯s orders through normal means. ¡®So I¡¯m going to force it. I don¡¯t care about the means or methods.¡¯ bang! ¡°Who, who¡­ ¡­ !¡± bang! ¡°Wow, Woo Jin-cheol?!¡± ¡­ ¡­ And so, one after another, the people leading Korea¡¯s politics and economy received a sudden visit from Woo Jin-cheol. Even in the midst of all this, Woo Jin-cheol was very fair and impartial. Because I visited all political parties equally, regardless of whether they were ruling or opposition parties. Since the figures whomitted corruption were mixed in a simr proportion in any political party, if the order was maintained, the bnce would be right. It would also minimize the confusion in the situation. bang! ¡°Hello. My name is Woo Jin-cheol.¡± Suddenly the door was smashed open. bang! ¡°Hello. This is Woo Jin-cheol.¡± The moment a man wearing ck sunsses suddenly barged into his office. ¡°Hello. Do you know me?¡± ¡­ ¡­ ! Politicians who saw Woo Jin-cheol, without exception, closed their eyes tightly with an expression that said, ¡®It was bound to happen, after all.¡¯ Rumors about Woo Jin-cheol had already spread far and wide. Through the contactwork of those whomitted corruption together. But what if I¡¯ve already heard the rumor? What can they do? ¡°I heard you recently tripled the number of personal guards you have? I guess you heard my rumor.¡± ¡°That, that¡­ ¡­ .¡± ¡°I wonder who you heard that from. Who is it?¡± ¡­ ¡­ Gulp. There was nothing they could do in the first ce. Other than just thinking about it and swallowing dry saliva. No matter how many bodyguards were added, Woo Jin-cheol¡¯s visit could never be stopped. Even though he paid a huge amount of money and hired ¡®Awakened Ones¡¯ as bodyguards, he was helpless. It was a natural thing. The world didn¡¯t have a Hunter rank yet. Even if they had recruited arge number of Awakened people as security guards, they themselves did not know whether their power was C-ss or B-ss. Even if there were dozens, if not hundreds, of such people gathered together, they were no match for Woo Jin-cheol. Moreover, it wouldn¡¯t have made a difference if by chance there was a ss A Awakener among those guards. A ss A kid who just woke up? It was extremely rude topare Woo Jin-cheol to an inexperienced A-ss who didn¡¯t even know how to use his own power. In the first ce, Woo Jin-cheol was the head of the Hunter Association¡¯s ¡®Surveince Department¡¯ who had faced countless other hunters in the past. Ssurukruk- bang! ¡°¡­ ¡­ Keuk!¡± Woo Jin-cheol suddenly grabbed the bodyguard who appeared behind him without a sound by the cor with one hand and threw him to the ground. He opened one eye in surprise. ¡°Hmm? This person is quite something. Where did you recruit such a useful assassin Awakened?¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­ Uh, how?¡± The Awakened Assassin, who was trying to kill his presence and attack him from behind, couldn¡¯t help but panic. Beyond the ck sunsses, Woo Jin-cheol¡¯s bird-like eyes were piercing through his stealth skills. However, Woo Jin-cheol calmly answered the Awakened Assassin who was looking up at him with a bewildered expression. ¡°Don¡¯t be so disappointed. I recently learned the new ¡®crisis detection¡¯ skill, so I¡¯m not easily surprised. But, Minister? Is this all you¡¯ve prepared?¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­ I will cooperate with the association.¡± ¡°You thought well. Was it so hard to say just one word? It would have been easier for both of us if you had just answered when I asked over the phone.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­ ¡­ .¡± ¡°Well, I understand. If you be the president of the Hunter Association, wouldn¡¯t it be great to use that great power politically? It would certainly be attractive. But as I always say, I have absolutely no intention of getting involved in politics.¡± Woo Jin-cheol met politicians one by one and threatened them, but he also firmly established his beliefs. Hunters in the realm of hunters. Politicians are in their own sphere. Because it was the belief of the Hunter Association, or rather, of its president, Goh Kun-hee, to make the world turn properly. ¡°There¡¯s only one thing I wish for. That all hunters can just focus on what they¡¯re supposed to do as hunters.¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­ Hunter.¡± The first person to quietly mutter the name ¡®Hunter¡¯ that came out of Woo Jin-cheol¡¯s mouth was none other than the Awakened Assassin who had failed to ambush Woo Jin-cheol. Woo Jin-cheol nced down at him and smiled strangely. ¡°In that sense, I will take this Awakened person with me. It would be a waste of my skills to live as a bodyguard for a politician. By the way, this is not a request.¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­Do whatever you want.¡± As he watched Woo Jin-cheol¡¯s back as he dragged away the assassin¡¯s awakened followers and disappeared, the politician left in his office let out a deep sigh. The rumors were true. There is a rumor that Woo Jin-cheol kidnaps(?) any useful Awakened people he sees among the bodyguards of the politicians he visits, saying he will use them for the association. It was just absurd that such a reckless person would create an association to eradicate ¡®viins¡¯. ¡­ ¡­ And so, in the end, the Hunter Association was created very smoothly through a dramatic agreement between the ruling and opposition parties. Woo Jin-cheol proudly became the first president of the association. The way it was done was very unconventional and very fast. Thanks to this, Korea was able to emerge from the catastrophic pandemic at the fastest rate in the world and be famous as a country with a stable society. Even people from other countriese here often to learn about the system and hunter methods created by the Korean Association. As such, Woo Jin-cheol¡¯s association was able to systematically capture viins who were running wild under the influence of magic, and even created a special viin detention center. Additionally, as the Association¡¯s control became stronger than in the past, it was able to prevent unnecessary battles from urring due to conflicts between Hunter Guilds. In addition, as soon as a gate is opened, the association can respond immediately, which means citizens can safely return to their daily lives. In the process, it was a secondary matter that Woo Jin-cheol gained tremendous support from the citizens, and on the contrary, many people became enemies of him. Because the process of creating the association was unconventional, there were quite a few people who held a grudge against him. In particr, those who knew that all their corruption was in Woo Jin-cheol¡¯s hands secretly spent a huge amount of money to assassinate him. but. No attempt worked on Woo Jin-cheol. bang! ¡°Hello, mayor.¡± ¡°Huh, how?!¡± ¡°Oh, I see. I guess you¡¯re surprised. I recently developed a skill that makes me immune to some poisons.¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­ !¡± ¡°Arrest him.¡± Woof woof! A politician who attempted to assassinate Woo Jin-cheol, who had be the president of the associati on, was captured by the Hunters and taken away. The Association had only just been formed, so the world was stillwless, and tant assassination attempts like this weremonce. But surprisingly, none of those attempts worked on Woo Jin-cheol. ¡®How many skills does that guy Woo Jin-cheol have¡­ ¡­!¡¯ For the forces hostile to Woo Jin-cheol, that fact was maddening. Because there was absolutely no way to deal with him. There was even a rumor that Woo Jin-cheol had over a hundred skills. And surprisingly, the rumor was getting pretty close to being true. In real time. And the reason and method for this are still unknown to the people of the world. The association¡¯s creation was incredibly fast. The world was still in the early stages of cataclysm. People also didn¡¯t know about the ¡®rune stone¡¯. To begin with, the absolute amount of rune stones released into the world was significantly small. Even if someone was lucky enough to obtain a ¡®rune stone¡¯, they didn¡¯t even know that they had to break the rune stone with their own hands to learn a new skill. Those who instinctively noticed that it was a precious item would rather keep the rune stone without damaging it than break it. Because I didn¡¯t know how to use it in the first ce. Even then, there was a time when, while hunting a demon, someone would identally break a rune stone inside the demon¡¯s body with a sword, and that was the only time they would learn a new skill. ¡®¡­ ¡­ But these good times will soon end.¡¯ People aren¡¯t stupid. Ultimately, it¡¯s just a matter of time. Sooner orter, every hunter would know about the runestone. So, Woo Jin-cheol took advantage of this brief period of confusion to gather as many rune stones as possible in order to get ahead of everyone else. The more he did this, the more skills he could use increased. But even so, he was still an A-ss hunter. Woo Jin-cheol was well aware of his own limitations. He was not a hunter like Sung Jin-woo who grew through repeated battles. but. ¡®I have to be stronger. Stronger than anyone else.¡¯ In order to fill Sung Jin-woo¡¯s empty spot, I had to be stronger somehow. At least not to be pushed around by humans. So the method I came up with was to monopolize the rune stones. ¡®If you can¡¯t increase the amount of magic power, why not increase the types and number of ¡®skills¡¯?¡¯ Even if they are the same A-ss, it is natural that the more skills you can handle, the stronger you are. So, wasn¡¯t ¡®runestones¡¯ traded at astronomical prices among hunters in the old days? But at a time when people in the world still did not know about the value of runestones. ¡­ ¡­ Woo Jin-cheol had be the one and only A-ss hunter in the world who used the most skills. Of course, only a very small number of people within the association are aware of this fact. Among them, the final hunter who had been with him since the beginning knew well Woo Jin-cheol¡¯s true power. ¡­ ¡­ and the resulting side effects as well. Jeez¡­ ¡­ . And now, Suho was seeing the results right before his eyes. Just an A-ss. The result of cramming too many skills into a limited container¡­ Woo Jin-cheol was dying now. 4 And this was a situation that could never be resolved even if a top-level healer came. In the first ce, this wasn¡¯t an injury, it was just the process of his vessel breaking. The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone! Chapter 301 Chapter 301 Gooooo- Somewhere in outer space, far away from Earth. In the middle of a battlefield where a foreign war is taking ce. A man wearing pitch-ck armor andmanding the battlefield suddenly looked somewhere and muttered. ¡°¡­ ¡­ I wonder if the chief is okay.¡± As the war with the Itarims continued, sometimes I would think of those I had left behind on Earth. Among them, the person who was particrly concerning was none other than Chief Woo Jin-cheol. [Who are you so worried about?] One of the rulers who was directing the angels nearby asked him. [Family or friends?] ¡°He¡¯s arade. The only one who shares my old memories¡­ ¡­ He¡¯s arade.¡± [A human with memories of the past¡­ ¡­ If that¡¯s the case, then he would be doing a great job in these chaotic times. What are you so worried about?] ¡°¡­ ¡­ I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll try too hard.¡± [hmm?] Sung Jin-woo couldn¡¯t help but smile bitterly at the ruler¡¯s question. ¡°That¡¯s because he¡¯s that kind of person.¡± How could I not be worried? In the past, asrades, in this world, as coworkers. Seong Jin-woo, who knew Woo Jin-cheol¡¯s personality well because they had been together for so long, couldn¡¯t help but worry about him. Woo Jin-cheol. He was the person on Earth who knew the most about the truth of this world. It had already been several decades since he recalled memories of the past. Even though he worked as a police officer alongside Sung Jin-woo, he was also aware of the fact that Sung Jin-woo was sometimes blocking invaders from another dimension whenever he was away. So, didn¡¯t you make up an appropriate excuse every time, such as leaving work early or taking a half-day off, and then approve it? To that extent, Woo Jin-cheol was an incredibly trustworthy boss at work, and a colleague whose friends hip grew even stronger during their two lives together. But¡­ ¡­sometimes knowing too much can be poisonous. Thanks to that, Woo Jin-cheol has known for a long time. The fact that in this world, Sung Jin-woo is still fighting off alien invaders. No, the fact that even in this world, alien invaders are still targeting Earth. Thanks to Sung Jin-woo, the world wasn¡¯t hit by a cataclysmic change like before. He was also a man who knew all too well that this peace could be shattered at any moment and that things could return to the way they were then. That fact caused great anxiety in Woo Jin-cheol¡¯s heart. That¡¯s PTSD, really. It was a severe stress symptom experienced by soldiers who returned from war, and in reality, he was a war veteran who still had vivid memories of the end of the world that were much more severe and horrific than the wars between humans. But fortunately, Sung Jin Woo was always by Woo Jin Chul¡¯s side. Thanks to that, whenever Woo Jin-cheol had a small talk with Seong Jin-woo, he would joke about what he would do if that kind of world came again. ¨C Mr. Sung Hunter. If that world everes again¡­ ¡­ I will do this. No, it might be better to do this. Since Chairman Koh Kun-hee has already passed away, to take his ce¡­ ¡­ . Of course, it was really a joke at the time. Doesn¡¯t everyone live their lives chattering away and imagining things like, ¡®What if something happens?¡¯ But Sung Jin-woo already knew. Every time he made that joke, every time he imagined that, the look in Woo Jin-cheol¡¯s eyes as he said those words was more serious than ever. And as evidence of this, Woo Jin-cheol had be a bachelor. However, that doesn¡¯t mean he specifically dered that he would not marry. But no matter how old he got, he never seemed to think about marriage or children. When I caught him and asked him about it, Woo Jin-cheol answered like this. ¨C Mr. Sung Hunter, do you know that? I actually came from an orphanage. I don¡¯t know who my parents are. I don¡¯t have any children. But as I live¡­ ¡­ there are many times when this is better than I thought. Do you know what that is? -Well, what is it? -That there are no weaknesses. -¡­ ¡­ . -Not having a family to take hostage. That¡¯s why I was able to be the head of the surveince depart ment in the old days. No matter how much I held a grudge against the viins, I didn¡¯t fear the consequences. Woo Jin-cheol, who was saying those words, brought back old memories with an expression on his face as if he had swallowed a very bitter medicine. -¡­ ¡­ There were often cases where the families of colleagues or subordinates wereter retaliated against by viins. The Hunter Association¡¯s surveince department. As he said, the Hunters and the Surveince Department that managed the bad Hunters were always exposed to danger. -What if we are awakened? What if we are A-ss? All we can do is sneak into their house and take revenge on our powerless family. Woo Jin-cheol remembered clearly. The look in the eyes of the viins who were caught and arrested by the surveince and hunters. Those venomous eyes weren¡¯t just a warning to be careful on the road at nightter. Viin. Theymitted crimes, but before that, they were already superhumans with incredible strength. In a situation where it would be terrifying if ordinary criminalsmitted revenge crimes, if viins with superhuman strength took revenge¡­ ¡­ it would be truly a tragedy. Murder of a family? The viins¡¯ revenge didn¡¯t end there. There have always been sacrifices made by Association Hunters who suffered retaliation more horribly than one could imagine. When the Association is looked down upon by viins, truly terrible things happen. -That¡¯s why we instinctively had no choice but to stop even when the viins made threats with words. Especially colleagues with children. But those threats didn¡¯t work on me at all. I didn¡¯t have a family to begin with, which would be a weakness. -¡­ ¡­ Is that why you¡¯re not having a family this time either? Because you¡¯re a police officer? -Haha, that¡¯s right. I went around and around and somehow ended up bing a detective in the violent crimes division again. The degree may be different, but it¡¯s a simr job where you¡¯re afraid of the aftereffects. ¨C Don¡¯t do that, Chief. This time, you should date and get married. If you have a family, I will release all the soldiers and protect you without harming even a single particle of dust. -Haha, just hearing that makes me feel reassured. If the Shadow Legion were to protect me directly, I wouldn¡¯t have to worry about any real troubles. But¡­ ¡­ Do you know what? Then, Woo Jin-cheol nced around and whispered the hidden truth so that only Sung Jin-woo could hear. -Actually, I¡¯m just not popr. Whenever I go on blind dates, everyone says my eyes are too scary and downs their coffee in one shot before quickly packing up their bags. -¡­ ¡­ Chief, when was your birthday? I¡¯ll buy you a pair of luxury sunsses this time. -Haha. Thanks for this. Numerous small talk conversations that seemed serious at first but ended up having quite bitter conclusions. Looking back, the rtionship between Sung Jin-woo and Woo Jin-cheol has always been like that. We¡¯d have fun catching criminals together, then return to the police station and share a cup of mixed coffee. A coworker with whom I shared small, trivial daily life stories. Looking back, all those insignificant moments were all memories. Especially when you are fighting nonstop in the middle of such a vast outer space, such memories sometimes help you breathe easier. -Anyway, Chief, I mean what I say. If you have a family, I will unconditionally protect you even if I have to deploy all my troops¡­ ¡­ This time, make sure you have a family. -Okay. Then I guess I just receive too much¡­ ¡­ Hmm. But what can I do about it? Woo Jin-cheol couldn¡¯t help but think for a long time at Seong Jin-woo¡¯s sincere words. Isn¡¯t that right? Because there was nothing that I, a mere human, could do for Sung Jin-woo, who already had everything. -Ah! Then let¡¯s do this. I really hope that doesn¡¯t happen, but¡­ ¡­ If by any chance, His Excellency the Hunter is away for a long time, I will also protect His Excellency the Hunter¡¯s family. -Huh? Is that okay? If a police chief uses his subordinates for personal reasons like that, isn¡¯t that disciplinary action? -Is discipline a problem now? If that day reallyes, the world will already be on the verge of ending. Woo Jin-cheol, who had already experienced a world on the brink of destruction once, was truly disgusted by those words and shuddered. But as time passed¡­ ¡­ . When this world, which he had only joked about back then, became real, Sung Jin-woo realized Woo Jin-cheol¡¯s true feelings once again. ¡°¡­ ¡­ I think you¡¯re trying too hard.¡± This time, Sung Jin-woo, who briefly glimpsed the situation on Earth through illusion, came to know roughly what Woo Jin-cheol has been doing for the past two years. And surprisingly, he really¡­ ¡­kept every word he said. Create an association and be its president. By creating an association with even more powerful power than the one created by Chairman Koh Kun-hee, they seeded in stabilizing the chaos in South Korea at a very fast pace. But when he thought about how much he had suffered in the process, Sung Jin-woo couldn¡¯t help but smile bitterly. Chairman Koh Kun-hee himself was already the head of arge corporation, a S-ss hunter, and even possessed immense power to the point of being a ruler. On the other hand, Sung Jin-woo could tell without even looking what path Woo Jin-cheol, who was only a police chief, had walked to fill that role, or rather, to do it even better than before. Because I¡¯ve heard it countless times already. -If¡­ ¡­ If I be the president of the association¡­ ¡­ When that dayes¡­ ¡­ No, it really shouldn¡¯te¡­ ¡­ . On days when there was a dinner party for the powerful squad, he would get drunk and mutter to himself about his numerous ns¡­ ¡­ . Of course, every time, Sung Jin-woo knew that it would never happen anyway, but he would seriously answer each and every one of his drunken questions. -No. If your skills increase too much beyond a certain point, the chief¡¯s vessel will eventually be unable to handle it and will break. The concept is a little different, but I¡¯ve already seen my father die like that once. -I know. Even though Chairman Ko Kun-hee was chosen as the ruler¡¯s vessel, his body was too old and weak to properly handle the power. But still, still¡­ ¡­ When that day reallyes, I¡­ ¡­ will do my best. Because I never want to experience such despair again. -¡­ ¡­ . Seong Jin-woo couldn¡¯t say anything as he listened to Woo Jin-cheol¡¯s drunken rant that was repeated over and over again. And then you realize it again. Sometimes, knowledge can be poisonous. Forgetfulness is a blessing given to mankind. Especially when I remember again the experience of absolute despair and apocalypse¡­ ¡­ . That it meant reviving a terrible trauma that had long been forgotten. -¡­ ¡­ If you sleep well, you will forget it. I will take you home. -Yes, my lord. -Master Hunter¡­ ¡­ ! Don¡¯t erase my memories likest time! This is an order from my superior¡­ ¡­ ! -¡­ ¡­ . Yes, that¡¯s right. In fact, Sung Jin-woo also tried to erase Woo Jin-cheol¡¯s memories several times for his sake. But it was no use. Since I have already developed a deep rtionship with Sung Jin-woo. Because for the human named Woo Jin-cheol, memories of the past were no longer mere fragments of memories. The memories of Sung Jin-woo, the great shadow lord and the king who rules over death, went beyond the human body and dug deep into his soul¡­ ¡­ so they became his ¡®memories¡¯. Seong Jin-woo, who had been worrying while thinking of Woo Jin-cheol, turned his gaze back to the fierce battlefield and muttered. ¡°Well, I guess it¡¯ll be okay for the time being. I¡¯ve taken some precautions just in case.¡± * * * sh! [¡®Item: Xavier¡¯s Soulstone¡¯ is activated.] ¡°huh?¡± At that moment, Suho¡¯s inventory in front of Woo Jincheol opened on its own, and one of the items that Seong Jinwoo had arranged popped out on its own. And it seeped into Woo Jin-cheol¡¯s body, which was gradually cracking due to his excessive skills. Chapter 302 Chapter 302 Even though he is currently on leave, Lee Ra-beom-do Su-ho was an art student. The times I spent in front of the canvas, holding a brush and pencil, and thinking. Moments of mixing paints to create colors, making pottery, and contemting the meaning of the work. All that time sometimes gave me a special perspective on who I am now. And now, at this moment. Suho suddenly remembered the Japanese ceramic repair technique he had presented in front of ss. ¡®Kintsugi¡¯ Everything can¡¯t be perfect. Broken, shattered, cracked. That¡¯s life, that¡¯s art, that¡¯s living. -¡­ ¡­ Kintsugi means ¡°connecting gold with gold,¡± and is a Japanese craft technique that involves repairing broken pieces of ceramic by reattaching them withcquer and then applying gold powder along the broken lines. -What are the philosophical implications of that technique? The professor¡¯s voice echoed vividly throughout the auditorium. Suho turned the prepared PPT over to the next page. -The Kintsugi technique goes beyond the concept of simply repairing objects, and contains the meaning of ¡®not hiding wounds but revealing them, and epting even those wounds as part of beauty.¡¯ This is a lesson that we can embrace the wounds and ws we experience in human life, and move forward through them¡­ -That¡¯s correct. You prepared your presentation well. The professor nodded with a faint smile. -The art of filling in the broken ces with gold instead of making thempletely new, making them even more beautiful. It¡¯s just like our lives. And then he exined. ¨C A bowl is bound to break someday. We too, in the storms of time, sometimes get hurt, crack, break, and copse. But is there anything perfect in the world? And now, at this moment. It was natural for Suho to recall the memories of that day. -¡­ ¡­ to finally love even that imperfection. To ept the wounds piled up in our souls as their own beauty. The umted scars of life are also the history of the true struggles we have created ourselves¡­ ¡­ . ¡®Connecting gold with gold.¡¯ It was not a simple repair, but a sublimation through the wound¡­ ¡­ . sh! As the saying goes, Woo Jin-cheol¡¯s entire body was surrounded by a golden barrier in front of Su-ho. [This is such a high level of sorcery¡­ ¡­!] The one who was most shocked by this was Harmakan, the Shadow Demon. Xavier¡¯s soul stone. The magical power of Sung Jin-woo contained within it, its mysterious golden light, was running wildly along the cracks that were splitting apart all over Woo Jin-cheol¡¯s body. Shwaaaaak-! Its appearance is like the roots of a tree with forked roots. Like a spider web that is borately and meticulously designed. Like the hands of a craftsman repairing broken pottery. Sung Jin-woo¡¯s barrier began to delicately sew together Woo Jin-cheol¡¯s cracked vessel and the history of his struggles with golden thread. [Xavier¡¯s soulstone begins ¡®Skill Reconstruction¡¯.] [Skills are reorganized into a new system.] Like porcin being reborn through the hands of a craftsman, Woo Jin-cheol¡¯s vessels were slowly changing. The change was truly amazing. During that time, numerous skills that had been excessively injected into Woo Jin-cheol to the point of being on the verge of exploding began to melt one by one and fuse into a new form. In this way, ¡®crisis detection¡¯ and ¡®toxicity tolerance¡¯ met inside Woo Jin-cheol and were reborn as a deep er insight called ¡®survival instinct.¡¯ ¡®Strengthening physical strength¡¯ and ¡®concentrating magical power¡¯ have been sublimated into the essential power called ¡®strong body.¡¯ ¡­ ¡­ The skills that had been scattered into dozens of fragments began to slowlye together as if pieces of a puzzle were fitting together. In a very natural way, as if it was meant to be that way from the beginning. [Skill reconfigurationplete.] [A new skill system has been established.] [A vessel damaged by skill overload is repaired.] ¡°¡­ ¡­ I guess this was Father¡¯s will.¡± In the silence where time seemed to have stopped, Suho¡¯s voice rang out quietly. Just how far ahead did my father see that day? A clone that is not even the main body. Even if it¡¯s just a small fragment. Seong Su-ho¡¯s father, Seong Jin-woo, left behind so many arrangements for those left behind on Earth. Without even using a single ounce of magic power. Using only one soul of a demon tribe as material. Swish! Finally, the golden barrier was removed, and Woo Jin-cheol¡¯s figure was revealed. ¡°Are you okay?¡± Suho asked. ¡°¡­ ¡­ .¡± Woo Jin-cheol slowly raised his two hands and looked at them. A pure white palm with no more cracks. Instead, deep within the skin, there was a golden pattern that seemed to glow faintly, like blood vessels. It was as beautiful as a golden thread on porcin that had endured the test of time. ¡°¡­ ¡­ My body feels light.¡± Woo Jin-cheol muttered. The nagging pain that had been following me since I acquired a certain level of skillpletely disappeared. ¡°¡­ ¡­ It¡¯s like I got a new bowl.¡± Woo Jin-cheol¡¯s words were full of deep emotion. During that time, numerous skills shed with each other, and the chaotic flow that tried to tear apart his body naturally continued as one flow. It was as if instruments that had been ying discord for a long time hade together in harmony to create a beautiful melody. And I could tell without anyone having to tell me. That this golden barrier was a consideration left by Sung Jin-woo for himself. Seong Jin-woo may seem like a bit of an indifferent person on the outside, but having been with him for a long time, I knew the kindness contained within him. So, I dare to make a guess. Maybe¡­ Sung Jin-woo might already know, even in that distant outer space. -If by any chance, His Majesty the Hunter happens to be away from his post for a long time¡­ ¡­ . That he was doing his best to keep the promise he had made to him all along. -I will also protect Mr. Sung Hunter¡¯s family. Create an association, be its president¡­ ¡­ . The fundamental motivation behind the path you have walked over the past few years. -Huh? Is that okay? If a police chief uses his subordinates for personal reasons like that, isn¡¯t that disciplinary action? Sigh. Woo Jin-cheol smiled as he recalled the conversation that day. ¡­ ¡­ Looking back, that was it. The reason why he had solidified his power as the president of the association in the first ce. The reason why I desperately ran through my second life, doing my best. At the root of it all was a very personal purpose. Protecting Sung Jin-woo¡¯s family just like that promise. In order to keep the promise he made while drunk, he joined hands with CEO Yoo Jin-ho among the many conglomerates. It was for this reason that the most reliable association hunter, Kim Cheol, was sent to Yangpyeong as the branch manager. [Don¡¯t let your guard down. This is only a temporary measure.] At that moment, breaking his thoughts, Ber¡¯s voice pierced Woo Jin-cheol¡¯s ears. Ber, who had been by Seong Jin-woo¡¯s side the whole time, knew the true nature of this spell. [This barrier is a magic circle that the King studied with many demons long ago. Its purpose was to forcibly hold on to a vessel that was on the verge of breaking. Originally, it was a study that began in order to never again feel the helplessness of having to simply watch Seong Il-hwan die.] But the research that started that way was used in apletely different situation. That¡¯s right, Cha Hae-in. [Then, when Ms. Cha Hae-in became pregnant with the little prince, as the little prince¡¯s presence inside her womb grew bigger and bigger, Ms. Cha Hae-in¡¯sbor pains also became more severe. Eventually, she was on the verge of breaking the vessel.] ¡°¡­ ¡­ What? Me?¡± Suho¡¯s eyes widened at those words. It was under unexpected circumstances that I learned the secret of my birth. [Yes. Just by the fact that an ordinary human was holding the Little Lord, Cha Hae-in¡¯s vessel was already exceeding its limit day by day. That was when this magic circle was first used.] The purpose of the barrier is to restore a vessel that has reached its limit. [The result was a great sess.] It was a blessing. The moment the witch doctor surrounded Cha Hae-in, the pain disappeared as if it were a lie, and Cha Hae-in¡¯s vessel was also safely restored. That¡¯s how Seongsuho was born. But things were different then and now. [At that time, the King was right next to Cha Hae-in and continuously injected magical power into the barrier. But now it is different. Without that much help, the barrier itself is ultimately just a temporary measure. The crisis has been ovee for now, but if we overdo it here, the vessel will start to crack again.] A stopgap measure. Although his tone was cold, Ber was ultimately worried about Woo Jin-cheol. [Don¡¯t increase your skills any more from now on. Then you might really die.] ¡°Thank you for the advice, Ber.¡± [¡­ ¡­ This is not advice, but a warning.] ¡°Thank you for the warning.¡± [¡­ ¡­ .] Woo Jin-cheol just smiled because he knew what Ber was thinking. And then he opened his mouth, looking around at Suho and everyone around him. Sung Jin-woo lifted up the ck sunsses he had bought her as a birthday present. ¡°Now that you¡¯re feeling healthy, shall we talk about work?¡± * * * So, Suho sat across from Woo Jincheol for a long time and shared the information they knew. And I handed over all the supplies I brought from Korea. Woo Jin-cheol and his group, who had already run out of supplies and were gathering supplies on their own nearby, couldn¡¯t help but be astonished when a huge amount of supplies suddenly appeared before their eyes. Even Woo Jin-cheol, who is usually not surprised by anything, was honestly taken aback this time. This is because, in addition to the supplies sent by the Korean government and association, they also included military supplies that CEO Yoo Jin-ho had raided and taken from the warehouses ofrge guilds. Of course, the most useful of those weapons were already in the hands of the Shadow Soldiers of Suho, but even the equipment of inferior quality was precious to Woo Jin-cheol and his group. Hunters¡¯ weapons are ultimately consumables. No matter how strong the sword and shield were, if they were used to cut and break the tough hide and h ard bones of the demon beast countless times, their teeth would eventually be damaged and worn down. It¡¯s not like there were any cksmiths or forges that could be used in an apocalypse like North Korea. In the end, everyone had no choice but to fight viciously with the demons with their feet and fists. ¡°Thank you very much. Please tell CEO Yoo Jin-ho that I will repay you in a big wayter.¡± ¡°Conveying it. Why don¡¯t you just say it directly?¡± ¡°¡­yes?¡± Phew! Woo Jin-cheol couldn¡¯t help but be surprised once again. Looking at the gate created above the shadow of the guardian. And looking beyond that, I see Korea. ¡°Everyone, take a short break ande back.¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­ ?!¡± Suho sent the surprised Woo Jincheol and his group to Yangpyeong Hospital for treatment. If anyone in Korea had seen that, there would have been a huge uproar, but fortunately everyone returned to North Korea early the next day, so it passed without a fuss. And in that one night. Suho had already cut down all the nearby Elvenwoods and sent them to the Sea of the Afterlife. Woo Jin-cheol nodded after seeing that and decided on the next schedule. ¡°Now that you¡¯ve had a good rest, we¡¯ll take care of the remaining Elvenwoods in North Korea. Hunter Seongsuho, you should go straight to Russia. There are a lot more trees there anyway¡­ ¡­ .¡± And he handed Hasul over to Suho and said. ¡°Take Hasul with you. She will definitely be of help. In particr, this sickle made from a foreign stone¡­ ¡­ It¡¯s an item given to you by a doctor who came over from Russia. If you meet him, he will be of help.¡± ¡°Doctor? Scientist?¡± Suho tilted his head at the strange words. But Woo Jin-cheol didn¡¯t know the details of his identity. ¡°We don¡¯t know exactly who he is. He introduced himself, but we weren¡¯t in a position to know if it was true or not. At the time, we didn¡¯t even know much about foreign religions. However, if Hunter Seongsuho met him, wouldn¡¯t he be able to find out his identity somehow?¡± ¡°Okay, I guess I¡¯ll go first.¡± And that moment came sooner than expected. The moment Suho crosses the Russian border. Sararak¡­ ¡­ . Suddenly, snow began to fall heavily from the sky. But it wasn¡¯t snow. It was a kind of¡­ ¡­ cell. [Your Majesty, be on guard!] With Ber¡¯s warning, small cells gathered one by one and formed the shape of a woman in front of Suho and Hasul. Pure white skin. Pink hair. The beauty was so perfect that it was almost bizarre. The woman nced at the sickle that Hasul was holding, then greeted Suho in a cold but polite tone. ¡°This is the 47th doll from the doctor. It is an honor to meet you, Seongsuho.¡± The look on his face was as if he had been waiting for this meeting for a long time. Chapter 303 Chapter 303 ¡®doctor¡¯ The unidentified being that Woo Jin-cheol mentioned approached Su-ho faster than expected. As if Suho had been waiting for Russia toe. ¡°¡­ ¡­ The 47th doll?¡± As Suho¡¯s eyes narrowed, the pink-haired woman bowed her head politely and said. ¡°Yes. I am the best toy that the doctor haspleted after 46 experiments. The doctor sent me as a gift to show his favor to Seongsuho.¡± ¡°gift?¡± What does this mean? As Suho¡¯s guard rose at those words, the woman ripped off her own arm without saying a word. Knock knock. ¡­ ¡­ ?! Swoosh- Before she could even be startled by the sudden action, the woman¡¯s arm regenerated in an instant, with pink cells writhing. The woman who had presented such an astonishing performance with such an indifferent expression introduced herself again indifferently. ¡°As you can see, I am the ultimate toy and ve who will fix itself no matter how much you break it. This is a message from the doctor, so please, Seongsuho, y with me as much as you want. You can use me for any purpose, whether it¡¯s to relieve stress or forbat.¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­ .¡± When there was no answer from Suho, the woman tilted her head. ¡°Do you not like me? I was designed to be quite attractive, and people will not like me by human standards, but if there is anything you do not like, I will fix it.¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­ .¡± Suho frowned instead of answering, at the tone of voice that sounded like he was describing some kind of electronic product. No, isn¡¯t that too suspicious? It¡¯s also weird that a guy I don¡¯t even know is offering to give me a gift out of the blue. That gift is immediately the best toy and ve? How many people would readily be grateful if you suddenly showed up and gave them such a gift? To begin with, Suho simply felt ufortable and disgusted when he saw a being that was not even human but rather an artificial human. I was genuinely curious. Does this guy called ¡®Doctor¡¯ really think that his goodwill will be conveyed like this? Don¡¯t you know that this will only make you more alert? ¡®¡­ ¡­ Or is there some other purpose despite that?¡¯ Moreover, Suho was more surprised by the woman¡¯s action of cutting off her own arm without hesitation than by the fact that the woman¡¯s arm had spontaneously reattached itself before his eyes. Isn¡¯t that inhumanity of treating oneself like a toy grotesque? [Your Majesty.] Berdou was also on high alert. Ber muttered, ring at the woman next to Suho. [The energy of Itarim is thickly concentrated. As if¡­ ¡­ .] nce. Ber¡¯s gaze turned to the sickle held in Hasul¡¯s hand. [I think I see a sickle made from that stone.] The sickle of the harvest. A weapon made by melting down a whole foreign stone. Woo Jin-cheol said that he had received that scythe from the doctor before. And then, from the unidentified ¡®experimental subject¡¯ that had formed out of a pink powder before my eyes, I could feel an energy almost identical to that of the scythe. The implications were clear. ¡°You are my gift?¡± ¡°Yes. Please ept me.¡± ¡°Before I decide whether to ept or reject a gift, I need to know who sent it.¡± Suho asked the woman with a stern expression. ¡°Is the ¡®Doctor¡¯ who created you an apostle of Itarim?¡± ¡°you¡¯re right.¡± Immediate answer. Suho was momentarily speechless at the woman¡¯s obedient nod. I never thought it would happen, but it¡¯s true. ¡°Why is the Apostle of Itarim showing me such kindness?¡± ¡°The Doctor would like to inform Seongsuho that his purpose is different from that of the other apostles.¡± ¡°The purpose is different?¡± [Keeek! Your Majesty, don¡¯t be fooled by such lies!] ¡°Of course, it is natural that you do not believe me. That is why the doctor is offering me as a gift first. It is an expression of pure goodwill, meaning that I have no intention of being hostile to Seongsuho.¡± [Keeeek?!] Ber was truly dumbfounded by the sight of the woman shamelessly responding without changing her expression at all. For Ber, who had been at war with them for a long time, he could now see how ridiculous that statement was. However, since the other person had attempted to talk first, Suho intended to use this opportunity to get a little more information. ¡°Then what is your purpose, Doctor? I thought that the Itarim Apostles hade to invade Earth?¡± ¡°Of course, your initial purpose was the same as that of the other apostles. However, it was not your own will, but rather your obedience to the will of Itarim, who created you.¡± I discovered one interesting thing. The attitude of the woman who spoke about Itarim so calmly did not give off any of the respect or faith typical of foreign religions. As if an atheist were talking about religion. On the other hand, the woman showed absolute respect only when speaking of the ¡®doctor¡¯. In a way, it was natural. If the Doctor¡¯s creator was Itarim, then it was the Doctor who created the woman. ¡°Doctor, you have a strong desire to explore. So, shortly after arriving on this, you looked around the¡¯s natives and instead of invading, you began to study them.¡± Pure curiosity. If we were to take that suspicious woman at face value, this is what she ultimately said. ¡°At first I came here to invade, but now that I¡¯m here, there are so many new things to see that I¡¯m just looking around?¡± ¡°It¡¯s more urate to say research and analysis than observation, but in the end it¡¯s simr.¡± ¡°So? Why is the Doctor trying to impress me? Is he asking me to be his Earth guide to the natives?¡± ¡°No. Rather, um¡­ ¡­ .¡± The woman took a moment to choose her words. And I continued my exnation, choosing the most polite expression possible. ¡°The Doctor is very interested in this called Earth. Therefore, he no longer wishes to be an enemy of the Shadow Lord, and likewise, he wishes to have a cooperative rtionship with Seongsuho, the Shadow Lord¡¯s son.¡± ¡°cooperation?¡± [Keeec?] From Ber¡¯s perspective, he was seriously worried about whether he should let Suho continue to hear such abominable words. I don¡¯t know if you know that feeling or not. ¡°especially¡­.¡± At this moment, the woman recalled the things the doctor had usually said. -Isn¡¯t that really interesting? -Originally, all creatures were created to carry out the Creator¡¯s will, but the creatures of this universe killed their Creator of their own free will. -Would you like to try killing me too? I am your Creator. -Why can¡¯t you? You useless things. Don¡¯t you have free will? -You say I can¡¯t do it either? Then I¡¯ll try first. ¡°¡­ ¡­ These days, the doctor is conducting research that defies the Creator¡¯smands of his own volition.¡± Can this really be called research? Free will. The woman had no idea what the doctor really wanted or what he was going to do. But it didn¡¯t matter what he wanted. I wasn¡¯t even curious. He simply follows the absolute orders of the doctor who created him. ¡°And there is a decisive reason why the doctor gave up the invasion.¡± [Keeec?] Ber tilted his head as the woman¡¯s gaze suddenly turned to him. And with the words that followed, Ber¡¯s expression hardened at a frightening pace. Very, very scary. ¡°After learning that the ughterer of the battlefield, General Ber, had personally descended to this, the doctor¡¯s heart became even stronger.¡± [hmm.] ¡°I heard from the doctor that if General Ber wanted to, he could massacre all the apostles who arrived on this at once.¡± [hmm.] As the words continued, Ber simply crossed his arms and snorted with an arrogant and scary look in his eyes. The words that had been dismissed as nonsense until just now are finally starting to make a little sense. ¡°But the reason you are just quietly watching the situation unfold is clearly because you want to train the Shadow Lord¡¯s son and deploy him as a new force for war.¡± [That¡¯s quite a lot. For an apostle of Itarim, he has quite deep insight.] ¡­ ¡­ Nod. What can I do? All Suho could do here was nod his head with a serious expression. Well, there was a bit of a misunderstanding involved, but it wasn¡¯t entirely wrong. Regardless of the minor details, isn¡¯t it true that the prediction was fairly close to the correct answer? ¡°In that sense, I would like to ask for your cooperation with Seongsuho with good intentions.¡± ¡°Cooperation? What do you want?¡± ¡°The Doctor wants to study and analyze this thoroughly. Naturally, this will require considerable time. The problem is that the other Apostles are still destroying the you are studying in real time.¡± ¡°Wait a minute. You mean¡­ ¡­?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right.¡± As Suho¡¯s eyes grew wider as he understood the logic of the words, the woman nodded. ¡°The doctor wishes that all the other apostles who interfere with his research will disappear. In the hands of Seongsuho.¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­ !¡± [¡­ ¡­ !] This time, even Ber couldn¡¯t help but be surprised. Of course I knew. The Itarims temporarily united over amon enemy, Seong Jin-woo, but in the end, they were in a rtionship of keeping each other in check. Aplete winner-take-all. In the first ce, they were invaders who came from across the walls of distant dimensions to monopolize the vast amount of mana remaining in this universe after losing its master. But what about the apostles below them? First of all, apostles who serve the same god will cooperate with each other even though their methods may be different. However, the apostles who servedpletely different gods could openly check each other or fight behind the scenes. To the point of asking for a murder so directly. ¡°So in the end, you need a proxy to fight for you. You yourself should hide in a safe ce.¡± [He seems like a very mean and cowardly guy.] Ber pressured the woman with an overbearing expression that showed he was quite displeased. [If you are going to make a request like this, it is not the custom on this toe to me in person, see my face, and bow down.] ¡°I hope you understand that. The doctor really hates going out of theb.¡± [That¡¯s what they call a coward.] ¡°¡­ ¡­ Rather than that, I think it would be more efficient for you to leave the work of going out and gathering information to us and save time so that you can focus solely on your research.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what they call a cowardly homebody.¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­ .¡± Ber and Suho, who were sarcastic in turn, were a pretty good match for each other. As a result, the woman who had always maintained a nk expression developed an expression for the first time. Ignoring the woman¡¯s slightly crooked snout, or rather, her mouth, Suho pointed to Hasul¡¯s scythe and asked. ¡°Then I¡¯ll ask while I¡¯m at it. So, was this sickle also made by your doctor?¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­ That¡¯s right. Although it was a failure, it was told to humans for the purpose of keeping the Apostles of Paradise in check.¡± ¡°The apostle of paradise just watched that?¡± ¡°Yes. Aside from the strife between the apostles, on the surface, they were on the same side with amon enemy, so there was no reason for the other apostles to stop them from handing over or contaminating the stones to humans.¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­ Am I contaminated?¡± Hasul looked at the sickle she was holding with a disgusted expression. But even so, there was something strange about the sight of him not letting go of the sickle of the harvest. And the woman who heard Hasul¡¯s words, Subject #47, stared intently into Hasul¡¯s eyes and opened her mouth. ¡°That¡¯s not contamination, that¡¯s called ¡®evolution,¡¯ Subject 13.¡± Suddenly. At that strange gaze, Hasul¡¯s expression froze on the spot. Chapter 304 Chapter 304 ¡°Me, me¡­ ¡­ a test subject?¡± The scythe in Hasul¡¯s hand trembled slightly. Then I realized something strange. The woman who introduced herself as the 47th doll was obviously white, and it was difficult to find any resemnce to Ha-seul, who had a typical Asian appearance. but. There were some strangely simr aspects in the indescribable aspects, such as the indifferent gaze, the dry way of speaking, and the atmosphere. Hasul felt it vaguely. The emotion that followed was doubt. When on earth did it start? Since when did I be like this? No, but what kind of person was he originally? Everything was a mess. But unlike Ha-seul, who felt confused, Su-ho was calm. ¡°What on earth are you thinking?¡± Suho suddenly reached out his hand to Ha Seul. Swish- ¡°¡­ah?¡± The power of the ruler. The sickle in Hasul¡¯s hand rose on its own and flew towards Suho¡¯s hand. Hasul was flustered and iled her hands, but the hand holding the scythe had lost its strength after being surprised to hear that she was a test subject. Hooosh- Chuck. Suho, who grabbed the sickle with one hand, gave it a big spin to gauge the energy. [Your Majesty, this is an unclean object. I will take it.] Fearing that Verga might be exposed to any negative influence, he quickly took the sickle from Suho¡¯s hand. From the moment Ber first saw this scythe on Hasul, he felt an inexplicable difort. This strange feeling was not justified by the fact that the material of the harvest sickle was a stone. Verga red at the sickle and the woman with his narrowed eyes. [I never thought it would be like this.] ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Suho also frowned and red at the woman. ¡°That subject 13, you mean this scythe?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right.¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­ !¡± As the woman nodded obediently, Hasul¡¯s eyes blinked wide. Ber, with a burning desire in his whole body, raised one arm as if to grab the woman¡¯s head. [Do you dare to insult us?] ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t mean to. I was just answering the questions faithfully.¡± The woman bowed her head with elegance even before Ver¡¯s death. And he pointed to the sickle that Verga was holding and exined again. ¡°That scythe, Subject 13, is one of the many masterpieces you have created, a weapon for extracting contamination.¡± [Extract? Not contaminating?] ¡°Yes. Subject 13 was created to secretly intercept the energy of the ¡®fruit¡¯ that the Apostles of Paradise were collecting. So, I found a suitable person among the humans wandering around the Apostles of Paradise¡¯s territory and handed him over.¡± ¡°Intercepting the power of the fruit?¡± A strange sight appeared in Suho¡¯s eyes. The woman¡¯s words contained more surprising information than expected. Are you saying that the Apostles of Itarim were not simply keeping each other in check, but were also exploiting each other¡¯s power? ¡°Yes. The person involved must have vaguely noticed it?¡± The woman nced at Hasul¡¯s entire body and asked. ¡°Haven¡¯t you noticed something strange? You¡¯ve probably eaten the Elvenwood fruit countless times, but unlike the other viins, you¡¯ve still remained untainted.¡± ¡°¡­ah.¡± At those words, Hasul¡¯s mouth opened slightly. Now that I think about it, why didn¡¯t I realize it until now? Recently, when a harsh winter swept through the city of viins. When Alfheim went berserk. All the viins who lived there were transformed into mutated beings, covered in hard tree bark as the power of the fruit they had umted in their bodies ran wild. So-called ¡®contaminated¡¯. At this point, Suho also realized something. The fact that the information window that appeared when I first held the fruit clearly said that it was a ¡®contaminated¡¯ fruit. But looking back, Hasul was the viin who ate the most fruit of all. That too, a harvester. In North Korea, where there were no special treatments or healers, the only way to heal wounds and restore health was to eat fruit, so Hasul must have also eaten fruit to survive. Even though Hasul is an S-ss Awakened, there will always be dangerous moments as long as she lives in and full of viins. But Ha-seul, only Ha-seul, was still sane. No matter how much fruit you¡¯ve eaten so far. Unlike other viins, his skin did not turn into bark or harden. ¡°You¡¯re only just realizing it now? Well, it¡¯s only natural that you don¡¯t know. Your goal was to extract the fruit¡¯s power in the most secret way possible, so that not even the Apostles of Paradise would notice.¡± The woman¡¯s words conveyed great pride in her ¡®doctor¡¯. In short, this is what it came down to. 1) Anyone who possesses the Sickle of Harvest will not be corrupted no matter how much Elvenwood fruit they eat. 2) This is because the harvest sickle sucks up the energy of the fruit that umtes inside the body. 3) However, since the temporary regeneration effect urs during the process, no one notices it. ¡°Is this scythe like a water purifier filter? It just filters out the dregs?¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­ The example is a bit strange, but it¡¯s a simr principle. So please take this hand off. It¡¯s a bit heavy.¡± Suddenly, Ber¡¯srge, ck hand was grabbing the woman¡¯s head. If I had the will, I could crush that little head right now. But contrary to her words, the woman showed no sign of fear. To Subject 47, who originally called himself a toy, his own safety was of no concern. The woman continued speaking calmly. ¡°Besides, if that scythe hadn¡¯t existed in the first ce, that girl would have umted so much pollution that she would have be a puppet of the Apostle of Paradise long ago.¡± ¡°He was an apostle of paradise. So what about now? Has he be your puppet instead of an apostle of paradise?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not possible. The function of extracting contamination and the function of causing contamination are in conflict with each other. If both conditions were applied to one test subject at the same time, even the Apostle of Paradise would have noticed it eventually. The doctor did not want to conflict with the Apostle of Paradise, but simply wanted to extract his power for purely research purposes. Of course¡­ ¡­ .¡± The woman continued speaking with some hesitation. ¡°Because the human race is a race that mixes easily¡­ ¡­ I think we¡¯ve been affected just a little bit, but it doesn¡¯t seem like a big problem.¡± ¡°A race that is easy to mix with?¡± ¡°Yes. The doctor said that they are a race with no distinct personality.¡± ¡°Are there any side effects?¡± ¡°If I had to find a side effect¡­ ¡­ I guess it would be that the personality and atmosphere have be somewhat simr to mine. Subject 13 has no special function other than extracting the fruit¡¯s energy, so there are no other side effects.¡± ¡°Does the extracted energy go to the doctor?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± Suho smiled, revealing his teeth. ¡°Then how about this?¡± Suddenly, a delicious-looking ¡®fruit¡¯ appeared in Suho¡¯s hand. And he asked the woman again. ¡°If Hasul eats this fruit now, will the energy flow to the doctor?¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­ Yes.¡± At Soo-ho¡¯s meaningless smile, a slight sense of anxiety sprouted for the first time in the woman who had been expressionless the whole time. ¡°Ber.¡± [Yes, Your Majesty.] ¡°You try it.¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­ ?!¡± At Suho¡¯s words, the woman¡¯s eyes widened for the first time. Bert smirked at that tant reaction. Then he epted the fruit that Suho had handed him and opened his evil mouth wide. ¡°Okay, sleep¡­ ¡­ .¡± Crunch! Before the woman could even stop him, Ber chewed and swallowed the fruit without hesitation. Still holding the sickle of the harvest in his other hand. Crunch crunch! If Hasul had eaten it, it would have been different, but the moment Berga ate the fruit himself. The situation haspletely changed. If you didn¡¯t know, you wouldn¡¯t know. For Ber, who had heard the principle of the sickle of harvest directly from the woman, it was not difficult to trace the energy of the outer universe flowing from the fruit that had entered him to the sickle of harvest. And the direction in which the energy extracted in this way passes through the sickle of harvest and heads somewhere. [Found it.] ¡­ ¡­ ! Shhh- The woman felt a chill as she saw Suho and Ber looking at each other and exchanging smiles. ¡°Okay, wait a minute¡­ ¡­ .¡± Before the embarrassed woman could even finish her words, Suho and Ber turned their heads at the same time to look at the woman¡¯s face and ask. ¡°Over there?¡± [Judging from the expression, I think it¡¯s the right answer.] ¡°There are a lot of fruits, so let¡¯s keep eating them and keep chasing them.¡± [yes.] Whoosh- ¡°¡­ ¡­ Okay, just a moment!¡± It¡¯s already toote to stop. Before the woman, who hade to her senses a beatter, could stop them, they were already running far away. Tracing the flow of energy flowing towards the doctor. ¡°profit!¡± bang! Subject 47 began to desperately chase after them, showing more emotion than ever before. * * * We¡¯re in trouble. The n waspletely ruined. Subject 47 chased after the Guardians and tried to persuade them urgently. ¡°Stop it now!¡± ¡°Hey. You¡¯re such a kind person who gave me gifts, but I should thank you in person.¡± ¡°The doctor is reluctant to interact with others!¡± ¡°But it¡¯s rude to just let it go. Who¡¯s fighting? Let¡¯s at least have a talk.¡± But from the beginning, Suho wasn¡¯t someone who could be persuaded. ¡°Please, I beg you! You can have a conversation with me as much as you want¡­ ¡­!¡± ¡°Anything?¡± At those words, Suho, who had been running in a straight line with Ber, looked back at Subject 47 for the first time. ¡°Are you saying that your master is watching us through you?¡± ¡°That, that is¡­ ¡­ It is not surveince, but a natural phenomenon of connection between the Creator and the creation!¡± ¡°So you¡¯re saying that you sent me to spy on me after all?¡± [He¡¯s a gloomy guy. If this keeps up, I¡¯ll have to find him even more.] ¡°¡­ ¡­ !¡± It was firmly dried. From the moment the initial n went awry, there was nothing 47 could do to stop Suho¡¯s actions. -Even if you are the son of the Shadow Lord, you are still human after all. -A human male in his prime would not turn down a pretty female body. -47, I¡¯ve decided on you. From now on, you will be Seongsuho¡¯s. As 47 chased after Suho, who was running at incredible speed, the doctor¡¯s order echoed in his mind. And finally. Somewhere in the cold snowy fields of Russia. bang! One wall of the researchb of the ¡®Apostle of Evolution¡¯, which was secretly hidden deep in the snowfield, was suddenly shattered, and out of nowhere, a group of viins barged in. ¡°Come out, Inma.¡± and. Crisp. And with one hand he was chewing on a delicious fruit, and with the other he was wielding the grim reaper, or rather the sickle of the harvest, and he roared like the grim reaper. [Keeeeeeeek!] Chapter 305 Chapter 305 The building shook as if it was going to copse at the thunderous roar of Ber. Soon answers came from all directions. [External intrusion detected.] [Activating defense system.] Jiying- moment. Whoosh, Suho¡¯s head turned to the side. Then aser beam flew in from the side and passed right by it. Kkwarung! A strayser beam pierced the wall behind Suho. Suho let out a hollowugh at the lethal attack power that was evident at first nce. ¡°Is this why the best defense is offense?¡± Before Suho could even finish speaking, numerousser beams began to fly at him from all directions at the same time. Jiiing- Jiiing- Kookwakwang! Suho continued forward, dodging all theser beams that were as dense as a. [Your Majesty! There are tiny dimensional gaps everywhere!] As Ber said, beyond dimensions. Theseser beams wereing out through dimensional cracks that were barely big enough to fit a finger through. First of all, it meant that there was no way to block theser beam in the first ce. At that moment, the earnest voice of Subject 47 was heard in Soo-ho¡¯s ears. ¡°Mr. Seongsuho¡­ ¡­ Please, I beg you. Anything beyond this is dangerous.¡± ¡°Who is in danger? Me? Or the Doctor?¡± ¡°It¡¯s me.¡± ¡°¡­hmm?¡± Suho, who had been mumbling, turned around at those words, and soon couldn¡¯t help but burst outughing. Unlike Suho, who was dodging theser beams one by one, No. 47¡¯s body was being cut and reattached nonstop behind him. It was ridiculous to see him tattered and covered in holes like a rag, as if he had no intention of avoiding theser beam in the first ce. ¡°Your regenerative abilities are amazing. So you¡¯re saying that the person who created someone like you is hiding here?¡± Suho wanted to meet the doctor even more. But when No. 47 said it was dangerous, he meant it. The original purpose of thisser beam was not to eliminate intruders. Kwarrung! ¡°hmm?¡± Out of nowhere, the ceiling above my head began to copse. It was a natural progression. Because theser beams that Suho had fired went through and cut through all the walls and pirs that supported the building. [If we fail to stop the intruders, it seems like the entire building will copse.] ¡°That¡¯s great. Are you preparing for the unexpected?¡± He was a mean but smart guy. The idea is that rather than allowing the enemy to invade, he would rather bury his own entire researchb. But Suho had no intention of backing down. Instead, he used his fist to knock away the piles of ceiling debris that fell on his head, and looked around calmly. ¡°Then how should I prepare for the next time?¡± In my experience, smart people always prepare for the next thing like this. Then wouldn¡¯t they have prepared for what would happen after the research center was destroyed? ¡°Found it.¡± At that moment, something strange appeared in Soo-ho¡¯s eyes. At first nce, theseser beams appeared to be flying at random angles, but upon closer inspection, there was something peculiar about them. Right on the floor. ¡°Why do they cut down all the walls and pirs, but never touch the floor?¡± Suho raised his fist without hesitation toward the floor, which was surprisingly well preserved, unlike the copsing ceiling and walls. [Use ¡®Skill: Rigid Body Technique¡¯.] Bam! Suho¡¯s fist, wrapped in tremendous energy, mmed down vertically. And with that momentum, it went down through the floor of theboratory. Boom boom! [Warning! Intruder in theb!] [Warning! Intruder in theb!] An rm sound that seemed more urgent than before rang out from all directions. ¡°You said earlier that you simply detected an external intrusion, but this time you¡¯re saying that the ¡®research center¡¯ was intruded. So then¡­ ¡­ .¡± Suho, who hade down through the floor, looked around and soon found an old-fashioned staircase leading to the basement. ¡°As expected.¡± It seemed that the ¡®real researchb¡¯ was located even deeper underground than this. Suho, who slowly approached the stairs, suddenly tilted his head. No matter how wide I opened my eyes, I couldn¡¯t see what was beyond the stairs. Like a gateway to an abyss. ¡°Gate?¡± It was Suho who grasped the structure at a nce. ¡°There¡¯s a gate under the stairs. Or is it the other way around? Did they build the gate first, and then the stairs over it?¡± I looked at number 47, hoping for an answer, but number 47 shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t know anything because I was just born. Theb has been like this ever since I was born.¡± ¡°That must be one of the reasons why I sent you as a gift.¡± If you don¡¯t know anything to begin with, there¡¯s no way to extract information. In any case, what was certain was that the scale of the researchb hidden beneath the snowfield was muchrger than expected. If the Apostle of Paradise chose to expand his territory by nting trees that soared high into the sky, the Apostle of Evolution did the opposite. To ensure your own safety and focus solely on your research. 1 It seemed as if he had established his stronghold deep underground. Berga asked. [Do you want to go right in? It could be a trap.] I tried to get there as quickly as possible before he could do anything, but there was no way to know what was waiting for him when dealing with such a smart guy. But what can I do? ¡°Let them do the thinking, and let us take it easy.¡± In the end, in order to meet the doctor, the only option is to enter his territory. ¡°Hunters be hunters.¡± Even at this moment, Suho easily dodged theser beams flying towards him, his eyes shining meaningfully. ¡°If there is a gate, we just attack the gate.¡± Swish! Suho¡¯s feet stepped up the stairs without hesitation. At that moment, theser beams that had been pouring down from all directions as if by magic stopped. The scenery beyond the gate unfolded before Suho¡¯s eyes. [Activates thebyrinth system.] ¡°It really is a mix of all sorts.¡± What was before my eyes was a veritablebyrinth. Numerous walls and mazes block the view. And countless traps hidden along theplex corridors stood in Suho¡¯s way. Kiiiiiing- Starting with a self-moving saw de. Iron spikes rising from the floor. Even acid rain pouring down from the ceiling. These were literally death traps that went off one after another, targeting Suho¡¯s life. ¡°Oh my.¡± Suho just sighed. ¡°It¡¯s not like you¡¯re ying house. What on earth were you hiding inside here making?¡± Theser beam above was much more threatening. ¡°Get up.¡± 2 At Suho¡¯smand, his shadow stretched out along the corridors and walls of thebyrinth. And inside it, countless shadow soldiers rise up with ck steam. ¡°Pierce through.¡± Swaaaaaaah! That was enough. The shadow soldiers cleared Suho¡¯s path by destroying all the traps hidden in thebyrinth. ¡°Now, just a moment!¡± No. 47 hurriedly blocked Suho¡¯s path. ¡°The doctor¡¯sb has many test subjects in addition to the defense system! If we do this, the great achievements he has made will be damaged¡­ ¡­ .¡± Snap! [It¡¯s interrupted.] Ber¡¯s ck hand lifted No. 47¡¯s head. And he looked straight into the eyes of the woman dangling from his hand and gritted his teeth. [If you don¡¯t like this method, show me the way.] ¡°Ah, I see¡­ ¡­ .¡± [It¡¯ste.] ¡°¡­ ¡­ ?!¡± Kwakwakwakwang! [I¡¯ve already pierced through it all.] As Ber had said, Suho¡¯s path ahead was already wide open. Looking at the scenery that had be deste and full of walls and traps, 47 let out a soft sigh. And at the end, there was someone waiting for Suho with an embarrassed expression. boy. A young child who looked no older than ten years old sat on a chair, looked at Suho, sighed, and spoke. ¡°¡­ ¡­ I had thought we would meet someday, but I was surprised because it happened much sooner than I expected.¡± ¡°Are you a doctor?¡± ¡°Yes. Well, that¡¯s what I¡¯m calling myself for now. You can call me the Apostle of Evolution.¡± Surprisingly, the Apostle of Evolution¡¯s expression did not show even a hint of regret over the miserable copse of his hideout. Squeak. As the Apostle of Evolution stepped down from his chair, his small stature became even more noticeable. ¡°It wasn¡¯t nned, but since you¡¯re here, would you like to take a look around myb?¡± Tap tap tap. He moved his short legs and headed towards hisboratory, which Suho had not yet destroyed. [Master, should I kill you?] [First of all, I will¡­ ¡­ .] Shadow soldiers stood by Suho¡¯s side, ring at the Apostle of Evolution¡¯s back, waiting for the order to be given. But Suho stopped them for a moment. Moreover, the Apostle of Evolution also responded that he didn¡¯t care whether they attacked him or not. ¡°I¡¯m a little embarrassed because I didn¡¯t know it would be presented like this. These are all my failures.¡± If the path that Suho had taken so far was abyrinth filled with traps, the ce he had shown was a space that had the atmosphere of a scientist¡¯sboratory. Numerous ss tubes and fish tanks. Pink cells clumped together inside. and. ¡°weapon?¡± Even inside it, there were various types of weapons floating around in a half-finished state, emitting the same energy as the sickle of harvest that Hasul was holding. ¡°Ah, yes. All the ones over there are unfinished. Starting with No. 41, we started making humanoid weap ons in earnest. The No. 47 I gave you is¡­ ¡­ .¡± ¡°for a moment.¡± Suho interrupted him for a moment and got to the point. ¡°So what you¡¯re saying is, there are 39 more weapons like the Harvest Sickle? Where are they?¡± Suho¡¯s gaze quickly scanned the surroundings. Nowhere in this ce was a fully-fledged weapon in sight. The Apostle of Evolution answered Suho¡¯s question awkwardly. ¡°If you think about it, they were all failures, and it¡¯s embarrassing to even call them weapons. But I felt it was a waste to just throw them away, so I gave them as gifts to people I came across.¡± ¡°gift?¡± ¡°Yes. It would be a blow to my pride to trade in a failed product, so I just gave it away for free.¡± It¡¯s free. At those words, Suho remembered what he had heard from Woo Jincheol. Woo Jin-cheol also said that the ¡®doctor¡¯ he met by chance gave him a sickle. Just like what I just heard, without expecting anything in return. ¡®¡­ ¡­ But how can there be no real purpose?¡¯ Suho pointed to number 47 and asked to see what the bastard was thinking. ¡°So is this woman a failure too?¡± ¡°Unfortunately, yes, that¡¯s true. Still, some of them are useful fruits, so I don¡¯t think I¡¯d want to give them to just anyone.¡± ¡°So you sent it to me?¡± ¡°Yes. It is a gift in the truest sense of the word. Just know that I have no intention of being hostile to the Shadow Lord¡¯s son¡­ ¡­ .¡± ¡°Then let me ask you one more question.¡± Suho didn¡¯t get swayed by the bastard¡¯s useless words and got to the main point. ¡°Then, to whom did you give the rest of the weapons, except for the sickle of the harvest?¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­ .¡± * * * Meanwhile, at that time. Woo Jin-cheol and his group split into two after parting ways with Su-ho. Choi Jong-in and Woo Jin-cheol. ¡°Never burn the wooden stakes.¡± ¡°I will keep that in mind.¡± After giving that answer, Choi Jong-in went around North Korea to deal with the rest of Elvenwood. Whoosh! Whoosh! His me skills were optimal against tree-type demons. Of course, it was nothingpared to the mes of destruction of Seongsuho, but it was enough for Elvenwood, which was already in chaos due to the death of the Apostle of Paradise. In the meantime. ¡°Then I too¡­ ¡­ should do what I can.¡± The ce Woo Jin-cheol went to was a city of viins. ¡®Alfheim¡¯ Among all the Elvenwoods, this is where the Apostle of Paradise¡¯s favorite tree was located. At the same time, it is thest hiding ce where the viins who ran away to avoid Woo Jin-cheol were hiding. When I finally got there. ¡°There is no such thing as hell.¡± Woo Jin-cheol gave a shortment with a spontaneous burst ofughter. They say that winter hase to thisnd, but isn¡¯t it a bit too much? As was the case with all thends Seongsuho had passed through, thisnd also once experienced the heat of hell and the bitter cold of winter all at the same time. In a word, it¡¯s a mess. And in the middle of it all. In the center of the city where Alfheim should have been, a giant ice pir towering high into the sky revealed its presence. ¡°We will guard this ce from now on.¡± ¡°Yes. We will set up a garrison nearby.¡± Woo Jin-cheol leaves other chores to Choi Jong-in. I decided to protect what Seongsuho considered most important. But I didn¡¯t n on just sitting here nkly. They say the Apostle of Paradise is dead, but his traces will still be buried beneath this snow-covered field. ¡°Let¡¯s search thoroughly for any trace of the ¡®bank.''¡± When Woo Jin-cheol took off his ck sunsses, the eyes revealed inside shed like a bird of prey. The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone! Chapter 306 Chapter 306 On the snowfield, snow piled up far beyond the horizon, but with so many hunters gathered there, it wasn¡¯t a problem. If the snow melts, that¡¯s it. Even the hunters who follow Woo Jin-cheol have me skills, so it doesn¡¯t even have to be the final boss. No, it would have been better if Choi Jong-in had note forward. The final person¡¯s firepower would not only melt the snow, but might alsopletely burn away any meaningful traces buried beneath it. Huruk! Huruk! With Woo Jin-cheol at the center, the association hunters started to melt the snow and thoroughly search under the snowfield. The remaining hunters without me skills began to build camps in suitable ces. Since we don¡¯t know how long we¡¯ll be staying here, we decided to set up a more substantial base rather than a simple tent. In particr, he devoted the most effort to forming a defensive line to protect the towering ice pir in the center. ¡°¡­ ¡­ I guess I¡¯ll have to live long to see this.¡± Woo Jin-cheol, who was suddenly looking at the thoroughly protected ice pir, muttered with a look of surprise. Sirka. The ice pir where the ice elf, who was Seongsuho¡¯s colleague, was trapped was, ording to Seongsuho¡¯s words, like an egg that could wake up at any moment. And the story goes that the moment the egg breaks is the moment when Sirka inherits the power of the Lord of the Cold and is reborn. ¡°¡­ ¡­ I never thought that the day woulde when I would have to protect the descendants of the Lord of the Cold.¡± The monarch of the cold. I¡¯m in a situation where I have to personally protect the descendants of the author who once murdered Ch airman Koh Kun-hee. Although it is said that the enemy of my enemy is my friend, I couldn¡¯t help but feel a mixture of emotions when I was in this situation. ¡°I guess I¡¯ve lived too long¡­ ¡­ .¡± Woo Jin-cheol was once again making a vain expression and calming down his mind. ¡®No, did time go backwards first?¡¯ After the world waspletely reset, Chairman Koh Kun-hee enjoyed a long and healthy life and passed away. With the respect and admiration of countless people. I also wondered if it would be meaningful to ask for a blood debt from my young descendants for something that has be a non-existent thing in today¡¯s world. ¡®A temporary alliance to deal with a greater enemy. That¡¯s it for now.¡¯ Woo Jin-cheol¡¯s position on Sirka was exactly like that. Besides, electricity was electricity. He did not fully understand the extent of power these beings, known as monarchs, possessed, but he knew that they were at least beyond the realm of human beings. When Sirka bes a monarch safely, she will be of more help to Sung Jin-woo and Sung Su-ho than anyone else. ¡­ ¡­ At the same time, he knew all too well how powerless humans were in this war. As he suddenly thought about that, a bitter expression crossed Woo Jin-cheol¡¯s lips. ¡®Humanity has no role to y in this war anyway. We are just hostages holding back Hunter Seongsuho¡¯s ankles.¡¯ A terribly sobering assessment. But what can I do? It¡¯s an obvious fact, and I¡¯ve already experienced it once. Woo Jin-cheol realized, painfully and painfully, how helpless the human race was at the end of the world. ¡®So, if we don¡¯t just mess around with useless noise, we can get somewhere in the middle.¡¯ Yeah, if wepare it to war, it would be like civil defense. Thinking about that, Woo Jin-cheol snickered. ¡®Still, that¡¯s fortunate. It seems like the role of supporting him from behind is now taken on by his son.¡¯ Seongsuho. Seong Jin-woo¡¯s only son. After seeing his power with my own eyes. Woo Jin-cheol felt relieved for the first time in a long time. The heavy burden that had been weighing on both my shoulders disappeared like melting snow. Especially that night, when I went through the gate that he opened for me and fell asleep on the soft bed at Ajin Hospital while getting an IV drip¡­ ¡­ I was able to sleep soundly for the first time in a long time. Insomnia, something I¡¯ve been suffering from for so long. Dark circles under the eyes that had been hidden by sunsses disappeared overnight. ¡­w. That¡¯s why even this foolishugh couldn¡¯t help but escape my mouth. And then, without thinking, he blurted out the words in passing. ¡°Now that the real war has begun, I guess I can take off the unbing title of Association President.¡± ¡­ ¡­ ?! ¡°¡­ancient?!¡± ¡°What, what are you talking about all of a sudden?!¡± All the hunters working nearby to clear snow were startled by his sudden shocking remark and doubted their ears. No, what did they just hear? The world¡¯s best Woo Jin-cheol is resigning from his position as president of the association? Why all of a sudden? Considering the enormous presence and influence of Chairman Woo Jin-cheol in Korea, it was impossible to think of anyone who could take his ce. But Woo Jin-cheol was sincere. ¡°Preparing for war. That was my role and goal.¡± And truly¡­ ¡­with a relieved expression, he smiled at the bewildered hunters. ck sunsses sparkling against the dazzling snowyndscape. ¡°And no matter how much I think about it, I still think that the position of Chief of the Surveince Division suits me best.¡± ¡­ ¡­ ? The hunters couldn¡¯t hide their confused expressions at his words. ¡®Suddenly the surveince department?¡¯ ¡®What on earth is the president talking about?¡¯ ¡®If it¡¯s the surveince department¡­ ¡­ .¡¯ The Surveince Department is a department that suppresses crimesmitted by hunters and subdues criminals. In other words, it¡¯s more of a PvP battle than a dungeon raid. The Surveince Department was a group armed with skills optimized for dealing with fellow humans rather than dealing with demons. And once. In a lost history that no one now remembers. ¡®Chief Woo Jin-cheol¡¯ was an elite agent with the strongest interpersonalbat power in the surveince department¡­ ¡­ . ¡°In short, this is what I mean.¡± Knock knock, knock. Woo Jin-cheol rxed his shoulders, which had be noticeably lighter, and slowly took out his weapon. ¡°Now I can take off that cumbersome hat and go back to being a hunter.¡± ¡­ ¡­ ! That was the moment. Down below, the voices of hunters who were excavating traces of the ¡®bank¡¯ buried in the snow could be heard simultaneously. ¡°Found it!¡± ¡°I found a suspicious stone tablet!¡± ¡°I can feel the magic¡­ ¡­ no, it¡¯s getting bigger!¡± Whoaaaaah- Before they could finish speaking, the waves of magical power were transmitted to all the hunters in the area. And Woo Jin-cheol, who was the first to sense the danger before anyone else, took a stance and red at the ce. ¡°Come. Everyone, prepare for battle.¡± sh! Suspicious b. As the snow gradually melted, the frozen b of stone beneath it began to glow. Then, ¡®humans¡¯ rushed out from the unidentified gate that had been created above. ¡°What the heck, why is it like this here?¡± ¡°I barely escaped from Ryu Zukang¡­ ¡­ .¡± chinese. The Chinese people, who exuded an extraordinary aura at first nce, looked around the snow-covered fields and grumbled. The Chinese people who appeared covered in blood, not knowing what kind of chaos they had been through, were obviously viins. They found themselves surrounded by Korean Association Hunters and smirked. ¡°Huh? What are these guys?¡± ¡°Want to do it with us?¡± Clearly, the current situation is one that even the Chinese viins could not have predicted. Yet, they never seemed to be intimidated, but instead showed a bitter smile. Even at this moment, the number of Chinese people walking through the gate is at least in the hundreds. On the other hand, there were only a few dozen on the Korean side. Clear numerical superiority. Even in Korea, there was no S-ss final boss at the moment. To make matters worse, there were several A-ss Chinese viins mixed in there. In that tense situation, Woo Jin-cheol spoke to them in fluent Chinese. ¡°You guys, you¡¯ve crossed the border.¡± ¡°What the heck, you little punk?¡± ¡°whatever.¡± It wasn¡¯t worth responding to each and every one of their ringments. Because Woo Jin-cheol has already confirmed it. The strange weapons they hold in their hands. The design is very reminiscent of a sickle¡­ ¡­ . ¡°Foreign news. That¡¯s what we named it for now.¡± ¡°¡­what?¡± Woo Jin-cheol decided to call the weapons made by the ¡®Doctor¡¯ ¡®foreign weapons¡¯. And based on her experience using them, Hasul also knew how powerful those alien weapons were. but. Then what do you think? ¡°The viins of other countries carrying foreign news agencies have crossed the border, so we will enforce their actions.¡± Phew! Despite the enormous disadvantage, Woo Jin-cheol took the lead and attacked them. ¡°Tongue, President!¡± Even the Association Hunters waiting nearby were taken aback by the agility of the speed. At the same time, the Chinese viinsughed at him, radiating a murderous aura from their entire bodies. ¡°You stupid kid!¡± ¡°Youe to the ce of death on your own two feet!¡± Yes, that¡¯s right. At least that¡¯s what it seemed like. In their eyes. But again, Woo Jin-cheol is a former head of the surveince department. As he was an elite agent most specialized in PvP, his main skill was also like that. Especially in this age where people have vowed to resolve issues between people among themselves. ¡°Area debuff.¡± ¡­ ¡­ ! In that moment, a silent wave spread out from Woo Jin-cheol. That was the beginning. All the skills he had unleashed were engulfing this area one by one. ¡°Attack power weakened.¡± ¡°Slow down.¡± ¡°Dunned senses.¡± ¡°Ignores defense.¡± ¡°Blocking the view.¡± ¡­ ¡­ ?! In that moment, the Chinese viins¡¯ expressions hardened. Suddenly my body felt heavy, I felt weak, and my vision became dark. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re crazy!¡± ¡°Such a trivial skill!¡± Even though they were flustered, they tried to counter the debuff skills he had deployed by generating their own magic power without saying a word, showing how well the viins had survived the chaos. But even so, it was useless. Two years after the cataclysm. The chaos they had been living insted only two years. Shukak! ¡°¡­ ¡­ ?!¡± One head was blown off by Woo Jin-cheol¡¯s sword. I can¡¯t even scream. Swish! sh! Swish! In the blink of an eye, the next and the next necks were blown away. ¡°¡­ ¡­ Stop it!¡± ¡°Ugh?!¡± Yes, that¡¯s right. A human, not a demon. When facing fellow humans, Woo Jin-cheol was invincible. Woo Jin-cheol wiped the blood from his face and looked around at his subordinates and gave them an order. ¡°What are you doing? Let¡¯s kill them all and retrieve the foreign messenger.¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­ Yes, yes!¡± A thunderous reply, a beat behind, burst from their mouths. At the same time they realized and said: What did Woo Jin-cheol mean when he said earlier¡­ that he would return as a hunter, not as the president of the association? Over the past two years, the tremendous achievements that Chairman Woo Jin-cheol has built up. Outstanding political and administrative abilities. Every path he has walked has been the history of the Korean hunter world, and he was the person who was most suited to be the president of the association. But that wasn¡¯t all. He was¡­ ¡­ a hunter. He is a skilled warrior who is more suited to the name Hunter than anyone else. He was a true warrior who did not even spare his life in front of the enemy. Hehe. Woo Jin-cheol, who had cut off dozens of heads in an instant, was smiling. So freeing. ¡°This is the kind of situation where you say, ¡®I¡¯m okay with dying.''¡± I was sick of selling my body. Paaaaat-! Woo Jin-cheol frowned as he looked at the countless viins still crawling out through the gate at this very moment. And I quickly realized why so many of them had flocked to this ruined ce at this very moment. It¡¯s Sirka. They had nothing to gain from this ce except the elf princess trapped in the ice. It was a shame that Choi Jong-in had to be sent on a business trip to another ce at a time like this, but there was already an alternative. ¡°Come out, Mr. Hwang Dong-soo.¡± [Call me Grid. It is the name my lord has given me.] Gooooo- Woo Jin-cheol¡¯s shadow grew longer, and the shadow soldier Grid raised his giant body. And he raised his fist at the invaders who came from China. With an extremely evil, extremely viinous smile. [Wee, criminals contaminated with cult religions.] Boom! Grid, a former high priest of the Foreign Church, struck them down with all his might. Chapter 307 Chapter 307 At this point, it is necessary to briefly look back at the past of Grid, or rather, Hwang Dong-soo. Before the Great Upheaval, Hwang Dong-su and his older brother Hwang Dong-seok were known as the ¡®Brother Fraud Group¡¯ and lived a life at the bottom as third-rate criminals. That period of time was a full twenty years. My life was full of going in and out of the police station and prison, but I still had fun¡­ ¡­ I thought that too. Until I was abandoned by my brother. -You get out now. Until Hwang Dong-seok suddenly awakened to his powers and threw away his ipetent self. -Useless kid. ¡­ ¡­ Hwang Dong-su, who had been cut off from his only family like that, had a bleak future. I was at a loss. What should I do now and how should I live? Until then, I just had to do whatever my brother said. For a while I was living a life of alcoholism. But that didn¡¯tst long. As Hwang Dong-seok began to gain notoriety as a viin, Hwang Dong-su, who had suddenly be tied up with the brothers¡¯ fraud group, also began to be chased by the police. But is there a hole to survive even if the sky falls? Hwang Dong-su miraculously woke up while surrounded by police. This is truly a revival of the knighthood! But what happened? I finally woke up, but now I see that the cops chasing me were no ordinary guys. -Crazy. Why is Choi Jong-in here?! It was absurd. As if he had known that he would awaken, Choi Jong-in suddenly blocked Hwang Dong-soo¡¯s path. Choi Jong-in was the strongest hunter in the Hunter Association that had just been formed at the time. He was an incredibly scary S-ss hunter, so much so that his nickname was the ultimate weapon. It was impossible to run away from such a person, so I fought. Because there was no other choice anyway. But surprisingly. -¡­ ¡­ Is it worth a try? Surprisingly, the battle between Hwang Dong-soo and Choi Jong-in was close. Thanks to this, Hwang Dong-soo was able to realize that the power he had awakened was S-ss. A power so strong that it cannot even bepared to that of Hwang Dong-seok, who abandoned him. Then my courage surged up. If we fight him one-on-one, wouldn¡¯t we be satisfied with simply running away, and might we be able to defeat him? Of course, Choi Jong-in was not alone. He must havee fully prepared, as he was apanied by various hunters of ss A and B. But it¡¯s there, but it¡¯s not. -Hahaha! Get out before the shrimp¡¯s back gets broken in the fight between whales! In this way, Hwang Dong-su burst into loudughter and showed off his power to the association hunters. Two S-ss people are fighting, so how dare the lower-ranking ones interfere? Rather, you¡¯ll be taken hostage and have your ankles tied! In fact, wasn¡¯t it for that reason that Hwang Dong-soo himself was cut off by Hwang Dong-seok? Boom! Boom! Boom! This is truly a shock to the world. Even in the midst of the fierce and breathless battle with Choi Jong-in, Hwang Dong-soo took advantage of the gap to take the other remaining people he had brought hostage. But my goodness, now that I look at it, there are some really great people among those scumbags. -Haha! How embarrassing! Even the famous Woo Jin-cheol came out just to catch me? ¨C Mr. Hwang Dong-su, please surrender obediently. You are still a petty criminal¡­ ¡­ . -That petty criminal! That petty criminal! Hwang Dong-soo shot out at Woo Jin-cheol, who appeared in front of him wearing a suit. And when I reached out to grab that handsome guy by the cor. WHHHHHH- Even with the blistering wind ripping through the air at such a tremendous speed, Woo Jin-cheol simply untied his tie, which was fluttering in the wind, with one hand and calmly extended the other hand. Towards Hwang Dong-soo. -Slow speed. -Dampened sensation. -Vision disturbance. -Weakening attack power. ¡­ ¡­ ?! At that moment, Hwang Dong-soo realized. That something was wrong. The reason why Woo Jin-cheol, who is only an A-ss person, can treat Choi Jong-in, who is an S-ss person, as a subordinate. chuck. Finally, Woo Jin-cheol¡¯s palm caught Hwang Dong-soo¡¯s fist, which had slowed down noticeably, and put an end to it. -Chains of oppression. Shwaaaaak- -Wh, what! Hwang Dong-soo was greatly embarrassed. Suddenly, chains of magical power flew in from all directions and wrapped around his limbs. Of course, it¡¯s still A-ss. He summoned up his magical powers and forcibly tore off the chains of oppression. Then, he started to deflect the debuff skills that were suffocating him one by one. But there were too many problems. Moreover, even in the meantime, Choi Jong-in was still attacking him. -Hmm, is this it? -¡­ ¡­ This, this cowardly bastard! The fever has set in. It was truly annoying to see Woo Jin-cheol calmly disying his dirty skills one by one even when facinga S-ss viin right in front of him. Maybe that¡¯s why. Even at the moment when the terrifying final me was flying right behind him, the reason why Hwang Dong-soo tried to attack Woo Jin-cheol first was. but. -Ignores defense. -¡­ ¡­ ?! Phew! Woo Jin-cheol¡¯s debuff unfolded at a very appropriate time. The coboration of Choi Jong-in¡¯s me skill that exploded from his back at the moment when Hwang Dong-soo¡¯s solid defense was weakened. -Keuk¡­ ¡­ ! Hwang Dong-soo, who waspletely taken by the perfectbination of forces, ran away from the spot with all his might. It was a blessing in disguise. Since Choi Jong-in, who was also an S-ss, was a magic hunter, there was no one there who could keep up with Hwang Dong-soo¡¯s speed as he decided to run away. Oh, one person. -Slowdown. Chains of oppression. -Ah, please stop¡­ ¡­ ! In the end, because of Woo Jin-cheol¡¯s vicious and persistent debuffs, Hwang Dong-soo was helplessly hit by all of Choi Jong-in¡¯s attacks and barely managed to escape. Be a total wreck. In the end, he had to go into hiding for a long time after that to heal the wounds from that day. He kept his identitypletely hidden and devoted himself solely to treating wounds by visiting frence healers in the shadows, out of sight of the Association. I wanted to leave Korea right away, but it was impossible until my body fully recovered. The guys I met then were none other than the ¡®foreign missionaries¡¯. At first, Hwang Dong-soo didn¡¯t even know the name of the group or what kind of organization they were. I wasn¡¯t interested in the first ce. But it was inevitable that our paths would keep ovepping. It just so happened that, like Hwang Dong-soo, they were foreign missionaries who were operating in the shadows, avoiding the eyes of the association. That is how Hwang Dong-soo¡¯s rtionship with the foreign missionaries began. -¡­ ¡­You¡¯ll send a healer to treat my wounds? -Yes. And as a B-ss healer. In return, can we ask you a small favor? Oh, of course, it¡¯s not mandatory. So the foreign missionaries approached Hwang Dong-soo very cautiously and cautiously. At the time, the scale of the foreign mission was still small, so the power of the S-ss viin Hwang Dong-soo was quite useful. But Hwang Dong-su was also cautious. -Crime is absolutely uneptable. If I get caught by the association like this¡­ ¡­ . -Don¡¯t worry about that. I don¡¯t n on asking you to do something so eye-catching. Just attack the gates that the Association hasn¡¯t discovered yet. -If it¡¯s to that extent. In this way, Hwang Dong-su began to ept the ¡®minor¡¯ requests of foreign missionaries. No matter how many injuries he sustained, his S-ss power did not disappear. And every time they raided the gate they requested without the association¡¯s knowledge, the healer they sent woulde and treat Hwang Dong-su¡¯s wounds several times until his magical power was exhausted,and then leave. But that was only a temporary measure. At this rate, it would take too much time for my body to fully recover. But instead of providing a proper healer, the Foreign Church rewarded Hwang Dong-soo in another way. Right here, in hiding. We provided suitable hiding ces from time to time to avoid the eyes of the Association. The hideouts they provided were like rain in a drought to Hwang Dong-soo, who couldn¡¯t stay in one ce for long because that damn Woo Jin-cheol had put out a wanted notice for him all over the country. Then one day. -Go to Yangpyeong. The foreign press requested a new deal from Hwang Dong-soo, who was almost fully recovered and about to leave this damned Republic of Korea. Now that he no longer needed a healer, the foreign religion whispered to him in a sly tone, asking if he wanted to know who killed his older brother, Hwang Dong-seok. In the end, Hwang Dong-soo epted their offer again. It wasn¡¯t a difficult request anyway. As usual, I just wanted to ask you to fix a certain gate in Yangpyeong. Since he was nning to leave Korea anyway, Hwang Dong-su said that this would be hisst time and moved to Yangpyeong without saying a word. Then, a man who was a priest of a foreign religion greeted him with a bright smile. -I¡¯ve heard a lot from you. My name is Kim Chul. -hmm. -Why are you looking at me like that? -¡­ ¡­ Have we seen each other somewhere? You look familiar. -Oh! I was thinking the same thing, and I guess it worked. Haha. -He doesn¡¯t seem to be a friend from your hometown. Did you see him in the prison cell? -Oh my, a prison cell. I¡¯ve always lived a very good life, so I¡¯ve never been near such a scary ce. Maybe we had some kind of connection in a past life. Hahaha. -Past life, shit. Surely you weren¡¯t a guy from the Association? -Oh, how did you know? I just quit recently. It was so pointless and boring. -¡­ ¡­ ? Even though he knew that Hwang Dong-soo hated the association, Kim Chul¡¯s attitude of acting cute in front of him was quite strange. Kim Chul himself was also curious as to why he felt a strange sense of familiarity with the infamous S-ss viin Hwang Dong-soo. -Anyway, I ask you to take good care of this gate. And I¡¯ll give you this. -A ne? What is this? -This is a new item sent by our foreign missionary. I heard you are nning to leave Korea soon? Since we have a connection, wouldn¡¯t it be right to give you at least one item? -Item? What¡¯s its function? ¨C This is a top-grade star fragment ne that increases your magical power and recovery speed. It wil l be of great help when you are wandering around a foreign country alone. -Hmm. Not bad. Could it be because of the strange sense of closeness I feel from Kim Chul? Hwang Dong-su obediently epted the ne that Kim Cheol gave him without any particr suspicion and put it around his neck. Kim Chul himself also had the same ne hanging around his neck. So, Hwang Dong-su entered the gate under Kim Cheol¡¯s guidance. And the moment you step into the temple of a foreign religion. Towering. His memory was cut off there. And a long timeter. -¡­ ¡­ Itarim. When I opened my eyes again. There was a blue aura flowing in Hwang Dong-su¡¯s eyes. And he instinctively woke up. Who you are. -I am¡­ ¡­ the high priest who serves the great god, Itarim¡­ ¡­ Ugh. That moment. He felt a sense of difort deep down in his soul, almost nauseated, but that feeling soon disappeared as if his forehead was throbbing. -Have you woke up, High Priest? In front of Hwang Dong-su, priest Kim Cheol stood with an extremely serious attitude. Hwang Dong-soo looked at him and asked. -¡­ ¡­ I feel a strange sense of alienation inside my body. What is it? -I only received it from the headquarters, so I don¡¯t know much about it. Other than the fact that it¡¯s a great and noble experimental process. -Experiment? What is the experiment for? -Evolution and creation. -Evolution and creation¡­ ¡­ . To Hwang Dong-soo¡¯s question, Kim Cheol, who had be a priest a long time ago, answered with a mad look in his eyes. -Yes. The main office said that evolution to the limit is not much different from creation. I heard that this is a great experiment for that purpose. -¡­ ¡­ This is evolution to the extreme. How great it is. * * * [What the hell is great!] Grid shuddered and ground his teeth viciously as the dark history of that moment came to mind. [How dare you make me into a fucking foreign press shill!] ¡°Who, who¡­ ¡­ !¡± ¡°Not us¡­ ¡­ !¡± Bam! A tremendous momentum swept over them like a tidal wave. An overwhelming violence that seemed to turn the earth upside down and fold the sky in half. There was no point in hearing the answer anyway. Grid just wanted to get rid of those guys who reminded him of himself back then right away. And then there was another shadow that secretly rose up next to him. [I will join too! We dare, as glorious soldiers of our lord!] The identity was none other than Priest Kim Chul, or rather, ¡®Iron¡¯ who had returned as a shadow soldier¡­ Wah! [¡­uh?] For a moment, Iron¡¯s vision was turned upside down. Grid grabbed Iron¡¯s ankle without hesitation and swung it around like a club, striking the viins. If you think about it, it was all Iron¡¯s fault. Chapter 308 Chapter 308 The evaluation of the Hunter ranks known to the world is roughly as follows. 1 C-ss person = 10 D-ss people 1 B-ss person = 10 C-ss people 1 ss A = 10 ss B In short, this means that in order to deal with a hunter of one rank higher, you need at least 10 hunters of a lower rank. But these are only rough statistics. It wasmon knowledge to anyone in the hunter industry that numbers were just numbers. Even within the same rank, the amount of magical power is different. The types of skills also vary greatly. There were too many variables and errors to fairlypare the gaps between Hunters, as it was impossible to make a one-on-oneparison based on the roles of Tank, Dealer, and Healer. That¡¯s why organizing the Hunter¡¯s rank criteria based solely on pure magical power is the fairest yardstick. However, even if you weren¡¯t an industry professional, everyone knew that ¡®S-ss¡¯ waspletely outside of those obvious calctions. In the first ce, S-ss wasn¡¯t a rank. ¡®Out of Grade¡¯ ¡®immeasurable¡¯ The magic measuring devices developed by mankind ¡®dare¡¯ not to measure their vast power. Those people are called ¡®S-ss¡¯, so the idea that you need 10 A-ss people to deal with one S-ss was apletely wrong calction from the beginning. It takes at least 20 ss A¡¯s to deal with one of them, maybe more. It is also impossible to estimate how many people would need to fight to win, depending on the situation, the opponent, or the S-ss hunter¡¯s condition that day. It¡¯s not for nothing that the current era is called an era where the number of S-ss hunters is equivalent to national power. In the past, it was simr to the principle of a nuclear state, but in reality, it was a much more practical and intuitive criterion than nuclear weapons. After all, there are no human rights in nuclear weapons. Before theunch button was pressed, nukes were little more than a political weapon. But S-ss hunters are different. They are literally walking nuclear weapons. It¡¯s a living core that could suddenly get pressed at any moment. There was no way to suppress it. Because the transformation of an S-ss Awakened person into a viin overnight was something that depended entirely on their morality. And that was the reason why Woo Jin-cheol had been so special and vicious in his control over the S-ss viin Hwang Dong-soo¡­ ¡­ . Kookwakwakwakwakwa! ¡®That¡¯s fortunate.¡¯ Woo Jin-cheol couldn¡¯t hide his satisfaction at seeing Hwang Dong-soo, who was a S-ss variable, fighting on the same side as Grid. In particr, Woo Jin-cheol¡¯s debuff skills had a synergy effect that was several times greater when used with someone of his level of skill. [Where are you running! Gather around, you little shits!] bang! ¡®Skill, Sound of the Earth¡¯ As Grid¡¯s foot hit the ground, a huge earthquake spread out in all directions, centered around that spot. Caught up in the wave, the Chinese viins who were running away were sucked into Grid. In addition, Woo Jin-cheol added a spoon. ¡°Chains of oppression.¡± Swaaaah! The viins who were sucked in front of the grid were captured like a by Woo Jin-cheol¡¯s magical chain. What happened next was nothing short of catastrophe. Kookwakwang! As Grid swung the iron like a baseball bat and struck the men, some of them died instantly from the impact. Iron¡¯s solid body, originally a ss A tank, was a very excellent(?) blunt weapon in itself, so its attack power was indescribable. Of course, it was something that happened without my will, but the effect was excellent. And Woo Jin-cheol took advantage of this confusion and gave orders to the Association Hunters. ¡°Take this opportunity to retrieve the ¡®foreign news¡¯ they are holding!¡± ¡°yes!¡± Foreign news is dangerous. It was a suspicious weapon that granted its user powerful, unidentified powers. The fact that the viinsing from China right now can struggle just as much as Grid, who is an S-ss, was proof of that. So Woo Jin-cheol left the fighting to Grid and focused on retrieving the foreign telescope from the corpses as quickly as possible. While appropriately mixing in debuffs here and there. Although we had never fought together before, we got along very well. [¡­hmm.] Grid felt a bit strange about that fact. Even though he returned as a shadow soldier and all his old memories returned, the bad rtionship with Woo Jin-cheol in this life did not disappear. How much have I suffered because of those annoying and irritating debuff skills? Even though he had awakened to an S-ss, he was covered in wounds and went into hiding cowardly for a full two years. It was all because of that Woo Jin-cheol. If it had been just thest person, they would have just avoided meeting each other, but Woo Jin-cheol is sued a warrant for the association to arrest him and chased after him relentlessly. But you have to live long enough to see it. As I lived, I realized that Woo Jin-cheol was on my side and was making my battles a lot easier with all sorts of debuffs. Shhh- Gridughed. [¡­ ¡­ Well, this kind of thing happens too.] It¡¯s sofortable because we¡¯re on the same side. I didn¡¯t feel too bad. More than that¡­ ¡­ . [Hmm. It¡¯s a foreign news agency¡­ ] Grid picked up one of the foreign telegraphs that had been in the hands of the viin he had just killed. The shapes of the Chinese-made(?) foreign news agencies were not all the same. If it was an item with this level of buffing function, it would be possible to mass-produce it and keep making them, but the fact that each one was so different gave off a strong feeling that they were making this and that as an experiment. Woof- [Huh?] Is it because he is a former high priest? Or maybe it¡¯s because he¡¯s a shadow soldier. The moment Grid gets his hands on the foreign news. Grid noticed that this alien was sucking his magic power. There are plenty of weapons that suck up magic power, but this one felt a little different. [He¡¯s not drawing out my magic power and eating it.] [It seems to be sent somewhere.] Iron, who was released from the grid, felt the sensation by touching one of the foreign news agencies. And then I jumped right into the conclusion. [¡­ ¡­ It seems like it¡¯s something we shouldn¡¯t touch.] Grid nodded in agreement. [I see. Information about us will leak to someone.] Kwajik! They smashed the foreign news agency they were holding without hesitation. And he retrieved his ck mana that was about to fly away somewhere. After that, Grid approached Woo Jin-cheol and said. [I think I know why that ¡®doctor¡¯ told these things to humans.] ¡°Yes. When I didn¡¯t know the truth about the foreign religion, I could only guess, but I think they want to gather as much information as possible from here and there.¡± [Did you already guess?] ¡°Yes. The doctors I¡¯ve met seem to have a great interest in the Awakened, or rather, humans.¡± [Did you meet him in person? What did he look like?] The grid was genuinely curious. How dare you allow yourself, a soldier of the great Shadow Lord, to be bewitched by a cult. If I knew the face of that damned thing, I would be able to help him out the next time I meet him. ¡°Well, if you¡¯re curious about his appearance, he was just an ordinary-looking old man.¡± [An ordinary old man?] ¡°Yes. He was old enough to be called ¡®Doctor¡¯¡­ ¡­ an old man in a wheelchair.¡± * * * That moment. Suho was asking while staring intently at the face of the ¡®Doctor¡¯, the apostle of evolution. ¡°I asked who gave the rest of the weapons to.¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­ Hmm. Well.¡± Even under the pressure of Soo-ho, the expression on the face of the boy, who was only about ten years old, was still full ofposure. The apostle of evolution shrugged his shoulders and replied. ¡°I don¡¯t remember every single one of them because I used them so spontaneously. Besides, they were all failures for me, but they were pretty effective weapons for humans, so people started killing each other and stealing them out of greed.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t do it on purpose?¡± ¡°Why would I do that? I just need to extract the information I need, no matter who¡¯s holding it.¡± ¡°So, did you get the information you needed?¡± ¡°Yes. Quite a bit. In particr, the S-ss viin Hwang Dong-soo of Korea was a very useful test subject.¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­ Hwang Dong-soo?¡± Suho and Ber made subtle expressions at the same time at the unexpected name. But the Apostle of Evolution continued speaking without paying any attention. ¡°As expected, the S-ss is different. Thanks to the luck of recruiting Hwang Dong-soo as a foreigner, I was able to create humanoid weapons from then on.¡± [Grid¡­ ¡­ Let¡¯s seeter.] Berga gritted his teeth softly. At that moment, Grid, who was far away, felt an inexplicable chill and looked bewildered. Suho also asked questions about things he was curious about, looking forward to the next time. ¡°So what is this humanoid weapon? Did it create humans?¡± ¡°Creation¡­ ¡­ That is the realm of God. It is a power that mere creatures cannot approach. However, we have definitely be able to imitate it.¡± ¡°simrly?¡± ¡°Yes. Because evolution to its extreme is not much different from creation. Now, look at the 47th one I gave you as a gift.¡± The Apostle of Evolution reached out and proudly pointed to the woman standing next to Suho. ¡°As you can see, No. 47 is a human being who thinks and speaks for himself, but he has no soul. No matter how hard I try, I can¡¯t seem to create a soul.¡± At those words, Suho realized the identity of the strange sensation he had felt when he first encountered No. 47. ¡°So-called AI with flesh and blood.¡± ¡°The concept is simr, but isn¡¯t it much more human? And a much more evolved version. Even if it gets hurt, it heals quickly. It¡¯s like¡­ ¡­ .¡± ¡°Like the Shadow Legion?¡± ¡°¡­w.¡± At Suho¡¯s one word that pierced through the core, the corners of the Apostle of Evolution¡¯s mouth split open for a moment. ¡°That is correct.¡± The Apostle of Evolution, smiling with utmost satisfaction, nodded his head vigorously and spread both his hands wide. ¡°Look! How hard I have worked! All these failures were research that began the moment the great Shadow Lord¡¯s immortal legions saw them from afar across the universe.¡± He looked back on the shock of the moment when he had first seen the Shadow Legion, with an expression of utter rapture. An immortal army that continues to live no matter how many times they are killed. The sight of the soldiers of God dying helplessly before the power of that deep darkness. To be honest, it was a shock. This is especially true for the apostles of evolution who, until then, had regarded the ¡®god¡¯ who created them as an absolute being and served him with all their loyalty. And this question arose: Is the Creator you serve really an absolute being? Still, even in the face of such a great and absolute death? ¡°Do you know? Creation and immortality! Those two are opposing concepts. I am not a god, so creation is absolutely impossible, but what if it were immortality? If we continue to evolve, if we continue to experiment, wouldn¡¯t it be possible someday? That was the beginning of my research, and the reason I volunteered toe to this Earth. I don¡¯t know about other people, but at least that was my purpose from the beginning.¡± ¡°So? Did you achieve your goal?¡± ¡°Half the sess is achieved.¡± Half sess. Suho immediately understood what that meant. If the Shadow Soldiers are an immortal legion made of souls. No. 47 was an experimental subject created in a simr state with only a body and no soul. An immortal soldier who can quickly recover from any injury. They seeded in producing results that were almost identical in appearance, with only differences in materials. ¡°However, there is nothing I can do about the half-failure. Perhaps because I am a mere creature, the creation of a soul seems absolutely impossible to me.¡± An empty vessel without a soul. However, the Apostle of Evolution, who had created an immortal soldier whose shell could be recycled forever, was disappointed and licked his lips. But Suho wasn¡¯t fooled. Clearly his experiments were astonishing. And as long as he lived, his research would be. Then one day, his research will bear new fruit. ¡®I will be my father¡¯s enemy.¡¯ Suho immediately concentrated his magical power into his fist. The Apostle of Evolution, who noticed the momentum, asked. ¡°Why are you suddenly like that?¡± ¡°Let me ask you onest question.¡± Thud thud. Suho walked towards the Apostle of Evolution and raised his fist. ¡°You created an immortal soldier from an empty vessel without a soul¡­ ¡­ Then which test subject are you?¡± ¡°ah.¡± At those words, the expression on the apostle of evolution¡¯s face, which had been rxed from the beginning, changed for the first time. Kookbang! ¡­ ¡­ ! Suho threw a punch. At that moment, everything fell apart. All these illusions that were spreading around the Apostle of Evolution. And beyond that¡­ ¡­ . There was a ¡®brain¡¯. A pink brain locked in a small fishbowl. The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!